Season 8.5 Finale: "Come Away with Me"

[shli1117.livejournal.com]

Title: "Come Away with Me"
Authors: lovemesomeowen, princessxleah, angelamermaid, and ebonybeach
Editor: shli1117
Rating: PG-13
Length: 5,441 words
Disclaimer: Characters from the show are not of our creation and belong to Shonda and ABC. No monetary compensations were gained from this fictitious work.
Authors' Note: Thank you for your patience in the release of this season finale. And we're so grateful for all of you who have come along for the ride. Don't forget to mosey on over to the writers' blog for some last thoughts from the five of us!


From the time they enter med school, surgeons are trained to live and breathe their work. As interns and residents, their lives are consumed by surgeries, consults, research, and more surgeries – all in the name of learning and doing more. They work and push to become the best in their field, and it never slows down. However, there comes a point in every surgeon’s life where there’s a moment when they ask themselves if there isn’t something more.

“Come on,” Callie said for the third time. “We’re going to miss it!”

A wave of irritation washed over Miranda Bailey as she struggled to keep up with Torres’ long stride. “Just what are we in danger of missing?” she asked testily. “And why do I have to be there? I have surgery…”

“You’re coming because it will be fun. Remember fun? We’re finding out where Yang and Hunt are going on vacation!” Callie said, grinning at the perplexed expression on Miranda’s face. “Today’s the big reveal!”

“And we care about this why?” Miranda asked pointedly.

“There’s a contest. And I am so gonna win,” Callie replied.

“Win what? Not…money? You bet actual money on where Yang and Hunt are going on vacation.”

“Yep. And in…let’s see,” Callie checked her watch, “about three minutes I’m going to be two hundred dollars richer.”

“Two hundred dollars!” Miranda stopped dead in her tracks. “How on earth... Does Hunt know about this?”

“No, and you’re not going to tell him,” Callie said, opening the cafeteria door and scanning the room. “It was Karev’s idea. Stop judging. It’s unbecoming. There they are. Let’s go.”

Miranda did a quick head count as they crossed the room. “How much did each of you put in, for heaven’s sake?” She saw only Karev, Chamberlain, and Kepner.

“Only twenty. You don’t have to be present to win,” Callie said, waving to the group. “Did we make it?”

“Just barely,” said Alex. “Have a seat. Yang’s on her way.” He eyed Miranda warily. “Dr. Bailey.”

“Karev.” Miranda didn’t even try to mask her obvious disdain. “So how does this work?”

“They finally narrowed it down to ten destinations. Each of us picked the place we think they’re going. Winner takes all. Well, basically,” Alex said.

“Basically?” Miranda said, raising an eyebrow.

“Winner has to do something nice for Cristina,” said Callie. “But for two hundred bucks it’s so worth it!”

“You are out of your minds,” Miranda said. “Who does that?”

“Ask your fiancé,” Alex said, smirking.

Miranda looked shocked. “Do you mean to tell me…”

“You don’t have to be present to win!” Callie repeated, as Richard Webber rushed to the table and sat down.

“Did I miss it?” he said, panting. “My surgery ran long.”

Miranda stared at him in stunned disbelief. “Sir? Really?”

“Oh, stop!” he said dropping into a chair, eyes twinkling. “Live a little!”

“I give up,” she said in resignation. Turning her attention to the others, she continued, “Where did you pick?”

They looked at her blankly.

Miranda spoke again. “Where. Did. You. Pick? Chamberlain?”

Erika looked up, startled. “I picked hiking.”

“You picked hiking?” Miranda asked, incredulous. “Hiking.”

“What’s wrong with hiking?” Erika asked, defensively.

“Cristina Yang does not hike, particularly in light of recent events,” Miranda replied, as Erika glared at Karev who shrugged. “Kepner?”

“Palm Springs!” she chirped. “It’s lovely, luxurious…”

“It’s a desert,” Miranda said emphatically. “Owen Hunt isn’t going back to a desert any time soon anymore than Yang is going back to the woods. I don’t care how luxurious it is.”

