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]

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."

[missingthekeep.livejournal.com]

"I ne'er said 'twas a big deal," Sean says, weirdly defensive, though he's not sure why. It's not enough to get him to stop smiling, at any rate. "Jus'... yer standard deal. It'll be nice."

[drownondryland]

"Standard deal," scoffs Meredith. "What about us is standard?" She doesn't really mind enough to try and talk her way out of it and there's nothing wrong with a traditional wedding, it just doesn't matter to her the way it seems to matter to him. She leans over and kisses him. "I didn't say it won't be nice."

[missingthekeep.livejournal.com]

"Then there ye go," Sean says in a satisfied sort of way, reaching up to play with a bit of her hair for a second. "Is it a crime ta be wantin' nice things fer us?" They get them so rarely.

[drownondryland]

"No," Meredith says, turning her head toward his hand, "of course not. I just don't see what makes white nicer than the other colors." It's not even the color, really, though, so much as the general size and shape of most dresses of that kind.

[missingthekeep.livejournal.com]

"It's nae a matter of nicer," Sean replies patiently, dropping his hand a bit to cradle her cheek. "It's a... situational sort o' thing."

[drownondryland]

"A traditional sort of thing," Meredith corrects, glancing back to him with a grin. It's old-fashioned, is what it is, but that's hardly news. "I don't look that good in white. Consider yourself forewarned."

[missingthekeep.livejournal.com]

"Nonsense," Sean says, dismissive yet fond. She can look good in anything, he's sure. "But fine, I've been warned. An' I still dinnae see the harm in hewin' to the odd tradition."

[drownondryland]

"There isn't any harm," Meredith says, shaking her head. "But there's no reason we have to do things just because they're tradition either. Does it really matter? I'll wear the white, I have the ring on, I am actually thinking about changing — or adjusting — my name. What have you done to me?" Even a year ago, the idea would have seemed crazy — even just one of those things — and now here she is.

[missingthekeep.livejournal.com]

"Nothin' bad, I hope," Sean says, bowing his head slightly but still smiling. He has to admit that, for her, those things are pretty big deals. Even for all the misfortune that seems to follow him, he still has plenty of reasons to call himself unbelievably lucky, and this right here counts for several. "What sort o' things d'ye want in a weddin', anyhow?"

[drownondryland]

It seems like such a silly question, Meredith almost laughs, even though it's not one she's given that much thought to. "To marry you," she says. "And a cake, I mean, I think we definitely at least get a cake out of the deal." What else is she supposed to want? All the frilly, girly nonsense about dresses and bridal showers and bouquets and being given away and having bridesmaids and the like has always seemed to go right over her head.