Spoilers:  After cattle incident and snippets of future episodes

Disclaimer:  I own none of these characters, and if I did, I would have never gotten rid of Eric! :D  May indeed include fictional shops and stores.

Pairings:  C/E, snippets of C/W

Chapter Twenty

Christmas had been quite busy with relatives visiting and hanging out with friends.  Griffin didn't seem to notice how fast the break went by.  He had been pretty occupied with the whole unresolved tension between Eric and Caitlin.  It had let up during the break, since it was Christmas and all.  They had finally gotten to the point of being able to be in the same room without one of them leaving.  To Griffin, that was an improvement.

"Caitlin, have you got all your gifts under the tree yet?" Griffin yelled, rummaging through the various gift-wrapped boxes under the tree.

He'd spotted two from his mom and dad, but there wasn't one from Caitlin.  Griffin always appreciated Caitlin's gifts because she seemed to have decent taste and it usually was music.

"Griffin, stop going through all the presents!" Dori yelled from the kitchen.

"I'm just looking!" Griffin replied defensively.

"Yeah sure you are," Caitlin drawled as she bounded down the stairs and headed into the kitchen.  "If you're looking for my present, I haven't gotten it yet!"

Griffin looked up from the tree.  "What do you mean you haven't gotten it yet?  Mom's and Dad's are here!"

"Well, maybe they were good this year!" Caitlin chuckled as she took a swig of OJ.

"Not fair!  I was good to you this year!" Griffin pouted.  "Didn't I help you with the whole Eric and Will mess?  Plus, it's two days away!"

Griffin scratched his head and smiled sheepishly as Caitlin glared at him and then rolled her eyes.  "Whatever!" Caitlin sighed.  "Dori, is Jim going into town this morning?"

Dori looked up from the frying pan, spatula in hand.  "I think so.  If he is, I think he would be leaving now.  Run outside and see if he's out by the truck."

Caitlin grabbed her leather jacket and down the front steps.  "Jim!" Caitlin called as the young, almost father figure, slid into the government vehicle.

Jim looked up and waved Caitlin into the vehicle.  "Good thing you caught me," Jim smiled.  "I was just about to leave."

Caitlin slumped into the seat and pulled the beige seatbelt across her chest.  "I just need a ride into town.  I have to pick up Griffin's present today."

Jim smirked.  "His nagging is getting to you, huh?"

Caitlin rolled his eyes.  "If I have to listen to Griffin tell me one more time how deserving he is of a gift for this Christmas season I think I might strangle him."

"So what are you getting him?" Jim inquired as he drove out of the driveway, onto the gravel road.

"I'm thinking of getting him a gift certificate at the board shop.  You know, that way if he needs like new straps or boots; maybe a new helmet or something, he could just pick it out."

"Sounds like a plan," Jim nodded.  "Hey, I know it's none of my business and if you don't want to talk about it you don't have to, but have you patched things up with Eric or Will?"

Caitlin stared out the window.  "Looks like we'll get more snow tomorrow."  She hoped he'd take the hint.

Jim sighed.  "All right.  You don't want to talk about it, but can I just say that it takes a pretty big person to make the first step.  I know how much you cared for Will and how much you cared for Eric.  If you don't take a shot at clearing things up, I think you'll regret it."

Caitlin ran her fingers through her newly died locks.  "Can we not talk about it?" Caitlin mumbled as she began clutching the door handle.

Jim shrugged and pulled up to the Sheriff's office.  "Okay, but think about it Caitlin."

As soon as the vehicle stopped moving, Caitlin sprung from the warmth of the car and into the crisp morning air.  "See ya!" Caitlin called as she headed towards Dean's Sportin' Good Fun.

Caitlin wasn't much of a sports fanatic, other than the occasional game of football at the Lowe's farm and the school soccer team.  So she never quite had the need to hang out at Sportin' Fun as much as Griffin and Eric did.  It was a compilation of the newest sports equipment and also gear.

As she began perusing the merchandise, Caitlin heard a familiar laugh.

"Ha!  You call that a decent price?  Dude, I could get that cheaper, out of a catalogue."

