Off the Carousel

He Was the Love of Her Life

A/N:  A note about the compass... Yes, it's magical, made by gypsies or whatever... and the combination of Middleton's 'charm' and the presence of the Nightingale's, (Cassie, Liz, Grace...) and the earthquake releasing some extra energy has made it act a little strange... but it's for a reason, you'll see. Just go with it! It's fiction after all.

Anyway,

Enjoy!

Everything echoed strangely around Meredith, and she thought she was underwater for a second. The rush and burble of water was heard amidst soft airy stillness. Was that... did she hear... birds? One side of her felt warm, like she was under a tanning lamp. A sigh escaped her. Under her eyelids, a warm orange glow became bright white when she blinked. She sighed again, her fingers scrunching... grass? "Mm," Meredith murmured, rolling onto her back. "Ow," she winced from the bright sunlight burning into her corneas. She raised her good arm to shield her eyes from the sun. The sky was a beautiful blue framed by dappled green from the tops of the trees.

Meredith sat up and scrubbed her face.

She was in a field.

Under her palm lay a cold hard object, and she pulled away from it.

The compass. Not knowing what else to do, she pocketed the item. "Okay, Derek," she said quietly to the sky, "Not only am I a widow... but I'm pregnant and I must have Alzheimer's cause I have no idea where the hell I am. It's your fault, you and your stupid penis..." she smirked before choking back a sob. God, she missed him. After a few moments of hesitation, she pushed herself up. Where should she go now? In the distance, she could hear the soft rush of a nearby stream, so she decided to head there. Wasn't that what all the survivalist people said?

Meredith followed a bit of a trail through the woods, and finally stepped out onto the bank of a stream. She rubbed her belly absently, somehow the sound of the gurgling water relaxed her. She wanted to freak out, she just... couldn't. Meredith wandered along downstream for a while, coming around a bend. When she looked up from the rocky path, twenty feet ahead of her was a worn-out bridge. Hope swelled in her. Civilization couldn't be too far away, right? But as she drew closer, the unmistakeable form of a boy sitting on the bridge caught her attention.

xxx

"Hello?" Cassie called as she entered the Grey House. George had borrowed a van and dropped everyone off, her and Nick as well as Carolyn, Grace and the kids, who had settled in at Sam's house next door.

Now she just had to find Meredith to complete this group. "Meredith?" She called again, "Zola and Bailey are fine, we-," Cassie shook her head, something felt... off.

Nick stepped in behind her, his flashlight beam joining hers and dancing across the floor.

And then she was falling.

"Cassie!" Nick shouted as the floor beneath her gave way.

Cassie shrieked and flailed her arms as her breath was stolen and her heart jumped into her throat. "Ohhh," she groaned, the shock from the hard landing rippling through her feet to her ankles, up her calves to her knees.

"Cassie?" Nick called from above, "Are you okay?" his flashlight shone through the hole, and she looked up, shielding her eyes with one hand.

"Yeah, I'm- I'm fine..." she said, a hand to her chest, feeling the panic and adrenaline ebb away. "Be careful. That floor isn't stable." Cassie squinted, "I may as well take a look down-," she stopped as she registered a noise. "Hang on," she said, picking up her flashlight. Peering through the darkness, Cassie shuffled forward. "Hello? Anyone here? Meredith?" She feared that Meredith had fallen into the same trap she had.