Lucy came skipping into the house with Cal and Emily close behind. Emily looked a mixture of pissed off and humiliated and Cal looked… well, he seemed to be trying to hide a smirk. Gillian gave them a questioning look as she put down the book she was reading and let Lucy crawl in beside her.
"How'd it go?" she asked hesitantly, looking between Cal and Emily.
Emily just muttered something incoherent and Cal struggled to keep his face neutral. Lucy on the other hand was very willing to tell the story at Emily's expense. "She hit a fire thingy and water went everywhere!"
Gillian gave Cal a concerned look. "Fire thingy?"
"Hydrant. Or should I say puppy?" Cal tossed a look Emily's direction. The look she gave back was nothing short of hellish.
Gillian cleared her throat. "I think tonight is an icecream night." Without another word, she stood up and headed to the kitchen before she had a war or a meltdown on her hands. The feelings toward whatever had happened were a little too fresh and poor Emily needed time. Whatever it was, her ego was definitely damaged.
Emily didn't even wait for the bowl, as soon as Gillian laid the carton on the table, the lid was off and Emily was digging in it with a large spoon. With a careful edge, Gillian sat down beside Emily and gave her a cautious look.
"What happened?" she tried again, this time more prepared.
"Dad yelled puppy…" Emily muttered. "While I was parallel parking."
Cal's laugh was heard even with his back turned, earning an efficient glare from both girls at the table. "What?" he said as though he was completely innocent. "It's not like I enjoyed it. I'm paying for the damages aren't I?"
Lucy grabbed flowers and jumped into Gillian's lap ready to join the ice cream party. As Cal reached for a bite off Gillian's spoon she slapped his hand away. She had chosen her side. He pouted slightly, but was interrupted with a knock on the door before he could say anything else.
He gave Emily a look. "Don't hold a grudge. If you hold a grudge your face gets all pinched… Look at your mum."
Then he looked at Gillian. "I'm above comparing you to my ex-wife, but I could compare you to your mother," he warned, a smile tugging at his lips.
She shook her head and failed at keeping her smile away. "I thought you'd be trying to get off my bad list."
He got to the door way and turned around. "Maybe I like it there," he countered, waggling his eyebrows enough to make Gillian laugh and Emily roll her eyes.
"You guys are gross," she muttered, but there was a smile tugging on her lips too.
Before Gillian could say anything else, Torres was moving into Cal's kitchen and commanding Cal and her to listen. Gillian studied Torres's face first, her features tight and her eyebrows oblique. She was scared and conflicted. The voice on the recording sounded terrified and teary, but there may have bit of something lying underneath that… Whoever was asking Ria Torres for help, knew her very well and knew what buttons to push.
The recording ended and Lucy looked at the phone on the table, almost seeming like she was trying to analyze what she heard as well. Torres looked between Cal and Gillian for help, but Emily was the first to speak.
"She sounds pretty desperate."
"And really scared," Lucy added, nodding. For being five she was a very good listener.
"Yeah, well, she's a liar, and a delinquent," Torres countered, but still seemed torn. "Which is why she's been locked up for the past seven months."
Cal finally stole Gillian's spoon and ice cream and took a big bite. "What, you feel that message is a lie?" It was a test, Gillian could see that, but she was still interested in Torres's answer.
"I don't know- I don't know. I never know with her!" Torres exclaimed motioning toward the phone as if it was a dangerous animal.
Gillian tilted her head. "Who is this?"
Torres looked at her with a bit of guilt and shame. "She's my sister."
Gillian was very ill tempered when it came to the way people treated children at times. Yes, Eva may have been a teenager, but she was the same age as Emily and her maternal instincts kicked in and she could easily tear this blond warden's head off.
Cal was just annoyed with Torres and her sudden lack of brains. It was like when her sister was involved she lost all cognitive process and it simply infuriated him. In his mind, someone messed with his girls he would personally screw with their minds until they didn't trust their own beliefs. Granted, Torres little waterworks display did its job. Maybe the girl did have some hope.
Gillian watched from behind the glass as Torres and Cal met with Eva. She was already prepared for Cal to push everyone's buttons, but she was curious to see what buttons he would be forced to push when Eva's personality began to show. Doctor Burns, the correctional facility's psychologist, also seemed greatly interested.
