Lucy sat at the kitchen table drawing, something that Gillian realized she had a very keen talent for. Gillian always provided her with as much drawing material as she would like. Paper, markers, crayons, colored pencils, anything she could need was in Lucy's very own drawer in Gillian's desk.

She could always tell by Lucy's artwork what kind of day she was having.

She picked up the paper and beamed, presenting her work proudly. Gillian knelt down and examined the hand drawn image. There were two people, one a little girl and one a grown woman, standing together holding hands. Around them were carefully drawn lilies, like the ones she had seen earlier in the vase in her office.

A smile spread over Gillian's face. "Is that you?" she asked pointing to the little person in the picture.

Lucy nodded happily. Then she pointed to the taller person and then at Gillian. "That's me?" Gillian clarified and Lucy nodded again. "Why don't you sign it right…" she pointed to the bottom corner of the page, "there and I'll hang it on the fridge until I can frame it?"

Lucy's eyes grew really big. "Frame it?" she asked, the excitement was hidden with her shyness, but Gillian still heard it. Of course she couldn't help but smile at it.

Gillian nodded. "Yes, and we'll hang it where ever you like."

The smile on Lucy's face was a comfort as she picked out a magnet from the fridge and held it up for Gillian to use with the picture. The sparkle in her eye was obvious as she took a step back to admire it's temporary placement.

It was hard to image why anyone would harm a child, especially Lucy. She was always so willing to watch and learn. The light in her eyes was still there, even with everything that happened to her. She was scared, broken too, but she was still a beautiful and sweet child who was amazingly bright.

Usually, the later it became, the less jumpy Lucy was. She would gradually accept that she wasn't going to be hurt by Gillian, but it was almost like it was a system that restarted every day. Still, the longer she was with Gillian, the less time it took for her to warm up. Gillian continued preparing the food as Lucy sat down and drew another picture.

"Gillian?" she asked softly as she continued drawing.

"Yes?" She couldn't hide her smile. The girl was starting to openly speak with her and even look her in the eye. It had been a revolutionary day to say the least and it made Gillian unbelievably happy.

"Cal is nice, right?" she asked nervously, not looking up at Gillian simply because she was embarrassed she had to ask the question.

Her tone concerned Gillian. She looked back at Lucy who was still drawing, trying to pretend that she busy. Gillian took a seat next to the little girl and gently touched her shoulder. To her pleasant surprise, she didn't flinch away.

"Lucy, Cal is a very nice person, and as long as you're with me, you're safe." Slowly, Lucy looked up and met Gillian's eyes. Gillian gently cupped Lucy's face, once again pleased she didn't flinch away. "You're safe, Cal won't let anything happen to you either."

Lucy nodded at Gillian. "You promise?"

"Promise."

Just then the doorbell rang and Lucy looked nervously at her guardian. She always was nervous when someone arrived at the door, but for once she didn't hang back. Instead, she held Gillian's hand and moved toward the door with her.

She clung to her leg as Gillian pulled the door open to reveal Cal holding a big brown bag and Emily standing just beside him. He didn't wait for an invitation, just moved past her as though he lived there. She had only moved out of the house that she shared with Alec a month ago and Cal was already wanting to make himself at home in her new place, even though this was his first time over.

He then looked down at Lucy who was watching him curiously as he opened the freezer and shoved the brown bag in. "You like ice cream?" he asked almost aggressively. Aggressive was just his nature, but Lucy didn't falter. She nodded and smiled a little bit. Apparently she didn't see Cal's aggressive and upfront demeanor as dangerous, instead comical. That was probably because Gillian had given her word that Cal was good.

He gave her a big smile. "Good. 'Cause Gillian loves chocolate. I brought chocolate, rocky road and vanilla, just in case. Sound good for dessert?" Another nod.

Emily patiently followed Gillian into the kitchen and gave the little girl a smile. "Hi, I'm Emily," she told her.

Lucy looked past her to Gillian almost to ask if Emily was good too. Gillian gave a gentle smile and Lucy waved before moving right back over to her guardian, the person she trusted most in the room, and maybe the world. Emily tried to get some conversation out of the child throughout the night, but failed. The only responses she or Cal were given were nods, shaking her head, or hand motions.

