By Storm

Eric shakes his head at Rosetta's question. "Not sure. Could be a day, could be three or four. I'm waiting on a call for when the next load is ready to be picked up in Nevada, then it's on to Oregon. Hoping for enough time to show Dana around the sights and give her the grand tour of the ranch."

"Oh yes, I want to see it all," Dana agrees. "Everything Eric's told me about is just coming to life now. I tried to get him to take a break from work, but he said no." She rolls her eyes teasingly.

Eric smirks. "A man's gotta keep working if he's gonna make enough money to support anybody."

Dana slides a sidelong glance his direction, grinning at his implication.

Though Mick is basically finished with his bowl of chili, he concentrates very hard on getting every last little bit, and taking his time at it.

Dana looks around the room and nudges Eric. "So tell me who everybody is. I think I could probably figure it out, but tell me anyway."

Eric chuckles and stars pointing out people in the room. Luke and Angel, Jim and Becky, Cindy with Kaylee... the list went on. "And there in the corner is Jade and Dan - they're engaged, and Dylan."

"Oh, I see." Dana lowers her voice a little, leaning in to Eric, but she could still be heard plainly by anyone sitting at the table. "And he's the one that was in so much trouble with drugs and all that, right?"

Mick's eyes shoot up, a look of displeasure flashing in them. His stern glance is turned towards Eric as a warning, though he says nothing.

Eric sees Mick's look and quickly nods at Dana, patting her arm. "Yeah," he replies, moving on before anything else can be said. "Oh, and over there are Clint and Wendy, and their little boy, Chase."

"Ah." Dana nods knowingly, though her tone is edged with something less than graciousness. "They're the ones that-"

"Yeah, and that's everybody I think," Eric cuts her off before she insults Mick's nephew on top of it.

Mick can hardly stand it, and turns his head as his eyes roll towards the ceiling. Grabbing his empty bowl, he stands. "I'm gonna help clear some of the tables. I'll be back."

He did return, and the awkward conversation continued, though the awkwardness seemed one-sided. Dana chattered about this and that while Eric added his own thoughts and soon the dining hall was relatively empty while Rosetta, Mick, Dana and Eric had reclined in the living room. It was learned that Dana had been married once to an abusive husband, going through a messy divorce. She had moved about, though now had a small apartment in Tennessee while she looked for something more permanent. In between jobs as well, she received a little financial support from her parents, though for the most part, they didn't have much to do with her.

Both she and Eric explain how they were enjoying traveling together, and Dana expresses how she'd rarely been out of the city, so this was quite an experience to be out on a "Texas ranch." She asked where all the guests were, and Eric took the time to explain how they were taken care of by the ranch hands and staff and how usually they ate and fellowshipped earlier so that's why she hadn't seen anyone else, and why the ranch family usually ate supper a bit later than "normal." Dana couldn't believe the people that would come and go, and showed her amazement at how Rosetta could manage to counsel anyone, let alone troubled young adults, on a regular basis - she herself would go "utterly insane."

Eric diverted the conversation several times, noticing short looks from both Mick and Rosetta at times, and as the evening drew on, his own look was growing more pensive and maybe even slightly confused, bordering on perturbed.

It really was getting late and while Mick knew that Angel and Luke were looking after BJ, he wanted to get home and then make his nightly rounds in the barn. His bouncing knee seemed to signal that he wanted to bring this chitchat to a close, and for once, Dana caught on.

She was sitting with Eric on the couch - if any closer, she'd be on his lap as her head rested near his chest with his arm around her and her fingers absentmindedly fiddling with a tear in his jeans above his knee. Sitting up straight and stifling a yawn, she asks where the "ladies room" is and Eric points her in the right direction.

Left alone with Mick and Rosetta, he looks between them, having finally sensed the odd tension in the air. Though he still smiled, there was something else now... hesitance, perhaps, that had not been there earlier.

"Um... thanks for staying up and chatting..." He grins at Rosetta. "It's always good to come home, especially after long runs."

Clearing his throat, he leans forward to rest his elbows on his knees. "I, um... know this whole thing with Dana probably seems a little sudden - didn't meant to spring it on you like that, but it just happened pretty quick and all." He chuckles. "Caught me by storm, I guess you could say."

Again looking between his sister and brother-in-law, the pause that follows is an odd one. This time though, Eric really doesn't know what to add, and he couldn't say goodnight yet without waiting for Dana so he could show her to the bunkhouse. So the pause lingers.


Very strange emotions were churning within Justin, and his eyes focus on the couch as Beth talks. He hadn't planned on any of this - sharing with her about what was going on his life, or exposing how he felt. It felt awkward yet easy at the same time. Half of him wanted to shut it all off again and go back to his closed-off self, and half of him wanted to remain open and let her be his friend for once. He'd concentrated so much on helping her and being her friend that he'd denied himself the pleasure of her company.

Slowly, his eyes rise to meet hers once more. He'd seen great changes in her lately. He'd seen growth. He'd seen courage. He'd seen the things in her that he had pushed too quickly for in the beginning. But with patience, he was finally beginning to see the real her start to push towards the surface like a rosebud ready to bloom. And as the inside was exposed, her true beauty was shining through. Just the fact that she was here right now, on her own accord, having made up her own mind and having decided to help and get out of her box to be here... Justin would not have guessed that she would have. But she had, proving that the snippets of growth he'd seen in her had been real and perhaps deeper than he'd thought.

As if drawing back out of the vortex of her gaze, her face comes into focus again. "I, um..." He tries to smile, but it only comes halfway. "I guess I'm not so used to being on the receiving end. But... if I had to choose a friend to lean on right now... it would be you." He'd been abandoned and mocked by everyone else - Beth was the only one right now who seemed to care, and that... that was worth something.

In the silence that follows, Justin realizes just what a mess he probably looked like at the moment. He hadn't changed his clothes in days, he needed to shave and he was pretty sure he needed a shower quite badly too. It was amazing Beth was still around just for those factors.

His facial expression turns to one of sheepishness. "I think I'm quite a sight," he muses. "Surprised you haven't told me to go take a shower yet." Giving her a wry grin, he goes to stand up, but as soon as he's on his feet, the room starts to spin.

Putting a hand to his head, he sits back down, his eyes a little wide. "Okay... maybe that shower will have to wait just a little longer." He blinks, trying to get the dizziness to pass and a slight chuckle comes out. "How long did you say you were staying?" he teases.