Hey guys!

This is my first CSI fig I'm attempting after watching the show for so many years. I just love Eric and Calleigh together, and this chapter actually came to my mind after seeing the last episode (10x12) and the way Samantha and Eric seem to have some tension between each other that seems to be more than just concern for a colleague (well, maybe it's just me seeing this), which made me kind

of furious, and I wondered how Calleigh would react to this. Initially, I planned for this to be a one-shot, but as the days went by this had turned into a full-blown story idea and it's still running freely; I can't seem to stop it. Let's see where the creativity takes me. I'm not English or American (nor from any other native English-speaking country), so there's bound to be mistakes and spelling errors in here, although I've been going to college/uni in the US and England for years now. If there's somebody out there who'd volunteer to proofread my story by the way, please do leave me a message!

And another warning, I'm not sure how high this rating is going to be, considering the scenes in this first chapter. The case is actually inspired by my Dad, who's a criminalist specializing in prints, shoe- and tool-marks (And no, he usually doesn't conduct interrogations or collects evidence. But how boring would that be on TV?). Of course I changed it a little bit, but I will have to make a mental note never to talk to him about work again, or I will be having nightmares for years to come.

That said, I hope you enjoy this story, I was able to post just before the next episode is aired, so consider this to pick up some time after 10x12.

Disclaimer: I own nothing recognizable ;)

The sun was barely peeking above the building next to the lab when Calleigh stepped out of her car. How she hated the winter when the days became so short that late afternoon seemed like midnight, and eight in the morning turned into 5am. The car door closed behind her with a determined 'plonk', making her jump. What was this odd feeling in the stomach? She hadn't received a call from dispatch or Horatio yet today, so it was just another normal day at work, nothing to worry about. Why then was she so on edge?

Calleigh threw a quick glance and a smile at the receptionist as she entered through the main doors and headed straight for the locker rooms. Every single person she met in the hallways was a familiar face, and she returned their greeting with a smile. It was times like these, when she realized just how long she had been here, and how familiar everything was, almost like a pair of favourite shoes. Just as she was about to close up her locker and head to her lab, she heard her phone vibrate on the bench next to her. There we go, just another day.

"Morning Horatio," she greeted her boss after checking the display.

"Calleigh, listen, I've just had a call from dispatch. There are two dead women in a waterfront property in the Gables. Ryan, Natalia and Walter are already out in the field."

"Of course! The lab can wait. I will meet you outside in five!" She hung up the phone and placed it back on the bench.

So much for an easy start in the day. Horatio hadn't given her much information about what was going on, but she expected him to fill her in as soon as they were on scene. Grabbing kit she headed outside to the parking lot where the cars were parked. The person she saw next to the Hummer wasn't the redhead she was expecting; however, a tall, broad-shouldered Latino was leaning on the side of the car and he threw her a friendly smile as she approached. For a moment she tried to compose herself and released a breath she didn't know she had been holding. Her smile had slipped only for a split second; but, hopefully he had missed it. She couldn't screw up in front of him and give herself away; not today, not ever.

"Hey stranger, haven't seen you in a while" she figured that small talk would be the safest way to cover up her own feelings that threatened to boil over; although, she realised that her comment had sounded more flirtatious then anything else.

"Yeah, I know. I've been out in the field with Ryan and Walter a fair bit. " He frowned as a thought crossed his mind. " I think I haven't seen you since the day we had that gas explosion. I never got to check back with you, you were ok though, right?"

"You mean because of the fire? Sure Eric, I'm fine!" There it was again, this concern for her and his ability to remember every detail about her.

Maybe, at one point, Eric could have been the one for her. She had believed it. Never in her wildest dreams she would have imagined falling for a Latino ladies man who jumped from one girl to the next, but it had happened, and for the first time in her life she had felt like she could trust a man. Eric and his big brown eyes of his, and his sincerity. She knew that he was a good man inside, with a big heart and a good conscience as well as morals, but he had this other side to him that she had been unable to cope with. After all, he was a guy she thought bitterly. They never changed, and they certainly couldn't be trusted. How she had wished for Eric to be something different, to be the first man in her life who would be true to his word, but he had let her down. He had kept important things from her; delicate matters, and he had lied to her face. It didn't matter to her that his intentions had been nothing but good, but he had lied nonetheless, and this was a strong breach of trust. It was such a break that she couldn't take it anymore. She should have know from the start, since their relationship had started with his first secret that he had kept from her. He hadn't told her about his fake birth certificate once he found out, and she should have known that this wasn't a good base for any relationship. He always wanted to protect her by not telling her certain things, but it just made her furious. He wasn't her father, and she wasn't 14 years old anymore. She remembered their parents' divorce, and how her mother had tried to protect her the same way, unknowingly hurting her even more that way.

