Instead of waking up from the traffic sounds in Chicago, or by the staff in the centre, he woke up in complete silence. He looked out of the glass wall, over the quiet lake. Now he did hear some sounds from the kitchen. Matthew got up and went to kitchen, to find Gabriella baking pancakes.
''Morning, smells good.'' He greeted her. She looked up, smiling.
''Morning, made you some bacon pancakes, hope you like them.'' He nodded, wheeled to the table, which she already prepared.
''My parents called me this morning. They liked you. My mom just told me to tell me she is happy I finally found a decent guy.''
He smiled nodded. Gabriella walked away from the stove, toppling the last pancake on the stash.
''So, what are the plans for today?''
She sat down at the table again, shrugged. ''We are on holiday, I never make plans then. It should be sunny, we could swim in the lake if you like, or go to the nearby town.''
''Whatever you like.'' Matthew started eating the pancake. ''Do we need to shop for food?''
She shook her head, swallowed the pancake in her mouth; ''My parents brought us enough for the whole weekend.''
They both looked aside, over the lake, the sun reflected in the water.
''We could stay here today.'' She said. Matthew nodded, finished his breakfast.
''I am so full.'' He growled, leaning backward.
''I made you six.''
''I ate three, do you think I was starved the last few days?''
She stood up, putting the plate in the fridge while he cleaned the table. Matthew grabbed his laptop, to find a email from his mom. He started to type an answer, Gabriella laying her arms on his shoulder. ''You hadn't old her you were gone this weekend?''
''No, I didn't think she would come by the centre yesterday.''
''Haven't you told her about us?''
Matthew looked up to her. ''She was very upset with Hallie's dead. I figured it would be better to tell her later.'' Gabriella nodded. ''I understand. Am I going to meet her soon?''
''If you come to my housewarming party I am sure you will. That is next weekend.''
''Who are you going to invite?''
''You…and my mom…Severide…everybody else of station 51 who wants to come.''
''Sounds good.''
Gabriella walked to the bedroom while Matthew finally started to type about her, to tell his mom. But he deleted it, not knowing how to tell her. He tried again, sending it this time. Reading some news on the site of a Chicago newspaper, he hadn't even noticed Dawson standing behind the laptop, who suddenly pressed the screen down, shutting it.
''We are on holiday.'' She was in her bikini.
''I know, I was just reading some news.'' He wheeled backward.
''I will join you in a second. ''Matthew looked how she walked outside, laying her towel on the porch and walking into the water. He went to the bedroom and had to dig in the deepest corner of the suitcase to find his swimming shorts. Doubting for a second, but then he then he put them on and went outside. Dropping his towel and T-shirt next to hers on the porch. Wheeling down the ramp by the porch he wasn't sure how he could get in the water. After a few seconds Matthew lowered himself down in the sand, moving to the water with his arms, sitting in the water. Dawson waved at him on the other side of the water. He threw his sun glasses in the direction of his chair, moving to deeper water, which seemed to be a sudden ledge and swimming to her. After two minutes he had reached her.
''You swim really fast!'' He sat next to her in the undeep water, the wind rustling through the trees behind them.
''Part of my therapy. But I have to admit swimming always has been the only sport I was good at.''
''Beat me!'' She stood up, diving back in the deeper water, swimming back to the other side.
He didn't have to make much effort to swim next to her again. When he nearly passed her she splashed water in his face. ''Bad at loosing, he?'' He pulled her a little backwards by her feet, passed her and swam as hard as he could to the side, watching how she came sat down next to him a little later.
''Unfair to pull me backwards.''
''Unfair to splash water in my face.''
''That was fair. You were going to win anyway.''
''Well, then why so upset for losing?'' He chuckled, playfully splashing some water in her face.
''I want revenge later this afternoon.'' She said, splashing back.
''To lose again?'' He said, sticking his tongue out and moving out of the water. He lifted himself in his chair again, happy he already laid a towel on the cushions when he was dressing and went to the porch again. To be honest, it was nearly strange to be on the country side after he had been in the city for so long. The last few years he had been contracting, even in his holidays, not leaving the city except for a ride to Milwaukee sometimes.
Gabriella got also out of the water, walking inside and returning with a bottle of wine and two glasses.
''This is the good life.'' She sat next him on a chair, handing him a glass.
''I know, sometimes it is good to escape the city.''
''Especially with the chaos we are dealing with nearly every day.''
…..
Exhausted from the swimming all day long he watched the sun go down, laying on the lounge sofa on the porch, Gabriella reading a book, leaning against his chest.
''Wish we could stay here forever.'' She sighed after a long silence.
''Doing nothing probably would become boring after a while though.'' He admitted.
''True.''
Their phones shook at the same time. ''Oh their shift is over. Bet they are placing bets if I come back pregnant or not.'' Gabriella rolled her eyes.
