A DAY LIKE ANY OTHER DAY

I had worked on this little one-shot for the last few days. It is a birthday pressie for halleyfarrot29. R&R!

Disclaimer: I don't own Lie To Me or any of the characters, but every of you already knows that. :)

And a special thanks for pjstillnoon (who took the time to BETA this story).

Today has been an exceptional day. Gillian's birthday.

I thought really hard about what to give her. I wanted something really special that would show her how much she means to me. So I decided on jewelry. I bought a ring; the engagement kind, the kind that says forever and one day. It's stupid but I want to mark her in some way so that everyone knows she's mine. A little possessive and macho, I know, but I can't help it. No other woman has ever made me feel that way, not even Zoe. It really scares me sometimes when I think about what I would do for her, to protect her, to prove to her my undying love. Gillian is so not like any woman. Well let's just be honest, it's not every woman who could put up with me. Gillian is special, different, unique, mine. I spent seven years looking for that someone who would put my heart on fire and she had always been right in front of me the whole time. So I wanted to buy something that would tell her how glad I am she waited. And I found the perfect ring. Well at least it is for me! A white gold ring with two arms 2 mm wide, set with diamonds intertwining on the top of it to form a lying eight. The symbol of infinity. Just like our love.

Forever and more.

From our second date I knew that I would be with her forever. I say the second because the first one had been awkward and weird and uncomfortable. It had been so bad that I didn't think she'd ever agree to a second. But this is Gillian we're talking about! She waited so many years for me to stop hiding and running. One bad date couldn't have frightened her off. The second date had been amazing. Probably the best date I had ever been on, until now.

Gillian and I have been a couple for one year now and she just moved in with Emily and me six months ago. I can still vividly remember how ecstatic Emily had been when I had formulated my want and asked her opinion. Gillian has always been an integral and important part in my daughter's life and Emily has always loved her like a second mom. So she had immediately accepted Gillian's permanent moving-in. That day, like a family, the three of us had gone to Gillian's apartment and had packed all her things – her books, her music collection, her DVDs, her clothes, her kitchenware, her linens, and every of her personal stuff. We had spent a fantastic day packing, laughing, commenting and teasing her about her eclectic tastes. When we had finally come back home with all her boxes, we had collapsed on our couch, exhausted but smiling and light-hearted.

Therefore, like I was saying before, today has been an exceptional day. Gillian's birthday! This morning, I deliberately left the house before she woke up, after having stuck 'Happy birthday - I Love You - xo' notes on the bathroom's mirror, on the door of the fridge, in her favorite mug, on her car's keys, and on the front door.

As I impatiently waited for her arrival at work, I checked every surveillance camera set up in every nook of the Lightman Group. I wanted to be able to track her down and to monitor every move of Gillian in the building.

When she finally walked in, I wasn't able to resist zooming in on her elegant figure. She was wearing a pink shirt and cardigan with a black pencil skirt hitting her just at the knees. The outfit was very lovely, hugging her curves in all the right places. I delightfully undressed her with my eyes as she approached Heidi's desk, her hips swinging, her calf muscles tightened with each step.

Gillian stopped in front of the reception desk to greet Heidi. Our secretary might have wished her a happy birthday because suddenly Gillian's face lit up even more than usual, a massive smile showing all her teeth and her cheeks blushing. God how cute was she! I had asked Heidi to tell Gillian I wouldn't be in the building all day long. This morning, when I had reached the Lightman Group, I hadn't parked my car in its reserved parking space, but a little further away so that Gillian wouldn't possibly seen it. I needed to be able to freely observe her without intermission. Why? Might you be wondering? Well let's just say I wanted to make her miss me. My big plan was to make her realize how much a day without each other was absolutely unbearable, how much a day away from each other was a dull and gloomy day. I'm sure she already knew that but today being that special day, I wanted her to remember that feeling. I know I could have chosen a less sadistic and drastic way to make her aware of our undying link and our vital need of each other, but I'm not Cal Lightman for nothing! I'm known for having a tormented, complex – sometimes even strange and odd – mind. But I don't care what people think about me because according to my smart, lovely, beautiful lover, underneath that layer, beneath that pretence, she thinks I have an amazing, funny, interesting mind. Well, she had even called me sexy once, when she had been playing a suspect, hadn't she?

