AN: tame M; M-lite...

PJ

Cal stepped out of the shower and reached for a towel. He ran it through his hair quickly and then dried the rest of himself off. He wrapped it around his waist and wiped the steamed mirror with the palm of his hand. Then he remembered Gillian would kick his ass if he left smudgy finger prints so grabbed a cloth from under the sink and wiped the moisture away cleanly. He rinsed the cloth under warm water and set it to the side. Back under the sink, in the bottom drawer that was his, he reached in the back for the electric razor he used to trim his beard. He selected the appropriate attachment and clipped it into place, then plugged it into the socket on the wall. From his drawer he also fished out his shaving foam and razor.

Cal washed his face with warm water to make sure the hairs and his skin were softened up. Then he turned the electric razor on and ran it over the skin of his neck and cheeks, taking extra care around his lips and nose. With the bulk of the hair now in the sink Cal reached for the shaving foam.

They had a routine now. The baby slept in a pattern and she had a name too. Gillian had picked it. Even though they had debated back and forth over names for a several long days and especially over the fact that it was another 'L' and so both their children would be L. Lightman. Cal had picked her middle name. It seemed fitting seeing as he had named Lewis. They had made phone calls to all appropriate parties involved about their new baby girl. Shock, some outrage, but mostly happiness was expressed. To make up for the fact that they had kept their daughter so secretive, today they were having an official welcoming to the family/naming ceremony. Hence the reason Cal was shaving off his beard. It was time for all of it to go. Cathartic? Yes. New beginnings and all that? Most definitely. Did he care that he was being so psychologically obvious? Nope.

He ran the razor over his cheeks carefully. His skin was going to be sensitive and if he wasn't careful he could cut himself or end up with a rash. He took particular care around the area where his surgical scars were. The hair had grown over them enough so they were only visible if searched for. There had been sufficient time for him to forget their exact location; not quite enough time to forget about them entirely or what they represented in the timeline of his life. His body was a map of events, markers of time, memories of the past.

Cal rinsed his razor and snapped it back on its holder. He put it away, along with the now clean electric razor and the can of shaving foam. Then he let the water out of the sink and made sure he washed away all traces of hair and clumps of shaving foam. He re-warmed the wash cloth under the tap, rinsed the excess water out and pressed it against his face, taking delight from the comforting warmth. He rubbed his eyes gently and over every inch of his face, his ears and down his neck. He studied himself in the mirror. He looked tired but not worn. Actually, there was a little sparkle in his eye that had been absent for a while. He felt good. And now he looked good too.

Cal heaved the wash cloth into the hamper across the room just as Gillian powered into the room with her hands raised above her head in victory. She saw him and immediately looked shocked. "Oh my god! You shaved!" She looked delighted next and moved to stand in front of him. She reached out a hand reverently and brushed the back of her fingers along his jaw. "Oooo," she breathed. "So smoooooth."

Cal gave her a grin. She could be so damn adorable sometimes. "What was with the victory lap?"

"Well," Gillian started as if she had gossip. "I came to tell you both our children are asleep at the same time."

"Oh my god!" Cal feigned interested shock.

"I know," Gillian said as if it were fascinating. She took a half step towards him. Cal could feel her body warmth and all of a sudden a tension in his stomach. "So..." She reached between them and loosened the towel still fitted snugly around his waist.

"So?" Cal queried softly. She had read his mind!

"So you know, they're asleep and we've got at least an hour, at least, until they wake up again."

Cal suppressed a groan. He wasn't going to react. He loved this game. And more importantly, Gillian loved to play it too. She pulled Cal's towel completely away and let it fall. Instead of perving at him she brought her eyes up to meet his defiantly. Cal clenched his hands into fists to stop himself from grabbing her just yet. It didn't matter. She didn't have to look. Cal was turned on. She knew that. She trailed a finger around his belly button. She felt the hitch of his breath and the controlled returning one. "And we don't really have to start getting ready for the guests for at least half an hour, at least."

Cal felt his entire body quiver. He clamped down harder on his desire. He was not going to lose this one.

"Have I mentioned I love that you shaved the beard?"

"Have I mentioned I love that you had a wax yesterday?"

Gillian laughed and gave him a playful smile. "Tit for tat."

"And all that," Cal rhymed.

