A/N: The long-awaited continuation... I'm sure it's nowhere near the caliber of the preceding chapters, but it's all I've got.
The cloud cover disappeared, and Gillian watched through blurred vision, the moonlight her lamp, Cal's back as he strode back into the building.
"Cal!" Her voice was lost, even to her own ears. Nothing she said could stop him now, deep down, she knew that. They were bound to one another in ways neither could fully understand. His pain was her pain, and vice versa.
Standing, she wrapped her arms around herself, startled and dismayed to find herself shaking even more than she had been before. Still, she charted a steady course back inside-not knowing what she would find there.
She only had to go as far as the lobby. It was there she found her two biggest defenders, her two best friends, huddled close together, leaning into one another. She glanced at both of their faces, Melinda's and Cal's, and their sheer determination and anger made her laugh. Without an ounce of warning, the sound just bubbled from her and echoed around the small lobby area. It was an unexpected sound to all three of them, and Cal and Melinda turned and looked at her.
"Something funny, love?" Cal cocked his head to the side, his own expression a complicated mix of curiosity, amusement, and unbridled anger.
"Yeah, Gill," Melinda pushed her bangs out of her face, "Something funny?"
Gillian started laughing again, even though she still felt tears burning her eyes- "Yes, absolutely. The two of you standing here plotting vengeance!"
"Uh, no offense, Gill, but this kind of doesn't concern you."
Cal nodded his agreement.
"Have you two completely lost your minds? Of course this has to do with me-this only has to do with me!" She was conscious of the mass of people still inside, so she kept her voice to a whisper-shout.
Cal's face softened, "See, now, that... that's where you're wrong."
Gillian watched as Cal and Melinda looked at her, and she felt her heart swell- there had been many times lately where she lamented the fact that she didn't have a family. Since Alec, she'd been alone, and in recent months she'd become exceptionally aware of what, precisely, that meant. She'd known for a long time that she would never hear the pitter-patter of little feet that once kicked inside her-but she'd always imagined she'd have someone with whom she could share her life. After her divorce, the loneliness snuck up on her and sucker punched her on a fairly regular basis. Now, however, standing here looking at these two crazy, hot-tempered, protective people, she realized that she was wrong. She did have people with whom she shared her life- it wasn't conventional, there would be no white picket fence, but it was here. And her heart swelled with that knowledge.
Gillian sighed and looked at the two standing before her- "I know." She touched her face, "I shouldn't have said that. I know. But... nothing you say or do now can make up for what happened then. Nothing can fix it- nothing can take away the scars of what happened, literally or figuratively. If it could, you know that I wouldn't even try to stop you."
Melinda exhaled sharply, "He has to pay for what he did, Gill. I've always wanted him to pay," Melinda was on the brink of tears.
"I know, Mel. But, the thing is that he has. He has paid. In ways we will never be able to understand."
Melinda nodded, only slightly, and then smiled, "But, still...Can't you just let Cal rough him up a little?"
"Yeah, love, gotta say, I'm with your friend on that one."
Gillian fixed them with a stern look, "No." Her tone was bemused, but serious. She'd had enough violence to last a lifetime. "Besides," she shrugged, "it wouldn't be the first time he'd been roughed up for what he did..."
Mel's eyes widened, as Gillian's meaning sunk in, "I knew it! He didn't get in another car accident our senior year!"
Gillian shook her head.
"Austin." Mel nodded, "I knew I liked him."
Cal bristled only slightly at the name.
Gillian chuckled.
"Alright," Mel clasped her hands together, "What do you say we go back in there, grab a couple more drinks, and wrap this awesome reunion up?"
Gillian nodded, "Sure. Just... give us a couple minutes, will you?" She looked at Cal, and then looked meaningfully at Melinda.
"Oh, of course," She winked, and then headed back inside.
When she had gone, Gillian turned her gaze to Cal.
"Oi. Don't look at me like that, darling."
"Cal." Gillian shook her head, "You promised."
Cal ran his hand through his hair, his heart still pumping with anger. "To be absolutely fair, I said that I'd do my level best. You've known me long enough now to know precisely what my 'level best' entails. And, also to know that I've got a bit of a soft spot for you."
"A bit?"
Cal smiled, "Alright. More than a bit- it's just... Gillian..." He stepped toward her, "Your pain is my pain, yeah?" He touched her cheek with the back of his hand, "Know what I mean?"
Her eyes were glassy, and she suddenly felt her mouth go dry-the way he was looking at her reached deep inside her; it rooted itself in her feet and bloomed upwards, until words spilled out of her mouth, and tears threatened to spill from the brims of her yes, "More than you know."
"Alright, love," He pulled her into an embrace, and she inhaled as her head rested on his shoulder-the scent of Cal filled her lungs, and for the second time that night she felt safe. Cal pulled back and looked at her again, the pad of his thumb resting on her cheekbone- Gillian licked her lips, and Cal inched closer to her.
Suddenly, the door swung open, and a loud drunk couple passed them- Cal drew back and cleared his throat.
"We'd better get back to Mel," Gillian said. Cal smiled- but he didn't bother hiding the disappointment on his face. The raw honesty Gillian saw when she looked at him surprised her. Nonetheless, Cal opened the door for her.
"After you," His voice was soft.
They made their way back inside, through the throngs of people, and finally back to their table, where Melinda was finishing a glass of wine, and talking to a smiling Austin. Cal glanced at Austin, and he felt a sense of gratitude. No matter what this man meant to Gillian now, or back then, Cal knew he could never feel anything other than thankfulness toward Austin- Austin had been there to protect Gillian, before Cal had even known her. Cal could never forget that-he wouldn't.
"I just... hate her, you know!" Melinda said, as she slipped the last contents of the wine into her mouth.
"Uh oh." Gillian said, shaking her head, "How many more has she had?"
Austin chuckled, "Two. Although she says she's now in my debt. Not entirely sure how I earned that honor." His brow furrowed in amused confusion.
"I told her the truth about Steven's... second accident."
Cal watched as Austin's eyes darkened at the name. "Ah." He said, simply, drawing patterns on the tablecloth with his fingers.
Cal slid into his seat, "Who are we hating now, Melinda?" His eyebrows rose, and Gillian couldn't help but smile at the interaction.
"September." Melinda crinkled her nose in an obvious gesture of distaste. "She's such a bitch."
"Oh, is that right?"
Gillian, Melinda, Austin, and Cal all turned to see September standing in front of them-they'd all been so occupied that they hadn't noticed her stride up.
"Yes." Melinda said, matter-of-factly, "That's absolutely right."
September rolled her eyes, "And what did I ever do to you, Melinda?"
Melinda's mouth opened, but Gillian let out a warning, "Mel..."
"Gillian... I've not said anything to her for 20 years... she was our friend. She was your friend." Melinda turned her attention to September, "You were our friend, September. We invited you into our lives, into our houses, ane we trusted you. And after that night, you just disappeared. Which would have been fine. Not everyone is strong enough to handle a friend in pain- but you told everyone when Gillian found out. The whole school knew- and it was none of their business. It was none of your business. And then you show up here tonight and tell Gillian how much you LOVE being a stay at home mother." Melinda was shaking with her anger now, "So, yes, September, you are a bitch."
September stood in front of the table motionless, before quickly turning on her heel and walking away.
TBC. I waffled between continuing and just ending it with this chapter (in a different way). Truthfully, the latter felt too abrupt, and I've put too much time into this story to just randomly end it. Hopefully I can get it finished in a way that at least does semi-justice to the rest of the story.
Thank you for your continued reviews; your reviews and PMs are a large part of why this chapter (awful though it may be) has been posted.