“Jackson picked Hawaii!” April protested.

“Hawaii isn’t a desert, despite the sand, but Hawaii is an equally ridiculous selection. Am I right?” she asked, turning to Callie for confirmation.

“In his defense, Jackson really had no way of knowing that Cristina went to Hawaii with Meredith after her non-wedding to Burke,” Callie added hastily.

“Sloppy,” Miranda clucked. “Karev?”

But Cristina and Meredith had arrived, lunch trays in hand. They took the last two chairs.

“Excellent timing,” Alex said in barely veiled relief. “Let’s go.”

“Keep your pants on,” Cristina said, popping a French fry into her mouth. “Where’s the fire?”

He glanced quickly in Bailey’s direction as Cristina grinned. They all looked at her expectantly.

“What?” she asked. “Oh, right. Drum roll, please…” They all tapped on the table. “Owen and I have decided to vacation in…Northern California. One week in San Francisco, the second week in the Napa Valley.”

“Yes!” Callie shouted triumphantly. “Yes, yes, yes!”

“Crap,” Alex muttered, handing her an envelope of cash. “I picked staycation.”

They all burst out laughing, as Erika patted Alex’s hand consolingly.

“Seriously?” Cristina snorted. “No. Owen likes the firehouse, but he’s insisting we actually leave town for this. No staycation.”

With that, everyone began to get up and leave now that the show was over.

“I wasn't thinking,” Erika said to Alex. "You might have said something."

“And where would the fun have been in that?” he teased, slipping his arm around her as they kissed.

“I’ll tell Jackson,” April said. “He’ll be bummed.”

“I’ll let Mark know,” Callie said. “He won’t be surprised. He picked Alaskan Cruise. Like that was ever gonna happen. Miranda can tell Ben. That should be fun!” Miranda threw her a withering glance. “Come on, let’s go. The torture is almost over.”

“For my ‘something nice,’ I want dinner! Homemade and delivered!” Cristina called after them.

“Done!” Callie replied. “Let me know what you want and when you want it!”

“Unbelievable,” Miranda muttered.

As Richard stood to leave he turned and implored Cristina, “Make sure Owen actually relaxes. He needs this. It’s not easy being the chief. Not easy.”

“Yes, sir, I’ll take care of him,” Cristina smiled.

Meredith stared at Cristina after they were alone. “California?”

“What?” Cristina asked, already anticipating what was coming.

“You’re getting on a plane?”

“I’m getting on a plane.”

“I picked Vancouver. I didn’t think you’d get on a plane.”

“Owen left the choice up to me. He said we could drive. But, I need to do this, Mer. I’m not going live in fear my whole life. I won’t do it. And Owen will be with me. How’s Derek’s physical therapy coming along?” she said, changing the subject.

“Really, well,” Meredith replied. “He’s beginning to believe he’ll operate again. He’s going to be disappointed that he lost the contest. He picked the Canadian Rockies. He was sure that a Romantic Adventure by Rail was in your future. You’re getting on a plane?”

“I’m getting on a plane.”

***

“Hey!” Cristina said, coming up the steps of the firehouse, Chinese takeout in her hands.

Owen smiled and moved to help her with the food.

“Hey, yourself…” he said, giving her a quick kiss. “How was your day? I barely saw you.”

“Fine,” she said, dropping down to the couch, exhausted. She put her head back and closed her eyes. “Yours?”

“Lots to do to get ready to go, but it was fine. Who won the contest?”

Cristina started to answer then stopped herself, eyes popping open as she sat up.

“How do you know about the contest?”

“You’re not the only one who knows things,” he replied cryptically. “I know things about my hospital. So who won?”

“Callie,” she said, leaning back again. “And we get a prize. She’s making us dinner and delivering it.”

“Nice.” Owen said, smiling broadly. “Ask for chicken piccata.”

“Great idea. So what have you been doing?” she asked, surveying the papers scattered on the table.

