All Summer Long
Chapter 14: Tomorrow It May Change

Sorry for the cliffhanger last chapter, that was mean! Thanks for all the reviews. I've written the next two chapters of this so I thought I owed you an update!

The idea for this chapter was Beccy's from a conversation we had a while ago. Hope I did the idea justice! :P


Someone had seen the accident and had phoned the coast guard, meaning that an ambulance was roaring across the sand by the time Kerry and Zac had carried Smithy out of the ocean. He was transferred from the surfboard onto a stretcher and loaded into the back of an ambulance.

"I'm coming too." Kerry said defiantly when she was pushed aside by the paramedics. They grudgingly conceded and she climbed into the back with Dale. "I'm right here," She told him, wiping her tears away with the hand that was not desperately clutching onto his. "I'm not going anywhere, Dale."


The mood at dinner was subdued with everyone worried about Smithy and no word from Kerry or Gina who were at the hospital with him. Still, they were all looking forward to the camping trip that would take place in the nearby woodland the following day. After the luxury of the hotel, a night sleeping under the stars and eating toasted marshmallows sounded like a lot of fun. As guilty as it made her feel, Jo was glad to have a night away from Millie and the awkwardness of their relationship. Maybe a night apart would give them some perceptive and either help them to move on together or separately.


They set off early the following morning, not as early as they day they had been on the life saving skills training though. They piled into the rented minibus, clutching cups of coffee and their overnight bags. Everyone came along for the trip except for Kerry who remained at the hospital with Dale. He was still in a coma, but he was stable for now. The watched out of the window as the sky lightened and the scenery around them change from blue seas to the greens and browns of woodland. It was mid afternoon when they finally bumped along the dirt road to the camp site. They were greeted by one of the camp workers who led them over to a group of a dozen or so tents, assigning them in pairs. They were given time to unpack and settle in before being told to meet back at the campfire.


Andrea was pleased not be sharing a tent with Neil. Things had been awkward between them ever since she had answered Philippa's phone call and the possibility of her being pregnant was also weighing heavily on Andrea's mind. She was beginning to wonder of Neil had really meant what he said about divorcing his wife as soon as they returned to London. After they way he had reacted when Andrea had picked up the phone when his wife rang, she was starting to doubt his word. Was it really just Jake that was holding his marriage together, or did he still love Philippa. At any rate, some breathing space between them would be good and being assigned to share a tent with Honey would definitely lift her spirits.


Sam was less than pleased to be paired off to share a tent with Phil. She had become used to sharing a room with Kerry, and wasn't looking forward to spending a night in such close quarters with Phil. Knowing his true feelings for her made her even confused about what she wanted. In her job dealing with some of London's worse criminals, Sam had to believe that leopards never changed their spots, so why should Phil be any different. Could someone really change from a womaniser into a reformed lover? She wasn't convinced, and she felt too strongly for him to risk finding out that underneath it all he hadn't really changed. Of course she'd never tell him to his face, the same way she had lied and told him she didn't feel the same way he did.


They gathered around the campfire a while later, sitting in a circle around the warm, sputtering flames. Some of the camp workers were cooking steaks, burgers and sausages on barbeques nearby. Honey sat close to Dan, holding his hand and encircling her fingers tightly through his. She couldn't believe how recently she had been doubting her feelings for Dan and their future together. Right now he was all that she wanted. Feeling a rush of guilt, Honey pressed her body closer to his and Dan smiled down at her.

After filling themselves with the barbequed food and toasted marshmallows many of the campers headed off to bed, leaving a small group crowded around the crackling fire. Honey and Dan had happily headed towards the tents, along with Andrea who was looking forward to a night alone. Kayla was still recovering so she and Zain also decided on an early night.

"Did someone think to bring any booze?" Phil asked, pleasantly full of food but feeling that the evening wouldn't be complete without some alcohol.

Gina coughed surreptitiously and produced a cool box out of her tent.

