Disclaimer: I don't own anything to do with Lie to Me

Chapter Five

Cal was still tugging his boots off a few minutes later, moaning loudly about the cold, making Gillian laugh even more. She was already inside, her boots by the door and her coat hanging up on the coat rack again. Eventually free of his footwear and outer garments, Cal ambled into the living room just as Gillian walked out the kitchen.

"Drinks are warming, I'm just going to change," she informed him.

"Right," he said. "And I'll just stay in these wet clothes, shall I?"

"Feel free to take them off, if you like," she said with a girlish giggle, and he raised an eyebrow at her.

"Really, Foster? Who knew you were that kind of girl."

"I have some things you can change into," she told him. Noticing the slight change in his expression, she jumped in before he could voice his thoughts aloud. "Yes, they were things that belonged to Alec. I don't even know why I have them here… but there's a jumper I bought him that he never really liked, but I did, so I…" She trailed off, somewhat embarrassed, and Cal reached out to rub her shoulder briefly.

"It's okay, love. If you chose it I'm sure it's excellent. And as long as it's been washed since he last wore it…"

She laughed. "Yes, it has." She headed towards the stairs, returning a few moments later with a thick jumper and a pair of black trousers. "Here." She handed him the pile of clothes, then returned to her bedroom. When she came out again a few minutes later, Cal was changed. Seeing him in Alec's clothes was a little strange, but Gillian couldn't help a slight smile coming to her lips when she saw him in that jumper. Alec had never liked it, and to be honest, it had never really suited him, nice as it had looked in the shop. Gillian had assumed her fashion taste had just abandoned her on that particular shopping day, but seeing Cal now, she realised it was in fact a very nice jumper – it just needed to be on the right person.

"That husband of yours really did have crap taste," Cal commented, admiring the jumper. "This is lovely." He caught Gillian's expression. "His taste in wives excluded, of course. There at least he had good taste."

Gillian smiled and headed to the kitchen to retrieve their drinks – another hot chocolate (with extra marshmallows) for her, and another mug of hot spiced cider for Cal. She carried both drinks in, then returned to get the tin of gingerbread men. As soon as she'd placed the tin down, she disappeared again, and Cal sighed. "What now, love? Sit down and relax will you?"

She reappeared with a blanket which she draped over Cal as he sat on the coach, then took his clothes into the kitchen. "Right," she said, returning to the living room at last. "I've put your clothes on the heater. They'll be dry in a few hours."

Cal smiled at her. "Reckon you can put up with having me here that long, love?"

"I'm not sure you could leave, even if I wanted you to," she pointed out, gesturing out the window. The snow was falling even more heavily, and there was already a good five or six inches on the ground.

"You might have a point there." He patted the sofa next to him and held the blanket up. She sat down, scooting close to him as he wrapped the blanket around both of them. She reached forward for her hot chocolate, then settled back on the sofa against Cal. He smiled. She'd changed into a pair of jeans and a thick, cosy jumper; only Foster could make a thick jumper look sexy, he thought, trying but failing to hide a grin.

"What?" she asked, amused.

"What, what?"

"Why are you smiling?"

"Not allowed to smile now, am I?"

"You're allowed," she said, "you just have to tell me why."

He exhaled loudly. "Fine, bossy boots. I'm happy, alright? I've finally started to warm up after being out in the bloomin' cold for what felt like hours, I've got a nice mug of cider to warm me up even more, an ample supply of gingerbread men in front of me… it's not the worst snowed in situation, is it? Company's not bad, either," he added with a casual shrug, and she smiled, squeezing his arm.

"See, snow is a happy thing. I told you."

"Does this mean you're going to start thinking you're right all the time now?" He let out a groan. "I take it back. I'm miserable. I hate the bloody snow."

She grinned. "Too late, Dr Lightman. I've seen the snow-loving side of you. There's no going back now."

He sighed. "Just don't tell anyone, okay?"

"I might keep it a secret. If you're nice to me."

"Hey! I'm always nice to you!"

She laughed. "Good. Keep it up."

Cal's phone rang again, and he grunted in annoyance. "Bloody Loker. Missing me, that's what it is. Doesn't know what to do without me around to hold his hand."