Gillian studied him, as if she were weighing up her options. She stood for a long time and Cal started to wonder if he had won, if she had given up on trying to make him break first. A little smile played on his lips and he relaxed a little bit more and suddenly a smile spread across Gillian's features. She reached for the hem of her t-shirt and pulled it over her head in one swift motion. Cal's eyes were drawn to her chest, fantastic in that bra. His shoulders twitched and before he knew what he was doing his hands were coming up to press against her waist. "So not fair," he murmured as he dropped his head to kiss her breasts.

Gillian gave a little sigh and dropped the material to the floor. Her hands ran through the back of Cal's hair earning another shiver in response. He brought his mouth higher, to her neck and throat, jaw then mouth. Gillian moaned in the back of her throat at the hot wet kiss. Cal pushed his naked body into her next, forcefully, so she had to take a step backwards. When he felt carpet under his feet he stopped. He pressed her into his dresser drawers, the hard surface resisting, forcing her body against his.

"Shit Cal," she cursed as he rubbed a thigh between hers. She gripped his hair tightly.

"Oh so you found that little game torturous too did you?" Cal was in control now. Just how he liked it. Just how she liked it, to be honest.

Gillian leaned forward and captured his bottom lip. She sucked on it and stared deep into his dark blue eyes, daring him. Cal caught her full mouth against his, pressing his tongue into her mouth deeply. He kissed her thoroughly and at a relentlessly steady pace until he could feel her body quivering against his. His hands smoothed down her bare hips to the low cut jeans, then around the curve of her butt and the firm muscles of her thighs. Gillian gave a whimper and as Cal brought his hands up again her skin was damp with a light sheen of sweat.

"Do I make you hot?" Cal asked in an innocent whisper.

"So hot," Gillian murmured in his ear as he kissed behind hers. "You already know that. Stop teasing me. I want you already."

Cal chuckled. "Be patient. I heard a rume-a about havin' an entire half hour to fool around before we even have to start gettin' ready."

"Doesn't mean I'm going to actually be able to hold out that long," Gillian complained.

"I'm atonin'," Cal told her and nipped along her neck.

"You're atoned!" Gillian cried out. Her fingers dug into the back of his bare shoulder.

"Hmm," Cal worked his way down to her collar bone, noting her skin was getting hotter by the second. "Are you sure?"

"Yes, so sure," she slid a hand between them to start undoing her own jeans.

Cal watched her fumble for the button with one hand. "You all right there or do you want some help?" He asked amused.

"You can be soooo annoying sometimes," Gillian huffed at him.

Cal shoved her hand out of the way and she hooked it over the back of his shoulder again, tilting her hips up towards him. He used both hands to push the button through the hole and peel down the zipper at the front, making sure his fingers absolutely brushed against her whenever possible. Gillian brought a hand back into the mix, pushing her jeans down from one side. "Get out of it," Cal growled batting her hand away.

"Ugh," she groaned at him. "Please don't tease me anymore."

"Don't rush me," Cal shot back. He pushed her jeans down and she wiggled her legs back and forth so they slowly made their way to the ground and then she shuffled around while she stood out of them, movement made difficult by the fact that Cal was still pressed up tightly against her. His hands were all over her and so were his teeth, especially on her neck, where he seemed to have made his base camp. And then a sudden thought.

Gillian pulled his head back. "Don't you dare leave a mark!" She warned.

"I won't, I promise," Cal told her gravely. Not on her neck anyway. But he made sure to leave one somewhere only the two of them would know about. He pressed fingers between them and she gave in on rushing to the goal line. She sat back and enjoyed the ride. Cal sent her underwear southwards too and hooked a leg over his left wrist. He leaned in, pressing his fingers against the very hottest part of her body. "Mmmm," he murmured against her neck. "You smell fuckin' fantastic."

Gillian gulped air in return as Cal not only pressed against her, mouth, fingers and thigh, but half lifted her at the same time so she could barely keep her toes on the ground, so that the full length of her back was pressed against his dresser and her neck tilted back to rest on the top of it. She was fully exposed to him, the entire length of her body and she felt a rush of vulnerability and electricity at the thought of it. She felt like she might lose her balance and so she clung on to him while thinking that was probably entirely what he wanted; her succumbed to him.

Cal brought her to the edge of losing control and then withdrew his hand quickly. "No!" She cried loudly, desperately, her eyes flying open, dark and dangerous. Her hands gripped him tightly and she half fell, like her muscles had seized of their own accord and knocked her off balance.

