Last Chance

by Plaise

"It's either your partner or your daughter...you choice." WARNING:Character Death total CALLIAN! for all you lovas

hey guys! well idk where this one came up from. i just remember writning this A LONG time ago...like...wen the show lie to me just started. well i hope you guys enjoy :)

Sitting on the couch wasn't the favorite thing to do; in fact the favorite thing to do was being active. But it had been really hard since that day. They couldn't forget it. It was plastered into their brain and heart. So they just stared at the photo and smiled sadly, trying but knowing they couldn't erase the memory.

They walked out of the restaurant, happy features plastered onto their faces. The two were dressed in a formal way, a tux for him, and an elegant green dress for her. They were just partners but everyone knew there was something going on between the two. Maybe it was just close friendship; after all, they've known each other for a long time. But maybe, just maybe, it was the thing called love. Not many people knew or know what love actually is. In fact, love cannot be described in words, as it is that powerful. But as the business couple walked out into the cold night air of Washington, both were filled with the feeling.

He noticed her giving up a slight shiver, and instantly, without thinking, shrugged off his suit jacket and covered her with it. She smiled at the kind gesture. He smiled back, a smile that warmed her internally. They were walking to the parking garage at this point.

The two had gone to a restaurant, celebrating his safe return from a very, very dangerous case. He still had a few injuries and scars, but he was alive. That was all that mattered.

She had hugged him so tightly he really couldn't breathe. He had been in surgery as soon as he landed in the helicopter, was in surgery for at least five hours, she was sitting in the waiting room for least four of them. Then Ben Reynolds, the FBI agent, came and told her she should go and get some rest. She had refused but than she looked in the mirror in the bathroom and found out she looked like hell. So she went home for a while to get a nap. She woke up eight hours later. When she had gone back to the hospital, they had said that only family could visit him. She tried to convince them but it didn't work. So she went to work. The next day, she went to the hospital but they told her he had checked out. Ben, who was with her, had gotten a text from Eli, one of the interns at the company that the rude, skeptical boss was back. She had rushed back to the building and had giving a long, long lecture but not before giving him a big hug of course. She pulled back, her eyes watering. She hit him on the arm but when he grimaced, she cursed and apologized with him chuckling.

She smiled at the memory. That was a week ago. His ribs were healed but it was still sore. His arm was completely healed, he didn't walk with a limp anymore, everything was normal except for the fact that he had a scar above his left eye and a huge scar on his chest starting from his collarbone, all the way down to his left breast bone that was all caused from the bomb explosion that he ironically lived through.

They went into the garage. Cal, who noticed that it was dark and knew that this part of town was dangerous, put an arm around Gillian and pulled her close, protecting her. Gillian looked up and smiled, thankful that she had a friend who cared about her. They were a couple of meters away from there ride as Cal fished out his keys, the sound of clanging metal covering the sound of footsteps behind them. It wasn't until Gillian turned to tap Cal on the back as he coughed, that she saw something odd from the corner of her eyes. She pretending to drop her purse and as she bent down to pick it up, she saw the group of men, wearing all black, coming towards them.

She lightly tapped Cal on the arm and he smiled at her but the expression changed to a frown as he saw the fear in her beautiful eyes. She gave him a sideway glance and that's when he heard the footsteps. Knowing that was what she was afraid of, he walked a little faster, his arm now wrapped around her waist.

A yard away from the car, Gillian felt a hand on her arms pulling her around. Soon, she was staring into the eyes of a stranger, one of the four men who stalked them. This one was the smallest but still pretty big.

"Hey there, pretty lady," he whispered, the smell of alcohol reeking through his teeth.

Gillian tried to pull away but Cal was faster. He grabbed the man's arm and pulled Gillian back and behind him, out of reach. He took a step forward, one hand holding Gillian's.

"Stay away from her." He growled dangerously, his eyes throwing daggers at the man who was twice his size. But a lion would be scared at the glare that Cal gave …if it was sober.

The guy just smirked. Cal felt Gillian's hand slip from his and turned around. But just as he did, he was hit in the back of the head with something. He stumbled back to a car and fell. His head was dizzy and it hurt like hell. He couldn't really see. His eyes began to water. He tried to get up when he heard Gillian calling his name. When he lifted his head, he saw Gillian struggling to get away from the two men who were succeeding in grabbing her. They started to move towards a black van that was parked just a few feet away. Seeing this scene, Cal was filled with more anger than he can contain and tried to get up, using what ever force he could. But as soon as he was back on his feet, one of the men kicked him, right in the ribs. He fell back a few feet away, gasping in pain. But they didn't give him any pity whatsoever. The other two continued to give him a beating, not caring that he was bleeding.

