Snowflakes
Author Notes
This is set during the events on season 02 episode 08 (Secret Santa).
This is the first time I'm writing this pairing, but I think I did good work.
Words in italic are the characters' thoughts.
Disclaimer: I do not own Lie to Me or any of the characters. (If I did the show would still be broadcasting. And Lightman and Loker would get together).
Story
Eli Loker had always loved snow.
The best moments in his life happened in snow days, so it's understandable.
The day he met his first crush, Elizabeth Barnes, and the day she agreed to go out with him.
The day he met Jason Dark, his first boyfriend, and the day they lost their virginities to each other.
The day his newest crush, a Doctor Cal Lightman, gave a presentation in his university, explaining to the students the study of microexpressions and prompting Loker to change his major from Civil Engineering to Psychology.
And the day he was hired to work in the prestigious Lightman group.
So, he was very happy when he arrived in his job during a mild snow storm.
A little too happy, if you ask his best friend, Ria Torres.
"Why are you like that?"
"Like what, Ria?"
"Like that." – She pointed at him. – "And what's up with calling me Ria?"
"I just felt like it."
"Are you on something?"
She stared him down.
"No."
"Okay, that's true enough. Did you have sex yesterday or even this morning?"
"No."
"Huh."
She left the room. Ria found her boss in the hallway and decided to ask if he knew why Eli was acting so strange.
"Hey, boss?"
"Yes, Torres?"
"Do you know why Loker's acting so different today?"
"Different?"
"Like he's high. He even called me Ria, which is something he never does."
"Be right back, Love." – With that Cal was off to find out where his subordinate was and what the reason for him to be acting so uncharacteristically was.
Cal Lightman's partner in business, Gillian Foster, joined the other woman in the hallway:
"Torres, have you seen Cal?"
"He's chasing after Loker to see if he's high."
The older woman pinched her nose bridge:
"Okay." – I don't need this right now. – "Then you're with me. Come on, we have a case to get to."
They left the building together. Meanwhile, Eli was on the balcony admiring the snow falling.
"Loker. Are you on drugs?"
Loker laughed:
In a place where everyone can see the truth, this counts as a drug test.
"No."
"Then why are you acting like this, Mate?"
I wish you'd care about me when I'm acting normally.
"You know what I love about the snow? When it has just finished falling, it seems like every problem in the world is trapped under a white cold blanket and nothing can hurt us."
"You're deflecting."
Loker looked his boss in the eye and smiled:
"No. I don't think I am."
The case was about two missing marines in Afghanistan. Since the satellite link was too bad for them to work without leaving the firm, Cal chose to be the one to leave the country.
Emily Lightman was organizing the firm's Christmas party and the secret Santa. She found her father in his office, getting ready to go to Afghanistan.
"Hey, hey." – She waved a bag in front of him.
"What's that?"
"It's secret Santa. You pick a name and you get that person a gift. There's a 20$ limit. It's for the Christmas party."
"Alright. Well, look, uhm… I've got to go away for a few days."
"Oh. Where?"
"Uhm. Just out of town, I won't be long."
"Well, the Christmas party is in three days. You'll be back for that, right?"
"Oh, I wouldn't miss that for the world, Love."
"Liar."
"No, it's, uh, fairy lights… and really crappy music and good will to all men. It's right up my alley." - He finished getting ready and approached his daughter. – "Where's your boyfriend, Dick?"
"Rick. Very funny, Dad."
"Did I scare him away, did I?"
"Uh, for your information, he went home to study."
"Really?"
"Uh hum."
"Well, in that case…" – He reached in his pocket and gave Emily some money. – "Get the best Christmas lights for your tree that money can buy, alright?"
"All right. So, where are you going?"
"Uh, I'll only be in Florida." – He reached into the bag with names she was still holding. – "What happens if I pick myself?"
"You put it back and pick again. And, besides, somebody already has you."
"Who?"
"It's a secret. Duh."
He picked a name and hugged his daughter.
"I love you, Em."
"Love you too. Hurry back, okay?"
"Will do."
Emily left and Gillian was at the door.
