|
Post by Jordanna on Jun 14, 2006 1:31:44 GMT -5
"Oh, I think you'd look good in one," Miriam chuckled, as they climbed the steps and went inside.
After changing clothes, the two women returned and ventured out onto the boat ramp. Sid was sprawled on a lawn chair in khaki shorts and a T-shirt, obviously preferring to be a spectator of the noisy watersports going on a few yards offshore.
"Nice, Doc," he drawled, appraising Miriam's simple black-and-white bathing suit. Then he glanced at Daws' attire and grinned. "Looks like what I wear when they drag my carcass into the water."
"You don't want to join the fun?" Miriam asked, almost teasingly.
Sid snorted. "I'm just glad I got Alex to babysit 'em in the drink."
Although Holly and Caleb were absorbed in some kind of aquatic game of tag, Alex and Tara had noticed the women's appearance. Alex, clad in a pair of purple-and-black tiger-striped swim trunks, splashed ashore and approached them.
"Hey, girls." He glanced at Daws. "You sure you're ready to try it?"
|
|
|
Post by skybright on Jun 14, 2006 1:37:04 GMT -5
Daws stifled a laugh at Alex's rather absurd swimwear -- and nodded.
"Yeah," she said, eyeing the water and hoping she sounded a lot more confident than she felt, "I'm as ready as I'm ever gonna be, anyhow."
|
|
|
Post by Jordanna on Jun 14, 2006 1:50:51 GMT -5
As the women approached the water, Tara drifted over to the shore. Her own pink-and-green bathing suit had strategic openings in the sides to expose her gills.
"There's nothing to be afraid of, Miss Dawson. The water right here is shallow, so there's really noplace to sink to. Besides, I can go anywhere in this lake, and I wouldn't let anything happen to you."
Hoping to reassure Daws by going first, Miriam waded gingerly into the water, and smiled. "It's warmer than I expected."
"Yeah." Alex splashed into the water, turning over on his back to look up at Daws. "C'mon in!"
|
|
|
Post by skybright on Jun 14, 2006 1:57:55 GMT -5
Daws grinned crookedly and waded in slowly. Prickles ran up her arms at the sudden change in temperature -- causing her fur to fluff out in a decidedly undignified manner -- but after a moment she found herself growing used to it.
She made her way slowly out to about waist depth, and then paused, raising an eyebrow at Tara. "Okay. So now what?"
|
|
|
Post by Jordanna on Jun 14, 2006 2:07:35 GMT -5
"Well, for one thing, you gotta relax," Tara replied. "Don't fight the water. You're lighter than it is."
She pointed over to an ancient tree stump partially submerged in the water, several yards away. "Watch me. I'll show you a really simple stroke, and we'll see if you wanna try that. Mmkay?"
Tara swam over to the stump and back, trying to make sure Daws could see her movements. Upon returning, she smiled at the detective. "See? It's really as easy as it looks."
|
|
|
Post by skybright on Jun 14, 2006 2:18:56 GMT -5
Daws ran a hand through her hair, smiled somewhat shakily, and lowered herself the rest of the way into the water.
C'mon, Ace. You've been roughed up, shot, chased, arrested and nearly killed -- in the last two months. This shouldn't be that hard. She took a deep breath and -- after some initial flailing -- managed to mimic Tara's movements for a few strokes. It wasn't much -- but then, it wasn't sinking, either.
|
|
|
Post by Jordanna on Jun 14, 2006 2:30:22 GMT -5
"That's it!" Tara encouraged, swimming beside Daws. "Just don't be so tense. The water'll hold you if you let it."
While Tara was thus preoccupied with Daws, Alex grinned at Miriam. "How about you?"
Miriam shrugged. "I'm better than her, but I'm not great."
"Come on, then. You just need more practice."
Cracking a smile, Miriam waded deeper into the water with Alex and hesitantly began to swim toward Daws. She had reached the tree stump, and was clinging to it--perhaps not quite for dear life, but close enough.
"It's not so bad, is it?" Miriam asked with a smile, pulling herself up against the stump beside the detective.
|
|
|
Post by skybright on Jun 14, 2006 2:40:48 GMT -5
Daws glanced down at the stump, realized that her claws were rather firmly embedded in the damp wood, and retracted them before flashing Miriam a brief grin.
"I could get used to it, I think. It isn't half as frightening as I thought it'd be." She grinned again. "I think I could even get to like it."
|
|
|
Post by Jordanna on Jun 14, 2006 2:51:23 GMT -5
Alex swam up beside Miriam, smiling at Daws. "This is the only exercise I get besides dancing. You did better than my first time, when I was a kid." He made a face.
"I wanna hear about that!" Tara chirped.
"Maybe later." Alex reached out to tousle the girl's wet hair. "Right now I better go back up and start the coals burning. Those kebabs aren't gonna grill themselves. You stay here with the ladies and be the lifeguard, okay?"
Tara tossed off a humorous salute, and with a wink to the women, Alex paddled off toward the boat ramp.
|
|
|
Post by skybright on Jun 14, 2006 3:03:28 GMT -5
Daws glanced at Tara. "Okay, I think I'm ready to try this again." She grinned sheepishly. "It's the kicking my legs that's tricky -- yet another way the tail gets in the way."
She pushed off from the stump and made her way, somewhat haltingly, back to her starting point -- trying to keep in mind Tara's admonitions about letting the water support her.
