A/N: Well here's chapter two. Thank you for the kind reviews. It was unexpected, but they made my day. So I've thrown in some angst because I like it when Cal takes care of Gillian. I like sweet, caring Cal and a vulnerable Gillian. To some this change will probably be a disappointment. I am sorry for that. But there will be carefree, lighter moments, but first some angst to make them deal with it.

Chapter two

He hated that he was here again. It brought back memories he'd rather forget. His Gillian was hurt again and again he was waiting to see her in the hospital. She'd been gone for about an hour when the call had come. Apparently she'd chosen him as her emergency contact. All he heard was that he had to come to the hospital because Gillian was there. Thankfully they did say her injuries weren't life threatening. Otherwise he'd probably have an accident on the way to the hospital. But he didn't know what was wrong or what had happened. Had she been in a car accident? Had someone hurt her?

"Mr. Lightman?"

He'd been so lost in thought that he missed the doctor standing in front of him. His heart was pounding and he could admit to himself that he was scared at what the doctor was going to say. He had to calm himself down. He took a deep breath. "Yeah, that's me. How is she?"

"Miss Foster has bruised ribs, a dislocated shoulder, some cuts on her arms and a cut just above her eye. She'll need time to heal, but nothing's broken, nor are there any internal injuries."

"What happened?" What had caused these injuries?

"Miss Foster was in a car accident. Apparently the other driver ignored the red light."

"Bloody hell." The words escaped him. "Can I see her?"

"Of course, sir. Let me take you to her."

Cal followed the doctor. There was a lot going through his mind, but one feeling stood out. He was scared. For the second time he'd come close to losing his best friend, the person beside his daughter who mattered most in his life and still she didn't know how much she meant to him.

"The nurse is finishing the paperwork. She'll give you the prescription for the pain medication. I presume you will be taking care of her because she will need help. Her bruised ribs and dislocated shoulder will make it difficult for her to move around. She's banged up and bruised. Her body will need to heal and she needs to give it time to heal. Now I've noticed she has a bit of a stubborn streak, which I am sure you are aware of. You have to get her to rest, okay."

To hear that her stubborn streak was still there made him smile. He considered it to be a good sign. That smile however quickly disappeared when he entered her room and saw her sitting in the bed black and bruised again. "Even if you looked good in black and blue, I never wanted to see that on you again." He spoke softly.

Gillian opened her eyes when she heard Cal's voice and tears threatened to fall. She took a breath. "I'm sorry." She whispered.

Standing beside her hospital bed, he laid his hand on hers. "You have nothing to apologize for." He was silent for a moment, simply watching her and taking her in. Gone was the sparkle in her eyes. In its place was sadness and pain. There was a bandage above her left eye, covering part of her eyebrow. Her left arm was in a sling, holding it close to her body. She seemed so small and vulnerable and the need to protect her surfaced again. He noticed that she was avoiding his eyes and he wasn't sure why. From her body language when he'd entered the room he knew she was relieved that he was there. At a closer look she even seemed nervous. He didn't understand.

"Mr. Lightman, I finished the paperwork. Here's the prescription for her pain medication. And Miss Foster," the nurse addressed Gillian, "don't be stubborn. Take the medication and let your body heal."

The nurse turned to Cal. "She wouldn't let us examine her or call you. Kept saying she was fine. Luckily the pain got to her and we could examine her."

He was surprised that Gillian didn't want the hospital staff to call him. He thanked the nurse and turned back to Gillian. "Let's get you home, okay?"

When she again refused to meet his eyes, he didn't ignore it. He put his finger under her chin and gently lifted her head. Pained blue eyes met his, but the shame he saw was what got to him. Why did she feel ashamed? "I don't know why you're feeling shame, but you have nothing to be ashamed about, okay." When she nodded, he let it go, for now.

Arriving back at his home, he helped Gillian out of his car and into his house. Emily met them at the door and he left them alone to go to Gillian's house and grab some of her belongings since she would be staying with him for the next couple of days. And now that he had her stuff, she couldn't use that as an excuse to flee. Because he knew she was going to try.

Back at his house again, he found his daughter in the kitchen. "What happened to her?" Emily asked.

"She was in a car accident. Someone ran a red light."

"She's really quiet. I don't understand." She looked at her father for the answer.

