Disclaimer: I own no part of the wonderful world of Lie to Me. I just like to live there.
A/N: This has not been Beta'd but has been sitting on my hard drive since Christmas and I decided to post it anyway. Hope you enjoy.
The noise from the party outside was just barely tolerable as Cal Lightman tried to concentrate on the journal in front of him. It was almost midnight and the party had been in full swing for several hours as Emily and her friends rang in the New Year. Emily had begged him for weeks to throw the party and he'd relented under several conditions typical for a teenage party; no drinking, no drugs, no one upstairs, and he had to be present at all times. Emily had agreed and from the sound of things his rules had not put a damper on the festivities. He'd already had two pictures fall off the wall.
Another song came on with a heavy bass line. "Is there a marching band in my living room?"
Gillian Foster laughed and said, "Emily likes this song."
Cal rolled his eyes and went back to his journal, sneaking a peek at Gillian whenever he thought she wasn't looking. She'd been part of the deal. Gillian could be the voice of reason, something Cal could never be when it concerned his daughter and since her mother had a date, Gillian would be the only person who could keep her dad in line and not embarrass her. They'd agreed that Cal and Gillian would stay in the study and that Gillian could come out and check on them several times during the night.
Cal had been surprised when Gillian had agreed. He'd been sure she would have had a date, but when Emily had asked, she'd readily agreed and it made Cal wonder if she'd accepted simply because Emily had asked, or if other feelings had been involved. Cal dared take another glance at his "date". She was curled up in the largest, most comfortable chair in his library; it was as if she belonged there. And she did. The two of them had been growing closer over the last several months, especially since her divorce from Alec. They were free to flirt and test the waters. She'd become freer with the way and frequency with which she touched him and he'd reciprocated. It was an enhanced version of the dance they'd danced since the day they'd met.
"I guess I should make my rounds," Gillian, said, looking at the time on her phone.
"You'd tell me if some guy was snoggin' my daughter, huh?" Cal said, concerned when she didn't answer and just laughed and shut the door.
Fifteen minutes later, Gillian slipped back through the study door, bottle of Champagne in one hand and two glasses in the other.
"Please tell me you did not find that out there," Cal said, walking over to her, but eyeing the door like he was ready to pounce.
"Down boy," she commanded. "I went out to my car and got this. The kids shouldn't be the only ones to ring in the New Year."
Gillian handed him the bottle to uncork which he made short work of, pouring them both generous glasses.
Gillian looked him intensely in the eye and held her glass up. "To a happy new year."
Cal clinked his glass to hers, both of them taking liberal drinks of the celebratory alcohol.
"What's going on out there?" Cal said, trying not to sound too interested.
Gillian smiled widely and sat on the edge of Cal's desk. "You sure you want to know?"
She let him stand there uncomfortably before she finally relented. "Emily's fine. She was dancing with some of her friends."
"Male friends?" he asked suspiciously.
"There's a group of them, male and female, all dancing together," she answered.
"There's something you're not telling me," Cal said, reading her body language and her facial expressions.
Gillian looked down and when she looked up her face held the slightest hint of a blush. "I caught a couple of the kids in the hall closet," she confessed, her face reddening at the memory.
Cal was two steps toward the door when Gillian grabbed his arm. "Don't," she warned. "They weren't doing anything that you weren't doing at that age. You remember how it felt, hormones surging and all, perfectly normal."
"Are you trying to make me feel better or worse?" Cal said running his hand through his hair.
"Don't you remember how it felt to just stand near someone you're attracted to, the rush of adrenaline when she touches your hand, or leans in for that first kiss," Gillian said taking a step closer to him.
Cal studied her for a minute before relenting and stepping away from the door and closer to her.
"It's almost midnight," she said pouring them each another glass of Champagne.
They could hear the kids counting down as 2009 drew to a close. 10…9…8…7…6…5…4…3…2…1..
Gillian leaned over brushed her lips to Cal's, the noise from the party seeming to cheer them on, causing them both to smile against each other's mouths.
"Happy New Year, Cal," Gillian said, taking his hand.
Cal looked at her, putting his hand to her cheek, pleasure clearly written all over her face. "Damn straight," he replied, slipping his arm around her waist and pulling her to him. "Does this mean this is what we'll be doing in 2010?"
Gillian shivered at the thought of "The Year of Kissing Cal". She looked intently into his eyes and replied, "Damn straight."
This time the kiss was anything but gentle. It was passionate and messy, just like their relationship. Cal's hand slid from Gillian's face to her neck and across her shoulders. The feel of her warm body made his head swim and his heart beat faster. He felt like he was sixteen again. Neither of them noticed the door opening until they heard someone laugh from across the room. Both of them looked over to see Emily standing in the doorway with a huge grin on her face.
"Busted," she giggled crossing over to give them both a kiss on the cheek. "I came in here to wish you a Happy New Year, but I see that you two already have that covered, 'bout time."
Cal kissed his daughter on the forehead, "Happy New Year, Em."
Gillian just smiled, touched at Emily's immediate acceptance of this new facet of her relationship with the most important person in Cal's life.
Emily reached for the door, but looked back at her dad and Gil, "Don't do anything I wouldn't do."
Cal opened his mouth to respond, but Emily and Gillian's laughter stopped him. He just watched his daughter leave to go back to her own party.
"So where were we?" Gillian said, running her hand up his chest.
Cal leaned in just a breath away from her mouth. "Just about here."
Gillian leaned into his mouth once again more determined than ever to never let this man out of her life and with a new New Year's Resolution: to make this year truly, the year of kissing Cal.