Eva had her hands tucked into her pockets as she stared at Cal with boredom. "What's with the old white guy?"
Cal was slumped in a chair and didn't make any effort to move as he introduced himself. "I'm your sister's boss."
"The lie guy?" She tried to sound bored, but Gillian and Cal could both hear the interest in her voice.
"Yup."
Eva rolled her head toward Torres and glared at her. "You brought the lie guy." There was absolutely no fight or question in her voice, she just sounded like she should have expected it.
Ria ignored her sister. "What the hell happened last night?"
"Like you care." Eva didn't look at her. Gillian immediately noted that Eva was quite the manipulator. She was already playing on her sister's emotions and was doing it quite well. The question was if Ria was the only one she could manipulate like that.
"Hey," Torres snapped. "I'm here. I care."
Eva walked away from her, focusing on Cal with sultry eyes. Manipulation was just one of Eva's games, Gillian decided, but it was a game she'd lose with Cal.
Cal smirked, already knowing the angle the girl was preparing to play. Of course he'd win the game of mind tricks quite easily, but the fact was he was going to let Eva try and play it.
"You're super sexy, you wanna make out?" Eva offered, leaning against the table and giving a smile that probably meant this direction had worked before on older men. Gillian cringed and if Torres would have seen it she would have down the same.
Cal didn't hesitate. "Absolutely. Climb on board, darling."
The only one that was expecting that answer was Gillian, but that wasn't to say she approved of it. Eva seemed taken back and Torres looked disgusted and shocked. "She's testing him," Gillian offered to the man to her left.
He glanced at her with half a smile. "You think?"
Suddenly she remembered that the man standing next to her was also psychologist. Her cheeks burned red and she smiled. "Sorry, I'll hold the condescension."
Doctor Burns smiled at her again, mentally taking note that she was very, extremely, beautiful also that she didn't have a ring on her left hand. Still, he turned his attention back to Eva.
"They share a dad," Gillian mused aloud. "I gather he was pretty useless."
Burns nodded. "Stage four alcoholic. Eva grew up being beaten during his blackouts. Mother O.D.'d when she was ten. Eva was in the next room."
Gillian shook her head. Alcoholism was something she knew a little too much about, Cal too, not that he'd admit it. Violent, useless alcoholics. Quite something to have in common.
"Then she went into the system when what she needed was intensive therapy."
Where would Lucy be in ten years if Carrie didn't make that call to Gillian. Of course it was impossible to know, but the fact that Lucy would have gotten tossed into the system and forgotten like so many others killed her.
Eva was very much an independent mind, but she was also just a scared little girl.
She had barely told them that she had seen Marly, her friend, sneak out last night when the alarms started to blare. Lock down.
Marly was dead. Someone had killed her and now Eva felt even more alone in the world than before. Torres sucked at consoling her sister and Cal was sick of both of the girls by now, trying to play with each other's head. He was tired of playing with them so he offered Eva a deal. She open up and tell him what the hell was going on or he leaves.
Now, Cal saw it best to break all rules, and laws, and break her out of the facility, without telling Gillian. Imagine her surprise when he walked into the office with Eva close behind him.
Loker, who had be interested to know that Ria had a sister seemed even more curious when Cal burst into the room. "Oh, look, is this little Torres?" he asked excitedly, halfway reminding Gillian of Lucy.
Reynolds looked between Eva and Cal. It must really suck being the FBI guy involved with the Lightman Group. "You kno, I just remembered, I got some work to do downtown. And I'm gunna pretend like I never even saw her. You call me if you need me."
Gillian on the other hand was glaring at Cal. "You could be charged with aiding and abetting," she reminded him, the venom in her voice only being heard by her ears. "Or kidnapping."
He didn't understand why she was angry really. "Yeah. Well, I've been charged with worse."
Eva narrowed her eyes at Ria. "Sorry. If I did get killed like Marly, your life would get easier."
"You're embarrassing me in front of my bosses, okay?" Ria snapped back.
Cal waved them off. "I don't think she cares."
