Ready or not...

This one is going to be long and complicated, I might have overdone it and tried too much but it is an idea I've had for a while. Actually, this was the first story that came to my mind when I started rewatching the show and I didn't think I could write it but here we are.

Fair warning: this story has mention and description of violence, torture and then some so be ready to see our heroes suffer. If this isn't your cup of tea, I understand but let's face it, drama makes for better stories!

Once more the phone went unanswered.

She had called more than 10 times and never received an answer, dreading the explanation behind the lack of response. It wasn't the fact that he wasn't picking up per se: the problem was that he had called her first, at around 3 in the morning, with a voice and message that was the stuff of nightmares, and now he wasn't answering anymore.

Gillian had done what Cal had asked, force of habit really, but after more than one hour she was growing restless and beyond worried. She put the phone down and sighed, feeling a wave of headache coming from the back of her head, trying to make sense of the situation. Sadly, she didn't have much to go on and she didn't know what to do besides anxiously waiting. She wasn't like Cal, she could stand inactivity and use the waiting time to think about the next move, but that otherwise tried and tested strategy didn't apply to the current situation. The only coherent thing Cal had managed to tell her with that strange voice of his had been to go to the office, stay safe and wait for him: it hadn't been much to work with to begin with, and one hour later with no further feedback she was getting restless.

Gillian was about to try again, out of desperation, when her eyes caught movement on the cameras she was watching from the computer in her office. The relief in seeing Loker and Torres walking in was something to hold on to, but Gillian would have lied to herself if she didn't recognise how disappointed she was that it wasn't Cal the one walking through the door.

Watching Loker and Torres zombieing their way in at that ungodly hour, Foster took a deep breath to collect herself before taking the reins of whatever that was. Then she left her office, walking down the hallway at a fast pace but trying to slow down her breathing and get a hold of herself. As she approached, she could hear their footsteps coming her way and even though many times she had been the last one, or second to last, leaving the premises, she realised just then how silent the office was when it was empty.

She managed to shake the somewhat nefastus thoughts just before turning the corner, nearly colliding with Loker and Torres who looked equally surprised and relieved to see her there despite the fact that she had been the one asking them to come.

"Foster, what the hell is going on?"

Torres went straight for it, catching Gillian by surprise as she expected the question to come from Loker instead. Eli was usually the one getting to the point when something shady from Lightman was on the table, but she decided to put it down to the fact that the younger woman had been dragged out of bed with, yet, little to no explanation.

"I don't know." She saw no value in lying or stalling, she had no real clue and it was best for all of them to know she was holding out on them. "Cal called, he sounded - scared, he sounded scared - weird and out of breath. He asked me to come here and stay put, to get you guys here as well and wait for him to come."

"When was this?" Loker asked, and Gillian sighed.

"More than one hour ago. He hasn't been responding to my calls."

"Have you tried at home?"

"Yes, it keeps going to voicemail."

Foster then looked at them, open to suggestions, realising with a shiver that they were waiting for her to carry on. Why wouldn't they? She was the boss, the reasonable one, and if the unreasonable one was up to something chances were she knew something about it. Gillian wished that was the case, she really did, but aside from a very confusing and half-hassed call from Cal she knew as much as they did.

Nothing, not even where Cal was at that very moment.

"Maybe we should go check his house," Torres offered then, sounding annoyed more than helpful.

"He said to wait for him here."

"And we always do what he says, right!"

Torres scoffed at Loker who rolled his eyes but Gillian's reaction, albeit more subtle and controlled, was definitely less accommodating. She stared down at Torres, silently communicating she found that attitude extremely out of place all things considered, but before the silliest of conversation could carry on they all heard some noises coming from the main entrance.

The three looked at each other, a mixture of tension and relief all over their faces, but Gillian was the first one to move. She turned on her heels and resumed her way to the entrance, the fleeting thought it might not be such a good idea crossing her mind. The fact that she didn't know what was going on didn't exclude danger, after all Cal had specifically told her to go to the office to be safe, but she was already launched and frankly happy there was something for her to do at that point.

When she turned the last corner, once again she stopped on track although for different reasons.

Metres away from her, gripped to the reception counter like a man hanging from the edge of a cliff, Cal looked like one of those melting clocks which always appeared to her so mesmerising when on canvas. That sight alone was not a reassuring one, wiping away whatever relief to finally have him there she might feel, and then she noticed the other red flags popping up like venomous fungus. He was giving his back to her and didn't seem to have noticed she was there, not yet, so she couldn't see his face but she could easily see that he was barefooted, wearing pyjama bottoms and his jacket thrown over his shoulders with one arm hanging out of the sleeve. She could see him hunched over, his back slouched but rising and falling fast in a rushed breathing motion. Then, in the half darkened lobby, Gillian saw the dark trail of stains on the usually bright white floor, marking the path from the door to the desk where Cal was doing his best koala impression.

"Cal?"

