Homeplot: On a Jet Plane

[missingthekeep]

Sean's not sure what to think. Since waking up in their Washington hotel room yet again that morning, he's been in a perpetual state of unease that has nothing to do with the absolute reaming that is no doubt in store for him in London. He's half-tempted to suggest just going on the lam with Meredith for however much longer this lasts, but for now, he spends his time fidgeting in his cramped economy seat on the plane (maybe he'd been on something of a spending spree, but the tickets had been booked on their behalf), playing with a tiny, empty scotch bottle.

"Least all yer paperwork went through without a hitch," he says, looking over at Meredith with a cheerfulness that, vague unease aside, remains pretty genuine after the events of the last day. Maybe they should have gone back by now, maybe there's more to this than they initially thought, but whatever they're facing, they're still facing it together.

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[drownondryland]

"What do you mean by trouble?" Meredith asks, lowering her voice a little more. He might be sure, but she isn't, if only because she doesn't really know how this works.

[missingthekeep.livejournal.com]

"Let's see," Sean says, lowering his voice in turn. "I failed me mission entirely, I brought back a woman with absolutely no records or reason t'have been there, and then I spent a whole lot o' money that wasnae mine an' didnae bother accountin' for't. Ye think I kept the receipt f'r that rock ye're wearin'? I'll be lucky if'n they dinnae try ta press charges on me."

[drownondryland]

"Then what are we doing?" Meredith asks. "We'll probably just wake up tomorrow, why waste it going back to get yelled at?" At best, too, that's the best case scenario and, all things considered, that might be asking a bit much. It's a pretty bad list.

[missingthekeep.livejournal.com]

It's like she's been reading his thoughts this whole time. For all that he hasn't been thinking about what's going to come next, the urge to just scarper off with her again and go off the radar still hasn't gone anywhere. "What else would ye have in mind?" Sean asks, curious.

[drownondryland]

"I don't know," Meredith says, shrugging. "And if we run off and this lasts longer, you'll just be in worse trouble, but if it doesn't... it just seems like a waste of a chance. We're here. I've wanted to see this. Your world. All of it." She doesn't know if it's a good idea, but that's his call. He would know better than her on this front.

[missingthekeep.livejournal.com]

Sean draws back to watch her for a few long moments, an incredulous smile slowly spreading across his features. "Did ye honestly jus' suggest skippin' out an' runnin' from Interpol t'do a bit o' sightseein'?" he asks, voice dropping down further to something just above a whisper. Right when he thinks he can't be any more proud of her, she goes and does something like that.

[drownondryland]

"I did not," Meredith says, although the way he smiles makes it so she can't stop herself grinning right back, even as she shakes her head. "Well, not in so many words. I'm not saying it's a good idea." But then, how many of hers ever really are? A surprising number of them turn out pretty well anyway.

[missingthekeep.livejournal.com]

Hearing that only serves to sell him on the idea even further, and he's still smiling as he sinks back in his seat. "Let's do it, then. Where d'ye want ta go?"

[drownondryland]

"Sean," Meredith says, almost laughing. This sounds like trouble and more than they're accustomed to, at least until she reminds herself that, even if they're found, it's all temporary. It isn't like this is going to last much longer, so they may as well take advantage of the time they have. "I... I don't know. You tell me. What should I see?"

[missingthekeep.livejournal.com]

"Everything," Sean replies automatically in an almost dreamy tone, hardly even aware of it. Shaking his head, he presses his lips together as he mulls it over a little more seriously. "In London? Well, we're gonna want ta keep a low profile, so any o' the usual touristy things're likely out."

[drownondryland]

Meredith shrugs, grinning. "I don't need to see the touristy stuff," she says. "Show me everything. Everything else." Whatever he comes up with, she doesn't care. The fun part will be seeing it together — seeing anything off that island, for that matter.

[missingthekeep.livejournal.com]

Sean nods, putting off figuring out the specifics until they're back on the ground. They so rarely get the chance for more than the daily grind offers them, and she's right. They shouldn't waste this, and they've certainly paid their dues to get it. "Everything else it is," he says simply, smiling. "We'll paint the town red, darlin'."

[drownondryland]

"That a promise?" Meredith grins, settling back. She was only just out of college the last time she went to London. It seems fitting to do the same a second time, though she imagines this will be very different. "You know, first half of things and the potential for trouble with your bosses aside, this has been fun. We should get off that island more often."

[missingthekeep.livejournal.com]

Sean knows he'll have to deal with the first half of things more once their life settles back down, but in the meantime, while it all seems blissfully behind them, he's inclined to agree. "I cannae say that I'm a fan o' the idea o' sleepin' our lives away, but aye, I wouldnae turn down the odd four-day pass like this one."

[drownondryland]

"I mean, I just wish we could do it for real," Meredith says, though that would do it, too. Anything to liven things up. She might be busier these days, but it's not the same, never can be. "Get out of there, find a place, live our lives. I hate getting a taste of it and then having to leave again."

[missingthekeep.livejournal.com]

Sean bows his head in agreement, not letting his smile fade entirely. He's all too acutely reminded of just how bad things were for her the first time this happened, after they got back from Seattle, and he feels a pang of guilt when he recalls what he almost did then. He's not going to fall into the same trap, not going to leave himself open to that the way she did back when neither of them knew better. "I know," he replies quietly, laying his hand over hers again. "Me, too. One day, though."

[drownondryland]

"One day," Meredith agrees. It's not much to go on, not entirely enough when it hasn't happened yet, but they're not really any worse off now than they were before this happened. If anything, she tells herself, they're doing better. They'll manage until it happens. "And, you know, this is nice for now. Like a vacation."

[missingthekeep.livejournal.com]

Sean grins. "An' entirely illegal an' imaginary vacation, aye," he laughs, going back to fidgeting with the bottle. "S'long as it's with you, lass, I'll take it."

[drownondryland]

"The vacation itself isn't illegal," Meredith says, grinning. "I haven't done anything... well, I guess much of anything illegal. So that's really just you."

[missingthekeep.livejournal.com]

Sean lightly clucks his tongue at that, falsely contrite. "There I go again, draggin' ye down wi' me."

[drownondryland]

"Every time," Meredith sighs. "I don't know what I'm supposed to do with you. Although I guess the running off and sightseeing thing was me. But that doesn't count until we do it."

[missingthekeep.livejournal.com]

"Oh, so until ye see Big Ben, ye're a pure an' innocent flower, that it?" Sean asks, just barely keeping himself laughing.

[drownondryland]

Meredith nods, trying to school her expression into something more serious, but she can't quite manage it. It's been a long time since she saw Big Ben, longer still since she was anything like pure and innocent. "Uh huh," she says anyway, "yeah, that sounds like me."

[missingthekeep.livejournal.com]

Putting a hand up in preemptive apology, Sean suppresses a smirk. "Now, far be't be it from me ta say otherwise, but if'n that's the case, what was all that fuss 'bout a white dress for?"

[drownondryland]

Meredith makes a face at him, head tipping to the side. "I still don't get why it's a big deal to you," she says, almost laughing anyway. "You're not the one who has to wear the stupid thing."