Across the Pond (Prince Harry #2)

Chapter Thirty-Six

Bodyguard Bill arrived in the morning. Harry and Meredith hadn't yet untangled themselves. Lying in bed, Bill stayed downstairs, only calling for them that Harry and Meredith needed to leave soon. The drive back to Vancouver was a few hours, and Harry had a connecting flight to get. Meredith had her head resting on Harry's chest, just trying to ignore Bill downstairs. Apparently Bill was used to it, and he eventually quieted.

Harry's fingers curled into her messy blonde hair. "We'll meet again soon."

"I say that to you, not the other way around." Meredith looked into Harry's eyes. "How far away can six months be anyway? Time will fly by quickly." She pecked him on the lips and rolled out of bed.

"Will you write to me every day?"

Meredith shrugged. "It depends on the school load, but yes."

"Will you send me a few letters?" he asked with smirk.

"Should I go crazy with them? Should I be a mad fan? I'll write how you'll be mine and only ever mine. No one else can have you. If someone else does, I'll kill them."

Harry smiled. "Probably not that. I'll be placed in with all the other crazed fan girls."

"Might as well join the party." Meredith put on her bra and underwear. She hadn't packed but the car left in thirty minutes. Throwing things into her suitcase, Meredith ran around the room.

"We could just stay another day," Harry said, still lying in bed.

"Work." Meredith walked into the bathroom.

"London?" Harry questioned.

"Work." Meredith came back into the master bedroom, throwing the bottles into her suitcase. "I said that already."

"Quit and come back to London with me." Harry moved to the edge of the bed, watching her pack. At some point he would have to pack too, or perhaps Bill would. Either way, in thirty minutes, the couple would be loaded into the car.

"College."

"Quit and come back to London with me."

Meredith rolled her eyes. "Now what kind of feminist would I be if I quit college to marry a prince?"

"The kind of feminist that saves money?" he suggested. "But I understand, an education is important, so transfer to London, to any university in England."

Shaking her head, she put on pants. "What kind of money do you suspect that I have?" Meredith sighed. "Anyway, I can't. We're down an RA in Crownhart, and we don't have enough RAs to pick up most shifts."

"What happened to them?"

"They quit." She shrugged. "Or they were fired because of bad behavior, but we all say that they quit because it conflicted with their studies." Meredith paused. "Well, it conflicted with screwing residents, smoking weed and partying. But who knows? Maybe they're good people."

Harry started laughing. "You know you're not supposed to judge people."

"I try. No, I don't." Meredith threw on a shirt. Looking down at herself, it was the best that it was going to get. Perhaps cameras would be at Vancouver airport and perhaps cameras wouldn't be there, but either way, she didn't care enough. "But I'm really funny, so it's okay."

"I don't think that's how it works."

"Get dressed." Meredith threw clothes at him.

He laughed. "Bill has seen me naked."

"Oh, I don't doubt it." Leaving the room, Meredith hopped down the stairs and made it to the kitchen. Bodyguard Bill was looking over the newspaper with the picture of Harry and her. "In my defense, it was all his idea, and really, at least there wouldn't be any pregnancy scares."

Bill smiled. "Thank you, ma'am."

"Any way I can help." She reached for a bowl and cereal.

"Is His Royal Highness up?"

"He's getting dressed." Sitting down at the island in the kitchen, Meredith ate quickly.

Above them, in the master bedroom, the two of them heard Harry moving around, supposedly changing and packing. At least Harry packed his own bag. When he came down, Harry at least looked ready to take on cameras. He put the stupid beanie back on, though. Meredith let her distaste be seen.

"It's fashionable," Harry said.

Meredith shook her head.

"Your highness," Bill said, holding up the newspaper. "Can you explain this?"

"It was all Meredith's fault."

Meredith responded, "Yep. We were all out of condoms."

"You had to go all the way to Vancouver to get condoms?" Bill asked.

"Yes, and we just happened to stumble upon fireworks. Who knew it was New Years Eve?" she wondered.

Bill didn't trust it, but there wasn't anything he could do about it. Even with explicit instructions not to leave the mansion, His Royal Highness Prince Harry had done this. Prince Harry didn't even look upset by the picture, but it didn't mean he wasn't upset at one point. As for Miss Rogue, these things didn't bother her. There weren't any cameras thrown in her face, so she was happy.

"Time to go." Meredith hopped up and grabbed her bag.

"Are you eager to get away from me?" Harry asked.

"I'm eager to see my dog again." She went outside, and the two males were forced to go with her.

The drive back to Vancouver along the coast was long, and Meredith only felt a little ill. It was the motion sickness, but also that this was the last time she would be able to touch harry for at least six months. Her fingers were intertwined in his. His thumb ran over the soft skin of the back of her hand. Bill drove, never daring to look back, as if the couple would start making out at any point.

Meredith rested her eyes on Harry for a bit before she turned her attention out the window. It would be a while before she saw the ocean again too. It would be warmer at least; she could swim for hours then. Looking back over to Harry, his eyes were on her. She smiled, which he returned. His eyes turned light. Behind the lightness, there was sadness. Six months felt like too long, but at least they would be together again.

At the airport, it was time for good bye. Hidden away from public eye, Meredith kissed Harry farewell. In her bag, she held her letter from yesterday, and she said she would write on the airplane. His curiosity was to somehow steal and read them, but he kept himself together.

"Bill?" Harry asked.

"All clear," Bodyguard Bill responded.

"Time to go," Meredith said, gripping her suitcase and almost escaped from behind the car. Harry pulled her back and kissed her deeply, tilting her back. Meredith didn't fight it, just smiling about it. "I have to go. Security is a pain to get through."

"I wouldn't know." He kept kissing her.

Pulling back, Meredith shook her head. "You'll have to wait."

"I don't want to wait."

"Too bad." She kissed him on the cheek. "Until we meet again, Harry."

He bowed to her, and Meredith blushed. "Bill?"

"Still clear, sir."

Meredith exited from behind the car and gave a smile to Bill. He nodded to her, and Meredith joined the numerous people that walked into the Vancouver airport. Meredith kept glancing back, hating herself for doing it. No cameras were around, thankfully, but she kept looking for Harry, hoping he might still be waiting for her. Popping his head around the car, he was. He smiled and waved like a little child. Meredith blushed again and turned away, taking a deep breath. Meredith plunged back into reality.