''Would you ever want a baby?'' He asked, knowing it was dangerous territory. What if she didn't want any kids, just like Hallie?
''Yes, not now, but one day, yes.''
The sun was nearly under. Matthew took another sip of whine, looked at the last rays of light shining over the water.
''Let's get inside, before the mosquitoes find victims in us again.'' Gabriella said, standing up. Matthew didn't hesitate, thinking about the mosquitoes that had been bugging them after the sun went down yesterday. Inside it was pretty hot after the sun had been shinning on the glass all day long.
''We could watch a movie.'' He grabbed the laptop of the table.
''Sounds good.'' She walked to bedroom.
''My mom requests a picture.'' He mumbled, reading her email while entering the room.
''Your mom can request as much as she likes but it seems a little early to send a bikini picture.''
''You could put a shirt on. Or are you sleeping in bikini? Not that I mind but-''
She grabbed one of his CFD shirts from the bed he slept in and pulled it over her head; ''Yesterday evening you didn't seem to mind I wasn't wearing a shirt.'' She said playfully. She handed him one of his shirts as well, sitting on his lap. Quick they made a picture with the webcam and send it to her, cuddling up in bed afterwards, watching a movie.
…
''Shit! They even have fridge magnets, how very touristy!'' He laughed, holding the kitschy item in his hand. ''Shhh, everybody is watching you!'' Dawson said, looking at him over the shelf.
''They are either way. '' He said, laying the magnet back on the shelf and wheeling back to her.
''What were we going to get again?'' He said, looking through the small convenience store.
''You said you needed new sunglasses, after you lost the ones in the lake yesterday. I need lipstick.''
''Yeah, you are absolutely hideous without.'' He mumbled sarcastically while going to the shelf with sunglasses. ''This one?'' He said, turning back to Dawson, wearing a yellow and red pair of sunglasses. She rolled her eyes, shook her head and looked back at the make-up section. Secretly she was laughing, it was funny to see how Matthew became a whole lot funnier, just being out of the city and the whole chaos there. Usually he was the one calling for order when the men were being funny, now he was the one being funny. He laid the most decent pair he could find on the counter, waiting for Dawson.
''Not the yellow and red ones? I thought they were very sexy.'' She smiled at him, laying down a few other items.
''They are for kids.'' The woman behind the counter grumbled.
''Go back and get them, they are perfect for you then.'' She laughed. The woman stared at her with a blank face, not smiling for the smallest bit. The couple stopped laughing and laid the dollars on the counter, getting out as quick as they could.
''I still wanted a magnum.'' He said, looking up to her.
''So, I have to push you again?''
''Shit, you have seen through my evil plan. ''
They went back to the holiday park. Suddenly Matthew stopped.
''isn't that the candidate guy?'' He mumbled, pointing at a guy by the reception, who could be seen through the glass door.
''I don't think so.''
''I think he is.''
Dawson sighed; ''I am hungry. I want lunch.'' She started to push him towards the cabin, while he was still looking back to the reception.
…
''I think we should go back to the store tomorrow and buy the kiddy glasses. You know, just because of how the woman was looking at us.'' He said, his mouth still half full with sandwich. ''
''And then? It is not like you will ever wear them.''
Matthew shrugged. ''We could give them to Hermann, sure one of his kids could use them.''
''The woman was pissed off because you were behaving like an actual kid, yelling through the shop because of the fridge magnet.''
He chuckled. ''Come one, that was the most ugly thing you have ever seen, besides, I wanted to see if she even was alive. She had been staring at me since we entered.''
''Why do you care if other people stare at you? You were pointing at a random guy at the reception.''
''I swear it was the candidate Danny kid!''
She stood up, grabbing the empty plates; ''Oh yeah, and I am Santa Claus.''
''Oh yeah? Are you going to be my Santa this year?''
She just shook her head, laughing and walked inside. When she had washed them off and walked back outside he was already in the lake again. ''You know what we should have both, one of those noodle thingies.''
''Oh I remember Antonio and I both had one of those every summer we spend here while my parents were working.''
''My and Christie had one, for us both together and we used to nearly drown each other over who was allowed to use it. ''
''That is really nice, since Antonio and me had one both, we played star wars with them, but usually we hit each other instead of the noodles.''
Matthew chuckled. ''Not like it hurts or something.''
''Antonio could hit me pretty hard sometimes.'' She pointed at the scar on his collarbone; ''From what is that by the way.''
''I took a broom to the shoulder, thanks to Andy Darden.'' Before he would have to talk about Andy, he pushed of the side, swimming to the other side and back.
When he came back she already went inside. He kept sitting the water a little longer before going out, to find her missing in the cabin. A little irritated, he grabbed his phone, calling her, only to hear her ringtone from the dinner table. Putting on some clothes to check if she was at the reception he heard the front door and she came walking in. ''Here!'' He laughed when he saw the plastic back landing in front of him on the floor, the water noodle sticking out. When he looked inside there was also the sunglasses and a magnum.
