The Honeymoon that Wasn't

A/N: Well…this is it. The end. I think I'm going to cry. Thank you all for sticking with this story for so long. I hope you enjoyed the adventure and I hope you'll come back for the sequel. Let me know how I did?

Meredith blinked against the bright sunlight that assaulted her eyes when they exited the plane. "Ow," she muttered.

"I know," Cristina groaned from beside her. "I'm trying to figure out why my parents thought two week in Hawaii was a good idea for a surgeon from Seattle."

Meredith shook her head tiredly. "I'm sure it was something about…being a surgeon from Seattle and missing the sun. Although I really wonder why they would think you'd see the outside of your hotel room on your honeymoon."

Cristina smirked and pulled her groggy friend to the baggage claim area. "Come on. This is an anti-honeymoon and we're going to spend the next two weeks forgetting that Seattle and all its stupid males exist."

Meredith nodded and pulled her phone from her pocket as she let Cristina lead her. "Sure thing. Just let me text Mark that we made it and then we can get to the forgetting part."

Cristina huffed out a hoarse laugh. "You know…sometimes your gooiness really makes me want to puke or something."

Meredith nodded again. "I know…but not today."

Cristina tugged her suitcase from the conveyor belt and sighed. "No, not today," she agreed. "And now we have to forget the Seattle boys."

Meredith put her phone back into her pocket and pulled her own suitcase to her. "Mark isn't part of the Seattle thing. He's part of the Madrid thing. He doesn't count. But let's get to the hotel and then we can unpack, find a bar and drink your troubles away under the Hawaiian sun."

Cristina headed for the exit from the airport and flagged down a cab. "Sun, sea, surf and shots."

Meredith sighed and fingered her phone. She hadn't really wanted to come with Cristina. But Mark had told her it was fine. Mark had said he'd wait for her. Part of her knew he'd still be there when she got home but the memory of Burke's abandonment of her person flared up and she wondered how she could be so sure. People left. It was what they did.

Mark has never left, her brain reminded.

She nodded to herself. Mark had never left her and he'd had plenty of opportunity and reason to do so. Her phone beeped as she ducked into the cab beside Cristina. Cristina slipped her phone out before Meredith could and grinned at her. "I'm taking this," Cristina told her. "Cuz if I don't then you'll be all busy texting when I want you drunk with me." She looked down at the screen and then smiled at Meredith. "He says he loves you." She pushed the buttons even as Meredith groaned and tried to grab the phone back. "There," Cristina said smugly as she kept it out of Meredith's reach and hit send. "Now he knows you're not ignoring him and that you are busy being drunk and ogling hot guys and being my person for now."

Meredith sighed and settled back against the seat. Cristina was vicious when she wanted to be and Meredith was just too tired to fight her today. "I don't like you," she muttered.

MS/MG MS/MG MS/MG

Three days later Meredith huddled on their room's balcony watching the sun rise over the ocean. The past few days were something of a blur in her mind but she didn't care. She felt really and truly relaxed for the first time in years really. There was the nagging tug at her heart because Mark wasn't here but she could live with it. Mark was okay. They were okay.

Since Cristina had stolen her phone Mark had been texting Cris every couple of hours and it amused Meredith. Every time Cristina dutifully reported that Mark loved her and then scowled. Meredith was halfway positive that Mark hadn't said it that much but she loved that Cristina thought it was necessary. Especially after that first day.

Despite their best intentions the first day they had made it to the hotel and collapsed on their beds instead of going out. They had both slept for almost a full twenty-four hours. Cristina had grumbled about the lost opportunity for drunkenness and the mass of texts from Mark, Alex, Derek, Izzie and Addison. But she'd answered each of them and wouldn't let Meredith touch her own phone.

The second day they'd actually done what they'd planned to do. They'd found a bar near their hotel and stayed for the entire day. They'd drunk countless tequila shots and bashed Burke. And if Cristina was a little more quiet than was normal for her…well, Meredith didn't call her on it.

"Okay," Cristina's groggy voice said as the other woman plopped down in the seat beside her. "I've done my grieving thing and now we have to go shopping."