Her voice sounded so weak she could barely hear herself, but it was enough for Cal who seemed to react to her presence. His back stiffened and he tried to stand straight but something seemed to prevent him from doing so and he flinched. Then, as Loker and Torres stood next to Foster and joined her observation from a distance, Cal seemed to find enough strength to turn around, never abandoning the clearly vital support of the desk.

"Oh my God, Cal!"

Gillian wanted to sprint forward when she saw him, when she saw the blood and bruises on his face, the rips in the t-shirt he was wearing and more signs of violence on his clothing and body. But she was paralysed by the sight, made in no way better by the crazed look on his face, yet she took it all in while her brain tried to reboot her into action. What her own mind couldn't accomplish, external factors managed to achieve. After a few moments of silent staring, Cal attempted to leave the steady support of the reception desk and take a step towards them, but as he did so everything that was held together fell apart. In an odd, almost surreal and nearly comical way, Cal's body went limp and slowly flopped on the floor, which finally jolted the others to move.

They all moved at once, Gillian just a fraction behind simply because the sight of him crashing down on the floor grounded her on her feet for a brief moment, with Loker being the first one to reach out and actually touch the man. However, the second the young man's hand came over him Cal jerked, an uncontrolled and automatic reaction that told them a lot more about his current condition.

"Cal, Cal!"

Gillian stepped in then, fighting against the rambling movements of his hands until she could get hold of him and force him to look at her long enough to focus. His face was a mess and his left eye was a bit swollen, but even with one good eye he managed to concentrate on her long enough to see he had nothing to fear from her.

"Loker, help me with him." Foster instructed once Cal stopped antagonising the help given to him. "Torres, can you get the first aid kit, please?"

The young woman nodded and left, while Foster and Looker stood at each side of Cal and helped him up, literally dragging him all the way to his office. Once there, they manoeuvred to ease him down on the couch as gently as possible, hearing the grunts of pain coming from him, then Gillian kneeled beside him and gently placed her hand on his chest.

"Cal, what happened?" She could hear him breathing ravenously, she could see and feel his chest under her hand. "Cal, look at me. Who did this to you?"

There was no response for her, at least not yet, at least not with his words. Cal was still breathing unevenly and his face was a mask of pain and fear, but he still found a way to look at her in a way that told, if not all, enough to send cold shivers down her spine. Then Torres entered the room, rushing in with the first aid bag in her hands, and her sudden arrival caught Cal by surprise. Except, Gillian saw it clearly, it wasn't just the surprise. Cal reacted on instinct, self-protection and self-preservation, and the second he registered a new person coming into the room his whole body jerked as he jumped up on the couch, as if to make a move to run away.

"It's ok Cal, it's just Ria. It's ok."

Cal looked at Foster, once again fidgeting under her touch until he was reassured by the sight of her and the sound of her voice. Then he relaxed again, as relaxed as someone in his current state could be, but that weird look on his face didn't go away. Unsure given the welcome she had received, Torres didn't come any closer and just looked at Foster who motioned her to hand her the bag. Then the female boss once again placed her hand on Cal's chest, just by his heart, looking at him and breathing slowly waiting for him to take the cue from her and try to slow down. It was like a magic trick in the eyes of their employees, a silent duet going on right before them, one the bosses seemed to pull off with relative ease as Cal eventually started breathing somewhat normally.

Gillian waited a little longer, she really needed for him to calm down because if he didn't she was likely going to be useless as well, and when she thought he was relatively ok she gave him a small nod. Then she stood up, keeping an oblique eye on him as she approached Loker and Torres, at a reasonable distance from Cal so he wouldn't hear.

"I'll look after him for now, I need you to do something," she instructed.

"Should we check on Emily?" Loker jumped in, a thin film of sweat covering his face, but Foster shook her head.

"She's away with Zoe, vacationing in Hawaii." And thank God for that! "We'll think about that later, no point anyway until we know what happened."

"Maybe we should go to his house," he suggested then, nodding over at Lightman. "I mean, no shoes, pyjamas…he must have been home when it happened."

"That's very likely, but it might be dangerous." She looked over at Cal, who was darting the mostly dark room with the eyes of a man scared of his own shadow. "This isn't something we can manage on our own. Loker," she took a long, deep breath before looking at him, "can you call Reynolds?"

"Reynolds?"

"Ben Reynolds." Torres parroted with a shocked look. "The guy who almost died while working here because Lightman-"

"They've stayed in touch." Any other time, the surprise and confusion on their faces would have been entertaining, but also a bit irritating to Foster. "Say what you want, Reynolds doesn't hold any grudge. And he's gonna come if we need him."

"What am I supposed to tell him?"

"The truth, the one we know. Cal was attacked, possibly at home."

"Has he said anything yet? Who did it?"

"No, I-" Gillian bit at her bottom lip, giving Cal a sombre look. "He's in shock, we won't get anything out of him until he calms down. I'll take care of him." Then she looked back at them, suddenly decisive and in control. "Call Reynolds. And Ria, could you go downstairs and see if his car is here? I'd like to know how he got here."

