Disclaimer: I don't own, nor do I have any affiliation with Grey's Anatomy or Elisabeth Hoy.

DO SOMETHING DANGEROUS

(c) lovelyLittleleni

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It started snowing when Meredith returned from her short lunch at one of the numerous dusky, little restaurants at the old harbour. She was ducking through the door and ran her small hand through her wet hair. The agency was quiet, just like it always was, and everyone was working silently and highly concentrated on their tasks, only Jill was lifting her head for a second and a hasty smile was appearing on her reddened face. Meredith answered her smile with a small nod and finally got rid of her dark, heavy raincoat. Shuddering at the sudden coldness which was engulfing her body, she made her way back to the small desk of hers. About thirty typewriters were silently clicking as Meredith sat down on the low wooden chair and sighed.

She caught a glimpse of a bus ponderously rolling past the dusty window, its wheels creaking as if it would fall apart every second. On the dirty walls of the bus were colorful posters saying promising names of exotic places like „Come to sunny Trinidad, roundtrip to Java!". Meredith read the posters full of bitter irony and stared after the bus until she couldn't see it anymore. Another sigh escaped her body. If only she could be on one of these ships!Since her childhood it was her biggest dream to travel the world on a small, agile banana-boat or a gleaming white sail-boat.

After finishing school she went straight to the examination board and let herself enregister for a job as an assistant of the purser. She knew that the job was very sought after, there were hundreds of applications and a long waiting list. „Until there's something free at the sea, you'll have to work at the civic office.", the old professor from the examination board had told her. But Meredith didn't care, as long as she would be able to work on the big ships one time.

It had taken her more than a year to complete all the exams for the job, but she always had only one thing on her mind; her dream, her vision of traveling the world with the ships, sailing around and living in freedom for the rest of her life. When she had told her mother about her dream, she had shaken her head in disbelief and told her to do something reasonable and lucrative. She wouldn't accept her only daughter spending her life sailing around for nothing. Meredith could tell her over and over again that she would have to work a lot as an assistant of a purser and that the job was well paid, still she would never understand her.

When Meredith was twelve, her mother died of lung-cancer. The little girl was left alone in the world, there were no relatives caring for her except for the family of her father. Meredith had never met her father since her parents divorced before her birth and so she didn't want to live with them after her mother had died. Her halfsister Lexie's mother Marianne tried a long time to persuade Meredith to join their family, but since Meredith knew that they were struggling with money, she didn't want to be another burden for them.

The little girl had to learn to stand on her own feet since then. Until she was 18, Meredith lived in an orphanage. They were nice to her, but they also tried to talk her out of her big dream of sailing. Meredith was happy to leave the orphanage as she never felt really understood there. Now, here she was, working in a dusty, little office with her young colleagues.

Some of them had the same big dreams as Meredith, but some only were here because they couldn't find something else. Nobody, except for her friend Jill, could understand Meredith. Only Jill noticed the fire and passion in Meredith's big green eyes when she was talking about the sea and the ships her grandfather had once built. Jill always supported Meredith in carrying on and not giving up, but lately Meredith seemed as if she had given up herself.

More than two years she was now working here..

A loud drumming voice of a ship's siren pushed Meredith out of her reverie. She ran her hand through her still slightly wet hair and sighed for the third time. Probably she would never get out of here. The first weeks in the office had been okay; everytime Mrs. Spencer, the secretary of the director, was nearing her desk, Meredith hoped for the great message to be delivered. A place on a ship was free, she could finally go away from the dusty office and work at the sea! On a real ship!

But everytime Miss Spencer walked by her table only telling her she had to do this and she had to fill out that, her hope faded away. She was stuck here for more than two years now. Two years!

Meredith's mood didn't get better when she thought of all the work she had to do today. With a quick look at her colleagues she noticed that they had already finished a third of their work. Slightly panicking, Meredith finally opened the first file of what seemed an endless pack of files and began tiping silently, as a single, cold tear dripped on the blank sheet of paper.

