A/N: The second part of the story. I don't own Grey's Anatomy or its characters.
"I would have come here had you not ran off to San Diego." Cristina told Meredith solemnly.
"I know."
"Alex was really worried about you. One day he even accused me of lying to him and hiding you in Switzerland." Cristina told laughing slightly.
"Sounds like Alex." Meredith joined.
"You're okay?" Cristina asked seriously, after a minute.
"Yeah… I guess… it was difficult at first, moving on." Meredith replied in a sad voice.
"Who was it? Higgs… no…" Cristina started to remember Meredith's first boyfriend after Derek.
"Nathan Riggs. He lost his fiancé… Presumed dead. We related on that. He accused me of being scared to let go, but he also understood." Meredith explained.
"Then the fiancé returned, you operated on her, won the Catherine Fox for that, and also helped him get her adopted son from Iraq?" Cristina summarised the events, not believing her best friend.
"Yes, Megan. She is nice, bubbly. Opposite of Owen. I could see how much Nathan loved her." Meredith defended herself.
"You're okay with him being with her? No hard feelings…?" Cristina asked making sure she was okay.
"No hard feelings. I would do the same if it were Derek." Meredith explained.
"Agreed."
Meredith and Cristina stayed like that for the entire day. Sitting on her bed, a tub of ice cream and two spoons. She told Cristina all about Nathan and Andrew, her winning the Catherine For Award, the weird situation they faced that same day with the look alikes, and her trial. Cristina too, filled Meredith in on her discoveries and trials in Switzerland.
Cristina had just got pizza from the door when she saw Meredith staring out the window. "What's wrong?" Cristina asked, concerned.
"It's been lonely, since Alex left. He's a dad." Meredith told.
"Yeah, I know… I got a letter too, evil spawn as a dad. Imagine!" Cristina joked.
Meredith smiled nostalgically. "It's good to have you here." She told, holding her hand.
"It's good to be here." Cristina smiled. They proceeded to eat pizza and talk about lighter stuff and also discussed the surgery for the next day.
"Listen, let's go in early tomorrow. Rome the halls, oh, and go to the gurney that lies in the basement. Man, it's been long. Wait… who has the kids?" Cristina suggested.
"Sure, we can do that. Even torture a few interns. Don't worry about the kids. Zola is with Bailey, Bailey is with Owen and Ellis is with Amelia." Meredith agreed.
"Good. It will be fun, like old times." Cristina reminisced.
"Like old times." They smiled, looking forward to the next day.
Meredith and Cristina left the former's place early morning and ventured int the hospital. Meredith was telling Cristina about all the things that changed and all that's still the same. Meredith took her to the trauma room and took a minute there. Cristina knew about the attack on Meredith. She informed her about the way all her friends came together to treat her. Cristina was thankful that even though she wasn't there for Meredith, she had people in her corner. This was one thing that bothered her now that Alex, Callie and Arizona left. Meredith just had Bailey and Richard, and maybe Jackson now.
"Come with me. I'll show you the research labs." Meredith told, wanting a distraction. "This is where I work. I did the research of my mini- livers here. It's kind of unofficially my lab."
"Ah… nice." Cristina could see Meredith spending her time when she didn't have surgeries in the room.
"Now these are three rooms for Maggie to do her research. Blue room, Plant room and Game room." Meredith said as she pointed to three rooms, two on one side and the third on the other.
"Okay… whatever." Cristina said, not understanding, or relating to their purpose.
"This is Amelia's lab. She wants to break down tumours using high frequency sound waves." Meredith told her, showing models and other stuff.
"That's advance." Cristina appreciated. "Come on, I don't have a nursery in my hospital. Take me there." She pleaded.
As they reached the peds floor, Cristina saw Sam and left to greet him. Sam was showing her his arena when Maggie approached Meredith.
"Hey, when did you leave the house?" Maggie asked.
"Oh, what early in the morning. Cristina and I wanted to have some fun." Meredith explained.
"How nice. What are you doing?" Maggie smiled tight lipped.
"I was showing Cristina the research labs, and now the NICU." Meredith pointed towards Sam and Cristina.
"You were showing a surgeon from a different hospital our research labs?!" Maggie asked bewildered.
"Yeah…" Meredith replied, not seeing the issue.
"God! Meredith!" Maggie exclaimed, at her sister's supposed stupidity.
"What's wrong?" Meredith asked her.
"You can't just go around showing everyone our labs. They can steal our research." Maggie half- shouted.
"Maggie, this is Cristina we are talking about." Meredith defended her best friend.
