It's about a month after Claire's death, and The Lightman Group is busy as ever with cases. Emily had spent the previous week in Chicago with her mom. Cal had argued about the lengthy visit during a school week, but Zoe claimed it was all the time she'd have free to spend with her daughter for the next few months due to the pile of huge cases on her desk. Not wanting to argue further, and realizing that meant Emily would not be spending every other weekend out of town, he agreed. Emily had been able to get the week's homework from her teachers before she left the following Friday, promising to work on it while she was away. Now, 2 weeks later, Cal had work as usual, and Emily had a day off of school, so she tagged along to the office. As he stands in the doorway of his library and watches the two most important women in his life laugh and talk comfortably in Gillian's office, he begins to think back on that first night after Emily left.
◊◊◊FLASHBACK: 2 WEEKS EARLIER◊◊◊
Cal and Gillian are in his office talking, about what started out as the case they had just finished, but turned into Emily being gone and Cal left to fend for himself. Gillian is sitting in Cal's chair as if in her office, and he is slouching in the chair in front of his desk. Both are smiling and enjoying the moment of rest.
"So, a whole week without Em, what are you going to do?" Gillian leans forward resting her arms on the desk, her chin in her hand.
"Oi. I'm a big boy, I can take care of myself, thank you very much." He sits straighter.
Gillian says under her breath, but loud enough for Cal to still hear, "That's what I'm afraid of."
"Now that hurts, Gill." feigning hurt. Gillian bursts into laughter at the sight of Cal attempting a pouty lip and puppy dog eyes.
"I'm sorry." Gillian tries to calm down, after a moment she succeeds. Cal smiles as he watches Gillian smile and laugh. It has been too long since he's seen her truly happy. Cal took this as his chance, but for fear of chickening out, he spoke in a bit of a rush.
"You could make it up to me by coming over for dinner."
Gillian leans forward on the desk again, and now gives Cal a look that says 'you think you're so cunning, but I'm on to you', "Just dinner and hanging out?"
Cal leans forward, leaving nothing but the desk between them, "Why do you assume that just 'cause it's me that I have ulterior motives?"
"Because I know you." Gillian raises a hand when she sees he takes a bit of offense, Cal backs down. "That being said, hanging out for dinner isn't out of the ordinary, but you are the type who doesn't like to be alone either."
"Maybe I just want to have a nice dinner at home with a beautiful woman..." Cal does his classic wiggle of his brows. "Who happens to be my best friend, of course."
Gillian is quite aside from offering the response, "Of course." Cal drops the act.
"Alright, I give up. Em and I were going to make these enchilada casserole things before she left, but her mum bought her ticket for an earlier flight so we didn't make 'em..." Gillian stays quiet so he continues. "Well, I was looking forward to it, but it's a lot of work for just one person, and I thought, you gotta eat too, so why don't you come join me?"
Cal waits a bit nervously as Gillian thinks about his offer. After what felt like forever, she slowly nodded, "Okay."
"Okay?"
Gillian nods in affirmation. "Yes... It sounds good. Should I bring anything?"
Cal, is a bit surprised, but relieved. "Uh, some wine might be nice."
"Okay." Gillian gets up and walks around the desk. Cal stands and watches as she walks to the door.
"7 good for you?"
Gillian stops at the doorway and turns to him, "Make it 6:30."
"I won't have dinner done by 6:30. I'll barely be getting started."
Gillian with a sweet smile, "I know. You said it was too much work for one person so I'll come early and help." She slips out the door. "See you at 6:30."
Cal is standing there with a loving grin on his face as he stares a moment longer at the spot where she was standing.
LATER THAT NIGHT
Cal is in the kitchen wearing his floral apron, the various ingredients for dinner spread across the island, while a pot of enchilada sauce and a pan of cooking oil heat up on the stove. A key can be heard in the kitchen door, and seconds later Gillian walks in, closing the door. Cal doesn't seem to notice her presence as he turns from cutting corn tortillas on the island to stirring the pot of sauce on the stove.
"It's not even 6:30, and you started without me?" Gillian goes to set her purse and cardigan in the dinning room. She walks back into the kitchen with a bottle of wine.
Cal turns the heat down on the sauce, turns and picks up the last of the cut tortillas and tosses them in the hot oil to fry up a bit. Gillian tries to slip by him while he's facing the stove, but he turns and they end up face to face only a few inches separating them.
