Dove and Grenade

I could feel as the noon rays of the sun touched my face through the curtains. I scrunched my nose up and yawned, and I pulled the warm blankets closer to my chest. An arm draped over my waist, and I felt a pair of lips touch my shoulder. I smiled.

"Don't move," whispered Matt, his breath tickling the skin on my back.

"I wouldn't dream of it," I said quietly.

His hand moved to my hip, and his thumb began caressing the skin there. I shivered, relaxing against his body. He smiled, and with his other hand, he traced my spine from the back of my neck to the small of my back.

I closed my eyes and asked, "Where did you want to go this afternoon, love?"

"Wherever you want to go," said Matt.

"Come on, Matty, there's gotta be something you wanna do," I sighed. "We're in France, for god's sake."

He thought a moment and said, "Well...we could go up the Eiffel Tower...if you're up for it."

I squealed and turned to face him, and I said, "Oh, I was hoping you'd say that."

"I would have been fine if you'd said it," Matt chuckled.

"I'll get dressed," I said.

I stood up, but Matt held my hand. I looked back. His other hand was tucked neatly behind his head, and he smiled at me from the side of his mouth. I smiled back and crawled up on top of him. He rested his hands on my hips. I leaned down and pressed my lips to his.

"God, I love you," he breathed.

I smiled simply as I stood again.

Of course I loved him. I don't know how I ever thought I couldn't. I'd chosen him over my job. I'd chosen him over my brother. I'd chosen him over everything, and he had done his best to do the same for me.

My brother.

Aron's relationship with the guys had been falling apart since just after I decided not to leave. I tried to be the middle ground, but he wasn't budging. His crumbling relationship with Charlette wasn't helping the matter, and I gave up on him eventually.

Sure, I saw him. After all, I was still his sister. I just couldn't support how he was treating the men he called his best friends for so long. So I'd stuck by Matt and the guys, and hell, I loved Danny! He was just another one of us from the moment I met him.

I looked back at Matt one more time before disappearing into the bathroom. He had taken me on every tour possible, and it had been better than anything I could ever ask for.

Hawaii. New York. London. Australia... France! You're in France, Kara!

I couldn't believe it, but my dreams had actually come true. I was traveling the world, surrounded by the people I loved most. I was doing new and exciting things every day, and I was loving every second of it.

My phone rang, and I looked up. Meredith's ringtone. Mer was stuck at home most of the time, taking care of Jackson Dillon Alvarez, her and Dillon's bouncing baby boy. He was six months old now, and it drove Dill crazy that he wasn't around. I smiled and picked up the phone.

"What's the word, Meredith?" I said.

"No words yet," sighed Mer, "but I wanted to let you know your parents stopped by your house looking for you."

"How'd you find out?" I asked.

"They went to Aron, and Aron told them to come to me," she said.

"Oh, well, what'd you say?"

"I said you were in Europe with Matt, and then your dad made some sort of snorting noise," chuckled Mer.

"Well, thanks," I replied. "Any idea what they wanted?"

"Not a clue. They left something for you, though- ¡Ay, Díos mío, Jackson! Sorry, Kara! Gotta go! Tell Dill I'll call him later, alright?"

"Roger," I said. "Love ya, girl!"

There was a frantic good-bye as Meredith hung up the phone. I smiled. Jackson was going to be a handful when he got older. I shook my head and slowly started assembling myself as Matt came in the room. He scratched his head and tossed the shirt he'd be wearing that day onto the bathroom counter.

"What's planned tonight?" I asked.

"Guys wanted to walk around the city, come back, get wasted," Matt yawned. "You and I? Nothing...yet."

"Yet?" I scoffed. "You're saying that like I'm going to find something for us to do."

"Not necessarily you," Matt said with a grin.

"I know that look," I chuckled.

He was silently grinning to himself, and I let him. He was a little kid on Christmas when it came to sex.

"What if I do find something for us to do?" I asked.

"Then I'll oblige," Matt shrugged. "I'd do anything for you."

I smiled and said, "I love it when you say that."

He put his hand on the back of my neck and looked into my eyes.

"Then I'll say it again," he said.

His eyes were so beautiful, and they made my heart flutter when he smiled again. His other hand traced my jaw.

"For you," he said. He paused, bringing his lips to mine for what seemed like an eternity. My hand moved to his chest, feeling his heart beating. He slowly pulled away and said, "I'd do anything."