My entry for McBreezy's LTM Fic Challenge! Even though I am not eligible for prizes, since she knows I use very powerful Jedi mind tricks and she is no longer vulnerable to my charms...

Prompt: Gillian/Emily & lasagna (apologies to Jack4Sam, I forgot to mention I was doing this prompt in the reviews - I want to see yours too!)

Summary: Emily invites Gillian to her housewarming party. Gillian is a little early; there are some things Emily wants to discuss. It's Callian, of course!

Rated K for friendship, love and fluff.

Close Friends & Family

Gillian approached the door to Emily's new apartment with a small amount of anxiety. Emily had described the housewarming party as 'more of an intimate gathering,' but she didn't want to impose on Emily and her younger friends if Cal wasn't there already.

She rang the doorbell and stood patiently. After a minute of waiting, Gillian wondered - was Emily even home? Gillian knocked loudly and hoped for a better result. Soon after that, a breathless Emily pulled the door open, and her face lit up when she saw her first guest.

"Gillian, hi!" she said. "Sorry, the doorbell doesn't work. I should tape a note to the door. Come in, come in..."

Gillian smiled and stepped over the threshold, carrying a gift bag and a ceramic dish full of sweets. They pressed their cheeks together as she passed, a light kiss to say hello.

"I'll take those..." said the hostess, gently prying the baked goods from Gillian's hands.

"This is for you too." Gillian said of the gift bag.

"You're the sweetest," Emily said, her brow furrowing with love. "Seriously. Do you want me to open it now, or...?"

"We can wait." Gillian said distractedly. She was looking around the apartment, which was very quiet and empty except for the two of them. Emily put the food in the kitchen, and when she returned to the tiny living room, Gillian had a question.

"...Am I early or something?"

"Oh," Emily looked around, remembering. "I, um, sort of asked you to come earlier than everyone else." she explained. "We don't really cross paths anymore, I thought we could catch up. And also..."

Gillian smiled and listened. She was flattered, but she could also tell when Emily was about to confess something.

"I was hoping you could help me make dinner?"

Gillian chuckled. "Of course."

'Ooh, thank you thank you thank you." Emily shuffled in her fuzzy slippers over to Gillian and wrapped both arms around her. Gillian hugged back, and followed her happily to the kitchen.

"What are we making?"

"Lasagna." said Emily. "I already have the pasta cooked, I just need to put everything together."

Gillian made herself at home, rolled up her sleeves and asked for ingredients. Emily didn't let her do all the work, but she did watch her closely. She was aware that Gillian enjoyed this type of thing; not just the cooking, but a familial type of companionship as well. Emily always thought Gillian would make the perfect mother, and wondered what her life would have been like if Alec had been gone sooner, or if she hadn't dedicated so much of her life to the Lightman Group. Emily also knew that her own development had been heavily influenced by Gillian's presence. Less of a mother and more like a big sister, Gillian was Emily's role model, and she made Emily feel grown up when her parents were still trying to baby her.

In the same vein, Gillian had always considered Emily as close as family. Deep in her heart, it often felt like having a daughter, but Gillian rarely allowed herself to daydream about that. She was definitely proud of Emily, and considered it a privilege being able to watch her grow up and become a young woman. Especially considering who she had for birth parents.

"How does it feel to finally be on your own?" Gillian asked. She looked up from stirring, and Emily turned from her frying pan and looked over her shoulder.

"It's kind of amazing. Better than the dorms, at least. I didn't mind living with my dad, but..."

"It's different." said Gillian with a knowing smile.

"Do you like it?" Emily asked, pushing the sizzling bits of hamburger around in the pan absent-mindedly. She glanced at Gillian. "Living on your own, I mean."

"It gets lonely sometimes." Gillian admitted. "But it's nice to have that safe haven at the end of the day, when you really need to be alone."

Emily nodded, thoughtful.

"I'm really proud of you, Emily."

The younger of the women looked at her mentor, surprise and gratitude written all over her features. "Thanks." she said. "That means a lot coming from you."

"Really?"

"Of course! In case you hadn't noticed, I've been trying to emulate your fabulousness since I was ten years old."

"My 'fabulousness'?" Gillian echoed, saying it, ironically, in a very fabulous way. She didn't believe it, though she was quite flattered.

"You're very fabulous." Emily told her. "I once designed a five point plan with one of my friends, how to break into your house and steal all of your clothes."