"Shh," Cal moved swiftly. He grabbed both of her wrists to stop her from touching herself (which she had on occasion been known to do, much to his paradoxical delight and dismay), threw them abruptly above their heads, hooked both his hands under her ass and lifted her to his waist. As her hands fell over the back of his shoulders again he was already carrying her to the bed. "Don't wake the baby."

In his arms, Gillian ground herself against his pelvis desperately, making him grow harder beneath her. Cal put her down on the bed and leaned over her to kiss her again. She kept her legs wrapped around his waist making it difficult for Cal to get his hand back between them. She gave a funny kind of whimper and bucked her hips against him. Cal brought her close to the edge again, easier this time because she had barely wandered away from it. Then he withdrew and pried her legs off of him while she was thoroughly distracted. As he stood she gave a very definite whimper and turned into the mattress. It was a grumpy, frustrated displeasure; Cal kept his amused grin to himself. He realised she was muttering into the bed spread.

Cal climbed on to the bed next to her. He turned her back to face him. Her eyes were so dark he thought they might have turned black. She reached for him, hooking her arms around his neck to pull him down into a kiss. Cal helped her shift further up the bed towards the pillows. She gazed up at him while they moved. "Will you make me feel good now?" She asked, all wide eyes and innocence. Cal noted she was breathing heavily and that her skin was fiery hot and that her cheeks were red. He nodded his head until his lips connected with hers again.

And then he made love to her. And in the throes of passion when she was crying out his name he had to tell her to be quiet. Lewis might not be able to hear them through the wall, but the baby sure as hell would. So Gillian buried her face into the crook of her husband's neck and clung on for dear life as he repaid her those two orgasms he had owed. The first one was twice as powerful, having been built up. Since he had learnt to compound them, it was his new favourite skill.

"Oh my god, what was that?"

"What?"

"That monumental shag."

"That was makin' love darlin'."

Oh yeah, still incredibly hot when she used British-isms with him.

"I know," Gillian groaned and rolled towards him. She kissed him. "I kind of wasn't expecting that."

"You don't want to make love?" Cal asked her innocently.

"Course I do." She kissed him again. "Mmm," she gave a happy hum.

"Just tryin' to mix it up," Cal told her between the next kiss.

Gillian pulled back slightly. "Are you bored?"

"No!" Cal was adamant.

"Are you sure?"

"No, course I'm not bored. Sometimes I wonda if you're bored?"

"Are you kidding me? Of course I'm not bored," Gillian was indignant. She kissed him again, a little firmer this time. "It's you. How could I be bored?"

"Well I just figa," he had to stop when she kissed him again. "We've been married how long?"

"Four years."

"And for normal people."

"Normal people?" Gillian repeated before kissing him again.

"You know," Cal said firmly because she really did know. "You're married for so many years and sex gets predictable."

She kissed him again. "We've only been married three years."

"Yes," Cal agreed and had to stop so she could kiss him again. She let the kiss linger a little this time. "But the rate we have sex, it's like the equivalent of bein' married for five years."

"Do you think we have too much sex?" Gillian asked suddenly. The warmth of her mouth disappeared as she pulled back a little.

"Is there such a thing?" Cal asked incredulously.

"Good, just checking." She leaned in and kissed him again. "So you're bored?"

"No," Cal kissed her back. "I'm just sayin' I want to make sure we don't get bored."

"Hmmm," Gillian gave another happy hum. "So considerate," she whispered before her next kiss. "So what do you want to do?" Her tone was so very inviting; just a hint of mischief.

"This could be a lot of fun."

Gillian gave a giggle in the back of her throat. "Oh yeah," she breathed and kissed him again. She sat up. "Ok I'm going to have a shower."

"And I need anotha one," Cal followed her into the bathroom.

"No way," she told him reaching in to turn the water on. Cal stepped up behind her, his hand on her ass. "Get your own," she tried to fend him off as she leaned back again.

"But you made me all dirty," Cal complained as he kissed the crook of her neck.

Gillian pushed at him. "Stop it."

"I like it."

"I know you do," she murmured. "But!" He found a particularly sensitive spot and she flinched. "Cal. Stop it." He ignored her. "I mean it!" She pushed against him again. Cal took a few steps back. Gillian turned to step under the water and let the door swing shut behind her. Cal caught it and stepped in anyway. He snaked his arms around her waist and as she started to protest kissed her cheek.

"Did you think you could escape without a cuddle?" He asked her gently.

