A/N: I'm here, I'm here! I haven't gotten lost, promise. I got sucked into a new project that demanded my attention for a bit. Regardless, here's a new chapter, and the next one is nearly finished as well. : )
Gillian heard the absurd words roll off his tongue as she was reading the last paragraph of the last story in her magazine.
"Let's play Truth or Dare."
She held up a finger to him as she finished reading, and once she was done she calmly closed the cover, set the magazine next to her and said, "That game is ridiculous. I'm not playing that." She crossed her arms over her chest as if to say that was final.
"Oh come on, Gil! I'm bored out of my mind sittin' here. There's rubbish on the telly, you can hardly call this food," he picked up a spoonful of mush and let the food slop off it back into the bowl to make his point, "and the nurses are drivin' me up the damn wall. Humor me," he practically begged.
She inhaled deeply, considering his request. "How do I know you're not going to dare me to streak down the hall?"
"You don't. That's the fun of it love," he said to her through hooded eyes.
She gave him a half smile as she pondered if he would really make her embarrass herself. "No nudity, nothing related to sex, and nothing that will land either of us in jail," she said pointedly.
"Well now where's the fun in that?" he whined.
"Take it or leave it, Cal. Those are my rules, and I'm not playing under any other conditions." She said it so seriously Cal almost laughed.
"Well alright then, but you have to go first – truth or dare?"
Gillian sighed, already regretting how easily she caved in. Damn her guilt.
"Da-, no… Tru-, no…" she trailed off, a look of extreme consideration on her face.
"Pick one!" Cal told her excitedly. "Unless you'd like both."
"One is quiet enough thank you." She paused for a moment and looked him in the eye, considering her options and having no idea what was running through his mind. All she knew for sure was that he was smirking at her, a shit-eating grin just begging to spill across his lips.
Narrowing her eyes at him, she said, "Truth."
Cal flipped back his covers, turned sideways in the bed, and set his feet on the floor. Gillian watched from her spot on the couch, knowing any offer of help would be shot down. He slowly stood up with a wince and made his way over to a rolling chair. He sat down, and with one good shove from both legs, shot himself across the room in Gillian's direction.
She caught him with a giggle as he neared the couch, pushing him several feet away from her. She was no fool – she knew he got closer so he wouldn't miss anything on her face when he asked his question, but she was going to keep as much distance as possible.
Cal smiled cheekily at her, loving that he made her giggle and knowing she was distancing him on purpose.
"Alright, Gil. Why did you call yourself my business partner?" he asked with eager curiosity as he leaned back in his rolling chair, legs crossed and one arm sitting on the backrest. He couldn't wait to hear the answer to this.
I should have gone with dare, she thought, drumming her fingers on her knee. She focused on his eyes while he looked back at her, patient as could be; and she wondered if he could sense her heart rate rising. She took on a relaxed posture much like Cal's in an effort to calm herself and buy a few more seconds of time. Cal raised his eyebrows at her, waiting and refusing to say anything else until he got his answer.
She sighed and said, "Because I didn't know what else to call myself." She looked at him a moment, saw him furrow his brow and then said, "Truth or dare?"
"Now wait a minute – that's not an answer at all!" he complained, feeling slighted at the response he'd received.
"Sure it is. And if you ask anything else, it would count as another question. So, truth or dare?" she countered.
He narrowed his eyes at her and said with an annoyed tone, "Dare."
She smiled at him, knowing he was going to choose a dare. He'd never knowingly or willingly put himself in a position where he had to be completely truthful with anyone when he didn't want to be. He found his strength within his walls, and she knew he would never tear them down without prompting.
"I dare you to be completely truthful with me for a whole day. Tell me whatever you're thinking, when you're thinking it." She looked him directly in his eyes and could see he wanted to protest.
"I think that's a crap dare," he said.
"Good! You're already doing very well," she told him with a self-satisfied smile.
Scowling at her and thinking Gillian was right – this was a ridiculous game – he said with annoyance, "Truth or dare?"
Gillian considered her options again. She could either opt for truth and probably be further questioned about her business partner response, or go with a dare that Cal was sure to retaliate through for the dare she gave him.
"I really hate this game," she told him.
"I'm not a big fan myself at the moment," he replied.
"Dare," she said flatly.
"I hadn't expected that. Give me a moment," Cal told her. He looked around the room, feeling amused at his idea. "I dare you to get in that bed and stay there until the nurse gets back."
"What?" Gillian said with a laugh. "Cal that's ridiculous! Just like this damn game!"
"No matter," he said. "In you go!" When she only rolled her eyes at him he said, "Or you can do downward dog facin' away from me for, oh I don't know… A count of 10."
"Cal Lightman!" she said with eyes wide, pure shock registering on every inch of her beautiful face.
"So, the bed then?" he asked seriously.
She uncrossed her legs, walked past him with a glare, and got in bed, crossing her arms in front of her and her legs at the ankles.
Cal spun around in his chair and smiled at her. "Comfy?"
Not wanting to let him get the better of her she said, "Yes, actually. I should go change into my comfy clothes and then sit in this nice comfy bed." She scooted down into the mattress, reaching for the control to set herself up so she could see him. She placed her hands in her lap, leaned her head against the pillow, and said, "Truth or dare, Dr. Lightman?"
"I like when you call me doctor," he said suggestively as he stood from his chair, walking in her direction and stopping at the edge of the bed.
Pursing her lips at him, she again said, "Truth. Or dare?"