“I’ve confirmed our reservations at The Fairmont and finalized the arrangements for the house in Napa. I also printed our boarding passes.” Seeing her brow furrow slightly he added, “We can still drive if you’d rather. It’s not a big deal.” He sat down beside her on the couch, slipping his arm around her shoulders. “Whatever you want to do is fine by me.” He kissed her forehead gently.

She smiled up at him. “I know. And I appreciate it. But we’re doing this. I need to do this. Pretty soon I’m going to be getting invitations to present at conferences. There will be other trips for us. I need to get over it.”

“But…”

“Meredith was…surprised we were flying...but I told her I’d be okay.” Cristina rubbed her fingers together absently. She turned to Owen. “I’m not sure I could do it alone. Not yet, anyway. But you’ll be with me. And I can do it if you’re with me.”

“I will always be with you,” he said, tenderly.

“I know.” She kissed him gently on the lips. “Thank you.”

“For what?” he asked, puzzled. “I love you. There’s nothing I wouldn’t do for you.”

“For being my ‘person,’” she said, simply. "I love you. I don’t tell you enough.”

“You do just fine.” He pulled her closer to him. “So, what are we doing in San Francisco? Any special requests? I can’t wait to see your old stomping grounds.”

“I do have a few things in mind. I’m working on getting us into a fabulous restaurant. The waiting list is months long, but I may be able to call in a favor.”

“Sounds intriguing. Anything else?”

Cristina paused for a moment. “Actually, yes. You know how we talked about renewing our vows and then inviting everyone back here for a party afterwards? Would it be all right with you if we did the vows in private, maybe on our trip? I like the idea of it being just us. We can still have the party, if you want to… Maybe up on the roof?”

“That sounds perfect,” Owen replied, nuzzling her neck. "I like it..."

“We have to pack,” Cristina said. But she pressed her lips to his, wrapping her arms around him.

His hands were roaming her body now. “Um…hmmm…” He pulled off his shirt and gazed at her fiercely, eyes blazing.

Cristina leaned back on the couch and pulled him towards her. “The food is getting cold,” she said, smiling.

“So?”

***

As soon as the bellhop departed and they were alone in their palatial hotel suite, Cristina jumped backwards onto the king sized bed and lay there like a starfish, eyes closed in contentment as she sunk down blissfully into the mattress.

“Oh, this is heaven,” she sighed.

Owen was torn between the panoramic view of San Francisco through the windows and that of his beautiful wife, her hair fanned out on the coverlet and her top having ridden up a little way to expose the smooth angles of her hipbones.

She won as always.

He turned his back on the view and went over to sit beside her on the bed.

“Wow, this is heavenly,” he said in surprise at the softness of the mattress. “Scoot over.”

She duly rolled onto her side; and he lay down facing her, gazing into her eyes and thanking his lucky stars for the thousandth time that they were here – still together and still so in love.

“Thank you for bringing me here,” Cristina said softly, lacing her fingers through his. Her rings caught her eye in the afternoon sunlight, and she smiled. “I’m already enjoying this vacation more than any I’ve been on before.”

Owen raised his eyebrows. “We’ve only been out of Seattle for about five hours.”

“I know. So take the compliment already.” She poked him in the chest and then sat up. “Now, where’s the champagne we were promised on arrival?”

“Hey, not so fast.” He kept his arm around her waist and tried to pull her back down again. “Can’t we just lie here a while longer?”

There was something subtly suggestive in his tone which she instantly noted, and it made her smirk. “How about you pour us a glass each while I go change into something more...slutty.”

She was never one to mince her words, and Owen felt his heart rate suddenly spike. He had been wondering just how soon they would rip each other’s clothes off – and had correctly predicted that it wouldn’t take long at all. When she disappeared into the bathroom, he popped the cork and poured them each a drink before stripping down to his boxers. Gazing out at the glorious view across the water from their fifteenth floor suite, his whole body tensed with hormones and anticipation, and he wondered why on Earth they hadn’t done this whole vacation thing sooner.