It really wasn't as hard as she'd always thought it was; she grinned as she got her feet back under her and stood. "Yeah," She pushed her wet hair back off her forehead, "I could get used to this."
|
|
|
Post by Jordanna on Jun 14, 2006 3:06:46 GMT -5
"Toldja," Tara said with a grin, swimming in lazy circles around Daws. "Once you've had some more practice, I'll teach you about swimming underwater. You good at holding your breath?"
|
|
|
Post by skybright on Jun 14, 2006 3:12:04 GMT -5
Daws flinched -- having her head above water was one thing. Being underwater was something else entirely.
"Ah," She looked away, "I'm . . . okay at it, yeah."
|
|
|
Post by Jordanna on Jun 14, 2006 3:19:30 GMT -5
Brief understanding flashed across Tara's face, and then she smiled. "Well, don't worry about it yet. You've got a while just to get used to swimming before we do that. If you feel like trying it before we leave here, you can--or maybe I could even give you a few more lessons when we go back home. There's places we could go for that."
Miriam, who had abandoned swimming in favor of lounging in the shallows, turned from watching Holly and Caleb's horseplay with a beach ball. "I think I've had about enough for one day. I'm going to see if I can help Alex with dinner."
|
|
|
Post by skybright on Jun 14, 2006 3:29:09 GMT -5
Daws nodded. "Sounds good." She hesitated, then said firmly "I'm gonna stay out here for a while longer. See you in a bit."
She watched the other woman go back into the house, then squared her shoulders and aimed for the stump. No way a little thing like a body of water's gonna beat me.
Her progress was still somewhat halting -- and she wound up with water up her nose, which was definitely unpleasant -- but she did manage to make it to the stump and back without pausing to cling for dear life.
Daws shot a triumphant look at Tara as she completed the 'lap'. "And I think that does it for me." She shook some of the water out of her hair and grinned at the teenager.
"I . . . I really do appreciate this, Tara. Thank you." She gestured at the boat ramp, "I'm gonna stick around and let my fur dry out a little."
|
|
|
Post by Jordanna on Jun 14, 2006 3:33:40 GMT -5
Tara grinned. "Glad I could help."
Her expression grew momentarily wistful. "I just wish everybody could enjoy it the same way I do. It's so beautiful and peaceful underwater." She bit her lip, lightly touching the gill slits along her left side. "I was scared of this at first... but now I think I'm kinda glad."
|
|
|
Post by skybright on Jun 14, 2006 3:49:02 GMT -5
Daws smiled gently at the girl. "And I'm glad t'hear you say that." She glanced down at the wet gray-and-brown fur on her arms and added quietly "It isn't easy, being like we are. But -- it's worth it. It is."
She grinned and turned for shore. "I'll see ya a little later, Tara."
The teenager nodded and launched herself off in an underwater blur of green and pink. Daws waded back to the boat dock and settled herself on the ground next to Sid, who was half-dozing.
"You've got really good kids, my friend." She remarked, shaking water out of her fur.
|
|
|
Post by Jordanna on Jun 14, 2006 20:23:48 GMT -5
Sid opened one eye and grinned lazily. "Don't I know it."
* * * * * * * *
"Stupid, crummy, worthless piece of... uh... Hi, Doc!" Alex Malone grinned sheepishly at Miriam as she approached him across the deck.
"Having some trouble getting the fire started?" she asked.
"Just because these matches are left over from the Revolutionary War." Alex held up a decrepit paper box, giving it a slight shake.
Miriam smiled. "I've seen Daws take matches out of her coat pocket. I'm sure she wouldn't mind us borrowing one. Just a minute."
She disappeared into the cabin, returning a minute later with a shirt pulled on loosely over her bathing suit--and a match held up triumphantly in her fingers. "Here we are."
"Thanks." Alex took the match and struck it, giving a small cackle of satisfaction as it sparked into flame. He bent down to light the coals in the barbecue pit, then straightened and blew the match out, smiling at Miriam. "Now I just have to get the kebabs ready while the coals are heating up."
"Can I help with anything?" Miriam asked.
Alex grinned. "Only if you don't mind peeling potatoes."
The pathologist smiled wryly. "I'm not too bad at cutting things up," she replied, and turned to head for the kitchen.
Alex stared after her for a moment, then shook his head and followed her inside.
* * * * * * * *
Twilight was just setting in when Alex called Daws and the Rosensteins to dinner. A picnic feast of grilled shish kebabs and potato salad was laid out on deck's table.
"Come'n get it," Alex grinned, as the children--fresh from the lake and still dripping in their bathing suits--bounded up the steps to take their places at the table.
|
|
|
Post by skybright on Jun 14, 2006 20:38:07 GMT -5
Daws stretched and climbed to her feet as the Rosenstein children barrelled past her. Her fur had mostly dried in the sun -- although it was somewhat dishevelled. She raked her fingers through her still-damp hair, trying and mostly failing to comb it into something like order.
Plannin' on entering a beauty contest, Ace? She grinned wryly and headed up to the deck.
Daws inhaled appreciatively as she took a seat. "This smells great, you two."
|
|
|
Post by Jordanna on Jun 14, 2006 20:51:32 GMT -5
Miriam shrugged as she took a seat. "Alex did the cooking. I just chopped vegetables."
"We've got beef and shrimp. Take your pick," Alex explained, pointing to the kebabs.
"He was up 'til two o'clock last night makin' that potato salad," Sid put in. "I'd rather have your cooking than go to a restaurant, Foxy."
Alex blushed and waved a hand dismissively.
|
|
|
Post by skybright on Jun 14, 2006 21:00:46 GMT -5
Daws helped herself to the potato salad and kebabs, then shot a sly grin at Alex. "So, Foxy -- what's this story about your first time learning to swim, anyway?"
|
|