I owe you all a massive apology for the length of time it has taken me to update this. Inspiration for it has been seriously lacking - guess I wasn't over the writer's block.

But, I'm hoping to get back into the routine of updating fast again. And so help me God I will!

Anyway, enjoy!

Never Say Never...

Eric found himself smiling as he gazed upon the next photograph. He and Calleigh were in the centre of the picture, deep in conversation, and toasting marshmallows on a small fire in front of them - they hadn't even been aware of the camera.

It was actually one of his favourite memories, one that beautifully embodied the deep trust that she held in him, had been one of those moments where he'd learnt something new about her, and the kind that made him fall hopelessly in love with her all over again.

He'd known that she'd been struggling with something for a few days, and that she'd chosen to keep quiet about it. But he knew when to push and when to pull, when to probe and when to hold back.

He just knew her.

And his ability to read her hadn't failed him, yet.

/EC/

She knew that he'd noticed something was bothering her, and Calleigh sighed as she stared into the empty coffee mug in her hands, hoping that it was somehow going to grant her the ability to ask Eric what she'd been meaning to for a couple of days now. It wasn't that she was scared; she was just... what, exactly?

Embarrassed.

Yes, that was the word.

It was silly, really, when she thought about it. Eric didn't care that her family was a little dysfunctional, was instead always supportive and understanding. But he'd never met her brothers, just her father. And only formally, as her colleague. But, Kenwall had insisted that she ask Eric, had even threatened to do it himself if she refused - there was no denying where she got her stubborn streak from. And she did want him there, would love for him to come, in fact. Getting time off was going to be difficult, though; especially for the both of them at the same time...

She stopped her trail of thought then, a small smile tugging at her mouth when she felt his eyes on her from the doorway. But before she could speak he beat her to it.

"Wanna tell me what's going on inside that brain of yours?" Eric asked, entering the break room fully and sliding into a chair across the table from her.

Calleigh laughed and met his gaze, noting his amused smile. "I suppose this is the part where you tell me that you can me read like a book?"

"No." He shook his head, and then arching an eyebrow he elaborated, "Better." She looked away then and set her mug down on the table, laying her palms out in front of her. "Cal?" he called, reaching out to give her hand a gentle squeeze as she found his eyes once more.

"It's my dad," she began eventually, "and, no, I don't mean..." She trailed off, not needing to finish that sentence.

Eric nodded, taking her hand fully in his; her father's drinking was no secret. "What about him?"

"Eric - " She hesitated, before thinking, 'Oh, to hell with it!' "Eric, how do you feel about camping?"

He couldn't help but laugh, and was forced to trap her leg between his when she made an attempt to kick at him under the table. "Why do you ask?" he eventually replied, realising that she was being deadly serious.

"You know how every year I take a weekend off around this time? Well, it's to go camping back in Louisiana with my dad and my brothers. When my parents divorced it was something that we swore we'd do each summer... a way of ensuring that no matter what, wherever we all drifted to, we'd always have something to bring us back together again." She laughed and ran her free hand through her hair. "It sounds ridiculous, I know. But - "

"Calleigh," Eric cut in, releasing her leg and leaning forwards across the table, "it sounds great. Really."

She held his gaze as he told her, smiled at the way that he made her believe him. And that's when she knew that she didn't have to be embarrassed about asking. So joining their free hands together, she opened her mouth to speak. "Would you come with me?" she asked, before rambling, "providing Horatio can give you the time off... and providing that you want to come, of course, and - "

"I'd love to," he smiled, "but are you sure that it's okay with your dad?"

"Actually, he was the one who suggested it," she replied, rolling her eyes when Eric feigned shock. "Is it so hard to believe that he likes you?"

"Yes!" he shot back. "Calleigh, your father isn't supposed to like me."

"What? Eric, don't be ridiculous. Why not?"

"Because," he began with a grin, "I've stolen his only daughter away from him, become the new man in her life and corrupted her with sex and charm."

She laughed and rolled her eyes, aiming another kick under the table, nearly catching him off-guard. "Well - " She shrugged. "If it makes you feel any better, my brothers will be there to hate you, instead." And then pulling her leg free, she stood up and moved to the sink to deposit her coffee mug; a small smile tugging at her mouth upon hearing Eric's reply as she left the room:

"Ah. Right."

/EC/

He remembered being terrified at the time; he'd rather have had the over-protective father.

Contending with multiple brothers hadn't exactly been Eric's idea of fun. But, they'd been nice enough. Granted, they'd asked him a lot of questions - though he suspected that was mainly to embarrass Calleigh - perhaps been a little rougher than was really necessary during a game of football... pretty much threatened to kill him if he ever hurt their sister.

On the whole, however, Eric had felt that the weekend had gone pretty well.

Calleigh had enjoyed herself, too, he recalled. And it had been nice seeing her interact with her family, getting to be a part of a Duquesne tradition. It was one of the times in his life where he'd felt privileged, and it was something that he'd promised himself to cherish forever.