"Hey Eric, hi Calleigh," a cheery voice ripped her from her thoughts.

Samantha, the newly promoted CSI and former lab-tech threw them both a smile before setting down her kit on the concrete next to her. Calleigh had never taken a closer look at her, but from the way she had heard Ryan and Walter talk about her, she seemed to be a favourite with the boys. She couldn't blame them. Samantha was young, tall, with chocolate brown hair that hung loosely down her back and her features were soft but strong, and she had a very determined look on her face. Calleigh had heard that Sam had showed that termination as well when trying to get off the nightshift. She had succeeded. Once again Calleigh got lost in her thoughts as Eric and Samantha took up a friendly conversation. The familiarity between them, however, didn't slip her radar.

"Ready for another 'next time'?" Eric asked with a smirk and Calleigh wondered how he could be joking about something so serious.

"Yes, of course." Samantha answered with an identical smile and added in a flirty tone: "Are you going to let me take the lead this time? You know, for your own safety?"

He laughed, but before he could give a reply, Horatio came hurrying towards them. Calleigh was glad for his appearance; she had been starting to feel uncomfortable between their flirting, and breathed a sigh of relief as she hopped into the Hummer's passenger seat next Horatio. She retreated back into her own thoughts, and Horatio was silent for a few minutes. He knew her well enough to notice that she needed space, and he wondered if it had been a mistake to call her in, since he was very well aware of the tension between the two. On the other hand, he was positive that she would be professional about it. It was her duty she had to fulfil. Whatever was going on in her life outside of work would have to stay outside. Just as he was about to say something, she decided to speak.

"So, anymore information about the incident?" Calleigh, always the professional.

"Not much more than you do, but the officer on the phone said it's like nothing he's ever seen before; very messy."

"Nothing better than to start your morning with an ugly investigation."

"Exactly."

They arrived at the scene minutes later, and Eric parked his Hummer right next to Horatio's in front of the massive mansion. Beautiful flowers and exotic trees were lining the gravelled driveway leading up towards the pale yellow Tuscan-style villa. Calleigh was already ducking her head to pass under the yellow police tape as Eric and Samantha got out of the car and followed up to the house. Officers were swarming around everywhere securing the area, and she noticed the large amount of people gathered outside the taped off zone. Every single time she wondered what it was that people found so fascinating about crime scenes. Maybe it was the yellow tape that worked almost like a flashlight to attract them? She sighed and walked up to the rest of her group that was gathered around the informing officer.

"Two victims, mother and daughter. Cleaning lady found them this morning, no sign of forced entry as far as we can see," he reported.

"Do we know their names?" Horatio enquired.

"Marybeth Simon, 42 and her daughter Ashley, 17, they lived here on their own after the parents' divorce two years ago. The father now lives with his second wife in the Bahamas. Both were found tied to the bed and possible cause of death is stabbing…in a very unusual way."

"Unusual?"

"I've never seen anything like it, Sir. It's an act of sheer brutality."

"I see. Thank you officer, I think that's all for now." He turned to his team, "Let's go and see what we've got. The ME should be here any minute."

They entered the house, not knowing what to expect. The officer didn't seem like a new recruit, so Calleigh wondered what could have shocked him to such an extent. She got her answer a few minutes later, as her own breath hitched in her throat.

"What on earth-?" she said out loud.

The bedroom they were standing in seemed to be the daughter's, judging by the pictures on the shelves and the pale pink colour on the walls. The girl was lying on her bed, and she seemed tied to the headboard on her wrists. Blood was covering her whole upper body, and a pool had formed around her on the sheets. But the most disturbing feature made Calleigh's hair on the back of her neck stand up, although she pulled herself together quickly.

"Is…are these…is that silverware stuck all over her body?" Samantha asked the question everybody had been thinking, but nobody wanted to answer.

"Let's get to work, Ryan and Natalia are on their way as well to lend us a hand," Horatio simply commented.