Gillian's eyes filled with tears as she screamed at them to stop. Every time a kick or punch was thrown, her stomach would tighten and look at Cal who lay helpless on the ground. She was angry with herself for being so retarded and helpless.

She sighed in relief as the two men stopped and stepped back. She yelled his name. He lifted his head a little, so that he can see her. "Gill…" was all he managed to say before one of the guys seemed unsatisfied and hit him once again. His head hit the cold cement as this time, he blacked out.

He stirred and opened his eyes, closing them almost instantly as light filled them. He tried again and noticed that the light was very, very dim. He tried to move but found himself tied to something. A chair. His hands were tied behind him and his feet tied on the front legs of the chair. But he wasn't gagged, which he was grateful for. He shook his head, trying to recall what happened, but immediately regretted it. His head felt like it was on fire. His forehead had some dried blood caked to the side of his head. He shut his eyes and clenched his fists and jaw. Then he remembered. Dinner, Gillian, garage, pain…a lot of pain…those bloody bastards! They have Gillian! He cursed and looked around, ignored his physical pain that screamed at him to stop. He noticed that he was in a room but without Gillian. The room was a little smaller than the interview cube. The walls were gray and as far as his knew, there were no windows or furniture, just the door that he faced.

He was sitting right in the middle of the room with the light right above him. He thanked the fact that he wasn't claustrophobic. He closed his eyes, still a little hope in his heart…but didn't know why he was here.

She glared at the man before her. It was the guy who had hit Cal in the back of the head with the large wooden stick. She was sitting down, although she wasn't tied up. But the problem was that she was no clue where Cal was or if he was ok. All she knew was that Cal was in the same building as her.

After Cal had passed out, the two of them were put in the back of the van and was driven somewhere. Gillian had desperately tried to wake Cal up but knew that that was hopeless. When they arrived at there destination, the two were taken different ways. She was desperate to know where Cal was and how he was. For the past few hours or so, she had repeated to ask where he was that now, her throat hurt. All she had to do right now was to stay patient and hope. Hope that he was ok.

His eyes were closed when they walked in. There were two men, all dressed in black. None of them were the one who grabbed Gillian. They pulled off their dark ski masks revealing their white skin and blue eyes. One was a little passed his 30's, the other one looked like he should be put back into high school. The first thing Cal noticed was that the younger one was scared, but barely showed it. The older one was downright confident. His chin held a little high in the air, eyes showing off pride and joy. He was carrying a small dagger, the younger one, nothing.

As they closed in, Cal tried to read them, so desperately hard. But the throbbing of the headache didn't allow him to. Two feet away from him, they stopped.

"Morning, Lightman." The older one said. His accent was American and did everything to prove that.

Cal eyed him suspiciously. "What do you want?" he demanded in his thick accent.

The man walked around the room, circling Cal when he said "Well I'm sure you don't remember anything that happened a few months ago."

Cal stared ahead, confused for a second before questioning him back. "No I don't. Who the hell are you?"

The man sighed. "Well I guess telling you my name would be appropriate. Name's Vince." He greeted sticking out his hands, knowing Cal's was still tied up. He dropped it when Cal didn't move a single muscle and instead chose to glare instead. He stopped, his face just inches away from Cal's, and his knife dangerously close to Cal's thigh.

Cal swallowed his dry spit. "Well it's very, very nice to meet you." He replied, sarcasm thick in his voice.

Vince pushed the knife a little into Cal's skin, just so it can make a little mark. Cal winced. But then, Vince pulled back, and stood, his back straight. "Let's wait until we have an audience." He said, an evil smile plastered onto his face.

It was a couple minutes after Gillian had given up on calling Cal's name over and over again. She sat limp in her chair. A few feet away, the man who hit Cal was talking to someone. It seemed important. He was intently listening and giving detailed information from what it seemed. After a few seconds, he came back, and the guy he was talking to walked away. He grabbed Gillian by the arm and pulled her up. Gillian tried to resist but the grip got harder. She gave up and let herself be dragged by the anonymous man. They walked out of the room and walked a few yards before coming across another. Their surroundings were all black and so was the door separating them from whatever was inside.

The man took out a key from his left pocket with his other hand still holding Gillian's arm, and put it in the hole, turning it and making a click sound. The opened the door and pushed Gillian in. Gillian rubbed her arm and looked up. What she saw surprised her.

Cal was tied to the chair and a guy with a dagger was standing very close to him. Beside him was a young man that didn't look up from the ground.

The man closest to Cal said, "Well I'll give you some time to be alone." He had a strong and firm voice. He turned and left through the doorway Gillian had entered, along with the other young man following at his heels. As they passed, the older one gave Gillian a smile that sent shivers running up her spine.