''I am your Summer Santa.'' She smiled, walking to the kitchen.
''We are going to have dinner in the village tonight. I remembered we should have reservated this morning, so I walked to reception to ask if I could call there but they said I should ask in the restaurant, so I was in the village anyway.''
''Hmm, I think I like you more than the fat, male, bearded winter Santa.''
It wasn't just Dawson, the winter Santa reminded him of snow.
….
Full of the dinner, they laid down on the bed. Matthew went to bathroom, not sure if anything was going to happen tonight, but when he came back she was already asleep. As quiet as he could he slid under the sheets, wrapping his arm around her. Laying with his nose against her hair he smelt the familiar apple again. Her breathing was very calming and he closed his eyes. It had been humid all day, although the sun was shining and he wasn't surprised when he heard rain slamming against the window, as well as thunder, which still seemed far away. Yesterday night he had been awake for a long time, just listening to her breathing, not being able to sleep. Somehow, He was sure it was going to be another night like that. Somehow he had been sleeping bad ever since he was shot and that wasn't just because of the nightmares. The only times he had fallen asleep was totally exhausted. Although his arm muscles did feel exhausted after the swimming, he wasn't tired enough to sleep. Carefully he lifted his arm again, going out of bed, right before he could leave the bed Dawson grabbed his wrist; ''Where are you going?'' she mumbled, opening her eyes.
''To the kitchen, drink some water. Go back to sleep.''
She closed her eyes again. But instead of grabbing a glass of water he grabbed his laptop, reading the new email from his mom. He would answer the ''how-is-she-to-you, is-she-smart and when-will-the-first-grandchildren-be-coming-wink-w ink'' talk tomorrow. He went to facebook, just to close it again knowing most of the things the people posted didn't really interest him anyway. He was happy to see that Otis had uploaded a new podcast. He was listening for a few minutes when he felt Dawson's chin on his shoulder.
''Can't sleep?''
He pulled the earphones out. ''I think I can now, just got a little distracted by the message sign on my laptop. My mom thinks you are gorgeous and can't wait to see little brown eyed Casey's, just that you are prepared.'' She chuckled. ''She wants to be a grandma, eh?''
''Well, she is, but she has never seen Violet, except for photographs, so the last hope of ever holding a little Casey…that is me.'' She frowned. ''Don't worry, I don't want children in the upcoming three years!'' He added.
''Let's go back to bed.'' She smiled.
He was in the same situation again as a few minutes later he was laying in bed with her again, with her calm breathing and the raging storm in the back. The storm was asleep long before he finally was.
….
''Well, bye cabin.'' He pouted, shoving his bag in the car. The weekend had gone was too fast.
At the reception he brought back the keys, not having to pay anything as Dawson had taken care of that.
''Hope to see you here again.'' The man behind the counter said.
''I hope so…I was wondering; is there somebody here under the name Westerfield? He is a friend of mine and he said he was going away in this region this weekend as well, just wondering he stayed here as well.'' Come on, Matthew thought, I sound very trustworthy.
''Westerfield how?''
''Danny.''
''With an a or an e?''
''An a.'' He hoped he was right. The man looked in his computer.
''No, nobody here under that name.''
The door opened behind him, Gabriella.
''You coming?''
''Bye.'' He greeted again to man.
''Bye miss Dawson, bye sir.''
They went outside. ''He knows you are the daughter?''
She shrugged. ''He works here for a few years now and I come here with my parents sometimes.''
They went in the car.
''I really enjoyed the holiday.'' He mumbled, sighing they had to go back to the city. She sighed. ''me too. Maybe we can go again later this summer.'' He nodded. ''I hope.''
''But you have something to remember the holiday.'' Her hand went in her purse and she laid something with all colors of the rainbow on the dashboard. The fridge magnet.
''For your new apartment.''
….
NOTE: admit is, everybody had a water noodle once or played with it. Also, you tried to stand on the water with it. But failed. (Or was the only dumb kid who tried that?) I had one at home though . I never had one when we were on holiday though since we went to everywhere by airplane and you couldn't take a water noodle. Youth trauma ;)
Before it goes all sentimental, I hope you liked this chapter. It took me a whole lot of hours to write somehow.
Hope you are looking forward to the next one. Know that there doesn't happen so much in this chapter, just wanted to give them a nice holiday and a little bonding time. ALthough, their relationship might be fine, but Matthew still has some things to work out.
Hope I pleased the Dawson/Casey fans without getting kinky!
Anyway, the next chapter will be more action filled and involve the house warming party.
The story will be about 4-5 maybe 6 more chapters. Or do you think that is too long? Please be honest!
Please, please, please, please and another please; leave a review! It would mean so much to me and I really hope you can tell me if the characters are OOC. Please again!
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