Firstly - Thank you to each and every one of you who reviewed my last stories. I am so grateful, they gave me such pleasure..., and a bit more confidence to try another.

So here I am trying to make myself happy and joyful about RC again. I am determined to keep enjoying the lovely 16 episodes we have, and trust that the writers will give us at least a few more? If I say it often enough then it WILL be true!

This first chapter was inspired by only just noticing recently that they hold hands at the beginning!

"Oh come on…. Dwayne will have a coronary if you miss this." She was asking nicely, gesturing expansively.

Richard hesitated, casting a glance over his shoulder in the direction of his DS stood behind him. He really had wanted that cup of tea, but she wasn't looking like she was moving back inside any time soon – at least not without him.

Sighing loudly he pushed himself up into standing, and around to face Camille.

"Think of it as a team building exercise," she acknowledged the look of resignation on his face beginning to turn to lead the way before stopping in her tracks as he lifted an earplug back towards his ear. It was dark but he could plainly make out the whites of her eyes as she rolled them at him before moving away.

Richard lowered the earplug, hesitating in his movement towards where Camille was disappearing through the door to have another look for the girl he had heard crying a moment before. His curiosity was peaked certainly; it was the wrong end of the night for young ladies in pretty shoes to be outside crying. He took a few steps to look around the corner of the wall, but it appeared she was gone.

"Richard – Come on!"

He could recognise that tone now. It was starting to become familiar. She wasn't letting him escape this time and would quite possibly physically manhandle him back inside if she had to. He sighed again and followed obediently.

As he moved inside Richard could sense momentum building. The music was no louder but somehow more purposeful. It wouldn't be much longer before the main show began.

Then maybe he could go home to bed.

People were starting to flood in, surging towards the stage area in a happy, vibrant throng. It never ceased to amaze him just how laid-back people here appeared to be. It was alien to him but he could sort of begin to appreciate their joie de vivre from a distance.

Unaware of his dwindling speed as he watched the crowd in front of him, whilst fiddling with the earplug not quite seated in his ear, he was startled to feel soft fingers slipping across his palm to clasp his hand. Tugging gently but firmly.

His eyes darted upwards to search Camille's face, but she was busily watching where she was going, gracefully making her way through the room.

Uncomfortable as he felt, he didn't pull his hand away, accepting a sense of cool silkiness of her palm against his as he stumbled along clumsily behind her until they reached Dwayne and Fidel.

"Ah Chief, you're just in time," Dwayne smiled in greeting.

"Well this is fun!" he couldn't help the smile being so close to a grimace, which didn't go un-noticed.

"Don't spoil it!"

Camille, who had released his hand a moment earlier, laughed. In fact Richard felt it was a downright guffaw, her hair brushing his shoulder and the scent of her perfume surrounding him. He couldn't help notice how youthful she looked tonight, and how joyful with her body moving rhythmically in time to the music.

He clasped his hands behind his back purposefully, well what else was he supposed to do with them, and fixed his eyes on the stage, listening as the music changed.

"Look! Here he comes!" Dwayne directed their attention towards the emerging coffin.

As Camille clasped his shoulder to show him, leaning close into his back, Richard wondered whether he was going to have to say something to her. He couldn't have her invading his personal space to that degree, even on a social occasion. He just didn't feel comfortable with it.

Maybe he would mention it tomorrow.

Please review :-)