In the Mountains
"Archery?"
Everyone shouted in unison, totally caught off guard.
"Yup!" Adam grinned. "Fishing's cool and all, but in the wild like this, hunting's where the real fun's at!" 😎
"Let her shoot!" Cristina's eyes lit up. "One hit per shot—perfect practice for when it's our turn to take the lead in surgery!"
"Cristina!" Meredith snapped, not thrilled.
"What?" Cristina shrugged, unbothered. "As long as we've got hunting permits, it's legal. If a newbie doesn't finish off the prey, I step in as a doctor to save it. What's wrong with that?" 😏
"…" Meredith was speechless.
"You seriously don't wanna try?" Cristina leaned in close to her bestie. "George and the others are zooming past us in progress. You really okay with being 'Big Dr. Grey' while Lexie drops the 'Little' and becomes the Dr. Grey everyone looks up to?"
"Dr. Adler, shoot!" Meredith's gaze hardened. "If the prey doesn't die right away, we'll handle the rescue. We're doctors—it's our job."
"The women have lost it," Mark Sloan muttered under his breath.
He earned a round of eye-rolls from the female docs on the team, but no one bothered responding.
Amid the chatter and laughs, they reached the mountainside.
"Let's camp here," Dr. Shepherd said, pointing to a clearing. He clearly knew his way around a campsite.
"Sweet!" Everyone agreed, dropping their packs to set up tents.
"Adam, where are you guys headed?" the surgical chief called out, noticing Adam and Peggy not stopping.
"To the peak!" Adam said with a smile. "The view's killer up there. We're pitching our tent there."
"Great idea—I'll join you!" the chief's eyes sparked with interest.
"Ahem," Adam coughed, trying to be subtle. "Chief, I think it's better if we all spread out a bit. Makes it more fun… and, y'know, convenient."
"Uh…" The chief froze mid-step.
"Chief, they want some alone time," Mark cut in, throwing a jealous glance at Adam. "You'd cramp their style up there."
"Chief, you didn't bring a tent," Adam added kindly. "Why not bunk with Dr. Sloan? He's solo too."
"…" Mark glanced around—couples, families, and then just him and the chief, the lone wolves. His face soured.
"Should've brought a girl," he grumbled.
"If you could," Bailey shot back. "Paid ones don't count."
"…" Mark got roasted, as usual, and had no comeback.
Playboy like him? Finding someone real was a pipe dream. He'd once hooked his best friend's wife—charmed her right out of her fairytale marriage, ready to play happy couple. But three or five steamy nights later, the thrill faded. No soulmate spark, no best-friend betrayal buzz—he ditched her for the next shiny thing.
When she wised up, left him, and patched things with her prince charming (and his ex-bestie), suddenly he was "in love" again.
At the medical center? Same old Mark—cheating scandals, anti-Mark nurse coalitions, and that time Sadie the Devil snapped his… well, you know. Without some cosmic (or scriptwriter) cleanup, he'd never find a genuine connection here.
Leaving Mark's awkward mess aside—thanks to Adam's nudge, everyone started spacing out their tents. Hearing coughs all night wasn't exactly the vibe.
Daytime was for fishing, hunting, and fun together—nights didn't need to be a group sleepover.
Adam hauled a massive all-purpose bag in one hand, held Peggy's hand with the other, and headed for the peak.
At the top, surrounded by misty clouds and endless views, Adam's chest swelled with awe. He dropped the bag and grinned at Peggy. "How's it feel?"
"Pretty great," Peggy said, soaking in the scenery with a smile.
"Right here it is, then." Adam scoped out the area, confirmed it was safe, and started setting up their tent.
Cristina had already dragged Meredith over, hot on his heels.
"Money's nice, huh?" Cristina teased. "Tell me, is there anything you own that's not custom-made?"
"You grew up in Beverly Hills," Adam fired back with a laugh. "You were way richer than us as a kid."
"That was my stepdad's cash, not mine," Cristina said, shrugging. "And he's got nothing on you now. Turning random people into $2M millionaires like it's nothing—you're unreal!"
"Luck's a weird thing," Adam said, still smiling. "Who'd have guessed Mr. Aubrey would actually win?"
"Next time you spot a chance like that, please think of me," Cristina groaned. "I wanna hit financial freedom and live for medicine too!"
"No amount of money's enough for your chaos," Adam teased. "Ditch the 'wear once, toss it' habit, and you'd be free already."
"Okay, enough!" Meredith snapped, triggered by the Mr. Aubrey mention. "Adam, don't forget you owe me a surgery!"
"Of course," Adam said with a sigh. "If it weren't for you, Mr. Aubrey might not have made it to his turnaround."
"…" Meredith fumed silently.
"Let's not waste time—hunting time!" Cristina patted her waist pouch. "Got my scalpel and everything ready!"
Yup, she'd skipped clothes but packed a mini medical kit.
"You're not fishing with Dr. Burke first?" Adam asked.
"Fishing's boring," Cristina said, shaking her head. "Saving little critters? That's where it's at."
"Lucky animals, getting a doc as caring as you," Adam quipped.
"Damn right," Cristina said, puffing up with pride instead of taking the jab.
With her pushing, Adam finished the tent, grabbed the bow and arrows, handed them to Peggy, and picked up his big bag. They waved to the group below and headed into the forest, ignoring little George's whiny protests as Bailey held him back.
Adam wasn't leaving his bag at the peak—not a chance. In this drama-filled world, even downtown, you'd pack heat. Out here in the wild? The bag had a gun, no question.
For someone as strong and tireless as him, lugging it around was basically the same as going empty-handed. No way he'd leave it behind.
"Here's how you hold it…"
In a clearing, Adam set the bag down, showed Peggy the archery basics, then stepped behind her for some hands-on coaching.
Cristina: "…"
Meredith: "…"
(End of Chapter)