"I have a question"
"Uh Oh" Cal said looking at his daughters face "what's that look mean?"
"Gillian, do you love her?" Emily asked her Dad.
"'Cause I do darling, 'cause I love her"
"No, I mean, really love her?"
"Yeah" Cal replied,
Emily moved closer to her Dad, he wrapped an arm around her "What are you waiting for?"
"I don't have an answer for that one, luv" he said, but truth be told he knew exactly why. What if he had things wrong, what if he lost her friendship, or worse, what if he lost his partner?
"Don't lie to me"
"You know I don't do that" he said trying t hide the smirk in his voice
"It's simple, you love her she loves you so what are you doing here?"
Cal didn't say anything, for once in his life he didn't know what to say.
Suddenly Emily stood up, grabbed the house phone pressed speed dial 1 and handed the phone to her Dad.
"What am I meant to do with this?"
"It's a phone, you speak in here, you listen here."
"Funny Em, funny"
"Just say hello" And with that Emily turned and walked away.
He was going to protest but he heard Gill answer the phone "hello?"
"Hey Foster, are you drunk?"
"You got that from one word" she slurred.
"Yeah, I'm coming over"
Before she had chance to say anything the line went dead.
He didn't bother knocking on her door; he used the spare key she had given him for emergencies. This was an emergency his best friend was upset and drunk and Gillian and alcohol didn't really go together that well.
Cal found her curled up on the sofa, glass of wine in hand.
"Hey" he said taking of his coat and sitting down beside her.
"You didn't have to come"
"I know"
Cal rested his arm along the back of the sofa and just tilted his head so he could look at Gil properly, he didn't need to say anything, she moved to sit next to him for the second time that day.
"You want to talk about it luv?"
"Not really"
"ok"
"Can you…" Gillian began, but even in her slightly drunken state she knew this was a bad idea
Cal put a finger under her chin and lifted her head slightly so he could look in to her eyes "Can I what luv?"
"It's nothing, forget it"
"Tell me"
"Hold me?" she asked her voice barely more than a whisper.
"Anytime pet, anytime"
Gillian started crying "she didn't deserve that"
Cal took the wine from her hand before she spilt it "No, she didn't, and neither do you. You did everything you could including catching the guy who did that to her"
"Doesn't stop me feeling guilty"
"You got nothing to feel guilt about"
"I let her die Cal, don't you get it I let her die" she said her voice beginning to rise.
He knew she was drunk and it was the alcohol making her like this but that didn't stop him "Bloody hell luv will you stop it, you did not let her die." He said his voice rising in volume to match hers.
Gillian stood up and started pacing "I didn't get to her in time, I couldn't stop the bleeding Cal, I killed her"
Cal stood as well "You didn't kill her"
"But I let her die" she said her voice trembling.
"No love you didn't"
"Will you stop arguing with me"
"No"
"Christ Cal, why do I put up with you?"
"Don't know luv, why do you?"
"Don't know, why do you put up with me?"
Lightman smiled a croocked "answering a question with a question that's deflection"
"Don't analyse me" Gillian said. After a couple of seconds pause she addedd "I'll answer if you will" she said starting to sober up.
"Alright, you want to know why I like having you around."
She gulped dreading the answer "yes"
"I bloody love you Foster"