AN: A short little one-shot, dealing with a piece of Derek and Simon's past. After reading the ending of The Awakening (again) I decided I would write it out, the way it would have been in my head.

I do NOT own the Darkest Powers, or the characters, Kelley Armstrong does!

Enjoy, and Review~

Simon's POV

After talking to Chloe about the picture in the hallway, we went our separate ways and into our rooms. I wanted to talk more, but there wasn't anything decent to talk about. We were on the run from the Edison Group, and Chloe was probably upset, thinking about her dad and aunt. Hell, I was upset. I missed my dad, too. And Derek, being the big idiot that he is sometimes, was outside, keeping watch while we all got some sleep, like he didn't need it. I didn't think I'd be able to sleep for a while, but when my head hit the pillow, I was out like a light.

Derek, Dad, and I were sitting outside by the roaring campfire behind Andrew's house. It was in a little clearing in the woods, past the pool and pool house. Derek had found it once a few years back, and now we used it all the time when we came to visit, to camp or just sit by a fire. Andrew was inside, working on a manuscript that was due in a week. I'd made a joke that he had more homework that Derek and I, and he'd nodded vigorously, ran a hand over his short hair, and told us to have a good time camping.

We were roasting marshmallows over the fire before we were going to head in the tents and our sleeping bags. I was way too awake to get sleep anyway, so here we were. Dad was sitting on a law chair on the other side of the fire, and Derek was beside me, us both on our own lawn chairs. When Andrew had suggested we take some marshmallows out here, I'd asked Dad if we could eat them on sticks like the campers on TV do, and he and Derek when off, talking about how I could accidentally eat part of the stick or something, like I was that stupid. I relented easily, if only to stop Derek's 'are you that stupid?' look. I couldn't eat that many marshmallows at any rate, not compared to Derek, anyway. I swear he doesn't even care if they get hot over the fire, he just sticks ten of the fluffers on there, and eats it off of the Roasting Stick like a kebab, and that was just the beginning, I was sure. Dad and I were being more precise. We had two on our sticks, and were actually waiting for them to get warm to eat them.

"Hey, why do you even have to use a stick?" I asked Dad. "With your magic, you could just hold the marshmallows over the fire until they got crispy."

He laughed. "I suppose, but I'll be human for the night, and do it like this." He said that, but he did mumble a little chant, and a marshmallow lifted from the large bowl that was sitting atop a log that we had moved from the woods. The marshmallow flew through the air, over my head, then over Derek's. That's where it ended, though, because Derek plucked it from the air, and into his mouth. Dad and I laughed about that for a while, until Derek's face was red and he told us to "stop being idiots, I was hungry.". I'd replied that he was always hungry, but he just grunted.

After a minute of comfortable silence, Derek looked up, toward the house. "Andrew's coming."

"Yes, I am." Andrew's voice answered, and he himself stepped through the shadows of the trees. He was still wearing jeans and a t-shirt, though I knew it was pretty late. In his right hand, he held a digital camera.

"What's that for?" Dad asked.

"Well, I figured. I'd get a picture of the boys. I haven't gotten a recent one of them both in while." he explained.

"Ah, yeah I guess you haven't. You'll have to give me a copy when you get it printed."

"All right." He ginned, and turned toward Derek and I. He turned on the camera, and messed with the settings for a minute. Probably turning the flash on or something, then he pointed it at us.

I lifted my marshmallow to show it off, and realized it was actually on fire. I laughed, then shut up and grinned long enough for Andrew to take the picture.

"Derek, no smile?" Andrew asked.

I turned a little to Derek and nudged him with my foot. He rolled his eyes at me, but looked to Andrew and had a little grin on his face. That was all you could ask for, with him. The picture would probably show Derek with his black hair in his eyes like usual. He didn't like getting it cut by some stranger, it made him nervous, and Dad took pity on him and usually cut it himself, or Andrew would volunteer to do it. It was long now, and I wondered if it would get cut again.

Turning back to Andrew, I grinned again and held up my still burning marshmallow, it was black by now, but it would make a funny picture.

"1, 2,…3" Andrew counted off, and snap the flash went off, blinding all of us for a minute.

I woke up after the flash, it was so blinding that it woke me up, I suppose. Rubbing my eyes, I sat up, and tried that spell Dad had taught me, as if, after that dream, I'd be able to contact him. I chanted the right words, concentrated, and waiting.

Nothing.

I sighed, and flung myself back on the bed. We were going to find Dad sooner or later, until then, I could dream all I want about past times, when Dad was still here.