Right on schedule!

Cookiesprinkles: way too early to speculate eh eh

Seems like you're all enjoying the dynamic, and now we're about to step into something completely new. Of course there might have been different ways to go about it, but of course I am setting up things the way I need for the story. But just for sake of clarification, it's not like Cal wants to hide his relationship from Emily: his plan was to tell her, just enjoy a day or two with before delivering the news because even though he knows she'll be happy about it, things are going to be different once she knows. Case in point, the situation they are not stuck with.

Anyway, I kind of forgot to mention it but as you have seen we are talking about missing kids so this might get a little edgy. Nothing like Ghosts, but do keep this in mind while reading.

Of all the many things that had not gone his way the day before, Cal put the fact that he hadn't been able to part from Gillian in a meaningful way very high on his list.

After dinner they had gone through what they needed one more time, with Emily reassuring them she would take care of it, then they had checked the equipment and loaded everything into the back of Cal's car before agreeing with Gillian that they would stop at her place in the morning to pick her up on the way to Sedley. Pretty much, since Connor had left his office they hadn't had a moment alone; no chance to come up with some kind or rules of engagement - or lack thereof given the circumstances - and no chance to have a second for some private interaction.

Things didn't go much better the morning after when he stopped the car in front of Gillian's house. He had hoped he could just tell Emily to wait in the car, walk up to the door and sneak in five minutes alone with her: but Gillian, ever the reliable and responsible person, was waiting on the sidewalk with her bags and ready to go.

"What's with him?" Emily asked Gillian as she entered the car, confused by the sudden mood change in her father as he grumbled something, annoyed, while putting her bags in the back.

"I think your father is just not a morning person," Foster absently lied, easily guessing where Cal's annoyance was coming from.

She had thought about it too, of course, to have a little moment for themselves before getting on with that, but she had thought about it overnight and had decided it was probably best to keep a safe distance. Their relationship was far more than just sex, but that part was explosive and in general they had gotten way too used to get close and intimate in other ways and that was a risk they shouldn't take. Not with Emily around, and not while working on a case.

The drive to Sedley was just under four hours, which went about rather smoothly once Cal had come to terms with his own disappointment. They discussed the case, stopped for a second breakfast and restroom, argued about what kind of music to listen to, if any at all, and then started to go through the schedule of their first day in Sedley. They were supposed to meet the Sheriff upon their arrival, get the material from the case and the latest updates, then move on to interviewing two of the families.

It was a tight schedule, and as the road signs on the side of the road started to point them closer and closer to Sedley, it did them some good to remember why they were heading there in the first place. The first couple of hours had been pleasant: Cal and Emily hadn't been on a road trip in ages and many of their travelling dynamics were revealed to Gillian for the first time, much to her amusement; as for Gillian and Cal, they had never really gone anywhere in that capacity, and even if they couldn't let anything transpire it was still a new facet of their relationship to explore. Truth to be told, until after lunch Cal had to push back memories of family trips with Emily and Zoe and try to ignore the same kind of vibe filling the enclosed space of the car. Part of him wanted to bask in the warm feelings evoked by that vibe, thinking how even better it was likely to get once they would share the truth with Emily, but like Gillian he knew that wasn't the time nor the place for it.

When they arrived in Sedley, they immediately noticed the gloomy atmosphere. It was understandable, it was just a small community and likely most families knew each other despite the lack of pattern in the missing children's profiles. To add to that, the town seemed to be going through a rough time itself as they noticed many boarded up shops and commercial spaces. In the information they had about the case that didn't seem to be a factor, wealth and poverty were somewhat equally represented amongst the victims' families, but Cal and Gillian looked at each other knowingly and filed away the mental note as he drove the car through town.

When they arrived at the Sheriff's office, a woman in uniform was waiting for them outside the building. Anxiously waiting, Gillian thought, and was not surprised. Sheriff Talbot looked like the kind of public security officer who enjoyed the simple life and petty crimes of the small town and was far from ready to play in the big leagues. And five missing kids was definitely a big league case.

Cal parked the car and sighed, quickly checking Emily in the rearview mirror, busy looking for something in her backpack, but before he could turn around and say anything to her Gillian touched his arm to get his attention. He looked at her and saw her shaking her head, her face calm and soft as she eyed the backseat where Emily was collecting her things before getting out of the car. He had wanted to say something to his daughter, to remind her that there were probably a lot of people suffering in town and the Sheriff was likely under a lot of pressure, but he changed his mind after Gillian's look. They had already discussed the delicacy of the situation at length during the drive there, Emily was a smart girl with plenty of empathy and enough knowledge of what they did to know how to behave and further reminders were not needed.