A few minutes later he turned to see his wife emerge looking absolutely stunning in violet lingerie – her hair wild and her gaze both playful and confident. The sexiest thing about her was that she knew how hot she was and was never afraid to show it. Owen couldn’t stop a groan from escaping as she walked towards him, his whole body reacting to her in the most enjoyable way.

“Cheers,” she said with a smile, picking up a glass and toasting him. She brushed past him to look out of the window. And he stood close behind her, wrapping one arm around her waist and burying his nose in her hair, allowing his fingertips to roam over her bare skin.

“You look incredible,” he murmured in her ear, biting down gently and feeling her shiver from head to toe. “You are incredible.”

Cristina, for all her sexy self-confidence, just turned to putty in his hands. It was his smell, his lips, his bare chest against her back.

It was him, her husband, the love of her life.

She spun round for a kiss and tasted the champagne on his tongue and that was that. They were lost.

“Happy vacation,” Owen whispered into her neck as he pinned her against the window, her legs wrapping around his waist. “Two whole weeks of this...”

She silenced him with kisses, already too impatient for talking. If she’d known a trip away with Owen would be like this, she would have let him persuade her a long time ago.

***

That evening, they dined in the vibrant hotel restaurant, which was designed like the deck of a ship with brightly colored lights and live music, sipping cocktails late into the evening and soaking up the busy atmosphere.

“So, tomorrow,” Cristina said over her passion fruit margarita, “should we go see the Golden Gate Bridge? Or I could take you around Berkeley?”

Owen brushed his thumb over the back of her hand on the table and smiled. “Actually, I was hoping we could just stay in bed all day tomorrow. It’s been an exhausting year, I feel like I’m finally able to relax here. Plus, we need to try out the room service, the hot tub, and all the lingerie and toys you packed.”

Her eyes widened slightly. “You weren’t supposed to know about those.”

“I didn’t, but I had a pretty good hunch.” He chuckled, pleased that his prediction was correct. “I know you. And I love you.”

“I love you, too.” She squeezed his fingers in hers and indulged in a little moment of pride at how often they said those words now, and how easily they rolled off her tongue.

It seemed Owen was thinking the same thing. “We’ve come such a long way, haven’t we?” he mused.

“Yeah, about eight hundred miles,” Cristina quipped before her smile became more devious. “How about we go a little bit further – say, fifteen floors up to our bedroom?”

Owen watched in amusement as she downed the last of her cocktail. “Is that a proposition?”

“No,” she said, getting to her feet and holding out her hand towards him. “That’s an order. Coming?”

Never one to disobey a direct order, Owen finished his drink and stood. He playfully squeezed her ass and leaned down to whisper in her ear, “Only after you.”

“Naturally.”

***

After their first day lounging around in their suite – alternating between sleeping, making love, and cuddling up in the hot tub – they spent the rest of the week seeing all the sights San Francisco had to offer. From the Golden Gate Bridge to Chinatown, a boat trip around Alcatraz to Berkeley where they visited Cristina’s old apartment and favorite college bar, they arrived home each evening exhausted but exhilarated by their adventures.

On their final morning in the city before a day at the beach on the way up to the Napa valley, Cristina received an email on her phone confirming that they had a dining reservation at the very exclusive Chez Panisse for that evening. She had never eaten there before despite numerous invitations from her former professor, the one and only Colin Marlow, while they were together. He seemed to have a table reserved most weekends just in case she ever gave in and agreed to go out on an actual date with him.  Getting dressed up and going out just wasn’t her thing back then; and eventually he’d stopped inviting her, and she’d stopped noticing.

But that was another life now. Cristina Yang, the cardio fellow, who had survived a plane crash and gotten married to the only man she had ever wanted to be with forever – this Cristina wanted to make the effort and dress up every once in a while.

