I'm so sorry this has taken me so long to update! I'm still in utter shock at the amour of reviews this story has received, and that solely has encouraged me to continue. Please, please continue to review, and I will try and update a lot quicker. Thanks, and enjoy this part, I hope it is what you were hoping for.

Gracie awoke to the dull sound of hospital machines bleeping in the background. She turned over slowly, her eyelids fluttering open. As the room slowly stopped spinning, she realised she was in a hospital room.

The events of the night before came rushing back, and Gracie realised she must have passed out after coming up from the ship. Memories of Eric appearing behind her to save her flooded into her head, and she found herself wondering if it had been a dream. Why would Eric come back? He had broken up with her, so why had he even been at her mission anyway?

Her train of thought was interrupted by a short knock on the door, before it opened to reveal a familiar face before her.

"Gracie!" Cheryl squealed, "You're awake!" She ran over and gave her best friend a hug. "We were so worried about you!" Gracie managed a small smile.

"I'm ok." She said, her voice sounding a little horse. Cheryl beamed at her.

"Hang on, I just have to go and tell everyone that you're awake!"

"Wait!" Gracie called, her throat aching as she yelled. "Who's everyone?" But Cheryl had already gone. Gracie slumped back against the pillows and sighed.

Moments later Cheryl came back in followed by Fuller, Stan, and, to Gracie's surprise, Eric. He stood back against the wall as Gracie was happily greeted by Fuller and Stan. While Fuller was a little gruff and withdrawn, Stan more than made up for it with his overenthusiastic greeting.

"Oh Gracie, thank God you're ok! You know, I was so worried when I saw you passed out! You saved our lives! I've never been more grateful. I thought we were goners!"

And on and on and on…… Stan just kept talking until Gracie finally tuned out, her eyes catching Eric's for the slightest of moments before he hastily looked away.

"Gracie?" Stan asked "Gracie?" She turned back to look at him and smiled.

"Sorry Stan." She said sweetly, faking a huge yawn. "It's just that I am kinda tired. I mean it's……" She looked up quickly at the clock on the wall opposite. "Nearly…. "Her heart sunk "Nine pm… but!" She said, thinking fast, "I do need my beauty sleep!" The laughter that came out of her mouth was obviously fake, but Stan seemed too wrapped up in his own world to notice.

"Of course!" He said "We'll all just clear out, won't we?" He said motioning to the others around him, who all nodded in agreement. As Stan left, Gracie managed to catch Eric's eye again, silently asking him to stay. He must have got the message, as he stayed where he was as the others went, closing the door after them as he silently walked over to stand next to her.

It was funny, since he had broken up with her almost a year before, Gracie had bottled up so many things she imagined saying to him if by chance she ever saw him again.

"Why?" "What was wrong with me?" "How could you do this?" But now, with him standing in front of her, his eyes looking at her but not quite meeting hers, all those words vanished, her hard exterior gone, and she was left once more as the simple girl, in front of the boy that broke her heart. In the movie, now would be the time that the guy confessed his hidden feelings to the girl, and she would throw her arms around him and forgive him, and they would like not-quite-happy-ever-after – but as close as you can get. As she looked sheepishly up at his brown eyes and ruffled hair, she felt her heart shatter once more into tiny pieces. Her throat went dry as she sought the word she needed. After several uncomfortable seconds, all she could come up with was

"Thanks." He looked at her oddly.

"What for?" Now it was her to give him a strange look.

"For saving my life, what do you think?" She returned, her hard exterior and bold demeanour returning, her voice dripping with sarcasm.

"Oh come on, Gracie. There's nothing to thank me for. I only did what I hope anyone would do- help a hero in trouble." He managed a small smile. "Besides, it's my job, you know?" Gracie's heart dropped. So that was all he was to her. Another assignment.

So much for hidden feelings.