Everyone split up and tried to determine what had happened and to gather all evidence. The floor was covered in pieces of glass that had been knocked over when everyone had escaped the scene, now the pieces cracked beneath her heels as she made her way around.

"There's definite signs of a struggle," Calleigh speculated as she took a closer look at the mess by sofa in the living room. Pillows as well as the throw were on the floor, and a wine glass that had been standing on the small table nearby had emptied its contents all over the white-carpeted floor.

"My God…" Samantha mumbled and covered her mouth and leaned against the back of the sofa to steady herself.

"Are you going to be ok? Is it your first time on a crime scene?" Calleigh asked and a look of concern appeared on her face, both for the girl and the prospect of having to babysit a newbie.

"No, no!" Sam answered quickly, "Just the first time I see that much blood, and such…violence, really."

"It's a little bit different seeing it then just handling it in the lab, isn't it?" Eric joined in their conversation.

"You can say that!" Sam added while trying to look everywhere but the bedrooms.

"Tell you what, why don't you take the camera while Eric dusts for prints and I bag and tag everything we find?" Calleigh offered warmly and held out the camera to the brown-haired women who accepted with a smile.

Calleigh busied herself with her flashlight, skimming every inch in the house for possible leads on the suspect; and much to her delight, she found plenty. The suspect had not been very careful, and she found multiple hairs as well as traces of mud and grass on the carpets. Eric on the other hand seemed to come up empty after skimming all rooms.

"There's no prints," he exclaimed after a while, frustrated. "Not on the front door, or any of the surfaces or anywhere else."

"I've found some hair, but I'm not sure if we can use it for DNA," Calleigh said thoughtfully.

"Well, maybe I can find something useful," Natalia chimed in as she sat her kit down right beside Calleigh and peeked over her shoulder as she was just writing something on a bag of evidence.

"How did you get here so fast? I thought you were out in the Glades?" Calleigh enquired as she turned around to the brown haired woman.

"Oh, you know, if I don't let Ryan drive we actually make somewhere in time to collect evidence before it disappears."

"Careful, he accused me of reckless driving once! Looks like he's more of a grandma-kind of driver, don't give him a heart attack," Calleigh commented, smiling.

"Hey, I heard that!" Ryan's voice came from across the room.

"Ok, I think I'm going to get the evidence back to the lab for processing, maybe that might give us a lead to the suspect," Eric suggested and grabbed the box with the bags.

"I'll come with you," Samantha said quickly and followed him, "I can upload the pictures and maybe we can make some sense out of what has happened here."

"If I find something, I'll page you," Eric told Calleigh as he turned to leave and she nodded absentmindedly.

She went back into the girl's bedroom. The curtains had been drawn shut, so that none of the spectators could catch a glimpse, and ME Tom Loman was still working over the body while Horatio stood by.

"Anything new?" Calleigh enquired.

"Well, this is nothing I've seen before, that much I can tell you," Loman answered, "Forks, knives, cutting knives, corkscrews, peelers,... The cutlery has been inserted into the victim post-mortem, and it doesn't follow any strict pattern, although it's a very violent one."

"How so?"

"Well, the objects are crammed into every cavity he could find…and looks like he just grabbed any utensil he found in the kitchen cabinets at random."

"Eric didn't find any prints on the cabinets. In fact, he didn't find any at all."

"Well, maybe you get lucky on the metal here? Once I get the body to the lab I will be able to tell you more. But COD is definitely from a sharp object. She was the chest cavity, much likely severed a major artery. Mother's the same. I will page you when I get anything."

"Thanks doctor," Horatio said and exited the room.

Calleigh took a ride back to the lab with Ryan, while Horatio and Natalia finished up at the scene. She went straight down to her lab when she got back. The quietness of the shooting range calmed her, and she enjoyed being on her own. Multiple open cases were lying on her desk, and she picked up the top folder from the stack to skim through it again. An unknown suspect had gunned down two fishermen in on the pier in the early hours. This case made as much sense as the one she had just investigated, and she wondered if the city had become too quiet, so that the citizens took it into their own hands to stir up the air. Calleigh had been on the job long enough to know that people did the most ridiculous things, that were so unreal she wouldn't have believed them to be true unless she hadn't been there to see it with her own eyes.

