I call this the action/adventure portion of the ride! I've never written anything action/adventurey, but I think it came out pretty good! Plus, I've been building to this for quite a while now. All sorts of secrets and feelings get let out! This fic is coming to a close, but it's not quite over yet!
Suggested Soundtrack: 'Jack Sparrow' by Hans Zimmer (POC)
Burke stands atop the right hand side of the top deck of his flagship surveying the wrecked shambles of his enemy. Did they not know any better than to go against him? He always got what he wanted. Always. Well, he hadn't gotten Addison, but if he had known that she was used goods already, he wouldn't have wanted her anyway. And she was only a means to an end really. So he hadn't really wanted her, so it didn't count. What he really wanted was the Governorship. And he had had it all locked up right and tight with the King before that Webber character thought to usurp him with his precious Derek Shepherd. Good thing the old fart didn't even know his own daughter was married. Burke laughs at the man's idiocy. In fact, he didn't know that BOTH of his daughters were married. Burke wasn't even sure if Webber was even aware that he HAD another daughter. No, those two were loose screws. The key to this entire thing was Derek. The man was all but his son, in actions rather than name. The recognized daughter he barely saw, the other one he might not even be aware of. No, the key to this was Derek.
The rain and the wind had died down into a cool drizzle, and he can see the first lightening of the sky that indicated a new dawn was coming. Even nature was deciding to cooperate with him. He really thought the wind was going to carry the faster ship away from him. I mean, he knew he would catch up with them eventually, but he was tired of all of this chasing and whatnot. He had absorbed all of the humiliation he could take by letting the numskulls think they had bested him back at Burke Manor. In London he would have had to have arrested them and paid attention to the law. Out here on the open sea he could do whatever he wanted and no one would be the wiser. Too bad the idiots put out a full sail in the middle of a storm. They deserved whatever they got. You'd never catch HIM doing that.
He waits for his crew to secure the lines between the two ships before he sedately jaunts down the ten steps. He stands tall in his dark-blue double-breasted sailor jacket with a hand resting calmly between his lower two buttons. His lapels even have some gold braiding. Why should the lack of military training keep him from looking fashionable? He had seen a portrait with Napoleon doing it in just such a manner and had adopted it ever since. If an upstart Corsican could do it, why couldn't he?
The few men securing the last of the lines look up at him in fear as he approaches, but he gives them no heed. He looks over at the shambles of a ship, the giant mast of a once great vessel, felled across the top of the ship like a downed tree. Instead of leaves though, it is sails and ropes that lie intertwined and shredded between the splintered wood. What a shame.
Just where was everybody though? They hadn't been fired upon. He had thought that strange, but then figured they must know that they had lost already and given up. There wasn't much you could do after your mast broke. If no one found you out on the open sea, or you managed to find your way back or repair it, you could literally starve. He could even consider that he was doing them a favor by 'rescuing' them from a fate worse than death. He turns to his first in command and signals for him to go ahead. If this was a trap, he certainly wasn't going to take the first bullet.
About thirty of his men take the first few steps over the tied together railings. He can see one of the other ships slowly coming alongside the other side of the 'Bounty'. They couldn't escape now even if they wanted to. He watches from the safe side as his men spread out in search of men and weapons. It is slow going though because of all the debris and slick surfaces. It's too bad really, it had been a beautiful ship. He sits back and waits for the cowards to come out and face him. There was more than one way to ferret a fox out of his den.
Derek sits back in the doorway of his cabin waiting for the grimey bastards to move just a few feet more. He was really uncomfortable with his method of fighting. He would much rather be facing them head on with cannons and pistol fire, but there were three times as many of them as there were of them. All of this was Meredith's idea anyway. All of her ideas had worked out pretty well so far, so he was willing to give her the benefit of the doubt. It had worked on him, hadn't it? And he wasn't even trying to get someone to marry him! Just, you know, best them in a fight and save his own hide and that of his crew, that was all. Just because it was her idea didn't mean she got to enjoy it though. The look on her face when he had ordered Tyler to keep her down below probably didn't bode well for their future married life, but he just couldn't think straight when she was in danger, so it was better this way. And if something happened to her, he just didn't know what he would do with himself. So she was down below, and he was up here hoping Burke's ego was just as big as he thought it was. So far it was working like a charm.
"The Lilly-livered bastard isn't even coming over the side." Alex remarks in a near-whisper behind him.
