Title: More

Author: thousand-miles

Disclaimer: Don't own any of this

Rating: K+

Spoilers: Season 1, Blinded

Summary: Sequel to Safe. You don't have to read that one to understand this one, but it would explain some things. It seemed so natural for her to be there with him and Emily. He liked it. He had always been drawn to her, right from the first meeting.

A/N: So after writing Safe I felt the need to write some more and felt there was still more to say after Safe. So I did. I've written about three chapters so far. I make no promises for updates. This is angst combined with comfort and romance. I like the idea of this sweet, caring Cal Lightman who takes care of Gillian. And I decided that Emily should have a part too because i like the interaction between Emily and Gillian. English is not my native language, but I try no to make too many mistakes. Reviews would be greatly appreciated. And a big thank you goes out to my beta, Chris, who's helped me out a lot!

Chapter one

"Will you please come with me, Gillian?" Emily Lightman was sitting on the couch in her office.

"What about your mother?"

"She'll be at work and I need a dress for Jessie's party. Please?" Emily tried again.

Gillian hesitated. She enjoyed spending time with Emily and she loved to shop. All in all there was no reason not to go. But she didn't want to intrude. After all she was just a business partner. "What about your dad?"

Emily rolled her eyes. "Seriously, he'd be complaining the entire time about how long it's taking, the dress will either be too short, to revealing, too dark, or too bright. No, I'd rather not have a new dress than go shopping with my dad. I only need his credit card."

She smiled. It was true. Cal would be grumpy the entire trip. She couldn't let that happen and the fact was, she wanted to go. "I'd love to join you."

Emily jumped up from the couch, walked over to Gillian and gave her a quick hug. "Thank you! Can you come pick me up? We'll do lunch first and then we'll go shopping."

"No problem. I'll see you tomorrow, okay?"

"Thanks again, Gillian." Emily was about to leave her office, when Cal walked in. He looked from his daughter to his best friend and partner, back to his daughter. They were up to something.

"What's going on, ladies?"

"Gillian's going to come shopping for a dress with me tomorrow. Gotta go. Bye." Emily gave her father a hug too before she left.

"You know." Cal began as he walked further into Gillian's office. "You don't have to go with her if you don't want to. She can get a bit…pushy when she's excited and shopping always gets her excited."

Gillian smiled at Cal. Ever since the Jenkins' copycat attack, he'd been her rock. While she dealt with the aftermath of that attack and her failing marriage that ended in divorce, he'd been there to comfort her whenever she needed it He never pushed, but always let her know that he was there. After her divorce had been finalized, their friendship had grown. They spend more time together at work, after hours. He checked up on her more. They shared more moments together in their offices. But they hardly spent time together outside the office. She'd spend an occasional evening at his house, sharing dinner with him and Emily. But never an evening alone with him. She wondered why that was. Didn't he want to spend more time together? Or did he have another reason? She wasn't sure. But she also wasn't sure how she felt. She'd found out that Cal had gone back to Zoe for a short while. It made her doubt what the next step should be. After all she was no Zoe and his tendency to go back and forth with his ex-wife made her insecure. "She wasn't pushy, besides I like spending time with her. Unless you mind?"

"Of course not. She loves spending time with you too. It's okay to say no though." He watched her for a moment. She looked great in her dark blue skirt and white blouse. She was a beautiful woman and it was a fact that never escaped him. His Gillian, that's what he allowed himself to call her in his mind, was extraordinary. He thought about the line more often lately. It had been put in place to keep some things private and prevent each other from reading one another. But he'd always wanted to cross it, because he'd always been drawn to Gillian. However, he wasn't sure though if Gillian was ready. She was only just divorced. These last couple of months had been a whirlwind of emotions for her. If he was going to put his heart on the line, he needed to know she wasn't still dealing with her feelings from the divorce. Right after the divorce her emotions had been all over the place. There were times when she would close off from everything and everybody and there were days when she was the life of the party. Lately though she was back to the Gillian he knew and loved. Which made him think about taking that next step. However, he wasn't going to be the rebound guy. He wanted to be the right guy, her only guy. Those thoughts, that insecurity was what led him back to his ex-wife. Something he truly regretted. It was the reason why he'd kept Gillian at arms length. But he wanted to change that. He wanted to see what they could be. He needed to know if his gut feeling that they belonged together was right. "Would you like to stay for dinner after you and Emily finish shopping? It would be my way of thanking you for getting me out of a shopping trip."

She gave him her soft smile. "I'd love to."

After picking Emily up the following day, the two women first enjoyed a nice lunch together. Waiting for their food to come, they talked about whatever came to mind.

"I'm so happy you wanted to come. Not just because I need a woman's opinion but also because I like spending time with you. " She truly did. She liked Gillian. Always had, even if her mother seemed to dislike her father's partner. Gillian listened to her, treated her as an equal. She knew her dad liked Gillian a lot. She didn't quite know why he didn't do anything about it. When it came to Gillian, her father seemed unsure maybe even insecure. That was quite something, considering he never lacked confidence. She didn't know how Gillian felt. Now that she was divorced there finally was a chance for them to get together. Gillian was good for her father. They were yin and yang, they balanced each other and most of all, they belonged together. "I was wondering how you are, Gillian. Are you doing better?"