The restaurant was beautifully decorated and the food exquisite, a different menu served every single evening and made from the freshest local ingredients. They fit right in: Owen in his dark suit with an open collar and Cristina in a little grey dress, her hair falling around her shoulders. They toasted one another with perfectly chilled white wine; and she gazed at him across the table and realized that she knew every line in his face now, every fleck of dark blue in his eyes, every freckle and every smile.

When did that happen? It was hard to say for sure. Looking back, she could barely remember a time when she felt like she didn’t know him inside out. They’d always been vulnerably exposed to one another: there had never been anywhere to hide and never would be. He would always know her, and she would always love him for that – for his implicit understanding, his kindness and patience and his everlasting adoration.

After the meal, they strolled back towards the waterfront and looked out across San Francisco Bay, the Golden Gate Bridge proudly lit up in the distance. Owen came up close behind and wrapped his arms around her. They stood there in the navy blue light of dusk, neither quite knowing how to describe the magnitude of the scenery before them.

“You are so good to me,” Cristina said after a while, still partially absorbed in her revelation from dinner. “Remember the first time we met?”

Owen kissed her hair, her ear – his lips warm on her cool skin. “You were beautiful, and feisty, and charming. And kind of helpless – a real damsel in distress. I think that’s what really got me hooked.”

She laughed and squeezed his arms more tightly around her. “My knight in shining armor.”

“Always.”

Cristina leaned back against him and closed her eyes, letting the gentle summer breeze drift across her face as her mind rewound over the evening. “I can’t believe how good that food was,” she murmured, still able to taste the dessert on her tongue. “We have to go there again sometime.”

“Definitely. Can your mystery contact get us another reservation?”

She opened her eyes and turned her head slightly to look at him, realizing she had never actually told him who she had been emailing about the table. “I don’t know. It wasn’t supposed to be a mystery. It was just Colin Marlow. He knows everyone who’s anyone in this city.”

Owen couldn’t help but raise his eyebrows. “Colin Marlow your ex-professor? Ex-boyfriend?”

“Yes.” She turned around fully now and gazed at him, amused. “Don’t worry, I told him very firmly that I was taking my incredibly handsome and sexy husband out for dinner. Not jealous, are you?”

“No, not jealous,” he replied truthfully. “Just surprised. His was the last name I was expecting you to say.”

“Well, I wanted to take you to the best restaurant in town, and he was just the means to an end. We’ve only emailed. I haven’t even spoken to him.”

“Cristina, it’s totally fine. I don’t care.” He kissed her cheek, trailing his lips along her jaw. “What I’m far more interested in is what you were saying about your very handsome, sexy husband...”

She let her head fall back to give him better access to her throat, the scratch of his beard both heavenly and torturous. “I was saying that he should probably kiss me right about now...”

“Really?”

“Uh huh.”

“Okay then.”

Owen pressed his smiling lips to hers, sliding his fingers into her hair and breathing her in. Sometimes he would look at her and think he couldn’t possibly love her any more, but every time he kissed her he was taken aback by the depth of that love – by how it took over his body, his mind, his whole world. She was everything he needed, and everything he ever wanted.

***

Owen stepped out of the bathroom and raised his eyebrows. "What are you doing?"

Cristina was laying out a blue shirt and khakis for him. "I want you to wear this for the vow renewal."

"Ah." He hugged her from behind. "I've never seen you pick out clothes for me before."

"It's a special day." Her eyes were warm and amused. "And you look hot in blue."

"I do?" Owen kissed her. "Thanks for not making me wear another suit."

"On vacation? On a beach? Nope." She kissed him back, before picking up a garment bag. "Why don't you finish packing while I change?"

When she stepped out of the bathroom minutes later, Cristina took Owen's breath away. Her hair was pulled up, with loose tendrils framing her face and the back of her neck. She was wearing a dusty pink sundress with red cherry blossoms embroidered on the gauzy overlay.

"I'm a lucky man," he grinned, before gathering her up in his arms.

***

The sun shone down on them as they pulled into the parking lot of Rodeo Beach.

