I'm confused…I was keeping them apart and you all called for something and now that it's here it's only the faithful ones? Can't seem to get it right!

Well this one is a bit of an M rated chapter, I guess…I mean, they deserve it, right?

He didn't have the heart to wake her.

He had checked on her once by standing on the other side of the bathroom door, listening to the water running and splashing and figuring she was rightfully taking her time with it. Then he had heard her get out of the bathroom and go into her room, waiting patiently for more than one hour before caving to the physical need to land his eyes on her again. She was sprawled out on the bed, still wrapped in the bathrobe and with a towel around her head, and she was positively passed out sleeping. Cal smiled at the sight, surprising even himself that the visual only brought up feelings of love and tenderness rather than lust, then carefully closed the door and left the room to let her sleep in peace. Sure, they had a dinner reservation and all, but there was time and he wasn't going to bother her until it was necessary.

Besides, he still didn't quite know how to play it. Now that Emily knew they didn't need to hold back or hide, but they couldn't even be too blatant with their displays of affection. Actually, even being subtle might have been a struggle: Emily might have find them adorable, but she wasn't a child anymore and it was clear that the thought of the two of them doing more than gently holding each other had already crossed her mind. After all, it was all part of what he had told Emily before: things were changing, and they all needed to adjust.

So he let Gillian rest and watched a movie with Emily, the both of them quickly dozing off mostly due to boredom and inactivity until Cal felt a light touch on his cheek. He didn't open his eyes right away, but smiled and kept them closed as he then felt the couch cushion shift underneath him, followed by the gentle pressure of something soft on his left side. When he finally opened his eyes Gillian was there, looking stunning as always and well rested as she leaned in resting her head on his shoulder. She asked what they were watching but he really had no idea, and with her wrapped up around him he didn't care either, then he told her about the dinner plans that had been made and nearly gasped and her excited reaction.

It nearly pained him to tame her enthusiasm; apparently Sedley wasn't primed for fancy restaurants, but Emily had still found something decent and booked a table for 8pm. Truth to be told, it seemed that he was more bummed than she was for having to settle because when Emily woke up too and joined the conversation, showing her the menu online while carefully keeping it away from him, Gillian seemed more than happy with the options available.

"So this is how it's going to be now?" He whined then. "You two ganging up on me?"

"Only when you deserve it," Emily casually commented, then checked the time and stood up. "I'll go get ready. Dad, you should get a move on too. We'll be leaving in 40 minutes."

"Yes boss!" He called out sarcastically while she left the room, but didn't give any sign to get up and do as told. "What?" He mumbled to Gillian then as she gave him a stern look. "You know it doesn't take me much to get ready. And it's not like we are going to a Michelin starred restaurant or something."

"Alright," Gillian sat on the coffee table in front of him and leaned forward, her arms folded and looking at him as if he was a child who needed to be explained something important. "Whose idea was it to go out?"

"Mine," Cal mumbled, shifting uncomfortably in his seat and trying not to think how sexy she looked with that attitude of hers.

"Uh, and why did you think of that?"

"To celebrate," he shrugged then, and this time he did feel like a scolded child.

"Then don't you think you should follow through and make sure we all have a good time?"

"Right this moment love, I think you and I might have a different idea of what constitutes a good time," he pointed out leaning back on the couch with his arms over the backrest, pretty much offering himself to her in a way he knew would not go unnoticed. "Besides, it's not like I packed anything for a special occasion."

"Too bad." There was a little shift in her voice, matching the one in her body as Gillian leaned in a little closer. "You do look great in a suit and tie. Still, you could make an effort?"

"As in?"

"Shower," Gillian suggested, with a voice and look that made him groan.

"Em's in it," he reminded her, staring at her and desperately trying to remain impassable as she moved in even closer, resting her hands on his thighs.

"When she's done."

"She'll take ages, no time for me to get one too."