Meredith must have been tiping for two hours straight, as suddenly a woman's voice interrupted her work.

„Mrs. Grey, Mr. Fleeton would like to speak to you."

Meredith's head shot up as she stared at Mrs. Spencer. She watched Meredith's behaviour with a deriding grin and formed her thin lips to a fake smile.

„You may want to go now, he seems very stressed this morning." she sneered in her acute voice.

„Oh, erm, of course, of course." Meredith stuttered and hastily got up, furiously trying to fix her hair and flatten her skirt. With one last fearful glance to Jill's direction Meredith was rushing out of the door straight to the office of her director. Millions of thoughts were running through her brain as she went along the corridors. Will he fire me? Have I been to lazy? O my god, he wouldn't give me a job on a ship, would he? Shaking her head she tried to get the thoughts out of her head.

She had been quite disregardful during the last week, he surely would reprehend her and admonish her to work .... No, Meredith! she told herself, if you don't expect anything, you can't be disappointed!

Repeating this sentence over and over again in her brain, Meredith finally arrived at the office. Her hand was shaking as she tried to knock. Taking a deep breath, she knocked again and finally entered the room.

Mr. Fleeton was sitting on his chair studying some files as he absentmindedly looked at his intruder.

„Oh, Mrs. Grey, please, sit down.I'll be there for you in a second." he said in a definite, but friendly voice.

Meredith was taken back by his nice behaviour and sat down. After a few minutes staring around in the office, she finally heard him clearing his throat.

„So, erm, Mrs. Grey, it seems as if there is finally a free place for you at sea." Mr. Fleeton said. "The Ocean Queen... on the Australian route from Tilbury on Thursday. Can you make it until there?"

Meredith was breathing quickly and deeply.

„Yes." she answered with a stifled voice, „Yes, of course, Mr. Fleeton."

„You have to be on board at the latest on Wednesday. There's a plane at three o'clock. I'll tell Mr. Hardwood that you'll take it. He's your boss, by the way. One of our best and most efficient employees. He may seem a bit strict, but he'll teach you better than any other. You are really lucky to work with him."

Meredith nodded wordlessly, her cheeks reddened, her eyes shining with excitement.

Mr. Fleeton was watching her carefully and finally added: „You have to work carefully, Mrs. Grey. Working on a ship like the Ocean Queen is no bed of roses."

„I know that, Mr. Fleeton." Meredith replied. „I'm ready to work hard and efficiently."

He smiled disbelievingly and shrugged.

„ I have already affranchised you. You'll have to pack a lot of things and you need to catch your plane."

He wished her good luck and shook her hand as Meredith stumbled out of the room.

She couldn't believe how easy everything seemed right now.

Finally, finally, she would be able to fulfill her dreams!

With hot cheeks she ran back to the big office and packed her things.

She didn't grieve about leaving the office, at all.

Only Jill, her she would be truly missing.

But right now, she had no time for grieving or thinking.

Right now, she had a plane to catch.

Less than a week later Meredith found herself in Tilbury, hastily following a baggage porter, who carried her luggage through a labyrinth of storage sheds, swinging cranes and new ship-frames. Workers were shouting, small machines were rembling and some screeching gulls were diving for leftover food in the deep blue water of the sea.

„Be careful!" the porter warned her, as Meredith nearly fell over some boxes. At dockyards, you really feel as if you're behind a stage, all these hoists and ropes..Meredith thought, lost in all the different pictures which were offered to her everywhere.

„The Ocean Queen!" the porter finally announced as they went around a corner.

In front of Meredith was a huge, white wall looming in the sky, at least that's what she thought when she first saw the Ocean Queen. What a giant ship! The porter was impatiently standing next to her waiting for his cumshaw as Meredith only stood there astonished staring at the huge swimming palace in front of her. Finally she realised what he was waiting for and quickly paid him off. Taking a deep breath, she neared the gangway and slowly began to what felt like ascending the sky.