"I didn't expect anything less from him." Derek answers with nary a surprise. "This is the man that plotted for a Governorship through the fading mind of an old King and the skirts of a pretty woman."
"True." Alex agrees, but then offers, "He could at least walk WITH his men though instead of standing back and letting them do all of the dirty work. It would make our lives a lot easier."
They both gruntily agree with that statement. You wouldn't catch either of them hanging back behind the line of fire. They would both rather be right out in front with sword and pistol drawn at the ready. This only affirmed that what they were doing was right. The only way to beat a Lilly-livered coward was to beat him at his own game.
Derek watches Burke's men make their way through the mess of sails and cloth, picking their way through and over. There is splintered wood and miles of clothe though. Too bad the idiots didn't think to go through the area of the ship that WASN'T covered in debris. Just then Oliver's head pops up from the galley stairwell across the way and signals that all is a go. That meant that Mark and his contingent had made it through the portholes now lined up ship to ship. His wife was an absolute genius.
"That was Oliver. It's a go." Derek tells Alex. Derek nods back at Oliver and his head disappears again.
Alex draws his sword from its scabbard and schools his face in readiness. He takes a few short readied breaths and all is quiet in the cabin again. The steel of Derek's sword sings slightly as it's freed from its own confines, and he inches the door open a few centimeters more. He can't quite see over to the other ship, but he's just going to have to take the chance.
He lets out an ear-piercing whistle. Burke's entire crew freezes in mid-stride. Most of them are filed along the wreck of the mast. Just where he wanted them. Burke stands with his back to his own ship, thinking that all of the action is in front of him. The air is soon rent with the sound of pounding feet. Oliver's contingent pours out from the galley stairs as his and Alex's pours forth from the cabins on their side. And behind Burke comes a smaller but most important contingent led by Mark and, oh my God, Christina. Every member of his crew has his gun or sword raised. They have them surrounded. For now
"We've got you surrounded." Derek calls out to the enemy crew, but really only for Burke's ears.
The surrounded men stop crawling in surprise but very quickly draw their weapons in return. Guns face guns and swords face guns and even a few pikes versus stilettos are present. Derek holds his sword in his left hand but his pistol is aimed directly at Burke's heart. Burke looks momentarily stunned at the change of events, but then turns his cold eyes to Derek. He doesn't even bother with Mark and his men behind him.
"Well, well, what have we have here?" Burke remarks smoothly into the dead calm. No man wants to make a sound and set off someone else's trigger finger.
"It's called an ambush, Burke. I thought you'd be familiar with that." Derek responds as he slowly moves himself forward to get in an even better line of fire. Right now he's kind of off to the left and he'd feel more comfortable being in closer range. He keeps a steady eye out on the other men though. He wouldn't want anyone sneaking in a shot. They have to play this very tightly if they're going to have a shot at getting out of this.
"I never went to someone's home and tried to steal their potential bride away." Burke rejoins, flipping the accusation around onto Derek.
They both keep their eyes perfectly trained on the other as Derek continues to move forward. Burke stays where he is. The two groups of men keep a wary eye on each other.
"She was never your potential bride to begin with. Her father expressly forbid you from taking her hand." Derek vollies back. He really doesn't care what the bastard's explanation is for this, he just needs to keep him talking so that he can get closer.
"The lady was willing. I can't help it if I'm that irresistible." Burke says ingratiatingly.
That must have been too much for Mark, because Derek hears a cock of a pistol behind Burke and Mark calls out, "I wouldn't exactly call 'irresistible' the term I would use for someone who can only get women to marry them at the threat of killing their mother."
Burke snidely looks over his shoulder to acknowledge that anyone is even speaking behind him, and says quietly "At least I didn't accept a bribe to publicly acknowledge that we were never married."
There is nothing from Mark for a few long moments, but then coldly he threatens, "I've never been tempted to shoot a man in the back, but there's always a first time. Why don't you turn around and face me."
Burke smiles coldly, but he doesn't do as suggested. He only watches Derek approach. Derek is barely a foot away now, and he narrows his eyes at the almost calm expression in Burke's eyes. "The only thing I care about is the Governorship. That's the only thing I've ever cared about. Why do you and your supposed mentor fight me at every turn?" Burke asks Derek with almost a wonder in his voice. Almost.