"Oh," Gillian says in surprise and giggles slightly, both laugh, all while their eyes keep flicking from each other's eyes to lips.
"Sorry, darlin'. Just trying to get the tedious bits outta the way." Cal gives Gillian a quick kiss on the corner of her mouth, his wandering gaze is anything but inconspicuous.
"Hmmm". Gillian knows Cal's started their game of flirting with the precious line they so carefully tiptoe, she more then he.
Cal looks down at the bottle of wine she's clutching to her chest. "What's that?"
Cal points to the bottle, Gillian looks down. "Wine."
Cal backs up, turns to the frying pan, "Shall we crack it open?" he takes the tortillas out, puts them on the plate which already has a decent pile of finished tortillas and turns off the heat on the pan. Cal returns to the island and starts cutting half an onion.
"Absolutely." Gillian goes to the cabinet and gets down two wine glasses. She goes to the opposite side of the island and sets the glasses and bottle down. She realizes the bottle opener is in the drawer that Cal is blocking. "Uh, Cal?"
Cal has one eye closed and the other barely open, as his eyes starts watering. "Yea?"
"Would you mind handing me the bottle opener?"
Wiping his watery eyes with his shoulder, "Love to, darlin', but I can't see too well, and the sooner I get this onion chopped the sooner I can stop looking like a crybaby. Come get it, I'll scoot." Cal backs away from the drawer but keeps chopping the onion.
Gillian goes to the other side of the island and pulls the drawer open, she grabs the bottle opener and closes the drawer. Cal steps back forward. Gillian sets the opener on the island beside the bottle of wine, and gets a paper towel to dampen for Cal. She wrings out the excess water and holds the damp towel to Cal's eyes, he stops cutting and sighs in relief and gratitude. "You have no idea how good that feels."
Gillian laughs, "I'm sure I have some idea. You almost done?"
Cal hasn't moved, and Gillian is still holding the towel to his eyes. "Yea, does that look like enough onions?"
"I think that's plenty."
"Good. I don't think I could last much longer." The both laugh as Gillian helps guide Cal to the sink. She takes the towel from his face, as he washes his hands, Gillian dampens another towel. Once his hands are dried, Cal grabs the second towel and holds it to his eyes to sooth the burning. Jolting up, Cal lowers the towel. "The sauce."
Gillian stops him and checks the sauce, giving it a good stir. "It's fine. Can we make dinner now? I'm famished."
"Alright, antsy, grab the ramekins from the cupboard." Gillian does, and Cal grabs the plate of tortilla bits from beside the stove and puts it on the island with the other ingredients. Gillian sets two ramekins on the island. "Better grab a couple more, we have enough to make for leftovers." Gillian nods and grabs three more, just in case.
Gillian is all smiles as she clasps her hands together in anticipation, "What goes first?"
"Tortillas," Cal starts demonstrating as he explains, "you gotta make a nice little layer of the pieces." Gillian watches as he layers the pieces, covering the bottom of the ramekin, she does the same. Cal looks over her shoulder. Gillian notices his hovering.
Giving him a playful shove, "Do you mind? I'm trying to work here."
"Just checking is all."
"Don't you trust me?"
"Of course I do, love. Absolutely."
"Then continue. Next?"
"Right. Sauce." Cal steps over to the pot of enchilada sauce, ramekin in hand, and pours in enough sauce to cover the tortillas. Gillian pours sauce in her ramekin too, and they return to the island. "Now just add whatever ingredients you fancy to make up a layer, and repeat til the ramekin's full."
Cal and Gillian start grabbing toppings, cheese, olives, onions, and some shredded chicken, Gillian watches as Cal adds another layer of tortillas and sauce before adding all the toppings again. They continue in comfortable silence, not feeling obligated to speak. Once they finished with all five ramekins, they put the completed dishes in the oven to finish.
"I think I'm ready for that drink now." Gillian says as she reaches for the bottle of wine and opener. She hands them both to Cal. "Would you like to do the honors?"
"Don't mind if I do." Cal takes the items and makes quick work of opening the bottle, as Gillian sets the glasses in front of him so he can pour. Once opened, Cal pours wine into both glasses and sets the bottle aside. He picks both glasses up and hands one to Gillian, which she takes with a sweet smile. "I'm glad you decided to come."