She looked at the two bullets that had been recovered from the bodies. On first glance, they looked identical; and, as she compared them under the microscope, they had the exact same striations. Something wasn't sitting right with her, however, since the colouring on the one bullet was slightly darker then the other. Hours passed, and finally she had to take off her safety goggles and rubbed her temples. Somehow everything looked the same when she looked through the microscope, and she had to go and pick up some evidence Frank had just confiscated from a suspect. Maybe a quick coffee would help to pick her up? She decided to make a detour to the break room after collecting the evidence to get her caffeine fix. When she entered the break room she was pleasantly surprised when she found most of her team sitting on the tables in the back.

"What's this, an informal meeting? Where was my invite?" she asked, playing hurt.

"Hey, there you are! Haven't seen you all day, where have you been hiding?" Walter enquired as she came up closer, and once again she noticed how likeable he was; like a big, funny teddy bear.

"My lab," she answered simply. "Working my cases. Where else would I be?"

"Calleigh and the guns," he figured.

"Yeah, it's like you're burying yourself down there," Ryan commented, "So what finally got you outta there?"

"My need for caffeine," she answered and pointed towards the coffee machine.

"Speaking of guns, any development on the dead fishermen?" Walter wondered aloud.

"Come on guys, I'm on break, so that I don't have to think about work for a few moments! Lose the gun talk for a minute," Ryan protested, but it was too late.

"Actually, yes. From the outside, both bullets look the same; striations are the same as well. I opened both, and one of the bullets was lacking the gunpowder."

"What? Then how would it have gotten into the victim?"

"Oh there is bullets without gunpowder, you didn't know? They're both .22 rounds, but these are extremely silent."

"So that's why nobody heard anything."

"Yes. They were most likely shot with a rifle, Frank already confiscated one, so I will have to determine whether that's the one. The shooter must have been close to the victim in order to cause enough damage. The bullets aren't as strong as regular ones."

"Has Loman determined if it was a contact shot then?"

"I'll have to double check with him, but I'm not sure how far he got; he must have been swamped with cases, too."

"And do these guns then produce GSR?"

"I haven't worked with gunpowder-free bullets yet, so I'll know once I test fired them."

"So how come you know so much about guns?" Samantha asked casually after a few seconds of silence.

"It's my job, you know?" Calleigh answered with a slight hint of her Southern accent. "Ballistic expert."

"Yeah, she's called 'bullet girl' for a reason," Ryan commented, which made her smile, and Eric chuckled in the background as he had just arrived at the table and was sitting down next to Samantha.

"Oh come on, what did make you think that? She actually is like a bullet: Short, tiny, and looks very harmless; but ohhhh - beware if she goes off! Lethal!" Walter explained and broke out laughing.

"Thanks, Walt!" Calleigh exclaimed and gave him a shove.

"Come on Cal, you have to admit, when I'm standing next to you, you do look very tiny!"

"Wouldn't keep me from knocking you off your feet though!" The guys all cried out laughing.

"You know what, I actually believe you," Walter commented while still chuckling softly.

"I thought this was a crime lab, not a comedy club?" Samantha questioned with her eyebrows raised.

"Don't you know the other name CSI stands for?" Ryan teased.

"Oh? And that would be?"

"Comedy Scenes Incorporated, of course!" Eric threw in and everyone tried to wipe their smiles or their faces.

"Man, am I glad that I shifted from the nightshift!" Samantha said as she reached for her water, "This is so much better."

"Well, I guess my time's up. I'll go help Boa Vista with DNA and trace before she gets all crazy on me. I think double shifts don't do her much good. See you guys, pray for me!" Walter waved over his shoulder as he left the room as well.

"I'll be in the vault!" Calleigh jumped off the chair as if someone had pinched her, and grabbed the ballistics evidence she had put on the table before turning in towards the door.

"Cal, wait, I haven't checked that guns for any prints or trace yet!" Ryan called after her, sensing her odd behaviour as she was almost fleeing the room. She turned in the door.

"Come on Ryan, I'm gonna be wearing gloves! I need to know if that's my weapon, and I'm curious how these bullets will work, I had some brought over from resources. It's nagging me."

"Ok then, off you go. " Ryan gestured towards the door and gave her his best, hurt look as he glanced the other way dramatically.

"You know Wolfe, something's off with you today. Maybe you should take a nap in the break room, I think Natalia's driving has gotten to you."

