A/N: Sometimes I wonder if this fandom will exist forever. Really. Whenever I think "nah, you don't have to post something, there won't be anyone around to read it, anyway" you convince me of the contrary. So, thank you for still being here and even more for supporting me with your reviews. That includes the guest reviewers like sandra, ChloeTK and others I couldn't get back to personally.
The idea for this chapter is based on a chat that I had some time ago with my lovely fellow writers Roadrunnerz and whathobertie and that spun a little out of control, lol. Ever since I wanted to write a story about it. So, I totally give these two credit for inspiring my muse.
In case you're wondering, this chapter refers to an actual scene of the show. Re-watch the first minutes of the episode if you don't believe it and pay attention to what Loker says. ;)
The usual disclaimer applies.
2x2 Truth or Consequences
The premises of The Lightman Group are empty. No one is here that early except her. Gillian enjoys these precious moments before the insanity of their daily schedule starts. As she is walking down the hallway, she inhales the scent of the coffee she is carrying and thinks about how she may make use of the quiet before the storm today.
Clang
At first she believes that the sound is coming from somewhere outside, but then she hears it again.
Clang
It's coming from inside. She stops and listens.
"Hello?" A voice. Muffled, because the door of the lab is closed. She recognized it in an instant, anyway. "Hello? Is someone there?"
Gillian changes direction and goes to the lab. When she opens the door, she briefly wonders whether she is awake or not. This must be a dream. She blinks but when she opens her eyes again, the scenario in front of her has remained unchanged. She was right about who the voice belongs to.
"Is that...?" Gillian squints her eyes, tilts her head back, points at the subject in question and still can't believe it. "Is that a monkey?"
The smell of the animal is strong and unpleasant, eventually convincing her that this is not a dream. Her dreams don't include olfactory sensations.
"A bonobo," he clarifies, his voice coming from below. He is sitting on the floor; his shirt is rumpled. Must have been a rough night. That explains the monkey. Sort of.
Clang
There is the sound again when he moves his arm. It is above his head, slightly twisted at an angle that has to be uncomfortable, at least considering the hours he probably has been sitting here like that as she assumes.
"I thought you were the cleaning service," he clarifies some more. "Hoped to get rid of these before anyone came in. So much for that."
Clang
Metal against metal. His wrist is cuffed to the cage with the monkey inside. Bonobo. Whatever.
"What happened?" Gillian asks. It is the obvious question, isn't it?
He considers lying – she sees it – but then settles for the truth, "I had a date."
Of course. She remembers how excited he was when he told her about his findings concerning the behavior of bonobos during sex a couple of days ago. He must have tripped over his own ego, wanting to make an impression on his date so bad that he overdid it. Why else would the monkey be here? The weirdest things often have the simplest explanation.
"It was a great date until she saw the monkey. Then she just went nuts. Accused me of animal abuse. I never even got to show her the tape of the bonobos."
That was probably a good thing. Gillian shakes her head. He really has no idea what women want.
"What would you have done?" he continues to rant. "If you were so important to a man that he showed you his scientific work on your first date? Wouldn't you be flattered? Wouldn't you...," he stops and turns pale as his eyes focus on a spot right behind her back.
"Oi!"
She didn't hear him coming; the scenario in front of her demanding her undivided attention. But now that Cal is there, Gillian senses him behind her even before she sees him, his erratic moves that are his trademark creating a notably atmosphere around him. The man never stands still.
He walks around her, looks at Loker and then back at her, ignoring the monkey as if it had always been there.
"Having fun, you two?" Cal asks and then, solely addressing Gillian, "Apparently you're over the demise of your marriage." He searches in her face for a sign whether he went too far with this remark. When she lets him see that, albeit she is not happy that he mentioned her divorce, his words didn't actually hurt her, he ups the ante, "Didn't know you liked handcuffs."
A situation like that might have left her speechless a couple of years or even months ago but not anymore. And the demise of her marriage has added another portion of trust in herself. As devastating as it was, she knows now that she can make it on her own. Interestingly enough, Cal's innuendos that sometimes bothered her before have become a reliable source to boost her confidence on a daily basis.
"Look who's in handcuffs, Cal. I like to stay in control."
He didn't expect that. The arousal in his face is sudden and intense before he manages to hide it. She didn't expect such an obvious reaction either. They fall silent, holding each other's gaze.
"Hey, I'm still here," Loker reminds them, rattling the handcuffs what causes the monkey to screech.
Cal looks at the cage with the monkey in it. Loker's disturbance has irritated him and he needs to vent, "Bloody hell, what is that?"
"Don't ask," Gillian stops him quietly but to no avail.
"It's a bonobo," Loker already explains. Not that this would explain anything. "Does no one read the results of my study?"
When neither Cal nor Gillian answer, Loker sighs defeated and keeps quiet. The monkey also calms down.
"Why are you here so early?" Gillian asks Cal. It's a deflection if there ever was one, but one of them needs to say something that leads them away from what just happened between them.
Cal nods consent. Okay then, luv, let's postpone this. "Em stays with me this week. Took her to school." Even if he picked up on her deflection, his eyes restlessly wander over her face and body. Gillian feels her body temperature rise as if he was actually touching her. They have to stop this.
"Oh, great!" Loker provides them with another distraction, welcome this time, as he stares at the entrance, his facial expression changing from uncomfortable to deeply embarrassed.
As Cal and Gillian turn around, they see Ria Torres standing there, looking at Loker with a smile that can only be described as very satisfied.
"Hot night gone wrong?" she asks Loker with a fake pity that oozes glee.
Cal looks back and forth between Loker and her. "Are you...?"
"No," Torres and Loker state at the same time, the denial so vehement that it reveals the truth.
Cal and Gillian exchange a glance. These two are a good match. An explosive mixture. Then again, that hasn't stopped other people at The Lightman Group to test the water, so to speak.
"Could someone please uncuff me?" Loker pleads. It must be unnerving to watch the world from the floor. Everyone keeps looking down on him. Literally.
Only now, Gillian sees that there are keys lying on a table nearby.
"Sure." Torres walks over to the table and grabs the keys. Something is odd about the way she acts. Then again, the entire situation is odd.
Ria tries to unlock the handcuffs, but the keys won't fit.
"You've got to be kidding me," Loker mumbles when she gives up.
Gillian catches how Cal bites back a smirk. He has figured something out.
"They don't fit," Torres states the obvious.
"Too bad, eh?" Cal joins in.
"Let me try." Gillian takes the keys away from Torres. She doesn't particularly feel sorry for Loker. His approach of radical honesty at the expense of others often makes it difficult to be around him. Nevertheless, it's three against one here. Well, that, plus her coffee is getting cold and she doesn't like that. At all.
But Ria was right; the keys don't fit.
"Sorry Loker," Gillian says. "Seems as if we have to call the facility manager."
"You might as well call the fucking morning show," Loker growls.
"Hey!" Cal intervenes. "Watch your mouth," he addresses Loker before he turns around to talk to Torres. "And you get the keys that fit. Wherever you hid them. Now!"
There is only the slightest hesitation before Ria relents and heads off. So that was the reason why something felt odd. When their date, or whatever it was, went wrong, she decided to take revenge in this way.
Gillian shakes her head in disbelief and leaves the room. So much for the quiet before the storm.
Cal catches up with her. "Think we should keep the monkey, luv?"
"Bonobo," she doesn't know why she felt the need to specify that. "And, no, I don't think we should keep it. Why would you want to keep it?"
He ignores her counter question and changes the subject, "So, regarding the handcuffs..."
Gillian sighs. Her coffee is cold by now. Welcome to another day at The Lightman Group.
To be continued