"F.Y.I., I'm not saying with you," Eva snapped, glaring at Ria and getting to her feet.
"Oh yeah, then where you going to go? Some low life boyfriend's?" Ria snapped back also on her feet now.
Eva gave her sister a go-to-hell smirk. "I'm staying with Cal."
Everyone looked at Cal and he raised his eyebrows. "Now, don't go thinking that this is a "get out of jail free" pass, 'cause it's not," he clarified giving Eva a stern look. "As soon as this is solved you're going right back. In the meantime, you're staying with Foster."
Her head snapped to look at Cal and he was surprised to see the anger in her eyes as a long awkward silence fell over them. Normally she'd glare at him then accept the position she was being put in, this time she looked murderous.
Then she finally back down a little, her eyes still narrow. "Okay, well, would you like to take Lucy tonight then?"
Cal seemed confused. "Why? Eva would love to color with a five year old, wouldn't ya?" He glanced at Eva and she just looked confused.
"Foster doesn't need a delinquent around her kid," Ria agreed, but just about started a whole new fight with her sister. But before it could get to far, Gillian jumped in again.
"It'll be fine, but you and I-" she gave Cal a hard look, "-we need to talk later."
That sure didn't sound good to any of them as Gillian took Eva under her arm. "I'm sure you're hungry. Lucy will probably be betting for macaroni and cheese, is that good for you?"
Eva nodded as they headed toward the door, still trying to process the disagreement between Cal and Gillian.
"Oi, and Foster, why don't you get Doctor Burns on the phone and have him come in here." Cal flashed a grin. "I believe you have his number." The last bit held a bit of distaste, but Gillian seemed to take a bit of pride in the fact he was jealous. She actually didn't have his number, but she knew how to get a hold of him through the correctional facility.
Gillian stopped by her office to see Anna playing with Lucy. She may have missed Heidi, who was now going on to better things, but Anna was staring to win her over, especially with Lucy. Lucy looked up and waved at Gillian through the glass before thanking Anna for coloring with her, collecting Flowers, and running toward her.
She struggled to push the heavy glass door open and hugged Gillian tight. She was still in her school uniform with her red bow still holding back most of her curls from her face. "Time to go home?" she asked knowingly before looking over at Eva. Suddenly she got quiet and buried her face in Gillian's stomach.
"Lucy," Gillian said gently turning her around to look at their house guest for the night. "This is Eva."
Eva smiled at the little girl who looked nervous. "Hi."
Lucy remained silent as she wiggled her fingers in a sort of wave, staying very close to Gill. "Eva's going to stay with us tonight, so the sooner you quit being shy the more fun we can have," she tried walking with the little girl toward the elevator.
Lucy seemed to think about this, looking between her mother and the house guest. As the elevator closed she looked up at Eva. "You like macaroni and cheese?"
When they got home, Lucy ran upstairs to change into her after school clothes and Gillian went to her own room to change as well and offered the guest room to Eva. Lucy came running down the steps in a pair of jeans and a dark purple plaid shirt. Eva had already changed into more comfortable clothing, and couldn't help but find it funny that the girl loved sliding across the floor in just her socks.
Gillian came down the steps next and just in time to see Lucy slide a little too far and lose her balance. She landed hard on her butt on the tile floor but burst into a fit of giggles. "Ow," she giggled as she stood up and ran to Gillian.
Evan studied them. Really, Lucy didn't look much like Gillian at all. She had olive skin, compared to Gillian's fair complexion, and her beautiful burnet curls were nothing like Gillian's dirty blond or light brown hair. Their eyes were different shades of blue and Lucy had dimples on both cheeks.
Yet Gillian scooped her into her arms and held her close, both laughing as Lucy tried to make a funny face.
Eva's mom never treated her like that, at least not as far as she could remember. Eva always came second, she was second to everyone in her life. Actually, most of the time she wasn't even second. But just looking at Gillian and Lucy, she knew Lucy did not come second to anything in her mother's life.
About an hour and a half later, Gillian was putting away the dishes and Eva helped clear the table. Lucy had already helped with putting away the clean silverware and sat next to Eva at the table. Her kitty cat, Flowers, sat on the table as Gillian and Eva took over the conversation.