Cal didn't know where she was going but he was all for finding out, especially when she scooted further still, her knees nestling in between his wide open legs and her hands gliding away upwards. He was trying to hold his breath but when she came close enough for their noses to almost be touching he was hit by the a sensory wave, her natural scent mixed in with the body wash, shampoo and whatever else she had used after the shower, his nostrils flared and he opened his mouth to suck in a sharp breath and take it all in.

"I see," Gillian whispered, her hands now on his chest roaming with a light pressure he could feel through the fabric of his shirt, her lips closing in on him. "Guess we'll have to find something else to do for the next 30 minutes or so."

Then she closed the small gap left and kissed him, wasting no time in sticking her tongue in his mouth and claiming what certainly was the most passionate kiss they had exchanged in days. Cal's arms immediately clasped around her hips and he pulled her forward to sit on his lap, both of them moaning for a second but carrying on with the kiss until they were out of breath. Gillian pulled back slowly, an enticing look in her eyes while she licked her lips as if savouring what was to come, which however faded when she noticed the look in Cal's eyes.

Nothing to worry about, quite the contrary, he looked so serene and at ease that it left her speechless. His eyes were sweet, adoring really, and so were his hands and he gently guided to sit on his lap in a far less compromising position, holding her softly.

"What is it?" She asked, calmly, feeling in his gestures that it wasn't anything bad.

"Emily thinks we are adorable," he whispered in her ear as she rested her head in the crock of his neck.

"And you don't want to burst her bubble?"

"I just never thought- I don't think anybody has ever used that word to describe me before."

"You don't like it?"

"I think I do actually." He looked down at her. "But I don't think I could claim it on my own."

"Well I think you are, in your own right. And your own way, when you want to." Gillian gave him a quick kiss and put her hands on his cheek. "Which is why I know you will go get ready and be as dapper as you can for this important occasion."

With that she should up, leaving a gaping chasm in his lap and making him groan in protest. Then Gillian held out her hand to him and pulled him up when he took it, following that with a gentle but decisive push towards the bedroom. And shivering with anticipation from head to toe when he picked up his bag, up until then kept in the living room, and carried it with him to the bedroom with the clear intention to leave it there where it belonged.

For someone who hadn't been ready for a special situation, Cal sure rose to the occasion.

Gillian and Emily were ready to go, wearing the best possible outfits they had in their luggage and calling out for him, impatient to go out and have dinner. He grumbled something from the bathroom, having had only a few minutes in there after Emily had finished her shower, and when he finally stepped inside the living room huffing annoyed at the rush put on him Gillian was stunned. He had made an effort, ditching the classic all black attire for a white shirt and a grey jacket that didn't look like it had been worn for five days straight, nearly matching the shade of pants that had a faint ironing line. He had done something to his hair too, she didn't know what but she sure appreciated the results and when he stepped closer she could smell the combination of toothpaste, soap and deodorant, all mixed in with his natural musk, and for a moment food wasn't the only thing Gillian was hungry for.

Cal smirked teasingly, obviously reading the desire all over her face, but decided to spare her a cheeky comment and instead complimented the ladies on their looks. With that they were ready to leave and drove off, following Emily's instructions to get to the restaurant. It might not have been fancy, but it sure was interesting. The restaurant was actually a boat moored by the lake, restored and adapted to host a small kitchen and seat around 30 people.

Despite everything, they were all kind of overdressed for the place but that didn't prevent them from enjoying the evening. With the case closed, everybody safe and with no more secrets looming in the dark, it was easy for Emily to almost forget that the two adults with her at the table were no longer just friends but something else. After all, the three of them have had meals together countless times, watched movies, talked and a lot more, and really that evening didn't feel any different. Sure, every now and then they were holding hands and they looked at each other in a way that made her blush, but it all seemed very natural and they never failed to include her. What was new to her, Emily realised when time to order dessert came and she saw her father biting his tongue to stop whatever joke about Gillian's fondness with chocolate was going through his mind, was that it was the first time she was seeing her father with someone in that way. Sure, there had been Mom when they were still married, but it was different because they had already been together and because she mostly remembered the tension that had led to their divorce. She knew there had been women, but he had never really talked to her about them or gone as far as letting her know he was seeing someone: if anything, he had always tried to downplay whatever involvement with them he might have had. But that was different, that was Gillian, and as she watched them together out in the open Emily understood why they had waited to tell her.