"Oh that note, I'm going to bed. Don't do anything I wouldn't do." She winked before walking off towards the tents.

Phil opened the box, finding cans of beer and bottle of tequila inside. He smiled, realising once more he had underestimated the Inspector.

"Hey, pass it round!" Sam called, her green eyes sparkling as they reflected the flames from the fire.

They helped themselves to beers, relaxing as they worked their way through the stash Gina had left for them.

"Can I have another beer please?" Callum asked, crushing the can he had just finished.

Phil looked inside the cooler but all of the beer was gone, only the tequila bottles remained.

"Uh, sorry, we're out." He replied, pulling out a bottle of tequila to show them group. "This is all that we've got left."

"That's okay," Diane said, looking more relaxed than usual, sitting with her legs crossed on a blanket. "When I was in the army and we did teambuilding exercises, we usually ended up playing 'I never'." A couple of people muttered that they had played it before.

"I'm up for it." Phil said, ignoring what he thought was a groan from Sam's direction. Nothing could be more embarrassing than the game of two truths and a lie, and if he drank enough tequila he may not remember what he'd said anyway.

Most of the group had consumed enough beer to agree with Diane and Phil that this was a good idea.

"Who wants to start?" Diane asked, but regretted it as soon as everyone looked back at her. "Okay, fine. I never slept with a co-worker."

Sam and Stuart both took shots of tequila from the glasses Gina had thoughtfully provided, as did Jo and Millie, avoiding looking at each other. Diane and Callum exchanged awkward glances and were forced to drink too.

"Well, we are married." Nikki said, taking a hit of tequila too.

Neil, who had walked past on his way to the bathrooms, was glad he had decided not to participate.

Ironically, Phil was the only one of the Sun Hill group not to take a shot. And I'm the one who had a sex addiction, he thought somewhat bitterly.

"I've never been proposed to..." Libby said, feeling very lightheaded with little control of her feelings. She had been thinking a lot about the future; about her and Stuart's future since finding out that Kayla was expecting a baby.

Less people drank this time, Phil had proposed to his wife, Callum had never been married and neither had Millie or Jo. Libby and Stuart didn't drink either, but shared a meaningful look. Libby wondered if she could read the loaded glance she was giving him, or whether they were both too drunk.

"I've never had sex in a tent." Phil said, the alcohol making him reckless.

Callum knocked back another shot of tequila, barely noticing they were working their way through the last bottle. "Summer camp when I was seventeen." He offered by way of explanation.

"Mine and Doug's first wedding anniversary, long before the kids were born." Nikki said, after she had poured herself a shot. Diane forced her jaw together, unable to believe that of straight laced Nikki but intrigued all the same.

"Uh, guys," Phil said, his voice a little louder from all the alcohol he had consumed. "We're all out of drink."

Callum tried to see the face of his watch in the half light. "We should probably go to bed anyway, god only knows what delights they've got planned for us tomorrow."


They stumbled back to their tents, feeling the effects of all the alcohol as they tried to avoid tent pegs and tree roots. Sam and Phil's tent was the furthest away and they clung onto each other, leading each other blindly through the dark. Sam giggled when she nearly tripped, holding more tightly only onto Phil's arm. He liked the sound of the laugh as it escaped her mouth, it made her sound youthful and happy. They finally arrived at their tent, Sam bending down to crawl inside with Phil close behind her. He caught his foot in the opening, crashing inside and landing on top of Sam who was pinned to the ground. She giggled again as Phil's weight crushed onto her.

"Sorry," He mumbled, moving to roll off her over to his side of the tent but Sam pulled him back. She freed her arms so that she could hold his face in her hands, kissing him for a long while.

"Sam," He mumbled, knowing even through the haze of alcohol that she would probably, no definitely, regret this tomorrow.

"I want this Phil." She replied, kissing him again before helping him to free them of their clothes.

Hope you enjoyed! Please review! :) x