hey everyone. sorry this took a bit longer but i kept putting it off cos i literally didn't want to write it. LOL. problem is we all know what's going to happen so please read on and enjoy as much as you can. thanks to all of you who continue to read and review. i love you for it :)

don't own Lie to Me.

Day 1:

As the social worker waved goodbye, Gillian couldn't wipe the smile off her face. Sophie was theirs. For good. She turned to face Alec as he wrapped his arms around their family. Her family.

Day 5:

She couldn't deny it was hard. Sophie would cry continually. Gillian felt like she hadn't had sleep in weeks even though it had only been a few days. Her work was beginning to suffer. She first realised that when she fell asleep on top of her paperwork and only woke up when she heard Loker asking Cal whether it would be incredibly immature of him to draw a giant 'L' on her forehead.

But it was all worth it to see Sophie's sweet face.

Day 15:

It still never ceased to amaze her that after two weeks, something as simple as bathing her, or getting her dressed could make Gillian so happy. She heard the happy gurgling noise Sophie made as she lowered her into the luke warm water and it gave her a happy tingling sensation throughout her entire body.

This was what she was meant to be. A mother.

Day 30:

She still had doubts. Still would wake up worried. What would happen if they took Sophie back? If the birth parents decided they now wanted her? She would still wake up at night, sitting up suddenly, drenched in sweat, her breathing coming out ragged and shallow. And every time Alec would sit up next to her, place an arm on her shoulder, a kiss on her cheek. Murmur how everything was fine, amazing in fact. And how nobody could take their happiness away. Their little ray of sunshine.

And she would relax and fall back to sleep.

Day 45:

She had decided that morning that she wanted to take Sophie into work. Alec had been a little concerned at first. But Gillian had been persistent.

As she pushed the pram through the doors of The Lightman Group, should could already hear the cooing from the rest of the staff. Loker just looked at Sophie strangely, like she was a foreign object.

'So let me get this straight. You all think it's adorable and all it does is sleep and poop all day? If I did that I would be considered a lazy slob.'

Cal had a funny look on his face. Something she couldn't quite put in words. But she felt her expression morph into his as she passed Sophie to him to hold. Slight jealousy. Some regret. But also a look of what if. What if things had been different?

Day 55:

It was the weekend and they had taken Sophie on her first picnic. The day was perfect. The sun was shining, there was a slight breeze and for once Gillian realised she had it. Has what she had been looking for after all these years. Alec's voice drew her out of her thoughts as she turned to smile for the camera.

The framed picture took pride of place on their mantelpiece. Mother and daughter.

Day 57:

They were nearly there. All she had to do was wait three more days before Sophie was theirs forever. Not that she had any doubts now. After 57 days why would the birth mother decide to take her child back? But Gillian knew she had to wait the full 60 before she could breathe any sigh of relief.

The knock at the door came as a surprise. They weren't expecting anyone.

She felt her chest tighten as she opened the door and forced herself to breathe. The social worker. She tried to convince herself that it was probably just a routine check up. That nothing was wrong.

'Mrs Foster? Is your husband here as well?'

Routine check up. Routine check up. Routine check up.

'I'll just grab him.'

She heard her voice as she called out for Alec. To anyone else it would have sounded normal. But she could hear the fear in it.

'I'm so sorry.'

Those words meant nothing. They rarely did. And in this case it was even worse. She didn't want the social worker's pity. She didn't want her to feel bad for them. She wanted justice. And fairness. She wanted her child, her child. The once she had raised for 57 days. The one who she had dressed and fed and bathed. The one who she had gotten up for at 2am to rock to sleep.

Life was a bitch.

She couldn't cry as they carried her Sophie away. She tried to feel something. But everything was just...numb. She bit her lip and took a breath. She tried to lift her hand, to take Alec's in hers, but she just didn't have the strength. After the social worker had left, had taken her heart and soul away, she just sat there for 15 minutes, trying to remember how to breathe. When she thought she had that fundamental concept under control she turned to find Alec.

He was gone.

The drugs started then. The erratic mood swings. The late nights. The lies. The constant lies. They came at her so thick and fast she couldn't even tell the difference between the truth and what Alec was telling her. So she had stopped trying. She took what he was saying as the truth because it was easier. Less work. Less energy.

She hadn't returned to work in two weeks. Cal kept calling her house, asking if she was ok. She put on a pathetic nasally voice. Told him she had the severe flu. Not to come over and see her because it was highly contagious. He had tried of course, but she had refused to answer the door. When he called her, asking why she hadn't come to the door, she told him she had been sleeping. Which was partially true.

More like staring at the ceiling for hours on end.

After 16 days she figured she should probably be the responsible adult and do her job. Continue to function and go to work. Alec's lies had gotten worse. Sometimes he didn't return home at night. Every morning when he returned he would kiss her lifeless cheek and make up some pathetic excuse about how he had to 'work late' or he had to make 'a conference call'. And every lie she just chose to accept as the truth. It was easier that way.

So on day 16 she got dressed, brushed her hair and placed some makeup on to try to give the illusion that she was ok. She walked into her office and everything was exactly the way she had left it. Like nothing had changed. She saw Cal walk past and look in, but he just kept walking. She looked up a second time when she heard his voice.

'Gill?'

She attempted to smile at him.

'Oh hey Cal.'

'So you're feeling better then?'

'Much.'

Lies.

Her world was surrounded by lies.