It took a second for that to sink in and then she was turning carefully within his embrace. She wrapped her arms around his neck and hugged tightly against him. She gave him a soft kiss. "You're right. After that performance you certainly deserve the reward of a cuddle."

Cal gave her a slight smirk, the upturn of his lip that told Gillian he was amused. "Damn straight."

She kissed him again. And then it seemed something occurred to her because her eyes widened slightly like she was remembering. "Did you file the birth certificate?"

Cal rolled his eyes. "Mood killa," he told her pointedly. He moved her out of the way so he could wash the smell of her off his skin quickly.

"But did you?" Gillian asked with contrite in her voice.

"Yes," Cal told her. He pecked her cheek and then stepped out of the cubicle. His towel was on the floor where Gillian had left it so he picked it up again.

"Cal?"

"Yes luv?" He called back as he dried off quickly.

"Thank you for the monumental shag."

Cal grinned to himself. "Pleasure was mine as well as yours."

"Go away and get dressed!" She called. "Come back when you've stopped talking in clichés."

PJ

"There you go darlin', last little bit," Cal spoke gently to the baby in his arm. With his other hand he held a bottle and within the next few seconds he removed it from her mouth, now empty. He leaned forward and put the bottle on the table. Then he straightened the baby up carefully and placed her vertically against his chest so he could rub any air bubbles out of her digestive tract. He had a cloth already ready over his shoulder to catch any upchucked milk. The last thing he wanted to do was walk around for the rest of the afternoon with a baby badge.

There was a knock at the door. "Now who could that be?" Cal asked no one in particular. He knew the baby liked the sound of his voice in his chest. It was his number one go to last minute resort; take his shirt of and start humming away. Funnily enough, that worked with Gillian too. Cal got up carefully. "Shall we go see who that is?" He asked the little girl in his arms. She gave a funny kind of strangled grizzle. Cal checked to see if her afternoon meal had come up as well as the air. No. All clear.

Cal reached the door and pulled it open. Emily gave him a grin. "Hi!" She greeted softly but enthusiastically.

Cal pushed the door back and opened out his arm to hug her. "Big sista meet little sista."

"Hi," Emily whispered at the baby. She placed a hand on her back. The baby opened her eyes at the sound of a new voice. "Oh my God she's so cute!"

"Come in," Cal suggested. Emily stepped past him and Ajay came through the door next. They shook hands in greeting. Cal ushered him inside too and closed the door. They had moved into the living room, which was in some semblance of order for once. Now that Lewis had a bigger room and floor space galore of his own, he was encouraged to leave his blocks in there and make a mess, not in the communal area. Not today anyway.

Emily removed her coat and draped it over the back of the couch. "Want a hold?" Cal asked, feeling confident the baby had finished bringing up any air.

"Yes!" Emily agreed enthusiastically. She took the first seat on the couch and Cal shifted the three week old baby into her arms.

"You have good timin'. She's just been fed so will be awake for a little while before sleepin' again."

Ajay removed his jacket and took a seat next to his fiancée. She looked up at her father. "You look good."

"I am good," Cal announced. He realised a lot had happened since he had seen her last, barely two months ago at his birthday party. He tilted his head back to show her in the inch long pink scars just under his jaw bone. "Can barely see them."

"That's it?" Emily asked him. "I was expecting to come and find you looked like you had been garrotted."

Cal gave an amused smile. "Nope, that's it. More scars to add to my collection."

"I'm glad you can joke about it," Emily huffed. "I was worried sick."

"I'm here, still kickin'," Cal reassured her again. It had taken him a long time to get his head around the fact that he was fine too. It was kind of over all too fast. Diagnosis, surgery and it was done. No lingering chemo or drug therapy. Lucky, lucky bastard.

"Where's Gillian?" Emily asked next. She turned her attention to the baby now, making faces.

"She took Lewis out. Last minute supplies or somethin'."

"Wow her eyes are so dark!" Emily gushed.

"Remind me of yours a bit," Cal responded. "She's gonna know she's adopted," he added.

Emily's head shot up. "That's a terrible thing to say!"

"Well it's true," Cal answered mildly.

"How is that?" Emily demanded.

"She has brown eyes," Cal pointed out.

Ajay reached over and rubbed a finger against the baby's cheek.

"So?" Emily asked him. "I do too."

"Yes but your mutha has brown eyes. It's a dominant gene. I have blue eyes. Gill has blue eyes. Lewis has blue eyes. That's how I know he's my kid."