When the door was locked from the outside, Gillian turned around and went over to Cal. He looked like hell. Dried blood covered a side of his face, his lips were parted, and she noticed the fresh blood on his thigh. His head was lowered but as Gillian touched his shoulder, he shot right up and winced at the effort. He squinted until he was who it was.

"Hey, luv." He said, wearily.

Gillian smiled and held back a sob. "Hey." She reached up and stroked his cheek. "Are you ok?"

Cal nodded. "Never better." He smiled.

How can you be ok like this! Gillian thought.

" 'Bout you?" he asked her, ignoring the caring gaze she was giving him.

"I'm fine."

"Did they hurt you?"

"No…but I think they did to you." She said quietly, motioning to his thigh,

He shrugged as if it was nothing. "I'm alright."

Gillian shook her head. She stood up and walked around. She grabbed a hold of the wired that were cutting into his skin and tried to take it apart. If she couldn't help him not feel the pain he was in, then the least she could do was try to get his hands and feet free. After a while, her hands began to numb as she tried the feet. But both wires wouldn't cut. She sat down with a sigh and an unexpected tear dropped.

"Gill, don't cry." Cal said in his best soft tone. He hated seeing her like this.

Gillian gave him a hug. "I'm sorry."

"For what?" he asked confused.

"For putting you through this hell and not being able to help."

Cal chuckled. "It's not your fault, luv."

She buried her head on his shoulder. Her tears soaked a part of his crumbled, black shirt. He wanted to comfort her, put an arm around her and hug her but the wires were pulling him back. He felt a tear of his own falling down his cheeks. He swallowed back his tears; he had to be strong for her. At least she was ok. If Gillian had been hurt, he wouldn't know what he would do. He would have probably gone blind and practically punched and kicked everything into pieces.

Gillian pulled back. Her eyes were wet and her cheeks had stains of previous tears. Cal smiled at her wearily.

Just then, Vince came marching in, gun in hand. He had the biggest smirk glued to his face. The younger man didn't come in with him. Vince shut the door and dragged a chair from the corner in which he placed next to Cal and motioned Gillian to sit. Gillian moved towards the chair cautiously, keeping her eyes on Vince. When she was seated, Vince sighed and leaned against the door.

"I see we've had our reunion." He clapped his hands together. "Oh. I'm Vince by the way." He stated, stretching his hand out to Gillian who didn't move.

He sighed and pulled his hand back. "You people aren't really warm are ya?"

No one said a word. Silence was beginning to fill the room. It was a while before anyone said anything. Cal was glaring at Vince and Vince was staring at Gillian…in a way a person might look at someone when they want them. Gillian continued to look at Vince but sensed something odd in his eyes.

"What do you want?" she questioned quietly, uncomfortable with the growing silence.

Vince took in a breath and straightened. "Well to begin with, Lightman here has done something I could not forgive in a life time."

"And what would that be, mate?" Cal said.

Vince turned his gaze towards Cal. "You killed my little brother," he said with the straightest face he could manage.

Both Cal and Gill stared at him with a confused look.

"Look, mate, I send people to jail but I don't kill 'em." Cal replied firmly. He went through all the events from the pass few years and didn't come across him killing anyone. This guy is bonkers! Cal thought.

"Eric Matheson. Ring a bell?" Several expressions could be shown on Vince's face: sadness, anger, sorrow…but mostly anger.

Eric Matheson, Eric Matheson, Eric…Matheson…Matheson the guy who was framed for killing his wife? Gillian thought. She went back to the time when Eric Matheson came into the building, and held Cal at a gunpoint. She was basically jumping out of her skin of fear for Cal. But in the end, Eric was sent to jail, thanks to Ben's, the FBI agent, skills of shooting a man and not killing him.

Gillian looked at Cal and saw that he remembered who Eric Matheson was too.

"I sent him to jail, mate…didn't kill him." Cal said quietly.

Vince smirked, all traces of joy gone from his face, replaced by anger. He shoved the gun at Cal's face. He heard Gillian gasp from beside him, but didn't move an inch. He just stared at Vince with hints of sadness in his eyes.

"Don't you start saying that! You killed him! You did!" Vince yelled.

"I didn't kill him." Cal refused.

Vince brought his gun up and hit Cal across the face and held his gun up again. Gillian yelled Cal's name. She got up but Vince brought his gun to her chest and gave her a warning glare. Cal shook his head and spit some blood onto the floor. He looked up at Vince and squinted. Gillian sat back down and Vince pointed his gun at Cal again.

Cal then begun his statement cautiously, "He…he deserved it."