Owen looked out at the beach. "This looks nice. Not a lot of people."

"Uh huh. It's kind of a place that only the locals know of." She turned to him. "Ready?"

He smiled. "Ready."

They exited the car. Cristina smoothed her dress, then slipped off her sandals. She picked them up before stepping onto the sandy beach.

Owen kicked off his shoes before joining her. He was dressed in khakis with a dark blue shirt that she'd picked out for him. Her eyes drank in the sight of him, wearing blue. As far as she was concerned, he should always wear that color – if being shirtless was not an option.

Taking Owen by the hand, Cristina starting walking along the shore. “My father brought me here when I was eight,” she mused.

“Yeah?”

“Yeah.” She smiled. “I wore a red sundress that day. Guess I like red.”

“It looks good on you.” He lifted their joined hands to his mouth, and kissed her fingers.

“And when I needed a break from school, I would come here,” Cristina continued. “This was a place to clear my head and just forget about my grades. Out of time, out of space…” She squeezed his hand.

Owen chuckled. “This is a…prettier…place than the vent.” They walked along, letting the water cool their bare feet. The sun was muted through the fog of a typical San Francisco day.

She glanced at him. “You’re the only person I've ever brought here.”

“I’m honored.”

Cristina stopped walking and took both of his hands. “You’re the only person I've told about my father… and that night.”

Moved, he leaned his forehead against hers. “You have no idea of how much that means to me.”

She smiled slightly. “I have a clue.”

“I mean it.” His eyes were intense. “I was thinking about quitting that day. And then… then you opened yourself up to me, and you told me about your father’s death and how that shaped your life. And I knew, I knew, that you were someone special. You were a single malt scotch, and I changed my mind. I stayed because of you.”

Cristina was touched, and amused. “Really? ‘Single malt scotch’?”

“My favorite nectar.” Owen kissed her. “Strong, heady. I can never have my fill of it.”

She kissed him back, before pointing. “See that quiet space by those rocks?”

“Uh huh.”

“I think that's the perfect spot.”

Still holding hands, they walked to a secluded area where they wouldn't be disturbed. They placed their shoes off to the side before joining hands and facing each other. The air felt hushed and reverent.

Owen grinned boyishly at Cristina. “Thank you for making this wish come true.”

She squeezed his hands, her eyes amused and warm. They'd agreed on some parts of what they were about to do and written some things in private. Now was the time to recommit to each other in their own words.

"Cristina…" Owen smiled gently. “We've travelled a difficult road to get to this place. Along the way, we've clarified our intentions and our commitment to each other. Now, I'm affirming to you that our marriage is my priority. Should there be sorrow between us, I will be brave and take the first step towards healing. I will be by your side for the rest of your days.”

Moved, Cristina took a moment to savor the love in his eyes, before speaking. “Owen. I … I can’t breathe without you.” She looked directly at him. “I promise that every day, I will be by your side. I promise that every day, I will seek harmony for our life together. I know that neither of us is perfect, and I know that we will love and support each other through the good times and the bad.”

He shifted a little closer. “I take you, Cristina, to be my cherished wife. With all of my love, I welcome you into my heart. I dedicate myself to building a happy and healthy life with you. Our home will always be a sanctuary of warmth and peace. I vow to you that I am your partner, your ally, your person.”

Her hands gripped his tighter. “I take you, Owen, to be my beloved husband. With you, my life has meaning and joy. I pledge that I will be by your side for always. I will laugh with you, and I’ll cry with you, and I’ll grow with you. With all of my heart, I swear to you that I am your person.”

They stood still for a moment, looking at each other, with joy and love in their hearts. Then Owen spoke again. “To have and to hold.”

“In sickness and in health.” Her voice was hushed but firm.

“For richer or for poorer.”

“In strength and in weakness.”

They paused, before speaking together. “For as long as we both shall live.”

She leaned towards him as his lips met hers. Time stood still, as they sealed their covenant with a kiss.

