Chapter One

Vacation. A period time devoted to pleasure, rest or relaxation. Leaning her head back against the headrest, Meredith stares up at the overhead compartment. There was nothing pleasurable about this trip, and, somehow, she doubted she would be getting any rest of relaxation. Derek was supposed to be in the seat next to her. Instead, George was curled up, snoring. Glancing over at him, she shakes her head. There was drool running from the corner of his mouth.

'How did I end up like this?' It was one of them questions asked when the answer was already there. Derek had bailed on her; bailed on going to South Padre Island so he could perform some miraculous surgery that would make him a Neurosurgeon God. 'It isn't fair. This was supposed to be our time together.' She was sulking. She knew that. Dammit, she had earned the right to sulk though. She had George, George, sitting next to her, drooling.

George wasn't entirely to blame for her sulk. Cristina had added in her fair share, what with all the drama about boarding a plane. Who knew that Cristina Yang, the nerves of steel intern, was terrified of getting on a plane. Talk about a shocker. It was only after being doped up with Valium that she had been persuaded to get on the plane. The part that really got Meredith was Cristina had known they would be flying. How else were they going to get to their destination? Drive, from Seattle, Washington to South Padre Island, Texas? Right. Not in this lifetime. Not with only four days off.

"Meredith?"

Turning her head to the left, she bit back a groan. Izzie was standing there, her arms crossed. 'What now?' Izzie, like George, had pretty much invited herself along. Begged, in all honesty. "Come on, Mere. It'll be fun. And," Izzie had grinned, "I can foot the bill for the beach house!" She had caved like a paper doll left out in the rain. She blamed her weakness on the shock of Derek telling her he wasn't coming.

"What?" She sounded bitchy. Any other time, she might care. Right now, she didn't. George's head had fallen on her shoulder, and she could feel something wet running onto her bare shoulder. 'So help him if that is drool.'

"I can't sit with them." Them being Cristina and Alex. How Alex had ended up coming, she wasn't sure. One moment they had been changing Derek's ticket over for George, then next they had been purchasing tickets for Izzie and Alex. Izzie had at least asked to come; Alex had just said 'Count me in' and tossed them his credit card. "Cristina is coming out of her drugged stupor, and Alex keeps making lewd comments about joining the mile high club."

Meredith sighs. "Okay, and what, exactly, am I suppose to do about it?" She sits up straight, gripping the arm rests her ridiculously small seat offered.

Izzie looks over at George, and then grimaces. "Make George sit with them?"

"You want me to make George sit with them?" Izzie nods. "How, exactly, am I suppose to do that? Physically move him?" The look Izzie gave said yes, she did expect Meredith to at least try to physically move him. Unbelievable. "No. I'm sorry. I'm not doing it. If you want to trade with me, fine. I'll trade, but I am not moving George."

"Well, I'm not sitting with him. I can't." Izzie's jaw hardens a bit. There is a stubborn glint that taints her dark gaze.

"Izzie…"Meredith starts. She doesn't continue on. There was no point. Izzie wouldn't sit with George. To much had happened, too much had been said. There was no going back with those two. No going forward, either. "How about if…" The voice of a flight attendant cuts her off. It was a moot point. They would be landing soon. It didn't seem possible. They had only been in the air two hours. How time flew when someone was trapped. She gives Izzie one last look before leaning her head back against the rest. Pleasure. Rest. Relaxation. That was what vacation was about. Right.