Gillian stared at Cal unbelievably. Why would he say that right now! He was the one who was going to die! Another blow to the face and Cal was dazed. Vince was now heaving up and down, his finger pressured on the trigger but not enough to shoot to bullet. Vince growled and stomped out of the room, making sure to slam the door on the way.

A second passed by and Gillian way by Cal's side, on her knees and checking his injury.

"I'm alright, luv." He said calmly.

"Alright? You are not alright!" she stated clearly, her eyes watering. She touched his forehead where the gun went down and he winced. She sighed. "Oh Cal…what are we going to do with you."

It was a while. Gillian had fallen asleep next to Cal and so had he. Cal woke up first as he heard the clinking of keys. He looked up to see two men; they grabbed Gillian by the arm.

"Hey!" Cal yelled.

Gillian woke up and noticed the men who were pulling her away from Cal. She struggled against them. Cal watched, unable to help her as he was tied to a chair. A low growl came up from his throat.

"Cal!" Gillian called as she was half way through the door.

"Gill!" Cal called back with no hope. He bit the bottom of his lips as he tried to pull away from the thin wire that held him captive. The doors shut and Gillian's yelling faded away, leaving Cal in total silence. He breathed in and out heavily, trying to digest what happened. He shut his eyes and yelled.

Just then the doors opened and Vince stepped in again, with a dagger in one hand.

"CAL!" Gillian yelled and she was dragged back into the room she first was in. She heard Cal calling her name faintly. They dropped her in, and slammed the door behind them. She was alone and afraid, afraid for Cal. She got up and banged on the door. She yelled and continued banging until she was just too tired. She slumped against the door and whispered Cal's name into the thin air.

"GIL!" Cal tried again. His chest heaved up and down. He missed the warmth of her body around his. He just missed her. He heard Gillian calling his name but it soon faded. He looked at Vince with a death glare. He had the biggest smirk on his face. "What are you gunna do to Gil," he tried.

Vince took a step towards him. It was only the two of them in the room. "Well…I'm not really sure. What should we do?" he said with a playful glint in his eyes.

"You touch her, and I will kill you." Cal seethed from between his teeth.

Vince laughed. "And what are you going to do?" he put the dagger right at Cal's throat and gently pushed. A cut as small as a paper formed on his throat.

Cal spun his head away and growled. Vince gently chuckled in his amusement. He leaned in and whispered, "I'm going to take away the one thing you love…just like you did to me." Then he pulled back. His face was no longer a joking matter. It was dead serious.

Vince's words sent shills running up Cal's spine. The one thing he cared about… either Emily, his 16 year old daughter or Gillian. Luckily Emily was away with Zoe, his ex-wife so she was safe. But that left…Gillian. Holy shit! He cursed inside his head. No, no, no not her. Please not her!

Vince saw the panicked look in his eyes and smiled. He knew that Cal knew who he was talking about. Next, he did something that Cal never thought he would do. He walked around and slowly ripped Cal's restrains.

Cal looked at him in shock. He rubbed his sore wrists which were now red. Vince undid the ropes that were pulling on Cal ankles also. Cal slumped back down in the chair and glanced at Vince suspiciously.

Vince clapped his hands once and went back to his spot in front of Cal.

"Before we do anything else…let's have some fun now shall we?" His amusement was back in his eyes.

Cal looked at him confused. A moment later, Gillian was dragged in again, tape around her mouth. She had a panicked look in her eyes as she saw Cal but was relieved. A man taped her to a chair in the corner and locked the door.

"Gil, are you ok?" Cal asked. She nodded frantically. He got up and ran over to her, ignoring the pain running up his thigh. He crouched down and felt her cheeks. He then slowly pulled the tape from silencing her so it would not hurt.

As soon as the tape was fully off, Gillian said, "Cal, are you ok?"

Cal smiled and nodded. "As long as you are." He said with eyes that yelled caring. He gently caressed her cheeks with both hands and stared into her eyes lovingly, forgetting that they weren't alone.

A second later, Vince pulled Cal away from Gillian and shoved him to the ground, far away from Gillian. Cal landed on his back and grunted as his body collided with the floor. As Cal tried to get back up, Vince grabbed him by the collar and violently pulled his upper body up. He turned back towards Gillian.

"I'm going to make your friend here suffer." He laughed. Gillian gasped. There were three other men in the room too. Two of them grabbed Cal by the arms and pulled him to a wall while Vince threw punches at his stomach. Cal gasped as the air flew out of him. Gill begged at them to stop, yelled and screamed. But they didn't listen to her and just continued.

After what seemed like hours, they stopped and let Cal drop to the floor. He didn't offer more than a grunt. His whole body felt like it was on fire. He couldn't move. He just lay there, waiting for what's next. But what he saw was far more terrifying than what he thought.

