The After

Chapter 19

Notes: This chapter kinda sucks I promise there's better ones coming!

Some time passed, and Owen continued his regular visits with Dr Wyatt. Him and Cristina were doing better, but still sleeping apart. However, he was making great progress as Dr Wyatt had just mentioned on this Monday morning.

It was now winter in Seattle, Owen had planned to spend Christmas with Cristina and his family, in his family's cabin. As kids he had spent every winter break there but as he and his siblings grew older the cabin lay empty. Cristina wasn't thrilled about the idea but had agreed to it months prior after being promised a week of home cooked meals, plus even though her and Owen had been married for over 6 months, she had yet to meet his siblings. Owen had been looking forward to this trip for months, but now he wasn't sure if it was a good idea for him to even go.

That was what he was discussing with Dr Wyatt this particular morning.

"Do you feel as though you would be a threat to them?" She asked him from her armchair.

Owen thought for a moment, "I don't know, that's why I'm asking you."

Wyatt nodded, "Well Owen, you have not had a night terror in 3 weeks. That is not something to skim over, you're getting better." She stated.

Owen nodded not convinced, "So you think that we could still go?" he asked hopeful.

"In my professional opinion I feel as though you are no longer a threat, but maybe just to be safe I would have you sleep on the sofa" she replied.

"Only though, if you feel yourself that you are ready."

After that session Owen was pretty chuffed, if he was being honest, he did feel as though he was ready, but he had to make sure that Wyatt agreed. After he had her approval, he spent the rest of the week looking forward to it.

Owen loved Christmas, always had. And being able to not only spend his Christmas with his family who he rarely got to see, but also with Cristina was like a dream for him. Plus, the fact that this was their last Christmas without a child present made it all the more exciting. He was really looking forward to checking out of his hotel room, he hated it and was happy that he was putting this behind him and moving forward.

Cristina was so happy about having Owen sleeping in the same building as her that she had blocked out her nerves about meeting his siblings and was now also looking forward to their trip.

As Owen waited for Cristina after work, he watched the snow falling on this cold Friday evening. As he sat in the lobby looking out his mind took him back to a similar night years ago, when he had found his damsel in distress; a night which changed his life forever.

As they left the hospital together, Owen made sure to check the roof before leading Cristina under it, not wanting another icicle to come anywhere near her.

He drove her home, and she smiled as she watched him lifting his suitcase out of the back of his truck. She grabbed his arm and laid her head on his shoulder, "I'm glad you're home" she whispered.

Owen turned his head to kiss her on the forehead, "Me too" he replied.
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As they began packing, Cristina began to get nervous about the prospect of meeting Owen's siblings. She left Owen busy packing and snuck into the bathroom to phone her crisis hotline; Meredith Grey.

Meredith picked up almost immediately, "Hello"

"Mer, what was I thinking I can't live in the woods for a week, I hate nature. I don't even celebrate Christmas and now I'm signed up to celebrate it for the first time with a bunch of people who will probably hate me, and I won't even be able to escape them because it's one tiny cabin in the middle of nowhere. One Cabin Mer!" she said without even stopping to breathe.