It was with that thought that a sigh escaped him as he looked up from the photograph and over to her sleeping form. Kenwall had popped by several times to see her since the accident, was in fact due to stop by later; her brothers had gone to pick up Calleigh's mother from Louisiana and were supposed to get here in the next couple of days. And, despite the circumstances, Eric found himself thinking that it would be nice to see them again.

After all, being surrounded by Calleigh's family was another link to her. Something else to hold onto, aside from the photo album.

And, remembering the item in his lap, he returned his gaze to the photograph, smiling as he recalled what they'd been talking about when it had been taken.

/EC/

He studied her face as she held her marshmallow in the fire, watched as she smiled when it began to melt in the crackle of the flames. And he breathed deeply as the scent filled his nostrils.

"It's one of my favourite smells," she murmured, hearing his inhalation. "Reminds me of this..." She gestured over to where her family were laughing, happily playing a game of poker by a small makeshift table.

Never taking his eyes off her, Eric nodded, offering his silent understanding. Eventually, he reached for a roasting stick and placed his own marshmallow into the fire. "What's your best memory of being here?" he asked after a while.

She was silent as she considered this, her eyes transfixed on the dancing flames, before she eventually replied, "The first time we ever came..." Her face broke into a smile as she recalled the memory and she recounted, "My brothers were skimming stones on the lake, and, as hard as I tried, I couldn't do it. Every time I threw a stone it sank immediately. By the end of the weekend I still couldn't do it, and as we were about to leave my dad told me that I could try again 'next time.' And I just... I remember thinking that there really would be a next time. That this camping thing wasn't just an empty promise; it was real." She dragged her eyes away from the fire, then, and turned to look at him.

He held her gaze, completely in awe of the raw honesty she'd just displayed to him. But before he had a chance to say anything a camera flashed, causing them both to jump and turn around in search of it. Calleigh's father stood a few feet away from them, holding the offending item in his hand, a huge grin on his face. "Sorry!" he called to them. "Couldn't resist. Natural photographs are always the most telling, don't you think?" Then with a wink, he sat back down at the table and dealt a new house of cards.

Eric smiled and turned back to Calleigh as she dropped her now spent roasting stick. Then, after slipping his arm around her and pressing a kiss to forehead, he pulled back a little to ask, "Did you ever learn? To skim stones, I mean?"

She shook her head and laughed, "No, it's almost become a family joke. You know, it's actually one of the few things I've ever given up on. It's something I'll never be able to do."

"Well," he began, dropping his own marshmallow stick so he could reach for her hand and tug her up, "never say never." And before she had a chance to protest he led her over to the bank of the lake, where the water rippled calmly under the moonlight. Searching the ground for a flat, oval-shaped stone, he told her, "I'm going to teach you." Then, after having located an appropriate one, he handed it to her. "Okay, Bullet Girl: physics 101, when a bird takes flight, why does it angle its wings upwards?"

She looked back at him sceptically. "Eric, I - "

"Calleigh, honey, just answer the question."

She sighed and answered, "Because lift is provided due to the bird finding less resistance when it travels forwards at a slight upwards angle than it would travelling forwards at a downwards angle." She arched an eyebrow at him, a little curious as to where he was going with this.

"Exactly, just like the primary cause of the 'bounce' is the angle at which the surface of the stone hits the water. The leading edge of the stone, after being thrown, must be angled upwards. If the angle of descent is too great, the momentum of the stone will overcome the surface tension and it will sink." He moved to stand behind her and took her throwing arm in his. Then, in slow motion, he manipulated it, demonstrating how she should release the stone. "You need to let go of it at the lowest, flattest point of your throw," he explained, showing her again the correct motion. "Wanna give it a try?" he asked after a fourth demonstration.

She nodded and felt him step backwards, away from her, so that she could swing her arm freely. He called out a few words of encouragement and then with a sigh, she executed her throw. And as her stone bounced - once, twice, a third time - before sinking under the ripples she widened her eyes in shock. Sure, three bounces wasn't going to set a world record, but it was three bounces more than she'd ever done before.

And as Eric slipped his arms back around her and kissed the top of her head she whispered, "I actually did it!"

He laughed and spun her around to face him, placing a soft kiss on her mouth before he replied, "I told you: never say never."

/EC/

And it was precisely that belief that was keeping him going, knowing that she wouldn't never wake up.

Besides, it was merely a case of waiting for her to find her 'bounce'. Her metaphorical, angled lift that would bring her back to him. And she would come back to him. There was no doubt that she would.

Time was all that stood in the way.

"Just don't keep me waiting too much longer, okay?" he murmured, moving over to her bed to press a kiss to her forehead. But, as usual, he received no reply, and a small sigh escaped him. Because he knew that no matter the length of time - large or small - he still had a wait in store for him.

But he also knew that no matter how many 'bounces' it took for Calleigh to find her way back to consciousness, he'd still be here when she did.

Always.

I'm not sure I actually like this chapter, but it's the first thing I've managed to write in forever, so... the only way is up, right?

Anyway, I'll update ASAP.