By Vince's side was the dagger he had used to make the microscopic cut on Cal's thigh and neck. Vince kneeled down and whispered to Cal, "I'm going to make you go through hell Lightman." With that, he pushed the dagger into Cal's left thigh so that the blade of the dagger was fully in. Cal screamed out in pain and clenched his jaw, not wanting Gillian to think he was in pain. But she knew already. He couldn't bear the pain of the cool silver blade going through his skin. He balled his fist and tried everything to block the pain out, anything. But just as he thought it was about to end, Vince twisted the dagger just a little. This, Cal couldn't hold in. He cried out in agony and balled his fists so hard that his knuckles turned white.

Behind them, Gillian yelled at Vince to stop. "Please! We can talk this out! Just please stop!" she cried, tears running down her face.

Vince pulled the knife from Cal's body, satisfied at the damage he had done. Cal's hand instantly went to his thigh. He tried to stop the bleeding. He was out of breath and tried and in pain…a lot and a lot of pain. Vince got up and smiled.

"That's for now." He turned to Gillian who was glaring at him and turned back to Cal. "I'll give you time to say goodbye." With that, the three of them left, but not before the let Gillian go. As soon as Gillian was let go, she ran over to Cal and fell on her knees.

She checked his thigh and instantly took off her jacket and wrapped it around it, gaining a wince from Cal. She shushed him and brushed some hair away from his face with a look loaded with sympathy. She then pulled his shirt up, ignoring his hand that shot out. She gasped softly as she saw the bruises already formed on his stomach.

"I'm…I'm ok Gil." He said quietly. He gave a small smile.

"Like hell you are." She replied, mimicking his voice. She put the shirt back down. She put an arm around him and helped him sit up.

Once he was leaning against the she hugged him and cried. He pulled her close and closed his eye.

"I'm sorry." Gillian mumbled into his chest.

"This isn't your fault, Luv. The guy's just a loony."

Gillian laughed a little. She pulled away and looked into his eyes. "When we get out of here, I swear I'll make up for the dinner." Cal said and laughed. She laughed to.

Inside her head, something was telling her that they weren't going to make it. But she always stayed positive. What ever was in store for them…or Cal, they were going out alive. She was debating in her head to whether or not tell him that she loved him. She always knew that she loved him ever since she first saw him. But she always denied it. And Cal, she was sure, didn't think of her as that way. Just a very close friend. Whenever he tried flirting with her or trying to protect her from whatever danger there was from the world, she knew he was just thinking of her as a friend, nothing more. But…it was worth a try…wasn't it?

With a deep breath, Gillian said, "Cal…I…I lov-" that was as far as she went.

Vince barged in with three other men. "Time's up!" he exclaimed.

While two grabbed Gillian and pulled her up, the other grabbed Cal by the arm and yanked him up, ignoring his pain filled scream. He pushed Cal to the chair.

"GIL!" Cal yelled as the two dragged her away from him. He had noticed the gun in one of the men's hand.

"C-CAL!" Gillian was pulled to the other end of the room. Cal tried to get up, but his leg went numb and he fell to the floor instead. He glared up at Vince.

"Let her go!" he growled. His eyes were burning with anger.

Vince laughed and kicked Cal who groaned and clutched his stomach. The guy passed the gun to Vince. Vince held it up so it was facing Cal. Gillian gasped. Cal glanced up.

Vince kneeled down and put the cool metal of the gun at Cal's forehead. "I would kill you right now…but where's the fun in that, right?" he then pointed the gun at Gillian. Cal's eyes went wide and tried to grab the gun. But Vince just simply stood up and away from Cal. Cal growled and tried again, earning a kick from Vince.

He didn't care about the pain raging up his body. All he cared about was the fact that Gillian was being held point blank. He couldn't live with himself if she got hurt or worse, killed. He tried not to think about the worse but the thought just popped into his head. He could only watch as Vince got closer to Gillian. He kept the gun pointed at Gillian but was facing him.

"I could kill her right now…or later…make her suffer like I did with you?" he told Cal with a smirk on his face. He then aimed the gun at her leg and put his finger on the trigger.

"No! Don't!" Cal begged. Gillian was trying to pull away from the men's grasp on her arm. All she got was a bruise on both her arms. When she saw the gun, she was scared…really scared. For both her and Cal. But now that Cal was away from the devil's grasp for at least a while, she felt relieved.