A bald sailor was curiously examining her as she arrived at the entrance of the ship. She showed him her papers.

„The office of the purser", the sailor said interested, „C-deck midship, directly up there, I'll take care of your luggage."

Meredith nodded absentmindedly as she continued taking in the amazing perspective of the really giant ship. Ocean Queen, it fit perfectly. She felt as if she was climbing a wall as she went up to the next deck. Arriving at the deck, she was watching around herself a big confused.

„C-deck midship", that's what the sailor had told her, but there were several rows of decks above her and under her, actually everywhere around her. Should she now go up, or down? Or right, left, in a circle?!

Nobody was in sight, no one she could have asked. Finally she slipped through a big white door and found herself amidst a room which would have been perfect for every kind of princess of this world. Painted in soft peach and rosé, there were several really expensive looking flower-bouquets and a huge couch in the middle of the room. Soft carpets were lying around everywhere and there hung some expensive looking pieces of fine art and huge mirrors on the walls. Besides the flashy couch and the striking atmosphere, a huge luster drew all the visitor's attention right to its sparkly perfection while the scents of tropical flowers were engulfing you right from the second you entered the room.

Meredith stood there in awe with her mouth open while drinking in the luxurious décor of the room. If even a small room at the entrance of the ship looked like that, what would the big ballroom and the millionaire-suits look like?

She tentatively walked to the next door. Behind the huge golden, brown monster, she was dazzled by the same magic as in the room before. The only differnce was that in that room, the main color was a fresh champagne and the air was drowned in the smell of the heavy, lilac calyxes sitting in delicate vases. The air was damp and sultry and still, not a soul in sight.

The Ocean Queen didn't match to Meredith's images of the ship at all. All she ever wanted, a small, cozy ship, the air smelling of salty sea-water and her hair flowing freely in the wind, all of these things were drowned in the heavy sweetness and perfection of this golden cage. She felt as if she was dreaming a crazy nightmare.

Suddenly feeling slightly dizzy, she was feverishly hurrying through the luxurious rooms only to find someone who could help her. At the end of the corridor, a green-golden foyer was leading into an expensive music-room, where finally a opulently decorated stairway led to another room. Hopeful, Meredith climbed up the stairs. Still, she didn't find any people, let alone the office she was actually looking for.

She began to run through another endless pile of rooms until she finally broke down on a plushy sofa taking some deep breaths. No doubt- she was so lost.

After catching her breath, she finally got up, driven by the dreadful thought of arriving late on the first day of work, and hurried along another endless seeming corridor. Finally, she saw a white, shirt-sleeved person scurriing around in the distance, who was about to turn around the corner.

„Hey!" she screamed in a desperate voice and started running. „Hey, there!, Hello!"

The shirt-sleeved figure appeared again. Apparantly he was working here, hence the white uniform.

The man was carrying a hammer and a toolbox, so he was probably the ship's carpenter.

„I'm trying to find the office of the purser." she told him breathlessly.

„C-deck, midship." , he answered laconically.

Meredith was eying him bitterly. „I know that!" she responded quite harshly and impatiently, „But where the hell is the C-deck and how should I know where „midship" is??"

The young man looked at her for a moment with accentuated calmness.

He was tall, tanned and his eyes had a deep, piercing form of blue Meredith had never seen looked as if they could be very tender and mild, yet determined and awake. Anyway, at the moment, the were more of a cool disapproval.

He must be very sure of himself, Meredith thought to herself.

„Don't you have any idea of the arrangement of a ship?" he asked her with evident disdain.

She was looking at him upset.

„Of course I do." she looked at him provocative, her green eyes sparkling angrily, her whole being so enraged from all the events of the last hour that she lost all her self-control."But that isn't what I call a real ship!It's more like a swimming hotel, a palace! And all these heavy flowery scents! You can't even breathe in here!Seriously, I can't hack it any longer!!"