"I've heard about the way you treat your servants and your tenants. You barely treat people in your own social stratosphere with anything but contempt. Do you think I'm going to let someone like you govern the people that I have grown up with? Govern my family? Tortuga is my home. Do I need any more reason than that? I think the real question is why YOU want it so badly." Derek finishes.
Derek is right in front of him when he makes that statement, so he can plain as day see the steely contempt in Burke's eyes. "Isn't it obvious? Haven't you been paying attention?" Burke asks, contempt dripping from his voice, but then continues with, "The Kind is dy-ing. He in fact may be dead already."
Burke elongates the last words, implying that even a simpleton should know this by now. And suddenly it all clicks. Without the King's protection, Burke has no one. Society only acknowledges him because of the influence of the King. Burke's bastard birth will always put him in the shade. But even more so than that, Burke has made a lot of enemies.
"Jumping ship, are we?" Derek utters with just as much contempt. Maybe even more.
Burke decides to ignore Derek's little statement, instead raising his hand to his chin and rubs it absentmindedly. "Now, you seem to be in a sticky situation here."
Derek only raises his eyebrows. He's not about to give anything away.
"Now, you're mast is broken, you are vastly outnumbered." Burke says with a wave toward the other ship even now drawing up aside them. "The other one is just anchored off to the side somewhere."
"I could still take you down with me though." Derek says with a snide smile and a nod toward his gun.
"Yes, but then you would die too, and none of us wants that, now do we?" Burke questions, not really expecting an answer. He barely pauses for breath though before he says, "I myself would rather not kill anyone. It's all just so...messy. All I really want in the Governorship."
Derek thinks to himself over my dead body, but he's not about to say that aloud. He just waits. Burke looks disappointed that Derek doesn't seem more interested, but he gathers himself to utter coolly, "I propose a duel."
"A duel?" Derek says in surprise. Does Burke have any idea who he's talking to? He seems to know everything else about everyone, so he must. Derek even hears Mark give a disbelieving chuckle from behind Burke. Derek is still suspicious though.
"A duel for what?" He asks flatly.
"A duel for your ship. If you win, I promise to let you go. I'll even have one of my ships bring you back to England for repairs." Burke proposes.
"And if you win?" Derek asks in a suspicious tone. He doesn't like the look in Burke's eyes but it sounds like their only viable option.
"You recommend me to Richard as the next Governor. You've had a change of heart, you've gotten to know me. You now think I would make an excellent Governor."
"That's all you want? For me to recommend you as the next Governor?" Derek asks incredulously. It just seems too simple. There's got to be more to this.
"I've told you, all I want is the Governorship." Burke answers steadily.
Derek peruses Burke as he thinks about the proposal. What did he have to lose? They had the upper hand now. They had them surrounded. They could take as many of them out as possible before the other ship's arrived. But then that would leave Meredith, and the rest of the woman, at risk. If it was just him and his crew he would just fight and have it done with. But it isn't just him anymore.
"How do I know you'll keep your word?" He finally asks after a couple of long moments have passed.
Burke looks pleased with his answer. "If there's anything I pride myself on, it's my word." He replies coldly, like Derek has just tried to impugn his honor. That is true. If anything, Burke does pride himself on his honor. Everyone has to have a saving grace, Derek guesses.
"Derek." Mark growls out from the other side of Burke. His voice is a warning. It says don't do it. It says that Derek is crazy.
"It's alright, Mark. If he tries to go back on his word, you go ahead and shoot him." Derek threatens while looking Burke straight in the eye.
"You got it man." Mark answers with relish. Burke just half-smiles and asks, "So we've got a deal then? If I win you recommend me to Richard."
"And if I win you let us go with a friendly escort back to England." Derek confirms.
"We've got a deal then?" Burke asks.
"Deal." Derek answers shortly and drops his arms. He hopes he's doing to right thing. What else have they got to lose?
Mark keeps his gun on Burke as he drops his weapons and releases his coat from his shoulders. Burke does the same. The coat is tossed aside and the pistol put in its holster as he holds out his sword in readiness. Burke draws his sword as well, and the fight is on.
"I think it's sweet." Izzie says from her knitting perch in one of the taken down galley chairs.
Meredith just glares at her and goes back to her knitting.
"Poor husbands are like that, dear. Don't take it personally." Adelle remarks from over her own chosen project: an oval embroidery frame. The embroidery needle passes in and out as she remarks, "I think the stupid louts are born with it."
