AN/ Hi guys. I leave for the UK in 18 days and my time is pretty hectic until then. Soo excited. I will definitely try and get at least Lena done before I leave though. Thankyou soo much for the reviews guys. You all rock my socks. I will really miss this fic and all of you when I go. Thanks again. Please Review.

Carmen had watched Lena walk off with Paul, hand in hand. She had felt a tinge of jealousy that she wasn't the one he wanted to talk to, but was also glad that Lena was there when Paul obviously needed her. But Carmen wanted to be needed to, and she especially wanted to know what was going on.

It was getting late and Carmen knew Lydia was worried about Paul, even though she was hiding it well. Carmen watched as she set up the sofa as a bed for Seth, and fussed over him like a long lost son. She also noticed the lack of questions he was being asked. She rolled her eyes 'Seth Coleman International Man of Mystery' she thought to herself. Lydia moved away to speak to Al in the kitchen, and as soon as the door swung closed Carmen slid off her perch on the arm of one of the lounge chairs across the room from Seth and wandered over to where he was lying causally on the makeshift bed, like he'd been there a thousand times.

Carmen sat down on the floor at the end of the bed, with her legs crossed under her. Seth, as if sensing she wanted to talk, sat up himself, and gave her a smile.

'Hi' was all he said

Carmen raised one eyebrow

Seth mirrored her expression making Carmen grin.

'So….Seth…'

Seth looked at her innocently

'Yes Carmen?'

'Do you always just drop in, unannounced?'

Seth gave a mock thoughtful look 'Yes, I suppose 'unannounced' is sort of my signature style'

Just ask him straight out, thought Carmen. Surely he wouldn't be able to avoid answering a direct question. 'What's going on' Carmen wanted to scream. Instead she just looked down at her feet.

'So, why did you leave Las Vegas?' she asked, looking back up at Seth.

He shrugged. 'Time for a change I guess, Paul was right when he said it was addictive. A place like that can just suck you in and hold you so tightly you would never leave. I decided to quit while I was ahead' Seth looked away from Carmen's eyes 'well, that was the plan, anyway' he muttered to himself, so low that Carmen only just managed to make out what he had said.

She looked directly into his eyes, she knew she had a way of making people feel uncomfortable and most people would wilt under her gaze and turn away or blab nervously everything they knew. Not Seth, he stared right back at her, neither said a word. Eventually Carmen began to feel the tension between them, it felt like the air in the roomwas getting thinner and thinner. The time stretched on and Carmen felt her face getting hot. The shy, easy-going part of her longed to break their invasive staring match, and yet the strong, rebellious side wanted to continue, to break Seth's determination and to show him that she was stronger. Or more stubborn.

The thing that made Carmen look down first was the darkness in his eyes. At first she only noticed how brilliantly blue, clear and beautiful Seth's eyes were, but as moments passed she saw beyond the colour and into his soul. Carmen felt incredibly stupid for thinking such a thing was possible, she was never one to invest into the corny, romantic notions. But staring into his eyes she felt frozen, like a deer caught in headlights. She saw longing and regret, heartbreak, fear and hope, But most of all she saw darkness, the kind of darkness which only came from despair and anger. For a split second Carmen felt as if she was feeling everything Seth was feeling, and it was far too intense for her to handle.

She withdrew from the moment with a small gasp, and looked down, blinking rapidly as if to wake herself from a daze. She looked up through her eyelashes, gingerly taking a peek at Seth. He looked drained. He had the expression someone might have after spilling all their deepest darkest secrets and dreams to a stranger, and was in the process of waiting in tortured insecurity while that stranger decided whether to use those secrets to help him or against him.

A second later Seth had regained his composure, and saw Carmen watching him. He gave her a tight smile. 'Did you say something?' he asked her casually.

Carmen shrugged and shook her head. Seth seemed so normal now, his eyes looked just the same as when they had first met- bright, friendly-not at all like some deep abyss. Had she imagined it all? Maybe that knock to her head had done her more damage than she thought.

AN/lol got a bit carried away in the moment with this one. Please review. I'd love to know which storyline you guys like the best. Not which Character you prefer but which storyline. Thanks :)