Licking his lips he said, "Truth. And move over." If he was requited to be completely honest with her anyway, he saw no point in further subjecting himself to her psychologist-inspired dares.
"Really? I hadn't expected that," she countered. "Wait, what?"
"I guess we're both getting surprises then, aren't we?" he said. "And I said move over. I'm getting back in bed."
"You absolutely are not!" she insisted, looking in his eyes and feeling with her hands how small the bed was.
"Oh yes I am, and seeing as how the nurse hasn't come back yet, you'll have to stay in bed as well. Now move over," he told her.
Gillian huffed at him but did as he asked. He climbed in bed next to her and, finding the space to be quite nicely limited, lifted his arm for her to scoot into him. Rolling her eyes with as much drama as possible, she scooted over and allowed him to drape his arm around her.
She sat there for a moment, acting like she was annoyed by the situation but actually quite enjoying the warmth of his body against hers, and thinking about the one question burning in her mind. "Why did you do what you did in the lab?"
Tipping his head to the side and looking at her he said, "I thought we had an appointment for 5 years from now to discuss that."
"We did," she simply said, hoping he wouldn't deflect again and examining the pretty pink on her toe nails.
Shaking his head slightly to himself, he told her, "I was hung-over, and still partially drunk."
"That's not why you did it. That's what gave you the iron balls to do it," she retorted.
"Iron balls? Bloody hell, Gil!" Cal said amazed at the expression she used.
Gillian simply smiled at him and said, "Answer my question."
Cal made a mental note never to play this game with a psychologist ever again. Then, swallowing, he looked at her, her face only inches from his, and said, "I thought you slept with him."
Her mouth dropped open, and she tried to respond, but no words would form in her brain. Instead, she sat there with a befuddled look on her face – mouth still open, brown knit together, breathing coming out in bursts of sighs and deep inhales at trying to comprehend how her sleeping with Mark would translate to Cal treating her like that. Finally she closed her mouth and bit her lip, still looking at him with her brow knit.
"Ease up or your face will stick like that," Cal warned.
Closing her eyes and releasing the tension she'd been holding in her forehead, she let out the breath she'd been holding.
Before she could say anything else to him, Julie walked in and Gillian turned her head toward the sound of the incoming footsteps.
"Oh!" Julie said with an upward inflection at seeing the two of them sitting in bed together, Cal's arm draped easily around Gillian as they looked at each other. She then humorously added, "Are you not feeling well, Gillian?"
"She volunteered to get anymore shots or whatnot that I might need. She's kind like that," Cal interjected with a squeeze of her shoulder.
Gillian looked down at his fingers wrapped around her arm and then over at him and saw that same look in his eyes that made her leave the room earlier. She tore her gaze from him and said to Julie, "I absolutely did not. But please, feel free to give him a shot with the biggest needle you've got."
"Oi! That's not very nice, love," Cal chided.
At hearing Cal call Gillian 'love,' Julie gave her a surprised look.
"Oh," Gillian said with a wave of her hand, "He calls everyone that."
"Mmmhmm," Julie said with an unconvinced look. Then she said to Cal, "I need to check your vitals one last time, and then no one will be in to bother you until tomorrow morning."
"I'll just get out of your way then!" Gillian quickly offered, taking the first opportunity to get out of bed. Cal was disappointed at the distance she so quickly put between them, but he didn't say anything and plastered a cocky look on his face as if he were pleased with himself for getting that close to her in the first place.
After Julie left, a silence fell over the room. Gillian found herself denying the meaning of the look Cal had given her twice now, and Cal was wrestling with what to say to her. Finally he spoke.
"I've got one more question for you."
Shaking her head and sitting in the rolling chair Cal was previously sitting in, she said, "I'm done with the game."
"Fine. Off the record then," he said, causing her to look at him. "Will you give me the magic formula now?" There was something in his eyes akin to desperation. He really wanted her forgiveness.
She smiled sweetly at him and said, "I already did."
Furrowing his brow, he watched as she got up and walked out of the room. He hung his head and wondered what she was talking about and why she was leaving yet again.
Once in the hallway, she wondered why she kept running away from him. She stopped just outside his door, her hand on the doorframe, and wondered if it was because of the look, or maybe because she thought he was really going to try to ruin things with Mark for no good reason, or maybe because she was just afraid to let him that close. Her heart skipped a beat at her last thought. She was so scared of being hurt by him. He was very dear to her, and as a result the hurt he caused her cut much deeper than the disappointment and pain she received from others. She could survive heartbreak from others. It hurt like hell, but she always found the strength to go on. If Cal were to hurt her like that though, she wasn't sure she'd be able to breathe, let alone put on a mask and walk around as if she were fine.
Closing her eyes for a moment, she peeked her head back in to see him sitting in the bed, staring at the sheets deep in thought. She thought of how nice it was to be close to him and regretted moving away at her first opportunity. She could have still been sitting by his side, but instead she was getting ready to run again. She silently scolded herself.
"Hey," she said, causing him to look up. "You want to get some fresh air?"
He looked surprised that she was still there and said, "I'd love some."
"Come on," she said, pulling her head to the side indicating for him to get up.
He cautiously stood, wincing a bit at again using his core muscles to pull himself up.
"Ok?" she asked worriedly.
"Golden," he said as he neared her. He stopped just a couple feet short of her and held out his hand for her to lead the way.
A/N: Let me know if you're still out there after such an extended wait!