After dinner they drove back to the lodge, briefly agreeing on a departure time for the day after so that they could get organised. That was when the first moment of awkwardness showed up, when Cal and Gillian were sipping a last drink by the kitchen table and Emily suddenly let out a loud and long yawn, sign that it was time for her to call it a night. That seemed to bring a shy silence into the room, heavy with implication to the point that Emily stood up and muttered a quick goodnight before running to her room without so much of a glance.

Cal rolled his eyes and chuckled at that escape but then he looked at Gillian, who gulped down the last sip left in her glass before taking his hand. He knew that look, she had been giving him that look a lot since after her shower, and he followed her in silence. They locked up and switched everything off, then she took his hand again and guided him to the bedroom. It was a bit odd for him to enter the room, he hadn't been in there yet but just standing on the door when he had checked on her, and it reminded him of the first time they had spent the night at her place.

"You're kidding, right?" Gillian called him out then, forcefully pulling him inside.

"Just lingering on some fond memories, love," he sighed, then he finally stepped in and closed the door behind him.

"For a moment there I thought you were missing the couch."

"Not a chance."

Cal smirked as he spoke, then pulled her closer and kissed her, chuckling softly when she took hold of his jacket and pulled as she walked backwards to the bed. He let her take the lead, he loved when she did that, but when she tugged at his jacket to take if off of him something in the movement - a very hasty and frenzied movement - seemed to disagree with her injuries from the day before because she stopped abruptly and let out a small painful moan. Immediately alarmed, Cal pulled back and held her gently, scrutinising her face with concern.

"Are you ok?"

"Yes, it's just my back," she sighed, stepping into his embrace. "It's alright Cal, just…too much too quickly."
"They gave you something at the hospital right?" She nodded. "Painkillers?"

"No, some cream. Would you help me with that? I don't think I can reach."

"Sure, of course love."

Gillian nodded and went to get her bag, bringing out the tube of medication and handing it to him. Cal nodded over at the bed and she sat down, then she took off the blouse she was wearing and he sat next to her, asking where it hurt. She pointed the spot at him and Cal rubbed his hands together to warm them up before putting some cream on them, then he started to massage the sore spot as gently as he could.

"How bad is it, love?"

"Not that bad. It didn't hurt for hours, that's why I didn't put anything on it before." He hummed behind her, sensing the truth in her words. "It's nothing, Cal."

"You never get tired of saying that to me, do you?"

"Only when you need to hear it."

He chuckled and kept at it, noticing how she winced when he hit a particular painful spot and how she seemed to move on her own accord so that his hands would reach where she needed. Cal moved then, he stopped for a second and manoeuvred until he was sitting right behind her, Gillian now nestled in between his legs, then unhooked her bra and resumed the massaging motion, sensing the way she relaxed under his touch.

"Better?" He asked still.

"Yes, thank you."

She hummed softly in response, closing her eyes and leaning back a little, enjoying the way his breath caressed the bare skin on the back of her neck. Cal kept going until her skin absorbed the ointment, then asked if she needed more of it and she said no, so he wrapped his arms around her gently and kissed where he had just massaged, carefully. It still striked her sometimes how delicate he could be, someone with so many rough edges and hard exterior, but she was glad that he had no problems showing that side to her. Then he came in closer, the soft fabric of the shirt brushing on her skin, hands gently smoothing her abdomen as he looked for the other injury of her hip and caressed it with a light touch.

"All this teasing of yours," Gillian whispered while looking for him behind her with her hand, "it better be going somewhere."

"I'm not teasing, love."