"I am actually. I'm enjoying life. I feel like myself again and that feels great. I kinda lost my way during and shortly after the divorce."

"Do you miss Alec?"

Gillian thought about that for a moment. "No, I don't miss him, but I do feel lonely sometimes. After being together for so long and now being on my own. I sometimes miss having someone around."

"You can come over to us anytime you feel like that. I wish you'd come over more often anyway. You're always welcome. "

"Thank you, that's sweet. I don't want to intrude though."

"You never intrude. We both love to have you around. You know dad's always happier with you around."

Emily decided to take a bit of a risk by telling Gillian what she thought. "I think you're good for him, and…I think he could be good for you too." Emily rambled on. "You know he lights up every time he sees you. Don't you see that?" She paused for a moment, hoping the words would sink in. "He tells me you're his best friend. He's a good man, Gillian. He doesn't trust easy, but he trusts you. Doesn't that tell you enough?" Emily looked around for a moment, collecting her thoughts. "He won't admit it, you know. I asked him once. He denied it. I could tell he was lying. Guess he's not ready yet." She sighed. "I hate it that he went back to mom even if it was only for a short while. They think I don't know, but I did. They're not good for each other. Don't know why they can't see that. I can't deal with the arguments. I…" She looked at her father's best friend, hoping for some clarity.

Gillian didn't know how to respond. She knew Cal had gone back to his ex-wife for a while. She knew the routine. She hated that he sought her out every once in a while, but she was in no position to say anything. She was only there to pick up the pieces. Like she'd done so many times before. It was one of those things that made her unsure of what was the right thing to do for them.

"I really don't know what to say, Emily." She started after the waitress brought them their order. "Your dad and I, we're…." What were they to each other? Best friends, business partners. "I really don't know. I've only been divorced for a short time now. I've just started getting my life back together. I don't know what the future holds. Your father, he's my best friend. He'll always be in my life. Of that I have no doubt. However in what capacity? I don't know. Things are never as easy as they seem."

"He loves you. Don't you love him?"

That was a loaded question and she didn't really know the answer. She wasn't sure. "I…Like I said, he's my best friend. Of course I love him."

"No, Gillian. That's not what I mean and you know it."

She should have known Emily was going to call her on that. After all she was her father's daughter. "I don't have a simple answer for that one. I honestly don't."

"Okay. " For Emily that was all she needed. Given time and if her father behaved, she thought they would get together. In the end, you simply couldn't deny fate at least that was her opinion. "I want him to be happy and he's happiest when he's with you."

After lunch their shopping trip began and it ended successfully. Emily found a dress for her friend's party. It was a nice purple, knee length dress, with small straps and a flower embellishment. Taking Gillian's advice she'd also bought new shoes complimented her dress. Gillian had also found a new dress. Hers was royal blue, with wider straps than Emily's dress. It showed a bit more cleavage, but not too much so she could still wear it to work. She really liked the way it flowed as she walked. With this dress and the new shoes she bought, she was ready for spring to finally begin.

The two women were laughing as they entered the Lightman residence. It was a bit later than planned because they'd gone for drinks after their shopping trip. They'd deserved it was what they'd said to Cal when he'd called them.

"Seems like you two ladies had a good time." Cal said as he watched the two enter his house. He smiled. He liked to see Gillian and Emily together. "It appears your shopping was successful, huh." He looked at the shopping bags in their hands.

"It was great, dad." Emily greeted her father with a kiss on the cheek. "We had a lot of fun and we found a great dress."

"Is there still money left for necessities like food and drinks?" Cal asked his daughter even though his eyes were on Gillian. There was a sparkle in her eyes and he liked seeing it. It had been too long.

"And Gillian bought a beautiful dress too. You've gotta see it, dad."

He wouldn't mind seeing that dress at all, he thought. "Well you two can give me a fashion show later. First it's time to eat. Okay? I waited forever for you two."

He waited for Gillian to put her bags down and when she joined him, he put his hand on the small of her back and guided her to his kitchen. Not that she needed guidance; she knew where the kitchen was. But he wanted the contact, wanted to feel her nearby. "Did she behave herself?" He softly asked.

She smiled at him and patted his arm. "Yes, Cal she did. Unlike you, she knows how to behave in public. We had a great time."

He stopped and looked at her, really looked. She looked beautiful and he was so happy to see that sparkle back in her captivating blue eyes. He was glad his daughter had helped put it there, though part of him wanted it to be him that brought that sparkle to her eyes. Not wanting to get caught staring he knew he had to say something. "I'm glad." Was all he could manage to say, not even responding to her teasing.