Introductions were made when they got out of the car, with Emily shily and carefully appointing herself as an unspecified assistant. The Sheriff was openly and extremely glad to see them, Gillian's read had been spot on and she confessed she had been eagerly waiting for them to arrive since Connor had called the day before to let her know the Lightman Group was on its way. In fact, she was so grateful that she took everyone to lunch, so that they could share information and plans for the rest of the day. Gillian and Cal asked all of the questions, knowing they'd have more after having gone through the case files the Sheriff dropped on the table in between steaks and mac & cheese, while Emily took notes and wrote down everything she could despite the tape recorder she had also placed on the table. When the conversation allowed it, Cal threw rapid glances at his daughter, constantly switching from fatherly pride for how laser focused and professional she was to fatherly concern for having her exposed to all of that. He could feel at times Gillian's gaze on him too, catching the flashes of reassurance she was also keeping an eye on the young girl.

Once the lunch and debrief were over, the trio moved on to the Greys, the family of the first child who had gone missing, with the Sheriff announcing the parents were ready to talk to them. After hours of sitting and talking, Cal was more than ready to spring into action and frankly so were Gillian and Emily, the young girl especially since she had been waiting for her chance to show what a great assistant she could be. Watching her quietly but expeditiously set up the camera in the family's living room, Cal had to crack a bit of a satisfied smile at how well she did, remembering the times when she would sit around the lab seemingly annoyed and waiting for him to wrap things up at work and only then realising she must have been paying attention.

On the spot, the reading of the parents was a tricky one. Days had already gone by since their daughter had gone missing, and even though the powerful emotions of losing a child were unlikely to subside they had to factor in the element that since then the same tragedy had happened to others. They seemed to find comfort in the fact that other parents were living the same nightmare, not in some sadistic way but more because there were people who were going through the same things and could support each other. Mostly, after nearly a day spent trying to adjust to working on a case on the field like that and to Emily's presence, plus some understandable fatigue for the journey, both Cal and Gillian knew better than to draw any sort of conclusion too quickly.

When the interview was wrapped up and the equipment loaded up on the car again, led by Sheriff Talbot they took leave from the Grey family and gathered around the cars parked outside.

"Any first impressions?" The Sheriff asked once they were safely away from the house.

"I don't think they know where their daughter is," Gillian affirmed after a quick consulting glance with Cal, none of them feeling comfortable in making detailed statements just yet. "But there's a lot to unpack and we'll need to study it carefully."

"That's why you recorded it, right?" She asked, pointing at the trunk of Cal's car.

"Yes, and we will send it to our team in DC so that they can provide a different take if necessary."

"That's great, really. I must confess I am relieved the ADA got you on the case," the woman sighed and shook her head, absently looking at the house they had just left. "I have no problem admitting I am out of my depth with this and I really want to do anything I can to help these families."

"We'll do our best, Sheriff." Cal noted, then checked the time on his phone and huffed. "But I think we will be more productive tomorrow after a good rest."

"Of course, you had a long day I imagine. I take it you arranged to stay in town?" The Sheriff didn't understand why the adults looked at each other clueless at that question, while the young girl with them enthusiastically nodded. "Where are you going to stay?"

"Now that's a good question!" Cal quipped with a smirk, then looked over at his daughter. "You wanna take this, Em?"

Sheriff Talbot found it rather odd, the father leaving it to the daughter to clarify on such a point, but then again she was only a small town cop and they were the big brains from the capital. Still, it was strange to see the grown ups seemingly waiting for the girl to instruct them on their next move. Even more strange, was the natural and easy way in which Emily Lightman just nodded at her father's request before taking the phone from her pocket and checking their accommodation on it.

"We'll be staying at the Rooker's Lodge," she announced then, all serious and with a touch of the trademark Lightman smug grin that was in her DNA.

"The cabin? Oh, it's lovely out there!"

"A cabin?!"Cal moaned loudly. "What was wrong with a hotel Em?!"

"Don't worry Dr Lightman, it's not actually a cabin." Sheriff Talbot urged to reassure him. "We locals call it like that because that's what it used to be, but it was recently bought by some guy in New York who did it up real good. It's very nice."

"Yes, and it has everything we need Dad, I promise." Emily's big eyes looked at him, imploring to get a chance to prove she hadn't blown it already.

"I'm sure it's going to be ok, Emily," Gillian jumped in with a reassuring smile, feeling that she had to get father and daughter out of a muddy situation.

Emily's smile in response was an absolute spectacle to see for Gillian, and she understood once more how something that simple could easily alleviate Cal's malaise without fail. She wasn't surprised in the least when his face also softened, realising he probably should have held his judgement as he wrapped his arm around his daughter's shoulder and squeezed her tight to him, mumbling some reassuring words that Gillian couldn't hear but that made Emily smile nevertheless.

With that first crisis avoided, they arranged to meet the sheriff the day after and got back on the road. It was only a short drive from Sedley but it was definitely out of town, and Gillian had to shot Cal a silencing glare when she noticed he was about to grumble something about it. Eventually, the road they were on went from being flanked by trees on either side to a small open area just outside what looked, despite Sheriff Talbot's reassurance, a wood cabin. Bigger than what they'd expected, but still a damn wood cabin straight out of a horror movie.

