"Maybe you didn't try hard enough."

Cal sat behind his desk in his dark office, and leaned back on the chair, his hands resting behind his head, his eyes shut, and his brow furrowed. It had been a while since she'd said it, but those words still played on him whilst he was alone. God, he wanted her. Was that Foster's way of telling him she wanted him too?

He had to know.

Quickly, he stood, determined to discover if there was still a chance that Foster could be his. He swung himself around his desk, and grabbed his coat from the sofa. He strode purposefully out of his office, making sure he locked it after he went. He wanted to make sure Loker didn't bloody go snooping in his office, stealing his pens again. The bastard.

As he walked through the corridor to the front door, he heard a noise. Cal spun on his heel, keys in one hand, jacket draped over his other arm, and his back towards the exit. He thought everyone had left. He cast his mind back.. Loker and Torres had left; he'd seen them leave, about an hour ago. One by one, the office staff had left, but as much as he tried to, Cal could not remember Gillian leave.

He hadn't seen her since lunch, and she rarely left without coming to his office to say goodbye.

That meant that she was still here.

All of Cal's previous confidence left him, and for once, his heartbeat quickened, and he found himself full of nerves.

Not going to chicken out now, are ya? Cal berated himself. Come on, she's just in there.

Slowly, Cal walked to the room he thought the noise had come from. He threw his keys into his other hand, and rested his now free hand on the handle, and, before he opened it, he took a deep, calming breath.

"Cal…?"

"Jesus!"

Cal spun around to see Gill sitting on the couch outside his office. He must have walked right past her in his determination, and not even noticed.

"Are you trying to bloody kill me?" Cal half shouted at her, trying to be angry, but failing miserable as he watched Gillian burst into fits of laughter.

"Sorry..." She gasped between giggles, "I was just waiting for you to come out. I was wondering if we could go for that drink you promised me."

Cal's heartbeat slowed as he recovered from the shock, and he forced a smile to hide his nerves. He swallowed, before answering, his voice wobbling slightly.

"Yeah, love, sure."

"What's wrong? You seem nervous, Cal," Gillian said, sitting up, all trace of laughter gone from her face. Gill could read him like a book.

Cal remained silent. He walked over to Gillian, who shuffled down the sofa, sliding her feet under her, and patted the seat next to him before resting her hands, one on top of the other, on her knees. Cal dropped his coat on the floor, and reclined back in the corner of the sofa, facing Gillian with his head cocked to the side, analysing her, spinning his keys on his index finger in a feeble attempt to appear carefree.

Her pupils were large... Which Cal would have taken for arousal, had it not been so damn dark.

"I was just thinking…" Cal began, somewhat carefully, "about that time when I got shoved in that mental 'ospital."

"Oh… Do you want to talk about it? Emily told me you spoke to your Father as well as-"

"Nah, I mean, before I went in, I said that I couldn't even touch you when you were on the rebound, and you replied that 'Maybe I didn't try hard enough'."

"Yes...?"

"Did that mean I missed my chance?"

Gillian froze, her eyes locked on Cal, unable to answer him. Cal, however, didn't need the words to know he hadn't. He stopped spinning his keys, catching them smoothly in his palm as they swung around. He leaned forwards, and chucked them lightly onto the table, where they slid across the smooth surface, and fell on the floor.

He looked up, to see Gillian's eyes still following his every movement. She bit her lip slightly, and her thumb slowly circled the skin on the back of her other hand. He turned his body towards her, and picked up her hand, bringing it to his lips. He kissed her knuckles lightly, his eyes still fixed on Gillian. Turning her hand over, he traced her palm with his lips, trailing her wrist with his tongue.

Gillian exhaled suddenly, and Cal realized that he hadn't noticed that she was tensed. Gillian did something to him, flustered him, made him lose track of what was going on.

Cal let go of her wrist, and Gillian pulled it back to settle on her lap.

"Where did that come from, Cal?"

Cal didn't know how to answer her. He found it hard, so hard to be open with anyone, even someone he trusted as much as Gillian. He frowned, before leaning back again, his eyes scanning Gillian's face. He had to get out, before he did something stupid. Something that would hurt her. Breaking eye contact, he exhaled deeply.

In a one fluid motion, Cal picked up his coat, and stood up.

"Rain-check," He said, before swerving neatly around the table, and walking past Gillian.

Gillian opened her mouth to tell him to wait, but before the words could escape, he was gone. Still sitting on her own, her mind reeled. Her mind was racing as she contemplated what had just happened, and what it meant. Cal had kissed her. Asked if she still wanted him.

God, she did.

But then… He'd ran. He'd crossed the line they'd drawn, and then he'd ran away from her. She stood, ready to leave.
But as she walked out the room, something caught her eye, bringing her up short. She paused, and turned, and knelt down, reaching out, and picked up Cal's

keys from the floor. She weighed them in her hand, thinking.

He can't leave without his keys, She thought, His car key is here, so he's going to have to come back… And talk to me.
With a thin smile, Gillian stood. She walked to Cal's door, unlocked it, and let herself inside, and flicking on the lights before settling down on the cool leather sofa to wait.