Coming Back

Babysitting and Secrets

A little over a year passed before I even thought about children again, knowing I'd have a lot of negotiating to do. I stood anxiously in surgery, Grey opposite me with shrapnel embedded inside the patient's body. "Shit" I shook my head, a piece of glass potentially cutting through the aorta.

"Page cardio" Grey looked up at me, having been back about a week after maternity leave. I envied Derek, being lucky enough to have two children.

I must have zoned out, being snapped back into reality by Cristina spitting orders. I followed her instructions as she gave them. Once the patient was cleared Grey answered a page, leaving my wife and I. "Grey said we could babysit Bailey and Zola tomorrow night" I smiled beneath my mask, looking up at her as I worked.

"Ok" she nodded, her tone and reply surprising me more than I would have thought.

"You're sure you don't want to stay home on your night off?" I raised an eyebrow, slightly caught off guard.

"I don't understand your hesitation" she said in her matter of fact attitude "I've been anxious to see my godchildren"

"Ok then" I laughed lightly, curious as to her motives.

--

The next night Cristina and I took over parenting duty, seeing the couple off to a pleasant dinner. I watched from the kitchen as Cristina sat in the living room floor, holding Bailey and playing with Zola. I kept my mouth shut, her behavior lifting my mood. As I cleaned up the sticky macaroni and cheese we had had for supper, thinking to myself as the Christmas holiday drew closer. I had yet to get my wife a present, coming up with absolutely nothing.

"Owen" I perked up as my name was called, Cristina bouncing Bailey as he whined. "Can you watch her for a minute? Someone needs his diaper changed"

I nodded hesitantly "You sure you don't want me to take care of it?"

"I've got it" she replied, shooing Zola in my direction before heading towards the nursery.

I lifted her onto the counter, digging into the freezer and handing her a popsicle "What should I get Aunt Chris for Christmas?" I asked, leaning on the counter.

"I dunno" she shrugged, taking a bite "I like dolls"

"I'm not sure she would like dollies" I laughed "What about a necklace?" I asked

"Nah" she scrunched her nose and shook her head "I still like dolls"

I sighed with a small smile "We'll see"

"What are you two heathens doing?" Cristina returned, a blotchy faced baby in her arms.

"Conniving" I smirked, smoothing his blond fuzz and kissing her temple. I winked at Zola, who replied with a giggle.

Cristina shushed the sleepy boy as best she could before looking to me for help. I took him quietly and helped Zola down off the counter. I laid her down and let Cristina tuck her in, collapsing in a rocker in the adjacent room. I hummed mildly as I rocked, Bailey calming with each fluctuation.

"I swear that boy loves you more than his own father" she smiled, leaning against the doorframe. I rose to my feet and laid the baby in his crib, meeting her silently. I gently shut the door, sneaking through the hall and safely back into the living room.

Cristina caught me off guard as she gripped my shirt, kissing me roughly and dragging me with her. She laid down on the couch, I scrambled to support myself, laughing with her. "You look so good with baby snot on your shirt" she laughed

"What are you getting at Cristina Yang?" I raised an eyebrow, sitting back in my knees.

"Oh nothing" she smirked lightly.

"Tell me the truth" I silently prayed my suspicions were correct.

She sat up and looked up to me "Absolutely nothing" she kept a stern face. I could see she was covering a small smile, along with a secret.
————————————————————————
The next morning I woke up to my bed empty, hearing music downstairs. I laughed lightly and checked the clock, she not only had gotten up before me on a day off, she was attempting to make a meal. I showered and dressed, jogging down the stairs, my usually scrooge impersonating wife singing along to christmas carols.

"Who are you and what have you done with my wife?" I laughed, kissing her forehead as she turned some pancakes. "are those?" I pointed to the red and green sprinkles scattered over the batter.

"I like sprinkle pancakes, don't judge me" she flipped a few onto plates, handing on to me. I sat down at the bar, grabbing a fork from the sink and cutting the fluffy breakfast in pieces. I ate quietly, looking up only when a rude sound came from across the bar. Cristina had squirted ketchup over half her pancakes, chocolate syrup covering the other half. I smiled and lowered my head again, continuing eating and glancing up at her every so often.

"What?" she questioned, stabbing a piece from each side of the plate, eating it and smiling satisfied.

"Is this your way of telling me you're pregnant?" I nonchalantly asked, leaning back in my chair.

"No" she shook her head, lowering it strategically to hide her blushing.

I got up from my chair and wrapped my arms around her, kissing her forehead. "You are the absolute worst liar I've ever seen" I laughed "at Zola's last party you made me pick off the sprinkles to your cupcake, and I mean is there any other reason to combine chocolate, ketchup, and pancakes?"

She looked up at me, rolling up on her toes and kissing me gently. She nodded and buried her face in my chest. "I'm fifteen weeks" she bit her lip, looking back up at me. I thought back to the last month, her attire loosening around her figure, her eating habits wavering gradually. "I uhh" she broke away from me, walking into the living room and dug towards the back of the small tree we had gotten, bringing me back a teddy bear. "I was going to wait until Friday, but I guess I couldn't wait any longer"

"Cute" I turned it over in my hands, confused as to its significance. She laughed and squeezed the end of one of its limbs, the small thud of a heartbeat filling the moment of silence. I couldn't help but smile, holding her closely. "I thought you'd forgotten to wrap Zola's present" I laughed, having spotted it earlier and assumed it was for her.

"I love you" she smiled "I haven't told anyone, it's a surprise for Friday night" I nodded, picking her up under the knees and taking her upstairs. I laid her down, crawling up beside her and wrapping my arms around her.

"This is the child of Cristina Yang" she looked up at me "if its not kicking by this week I'm going to hold a grudge" she glanced down, I could see a small protrusion in her abdomen.

"Hey it's my kid to" I laughed "I'll be happy with whatever happens"

"Yeah whatever" she playfully rolled her eyes.