...Or Is It?
(The End of What Wasn't)
"I warned you, Loker."
Gillian sat down in her chair and sighed. It had been five years to the day since she had been drug partway down a street, only to be left there, sobbing and traumatized. It had been five years to the day since she had felt Cal's arms around her, protecting her and letting her know that he was there. He hadn't cared when the guy got away. He cared about her, and that was enough. But Gillian's role was never fully completed with Cal, not until she was sitting on his couch, arm around a sobbing Emily.
Eli Loker, in her book, was a dead man. She wanted to believe that Emily was going to get over Eli in a matter of days, but she was oh so very wrong. The scars would stick with her until someone came along that she could love more than Eli. But she knew that Eli was probably beating himself up over what had happened. She would love Eli, yes, but not more than her dad. Gillian was about to leave when she heard Emily take a deep breath. "Gillian?"
"Yeah, Emily?"
"Will I ever forgive Eli?" Gillian went back over to sit down next to Emily.
"I don't know. I guess it all depends on how much you loved him before...and if you're willing to give him a second chance." Emily nodded and then sat back on the couch, but the silence in the room was interrupted by the doorbell. Gillian glanced up the stairs, and when Cal didn't appear at the top step, she went to answer the door. Eli was standing on the other side, a nice bruise was forming on the corner of his mouth.
"Gillian, I need to talk to Emily." Gillian looked towards Emily, and then back to Eli.
"Two minutes. Cal is going to be so upset that I even let you in." Eli stepped inside, and the door shut behind him. Gillian took up a perch on one of the kitchen chairs, and watched as Eli walked around the couch to Emily.
"Em?" Eli saw that Emily's makeup had run, and he sat down next to her. "Emily...look at me."
"Shut up, Eli."
"I'm sorry...I didn't..." Emily glared at him, and then looked over at Gillian.
"What makes you think I'm going to believe you, Eli?"
"I love you."
"No, you don't." Emily looked at the stairway, wishing that her dad would walk down at that moment and do more than just punch Eli. "You don't, so don't even try to..." Eli silenced her by placing a tender kiss on the corner of her mouth. Emily, no matter how hard she tried to fight the urge to close her eyes, found it immensely difficult.
"You talk too much." Right when Eli was about to kiss her a second time, Cal stopped on the bottom step. He could only watch as Eli kissed his daughter. Hate glittered in his eyes and he repressed the urge to throw Eli onto the ground and do serious damage to him.
"Cal, let them do this. They need it more than you realize. More than we realize." Cal sat down beside Gillian and took her hand in his.
"Don't be the psychologist right now, Gillian." He laced their fingers together and rubbed her thumb with his. "I know...it's just..." Eli broke away from Emily and stroked her hair.
"That was my roommate's...girlfriend. She's kind of..." Emily nodded and then looked over to where Gillian was sitting. Too bad Gillian hadn't witnessed the apology; she was smiling at Cal and fiddling with his shirt buttons.
"Oh god, I do not want to be here when they go to bed." Eli looked over to Cal and Gillian and suppressed a snort. Eli stood and held his hand out to Emily in an offer. Emily took it and stood, then grabbed her varsity jacket. "Hey, dad, I'm going over to Eli's...apartment. Don't wait up for me." Cal was still having a silent conversation with Gillian when he nodded.
"Sure...don't do anything...you know." Emily looked over at Eli and rolled her eyes.
"You two have fun." The door slammed shut not two seconds later. Gillian looked towards the stairway and then back at Cal.
"No way in hell, Cal Lightman." Cal smirked and then glanced towards the clock.
"Emily's not here. And it's just us." Gillian would never forget that day. Five years to the day since she had felt Cal's arms around her. And now, she would experience something so unholy it was, well, perfect. "Let's go to bed, love."
A/N: No, that last oneshot was NOT the end of the "Your Advice" series. It's still chugging along. I needed Eli and Emily to kiss and make up at some point in time...you know how that goes. :D - YHSchoir09