"So what? God! Why is everybody so stuck up with 'this is Cristina'?" Maggie said irritated with all the happenings since the previous day.
"What's your problem?" Meredith asked sensing the bitterness in Maggie's voice.
"My problem is that no one sees her as competition. You are all so blinded by her. She can just waltz in and takes over surgeries and you all let her. You, Bailey, Jackson, everyone!" Maggie shouted.
"Maggie, I would really like if you stopped this nonsense against my best friend." Meredith told her firmly.
"I am your SISTER. I should trump best friend." Maggie argued, still not seeing how much Cristina meant to Meredith.
"No. I have known you for 7 years. I've known Cristina for seventeen, Alex for seventeen. They are priority. Cristina used to trump Derek, for god's sakes." Meredith shouted at, not believing that she would expect her to abandon Cristina.
"Is everything okay?" Cristina asked Meredith, when she saw the two of them fighting.
"Yes. Let's go prep for surgery. Show me the scans." Meredith told, needing to get away from Maggie.
"I will do the surgery. Dr. Yang, I am the head of Cardio here, and capable enough of doing the surgery." Maggie interrupted arrogantly.
"No you won't." Meredith seethed.
"You don't decide that." Maggie rebutted.
"Actually, I do. I own this hospital. Combining Derek's and my shares, I hold the second largest shares in the hospital. And I'm sure Jackson, Richard, and Bailey will agree with me. We can also get Torres and Arizona on Facetime." Meredith said, knowing very well that all of them would support her and Cristina.
"Callie and Arizona will support me." Maggie said unaware of their friendship.
"No they wont. Not above Cristina. Im calling an emergency board meeting." Meredith said, tired of her already.
Soon, all the board members along with Cristina and Maggie assembled in the executive conference room. They all hugged and greeted Cristina, while Maggie stood oblivious to their bond.
"Meredith, what's the matter?" Webber asked.
"Well, Maggie here thinks that she should perform the surgery instead of Cristina. Even after my repeated telling, she doesn't seem to listen." Meredith explained. All of them had the groaned 'not again.'
"Not again. Pierce, what's your problem?" Bailey asked irritated.
"This is my department and I'm not letting her take it away. Even it's for one surgery." Maggie told adamantly.
"It is OUR hospital." Jackson countered.
"Well, Ellis Grey was my mother too, so even I should be having shares. It is my birth right and she shouldn't even be in this meeting." Maggie told, pointing at Crsitina, having no clue about the reason behind the name, or its significance.
"That's where you are wrong. See, the name isn't after my mother. It is after my sister Lexie Grey and our friend Mark Sloan, who died in a plane crash that Cristina, Arizona, Derek and I were a part of." Meredith said, rubbishing her claims.
"You have no idea about the history of this hospital and are making a hell lot of assumptions." Cristina butted in, not being able to keep silent anymore.
"We told you yesterday, you don't know what all we have been through. You won't get it." Jackson told, looking at Maggie.
"The Arizona, Callie, Derek, and those two along with the Harper Avery foundation bought this hospital and changed its name." Richard said, pointing at Meredith and Cristina.
"Cristina yang performs this surgery with Meredith Grey. You have a problem, you are free to leave." Bailey said, having enough of Maggie's attitude and nonsense.
"Dr. Altman is perfectly capable of handling the department, she has in the past." Jackson added.
"So what, you pick having her for one surgery than me full time?" Maggie asked, shocked.
"Every single time. Told ya." Bailey replied.
"We are a family. This family trumps blood. My mom, was never an active mother, I found my family with these people. Cristina, Alex, Izzie and George. That was my first real family. Derek, Bailey, Richard, Mark, Callie, Arizona, Lexie, Owen, they have been my family for the decade and half. Sometime later, Jackson and April joined. Family isn't about blood and relations, its about support and companionship. Cristina is my sister, that I first met, has been since way longer than you. But you don't get it. That is the reason Alex and Cristina will always be my priority. Above anyone except my kids. Whatever they do, any crime. Even if they murder someone, I will help them hide the body." Meredith said. "Let's go Cristina, we have a surgery to prep for. You guys know my vote. Message me the final decision." Meredith told Maggie, in a voice that made it clear that she wasn't in the mood for any arguments. Saying this, Meredith and Cristina left the room.
"We told you about this yesterday. You did exactly the opposite." Jackson told Maggie.
"No one in this room will support you." Webber told his daughter, appalled at her ignorance.
"You want to contact Torres and Robbins, go ahead. We already know what they will say. Jo?" Bailey told.
"I was given these shares by Alex, I know that he would blindly vote in favour of Cristina. So, Cristina it is." she replied, knowing fully well what her ex-husband would want her to do.
