Under the Night Sky

Chapter 54

"Cristina?"

Owen looked intently at his girlfriend but she continued to clean a plate with such zeal as though she would like to wipe it down to powder.

"Cris, can you at least acknowledge in some shape or form that you're listening to me?" he sighed. "Talk to me."

Cristina made no sign that she was paying any attention to his words. She put away the dry plate on the dish rack and grabbed another from the sink.

"It's not your fault-"

"Oh, really?" she snapped at last. "Because I think it is, and not only I. Ask anyone in town, I bet everyone knows by now."

"I don't-"

"I'm gonna be the black sheep again. Not that I mind too much, I've always been the black sheep and I've enjoyed it. Only this time I hurt my person."

"You did what you thought was best!" Owen raised his voice. "Nothing here is your fault. How could you know Shepherd would turn out to be completely untrustworthy... If he really did...? I... I still can't believe it, he really seemed like he was a reasonable guy."

"Tell me about it," Cristina grumbled.

"I... Are you sure it's not some kind of mistake...?" he asked.

"Please, get over it already with that male solidarity, it's really unbecoming."

"It's not male solidarity," Owen rolled his eyes. "I'm just trying to figure out a solution."

"There is no solution!" she snorted. "My person got screwed over by a stupid penis, again! I really think you should all be castrated just after birth."

"An excellent idea," he threw sarcastically. "Do you know... what she saw...?"

"She saw Shepherd with another woman," Cristina said with unconcealed irritation.

"Doing... what?"

"Are you that daft? Meredith got back in the middle of the night, chilled to the bone, and still in that stupid gown. What do you think they could be doing? You wanna know the exact position?"

"No, I'm... sorry," Owen succumbed at last.

"Don't be. I am the only one that should be sorry."

"You shouldn't be either," this time it was Meredith herself who contradicted Cristina. She had come downstairs and slipped into the inn's kitchen, unbeknownst to Owen and Cristina who both fell uncomfortably silent.

"Oh, please, don't stop talking about me for my benefit," Meredith shrugged but there was no sarcasm in her voice. "I'm sure the whole of Rachel is doing it right now. And I don't mind. I don't care anymore."

"I'm sorry..." Cristina started.

"I told you, you shouldn't be," Meredith assured her calmly, pouring herself a cup of coffee. "I thought my life could turn out differently for once... but I guess it can't. I'm not even surprised. Don't make that face, I'm going to be okay this time. I have you... and I have Rachel, two things I know which will never fail me."

"You're going back to bed?" Cristina asked. She didn't want to have this discussion with Meredith. She felt as if she had failed her already.

"No!" Meredith announced resolutely. "I've slept almost the entire day. Enough! I'm going to eat something, grab my things and get going."

"Get going where?" Cristina asked cautiously. "Where are you going to stay? You're not... going back to the house?"

"I don't know yet," Meredith shrugged. "I've got all my stuff there. I own it too... I need to think this over. Maybe he'd agree to sell the rest of the rights to me? Why wouldn't he? I don't see him ever coming back here."