"So am I." They clink their glasses and take a drink.
They continued a casual conversation while they ate, mostly about work and Emily. After they finished eating and cleaned up, Cal suggested they go to the living room to watch a movie, and agreed to letting Gillian pick under the condition 'nothin' too mushy'. Gillian agreed, took their glasses and the bottle of wine to the living room and picked a movie. Cal went upstairs to change his shirt after dripping some sauce on it while eating dinner. When he returned, Gillian was standing by the TV holding two movies trying to decide which to watch. Cal walks over, stands behind her, and looks over her shoulder.
"Which one?" Gillian says as she holds the cases a little higher for Cal to see.
"You picked like the sappiest films in the house."
"Don't complain. I could have picked 'Valentine's Day', 'Dirty Dancing', 'Bridget Jones'."
Cal scrunches his nose as he remembers Emily dragging him to go see 'Valentine's Day'. "Oh, God stop." He goes to the couch and plops down and gets comfy.
"'Moulin Rouge', ooo 'Steel Magnolias',"
"That's a good one, but no."
Gillian stops torturing him with movie titles, "'As you wish.'"
"There will be no shrieking eels or R.O.U.S.'s in this house."
Gillian's eyes widen in absolute shock. "You know 'The Princess Bride'?"
"Not by choice, I assure you."
"Wow. Cal Lightman knows chick flicks. So which one?" Gillian holds up 'The Wedding Date' and 'Sweet Home Alabama'.
"I don't care, pick one."
"I can't decide that's why I'm asking you."
"So we'll watch 'em both."
"I'll be here til midnight."
"I do have a guest room you know. Besides you can't drive for a while anyways we've almost finished the bottle."
"Fine." Gillian puts in 'The Wedding Date' before sitting down beside Cal. She skips to the menu and presses 'play', Cal fills their glasses, emptying the bottle, and hands her one. He sits back wrapping an arm around Gillian, she leans on him and gets comfy as she thinks of how nice it is that they can be so comfortable around each other. Little does she know he is thinking the very same thing.
About halfway through the movie their glasses are empty and they're still cuddled up, Cal has his feet up on the coffee table, and Gillian has hers tucked beside her and a light throw blanket over her lap and legs.
Cal turns to Gillian with a look of seriousness and concern, "Gill."
"Hmm?" She is still looking at the TV.
"How are you?"
"Feeling pretty good right now, but that's probably just the wine." Gillian laughs as she turns to him. "Why?"
"Nothin'." Cal turns back to the TV.
"Cal." She puts her hand on his cheek and turns him to face her.
"We're supposed to ignore what we see, if we want the other to know we'll say so. Your precious line." He turns to the TV.
"Since when do you concern yourself with the line? And, by the way, I haven't kept anything from you since I told you I was separating from Alec, which is more than I can say for you." Gillian pauses the movie. "So come on, out with it."
Cal stays quite for a moment before facing Gillian. "I want to know how you've been since Claire died." Gillian looks away and takes a deep breath. "I keep thinking about how you're at home all alone going through this. And Em's worried about you, I tell her you're a grown woman and can take care of yourself, that seems to ease her worries, but she cares about you. You're like a second mother to her."
"You don't have to worry about me, it's not your job. You're my best friend, not my husband." Gillian says the last part with a small smile and looks up at Cal just in time to see him swallow. Her face flashes from surprise to confusion. "What was that?"
Cal feigns cluelessness, "What was what?"
"When I said you're not my husband," he swallows again. "Right there. Why the fear, and of what?" She looks closely at his face. "Of being my best friend?" he does nothing, "not being my husband?" he swallows and she smiles nervously. "Seriously? I mean I know a lot of people think we are, but Cal-"
"Just hear me out, Love." Cal sits more so he's facing her and takes her hand. For the first time in their friendship Gillian can see that he's visibly nervous, but completely serious. "Just forget about the line for like 5 minutes, can you do that?" Gillian nods. "Okay, so here goes," Cal takes a deep breath. "Well, like you said, lots of people think we are together, but not many best friend relationships are quite like ours."
"Not many people can read facial expressions either."