"Oh, leave him alone," Gillian said with a smile, shaking her head.

Cal detangled himself from the blanket, then started looking around for his phone. "Oh, it's probably still in my pocket," he said, and he and Gillian both turned their heads towards the kitchen, now realising where the sound of the ringing was coming from.

Gillian jumped off the sofa, and ten seconds later had flipped Cal's phone open just before the call disconnected. "Hello?"

"Gillian?"

"Hi Loker," she said. "Everything okay?"

"Er… yeah, I just… this is Lightman's phone, right?"

"Yes," she said. "Hang on, I'll pass you over." Cal had appeared by her side, and she wordlessly handed the phone to him.

"Loker," he barked down the phone. "This had better be good, I've left my blanket and my hot cider to come and take this call."

"Oh… er… sorry. You're at Dr Foster's?" He couldn't hide the smile in his voice from his boss, but Cal chose to ignore him.

"What's the problem?"

"I just wanted to let you know that I conducted an interview with Maggie Stevens over the phone, I can send you the file for voice-analysis, but I think she's telling the truth."

"Right, well, we'll be the judge of that," Cal told him.

"We?" There was still a trace of amusement in Loker's voice.

"Send it over," Cal said in the grumpiest voice he could muster, fighting off a smile as he imagined the gossip that would circulate once they were all back at the office. "I'll look at it if I feel like it. Now, for God's sake stop be a boring sod and go out and have some fun in the snow."

There was silence on the other end of the phone as Loker pulled the receiver away from his ear and looked at it in confusion. "Er," he said at last. "Okay."

"I'm serious. Go and build a snowman – or a snowperson," he saw Gillian's face crease up with laughter, "go and throw snowballs at someone or something. Just go and enjoy it and stop working. Most importantly, stop calling me every five minutes, okay?"

"Right you are boss," Loker said, silently thanking Gillian Foster for the magic she always seemed able to work on Lightman.

Disconnecting the call, Cal turned to Gillian. "Loker sends his love." He resumed his position on the sofa, drawing the blanket back up to his chest. "So, what else do you usually do on a snow day, Dr Foster?" His smile faded at the look on her face. "Now, hang on a minute. I went outside, I built a snowman, I let you thrash me in a snowball fight…"

"Let me?" She raised her eyebrows at him.

"But," he continued, "I draw the line here. Absolutely." With a mischievous smile she jumped off the sofa, ignoring his protests. "No amount of cider and gingerbread will make this bearable, Foster, none."

She opened the cupboard near the television and started scanning the contents.

"Foster," he said, "listen to me. Don't you dare take one of those…"

She pulled a DVD out of the cupboard, waving it at him teasingly.

"Don't take that out of the box," he threatened her as she slid it out and held the disc between her fingers.

"Don't even think about putting it in the machine," he said, as she pressed the button to open the disc drive, grinning at him.

"Am I talking in Martian here or something?"

"Nope, plain old Cal Lightman English. I'm just ignoring you."

"Charming."

She came and sat back on the sofa, the DVD remote clutched in her hand. "Ready?"

"As I'll ever be." He sighed. "Now, remind me again what's so charming about singing nuns and Nazis?"

Gillian grinned at him. "Snow, hot chocolate, gingerbread…" you, she silently added. "Those are all some of my favourite things. As is this movie." She settled her head against his shoulder as she hit play.

Cal wrapped his arm around her, allowing his face to break into a smile once he knew she couldn't see him. If my staff could see me now, he thought wryly as the music started and Julie Andrews appeared, twirling over the hills. Still, home alone, probably working, or snuggled on the sofa with Gillian watching her favourite movie… it was hardly a difficult decision as to which he'd prefer. "You're not going to sing along, are you?" he asked suddenly, and Gillian's grin widened. "Oh, Foster, no. Please…"

"The hills are aliiiiive…." Cal shook his head. The things I put up with for this woman. He couldn't help but laugh, and Gillian looked at him questioningly.

"What are you laughing at now?"

"Nothing," he said innocently. "Now are you going to talk the whole way through? I personally don't want to miss the bit where they sing about female deer. Charming it is, that bit."

Gillian giggled and snuggled even closer to him as they settled down to watch the film, both feeling more content than they had in a long time.