Disclaimer: This may come as quite a shock to many but… Eureka and all characters, etc. do not belong to me. I know! I was surprised about that too. Imagine. And for some reason those that do own them refuse to share. Hmph. I guess they failed Kindergarten!

Rating: K+

Category: Angst

Spoilers: Er, let's say the first 2 seasons to be safe. Minor reference to season 2 finale and, as season 3 hadn't started yet – I'm only taking a guess at the outcome :D.

Author: Traci

Summary: Nathan Stark has a secret that no one, not even Allison, knows about. Will he be able to keep it a secret much longer?

Author Note: I only just started watching Eureka about a month ago so first I'd like to apologize if I'm way off on characters, etc. That said, I decided to do a Stark centered story that may seem a bit out of character for him but he's obviously not all bad so what made him build up such a wall around himself? Title taken from a Big and Rich song but not based on the song.

Oh yea, this is my first ever Eureka story.

You Never Stop Loving Somebody

Cold droplets of moisture left their mark as they fell upon the sole figure standing amidst the concrete markers. Where the rain ended and his tears began was unknown as his large fingers traced the outline of a name. A name he had tried to forget. A name that continued to haunt him.

"If you were here, you'd tell me there was a reason why you had to go. I still haven't figured out what it is but all I have to hold onto anymore is the sound of your voice assuring me you didn't die in vain." Kneeling down, he gently placed a large bouquet of yellow roses on the ground beneath the marker. "I will always love you," he whispered.

"Come on, you promised," the young brunette grinned, tugging his hand.

"It's raining," he countered with a larger grin.

"And your point would be?" She opened the front door and stepped outside, her blue eyes beckoning to him.

"You're insane," he chuckled, closing the door behind him.

"And you're a workaholic," she replied, running off towards the lake.

Standing under the meager shelter of the doorway, Nathan Stark smiled as he watched his fiancée twirl in the middle of the downpour. She was everything he never expected to be attracted to. They couldn't be more opposite if they tried yet somehow it worked. She grounded him when he got lost in his science. She pretended to be fascinated by the latest discoveries of molecular science because he was. She was the one thing in his life that he would never be able to survive without.

"Nat?"

He suddenly realized she had stopped and was standing still as the rain poured down on her, staring at him worriedly.

In five long strides, Nathan had her wrapped in his arms and twirled her around, both laughing.

"You always loved the rain." Nathan's voice cracked on his tears.

His phone rang and, taking a deep breath, he swallowed what was left of his tears. "Stark."

"Nathan, where are you?"

A sad smile spread across his lips. His eyes never left the engraved name before him and a tinge of guilt pulled at his heart upon hearing Allison's voice. Suddenly he felt as if he were somehow betraying the woman lying beneath the ground. "I… I had something I had to do. Why?"

"Fargo is driving us nuts looking for you. You weren't answering his calls and he's practically torn the place apart…"

"What does he want?"

"I don't know. Something about a big breakthrough on the secret project you won't even share with me."

"Sorry. I would if I could. Tell him I'll be there shortly."

"Nathan?"

"Yeah?"

"Is everything alright?"

With his fingers, he once again traced out the name as if it were engraving it on his heart as well. "Yes," he lied and hung up.

Once again kneeling before the stone, he whispered, "You'd have loved Allison. She's a bit more serious than you were but… I've never told her about you but she is the only reason I survived you leaving me. We were married once. I even asked her again after the divorce. She didn't say no but she didn't say yes." Tears once again filled his eyes. "Why did you have to leave me? You had much more to offer the world than I do. It should have been me."

A truck rolled by along the highway breaking the peaceful silence.

"I'll be back tomorrow," Nathan softly said then pulled his coat closed and walked away.

"Fargo, what are you doing?"

The younger man jumped and turned around staring at his boss. "Trying to find that certain file about that certain project…"

Stark looked around the room then back at his assistant. "There's no one else around."

"The walls have ears," he quietly warned.

Taking his seat behind his desk, Nathan Stark sat back and stared at him for a brief moment. Not even a hint of the broken man he had been earlier that day shone through. "And I will assume by that statement that you have, once again, been testing out some of your new inventions and that it wasn't just a random cliché."

"There are still some bugs to work out in it," he admitted.

"What was so urgent that Allison had to call me before she killed you?"

Fargo sat across from him. "Oh, that. The results came back."

"And?"

"That's why I was trying to find the folder. I hadn't looked at them yet and placed the folder down and the next thing I knew it was gone."

Leaning forward on his desk, Stark's eyes grew darker. "You 'lost' the data on our project?"

"Not lost more… misplaced."

Closing his eyes and silently counting to ten, Nathan asked, "And was the project name attached to this folder?" When he opened his eyes again he saw Fargo practically try to hide inside the chair. "Find it."

"I've looked…"

"Find it!"

Without another word, Fargo jumped out of the chair and ran out of Stark's office as Allison walked in.

"What did you threaten to do to him this time," she asked.

Nathan did not turn around, instead opting to keep his back to her. "Just making him do his job." Slowly he swung his chair around to look at her. "What can I do for you?"

"Nothing." Her tone softened. "I was just worried about you. You didn't sound like yourself on the phone earlier."

"As you can see, there's nothing to worry about. Now if you don't mind, I have a lot of work to catch up on."

She stood shocked by his coldness towards her and after a moment, left him alone.

Why now? He thought unable to concentrate on the data in front of him. Why is your death bothering me so much now after ten years?

tbc...