"Shopping?" Meredith asked hesitantly and sipped at her coffee.

Cristina nodded emphatically and poured a cup for herself. "Yes, because all we have is our home clothes and I refuse to wear clothes that I would wear at home in a tropical paradise. We're going to go buy vacation clothes and I hate shopping but I want to feel…different. I want to feel hopeful and to stop grieving. So we are going to go out and find happy, vacation clothes."

Meredith leveled a long look at her and then nodded. "Well…all right then." If drunken bashing and retail therapy helped her person then she'd go along for the ride.

MS/MG MS/MG MS/MG

"Meredith, wake up," Cristina's voice bled into her dream. "Get up, Grey! Come on."

Meredith swatted at the hand that was shaking her and groaned. "No. I'm sleepin'," she protested. "Lemme sleep."

Cristina shook her again. "Get up. We're going to the beach. And we have to get there before everyone else to get the good spot."

Meredith opened one eye and glared at her person. "What the Hell?" She grumbled. "Cris…the sun isn't even up yet. Why the Hell do we have to get up so early to go to the beach. It's not like there are any bad spots. We're in Hawaii. The whole place is pretty much beach."

Cristina scowled at her. "I'll pull the friend card," she said firmly.

"The friend card?" Meredith questioned and pushed herself up to sit and stare at her friend.

"The 'I'm sad and you came to help me feel better' card," Cristina nodded. "So you have to come to the beach. Now."

"Going to the freaking beach at not even five in the freaking morning is going to help you feel better?" Meredith questioned in a sarcastic tone.

Cristina nodded vehemently. "Yes. So get your skinny ass up. Put on the white bikini we bought and the green sarong and we'll go to the beach and watch the surfers and the sun come up."

Meredith rolled out of bed. "Why that combination?" She asked.

"Because it's not even five in the freaking morning and it's dark and you should always wear white at night. And the green matches your eyes and it looks good on you. And it has the white design which matches the bikini. Duh." Cristina rolled her eyes and left Meredith to get dressed.

MS/MG MS/MG MS/MG

Meredith sighed for the twentieth time as Cristina pulled her along the beach to 'the perfect spot'. The things she did for her friends. She really just wanted to sleep and then steal her phone back and call Mark. Cristina's relaying of Mark's messages was great but she missed the sound of his voice. She missed the feel of his arms. She missed…everything about him.

A big part of her resented Burke for all of this. It hadn't been just Cristina he'd hurt that day. It had been all of them. And it sucked. If Burke had just…followed through with his promises then she'd be with Mark now. Probably on a beach somewhere. Definitely sleeping though.

And a small part of her resented Cristina too. Not a big part and it was easily ignored but it was still there. Cristina needed her and she hated that because it got in the way. Normally she wouldn't mind so much but…with everything that had happened in the past year she didn't want to be in Hawaii with Cristina. She wanted to be somewhere with Mark. But Cristina needed her and that was okay. She'd get over this…whatever it was and she'd never tell Cristina anyway. She'd never let that small piece take control and ruin her friendship.

Cristina stopped suddenly and turned to face her. "Meredith," she said quietly and took Meredith's hands in her own. "I know you hate me a little right now."

Meredith shook her head frantically. "I don't hate you," she denied.

Cristina sighed. "I know that. But you are a little mad at me and that's okay," she rushed to assure her person. "I'd be mad at me too. But…I needed this. And I'm glad you came with me. So…if you still want to go home and get McSteamied tomorrow then okay…you can go home and I'll be fine."

"Cristina…" Meredith started, not at all sure what to say.

"Shut up," Cristina suddenly said. "Just shut up. You did the supportive friend thing and I'm…not okay but I'm getting there. So…I'm asking you for just one more day in Hawaii. And then you can go back to Seattle and do whatever and I'll see you in thirteen days. Okay?"

Meredith drew in a deep breath and nodded shakily. "Okay. I'm not mad at you," she insisted. "And I'll stay the whole time if you want me too."