"Not from where I'm standing."

In fairness, she wasn't all that wrong. She was half naked in his arms, he was getting high on her scent and his lips were now roaming her skin absently as much as his hands. Cal honestly didn't mean anything specific by it, it was just a natural reaction, but it became clear to him that she was expecting things to escalate when she turned around and guided him to lay down. She kissed him deeply, covering his body with hers and he groaned when he felt the pressure of her naked breasts on his chest. The sound fuelled her desire, Gillian climbed up a little more and switched to kissing his neck, her hands starting to work on the buttons of his shirt.

"Gill," he growled softly when some of the skin on his chest was exposed to the contact with her hands, "Gill, Em is next door."

"You said she's a heavy sleeper," she countered, her mouth lingering on the nipples she had just exposed.

"She is- Uh!"

Her mouth had gone back up to his neck, trailing upwards more and finding a little spot there she had come to know as extremely sensitive for him. She lingered there with her tongue until he moaned loudly, then she kissed him hungrily until she was out of breath and had to take a break.

"So?"

She went back at it immediately, her mouth busy on his neck while her hands explored and surfed around, moving south to stroke him under his clothes and easily revealing that whatever protest his brain was trying to come up with his body was clearly not on the same page.

"So," he gulped, his back arching in response to her touch despite his best effort…she just really knew how to rile him up. "You can be really, really loud."

It was Gillian's turn to groan, not because of anything he did to her but because of what his words conjured up. To be precise, he should have said that he could make her be really loud, and knowing exactly what kind of things he had to do to her in order to make that happen Gillian shook with a mix of extremely pleasant memories and arousing anticipation.

"Cal." Her voice was ragged as she insisted on touching and kissing him, broken by lust. "If you don't make love to me right now I am going to scream so loud that you'll have some explaining to do with your daughter anyway."

Cal chuckled but seemed to take her seriously, especially when he looked into her eyes and saw the burning desire shining in them, along with a level of determination he had seen before, although not in that kind of circumstances. He held her then and gently rolled her on her back, catching the victorious smile on her face as he leaned down her and kissed her back, still holding back a little.

"I don't want to hurt you," he whispered softly, his lips on her neck.

"Then don't." She sounded confident. "I know you won't. You couldn't."

There was so much certainty in her voice, so much transport and trust and that got to him more than any kissing and touching and teasing. Cal leaned down to kiss her, a kiss that was not gentle nor soft but hungry and thirsty, and before she knew it he had taken off his jacket and was fumbling with the shirt. Triumphant, Gillian scooted over on the mattress and sat up against the backboard while he sat on his knee. Their hands fought against each other for dominance over the buttons, making a mess out of it more than helping, their mouths getting in the way too as more and more skin and flesh were exposed.

With fluid moves that would make a contortionist blush they got rid of the rest of their clothes without stopping the kisses until they were both naked, their bodies finding each other again after a few days with frightening ease. Cal finally abandoned her mouth and started a hot wet trail down her neck, kissing her breasts and listening to the way she moaned his name when his hand travelled in between her legs. She parted them for him immediately and Cal whispered something to her, something that made her shiver even before his fingers found their way inside her. Gillian immediately clutched at his right arm, almost afraid he could stop and pull out, but all his doubts and concerns were gone, which became painfully clear to her when he brought her to the brink but stopped just shy of pushing over the edge.

Before she could protest, and possibly call him some awful names, he swiftly slid inside her with one long and deep movement, offering his neck to her mouth so that she could suffocate her cry of pleasure.

The first of many really, because quite frankly once he started Cal couldn't hold back.

He found his rhythm, their rhythm, trying to control himself because after a few days being inside her again he was at a serious risk of losing it way too soon. Slow and steady, making sure she could feel everything every time, mesmerised by her complete abandon to his actions. He picked up the tempo, looking at her whenever he could and feeling her lips sucking on his skin every time a moan or gasp tried to escape her mouth. When he felt her shift a little under him, knowing what it meant, Cal moved his right hand down her body and picked up her leg, stretching upwards and resting on his chest to find a better angle.