Vince's finger fell away from the trigger. "Lightman, did you say goodbye?" he laughed as Cal continued to glare at him. "You should have. You won't be seeing her anytime soon." He walked up closer to Gillian. "Do you know how it feels to loose someone very special to you, Lightman? Someone you care about more than anything else in the whole wide world?" He was becoming tense and Cal could see, through the pain, the anger that was rising up inside the man. When Cal just laid there not moving a muscle, he continued. "Well I do. And I lost him because of you. If you would have just proved that he was innocent, he would be alive. He wouldn't be buried in the ground with a gravestone over him, he wouldn't be rotting in the earth's soil, he wouldn't be dead!" Vince yelled and pushed his arm a little forward so that it was closer to Gillian.

Cal knew he had to do something before things got worse. He couldn't let Gillian get hurt, he wouldn't allow it. No. Not in a million years. He would protect her to his last breath, to the point of no return. He looked up at Gillian and saw a hint of fear hiding inside her eyes as she was held by the two broads. He looked around with just his eyes to see if there was a way to go out without anyone getting hurt. There were no windows and the only door was blocked by Vince. It didn't take a genius to know that they were trapped. He sighed inwardly. How was he going to save her now? He could just try to get the gun from Vince, but he would probably get shot himself before he moved two feet. All he could do was wait until the right time came.

"He did nothing wrong in his life. That other idiot was the one that blackmailed his wife. He did nothing wrong!" Vince had a crazed look in his eyes. "When we were little kids, our dad's used to abuse us…we grew up with a messed up family. Our mom left and our dad just drank himself to sleep everyday." Cal had no idea why he was being told this, but he did know that sometimes, it was best to let all of one's anger or frustration out. "We were close…and I lost him. I wasn't there for him. I didn't have a chance to save my little brother!" he yelled and threw a chair that was in the corner to the far side of the wall, right next to Cal. He was breathing heavily but his gun was still pointed at Gillian. He just...blew up. Right there, in front of them. Even the other men in the room had surprise written on their face.

Everybody was silent for a while. Gillian stole a glance at Cal and saw that he was staring at Vince intently. She could tell that he was trying to find a way out of there. She too had looked but she knew it was hopeless. She just didn't want Cal getting hurt. She would take a bullet for him, but she knew he would do the same…and probably more. Gillian had to admit, she was scared, really scared. But she had to keep a brave face, even if she was being held at a gun point.

Vince had calmed down a little. He shook his head and took out his phone. "Lightman, I'll give you two choices." He punched some buttons on his phone and showed it to Cal. It was a video of Emily…and it was live. She was sitting in her room reading Cal's lastest book and the camera was just outside the window.

Cal's eyes widened and filled with rage at the sight and he felt like ripping the head off that bastard. Emily…his Emily…his daughter! He gritted his teeth. They were not going to hurt her, ever.

Gillian had caught a glimpse of the phone image before Cal could see and she was filled with fear and terror. She could see the hatred and fear in his eyes. He didn't even try to hide it this time. He glared at Vince and she could tell he tried very hard not to knock the guy out cold.

When Vince was certain Cal knew what the consequence of his actions was, he put the phone back away.

"Now…that's your daughter there, Lightman. Would you die for her?"

"What do you think?" Cal said coolly, his eyes never leaving Vince.

Vince smirked. "The two choices…" he cocked his head to Gillian. "Your partner or," he pointed to the phone which was now in his pocket, "your dear Emily."

Cal's brain froze. "Me," was his automatic answer.

Gillian stared at him. No Cal! Her brain yelled.

Vince shook his head. "Choose."

How can he choose? Gillian was … his best friend and in a way, he loved her. She was there for him when his ex-wife left him and when Cal was over protective about Emily's first date. She had been there for him when he gambled off in Vegas and in his toughest cases where sometimes he would get so frustrated, he drank himself to sleep. He stole a glance at her and saw that her head was down. He couldn't do this to her. Not ever.

Then there was Emily…his little girl, his angel, the few of the people who he ever gave his thoughts to and trusted. He thought back to the time where him and Zoe were together and were raising Emily. She was just a small baby then. A cute baby though, with the biggest eyes that always gave her what she wanted from her British dad. She too had always been there for him. After the divorce, she would come crawling up in his bed with a teddy bear in hand and would cuddle next to him, relieving all his sorrow. Dads did have a soft spot when it came to daughters.

He couldn't choose. Not between the two people he loved the most.

Gillian, meanwhile, was yelling at Cal inside her head to choose her. It would be better for her to be the one then Emily, after all, Emily was still young and just learned how to drive. She knew that Cal loved Emily dearly and would do everything if it came to her life, but she knew that was true for her own life too. She looked at him as if begging. He didn't look at her though. He just stared at his feet. After what seemed like ages, he pulled his head up and stared into Gillian's eyes. Gillian couldn't see what he was thinking. His emotions were covered with a wall that he so professionally built for years. She searched his eyes for clues, anything. Cal turned his gaze towards Vince then, tearing away from Gillian's watchful eyes.