"Maggie, you need to get on board with this surgery or you can leave. We cleared our entire day to watch that, we would rather not miss it." Jackson told her. "Make a decision. We don't have all day." Bailey said as well.
"Why are you being so rude?" Maggie asked, not liking the tone of their voice.
"Because because of your drama and arrogance you just lost most of your friends in this hospital." Webber explained. "Now make a choice."
"Fine, she can do the surgery." Maggie said, accepting defeat.
"Wow! That was immature." Cristina told Meredith.
"I know, I'm sorry." Meredith apologised for her sister's remark's.
"Oh, please. We wouldn't be here if we let such small things get to us." Cristina dismissed Meredith's apology.
"Yeah, you're right. I just didn't expect this." Meredith told her truthfully.
"Forget about your jealous sister for now, let's focus on patients." Crsitina recommended.
"You know, I have an idea to decrease the risk of rejection. Wait, come with me to the lab, I'll show you." Meredith said, going into full on surgeon mode.
"That's what I'm talking about." Cristina said, happily.
They hurried to the lab and Meredith explained to Cristina her idea. They started brainstorming and were able to get to a set plan in a couple of hours, as both of them were researching along similar lines individually. Their ideas complimented each other and filled in the gaps the other had. Finally what they combined, was innovative and groundbreaking. They assembled Richard, Bailey, and Teddy to update them on the procedure and ask for kinks in the plan. Once there were none, they went to ask the patient's permission, who readily accepted it.
"If this surgery goes the way they planned it, it is going to be huge." Bailey told Webber, as they were leaving the lab.
"Well, nothing less is expected from Meredith Grey and Cristina Yang." Webber agreed.
Soon, the news of this revolutionary new procedure had travelled through the walls of the hospital, leading to a packed gallery. It seemed like the two patients in the OR were the only two in the hospital. Doctors from all over were also joining in through video conferencing. Meredith and Cristina knew that they had to focus on the patient and procedure, nothing else mattered.. If they did that, everything else would fall into place on its own.
"Scalpel," asked Cristina, ready to make the first incision on the donor to extract the heart, while Meredith was carefully preparing to remove the same for the recipient. They had to time themselves perfectly.
The procedure was long. They came across a few unseen difficulties, but were able to work through them. Then came the time to see if their procedure went according to plan, and if they organs were functioning. They removed the catheter and the body from bypass. The entire gallery had their eyes set on the heart monitor, silent prayers being said. To everyone's joy, a steady rhythm was heard, indicting the success. The entire OR and gallery erupted in applause, and two surgeons hugged. They had successfully pioneered a surgery to help countless HIV patients in the future.
Bailey was looking like a proud parent, tears glistening her eyes, knew how amazing doctors her two interns had grown to be. Webber too was teary eyed, knowing the significance of this achievement. This procedure was about to take the two of them even further in their careers. Jackson, Amelia, Link, Hayes, Owen, and Teddy were all too happy for their colleagues.
As Meredith and Cristina left the OR, Bailey and Richard approached them.
"Congratulations, ladies. You did a decent job in there." Bailey said, not wanting to actually show her emotions.
"Really, exceptionally well done." Webber added.
"Thank you, both." They replied together.
"Well, Yang, if you could stay for a couple of days. We want to do a press conference and I would prefer if you two worked on the article together." Bailey requested yang, wanting as much publicity for the both of the surgeons and the hospital.
"The Grey- Yang Method." Cristina said, along with nodding to show her agreement to Bailey's request.
"God, even after all these years, a procedure like that, gives me a high." Meredith said, leaning on the wall.
"Oh it will, however long you are a surgeon." Richard said, smiling.
"Mer, we have done the procedure, met everyone we needed to meet, now can we please go to the basement." Cristina said pleading to go to their hangout from their intern years.
"To the basement." Meredith exclaimed and linked her hands and walked away.
"That was…" Meredith said, not being able to find the right words.
"Epic, yes." Cristina filled in for her.
"i still can't believe we did it. At one go that too." Meredith exclaimed. The fact that Cristina was her co- surgeon, made this operation even more satisfying and significant than the abdominal wall transplant.
"Well, I was a part of it. It had be successful." Cristina said, being her usual self.
"Oh ya, the brilliant Dr. Cristina Yang." Meredith teased.
"Don't you forget it."
They spent hours talking everything and anything, or even enjoying the comfortable silence. The dark and twisted sisters had performed a ground breaking procedure together. After seven long years they were united, and what a way it was, leaving their mark in medical history.