Gillian studied her expression as she helped Lucy color. "So, tell me about you and your sister."
Eva scoffed. "What's to tell?" she asked, her usual attitude present but not as harsh. In truth, Eva really liked Gillian. She felt like she was one of the few people in the world that actually wanted to listen and not just toss her to the curb like it felt like so many others did. "Ria always thinks everything is my fault."
"I'm sure that's not true," Gillian tried leaning against her kitchen counter. Lucy slowly snuck a peak at Eva and Gillian almost wondered if Lucy was trying to read her expression like Cal and she do.
"We never lived together 'cause we didn't have the same mom but when I was little, she would come over and help me with my homework." Eva tried to pretend she was indifferent but she still sounded sad.
Lucy looked up at Gillian. "Like Emily? Cause she's my sister and she helps me with my homework but she lives with Cal."
Gillian tried to think of a way of explaining it to her, as Eva just looked confused. "Not exactly, sweetie. Emily is like your sister but she's not. Eva and Ria share the same dad."
Lucy seemed to ponder this. "So like David? But he's my brother…"
This little piece of information was filed away as Gillian turned back to Eva. "She does love you, you know," she told her, meaning Ria.
The teenager shrugged and fiddled with the child's coloring book. "Yeah, yeah, I guess."
Realizing that this topic was just going to get more upsetting, Gillian went for her favorite thing. "So, what do you want for dessert?" she offered with a big smile on her face.
Lucy jumped up as Eva smiled. "What do you got?"
Gillian opened the freezer door and looked inside. "Well, I have some ice cream, of course," her favorite thing, "but I also-"
The door slammed into her face and sent her stumbling into the counter as four people dressed in black came charging into her kitchen. Lucy was roughly thrown into the wall as another person shoved past her and grabbed Gillian. The other three were pulling at Eva who was trying to break free.
"Put her down!" Gillian demanded when another person grabbed her and threw her into the counter again. Panic pulsed through her as she grabbed anything she could and hit her attacker with it.
Lucy was on her feet, trying to help Eva. "Let her go!" the little girl demanded. Someone's hand made contact with the little girl's face, knocking her into the wall again. This time she didn't get back up, just cried as she watched Eva and her mother fight.
They had Eva on the table, searching her for something as Gillian grabbed the frying pan she had made sandwiches on earlier and slammed into someone's face.
Her attacker fell to the ground, but before she could get to Lucy or help Eva he grabbed her feet and pulled her down too.
"The egg- where is it?" a young female voice demanded as they threw Eva against the table again.
A knee was pressing into Gillian's back as she struggled against her attackers. "Tie her up!" a male voice demanded from above her.
"I'm trying- she's strong!" another voice replied.
"I'll get the kid, I'll throw her in the pantry."
Gillian kept fighting, so did Eva. "Tell me where it is!" the girl yelled as she hit Eva again.
Gillian called to her but there was no reply from her. She could hear the pantry door slam and a chair slide in front of it.
Eva kicked and swung, but came up with nothing as the egg was pulled from her pocket. "I got it!" the girl cheered. "Let's go, I got it!"
Eva sat up, reaching for the egg as the people began to disappear from the room. A hand slammed into her face and she fell onto the table again.
Gillian called to her. The room was eerily silent. Eva must have been knocked out by the hit she heard and there was absolutely no sound coming from Lucy. "Lucy? Eva?" Gillian called to the girls, her entire body aching.
There was a slight whimper that she recognized as Lucy. "It's okay, sweetheart," Gillian tried as she tried to get a view toward the pantry. "Everything's going to be fine."
There was a loud groan from the table as Eva started to come to. "Eva, Eva are you okay?" Gillian called to her.
She thought about them taking the egg. No she was not alright. She was screwed. She lost the egg. That was all she had and now it was gone.
"Shit…" she muttered as her headache truly began to register.
"Can you help me with-" Gillian twisted her wrists against the bonds and Eva immediately got to her feet, a bit unsteady. Her body hurt but she couldn't just leave Gillian on the floor tied up.