Emily narrowed her eyes at him.

"So when this little one gets to ninth grade science she'll figa it out. Like anyone else who actually paid attention in ninth grade science."

Emily gave him a disparaging expression.

"Can I have a hold?" Ajay spoke up.

"I just got her," Emily complained.

"You're hogging her."
"Fine," Emily offered him her arms and Ajay scooped the baby out of his partner's embrace.

"How was your flight?"

"It was good. Better than sitting on a bus for eight hours."

"It was just a suggestion to save the money," Ajay retorted.

"I said I'd pay for the flights," Cal spoke up. "Seein' as I invited you down and all."

"No it's ok. I'm a big girl now. We wanted to be here. We can pay our own way." She looked at the baby in Ajay's arm. "Besides, if you insist on having more children then you'll need every penny."

Cal gave a wry grin. That was true. They were back to special budgets and being careful. At least the Lightman Group wasn't a financial concern. That would have made everything twice as stressful.

"Uh oh," Ajay suddenly announced. "This one needs a clean diaper."

"It's pass the parcel around here mate," Cal told him. "The music stops and she's in your hands you're the lucky one." Ajay got up awkwardly from the couch with the baby in his arms and left the room without complaint.

"So glad I handed her over," Emily quipped.

Cal grinned. He asked her about work, life, whatever. Ajay had finished his thesis and submitted it to his advisor for one more check. He said he felt like he could breathe again.

"So he's not gonna take it furtha?" Cal surmised.

"I doubt it," Emily agreed.

The garage door suddenly sounded. "That will be Gillian."

Emily wiped her hands on the thighs of her jeans and Cal noticed immediately. "What was that about?" He asked.

Emily looked startled, her brown eyes wide. "It's nothing."

"It was somethin'," Cal insisted gently.

"I just..." She hesitated. "It's stupid."

"I can't vaporise the stupidity unless you tell me what it's about."

"I feel nervous around Lewis."

'Seriously?' Was what Cal's face said.

Emily lowered her voice because they could hear car doors slamming and the garage door going down again. "You guys sign around him and feel really lame cos I can't..."

"It doesn't matta. I can barely sign a complete sentence. Gillian kicks my ass on any given day."

"I just don't want him to sign something to me that I don't understand," Emily tried again.

"It's no different than tryin' to undastand any two year old. Sometimes you just have to guess what they're sayin'. Lewis isn't gonna care that you don't sign. Plenty of people around him don't. It's not a big deal sweetheart, really."

And with that Lewis raced into the room to crash into the chair where his father was sitting. "Look!" He held up a small red plastic jet fighter. He flew it around the room making the sound of an engine. Gillian came in a moment later, plastic bags in her hands.

"Very cool," Cal told Lewis. "Hi," he greeted his wife.

"Hey," she shot at him before turning to Emily who had got to her feet. "Hey!" She was more enthusiastic. Emily said hello. They had a brief hug and asked how the other was. "Where's your other half?"

"He's on nappy duty," Cal explained.

"Cal," Gillian huffed. "He's a guest," she gave his shoulder a light tap as she walked by.

"Hey Lewis," Cal turned to their son who was staring at Emily. "Go and give your big sista a hug."

Emily opened her arms and Lewis stepped into them. "Awww," he hummed. "Hug." Lewis tried climbing into her lap, while displaying the red jet for her to see.

"I can't believe how big you've gotten," Emily told him as she pulled him up to sit. "And he looks soooo much like you," she added.

Cal winced. "Don't say that."

"A cuter version," Emily amended.

"Betta," Cal agreed.

Gillian came in with the baby and gave her back to her father. Emily volunteered to help set up for the other guests. Ajay sat with Cal and talked about his dissertation. Half an hour later Matthew and Kate arrived with their three offspring. The children quickly made a mess out of Lewis's room while the adults cooed over the little girl. The premise of the afternoon was for everyone to meet the baby at the same time. Cal and Gillian were going to announce her name. Kind of like an official welcome to the family; especially with family being so spread out and the sudden nature in which the baby had arrived with them.

Gillian's parents arrived twenty minutes later and with everyone finally gathered Gillian called for peace. She recounted the story of the adoption in brief detail which was why they had kept it so secretive. And all the usual familial obligatory things like being glad everyone could come and how their support meant so much to them (a cue for her mother to stop laying it on thick about being left out of the loop).

"But anyway," Gillian raised her glass of wine. "To Lily Kiera Lightman."