The beginning of a little Mark/Izzie...and even better...NO ROSE in this update (or in any updates to follow any time soon) :)
They were packed and on the road in less than an hour. They were crammed into an SUV because the van would not be able to drive them up the mountain through the snow. Derek was driving and Mark was reading the directions. Meredith, Izzie, Lexie, and George were in the back discussing how great it was to have a few days off and wondering what kind of cabin Dr. Long had. Meredith was a little disappointed that Dr. Long would not let Andrew go on the trip, but she knew he needed a surgeon around for emergencies, so he did not really have a choice. She knew she would enjoy the time with her friends who she had not seen much of throughout the past weeks since they had been so busy, so that made her happy. She tried to ignore the fact that Derek was there and was thrilled that Rose could not go.
Derek focused on the road and getting everyone there safely. He could not help but notice how relaxed Meredith was and how she seemed to be enjoying her time with her friends. He hoped to finally get a chance to make peace with her this weekend so they could both move on from the tension that was in the air anytime they were together. It was great to see her smiling and laughing. God he loved her laugh. It was the most beautiful sound in the world. He used to make her laugh like that……
"Earth to Derek!" Mark was shouting.
"Wha…what?" Derek replied coming back to reality.
"Did you not hear me tell you to turn right at the road we just passed?"
"I…..are you sure you told me to turn? I…..well, my mind was somewhere else." Derek finished lamely.
"Well get your mind back to the present my friend. We are in an unfamiliar territory that is treacherous and it is getting dark fast."
"Sorry" Derek mumbled as he found a spot to turn around. The road was deserted except for them and he could not remember the last time he had seen a car.
Meanwhile in the backseats, the group was talking about what kinds of animals they may see.
George: What if we see a bear?
Izzie: What if we do? I think it would be cool.
George: Izzie, bears are not cool! They are scary. They have big teeth and claws. They eat people!
Meredith: Polar bears are beautiful, at least on TV.
Lexie: Yeah, but I would not want to come upon one in real life. I prefer to keep my limbs intact, thank you very much!
Izzie: I am sure we will see elk. What about wolves?
She asked this knowing it would frighten George further. George and Lexie both look terrified at the prospect of running into wolves.
George: Wolves! Izzie, we are not here to find dangerous animals! We are here to relax! Rest! De-stress! Get it?!
Izzie: Calm down, George.
Meredith: Yeah, it will be okay. You can stay inside the cabin if you are that worried.
Lexie: Why would anyone want to roam outside?
Meredith: It may be nice to take a hike. We will just have to wait and see what the terrain is like and how deep the snow is.
They continued the drive in silence as fatigue overcame them and they each fell asleep. Mark and Derek focused on getting them safely to the cabin. After a 3 hour journey with just one wrong turn, they arrived at their destination. The cabin was located in the middle of nowhere and though it was dark, the outside lights were on and it was enough to give off the impression that this was a spectacular cabin.
"Wake up sleepyheads" Mark called to the group in the back as they pulled in the driveway. As they slowly opened their eyes, they were taken aback by what they saw. The cabin was located in the middle of nowhere and though it was dark, the outside lights were on and it was enough to give off the impression that this was a spectacular home away from home.
"Wow!" Lexie exclaimed. "We are in a winter paradise!"
The others bounded out of the vehicle quickly to get a better look. As soon as Derek got the door to the cabin open, there was a mad rush to find the best bedroom and claim it as their own. Derek and Mark laughed at the site of the others running around fighting over who was sleeping where. "As long as I don't end up rooming with a man, I am good." Mark smirked.
"Dr. Long said that there are 10 bedrooms in the house. I think we can all have our own room if we want." Derek replied, laughing at the disappointed look on his friend's face.
Everyone found their rooms and got settled in and then decided it was time for food. As everyone gathered in the kitchen and started looking through cabinets to see what the options are. Mark found filet mignon in the refrigerator while baked potatoes were found in the pantry. Derek and Mark went to work on the grill while Izzie took on the responsibility of the baked potatoes and salad. Lexie and Meredith set the table and George got out glasses for drinks. They had found the liquor cabinet as well and Meredith worked on drinks for the group: Single-malt scotch for Derek, Vodka tonic for Lexie, Gin tonic for Mark, tequila straight up for herself, and beer for Izzie and George.
The group had dinner and was relaxed and lighthearted for the first time in weeks. Everyone was getting along (or at least tolerating each other) and they were discussing what to do next.