When Gillian was free, she studied Eva's tear stained face, noticing a bruise that was already forming. Then without a word, Gillian pulled the girl into a protective embrace. It was probably the most motherly gesture that had ever been made to Eva, but she fell into it easily and returned the tight hug.
There was another whimper from the pantry and Gillian slowly released Eva to remove the chair that was keeping the little girl captured.
The pantry was decently large, it was about the side of a small closet. Lucy was huddled on the ground with a bloody nose and a knot on her forehead already forming. Her face was wet with tears and she whimpered as she reached out to her mother.
Gillian picked her up and held her tight. Barely made a sound as she cried, her arms wrapped tightly around her mother's neck. Eva wanted to help her, but she didn't know what the right thing to do would be.
Gillian pulled her phone out of her pocket and handed it to Eva. "Call Cal, he's speed dial two."
Eva nodded and held down the button. Of course he'd be on speed dial. Also of course he'd be there in under five minutes, barging into the house like he owned it with Ria and some girl Eva didn't recognize. She looked the most like Lucy that she had seen, but just her curly hair.
"Gillian!" Cal called for her, immediately going to her and hugging her tight. Her cheek was already purple and he didn't want to let go of her. Lucy was between them, still silent. She hadn't said a word since Gillian pulled her out of the pantry.
"What the bloody hell happened here? Are you alright, love?" he asked her as her eyes got teary again. She nodded then looked to Lucy again. Cal touched the little girl's back as she continued her soft crying. "How about you, huh? You okay?"
Lucy didn't reply, just held tighter to Gillian's neck.
Emily slowly went closer to Gillian and looked at her and Lucy. She wanted to hug them, but was leery to. They both looked like they were in pain. Cal carefully pried Lucy off of Gillian and the girl clung to him in much the same way.
"I sorry," the girl whispered softly. Cal tried to tell her that she had nothing to be sorry about, that he was sorry that he wasn't there, but Lucy kept shaking her head and crying. She was completely distraught and it made Gillian feel like the worst mother in the world.
Emily hugged Gillian and clung to her, their small dysfunctional family having a moment while Ria and Eva just exchanged looks.
"You all right?" Ria asked finally, gaining the attention of the others.
Gillian pulled out a seat as Cal stood beside her. His protectiveness obvious as he held Lucy and Emily stood close by.
"You should be proud," Gillian told Ria, giving Eva's hand a reassuring squeeze. "She got me out of my ropes. She untied me."
Eva looked down. She was still ashamed it happened. She knew it was her fault. So did Ria. "Yeah," Torres added sarcastically. "Good thing she was here."
That hurt Eva more than she would have wanted anyone to see. Did wouldn't want other people to get hurt, she didn't hurt people… "I had nothing to do with this!" she assured her.
"Oh, no?" Ria snapped back. "'Cause I, I find it very strange that the one night you come and you stay with Foster, her house gets broken into. What the hell is wrong with you? Lucy's gone through enough and now she's-"
"-Ria!" Gillian snapped, ready to defend Eva.
But she didn't listen, Ria just kept going, now yelling. "It was Tyrel, wasn't it? You called him."
"I had nothing to do with this!" Eva shouted back, tears in her eyes. Now the two girls were having a shouting match in each other's faces.
Gillian got to her feet. "Stop it!" she demanded.
Ria turn around and snapped in Gillian's face. "Don't defend her!"
Now, Cal was pissed. "Hey!" he shouted louder than all of them. He handed Lucy to Emily. "Take her upstairs. Gill and I will be up in a minute."
Emily nodded and headed for the steps. He glared at both the Torres's. "You knock it off," he told Ria with so much bite in his voice it scared her.
Eva didn't wait for anything else to be said, she just pushed past her sister and left the room.
"Eva was just as terrified as I was," Gillian snapped at Torres in a way that she had never seen before. Torres had also never seen Gillian cry like she was. "She had no idea this was going to happen or who they were. No idea!"
Ria shook her head and took a deep breath. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean…" Taking another breath she went after her sister.
Tears ran down Gillian's face as she started to clean up the mess in the kitchen. Cal went to her, guiding her up by her arm. "Come here, darling." She continued to sob as he ran his hand over her sounders. "It's all good, darling. It's all good."
