CHAPTER 11:

A/N: Finish of the dance here. Thanks A LOT! for all the reviews again! You guys are AWESOME && I love you.

Ha, on with the story.

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Eric didn't know how long it'd been since Calleigh left to go get a drink, but he knew that she should have been back by then if she was coming back. What if something happened to her? He should have left and followed her, screw the other girls' feelings… the only girl he really cared about was Calleigh anyways. What if someone started bugging her, and knowing Calleigh and her mood tonight, she'd probably be a bit drunk and unable to fend them off… she could be in trouble right at that very second and he wouldn't know because he was dancing with some brunette who's name he didn't quite catch. And that's when he heard it, Calleigh's laugh. He looked over the brunette's shoulder to see Calleigh dancing with a tall handsome guy who was whispering in her ear. Jealousy. It hit him like a ton of bricks, but really, what did he expect? Obviously he knew he wouldn't be the only guy there to find Calleigh attractive, and what did he expect her to do? Sit and wait patiently while he danced with a few girls until he finally decided he wanted to dance with her again? What the hell had he been thinking! He hadn't even had enough alcohol to blame it on that yet either. "Who are you staring at?" The brunette asked Eric, after realizing his eyes were no longer on her, but gazing at someone over her shoulder.

"No one." Eric shook his head and tried to concentrate on her.

"You were staring at someone." She pressed.

"Okay, I was staring at my friend." He admitted.

"Your friend?" She inquired.

"Yes. We work together, she came with me here." Eric tried his best to explain.

"Oh, but you aren't together, together?" She wanted to make sure she was dancing with someone else's boyfriend.

"No." Eric sighed.

"But you want to be?" She sensed.

"Maybe, but she wouldn't go for me." Eric almost wanted to laugh. Here he was, dancing with a beautiful girl, and they were talking about how he was in love with Calleigh.

"You?" The girl looked doubtful, giving him a once over, "She'd be crazy not to."

"Thanks… but really, she wouldn't. She's… unique, I don't even know how to describe her." Eric laughed.

"Where is she?" The girl wondered.

"Behind you… the blonde dancing with the tall guy." Eric turned her a bit so she could locate Calleigh with her eyes without making it obvious she was looking at someone.

"I can see why you like her." The brunette smiled at him.

"Not only that though, she's an amazing person." Eric smiled with a faraway look on his face.

"By the way, I'm Hanna." She smiled.

"Eric." Eric smiled back at her. "Where are you from?"

"Louisiana." Hanna answered.

"Ah, that's where the accent's from." Eric laughed.

"Where are you from?" Hanna returned the question.

"I'm currently residing in Miami." Eric answered.

"So that's where your accent's from." Hanna rolled her eyes.

"You could say that." Eric shrugged with a smile. "Do you want to go get a drink?"

"Sure." Hanna nodded.

"Hanna Cooper!" Hanna stopped, and Eric did the same. Cooper must have been her last name. Wait- he recognized that voice!

"Calleigh Duquesne!" Hanna spun around and smiled, hugging Calleigh in a way Eric had never seen Calleigh hug anyone before, little lone in public. "How've you been?"

"I've been great, oh hey Eric!" Calleigh smiled widely at him. "Oh, this is Daryl, by the way." She introduced her new… dancing partner. "This is my friend Eric, and this is Hanna."

"Pleased to meet you." Hanna smiled flirtatiously at Daryl, which Eric didn't mind at all, Hanna could have Daryl, as long as Daryl didn't have Calleigh.

"Pleasures all mine." Daryl smiled back. How is Calleigh dancing with this guy, he's all over Hanna when Calleigh, who he's supposed to be "with" is right beside him! He's got his arm around her waist for god's sake! Eric's mind was screaming. "Hey man." Daryl nodded at Eric, who just barley nodded his head in acknowledgment. He really didn't like this guy.

"So you two've know each other for a while then?" Eric asked, obviously meaning Hanna and Calleigh.

"Me and Duke go way back." Hanna smiled.

"Duke," Calleigh laughed her intoxicating laugh which Eric would do anything to make her do, and shook her head. "No one's called me that since, well, not for a long time."

"Don't tell me you've gone all psycho workaholic on me." Hanna rolled her eyes exaggeratedly.

"I haven't." Calleigh smiled, reassuring her friend.

"But you're close to it." Eric added in, "But you still know how to have fun."

"Unlike some people." Calleigh smirked.

"I know how to have fun!" Eric protested.

"I was referring to Wolfe." Calleigh rolled her eyes.

"Oh." Eric laughed, "Well in that case, I agree with you. Wolfe needs to learn how to have more fun."

"And be less of a germaphobe" Calleigh wrinkled her nose. "He even has me worrying about germs sometimes when I'm around him now."

"Well, we'll have to corrupt him when we get back, I guess." Eric smiled.

"If Valera hasn't already while we're gone." Calleigh added knowingly.

"Right, well off work and onto a different topic," Hanna was getting tired of watching Eric and Calleigh flirt, no matter how cute it was. "Drinks anyone?"

"I'm there." Daryl nodded, shooting off towards the bar, Hanna close in tow.

"Shall we?" Eric held out his arm, in a teasing in manor, very happy at how the night was working in his favour.

"Don't be so silly." Calleigh rolled her eyes. "Let's go."

--&

An hour and several shots later, the party was only getting louder and livelier. Calleigh and Eric had seen Lena and Eli, and met Teah and the boy that invited her to the dance, AJ. Hanna and Daryl had taken more than an instant liking to each other which was obvious to anyone who would happen to notice them, in the corner, tongues down each other's throats. Eric was sure he'd just learned more about Calleigh in the last hour than he had in all the time he'd known her, well the real Calleigh anyways. Hanna wasn't one that believed personal life was, well personal. She shared what to Eric, seemed like every personal detail about Calleigh she knew.

"So, Hanna's nice." Eric struck up some more conversation, since things had been pretty quiet between them since the last shot.

"Yeah…" Calleigh lost her train of thought as her eyes latched onto something across the room which Eric hoped to god was not a guy, because he thought he'd been making some sort of progress… "Do you see that?"

"What?" Eric asked. At least it's probably not a guy.

"Is that Teah? And AJ?" Calleigh discreetly pointed to a more secluded area beyond the bar.

"Shit." Eric was off his stool and to where the couple was in seconds, Calleigh right behind him.

"Hey man," Eric tried to keep things as low of volume as possible, not wanting to start a fight with the room full of drunken dancers. "I think it's time to leave her alone."

"Well what do you think about this?" AJ shot back.

"Hey, take it easy man…" Eric warned, but he was scared as hell.

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A/N: Well here's my attempt at some suspense/drama in this fluffy story, haha. And what a liar I am, I said the dance was over this chapter, but it's not, I lied. Things went WAY off track here, I just kind of wrote and waited to see where it went… usually I at least have some form of an idea in my head… anyways, how was it? Please review!