Cristina rolled her eyes again. "I know you would. That's not the point." She looked down at their joined hands and sighed. "I've done some thinking…and Burke was right. I'm not that person. I know I'm not. I hate that he did what he did and I really hate the way he did it but he was right. I was fine before I met him. I was me. And then he came along and I became someone else. I let him turn me into someone that…that I'm not. So…even though I hate him and even though I'm still mad and sad and whatever…I'm glad that he left." Meredith squeezed Cristina's fingers. "And it's because of you that I know this stuff. You and Mark…you're you even with him. He lets you be you and you let him be him and it gives me hope that…that someday I'll find that guy. You're my best friend. You're my person and the fact that you can be that and have Mark too? That's…it's just amazing. So thank you, Meredith. Thank you for being my friend."

Meredith let Cristina's hands go and wrapped her arms around the other woman. Cristina stiffened for a moment and then relaxed into the hug. "I will always be your person." Meredith whispered. "And you'll always be mine."

"Okay," Cristina nodded and tried to push Meredith back. "That's—"

"Shut up," Meredith laughed. "Just one more minute and then we'll go to this perfect spot and we'll spend the day sun bathing and ogling boys. And tomorrow…I don't know. I want to go home but I'll stay here if you want me too. Because you're my person."

Cristina hugged her for one more minute and then succeeded in pushing Meredith back a step. "Okay. I'm not a hugger. So stop now." Meredith giggled and nodded. "Let's go." She turned back around and grabbed Meredith's hand to tug her down the beach towards a small gathering of people.

"Mark?" Meredith exclaimed when they got close enough to make out the features of the three people standing on the beach. "Alex? What are you guys doing here?"

Mark looked over at her and the smile that crossed his lips set her heart fluttering in her chest. Cristina dropped her hand and moved to stand beside Alex. Mark stepped forward and stood in front of her.

"Angel," he breathed out. "I…I am here today, in this place because six years ago you saved my life. Six years ago an angel pulled me out of the way of a speeding truck and I lost my heart. Every day since that one has belonged only to you. Even when I fought it. Even when I tried to pretend we were only friends. Even when we were thousands of miles apart and convinced we were in love with other people. But I knew that day in Madrid when you saved my life that you were it for me. And so I am asking you, right here, right now, after all the shit that we've both been through to marry me. Because I don't think we could have manage to survive any of it without each other. I know I couldn't have. I wouldn't be me without you so…" he trailed off and lifted a hand to smooth away the tears leaking from her green eyes. "Will you marry me, Meredith Grey?"

Meredith drew in a shuddering breath and nodded. "Yes," she told him shakily. "Yes."

Mark drew her into his arms and laid his lips over hers. "I love you," he murmured into her mouth. "God how I love you."

Meredith let the rest of the world fade away and fell into him. He was all she could feel and all she could hear or see. He was everything. A lifetime of tomorrows had never felt so close, so obtainable as it did in that moment. Her happy ending had shown up on a beach thousands of miles from home and given her everything she'd never known she actually wanted.

Alex cleared his throat loudly and poked Mark in the shoulder. "The judge doesn't have all day, dude."

Mark straightened up and nodded. Meredith blinked at them both. "You mean today?" She squeaked. "Now?"

Mark chuckled and nodded. "Cris, Alex and I already took care of everything. All you have to do is say the words and sign the papers."

Meredith blinked and her fingers twitched in his grip. Cristina shoved a bouquet of hibiscus, ilima, lehua and kukui blossoms into her free hand and grinned at her. "Ready for this?"

Meredith blinked again and nodded. "You guys…are pretty…perfect," she finally said. Her eyes flitted to Mark's and her lips curved into a smile. "Really, really perfect."

"Dearly beloved we are gathered here today," the judge started as the sun peeked over the horizon and flooded the land with light.

The four of them gathered in front of the judge with sappy grins. Mark and Alex wore board shorts and tropical shorts. Cristina and Meredith in bikini tops and sarong slung low around their waists. All four were barefoot in the cool sand. And it was perfect.

The End? Or maybe it's the beginning or the middle or whatever.