Cal took a deep breath. "I…I can't choose." He put his head down, almost like he was ashamed.

"Do you think I had a choice? No. Now choose." Vince cocked the gun. "If you don't, it'll be your partner."

Gillian could see Cal's panic in his feature. His posture was stiff and he swallowed.

He was in a lot of trouble. He couldn't really move because of his leg and stomach that was burning like hell, his head felt like it had been stabbed a couple times, and it was very, very sore.

He glanced at Gillian again and saw her smile just a little. He knew she wanted her to pick herself. He looked away and closed his eyes, defeated. He swallowed hard and sighed. Before he was going to say anything, he heard something. The noise was far away but he recognized it. He looked towards Vince to see he hadn't heard it; he was too consumed by rage. He other men looked like they didn't hear it either. Then, a plan popped into his head. Gillian would never forgive him, but he had to do it.

Cal opened his mouth to say something but gasped instead. Vince shouted, "Your last chance, Lightman!"

Gillian wondered what was going on inside his head. She couldn't see pain new in his eyes and the gasp was fake. She furrowed her brows and her face was soon layered with a confused expression. She saw him glance her way and look her straight in the eyes…but she still didn't know. She only saw the worry in his eyes. His whole body was tense and he seemed to clamp his fists. She honestly didn't know what his answer to Vince's demand would be…she just hoped it was her.

He looked her straight in the eyes and focused all attention on her beautiful face. He hoped she would see what was in his eyes, the one thing he wasn't brave enough to tell her. The one thing that he thought would end their friendship. If he told her that, he knew he would be crossing the line, but he had to tell her, tell her now…that he loved her, more than anything in the world. That she was his only blind spot and he would do anything. But as he looked at Gillian, he wasn't sure if she knew. He sighed inwardly. He was going to risk it, but he wasn't going to regret it…not ever.

"You have till three, Lightman." Vince said as he slowly cocked the gun sideways, a kill shot. "One…two…"

Cal closed his eyes and breathed deeply.

"…three."

Bang

The sound was loud and clear, she heard it, he heard it, everybody heard it. But before anyone in that room realized what was going on, the door burst open and a group of people stormed in, guns protecting them.

"FBI! Get on the floor!"

Vince panicked and tried to flee but was soon on the floor with an agent holding him flat on his back. The two men holding Gillian were pushed to the wall and were held there.

That's when Gillian noticed she was on the floor. But the thing that frightened her was the blood. There was a lot…but it wasn't from her. Her gaze slowly traveled up the crimson blood river until her eyes stopped on the body that lay next to her. Her hands went to her mouth.

"CAL!" Gillian screamed, water forming on her eyes. He had knocked her out of the way just in time. And instead, he got hit, not her.

She instantly got on her knees, not scaring about her now twisted ankle. She slowly turned Cal over so she could see his face. His eyes were unfocused but they still had life in them. His scruffy face seemed more handsome to her now more than ever. She looked at his chest and saw that he had pressure on his wound. She took his hand and squeezed, tears now flowing freely down her cheeks.

"Cal…" she said softly.

Cal smiled. "H-hey"

She watched as the groaned and scrunched his face after he said the simple word. She whimpered and he squeezed her hands, reassuring her that he was fine. But he didn't believe in his own actions.

He had one thing to tell her before he…left. And he was going to tell her, whether it meant risking his life in speaking.

"Gill…I gotta tell you something."

"What is it Cal?" she didn't like the tone of his voice.

Ben Reynolds, the FBI agent and close friend, came in the room and looked around. He saw Gillian kneeling next to Cal who looked liked he got shot. But as Ben quickly looked at the wounds, he had a feeling in his guts that something wasn't going to end very pretty. He saw Cal glancing at him and he saw a pleading look in his eyes. Although Ben was no scientist, he still knew what he meant and he took a step back, respecting the man. When the medics came in, he stopped them and whispered something in their ears. They nodded and hurried to Cal, lifting him up and putting him on the stretcher.

On the way to the hospital, Gillian didn't let go of Cal's hand.

"Gill…" Cal started. She leaned in and listened to him. His voice came out as a whisper. "I…I didn't have the courage to tell you this ever, but," he swallowed, "I…I love you Gill. I always have." There. He'd said it. She knows now. He expected her to do something like deny the whole thing but she did the exact opposite.

She couldn't believe her ears. All these years she thought Cal only thought of her as a friend. But there he was, saying that he loved her. She took a breath and took it all in.