It may have been the sweetest Cal had ever been as he hugged her tight. He kissed the side of her head then let her pull away to wipe her cheeks. He gave her half a smile as he cupped her face. "I had no idea you were such a crybaby."
Finally a laugh came from Gillian as she went back to him and let him hold her again. "I couldn't protect Lucy," she told him as he held her tight. "They were just kids. I could tell by their voices. There were three boys and a girl… And… Lucy was just caught in the middle."
"From Covington Correctional Facility you think?"
She nodded as she continued to cry. "Cal… Lucy. She's…"
Cal understood exactly what Gillian was trying to say. In fact he felt guilty. Eva should have just stayed with him. He should have had Emily stay with Gillian or Zoe and had Eva stay with him. Logically he knew that would have been a worse idea because who knew what Eva would try to pull when she was alone with him, but his girls were hurt. Gillian had a bruise on her face and Lucy was silent, again.
Torres then came back into the room. "She's gone. She left."
Eva. Eva had run out when Ria attacked her.
Cal looked at Gillian. There was a silent debate that Ria knew what they were thinking immediately. "Go. Lucy needs you right now and Eva always disappears. Will find her in the morning."
Gillian didn't have to be told twice. Cal guided her up the steps to the widows walk of her house. The door to Lucy's room was open and she was sitting on her bed with her head down toward her lap. Emily was kneeling on the floor, her hands on Lucy's legs trying to talk to her, but Luc wouldn't respond.
As a mother, Gillian wanted to go to Lucy and pull her into her arms, but as a psychologist, she knew better. Placing a hand on Emily's shoulder, she quietly dismissed her and sat next to Lucy on the bed.
Lucy didn't move. Her sobs were soft and Gillian was well aware that her little girl was going through something deeper than any of the rest of them were. She had to make the first move.
A little hand wiped harshly at her tears. "I'm sorry," she cried, her shoulders shaking with sobs.
Gillian already expected that, but she also expected the little girl not to know why she was sorry, just to think she should be. "There's nothing to be sorry about," Gillian replied, resisting once again to reach out and touch Lucy.
The curls bounced as Lucy nodded. "But there is. If I'm not good bad things happen to me and you got hurt too, Mommy. You and Eva. It's my fault."
"Sweetie, it's not-"
Lucy stared up at her mother. "But it is! Daddy says when I do something bad, I get hurt. I try to be good, Mommy. I try to be good. I don't wanna get hurt."
Emily looked at Cal as if to ask if he was hearing this too. She wanted to help, but she knew this was something for the adults to deal with. This wasn't a moment where Emily could offer her own wise advice but Lucy needed her father and mother to help because that is what they do. Lucy needed them.
Cal took a step toward the little girl. "No one's going to hurt you, love. What happened was not your fault. You did nothing wrong."
Lucy looked up at him, then slowly looked at her mother. "Daddy didn't hurt you? It wasn't me?"
A very illogical part of Cal wanted to tell Lucy that if her daddy ever tried to hurt her again he would kill him. It was not an empty threat either. The man would be dead if he dared lay a hand on Lucy again, he may be dead if Cal ever saw the man.
"Lucy, what happened was not you at all," Gillian assured her daughter as Cal placed both his hand on Gillian's thighs. It was like they had a pact to keep this little girl safe.
Lucy then snuck in under Gillian's shoulder and laid her head on her chest. "Daddy's not coming back right? Cal's my daddy now, right?"
Gillian pulled Lucy close and kissed her hair while she met her eyes with Cal over her head, but neither of them said anything. They hadn't talked about that. It was a step that both of them were very hesitant in discussing. Their relationship already seemed to be on the fast track, them staying the night together almost every night, driving to work together, letting people find out about their relationship, but were they ready to let Cal really be Lucy's father?
"Yep," Emily said from the door, her big brown eyes certain as Lucy looked up at her. "I told you that we could share him."
Lucy looked up at her. "So we're like sisters?"
Emily smiled and went to the edge of the bed again, kneeling down next to her father and resting her head against her father's shoulder. "We are sisters."
So this totally ended up being a lot longer than I meant it to be. Now, I can finish the episode or move on. What do you think?