„Oh, who would have thought.. „ he interrupted her ironically. „When we're sailing, the air conditioner will be brought on line." he said cooly.

„I'm sure of that!" Meredith hissed, „every modern comfort inclusive champagne for breakfast! A home for people who are accustomed to stays at the Hilton!" Her voice began to shake perfidiously," It nearly won't be noticable that we're at sea!"

„What do you mean by that?" he asked, taken aback.

„Oh, nothing." Meredith tried to abort the pain of the disappointment, which was so great that she didn't even want to admit it to herself.

„I just wished for a moment, I would be on a banana-boat or a collier. If you would be a real mariner, you would be able to understand me."

She was eying the hammer in his hand." You're a carpenter, right?"

His lips were jerking nervously.

„Well, from time to time I batter some nails in the wall." he admitted to her decently.

She ran her hand through her dirty blonde locks. „I hope I don't hinder you, but would you please be so kind to show me the office of the purser?"

„I'll guide you." the young man said a bit more friendly.

„Let me carry your coat, you seem really exhausted."

„Hot and excited." Meredith anwered and sighed happily as he took her heavy coat.

The man seemed to be a gentleman after all, she thought.

She was silently eying him from behind and she had to admit, he was very handsome.

His strong arms..it must feel very good having them wrapped around you.. God, what was she thinking. She did know him for about five minutes now, and she really had other things to think about.

She was probably an hour late for her appointment with the purser, and that's not what you would like to be on your first day of work.

Finally it downed on her that she should probably apologize to him for her impossible behaviour a few minutes ago.

„Erm, I'm really sorry if my words displeased you before. To tell the truth, I had lost my nerves on my journey through these endless corridors. I'm the new assistant of the purser and I should have been there at two o'clock. I don't like being late, especially on my first day of work and with a boss like Mr. Hardwood."

The young man was giving her a quizzical look.

„Oh, they've warned you – our angry purser!"

Meredith nodded. „Where I have worked before he enjoys quite some reputation, and I don't mean that in a good way."

„Well, let me allay you, he's not that bad. He can be quite strict sometimes, but actually he only wants the best for this ship and the crew. Besides , there's Liz Webber, the other assistant, you'll like her, she's amazing."

He was saying that in a way Meredith somehow didn't like. He sounded as if he really liked Liz, and that was alarming her. Meredith shook her head quickly to banish these thoughts from her head. It's not as if she had had any effect on him. He probably thought she was a stupid blonde bimbo who accidentely tripped over this job.

They were coming around a corner as Meredith finally noticed the label with the inscription Purser.

„Here we are. Actually you haven't been that far away from your point of destination."he grinned at her.

Meredith's bravery and determination sank from minute to minute.

She was late, really late, and Mr. Hardwood was probably really angry with her. And if that wouldn't have been enough,strangely, she didn't want her helper to leave. Somehow she really enjoyed his presence.

At the end of the stairway to the door of the office, she suddenly paused for a moment and hesitantly looked after him as if she didn't like to loose track of him.

Under the dark crescents of her lashes her green eyes were staring at him as she gave him an unsure smile while their eyes met for a short moment with unexpected intensity.

His peircing blue eyes seemed to stare right into her soul...Meredith quickly shook her head again at her thoughts which seemed to be running wild today and nervously played with her little golden bracelet.

„It will be ok." he told her softly, as if he had guessed her fears.

A small smile washed over her beautiful face as she extended her hand for her coat.

„It has to." she said, her voice filled with the familiar confidence once again.

„Thanks for your help, that was really nice of you."

„My pleasure!" He hinted a quick greeting. „If you need someone to batter some nails for you, just tell me anytime, ok? Don't forget."

„Definitely not." Meredith answered with a small giggle.

He smiled at her for one last time as she finally entered the office of the purser while he disappeared in the large crowd of loud passengers and sailors..

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A/N: You likey?? :D Please leave me a comment!!