Eventually, Emily accepted that this was a work in progress. Lucy stayed near Gillian the entire night, watching the other two like they were completely new creatures to her. It was simple curiosity and she was very intrigued by them, but you could tell she wasn't sure what to expect from them either.

Cal dished out desserts and all four of them sat on Gillian's couch. Lucy was one side next to Gillian, then Cal and Emily. They watched an old Disney movie, mostly for Lucy's benefit, but none of them minded seeing Aladdin again.

By ten o'clock the movie was nearly over. Lucy had fallen asleep and was curled into Gillian while Emily was wide eyed and watching the movie as though she had never seen it before. Gillian felt just as tired as Lucy and had her head on Cal's shoulder and his arm around her. It was comfortable and not the slightest bit awkward.

They were best friends. They knew where they stood with each other and sometimes their friendship meant holding the other person on the couch. Usually it was because something had happened, but now it was just a comfort. There were no spouses to complain about their relationship with each other and Emily had a strange grasp on it, even though she wished they would be something more.

Deep down, Gillian knew that Cal wanted "the line" they had drawn with each other to be gone and somewhere, she did too. But what she and Cal had already didn't seem like it was worth the risk if things didn't work out. They were best friends and business partners, plus she wasn't even technically divorced yet. If a romantic relationship failed, she could lose it all. Emily could be caught in the cross fire and now Lucy too.

Still, it was sometimes hard to remember that as she drifted to sleep laying against him on her couch.

"My arms asleep, love," Cal told her gently as he shook her awake, careful not to disturb Lucy in the process.

She blinked several times before looking up at him. "Hmm?"

His smile made her melt. "My arm, love. It's asleep and Emily and I have to get home."

"Oh!" She sat up quickly, but then adjusted, realizing that Lucy was now using most of her body as a pillow.

He chuckled softly as Emily yawned. "Dinner was great, Gillian," Emily told her, leaning down and giving her a hug and a kiss.

She returned it and smiled. "Thanks. Lucy likes you, Em. Trust me, she wouldn't have even looked at you otherwise."

Emily gave her a weak smile and nodded. "Maybe next time she'll actually talk to me."

With the progress she made today, there may be a chance of that. "Maybe."

Cal leaned down and shared a friendly peck and embrace, both of them careful to not disturb Lucy. As he pulled away, Cal looked down and gently pushed Lucy's hair off her face before going back and meeting Gillian's eyes. There was a silent conversation that unraveled between them, just comfort.

"Need somethin' call," he told her before turning back to Emily and guiding her to the door. Gillian gently moved out from under Lucy and followed behind them.

"Cal?" She placed a hand on his arm to stop him. "I wanted to talk to you about something, actually."

Emily stops with him until he offers her the keys. "Go start the car, love, be out in a sec."

The girl obeyed without question, leaving the two adults to talk. Cal turned his full attention toward her as they stood in the dimly lit house together. Gillian glanced back at the couch where her charge was sleeping soundly before meeting his eyes.

"I just wanted to see if it was alright with you if I put you down as Lucy's secondary emergency contact for school and such," Gillian explained, her voice a slightly higher pitch due to nerves, but she didn't know why. "I mean. My brothers don't live around here and she needs someone to…"

"Course, love. Anything you need," he assured her, his hand gently stroking her bicep.

There was a moment where Cal just wanted to walk back toward the couch and hold her until she realized she didn't have to carry this weight alone, that he was there for her one hundred percent, but he knew better. Gillian was fiercely independent and she refused to fail. Not that there was a chance at her failing in something that came so naturally to her.

Gillian moved toward him and let him wrap his arms around her small frame as rested her head against his shoulder. "She likes you," she told him as she nearly clung to him. At the current moment, he was her strength in this emotional storm. She was always his angel.

"She's a good kid."