After having checked through the daytime scheduled appointments and the mail with Heidi, Gillian went to her office, but not without glancing at my closed office door, her face showing disappointment and an ounce of sadness. God only knows how much self-control I needed not to run out of my office and envelop her in a bear hug.

Once in her sanctuary, she spent about two hours working on her computer. Paperwork! How much do I despise it! Thank God, Gillian is here to take care of it! Isn't she the most wonderful woman on this planet? What could I do without her? Anyway. She had just a little break to pamper her tastebuds with chocolate pudding. I fascinatedly watched her savoring every mouthful, greedily licking the spoon after each one of them. Guilty pleasure was written all over her beautiful face, a huge smile having taken residence once again on it. She was looking as ravishing as her pudding.

Sometime later, she headed towards the Lab adjacent to the Cube where Eli Loker had been busied himself analyzing videos. He looked up from the screen, turned his head towards her, discreetly glancing her up and down. I'm gonna kill him. How dare he ogle MY woman?! I'M THE ONLY ONE ALLOWED TO DO THAT! He definitely has a death wish because right now I can tell you Loker is a dead man! So that traitor wished my treasure a happy birthday and probably told her a joke because suddenly she shrieked in laughter, her eyes shining with a playful twinkle. That was when Ria entered the room, greeting Gillian with a joyful "happy birthday" and a friendly kiss on the cheek.

That's how I spent all my day, looking at my beloved one, zooming in on her face (and her body) to study her expressions. Sometimes she had shown happiness, pleasure, plenitude and other times – especially after she had looked at my closed door - longing, sadness, emptiness.

Around 5 p.m, bored and in need of Gillian's company, affection and touch, I decided to come out of my hiding place. Nonchalantly as if nothing had happened, I entered her room and placed a cup of tea in front of her. She raised her head, studied me and greeted me with a: "You look like hell Cal. Didn't you get enough sleep, last night?" She winked at me and smirked when she saw the look of shock cross my face. "Gotcha," she gave me her sweetest smile, pleased with herself to have caught me out. Then, with all the grace that characterizes me, I collapsed on her couch.

"Where have you been all day long?" She asked me after a little moment of silence.

"Oh you know, busy up hill and down dale," I smirked.

"Really? Which case were you working on?"

"Oh a very important one, trust me on that!" I answered her, mischievously and mysteriously.

"Whatever," she replied unconvincingly.

Okay now I have to put my plan into action. "C'mon Gillian, enough work for today. Let's get out of here and let's go home!" I offered her, leaping up from her couch, taking her coat and holding it out to her. She eventually turned her computer off, rose up from her chair, went round her desk and in a feline way, walked towards me, a huge smile on her face. I helped her put her coat on and when she turned back to me, she gently pecked my lips.

"Thanks. Oh and also thank you for the lovely notes you left me this morning. I missed you today! So very much!" She stuck out her bottom lip in a pout and I couldn't resist kissing her again.

Once at home, Gillian disappeared to shower and change her clothes. I sat on the couch, drank my bottle of beer and ordered our favorite Chinese food. Then I discreetly went upstairs in our bedroom to get her present. I looked at the little box, already imagining my new life with Gillian. The sound of the doorbell jerked me out of my thoughts and I rushed downstairs to get the food. I placed the food boxes on the coffee table and ran to the kitchen to get a bottle of champagne and two glasses.

A few minutes later, Gillian came down the stairs, wearing silk pajamas that clung in all the right places. God, she is beautiful! Can I skip dinner and just have dessert right now? Come on, Cal, focus. You need to focus!

I cleared my throat. "Dinner's ready if you're hungry, luv," I poured us our drinks and offered her one, as she sat next to me on the couch. We ate in comfortable silence, making small talk.

When dinner was over, I leaned toward her, her scent catching in my nose and making its way to every single part of my body. I pressed my body tightly against hers, descended upon her mouth and crushed my lips to hers. Gillian's hand snaked up into my hair and she opened her mouth, giving my tongue access to hers. The kiss was deep and languid, neither willing to stop to even catch our breaths. Gillian moaned and shivered at my touch. When our lungs couldn't stand it anymore, I broke the kiss. Nibbling at her earlobe, I whispered a "happy birthday" in her ear before slowly pushing back. I rose from the couch, went to our bookshelf and pulled an envelope out of a book. Intrigued, Gillian was watching my every movement, taking a sip of her champagne. I nervously handed her the envelope. She sat her glass down and delicately unsealed it. She seemed so anxious when she opened the card and read what was written on it.

