Sorry for the delay, I've had a hella lot of work going on lately. Plus, nieces due any day now. Hopefully it's worth it!

Lucy walked between the two adults, holding each of their hands and occasionally picking up her feet so she could swing. Cal kept looking over at Gillian. Her face seemed years younger as she laughed at the little girl, occasionally pulling the little one into a hug or teasing her gently. There was no one in the world who could love her more. Lucy that is. They were meant for each other. Exactly what each other needed.

Cal watched as Lucy let go of his hand to race up the steps of Gillian's townhouse, nearly tripping on the laces she had difficulty keeping tied. She ran through the door and toward the kitchen. Cal promised her ice cream and she exactly where to get it. Gillian found Cal's hand and squeezed it. She let him pull her into his side and as they walked in the house together.

"Mommy, you want chocolate right?" Lucy called from the kitchen as Gillian shed her own coat, regrettably moving out of Cal's arms. Cal pulled off his own when Lucy came running in with the large carton of ice cream. She didn't really need her mother's answer to ice cream. Lucy knew the answer was always chocolate.

"Of course she wants chocolate," Cal replied to Gillian as he took the large carton from the little girl. Gillian snatched the little girl into her arms as Cal headed back toward the kitchen.

Gillian tickled the little girl as she pulled off her coat. Finally Lucy collapsed into her mother's arms with a satisfied sigh. "Is it gunna be like this forever?"

Gillian looked down at the mess of curls resting against her chest. "Like what, baby?"

"You and me and Cal? Are we gunna be like this forever?" Lucy's big blue eyes looked up at Gillian and suddenly she had the urge to promise that nothing would ever change, but Gillian knew better. Cal and her relationship was comfortable, but complicated. Yet lately she found herself wanting more than their slightly flirtatious banter with his protective side coming out like an angry dog at times. She wanted it to be like this forever, but she also wanted more.

"I hope so," she said instead, holding Lucy tight. She didn't realize how quickly all of it could be threatened.

Cal came back in with a single bowl that was large enough for the three of them. Lucy barely had eaten a few bites before she was asleep against Gillian's side, her small hand clutching the fabric of her shirt as Gillian leaned into Cal's side.

"You want me to carry her up to bed?" Cal offered as he noticed Gillian's eyes getting droopier as she rested her head on his chest.

"Hmm?" she asked in her near sleep. Then she shook her head. "I'll get her in a minute."

Cal smirked, knowing that in a minute, they both would be asleep. Still, he didn't move. Gillian fell asleep resting against him and Lucy against her. His arm was tingling as he gently removed himself from her grip and lifted her legs so that she could properly lay on her couch. Lucy shifted to a better position, her head moving to underneath Gillian's neck and letting out a satisfied sigh.

A man like Cal would never admit the types of feelings as he looked at the two on the couch, and he would definitely never admit leaning down kissing Lucy's forehead before looking down on Gillian for an extra second. With a gentle hand he brushed the hair away from her face before leaning down and gently taking her lips with his. Cal would never admit that he did it, just like Gillian would never admit that she was a little awake. Awake enough to gently kiss him back.

Monday came too fast and Gillian knew that it was not going to be a good day. Aside from what happened Friday afternoon, Lucy was ready to go to school. Monday was paint day and Gillian could guarantee she would have something else to add to the fridge when she got home. Not that she minded in the least.

That wasn't the bad thing, the bad thing was that Gillian had scheduled some clients that she knew Cal would not enjoy, but they had to pay the bills. They already had an argument about it once over the weekend before they both decided to put it to rest before Lucy heard them.

The way Cal was already glaring at her, she really wasn't looking forward to the rest of the day.

"Maybe if I increased you fee you could run another one of those test." Gillian sucked in a breath as the man glared at Cal. This was going to be a terrible day.

Cal moved toward the door and held it open for them. "Let me just stop ya right there. The truth's the truth."

No one was happy as the men left the room. But the yelling and fighting, she wished she could take it all back when the man barged into the lobby holding a gun to Ria's head. She could quit asking herself why she let Cal walk back there with him, trade Ria for himself, Cal always had to be the hero. That was the way he was. He needed to keep his people safe first. But at the moment she just wanted to cry, she wanted Cal.

She had done everything, broke all the rules, tried reasoning and bartering. At one point she was mentally going through what she was going to have to tell Lucy if something happened. She looked into the man's eyes and begged for Cal's life. She rarely begged for anything, but more than anything she wanted Cal to live, maybe more than she wanted to live.

The moment it was over, all she wanted to do was touch him, to feel him alive at her finger tips. But instead she let him run, she let he be alone with everything he was feeling. She couldn't stand in the office any longer. She left right after he did, not saying a word to anyone. All she wanted to do was get to Lucy, hold her, kiss her hair, be thankful for another day with her. Be thankful that someone else this little girl loves didn't leave her.

"Mommy what's wrong?" Lucy asked as Gillian hugged the little girl for an extra few seconds. Tears were burning in her eyes as she kissed Lucy's hair and forehead.

"I'm just really glad to see you, baby girl."

Lucy looked up at Gillian's flushed face and frowned in concern. She placed her small hand on her cheek and furrowed her brow. "Mommy, where's Cal?"

The tears slowly started to leak past their barriers and Gillian failed at choking them back. "Cal's home tonight."

Lucy looked even more upset. "He's not mad at us is he?"

Gillian shook her head. "He could never be mad at you, baby, but he may not be very happy with me."