"I told you -!" Ryan started, but Calleigh was already out the door.

"Didn't she come in here for coffee?" he asked out loud and Eric just shrugged.

Suddenly Ryan realized was alone with Eric and Samantha in the room. The tension between the two had been building up the last few weeks since the day they had been in a shooting, and Ryan had taken a step back to give Eric the green light to proceed. Back then he hadn't been sure whether Eric was interested or not, since 'Delko the ladiesman' had disappeared after he had been tied down by his feelings for his very best friend, Calleigh Duquesne. Nevertheless, whatever their situation, Ryan grew more and more uncomfortable in their presence and decided it was time to make a dive for the door just like the rest of his colleagues.

"You know, uh, I'm gonna have a look if Loman has the silverware out of the bodies yet," he said quickly and slipped out into the corridor.

"Are they always like that, or do I smell or something?" Samantha asked turning to Eric, who was looking over the evidence that was left from the scene.

"Don't worry, they are all just overly enthusiastic to catch the bad guys, you'll see," he answered with a smile before turning to her. "You can help me look at the pictures at the scene, maybe we can make some more sense of it."

"I'd love to."

Calleigh was glad to be in the vault, once again appreciating all its private features. The thick walls prevented any noise from going out, but in the same way it shielded her from everything that was going on outside. Despite her apparent eagerness to get back to work, her mind was drifting back to Samantha, and the looks she had exchanged with Eric in the morning. This look on his face…it was so familiar, and she knew why. So far, it had always been reserved for her. It was this intensity and joy with which he had watched her every movement, as if she was the only person in the room. It wasn't very obvious, and probably quite easy to miss by any outsider, but she knew Eric better than anyone else in the lab; at least she liked to think so. What if there was anything between them? She hated the idea of Eric being with another women; and as much as it annoyed her, she had to admit that it would indeed affect her deeply. Already, she felt the familiar cold shiver run down her spine like lightning, and the hairs on the back of her neck were standing up. They had been broken up for a year now, and it had been a mutual decision to stay friends, which they had made after this whole disaster with the State Attorney's Office. Furthermore, they worked too closely together, and if they ever got into a dangerous situation together, it would be very difficult to act like a professional towards each other, and not like partners. It had been too many close calls for both of them, and she knew she wouldn't be able to handle it if anything would happened to him; it was inevitable in their job. That's why she had suggested stepping away from each other for their own good, and unable to deny her wishes as well as seeing the logic behind it, he had agreed; even though it was with a heavy heart.

Still, she wanted him to be happy; however she just wasn't sure if she wanted to be a witness to his obvious, new happiness. Why could he not just go back to his old ways, date random girls for one night and then find a new one the next? She shook her head, disgusted with herself. Eric deserved to find a woman he could grow old with, a woman that actually deserved and respected him, and gave him all her trust. And that, she knew, just wasn't herself. They had hurt each other in too many ways to be able to be with each other again, even if their behaviour had ruined the best potential relationship in their lives. Now, it would just be a lie, wouldn't it? She shook her head again, trying to clear her thoughts, and get to work. Her finger ran over the cool metal on the rifle that was lying on the table behind the shooting range, and she loaded it with the bullets she had ordered previously to conduct a test. The gun was heavy and not very well maintained, but she would be unable to touch anything besides the trigger and the bullets with her fully gloved hands in order to preserve any further evidence on the weapon itself. Finally deeming it ready, she put on her glasses and earmuffs, and picked up the rifle before opening the safety lock with a determined click and pulling the trigger. A smile appeared on her face as the force of the firing weapon ran through her body.

"Enjoying yourself?" She heard a voice behind her and turned around.

"Horatio!" she exclaimed with a smile.

"Sorry to sneak up on you, but I have the owner of this rifle sitting in the hot seat, and he isn't talking, so I was wondering if you might have anything that would give him reason to break his silence. Care to join me in the interrogation?"

"Sure, give me five minutes and I'll be there. Maybe I will have a few more questions of my own for him by then, too."

"Great, see you in five."

She fired another two shots and compared the bullets to the one they had collected at the crime scene, until she stepped back with a smile.

"We've got a match," she whispered triumphantly with a smile.

