Endless Summer Nights

1.

Meredith bites back her laughter as she glances at her friends as they make their way towards the dock. The dock where they are boarding the cruise liner that is going to take them on a tour of Italy and the Greek Isles. Meredith loves her friends, her friends that are more like her family. Her friends who at this moment are giving each other hell.

They had decided to all take this cruise together before they all headed off to different medical schools. Meredith is going off to Dartmouth in New Hampshire. She is excited to finally get started with her life, with her life goals. She cannot wait until the day when she stands in an OR and hold the scalpel, the day when a patient's life is in her very capable hands. She can't wait.

Cristina: Damn it, evil spawn! Watch your damn suitcase. That is my heels that you are running over.

A chuckle can be heard somewhere behind the angry Asian.

Alex: Sorry, Yang. Didn't see you there.

Cristina whips around to face the man who looks like a jock. She points her finger in his face.

Cristina: Unless you want me to throw your body overboard late at night so that no one will see you, and I doubt anyone will miss you, then I would suggest you open your damn eyes.

Alex stops in his tracks and stares at Cristina for a moment before erupting into a fit of laughter. Anyone who didn't know them, and even some of those who did, thought that they were perfect for each other. However, their closest friends know that is they ever got together the result would be a bloody mess and the blood would all be from Alex.

Izzie: Come on guys, we are about to go on a cruise!!! Be happy!

Cristina rolls her eyes at Izzie and Meredith forces a smile onto her face. Izzie is too happy...all the time.

Cristina: Seriously, Barbie, deflate. I can't take this much bubbly all the time.

Izzie opens her mouth to speak but instead she tilts her head to the side and smiles. Sometimes she really does come off as a ditz.

Meredith just shakes her head as they walk up the ramp to board the huge cruise liner. She has enjoyed the past couple of days in Florida. She has enjoyed the past couple of days but there is no way in hell that she could ever live here. It is too damn hot and too damn humid for her and for her hair.

Meredith (in an exasperated voice): Guys, can't we just get along? Seriously? This is the last time we are all going to be together. Let's just enjoy this time. If you can't grow up then once we are on board stay the hell away from me, because I want to have a good time.

Cristina: You need to get laid. Seriously.

Meredith narrows her eyes at Cristina and opens her mouth to speak, but Alex beats her to it.

Alex: I wouldn't mind helping you out with that, Mer.

Alex winks at her and Meredith makes a noise of disgust.

Meredith: Seriously?! Keep dreaming, Evil Spawn!

Meredith turns on her heel and walks away, leaving her group of friends laughing behind her. She doesn't need them for a good time. Why in the hell did she invite them to come anyways? Oh yeah. She thought that they could all have a good time before they each went to medical school in different parts of the country.

If they all want to be asses, that's fine. That is fine with her. Her room is on a different part of the ship. She is staying in a suite courtesy of her mother. Her mother would rather her go on a cruise than a trek across Europe, so Meredith made a stipulation. This stipulation has her placed on a different deck of the ship, so if need be, she can avoid her friends who are being very annoying at the moment.

Meredith decides at this moment that she doesn't have to rely upon her friends to have her fun. She can make her own fun. She will make her own fun. She can have fun without them and she will. Damn it she will have fun.

A determined Meredith hands her ticket to a man standing at the entrance onto the ship. He smiles at her as he looks at her ticket.

Ticket man: Have a good trip, Miss.

Meredith returns the smile as he hands her back her ticket.

Meredith: Oh, I will.

With these words, Meredith Grey steps onto the cruise liner telling herself that she is ready for the adventure of a lifetime, but having no idea that the next few weeks would completely change her life in ways that she never could have imagined.