Meredith raises her eyebrows at this bald statement. No wonder this woman and her husband live on almost separate hemispheres. She kind of understands it, but she doesn't. She's always fought her own battles. It's not like she's never handled a pistol or a sword before. I mean, the first time her and Derek met she had been pointing them at HIM. He knew she wasn't some kind of wilting wallflower. He did use her idea in planning the ambush though. That had to count for something. She still angrily pushes her needles together though and the click of the metal comes out a lot louder than it has to.
Her attention is drawn to the other woman in the room though when said other woman remarks angrily, "Yes, they wouldn't actually want us to think for ourselves, now would they?"
Addison has refused anything that screams of domesticity and is reading a book. Meredith would have chosen a book also if the words on the page didn't keep blurring every time she tried to read them. Her concentration was just shot to hell. As it was, her 'sock' was starting more to resemble a giant ball of knots rather than any kind of footwear. It's not like they couldn't hear everything that was going on up there. The ship practically groaned with the sound of all of the men moving around up there. Except racently it had gotten quiet. Too quiet. And all Meredith could hear was the sound of all of their collective needles crunching together when all she wanted to know was how things were going up above.
Plus, she was sitting in a room with her half-sister and the wife of the woman her mother had wronged. She wanted to hate them. She wanted to hate them so much. She had managed to avoid both of them pretty well up until it was time for them to stow away. Why couldn't she be more like Christina and avoid whatever hair-brained notions came into her man's head? Mark had only laughed when Christina had told him not to spout that pig-headed clap-trap at her and walked right past him and out the door. Well, they weren't married. In fact, he was married to the other woman in the room that Meredith was pretty sure was trying to avoid him just as much as Meredith was trying to avoid the fact that she was her sister. Well, half-sister. Just what did one say to a half-sister that the first time you've met is to steal them away from an egotistical maniac bent on marrying them for a Governorship with a husband that was supposed to have been their husband except for the fact that they had been married all along to the man that was supposedly having a relationship with your best friend. Meredith's head hurt just thinking about it. Better to keep knitting.
But she just can't take it anymore. She throws down her 'sock' in disgust and starts pacing the room. "It's too quiet up there."
"You don't know that." Her half-sister says comfortingly. "You yourself said it might take a while. And isn't quiet better than the alternative?"
Meaning sounds of death and dismemberment, Meredith thinks. She did say those things, but those were like things you said to other people to make them feel better. Except they weren't making her feel better.
"Come on, Mer, help me with the knitting. If I'm going to have a baby, I'm going to need all of the baby booties I can get." Izzie remarks calmly from her chair.
"You aren't even pregnant yet, Izz." Meredith remarks testily, but she sits back down anyway. She's not even going to get into the fact that there might not be a baby if both of their husband's and them end of dead. Instead, she takes up her 'sock' again and starts trying to move some needles around. But only because Izzie asked her to.
Luckily, she is interrupted by a knock on the door. All of the woman stop what they are doing and look at each other hesitantly. "Mrs. Shepherd, it's just me, Mooney. The Captain sent me to come get ya." The first mate calls through the door.
Oh thank God. The knitting is quickly forgotten as she runs over and unbolts the door. The unassuming first mate stands there practically ringing his hands. With his squattish stature and salt and pepper hair, he's probably the most similar to what Meredith would think that a real live seaman would look like. And with his quiet and subservient attitude most of the time you would forget that he's even around.
"Is everything alright?" Meredith asks breathily.
"Um…Derek and Burke are about the fight a duel. But the Captain asked for me to…." Mooney answers, but doesn't get to finish because Meredith is already bounding up the stairs. A duel!?!? Of all the cork-brained, pig-headed…..
But she stops at the doorway of the galley stairs when she see's that she is too late. Both men are already at the ready. They have removed their jackets and any extra hindrences and stand perched in a circle on the deck of the enemy ship. All the rest of the men on both sides have moved as far enough to the edges as possible. Meredith moves forward to the wall and stares in terror at the man she loves about the fight a duel with the most under-handed, egotistical, power-hungry man that she has ever heard about.
Both men lean back on their left heels, the right foot forward in the age-old sword-fighting stance. Both blades are long and thin, more similar to thin fencing rapiers than the heavy hunks of steel of ages past. Derek is deceptively relaxed as he seems to almost bounce in place. Burke is more stiff and regal, but looks just as deadly. The entire crowd is quiet as the blades are lifted to the ready. Both men narrow their eyes at the other…..a pregnant pause...and then the loud clank of steel.