Dinner at Cal's was always enjoyable. Not only was the food great, this time he'd prepared an Indian curry, she enjoyed the banter between father and daughter. She liked to watch their interaction. She liked to see this side of him. He was such a great father. When he was around Emily he was so much softer, so much more caring, gentler even. She was glad she was allowed to see this side of him. Sometimes she even wondered what it would be like to be on the receiving end of that side of him. Other times she wondered what it would be like to be part of his family. She liked to just sit there and listen and that was what she did. She however couldn't ignore the bit of sadness that crept up. If Sophie hadn't been taken away, she would have had a family every day.

Cal kept sneaking glances at Gillian during dinner. It was something he did whenever she was in the room. It seemed so natural for her to be there with him and Emily. He liked it. He had always been drawn to her, right from the first meeting. But he'd been married and he ignored the attraction.

The three of them finished dinner and cleaned up. Cal made coffee for Gillian and Emily and a cup of tea for himself. They settled down in the living room and Cal wanted to know more about their day.

"Gillian knows the best stores, dad."

"I bet she does." He wasn't surprised. Gillian always dressed impeccably. "So how much did this trip cost me?"

"Dad!" Emily glared at her father. "Wait till you see it, it's worth every cent, right Gillian?"

He smiled, pleased that he'd gotten a reaction from his daughter. He looked at Gillian who smiled at well.

"It's a beautiful dress, Emily. Why don't you show it? He'll be stunned."

Gillian waited for Emily to leave before she turned to Cal and shook her head.

"What?" He tried to go for innocence but failed.

"You know what."

"You had a good day, luv?" He asked, changing the subject. He was glad to be alone with her for a moment.

"Yeah, we had fun. You have a great daughter."

"That I do." He said proudly. "Don't know who she got that from, not from me or Zoe."

"There's a lot of you in her, but luckily she has manners." She smirked.

"Hey!" He smiled, enjoying their banter. It was nice to be able to spend a part of his Saturday with her.

"So what do you think?" Emily asked as she walked back into the living room, wearing her new dress and shoes.

Cal was silent. She looked beautiful. His little girl was growing up. "You look beautiful luv." He walked over to her and hugged her. "I don't care what it cost. It's well worth it."

"Thanks dad." She walked over to Gillian and sat down next to her. "It was Gillian who spotted it. We're going to go shopping again sometime, right?"

"We will. I'm glad you enjoyed it. Now go change or your dress will be all wrinkled."

"Right." Emily stood up. "Oow, you gotta show dad your dress, Gillian." Emily turned to the two adults.

"Yes, please show me your dress." Cal smiled. He wanted to see Gillian in her new dress, would even like it more if his daughter wouldn't be there.

"No, I don't think so."

"Come on Gillian, it's such a beautiful dress. Dad would love to see it." Emily tried again.

"Yes, Gillian, I would." He teased.

"I'm sure you would, but no. Since you didn't pay for it, I don't have to show you."

"If you show me, I'll probably pay for it."

Gillian laughed. "I'm pretty sure you would. But no, I'm not going to model the dress for you here. If you want me to wear it for you, give me a reason to."

For a few seconds Cal was stunned. Before he could say anything, Emily walked back into the room, sat down next to Gillian again and asked if they wanted to watch a movie. He'd heard the question, but didn't answer. His mind was still on Gillian.

Gillian smiled. It wasn't often that Cal Lightman was left speechless. "Maybe some other time, Emily. It's time for me to go home."

"Why? Please stay. We could watch a chick flick. I never get to watch one here. Dad can't seem to shut up whenever I watch one so I usually turn it off. It's better for the both of us. But now with you here, I'm pretty sure he'll behave." Emily glared at her father.

"We'll watch one at my place some time, what do you think about that? Then your dad won't be able to bother us."

"Sounds great." Standing up, Emily walked to Gillian and gave her a hug. "Thanks for today. It was great."

"I'm glad. I had a great time too."

Cal walked her to his front door. He didn't want her to leave. "You don't have to go, Gillian." He tried again.

She hesitated, but it seemed for the best. She knew how much Cal cherished the time he had with his daughter. "I don't want to intrude on your time with Emily. I already spent a big part of the day with her. "

He stepped closer to her, leaving little space between them. "You're never an intrusion, luv. Don't ever think that." His voice was stern. He didn't like that Gillian thought she'd be intruding on his time with his daughter. "You're always welcome. You're part of the family." And she was, maybe not in the way he wanted her to be. He had one more thing to deal with. "How about you show me your dress when we're going out to dinner."

Even though she had challenged him to this, she was still surprised by his invitation and seeing the smile on his face, she guessed showed that. And knowing Cal as well as she did, he wasn't going to let that one slide by.

"What luv, think I would ignore the chance to see you in your new dress?" He stepped even closer, his body almost touching her. "Not a chance, Gill, not a chance." He whispered in her ear before he stepped back. He was pleased with her reaction to his closeness, there'd been a slight shiver and her eyes darkened a bit. Had she always reacted to him in this way and had he not seen it? Or had things changed recently? He didn't know, but her reaction excited him. "Friday, okay?"

Gillian nodded. She briefly touched his arm. "Goodnight, Cal." With a kiss on his cheek, she left him alone at his front door.

TBC...