"Didn't Dr. Long say that there are trails throughout the woods and that he has several snowmobiles?" asked Mark feeling brave and wanting to explore their new surroundings.
"Don't you think we should do that in the morning when there is daylight to help us?" Derek retorted, rolling his eyes at his friend.
"Where is your sense of adventure?!" Izzie replied to Derek. "I am in. Let's do it!"
"We do not have to go far, man, and we will take it slow." Mark encouraged his friend.
"Count me out!" George replied, remembering the conversation about bears and wolves from earlier.
"Yeah, I am out too." Lexie agreed with George.
That left everyone looking at Meredith who really wanted to go, but was not too thrilled with the idea of spending time with Derek. "Well, if Izzie is going, I may as well also."
"Okay, that settles it." Mark responded with glee. "Bundle up girls; it will be a chilly ride."
Meredith and Izzie headed upstairs to dress in layers as did Derek and Mark. George and Lexie got stuck doing dishes, but neither protested. They preferred to stay where it was safe and warm!
gagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagaga
After bundling up, Derek and Mark headed to the garage to get the snowmobiles out and do a practice run to make sure they knew how to drive them. As Izzie and Meredith came downstairs Meredith was trying her best to convince Izzie to ride with Derek so she did not have to. Izzie had been having fun flirting with Mark all through dinner and was a little disappointed as she wanted to ride with Mark, but she understood her friend's needs and agreed to ride with Derek.
They arrived in the garage just when the guys returned from their trial run. Derek and Mark felt like they could conquer the world and their egos got just a little bigger sitting on the snowmobiles.
"Come on ladies, get on a helmet and hop on." Mark said giving them both a wink.
Meredith quickly grabbed a helmet and jumped on the back of Mark's snowmobile while Izzie jumped on Derek's. Mark was disappointed that Izzie was not with him, but he understood why. Derek was actually relieved he did not have to sit so close to Meredith because he knew what she did to him. His body craved hers. They fit together in perfect harmony. He had to remind himself that this was best, though he was slightly disappointed.
Once everyone was settled, they started up the snowmobiles and took off down the trail they had discovered, with Mark leading the way. They did not go too fast as they wanted to make sure they could find their way back, but they drove for over an hour, until they arrived at a small clearing that gave way to a cliff. The moon and stars were out and the view was breathtaking. The snow glistened in the light and looked like a blanket covering the ground. The four decided this was a great place to stop and sit for awhile as they were sore from all of the bumps they had endured on a rough ride.
They all sat down in the snow and chatted about their trip thus far and the beauty of this often-forgotten state. All four found it easy to talk as a group and soon were laughing like they had been friends for years.
Izzie and Mark seemed to especially hit it off and it was obvious they were interested in each other. After talking as a group for awhile, Mark stood up and grabbed Izzie's hand. She accepted and they walked over to the other side of the clearing to talk in private. Neither was thinking about the fact that they were leaving Derek and Meredith in an awkward predicament. They sat in silence both looking out over the view wishing they could disappear from this moment. Neither remembered ever feeling this distant from the other and no one appeared willing to make the first move to get a conversation going. They felt like strangers caught in a tangled mess that seemed interminable.
When Mark started making out with Izzie, Derek had enough and jumped up stating, "Hey! It's time to go back!" Mark and Izzie drew back long enough to say, "Okay" and everyone put their helmets back on their heads. This time Izzie jumped on the back of Mark's snowmobile leaving Meredith with no choice but to ride back with Derek. At that point, she did not really care; she just wanted to get back to the cabin as quickly as possible.
Mark took off before Derek got his snowmobile started. He was ready to get back to the cabin and pick up where he left off with Izzie. He was quickly out of site, making Derek a little nervous since he had followed on the way to the clearing. He decided to take his time and watch closely. However, two hours later when they still were not back to the cabin, he started to get concerned. He was low on gas and afraid he had made a wrong turn. Meredith riding behind him was not helping him focus on where he was going. Her body had not been this close to his in a long time and it was turning him on like always. She had the effect on him. She drove him insane with want and need. No woman had ever done to him what she did. He was trying to get his mind off of how he would love nothing more than to stop this machine, grab Meredith, push her against a tree, and have his way with her. He was so distracted that he did not notice the tree until it was too late.
The snowmobile hit the tree head on, sending Meredith flying over Derek's head……….
OK - a little cliff here simply because it seemed like the best place to end the chapter. But at least Mer/Der are alone...together :)