Finally Gillian stepped away from him and looked into his eyes. For a split second she almost leaned in to kiss him. Kiss him properly, but she couldn't. Their relationship was the way it was for a reason and no matter how sweet, charming, or loving he could be, she had to weigh all the factors before putting all her chips in.

Cal felt the sudden urge as well, but respected Gillian's withdraw, as always. She wasn't even divorced yet and all he wanted was a chance, a chance to make her understand that this could very well be the very best thing that had ever happened to them.

"Goodnight, Cal," she told him as she leaned against the open door frame.

He nodded. "Goodnight, Gillian."

With that, another chance was ruined. Gillian locked the door behind him and Cal climbed into his car with Emily. Lucy was curled into a ball on the couch. Slowly, Gillian moved to scoop her up and carry her into her bedroom.

Lucy wrapped her arms around Gillian's neck and clung tightly to her as they moved up the steps.

"Did Cal and Emily leave?" she asked sleepily as Gillian pushed the bedroom door open. She laid the tiny girl on the bed while she searched through the drawers to find something for her to sleep in.

"Yes. They were tired too," Gill helped the little girl out of her day clothes and into her pajamas. Lucy was too sleepy to complain that she didn't get to say bye. Instead, she just allowed her guardian to pull the blankets over her and drift closer to sleep.

Gillian pushed Lucy's dark curls off her face and gently kissed her cheek. This day had been one for the books. She was finally opening up. She was finally allowing herself to find comfort in Gillian.

"Goodnight, Lucy."

She flipped off the lights in the bedroom and left the door cracked. To be honest, she didn't consider herself a woman of God, even though she was raised to be, but after today she couldn't help but look up and thank Him. Lucy was learning how to be happy.

Cal and Emily drove toward their home in a near silence, the radio barely humming in for white noise. "Dad?" Emily said suddenly, jerking Cal from his train of thought.

"Yes, love?"

"I think we should invite Gillian and Lucy to go to Mexico with us."

This definitely took Cal by surprise as he glanced at his daughter. "Emily…"

She gave him a hard look. "Just think about it, Dad. It could be good for them."

Gillian was nearly asleep when she heard the sound of footsteps in the hallway. Immediately she reached over and turned on the lamp on the side of her bed just in time to see the door to her bedroom be crack open.

Lucy stood there in her PJ's and her favorite blanket dragging the floor behind her. Her cheeks were tear stained and she was shaking slightly. In half a second, Gillian was over to her, kneeling in front of her.

"Sweetie, what's wrong? Did you have a bad dream?" Gillian asked, but the little girl just shook her head.

"I got scared…" she whispered softly. "I don't want to leave Gillian. I want you to be my new mommy…"

If it was possible, Gillian's heart swelled and broke all at the same time. The reminder that this could be temporary killed her. There was no way Gillian was letting this precious child go back to her the place where she was not treated like the miracle she was. So she made a promise that she guarantee she could keep. Something that she tried to never do.

"I will never leave you," she swore.

Lucy looked up at Gillian. "I want to stay with you." She threw herself into Gillian's arms. "Forever and ever."

Tears pricked at Gillian's eyes. "I want you to too, baby."

The little girl pulled back and looked down between them. "Does that mean I could sleep in your bed? There's something scary in my closet, Gillian."

It was impossible to hide her smile as Gillian picked the little girl up and rubbed their noses together. "Absolutely. Tomorrow you and I can check your closet and get whatever is scary out."

Lucy climbed under the covers in the big queen size bed, before looking back at Gillian. "Will Cal help us? He's strong! He can take care of the monsters! And Emily can help me draw some more? They'll come back right?"

This time, Gillian's heart just swelled. "I bet if we ask them really nicely, they'll come back. Maybe even have dinner with us again tomorrow."

Lucy beamed as Gillian crawled back into bed and reached over and turned off the light. It was silent for a long time before the little voice spoke again.

"Gillian?" it said in the darkness.

"Yes, Lucy?"

There was a slight hesitation before the reply. "I love you, Gillian."

Suddenly Gillian was very glad the lights were off. The first tear slid down her cheek onto her pillow. This was motherhood. "I love you too, Lucy."

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