***

Cristina’s giggles echoed throughout the empty firehouse as Owen carried her effortlessly up the stairs. “You don’t think carrying me over the threshold is a little cliché?”

“I thought this was easier than us tripping up the stairs.” In spite of the intimacy they had shared so plentifully on their vacation, it hadn’t stopped them from making out like teenagers in the back of the taxi they had taken from the airport back to the firehouse and on their way up the stairs of the firehouse. “I have to go back for the luggage…”

“Mmm.” Cristina pulled Owen to her for yet another kiss, not yet ready to start unpacking or to accept that their vacation was indeed over. “Later.”

Her murmur into his mouth only made their kisses more insistent as he backed her onto the lounge next to the stairs – the nearest available surface where they could entwine around one another again. Owen pulled away briefly after a few moments, though, to Cristina’s dismay. “Wait.” His lips pressed against hers softly to delay her protest before he stood up.

“What…?” She reclined on the lounge with a pout, but the pout softened into a smile as she watched him go over to the wine rack and pick out a bottle of red. “Trying to get me liquored up, Hunt?”

“It worked well for you this past week.” His grin as he poured a glass for each of them made her start giggling again. While the city had been fun to return to and explore with Owen, it had also been a whirlwind of visiting different sites and being on the go. Their week in wine country, in contrast, had been full of relaxation in the house they had rented and on the leisurely wine tours they had taken. She hadn’t expected to enjoy their time in Napa as much as she had, but they had both been so relaxed and so in tune with one another that the retreat had been one of her favorite parts of the vacation.

Not least of which because tasting wine all day and bringing back a few bottles to the rental house at night had led to a pleasant buzz and many playful and intimate moments between them.

It was one of the reasons she hadn’t wanted their time in California to end as much as she wanted to get back to work and to cutting. She didn’t want to lose that intimacy and that time alone with her husband just yet.

“Welcome home.” It was déjà vu all over again as she was reminded of their first night in the firehouse, when she had been the one holding the champagne and the glasses and revealing that this place would be their first home together as a married couple.

He set the bottle of wine on the table next to the couch and handed her one of the glasses before settling next to her. She curled up on his chest comfortably as they clinked their glasses in a toast and drank. “Did you have a good time?"

She nuzzled into his chest before responding. “I did.” Being away from Seattle, being alone with him, showing him some of her favorite places in San Francisco, then relaxing in Napa Valley, renewing their vows for themselves and no one else…it had been perfect. “We should do it again sometime.”

He kissed the top of her head in response and wrapped his arm around her before speaking. “So, next time we go on a vacation to California, it'll be to see your mother in Beverly Hills, right?"

Cristina rolled her eyes and took a long sip of wine as Owen chuckled. “If we ever go visit my mother, I can guarantee it's not going to feel like a vacation for anyone involved."

“Got it.” They lay there together quietly, and it occurred to Cristina that even though she would miss their time away together, she loved and treasured these moments alone with Owen in their home just as much, and especially after all the hard work and difficult decisions it had taken for them to get to this place. “This was… Thank you for this, Cristina.”

She knew he meant for more than just the vacation, and she met his eyes and reached up to gently stroke his face in response. “Don’t thank me. I wanted to do it.”

His kiss was soft and tender before it began to deepen, and it wasn’t the wine that was creating the buzz anymore as her leg wrapped more insistently around his and as their hands began to wander. She dimly felt him take the glasses away before they were embracing one another in earnest, making use of the limited space on the couch to get all the more creative.

The kisses and the laughter echoed throughout the firehouse – something that had been missing there for so long. And Cristina reveled in the playfulness and the passion as they lost themselves in the first of many moments to come in their renewed life together in their home.

No matter how dedicated we are with our work, we all need a break from it every now and then. It gives us time to be with our loved ones and reminds us of what else there is outside of surgery. We can all use a temporary distraction to reinvigorate our passion for our work – and life itself. To rediscover the things we live and breathe for.