A/N: Standard disclaimer: I don't own Lie To Me or any of the characters, so please don't sue me.
Confession time! I really love the whole ipod shuffle concept - big kudos to the brilliant mind that thought that one up. And to help pass the time at work a few days ago, I tried it myself. But sadly, no... not gonna work for me. My daughter has filled my playlists with tons of songs from Nickelodeon and Disney Channel, and once I got a few of those on random shuffle, I knew I'd never be able to follow the challenge rules. Fast forward to today, when I wasn't even thinking of drabbles or ipod challenges or much of anything Callian at all other than a second chapter to my first story. And out of no where, I got hit with a handful of drabbles. They were all inspired by a song, but not in the same capacity as the ipod shuffle challenge. So I decided to post them here, and I hope to update pretty frequently. I'm not sure all of the one-shots in this group will be song-inspired but I'll be sure to credit the source if they are. Thanks again for humoring me and reading along!
Chapter / drabble #1 was inspired by the song "Crash" by Safetysuit.
Terrified. That was the only word to describe it, really. It was like his whole body had moved in slow motion in those few seconds, even though he knew otherwise. He'd felt the asphalt under his feet, his legs and lungs burning as he ran toward her. Had the car even stopped moving before he jumped from the seat? But still it felt like he'd fought through some kind of thick, paralyzing sludge trying to reach her. Pushing faster, harder, screaming - utterly terrified. And it had all been in the nick of time; it chilled him to think how close he'd come to losing her. But she was alive and safe and there with him, in his arms.
He sat in the middle of the street, cradling her against his chest, rocking mindlessly back and forth and rubbing circles across her shoulders as she cried. "I promise you I won't leave, Gill. You're safe now… you're safe." He spoke the words again and again like a prayer, unsure which of them it comforted more.
Reynolds had insisted on an ambulance… but no, he would not wait. They would take her themselves, less red tape that way – less time to be wasted. It had been Reynolds who quite literally had to pry him away from her when they finally arrived. And it had been Reynolds who spoke for him, explaining to each of the doctors that the only injuries were hers, that he was fine – shaken, but physically unharmed. Yes, Cal would stay with Gillian, and no, they really did not want to piss him off. Not tonight, anyway. Tonight he would do whatever he damn well pleased – to hell with protocol.
He sat on the edge of her bed, only bits and pieces of their conversation edging in through his exhaustion. Some silly little quip about knowing she'd look good in black and blue, just trying to make her smile. And then she said it – the words he remembers now, months later, just as clear as if it had been moments before: "You get hit and it's okay? But I get hit and we're just supposed to throw in the towel?"
Just like that, everything clicked. And it was okay to feel again, to breathe and to hurt and to seethe with anger… all of it was okay then, because he knew she would be alright.