"I…I love you too Cal. Ever since I first saw you, I knew there was something about you that was … unique." She didn't mind as the tear dropped.

Cal smiled. He was glad he could tell her. He felt relieved that she loved him back, even if he was dying. His smile turned into a frown as he groaned in pain. She grasped his hand harder then before. She knew he was slowly dying. She smiled at him sadly. She hadn't pictured it like this. Not like this. Not with Cal's life holding by a thread and her sitting helpless next to him in an ambulance, praying that he wouldn't die.

"Tell…tell Em that I love her." He was making it clear that he wasn't going to make it.

As she heard this, she was filled with sorrow. Her mind screamed no but deep inside, she knew it had to happen. She gripped his hands, refusing to let go.

Then all of the sudden, his heart rate starting dropping and the machine went crazy. The paramedics in the ambulance went right to work.

"I love you Gillian."

One of the EMTs softly moved Gillian out of the way and they begin the procedure. Gillian saw Cal's eyes closing. The EMTs got the pads and charged it.

"Clear!" on of them yelled.

Cal's body jerked but his heart rate was still dropping.

"200!" He rubbed the Gel on the pads. "Clear!"

His body jerked again, sending electric waves through his system. But by the end, Cal's body slumped and went still. The heart rate monitor turned too a long beep, the worst sound that Gillian has ever heard. The EMT sat down, defeated. He sighed and glanced at Gillian with a frown full of sympathy,

She couldn't believe it. She stared at Cal's body, still and unmoving. Cal…Cal was gone…gone! Cal Lightman, the genius, the expert, the human lie detector, her friend, her soul mate was gone! No more silly flirting, no more joking, no more dinner with him, no more ignoring his eyes as he watched her go, no more trying to avoid him as he tried to protect her from other guys and no more of her trying to protect him from himself…no more of anything…he was gone. She just sat there, trying to take in the information but not being able to. It wasn't until the EMT talked that she came back to reality.

The paramedic started out slowly. "T.O,D…"

"CAL!" Gillian broke down. She couldn't control her tears. The EMT's voice was drowned out by Gillian's crying.

By the time Ben arrived at the hospital with Ria and Eli in tow, he already feared the worst. And his fears came to life as he saw Gillian's form.

She saw them but whimpered and went back to crying. Ria knew then, and so did Eli. Ria put a hand to her mouth and gasped. He was gone? The man she thought was invincible was gone? She felt her own tears but she knew Gillian needed her comfort, after all, she did know that Cal and she loved each other and by the looks of it, it seemed that Cal had confessed. She walked over and sat down next to her.

Ben already knew but he still felt the shock. He couldn't believe it. The man survived a bomb in Afghanistan. He couldn't believe it. It had only been a couple of days since he avoided hell. Now it all came back. He leaned against the counter for support as he closed his eyes and swallowed a tear.

Eli was…well his feet were permanently plastered onto the white tiled floor. His jaw dropped when he saw Gillian crying and like Ria, he knew what happen. He had to admit, he didn't like Cal sometimes, but he didn't want him dead! He did know that Cal had given him an awesome job and that deep inside, he was thankful. But he didn't really thank him; instead, he found things to complain about. And now that he was…gone, he couldn't say anything.

She did go back to work. The Lightman Group was still the Lightman Group except for the actually Lightman. Eli was a lot quieter now but was still the most honest person anyone has seen. Ria was working harder and harder, trying to make all of Cal's teaching not go to waste. Ben was still with the FBI and the group. He was cracking jokes every now and then but things were never the same with him. Gillian was…sad. Although she tried not to show it, almost everybody knew it, even Emily. She would whimper anytime his name was mentioned. She would cry herself to sleep every night. She would always wake up feeling a string of regret and sorrow, pulling her back. She would always blame herself for his death, his painful death. She would never ever let it go.

The FBI had went straight to Cal's house, to find Emily there all alone. They soon searched the area and found the sniper rifle that was pointed at her. It was connected by wifi so that the person who was on the computer or phone can press a key and a bullet would be shot. But they had gotten to her just in time.

After the event that day, the team went and told Emily the horrific news. She had responded exactly as they thought she would. Emily was a lot like Gillian now, crying herself to sleep. She always kept a picture of her dad in her wallet. Afterwards, she went to live with her mom and her new boyfriend in Chicago. She had it hard, trying to adjust to the new life.

Sitting on the couch wasn't her favorite thing to do; in fact her favorite thing to do was being active. But it had been really hard since that day. She couldn't forget it. It was plastered into her brain and heart. So she just stared at the photo of them and smiled sadly, trying but knowing she couldn't erase the memory.

"I love you Cal Lightman…Always have and always will."

THE END

:)