Long Story Short: Merder

Chapter 1

"Cristina are you sure this is a good idea? Can't you come with me?" Meredith asked her as they packed her suitcase.

"I told Burke I would go with him to some research lab in California." She stopped packing to grab a handful of her dry cereal. "I wasn't going to go until he bribed me with sex."

Meredith didn't want to go out of the state for a vacation. Even though it was long overdue and she needed to take a break. "Fine. But if I call you in the middle of the night complaining, you can't hang up. If I have to be miserable for weeks, so do you." She finished filling her suitcase with her t shirts and low rise jeans.

"Mer you're going to a place filled with world class surgeons. I highly doubt you'll be miserable." She rolled her eyes at her complicated best friend. "And for the love of God, when you get to Minnesota please get some clothes."

"I have clothes!" Meredith was offended, but she knew what Cristina meant.

"I mean clothes that don't look like they were run through a meat grinder." She looked her up and down, referring to the ratty shirt that she was wearing.

An hour later there was a honk. The cab was there to drive Meredith to the airport.

"I'm not hugging you." Cristina pleaded when her friend stood there, arms opened wide.

"One time Cristina." She wouldn't budge. "I won't leave until you get over here."

She was surprised that she gave in. Cristina whispered words of confidence masked with sarcasm and sent her on her way.

"Are you visiting family?" The driver asked her. They were almost to the airport.

"No I'm, a surgeon. I'm going to a medical camp actually."

The generous man helped bring her luggage in and took it to the bag checking area. She tipped him and sent him on his way.

"Three weeks, twenty one days. Just get through it and you can go home." Meredith repeated to herself. A stranger happened to hear her solo conversation and chimed in.

"Three weeks? Wow, that's got to be tough."

Meredith stopped and felt a chill run down her spine. The voice of a man she wished never to see again filled her ears. The only thing her mind told her to do was get away. She started speed walking toward the nearest coffee stand with him on her tail.

"Meredith. Are you running away from me?" The man sounded concerned as he chased after her.

"Not running. Walking. Very quickly."

Eventually, he caught up to her. "Meredith." He grabbed her arm and made her stop.

"Dr. Shepherd I have somewhere to be."

"Dr. Shepherd? Really!" She was acting like she didn't know who he was. Like he wasn't the man that she had fallen for. The man that failed to mention his marital status at the time.

"Dr. Shepherd is there something you want? Something you want to ask me? Or are you just waisting my time?"

"I just wanted to catch up. How are you? How is everyone?" He was referring to their friends at the hospital. Well, her friends considering most of them hated him because of the way he treated her.

"Fine." She spat. "How's Addison?" That name was one of many things keeping them apart.

"Addison is...fine she's fine." He looked down at her and tilted his head, trying to get her to warm up. She wasn't interested.

"I have a plane to catch." She started to walk away but turned to give him a nod, "Dr. Shepherd."