Loker and Torres responded with quick nods and left the room to work on their assignments. Gillian watched them leave and went by the door to find the switch, adding more light to a room that felt too claustrophobic, plunged as it was in the dark, then she went to the couch and checked on Cal with a quick glance. He was breathing normally now and had his eyes closed, certainly not sleeping but at least hopefully calm enough for her to try and get something out of him. Still, feeling he might need a little encouragement, Gillian went for his trusted scotch and prepared a glass for him, then went back to the coffee table and sat down.

"Cal?" Slowly, tiredly, he opened his eyes and looked at her. "Here."

He stared at the glass for a while, as if it had materialised out of nowhere, then blinked and seemed to realise it was exactly what he needed. Slowly, careful towards injuries he wasn't fully aware of yet, he pulled up enough to be able to drink without making a mess like a one year old then took hold of the glass and made scarce of its content in one sip.

"OK, that's ok." Gillian whispered softly as he struggled to catch his breath after the apnea drinking. "I am going to take a look at you now, ok?"

He nodded, half-way between confused and reassured, then slouched on the couch while Gillian picked up the bag with the medical supplies. But when she turned toward him and reached out for his face with her hands he pulled away, snapping back with his neck as if he was afraid to be touched. As a psychologist, Gillian could understand why that might be judging by the state of him, but she had to try and push a little if she wanted to help.

"It was him."

Those were the first words Cal spoke since his apparition, and they were too confusing and random for Gillian to understand what he meant. Not to mention his voice was too low and weak, muffled by a possible wound somewhere by his mouth she hadn't been able to assess yet. She had been about to do just that, using wet wipes to clean up the surface and see what was underneath, but she stopped when he spoke and looked at him.

"Who?" He didn't respond, instead he looked around the room as if looking for someone. "Cal, who was it?"

"Him. He's back Gill, he's back."

Gillian shook her head staring at him, trying hard not to look like he had lost his mind but nevertheless confused. The scary part, or scarier to say it best, was that in that moment he looked well within his faculty, despite the fear in his eyes, the pace of his breathing picking up speed again and his hands suddenly shaking.

"Cal, who are you talking about?" He kept taking in short breaths, shaking his head and looking around, this time clearly terrified to find someone else in the room with them. "Look at me, Cal. who was it? Who's back?"

"It's him, Gill. He's back!"

"Cal, I don't-"

"I don't know how but it's him. I swear!"

He nearly yelled, right in her face, pulling up suddenly in a way that looked to be putting a strain on parts of his body, his hands seizing her shoulders in a desperate grasp. Gillian saw the terror in his eyes, and the panic, two emotions that were foreign to Cal Lightman's face. Not that he was immune to them, but he usually did a great job in burying them under layers of different expressions to deceive anybody looking at him. Not that night, not with her: he was in shock and terrified by something, by someone, and he was too scared to try and hide it.

The scarier part however, was that he certainly believed that the threat, whatever it was, was real.

"I see it Cal, I believe you." She managed to say. "Just tell me who it is and we will-"

"Ward, he's back, Gillian."

Had she been standing, she would have probably fallen off her feet in the same fashion Call had collapsed when he had tried to stand on his two feet. His words, the name he uttered…an incredibly strong and confused mix of emotions washed over her, her head spinning and her breath suddenly skipping in her throat. In a brief moment of clarity she felt the pressure of his hands on her shoulder tighten and was glad for it, without that she might have probably broken in a million pieces, but once that moment was gone she started shaking her head, her mouth slyghlty open and her eyes fixed into some kind of void.

"No, it's not possible Cal." The denial was for her own benefit, not for him. "It can't be."

"It's him Gillian, I am telling you."

"Cal, it's-"

Slowly, suddenly not sure of her own actions, Gillian lifted her hands to touch his face and try to calm him down, to make him look her in the eye and realise what he was saying was not possible. The second the tips of her fingers brushed on his skin Cal jumped forward, the hold of his hands on her tightening to an almost painful level.

"You have to listen to me! It was Ward, he's back!"

"No Cal, it-"

"Listen to me!"

And then he pushed her. First he stood up and took her with him, then shoved forward. It wasn't much, not really, and it didn't mean much besides being a manifestation of fear of frustration, but Gillian was too close to the coffee table and all it took was one step backward. She stumbled on the piece of furniture and fell back, landing awkwardly on the rug between the table and armchair.

Time stopped for a moment then, Cal standing and panting, looking down, and Gillian on the floor looking up at him while absently touching her right elbow after the impact with the table. They just stared at each other, not moving, their shortened breathing filling the room and echoing like howling ghosts.

Until someone yelled.

Well, thoughts?

This one is going to be really long, 30 something chapters, but as usual is already written so I won't leave you wondering. And feedback is extremely welcome!

I will be away for a few days, second chapter will be posted sometime Friday.