Meredith sucks in her breath as the two blades meet and slide past one another. Clank, clank, clank, the blades meet and parry only to be drawn back in a tie. The men are just testing one another. Burke narrows his eyes and shoots his arm out again. Derek vollies and sends Burke's sword back to him.
"There's one thing I've always wanted to know." Burke says conversationally as he draws back his sword.
"What? What it feels like to actually not get what you want?" Derek answers readily as he watches Burke's sword hand. Derek seems to be much more on the defensive, just parrying blows and watching. Burke is more rushing in, trying to stay in control.
"No, how you can work day in and day out with the man that killed your father." Burke asks with nary an inflection, almost like he is having a dinner conversation.
Derek's sword falters for a second, but he quickly raises it up to meet the blow that Burke had tried to jab in his moment of weakness. Meredith gasps at the statement but can do nothing but watch. She should have told him. She should have. Or at least ask him about it. She had wondered about it herself, but had forgotten in the midst of all of their non-stop troubles and adventures.
"Making up lies to unsettle me, now are we?" Derek answers with a powerful answering volley that sends Burke's sword clamoring back with the force. He looks pissed. The words seem to have snapped him out of the defensive and straight into the offensive. He pounds his sword into Burke's over and over again, but Burke meets him just enough to keep himself in the fight.
Burke starts to laugh. A laugh filled with evil mirth and glee at someone else's expense. "You don't know?" He asks with an amused tone, and when he sees Derek's piercing stare, continues to laugh and say, "Oh my God, this is priceless. You really don't know!"
"My father. Died. Out to sea." Derek insists between each thrust. It is obvious that Derek has taken the upper hand. His anger at what Burke is saying has pushed his sword hand to act faster and harder. Burke doesn't seem to be fighting quite as hard either though. He just seems….amused.
"You father was hanged for piracy by the Governor of Tortuga." Burke announces with glee. Derek's eyes become almost feral, but Burke ignores the dangerous look to say, "One Richard Webber, as is."
Derek has had enough. With a flick of his wrist he slices a deep cut across Burke's hand that sends to sword flying. Burke screams and crouches back to hold his now severely bleeding hand. Derek points his weapon straight at Burke's heart and demands, "You take that back."
Burke only sneers. "I can't take it back. It's true."
"I said take it back." Derek demands again as he pushes Burke farther and farther back along the deck. The men move aside as Derek pushes Burke back onto the nearest wall. Burke isn't about to give in though.
"You've gotten what you've wanted. You've won. I'll send your ship back to England with an escort. But I am telling the truth. Ask him yourself." Burke answers as the sword moves up to his neck. He gulps. His eyes stay centered on the sword as his hand holds on to the other in barely repressed pain.
Derek must see something in Burke's eyes though, because he lowers the sword. Reluctantly, but he does lower it. The entire contingent of men from both ships relaxes. And one Meredith Grey. But Burke still has one trick still up his sleeve.
"Oh, but one more thing before you leave." Burke announces silkily. "Mooney?"
The half-contingent of men that is the 'Bounty's' crew turns to look at Mooney. Meredith does too. Only to find a pistol aimed at her head.
"Mooney?" She asks uncertainly.
"I'm sorry Ms. I really am sorry." He answers with a stutter. He really does look sorry. Like he would like to be anywhere else but here. But he still has a pistol pointed at her head.
"What is the meaning of this?" Derek demands. Whether he is asking Mooney or Burke is uncertain. Mooney answers.
"I'm really sorry, Sir. He's got me mum."
And that's all Meredith needs to know. She does remember him mentioning that his mother still resides in England. That every chance he gets he takes a trip back to see her and the rest of his family. If it wasn't for some pesky legal problems in his home country, he would pack everything and move back there in a trice. And a lot of other things become clear also.
"You knew we were coming?" Derek demands from Burke.
"Of course." Burke answers regally.
"You knew I was already married when I showed up at your house? You knew I was coming to get Miss Webber?" Derek demands disbelievingly.
"When are you going to realize that I know everything?" Burke answers with a tug of his sleeves. He moves himself a little off of the wall and confidently strides toward Mooney and Meredith.
"Don't you move. If you get any closer to her, I will cut you." Derek promises with a raise of his sword.
