AN: Disclaimer – Not mine, just borrowing.
Hello again…We've finally gotten to Gill/Cal interaction. The setup was a bit long, but I thought it needed to be explored more than what was shown in the ep. I appreciate the encouragement and your patience. All mistakes are mine. Single quotes indicate thoughts, double quotes dialogue.
One final note…this has officially become AU because the events in Fold Equity wouldn't take place in my Callian world.
Ch. 4: Crossroads
"…If you don't want this to go any further; if you have any doubts at all, for God's sake love, tell me now."
"Cal, don't run. Not again. Please."
Cal closed his eyes and held on to her, praying he wouldn't hear the words he feared for so long. Hoping the hitch in her voice wasn't regret about revealing herself to him.
"What about it, love? Are we done with that blasted line?"
"Cal… We need to talk."
'No, no, no, no, no, no.' Cal thought as he felt her take in a deep breath. 'This can't be happening, damn it.' He heard her words, but he had to see it on her face. He pushed her out to arms length again and held his breath as he sought confirmation of what he feared most.
He stood there and analyzed her – 'Doubt? No. Love? Yeah. Fear? No. Arousal? Definitely. What the hell?!?' His eyes travelled to her mouth and he exhaled as he registered her smirk.
"You little minx!"
He smiled and ran his hand through his hair, shocked that she would tease him like that after a day like today.
"Cal, I've been by your side for the past 18 years. Did you honestly think I would open up to you about my love for you then declare we still can't cross the line?"
He nodded and allowed her to see his vulnerability.
"Hey, I've stood by you through the good times, the bad and the really shitty. I've nursed your hangovers, watched you gamble away several fortunes, spent wonderful times with you and Emily and witnessed your rise to the very pinnacle of your profession. I'm in love with you, Cal Lightman."
He stumbled forward as she tugged him toward her, moving them a couple feet in the room.
"There. You're on my side of the line now. I, Gillian Foster, hereby abolish the "bloody, blasted line" and any verbal agreements concerning said line henceforth."
He regarded her – her eyes twinkling, her demeanor playful and confident – it was a new side to her and he found it to be sexy as hell.
Fears allayed, he took her face in his hands.
"I've wanted to do this for years…"
Cal leaned in and brought his lips to hers, gently exploring her mouth and sharing her breath. It felt as if her love was a current curling through his body. He pulled back just enough to catch his breath, lingering near her and panting slightly. He studied her face as she slowly opened her eyes and smiled at him.
"Mmm… I know we need to talk, but it's been a long day and I don't feel much like talking now. How about a glass of wine, instead? "
Glad for the reprieve and the lightening of the mood, he readily agreed.
"I'd love one. Mind if I…" He motioned toward her iPod dock on the shelf.
"Not at all, be right back."
Cal shifted as she reached up and kissed him. His eyes slid shut as she sought his tongue. Desire shot through him as her teeth tugged his bottom lip and she turned toward the kitchen giving him an excellent view of her ass. He licked his lips and bared his teeth. 'That woman will be the death of me.'
Turning his attention to her iPod, he scrolled through the playlists: Alternage, Top 40ish, Smooth, Lazy Days... 'What kind of madness is this?' He tried his luck with the one called Smooth and scrolled through the list…Garth Brooks, Maxwell, Queen Latifah, Babyface, and Pearl Jam among others.
"Oi! Foster…how can you have George Strait and Clint Black in the same playlist as Maxwell and Bill Withers??" Cal called out to her, perplexed at the list.
"Play them and see what you think."
She handed him his wine and went to sit on the couch. He took a sip of the wine and hit play on the Clint Black track. You Made Me Feel started to play and he tilted his head, listening to the unfamiliar tune. Once he got a feel for the song, he skipped to the next tune, Billy Vera's At This Moment.
"I know that one." He grinned at her and turned his attention back to the iPod. "Next is Into the Night by Julee Cruise. I've not heard of her. Where'd you get that one from?"
"That was from an old TV Series, Twin Peaks. It has an ethereal quality, don't you think?"
"Yeah…next up is Pretty Wings…Maxwell. Never heard it before, but I quite like it…"
Cal was enjoying getting to know Gillian through her music. He'd never realized her musical tastes were so broad. He realized there was a lot he didn't know about her as the next track started to play. With a grin he held out his hand to her.
"C'mon love, dance with me." He smiled as she rose to join him. Eric Clapton's Wonderful Tonight began to filter through the speakers. He took her in his arms and swung her around before settling into the rhythm of the music.
"So, what do you think of the list? Do they all fit together?"
"On the surface, all those different genres didn't seem to mix, but audibly they are a surprisingly good fit."
He heard her yawn as she laid her head on his shoulder.
"Let's sit down for a few minutes before calling it a night. I know you don't want to talk, but there are some things I want to tell you and I don't want to wait any longer."
He led her to the couch and then turned down the music a bit. He grinned as he listened to the lyrics to Billy Joel's The Night is Still Young. He did have a lot of catching up to do and he intended on starting now. Sitting on the coffee table across from her, he took her hands in his own.
"Gillian, I don't even know where to begin. I remember when we first met, how easily we got on together. It was like we'd known each other in a past life or something. I was attracted to you, but committed to Zoe. Even though I've often taken advantage of it, I've always held your friendship as one of the best things in my life. No…don't…it's my turn to talk and yours to listen."
He put two fingers over her mouth to silence her.
"Love, you've put up with so much along the way. I don't know why you've stood by me, especially at my worst, but I'm so glad that you have. One of the hardest things I had to do was watch you walk down the aisle and marry Alec. I knew I had no right to feel that way, but God help me I did. Then to watch you lose Sophie and have him treat you the way he did was torture. I wasn't there for you the way you were for me and I'm truly sorry for that. We can go into why later. We'll have to talk to Em of course, but I want a go at a relationship with you if you're willing. I want to make up for all the time we lost together. I've never felt the same connection with anyone else that I've felt with you tonight. I'm in love with you, Gill."
He saw the tears forming in her eyes again and stood up. He pulled her into his arms and held her, breathing in the slight aroma of her shampoo.
"It feels so good to be able to hold you this way, love."
"It does. I like this business of being able to be close to you." He let out an "Oi!" when she squeezed his butt cheek and gave him an innocent look. "Did you bring a bag or do I need to find the clothes you left behind last time you were here?"
"I've got a bag in my car. I'll get it." He called on his way out the door.
He was so glad that he came to her when he did and left the other woman behind. He would've missed this small window of opportunity, quite certain she would have compartmentalized everything by tomorrow and have all her shields and defenses in place. Who knows how long it would have been before they came to a crossroads like this again. His only worry tonight was controlling his hormones. 'She deserves better than that,' he thought. But what a vixen she's turned out to be. She was much more open than he expected and it was driving him crazy.
He closed the door behind him, left his shoes on the mat and flopped on the couch waiting for Gillian to return. He wanted to say goodnight before he retreated to the spare room for what would probably be one of the longest nights of his life. He knew that she would be out soon with some things for him, so he hooked his knee over the arm of the couch, leaned his head back and listened to the music. He was surprised when she returned to the living room empty handed.
She already read the unspoken question.
"There have been some changes since you stayed with me after the divorce. I couldn't stand to be in the same bed that the jackass defiled, so I got rid of it and took the one that used to be in the spare room. I haven't gotten around to replacing it, so you can bunk with me. I won't bite…well, not tonight anyway."
Cal stood, grabbed his bag from the floor and followed her to her room with a grin plastered on his face.
tbc