Gillian,

I remember our first kiss. I believe that I will remember it for the rest of my life. To finally touch you, hold you, was more than I had ever imagined. I never knew, until you, what love really was. I knew like and respect and even lust but love escaped me. My relationship with Zoe has always been based on lust, domination, and arguments. But my relationship with you has always been so healthier, so magical, so easy. I want to take this time to say thank you for bringing trust and happiness to me, for bringing this desire to put your needs before my own, this desire to see you happy and safe, this desire to see your face every day when I awake and every night when I go to sleep. You have given my life a whole new meaning. I apologize if it sounds rubbish but you know, I'm not always the most eloquent man.

Do you remember the day you moved in into my house? Our house? I for sure will never forget the feelings of completeness, of togetherness, of plenitude, of contentment I experienced. Suddenly, I knew what I had been missing. My existence was morose and lonely. You brought me warmth and a little chaos. But I wouldn't have it any other way. I would never want to lose the joy I feel when I walk into our home and know that you are there waiting for me. Thank you, my love.

You're my best found friend, my companion, my guide, the love of my life, my one and only, my everything, the yin to my yang.

Like Barry White sings, you're:

My first, my last, my everything,
And the answer to all my dreams.
You're my sun, my moon, my guiding star.
My kind of wonderful, that's what you are.

I know there's only, only one like you
There's no way they could have made two.
You're, you're all I'm living for
Your love I'll keep for evermore.
You're the first, my last, my everything.

In you I've found so many things,
A love so new, only you could bring.
Can't you see if you,
You'll make me feel this way,
You're like a first morning dew on a brand new day.

I see so many ways that I can love you,
'Till the day I die...
You're my reality, yet I'm lost in a dream.
You're my first, my last, my everything.

I know there's only one, only one like you
There's no way they could have made two.
Girl, you're my reality.
But I'm lost in a dream,
You're the first, you're the last, my everything.

Happy 40th Birthday.

Love, Cal xxx.

I chose to write my feelings and thoughts on paper because I knew I would not be able to articulate a single word when the time came. And I was right! I was so nervous at that exact moment. My hands were sweating, my heart was wildly beating in my chest. My mouth seemed dry; I struggled to swallow. I felt like my lungs were inexorably empty and had no ability to fill up. I had waited so long for this moment to come. And here we were! Right now, I can tell you I wasn't feeling like the indestructible deception detection expert but more like a scared, shitty scamp.

My eyes roamed over her, taking in the tears trailing down her cheeks and the tremor in her hands. Walking forward, I stopped just short of touching her. "Are you okay?"

She nodded and sniffled, her eyes never leaving my face. "Gillian," I said, "I love you and I want to be with you every day for the rest of my life. Everything in that letter came from my heart. Today, it's a special day. You're turning 40. You're beginning a new decade and I would love to begin it with you. I want this present day to be a turning point in our life, a life where you're my wife," I sat next to her, reached out and wiped the tears from her cheeks. Putting my hand in my jeans pocket, I nervously pulled out a little black square box with a little red bow on it. Holding it up, I opened the box and asked, "Gillian Foster, will you marry me?"

Gillian's mouth moved but no sound came out. Tears flowed down her face and her whole body was shaking. Unable to say anything, she finally nodded and flung herself into my arms, burying her face in my neck while I placed soft kisses on top of her head. Pulling back she held out her hand and said, "Yes, Cal! I'll marry you! I love you too so much! Put it on for me, please," I slid the symbol of our relationship onto her shaking ring finger and kissed it before claiming her lips.

Today has been an exceptional day. Gillian's 40th birthday. A day I will never ever forget! The day she agreed to become my wife! The day I hadn't dared dream about for fear of being disappointed.

But when we made love later that night, I knew it wasn't a dream. The love of my life was finally and forever by my side. What a brand-new day!

THE END.

Happy birthday, sweetie. Hope you enjoyed it!