Lucy's little hand found Gillian's as they began to walk toward the car. "Don't worry, Cal won't stay mad at you."

"How do you know that?" Gillian teased her lightly.

"Well, cause he loves you. That's why."

Once again, tears came too close to falling as she buckled Lucy in and climbed into the driver's seat. At that moment she was forced into reality. She sniffled but the tears came despite her greatest efforts to keep them back. She was glad that Lucy could not see her face from the back seat, she'd hate to upset her.

"I painted Cal today! Well I painted him with us, Mommy. When we got pizza! Miss Penelope said I'm good at painting, Mommy," Lucy told her happily.

"That's great, honey," Gillian managed to squeak through her tears.

All night she did her best to give Lucy her full attention and pretend it was a normal night, but she couldn't lie to herself. She was miserable. She was worried sick about Cal. After she put Lucy to bed Gillian paced the hallway between the rooms with her cell phone in her hands, debating whether or not to make that call. He'd resent her for checking on him, but she was ill, sick with worry. She wouldn't sleep until she knew that he was at least still breathing.

That's when there was a knock on her door.

She couldn't get there fast enough, not that she wanted to show him that. She took a deep breath before she opened the door.

He had been drinking, that was the first thing she noticed. His hair was a bit more of a mess than usual and he had a mix scent of a feminine perfume and alcohol that lingered on his breath and attire. A twinge in her was suddenly jealous, but the look in his eyes told her there was nothing that happened. He was still afraid of being touched.

"Hey," he said, tossing his head slightly, trying to seem unaffected and completely normal. He should have known that it was pointless to hide from her right then.

"Hey," she replied gently, already feeling like she needed to coax him toward her like a feral animal. Food and kind sounds always worked. She could help but take a relieved breath at the sight of him. It took most of her strength not to throw herself into his arms and cry again.

"Uh, Zacanelli confessed to Connie's murder so…"

Typical Cal. Talk about anything but what he needed to talk about, but she'd play along. For now. "I heard."

She took another deep breath, begging him silently to look at her. She needed to touch him. To feel him physically. That he was really there and this wasn't a dream.

He looked down, having difficulty looking at her. "I'm sorry I ran out like that."

Apologies were not Cal's strength, but she could feel the honesty in it. It was so much that she could feel herself on the verge of tears again. He protected them and was apologizing for needing to cope.

"No. Everybody's dealing with it in their own way," she assured him. "I'm just-" Gillian tried to smile but it failed quickly as the lump in her throat grew. She tried to stand straighter and control herself. "I'm just glad you're alright." Slowly she reached up to his hair line. "How's your head?"

He ducked out of her reach and hissed. "Uh, fine." It was a lie but she didn't care. He was breathing.

Suddenly he took a step toward her, invading her space. He needed to touch her too, but he was afraid. Afraid she really wouldn't be there. That it was some sort of messed up dream and he'd wake up still-

"Listen," he said quickly. "I was thinking about that whole, um," he shuffled, "accounting thing, that whole billing thing, you know. We'd be working out of a shoe box if it wasn't for you."

She didn't care about that right now, but she took the conversation lightly until he turned, as though he was leaving. Her heart wrenched as he stepped off her porch. No. She still needed to feel him.. to make sure he was alright.. Then he turned back around again.

"I really just popped back by to see.. how you were doing…"

She smiled a little at that. He was held at gun point today and he was worried about her. "I'm okay," she replied softly.

"You didn't tell Lucy-"

"No. She doesn't need to know."

Cal nodded. "Emily's at her mum's. I haven't told her yet…" Cal took a few more steps back as though he was thinking before finally looking back at Gill. "Can I sleep on your couch tonight if it's not too much of a problem?"

He had to be so polite and formal about it. "Of course."

"Ah, good," he nodded and took a step toward her. As he took his first step into the living room with Gillian still right infront of him, she reached out and touched his shoulder.

He didn't stray away this time. Instead he looked down at her as she met his eyes. "Hey." It was all she could say before suddenly it all became too much. She wrapped her arms around his neck and felt him hold her tight. His heart beat against her chest and the warmth of his body made the tears flow. He was really there. He was alright.

She couldn't live without him. She couldn't. The idea made her stomach drop and her heart stop beating. She needed Cal possibly more than she needed oxygen. Her fingers gripped his shirt as they clung to each other, never wanting to let go.

Finally, they separated, pulling away to look at each other. That's when something happened she wasn't expecting. Their eyes locked as she felt the heat rise to her cheeks. He reached up and touched her face in the gentlest way. "I'm sorry I scared ya."

Tears choked her as she went to him again, resting her head on his chest. "Cal…"

She looked up at him again. His eyes seemed even more intense than she had ever seen them. He didn't say a word, just leaned down toward her, gentle locking their lips in a kiss that was more than a friendly peck.

Her hands fisted in his shirt as she returned the kiss. She had never felt such a need to kiss someone before. It was like her body was demanding it.

Finally they separated. Cal cupped her tear stained cheek. "I'm sorry."

She shook her head and took his hand in hers. "Don't leave me."

His eyes sparked as he leaned in to gently kiss her again, but this time she had a different idea. She pushed the door shut pulled him down so she could deepen the kiss. His hands moved to her waist and pulled her flush against his body as he also pushed her against the now closed door. "Don't leave me," she whispered again as fire began to burn beneath his touch.

"Never dream of it, luv."

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