Eric?

Caitlin hadn't imagined she would run into Eric today.  She thought she'd recalled Eric mentioning going away for part of the Christmas break.

"Hey look, that's the sale price on the ticket, that's the sale's price!" Dean stated firmly.

Caitlin meandered out of the maze of clothing racks to find herself at the front counter.  Dean was standing behind the till holding a cobalt blue snowboard, tag in hand.  On the other side of the till was Eric, trying to stare the price gouging retail owner down.

"Do you want it or not?" Dean asked.

"$175," Eric offered.

Dean shook his head and pointed to the price tag.  "$250."

"$195?" Eric countered.

Dean shook his head again.  "$250!  That's the price."

Eric shook his head.  "Fine.  $225 and that's as high as I'll go!" Eric stated.

Caitlin watched Dean crack under Eric's intense gaze.  "I'm being way too nice, but it's Christmas and I'm feeling generous today," Dean sighed.  "All right.  You've got a deal.  $225."

Caitlin couldn't help but shake her head as Eric grinned, turned around and leaned back on the counter as Dean went to find the board in the back.

***

"You're pretty good at haggling," Caitlin called, walking up to the counter.

Eric pulled himself upright as he finally noticed the auburn-haired girl staring at him.  "Uh, hey!" Eric replied, as he fumbled with his hands, trying to figure out where he should put them.

"Hey."

Eric hadn't expected Caitlin to be here.  She wasn't the short to hang out in a sporting goods store.  "What are you doing here?" he asked coolly.

"I'm picking up Griffin's present," Caitlin replied awkwardly.

"Oh, yeah.  Well, um, what are you getting him?"

"A gift certificate.  Exciting huh?"

Eric smirked.  "Yeah, that's one exciting gift there!"

Dean slipped in behind the till and punched in the purchase.  "That'll be $225."

Eric pulled out his wallet and handed Dean his debit card.  As he finished the purchase and Eric folded his new snowboard under his arm, he waved Caitlin towards the till.  Eric stood and watched as Caitlin paid for the gift certificate.

"So, is that for you?" Caitlin asked, motioning to the snowboard.

Eric nodded.  "Yeah, my parents gave it to me for an early Christmas present.  Mine's getting a little worn.  They thought I'd rather pick one out than have them pick one for me.  Thank God for that!" Eric joked.

Caitlin smiled.  It was just something little, but it reminded Eric how much he'd missed her.  "So why didn't they just give you a gift certificate? Or at least wait till after Christmas and the Boxing Day sales?"

Eric took a deep breath and sighed.  Suddenly behind him an older woman excused herself to have access to the cash counter.  Eric motioned towards the door and followed Caitlin outside.

The crisp morning breeze hit both of them unexpectedly and they gasped for breath.  Eric and Caitlin began walking down the street.  "My parents are going to be gone for the rest of the week and actually, they won't be home for Christmas."

Caitlin frowned at Eric.  "What do you mean?  I thought you and your parents were going away for Christmas break?"

Eric shrugged.  "Something came up and they told me yesterday that they'll be gone for a few days on business in Colorado and off they went."

Eric had been quite disappointed.  Their family had always spent Christmas together, for as long as he could remember.

"That's horrible," Caitlin sympathized.

"Whatcha gonna do?  Such is life!  Hey, are you done here in town?  Or are you catching a ride back with Jim?" Eric inquired, slowing down as they rounded the street corner.

"Uh, no.  I'm done.  Why?" Caitlin asked.

"Well, I've got the truck if you want a ride home.  I want to show Griffin my board anyway."

Caitlin seemed to ponder the offer for a moment.  "Um sure.  If it's no trouble."

Eric shrugged and opened the door of the black Dodge parked in front of them.  "Get in.  We can stop by the Sheriff's office and let Jim know that you're getting a ride back with me."

"Eric, thank you."

Caitlin's eyes seem to pierce the wall Eric had built in the past month and the stones seemed to be crumbling around him.  "No problem.  What are friends for?" Eric mumbled, putting the key in the ignition and listening to the engine roar to life.