Gillian grinned. "That's sweet. I would have given you anything from my closet."

"I don't think I would have filled out your clothes." Emily glanced down at her own body. "I still wouldn't."

"I think some of them would look wonderful on your figure."

"They look best on yours." Emily insisted, nodding sagely.

Preparations complete, Gillian let Emily assemble the lasagna. They put it in the oven and set a timer, leaving them nothing to do but talk until the rest of the party arrived.

"This will time out perfectly," remarked Emily. "The other guest should get here right when it's done..."

Gillian thought she heard Emily say 'guest' in the singular, but she didn't think much of it at the time.

"Do you want me to wash anything?" Gillian offered.

"Absolutely not." said Emily. She reached into the fridge, and came back to the kitchen counter with a bottle of white wine. "You like this kind, right?"

Gillian's eyes lit up. "Yes, that's my favorite." She smirked at Emily, suspicious. "How did you get this?" she asked, since Emily was still under the drinking age.

"I have my ways." Emily said coyly.

"Of course you do." Gillian said in a playfully sarcastic way that expressed her delight and approval.

"I was trying to remember the kind my dad always keeps at his house for you."

A funny feeling came over Gillian when Emily put it that way. A warm feeling. She'd never thought of it that way, that he was keeping it there for her. She'd always figured it was her favorite because it reminded her of being at Cal's.

"That's the one..." Gillian murmured.

Emily didn't notice. She was looking around the kitchen as if realizing something for the first time.

"I have my ways," said Emily. "But I don't have a bottle opener."

"We'll improvise." said Gillian, not worried in the least. "If there's one thing I learned in college, it was how to get into a bottle of wine."

Emily didn't have wine glasses yet either, but inappropriate drinking vessels would not deter them from enjoying the drink. Emily gave Gillian a peek inside her newly decorated bedroom and the tiny bathroom that connected to it. Then they settled in the living room and waited for others to arrive.

"Okay," said Gillian, setting her elbow on the back of the couch and resting her head in her hand. "Since your father would never willingly discuss this topic, I'll ask you now - have you met any cute college guys?"

"A few..." Emily answered coyly from her over-stuffed arm chair. "See, that's why I like talking to you, Gillian. You'll actually discuss these things with me."

"Well, I understand what it's like to be where you are right now. Your father only sees it from a former twenty-year-old guy's perspective."

"Projecting..." Emily sang, to which Gillian mmhm'd in agreement. "And my mom," Emily continued, folding her legs underneath her. "She just expects me to make all the same mistakes she did, she doesn't approve of anything. Besides this place." Emily added with a shrug.

"Your mother can be...I mean, all mothers can be protective."

"Hmm," Emily pretended to ponder, amused by Gillian's slip. "I think you mean my mother, in particular, can be overbearing."

"Your words." Gillian said innocently. "Not mine."

"It's the thought that counts." Emily reminded her with a verbal wink. "But you treat me like an adult. Like a friend."

"That's how I see you." Gillian said, matter of fact. "And you make it easy. For me, at least."

"I do give my dad trouble, don't I?"

"He's an easy target. You have to remember...you're his first child, his only child, and his only daughter. He doesn't really have a second chance here. He just wants to keep you safe."

"I think that's why I rebel the way I do...I know they see me as their only chance at having a successful kid. I feel the pressure. I know they don't mean to put it on me, but I feel it."

Gillian looked at Emily, marveling at her youthful wisdom. She tried to remember if she was ever that self aware, at age nineteen or years later.

"They have absolutely nothing to worry about." said Gillian.

"Would you mind mentioning that to them?" Emily asked. "A few hundred times?"

"I will." Gillian promised. After a moment of consideration, she amended the promise. "Well. I'll tell your father."

"Yeah, no need to bother my mom with any of this. I think she resents how close we are. Correction, I know she resents how close we are."

A smile formed inside Gillian's mind, but she was too polite to show it.

"That's what she gets for moving to Chicago." Emily said with another shrug. She sighed, and they both took a sip of wine. "Anyway, I think my dad could have another chance."

Gillian's brow furrowed slightly. "At what? Having another child?"

"Yeah." Emily's smile turned downright mischievous, though she was trying to hide it.

"Well." Gillian looked into her drinking glass. She smiled too, for different reasons. "He'd need a willing partner for that." She looked up at Emily with an evil twinkle in her eye. "They aren't exactly lining up at his door these days."