"If you touch me. If any of you touch me." He says with a steely gaze at Mark, Christina, Alex, or anyone else that was trying to think of something. "Mooney is going to shoot her. Is that right?"
Mooney looks like he's about to faint, and the pistol wavers a bit in his hand, but he holds steady.
"What do you want? You couldn't win the duel, so you want me to vouchsafe for you anyway?" Derek demands.
"Vouchsafe? No." Burke answers cruelly. "You're going to be my bait. For some reason, the Governor seems to favor you above anyone else. His real children, your wife included, he could care less about." He says as he points over to Meredith and a shocked Addison that has just come up the galley steps.
Meredith and Addison look at each other, but neither says a word.
Derek is silent as he looks from Meredith, the gun aimed at her head, and back to Burke. "If I go with you, you'll let them go?"
Meredith gasps and tries to break free from Mooney's grasp. "Please don't move Ms." Mooney says in an almost scared voice.
Meredith stops moving and gives Mooney her most ardent glare. He wilts before her, clearly wanting to be anywhere else but there, but he keeps the gun aimed at her. She turns back to Derek.
"Derek, don't do this." She asks with a treble in her voice.
But she can see in his stance that he has already made his decision. "And if I do this, you will let them go?" Derek asks with steely resolve.
Meredith's heart drops. He's always been the one to pit the responsibility onto himself. Stupid, pig-headed….she thinks to herself again as tears start to blur her vision.
"Yes." Burke answers in a clipped tone.
"Fine." Derek answers just as shortly, but then slides his vision over to Meredith. "May I have a word?" He asks Burke as he indicates Meredith.
"Get rid of the sword first." Burke says with a nod to the mentioned object.
"Get rid of the pistol then." Derek negotiates.
Burke looks between Derek and Mooney and then indicates for Mooney to withdraw his weapon. Mooney puts his pistol back in its hostler, but he stays close by just in case.
Derek hands his sword off to Mark and walks up to Meredith. He takes her now tear-stained face in his hands and places a short kiss on her lips. She can see the determination in the set of his face, but it doesn't stop another tear from tracking down her face.
"It's alright, Meredith. I'll be alright. He just wants the Governorship, that's all." He tells her.
"But…" She tries to interject, knowing that trusting Burke to do only that is akin to suicide.
He stops her though with, "Meredith, nothing is more important to me than your life. Nothing." He says with fervency.
"Derek…Derek, I love you so much." She says with now a dripping nose and red-rimmed eyes.
"I love you too." He says with a twinkle to his eyes and what may mysteriously may be a catch to his voice. But he gets it under control to say with an edge of meaningfullness, "Just do whatever Mark says, and I'll see you soon."
Mark? Why would she do what Mark says? She sees the two men share a look, but stays quiet. Something is going on here. He looks into her eyes one more time filled with the love that he is even now proclaiming in deed as well as word, and then lets go. Her hands are now empty and she wants to rush out to him and never let go.
But Burke's men have already grabbed on to his hands. They tie them behind him and tie them together with tight ropes. Her whole body starts to shake as they take him back over the side to the other ship and untie the first of the ropes connecting the two boats. Crews sort themselves out, ropes become untangled, and still she stands staring out at the back of the man she loves. Mooney joins the crew of the other boat that will be escorting them back to England and she is left surrounded by her friends. But she only really wants one person.
The two boats separate and the waves toss them apart. Derek is lead to the galley steps and through a door. And still she stands there. It is only when he disappears out of site that she turns to Mark.
"What did he mean that I should do whatever you say?" Meredith demands as if snapped from a trance.
"We had a contingency plan in case this didn't work out." Mark answers sheepishly.
And suddenly Meredith knows it all. "Mark Sloan, are you telling me that you knew all along that he planned on sacrificing himself?" She demands shrilly.
Mark can only stare back, begging her with his eyes to forgive her. She turns to look at the other men aboard. Even at Christina. They all knew. That's what their faces tell her. They all knew. The bile rises in her throat and she runs over to throw up over the side of the ship. Christina runs over and pulls her hair back off of her face.
"But we have a plan, Meredith, we have a plan." Christina utters in the most unsettled voice Meredith has ever heard from her.
And as she loses whatever small amount of sustenance she had managed to keep down over the last 24 hours, she prays that it better be one damn good plan. Otherwise, she might never get the chance to tell Derek that he was going to be a father.