"True, but that's not my point. My point is that it hurts me knowing you're all alone," Cal almost begins to ramble as his nerves start to get the best of him, "and I know I'm not really the type of man you go for or deserve, but..." He takes a few deep breaths before looking Gillian straight in the eye, "I sure as hell will try my best." He stays quite as he watches her reactions, fear clearly spread across his face. Gillian is quite as well as she tries to process what was just said, Cal can read the shock in her face.
When Gillian starts to say something, her nervousness makes her voice shaky, "C-Cal you can't be saying what I think you're saying."
"Depends. What do you think I'm saying?"
"You don't like me being alone, and you're not good enough for me, but you want to be?"
"That's exactly what I'm saying..." Cal feels a bit more confident as he goes on. "Gillian, after we got Zach locked up, Em and I were talking and she asked if I loved you. I told her 'yea, of course' but she asked again in terms of being in love with you."
Feeling overwhelmed with emotions but knowing if she didn't answer him he would never admit his feeling again. "What did you tell her?"
"Yes." Cal sees Gillian's breath hitch so he continues. "She asked what I was waiting for, and I was honest and told her I didn't know."
"And now?"
"I've never been so certain about something in my life..." Cal begins smiling. "Gill, you are my best friend, through everything good, bad, and ugly you've been right there beside me. And I would be the happiest man in the world if things stayed that way for the rest of my life..." Gillian is still overwhelmed with emotions as tears start trickling down her face, but she can't help but smile at his words knowing exactly what he's asking. "I'm sorry I don't have a ring," Gillian lets out a small burst of laughter. "We can get one first thing tomorrow, that is if you'll have me..." Cal tries to be casual and ease the tension a bit, "I should warn you though, I do have some baggage, she's 17, but I think you'll like her." Gillian laughs again, and nods. "Is that a 'yes'?"
"'Yes' that I'll like your so called 'baggage', but you haven't asked me yet."
"I didn't think we needed words, but if I haven't even asked what's with the tears?"
"There are two things a woman wants to hear whether she knows it or not."
"Alright." Cal takes a deep breath and takes her hand, "Gillian, love, will you marry me?"
Gillian nods again, the tears have stopped, but her eyes are still watery as she places her hands on either side of Cal's face. "Yes... See? Ask and you shall receive."
Cal has a goofy grin on his face as he slips a hand behind her head, Gillian leans forward and initiates the kiss. It is sweet and slow, but filled with the years of passion they had kept concealed for so long. Lasting only a few minutes, they decided it was time for bed. Feeling no need to finish the movie, they turned the TV off, and headed upstairs hand-in-hand to Cal's bedroom.
Cal went to Emily's room and found a pair of baggy flannel pants, and an over-sized T-shirt for Gillian and she went to the bathroom to change. Once they were both in pajamas they slipped under the covers, arms wrapped around each other, and fell asleep. That night was the best sleep either had gotten in a long time. And the next morning, after a nice big breakfast, they went ring shopping.
◊◊◊END FLASHBACK: PRESENT◊◊◊
Emily spots Cal in the doorway and waves him to come over. He smiles and walks over to Gillian's office, but stands just inside the doorway, hands in his pockets. Gillian is sitting in the middle of the couch and Emily is on the floor using the ottoman as a table to show Gillian the photos from her trip on her laptop.
"So what might you two girls be talking about, eh?"
"Nothing much just showing Gill some pictures I took, and catching up on what I missed while I was gone."
Cal looks at Gillian, eyebrows raised, "Oh yea? Anything juicy?" He steps closer to her.
Emily's brows scrunch up as she becomes suspicious, "What's going on?"
"Nothin'" Cal casually plops down beside Gillian and wraps an arm around her.
"Right... Wait, didn't we just talk about this? No use keeping quite because we tell each other anyway?" Emily closes her laptop. "Spill."
Gillian looks at Cal, "You want to tell your daughter, or shall I?"
"Did you bring... you know?"
"Seriously?" Cal gives her the does-it-look-like-I'm-kidding look, "It's in my purse." Gillian gets up, goes to her desk, and into her purse.
Emily can see she's holding something in her hand, but can't see what it is. Gillian comes back to the couch and sits beside Cal, handing him what was in her hand, Emily still can't see. Gillian holds her left hand palm down towards him. Emily finally sees it, her eyes widen, her jaw drops slightly in surprise and disbelief of this really happening.