Emily giggled at Gillian's jab. It was true, Emily saw it too. The women Cal chose to spend his time with weren't the settle-down-and-start-a-second-family type. But Emily also knew exactly why Cal went for those types of women. He was saving himself.

Emily lifted her glass, hiding behind it, and waited until Gillian was taking another sip.

"I meant with you." said Emily.

Gillian nearly choked. She definitely blushed. She used the nearly choking to stall for time, clearing her throat and patting her chest while she thought of how to explain the way their world worked. Emily was very patient, of course. She had no desire to change the subject now.

"Emily..." Gillian started in a regretful tone, like she wanted to let her down easy.

"It wouldn't just be to take the pressure off of me," Emily jokingly reassured her. "I think it would be good for both of you."

"I think..." Gillian said slowly, searching for the words. "It's far more complicated than that."

Emily tilted her head to the side, resting it on the back of the chair in which she'd curled up. "Why?" she asked, challenging her the way a child would.

Gillian thought she had a million reasons why she and Cal could never be together, but they were impossible to list. The logic was blurry. She couldn't sort it anymore. Where had all her reasons gone? She just couldn't imagine it working out. Or she wouldn't imagine it. It wasn't safe to daydream about those things.

"It's..." Gillian trailed off again before saying anything meaningful.

Emily smiled triumphantly, remembering a very similar conversation she'd had with her father not so long ago. It was like the lasagna. The pasta was cooked. The ingredients were ready. It just had to be put together by someone who knew what they were doing.

A knock at the door, and Gillian thought she was saved.

"Ah," Emily said, setting her glass of wine on an old, used coffee table. "The other guest has arrived."

With renewed confusion - and amusement - Gillian turned in her seat and watched as Emily went to the door. The funny feeling - the warm feeling - returned as Gillian watched Emily and Cal greet each other. He hugged her, gave her a hard kiss on the forehead and immediately started teasing her about her new apartment.

"I'm working with a budget, here." Emily reminded him, a dig at his lack of financial involvement.

"And it turned out lovely, hasn't it?" said Cal. He gazed at his daughter, and it was obvious to Gillian that he was quite proud of her. He was also tickled by the look Emily was giving him. Teasing her always took precedence.

"Anyway," Emily said very slowly. "The party can officially begin!" she announced to her two guests. "Everyone is here."

Cal turned to see who the lovely lady was, seated on Emily's couch. A look of love came over his features, and Gillian realized with an intense emotional lurch that she was still very much in love with him, no matter how much emotional distance she tried to keep between them.

They greeted each other wordlessly, with smiles and longing gazes.

Then Cal realized what Emily said.

"Are you serious?" he said, turning to his daughter. "You really couldn't trick any other friends into coming over here?"

"I wanted my first gathering here to be a family dinner." said Emily. "And you guys are my family here. In DC."

Emily caused a rare sight indeed - a speechless Cal. He regarded her with a look of pride, and Gillian thought she could see gratitude in there as well, when he reached up and gave Emily's shoulder a squeeze. Something only Cal and Emily were privy to, Gillian guessed. Some previous conversation that was relevant to the current situation. If Emily was so forward with Gillian, discussing her imagined courtship between Gillian and Cal, then she must have broached the subject with her father at some point...

"Do you want something to drink?" Emily asked her dad.

"I'll have what she's having." Cal pointed to Gillian's glass as she left the couch and approached them.

"Be right back." said Emily. "You guys can sit, dinner's almost ready."

She left for the kitchen, leaving the other two alone. They smiled at each other, sharing in the experience of falling victim to Emily's trickery.

"You have a very crafty daughter." said Gillian.

"Don't I know it." said Cal, the penetrating look in his eyes melting Gillian like nothing else could. "No idea where she gets it from."

"Right." Gillian said sarcastically. Cal moved in for a hug, wrapping his arms around her waist, tucking his chin gently into her shoulder. It made Gillian glad she'd left her wine glass on the coffee table. She returned the hug, hesitant at first, but in the end quite completely.

"Come over to my place after this?" Cal murmured quietly as they pulled away from each other. Gillian nodded.

"Shall I leave you two alone?" Emily's voice called suggestively from the kitchen. She was peeking around the wall opening, smiling as if she knew a little too much.

"You shall serve us dinner." said Cal. Gillian chuckled and joined him at Emily's modest dining table, situated in the nebulous, uncarpeted area between kitchen and living room. They were ready to enjoy some cheesy, warm, fully cooked lasagna.