"I know, luv. She needs time."

"Okay." She knew her dad would take care of Gillian. "Goodnight, dad."

"Goodnight."

Cal walked into his living room where Gillian was seated on the couch, somewhat huddled into the corner. He didn't understand what was going on with her. Of course she'd been in an accident and clearly that shook her up. But something else was going on. She'd never before closed herself off from him. Not even after Sophie returned to her biological mother. For now he was going to let it slide. He would take care of her, whether she wanted him to or not. And when her body was healed, he would talk to her about what he saw.

He quietly sat down next to her, letting her feel his presence beside her. She surprised him by immediately turning towards him. There were tears in her eyes. Carefully he lifted his arm so she could move and lean into him, which she did. He felt the tears running down her cheek. She confused him. She didn't want him at the hospital, but now she seemed to want his comfort. He didn't mind, but he didn't understand it either. Cal gently ran his hand through her hair. "It's okay, Gillian. You're safe. I'm right here." The words seemed to have a calming effect on her and he was glad. They sat in silence, both lost in their own thoughts. The soft painful groan he heard from Gillian, stirred him back into action. "I'm gonna get you your pain medication and then you're going to bed."

He returned from the kitchen with a glass of water and her pain medication. He waited for her to take it and then helped her off the couch. Slowly they walked up the stairs towards his bedroom. He couldn't believe he was here again with Gillian in almost the same circumstances. After having her in his bed the first time, he'd imagined the second time to be a lot different. He'd imagined there being kissing, clothes shedding and a lot of passion.

He helped her get her sling off and just like a few months ago, he helped her get changed. Both were quiet and unsure of what to say. Cal didn't want to push and Gillian was drowsy because of the pain medication. He pulled the bed covers aside for her to get in. Slowly she got under the covers, her face a mix of pain and sleep. "Get some sleep, luv. Call me if you need me." He kissed her forehead, turned off the light, looked back to watch her for a moment before leaving his bedroom, the door kept slightly ajar.

When Gillian woke up it took her a moment to recognize her surroundings. She was in Cal's bedroom. Shifting slightly she immediately felt pain. That's when she remembered the car accident. She remembered being in her car, thinking about her day with Emily and Cal when all of a sudden there was the collision and she was thrown against the side window. After that it was all fuzzy. But one thing stood out, her need for to Cal to be there and how that had thrown off balance.

Carefully she sat up and got out of his bed to go to the bathroom. Walking back from the bathroom she felt the pain intensify and she knew she needed another painkiller. Checking the nightstand in the bedroom she couldn't find it. It was probably downstairs, but she didn't' feel physically able to walk down the stairs. She carefully climbed back into the bed and tried to relax. That however didn't work. The pain gradually got worse and the tears started to fall. She knew she needed to calm down, the crying and shakes were only making it worse, but she couldn't. She hated this helplessness; she hated feeling weak and needing Cal to be by her side. She didn't like that dependence and judging by her current state, she guessed she'd be needing him for the next few days.

Cal quietly walked up the stairs to his bedroom to could check on Gillian. He'd checked on her a few hours ago and was glad she'd been asleep. Approaching his bedroom door he heard soft sobs and they pained him. Immediately he opened the door to his room. There she was in his bed, her back to him. With a few strides he was at her side, crouching down, his hand cradling her cheek, wiping the tears away with his thumb. "Hi, Gill. Wanna tell me what's wrong?"

"Pain." She whispered between sobs.

"I've got your painkillers. I'll grab some water, okay?" Grabbing a glass of water Cal couldn't help but wonder if the pain was the sole cause of her tears. His gut feeling told him there was more to it. He helped her sit up and handed her the painkiller and the glass. He shifted her to the middle of his bed so he could sit down next her and she could lean into him with her good shoulder. "Come here, luv." Putting his arm around her waist he pulled her closer. With her head now on his shoulder he felt her calm down. He gently rubbed her back. He was glad her sobs were subsiding, knowing they caused her already bruised body more pain. After sitting with her in silence for while he felt her body relax, telling him she was about to fall asleep. He placed a soft kiss on her forehead. "I'll be here, Gillian." He whispered.

Not expecting a response he was surprised when he felt her placing a soft kiss in his neck. It sent a shiver through his body. "Thank you, Cal."

TBC..