"Oh my God!" Gillian gasped, arching her back and starting to move along to match his stride, her hands desperately trying to reach for his ass and pull him closer. "Cal, don't stop."

He had no intention too, as always once she got to that stage of frantic movements and gibberish talking he was already too far gone. He took a moment, the last moment of lucidity, to look down at her messy face, her eyes closed shut and her mouth open bracing for the climax, then he buried his face on the crock of her neck and got into a frenzied pace of his own until he felt Gllian's nails digging in the back of his neck, her mouth against his desperately trying to mute her ecstasy.

He followed immediately, it was just so much better when they climaxed together, and kept swinging gently until he was completely spent and collapsed on top of her. Not that he had any intention of going anywhere, but for good measure Gillian wrapped her arms and legs around him and kept him there. He chuckled softly, his lips gently brushing on her neck as he tried to return the hold with the little room for manoeuvring she had left him.

Gillian did let go after a while, just enough for him to roll on his side and take her with him so that they were facing each other, close as if they didn't have a king size bed to share. She still held him, her hands on his lower back while he snuck one hand under the pillow and put the other on her hip, caressing up and down as they waited to recover.

"Ask me if I'm ok and I will smack you," she warned him then, to which he rolled his eyes but bit his lip too. "Trust me," she leaned in for a kiss. "I am very much ok."

They kissed for a while, basking in the afterglow and the peace they felt, until Cal rolled on his back and Gillian covered half his body with hers, resting her cheek on his chest and absently tracing the coloured lines of the tattoo on his forearm.

"I missed you," she said then. "I know it's stupid, we've been together almost 24/7 but…I missed you. I missed this, being with you like this."

"It's not stupid love, I missed it to." Cal kissed her forehead, then smiled at her fascination with his inked skin. "Don't get me wrong, sex is great but-"

"It's not the sex," she agreed, snuggling even closer. "It's everything. These days, being unable to be with you and yet…being even more with you than usual." He hummed softly, taking her hand in his. "I'm not making any sense, am I?"

"Maybe not but I know exactly what you mean, Gill." Cal reassured her. "I could have done with a little less drama but I think we passed a lot of tests these days."

"We did, yeah."

Cal smiled hearing her voice sluggish, knowing her eyes were already closed and soon she would have been asleep. There were many things he wanted to tell her still, about how he had felt those past few days and how hopeful he was for their future, but he knew anything would have been lost on her in that state. So Cal kept his mouth shut, just holding and caressing her and waiting for her to fall asleep, thinking to himself instead. Yes, it had only been a few months and they hadn't faced any big challenges yet, but he really felt they would come out that case and all the experiences attached a little stronger.

It was a good place to be for him, mentally. Gillian could read him like nobody else and in a way that had nothing to do with their skills or science, but he had still managed to keep a few things from her. He knew Emily would have been happy about them but he was still nervous about introducing his relationship with someone to her for so many reasons. Because he hadn't been steady with anybody since Zoe, and because there were many reason why he hadn't even tried; because Emily might have been used to her mother moving on but not with him doing the same; because that first real relationship he had had since his divorce was with Gillian, of all people, someone he had cared about deeply for years; because thus far everything was going great and he always feared at some point it wasn't going to be the case anymore and he didn't want to think about it that way.

Because for how much he had gained by finally getting with her and still was every moment they spent together, he also knew there was so much that could be lost.

But he pushed the thought aside, because he knew that if he'd had the guts to talk to her about it she would have told him that there was no point in ruining the pleasant present with unfounded worries about the future. Cal knew he shouldn't do it, he didn't want to, and frankly it was so much better to live in the moment, especially when the moment was Gillian wrapped around him holding onto his body even in her sleep.

I probably won't post before Wednesday, I am on a business trip all week. But that means ya'll have time to catch up and leave some reviews!