"Just one more stop and we'll be on our way," Burke announced, as he pulled his truck out of Derek property.
"Who else is coming?" Derek groaned. This camping trip was not going the way he had intended at all. It was just suppose to be a quite weekend to escape, and now it seemed that every male in the hospital was going. And of course there was Christina.
"It's not so bad," Christina answered from the front seat. "There's just us," she gestured to herself and Burke. "And Joe, Walter, Alex, and the chief in the other car."
Derek was too distracted by the list to notice that she hadn't really answered his question. "Who the hell invited Richard?" He had gotten a lot more bitter since he had ended things with Meredith. She wasn't happy with the decision, and when he was truthful with himself he realized that he wasn't either. And it seemed that as a result they would have dumb little arguments every time they weren't actively ignoring each other.
"He invited himself," Burke laughed.
Derek rolled his eyes, and stared out the window without really seeing unless Burke pulled up in front of a house that was all too familiar.
"What are we doing here?" Derek asked bitterly, while knowing that it was harmless enough. After all, Burke and George were good friends.
"I'll go get them," Christina said quickly, jumping out of the truck before Burke put it in park.
"Them?" Derek met Burke's eyes in the rearview mirror. "Doesn't she mean George?"
Burke nervously fiddled with his keys. "Didn't Christina tell you she invited Meredith? She told me you two talked about it." he asked, though he could read the answer in Derek's eyes.
"No, that never happened," Derek said shortly. "Maybe I just won't come."
"This is your trip, Shepard, you have to come."
The reason I'm going on this trip is to get away from her, he thought. And now she's coming. That completely defeats the purpose of going.
"Yeah, I'm going to come," he muttered. He wasn't going to let his problems with Meredith ruin the weekend. He could still fish if she was there.
"And Shepard, be nice to her. O'Malley tells me she's excited about this trip, and from what I know she isn't like that often."
"I'll be nice to her. I don't hate her, Preston, and, frankly, I want her to be happy," he admitted, forcing any emotion from his voice.
"Good."
Derek groaned and closed his eyes briefly. This was going to be a long weekend. "Next time please don't invite your girlfriend."
"Will do," Burke agreed. "I get the feeling they will not enjoy it too much anyway."
Derek chuckled a little. It would be kind of fun to see Meredith and Christina camping. "I can't believe they agreed to this."
Their conversation was interrupted by the noise of the three interns coming out of the house, loaded down with bags and fishing poles. Derek's eyes feel immediately to Meredith, and he smiled slightly at her outfit. A soft flannel shirt, girlish cargo pants, and complete with hiking boots. She looked like she should be spending the weekend in the woods, and he almost wished that he hadn't ended things. That he could whisk her away and actually have his peaceful weekend with just her. But it was for the best. She was happier this way. He looked to the smile on her face as she helped George lift a bag into the back of the truck as proof.
Meredith helped George secure their last bag into the truck bed before opening the door to the backseat. While attempting to hoist herself up in her new boots, her eyes lighted on Derek causing her to fall backwards. She probably would have fallen to the driveway if George hadn't caught her awkwardly.
"Christina Yang," she shouted once she regained her footing. "Get over here." She tugged on Christina's arm and dragged her away from eyeshot of the truck and its occupants.
"You told me specifically that he was not coming. You lied directly to my face," she whispered angrily, cursing her best friend.
Christina looked kind of guilty. "Well, I knew you wouldn't come if he was going, and I needed you."
"Damn it, Christina!" she shouted.
"You're still coming, though, right?" Christina asked once she realized Meredith was too angry to say anything else.
Meredith stormed towards the truck. "You are doing my post-ops for a month. And my pre-ops. And any other scut work I tell you to do."
Christina hid her grin as she hopped into the front seat of the truck.
Derek watched a still seething Meredith have some sort of argument with George, which apparently she won because George ended up squashed in next to him in the small backseat.
"George, Meredith," Derek politely acknowledged them.
"Don't talk to me," Meredith snapped.
"Sorry."
"I said don't talk to me!"
"I haven't said anything." He hated arguing with her, but the tension was there, and once they started it just didn't stop. Kind of like sex used to be. It seemed the sexual tension had been replaced by this bitter angry fighting.
"You just did."
George moaned between them. "Please be quite." He rubbed his temples. They hadn't even gotten off their street and if this kept up it would be a long ride.
"Yeah, you two sound like children," Christina added, as always, a bit blunter than George.
"Fine." Derek and Meredith spoke almost in unison and proceeded to stare out their respective windows.
"So." Burke cleared his throat, breaking the awkward silence. "Is everyone excited for this little trip?"
George and Christina murmured affirmative replies.
"I was excited," Meredith muttered darkly.
"Me too," Derek added.
"Well, don't blame me. I wouldn't have come if Christina hadn't lied to me."
"I just wanted to get away from this, Meredith, and now you're here."
"Don't say my name. You don't get to say my name."
"Someone sedate me," George whined.
"Just deal with it, George. You could have told me the truth and then you wouldn't be miserable," Meredith growled.
Derek had never seen Meredith so angry, and he had the passing feeling that perhaps she wasn't really better off without him. This wasn't Meredith; this was a dark angry girl who was mad at the world. But mostly just mad at him.
"My God, can you two just fuck or something?" Christina snapped.
"What?"
"No!"
Meredith and George spoke at the same time, looking away from each other, the subject still a little too sensitive.
"Not you George, Mer and McDreamy. This fighting is ridiculous, and I don't like bitter Meredith," Christina clarified.
"Okay, okay," Burke spoke up as the car started shouting again. "Christina, leave them alone. And Meredith, Derek, please make a truce or something because we'll all go crazy if this keeps up all weekend."
"Fine. Meredith, we're both here, so let's not resent each for that all weekend, okay?" Derek gave her a slight smile.
Meredith scowled out her window, knowing he was right. "Fine. But don't make me mad."
"That basically means don't talk to her," Christina clarified with a laugh.
As Meredith and Burke both verbally attacked Christina for interfering, George laid his head back with a groan.
"It's going to be a long weekend," he moaned to no one in particular.
That was a fun chapter to write. Derek is mad because his camping trip to get away from Meredith now includes Meredith, and just about everyone else too. And Meredith is mad because Derek broke up with her, but he doesn't know that and stupidly thinks she's happier this way. So they argue immaturely and drive George crazy. And it's kind of funny.
Never except me to update this fast again, but I finished this yesterday (love those dead presidents) and got so many reviews that I was complied to post it. That's a hint by the way.
Review please, thanks for reading.