After she had taken off her safety equipment she proceeded to store the weapon away safely, until another thought crossed her mind, and she took the rifle with her as went upstairs and made her way towards the Print lab to deliver the gun to Eric. It was vacant when she arrived, so she put the rifle on his desk and remembered that he had been the one working on the photos from the fishermen scene, so she decided to quickly stop by the photo lab on her way to interrogation to look for more information. She stepped into the room with her eyes down and started speaking the second she entered through the door.

"Hey Eric, I was just wondering if you had found anything in the pictures that I might take with me into –" she stopped mid-sentence as she raised her eyes and she realized what was going on in front of her.

Eric and Samantha had been standing at close proximity and whispering quietly into each other's ears while overlooking pictures that covered the lightbox in front of them; they jumped apart as they realized Calleigh was in the room.

"I, uh, we haven't found anything so far-" Eric started but Calleigh was already backing out the door.

"Don't bother, I'm on my way into interrogation, just wanted to double check." She forced a smile, quickly turned and fled the room.

With a determined look on her face she stepped into the room and came to stand beside Horatio, quickly running her hand through one of her blond strands as she inhaling deeply with her eyes closed to gain back her composure, hoping nobody had noticed. Horatio glanced at her with a worried look; of course he had noticed the second she had stormed through the door like an angry tornado.

"Are you ok?" He whispered concerned.

"Yeah, I'm fine, don't worry," she told him firmly.

"You know, I don't really believe you. You've been off all day, I've noticed. Why don't you go to the break room and have a cup of coffee, Wolfe and I will handle this one," he whispered as he turned slightly away from the suspect sitting on the table across from them.

"Horatio, I've just taken a break a few minutes ago…" she protested weakly.

"No, I don't want to hear any 'buts'; and take Boa Vista with you, she looks like might pass out over that DNA sample table at any minute." Calleigh didn't budge. "This is an order, Detective."

Calleigh nodded and made her way over to Natalia's office while making sure not to look towards the light box lab. Need to know only. Natalia was hunched over her tray of samples just as Horatio had predicted, and Calleigh could tell that she was squinting her eyes while trying to keep lose strands of hair from her face that had escaped her ponytail. Calleigh had to call her name multiple times until she responded.

"Sorry Calleigh, I think my brain is fried. Headache," she said with a grimace.

"No worries, Horatio ordered a mandatory break for the two of us. Come on, let's get some coffee."

"That's music to my ears," Natalia commented with a smile, "But lets go get coffee outside. I'm sick of this rainwater brew they call coffee down in the break room."

"Let's go."

Minutes later, the two women walked down the parking lot towards Natalia's car. Calleigh was finally able to relax that tension as she sat down in front of a cup of steaming coffee.

"There you go, I didn't know how much sugar you like in your coffee, so I brought some extra," Natalia explained as she dropped multiple sachets of sugar next to Calleigh's mug and sat down across from her. "Now are you going to tell me what's wrong with you all day?"

"I wish people would stop asking me that."

"Well, you see, we worry about you. I worry about you! And I can tell there is something bugging you. Is it Delko and Samantha?" Calleigh looked up into her eyes, surprise written all over her face. Natalia had always been somebody who didn't beat around the bush. Calleigh on the other hand, wouldn't give up her guard as easily.

"No, no way."

"Come on Calleigh, stop pretending. I mean, Delko is acting like the biggest ass I know, flirting with her in the middle of the freaking lab. That kind of behaviour would upset anyone, me included."

Calleigh swallowed hard. Ballistics expert Calleigh Duquesne was supposed to be a tough woman, who never showed any kind of weakness; whether it was in front of a suspect, or towards a friend. Always professional, always smiling, and always keeping everyone out of her inner thoughts and feelings. Then again, this was Natalia, her good colleague and close friend for years; still, she couldn't bring herself to tell her friend exactly what was going in inside.

"Look, I would be lying if I said that I don't care. But… Eric and me, we're good friends, that's it. Who he chooses to spend his time with romantically is none of my business."

"Come on Calleigh - "

"Please, Natalia", she pleaded her friend to drop the topic.

Calleigh put her head in her hands, taking deep breaths again, as she felt Natalia's warm hand resting softly on her upper Arm. She had gotten up from her seat across from her and sat down in the chair right next to Calleigh.

"I'm so sorry, Hun, I know it hurts." Gently she pulled the petite blonde into a hug and soothingly stroked her back.

Any thoughts? Worthwhile to continue? Let me know ;)