"You can't go back to that place."
"I have never been to Afghanistan my whole life."
"You know what I'm talking about, Cal."
"Two missing marines, Love."
"Fear's healthy. Remember that."
"Right you are."
Lightman was escorted to the American underground base which housed the subject on which he was supposed to work his magic. The base was decorated with dozens of paper snowflakes.
They clash with the whole idea of conflict. White and pure. Just like Eli.
"Festive."
"What?" – Loker screamed at the phone. – "He's in Afghanistan?"
"Yes, and we need your help."
"Gillian, if he comes back alive, I'm hitting him until he gets some sense inside that British little head of his."
"I'll hold him down."
"I'll be there in ten."
With Loker and Torres at the office and the satellite link up, Lightman started the interview with an alleged American ex-soldier.
Are those paper snowflakes? – Loker thought about the decoration in the background. – I just hope the snow will bring him home safe.
"There's deep sadness in the soldier's voice at the mention of home."
"I saw a flash of hope when Lightman asked if he believed in Santa Claus."
Gillian nodded at the observations made by Loker and Ria.
By the time they finished the first part of the interview, Eli's hands were shaking because of his nervousness.
"Torres, can you hold down the fort here? Loker and I are going to get something to drink."
"Okay, sure."
"Come on, Loker." – Doctor Foster practically dragged her subordinate to the break room.
She made some coffee for her and Ria and some tea for Loker.
"Thanks, Gil. I… I needed that."
"You really love him, don't you?" – She smiled at him.
"I can't have him die before I'm able to tell him."
She muttered something along the lines of 'Men! All of them, blind as a bat.'
Ria and Gillian were in the break room discussing the bureaucrat who was stalling their investigation on the soldier when Emily came in:
"Gillian, have you heard from my dad in the last 24 hours?"
"Yeah. Yeah. Why?"
"He always calls to check in when he's out of town, and he hasn't this time. His phone goes straight to voicemail."
"Sweetheart, he's really swamped right now and he'll call as soon as he can, okay?"
Loker bust into the break room:
"Guys, we're minutes away from… Hey, Em! How's the party coming?"
"Well, what are they minutes away from?"
"I can't tell you."
The people not related to Lightman went into the satellite link room. Ed Kominski, the Defense Department bureaucrat, was already sitting there. When Ria turned the camera to him and the soldier saw him, Lightman cut the feed.
"Get him on the sat phone. Order him to give our eyes back."
Despite being completely nervous, Loker smirked at him:
"If you think Cal Lightman is gonna jump because you barked, you don't know the man."
Loker was making himself more tea when Torres said that Lightman was back online.
The ex-soldier, Franko, was guiding the soldiers to find the two missing marines. Then, the base where they all were was bombed.
And that was the moment Emily Lightman walked in.
"That's not Florida! You lied to me! He lied to me!"
Lightman saw the image of his daughter on the screen and decided to use the audio:
"Everyone but Loker and Emily leave. Now!"
They did as told. (Except for Mr. Kominski, but Torres dragged him out of there fast).
"I love you, Em."
"Love you too, Dad.
"Loker?"
"I'm here."
"I might" – Lightman made some hand gestures. – "care about you more than I let on, Mate. Take care of Emily."
"Cal. Get your ass here so you can tell me face to face."
Then the line went dead.
Lightman had only two minutes to leave the base before smart bombs turned it into a parking lot. But even then he took the time to grab a paper snowflake and hide it under his bulletproof vest.
The former soldier gave his life in aiding the others escape.
Lightman made peace with Emily and they went to the Christmas party she organized:
"It's beautiful. Great job, Em."
Gillian gave him a hug:
"Are you okay?"
"I'm not sure."
"Good. You're not meant to be."
Then it was Ria's turn to give him a hug. And a whack over the head.
"Loker." – The younger man approached and Cal gave him a package. – "I got you in the secret Santa."
Eli opened it to find the paper snowflake.
"Oh man."
"Don't mention it."
Loker put the heartfelt gift on the Christmas tree. Cal got closer to him:
"Come home with me tonight, Love?"
"I'd like that."