"We're here!" Emily confirmed, jumping out of the car before it even came to a full stop. "Isn't it great?!"

Gillian didn't respond, struggling to find the same positive attitude she had previously displayed as she faced the wooden construction plunged in vegetation. Standing next to her, Cal was clenching his jaw and biting at his bottom lip, likely fighting back rushed comments, then sighed. Gillian caught a movement coming from him and noticed how he motioned to rest his hand on the small of her back, just hinting the gesture without making any contact, as to tell her they'd better get on with it.

"I know what you're thinking," Emily was urging them, not failing to notice the scepticism all over their faces. "But you heard the sheriff, and I checked before booking. There were only two hotels in town, one didn't have enough rooms and the other one couldn't accommodate us without knowing exactly how many days we will stay." Gillian couldn't help but recognise that missing detail might have been an issue, but Cal was mostly worried about how frantic Emily seemed to be all of a sudden. Much like she had been the day before, firing questions and explanations at them eager to prove they had not made a mistake in bringing her along. "They gave me the whole place for a week at a good price, well within the budget, and if we stay less we get something back. And- Come in!" Emily walked up the two steps leading to the front porch, fumbling with her phone to retrieve the code to open the safety box with the keys. "You have to see it inside, let me show you!"

As much as they loved her, both of them, the adults were reluctant to share her enthusiasm. They were tired, they had just spoken with parents who had lost their kid and they were in uncharted professional territory: with all of that combined, the prospect of sleeping in a cabin in the woods was hardly enticing. Cal sighed as he took their bags from the car, handing Gillian hers before they both made their way to the house. Emily had left the door wide open, and when they took the first peek inside they started to think they might have been a little too quick in their dismay.

The contrast between the outside and the inside of the place was striking. The facade was rustic wood and some embellishing bricks, but the inside was fine details, modern furniture that still fit the atmosphere, certainly helped by a big fireplace, and a well equipped kitchen. The main space was one big room, with the kitchen and table for meals on the left and the living areas on the right, with one sofa and two comfy armchairs facing a big flat screen by the fireplace. Cal and Gillian looked at each other and had to recognise it was not what they had been fearing, but before they could comment in any way about it Emily was back with a vengeance.

"Look, it's all brand new. There's electricity, of course, and hot water. And wi-fi, super fast wi-fi!" She announced, brandishing her phone as evidence. "There's already some food in the fridge and cupboards, I can cook and do the dishes while you guys work so you don't have to worry about it. And look." Emily rushed across the room to the fireplace, operating a switch on the well and revealing a drop down screen for a projector coming down from the ceiling. "This is good, right? I thought you might need something like this, like in the office-"

"It's great, Em," Cal said then, a very happy and proud smile forming on his lips. "It's perfect."

"Really?!" She squealed, motioning to run towards him then stopped and gave him a dubious look. "Are you sure? Dad, I-"

"It's perfect, Em. Really." He reassured her, pulling her in for a tight hug. "And if you stayed within the budget and we can get some money back, well!" He pulled back about but kept her close, looking over at Gillian. "I mean, that's your department love, but sounds awfully good to me."

"It does, and your father is right." Gillian looked around, honestly impressed and feeling a touch of guilt to her stomach for having doubted Emily. "This looks really great."

"Good, I'm so happy! Now, why don't you two see the rest while I get the rest of stuff from the car?" Emily suggested then, putting her hand out for Cal to give her the car keys.

He obliged and watched her run outside, smiling to himself and then to Gillian when she came within his line of sight. She was smiling too, relieved that Emily was happy and that Cal had been able to show her how truly and honestly impressed he was, but there was a bit of something else on their faces too. It was still all too weird, too familiar and natural while at the same time too strange and new for them to understand how to behave properly. As strange as it might have sounded, since they had to silence most of the thoughts going through their minds, their best option seemed to be to follow Emily's directions and after a mutual shrug they did as told and went exploring the rest of the place.

There wasn't all that much really, just the hallway with the bedrooms and one bathroom, heading to a back door. Before they could have the chance to explore that, Emily came back carrying way too many bags in one go and asking what they thought.

"It's lovely Em, but there's only two bedrooms," Cal noted, trying as hard as he could not to stare at Gillian in any hinting or compromising way as he did so.

"Emily and I can sleep in the same room," she suggested then, desperately trying to steer the conversation away from more dangerous suggestions.

"Oh, I wouldn't do that to you, love," Cal quipped, and Emily immediately blushed knowing what was about to come as his father pointed at her. "That one kicks like a mule and snores like a bear in hibernation."

"The couch pulls out," the girl informed them with a shy mumble, her statement followed by a short silence.

"I guess that information is for my benefit," Cal muttered in response after a while, huffing as he passed through them in the corridor to head back to the main room.

"Cal, we could take turns with the bedrooms-"

"Nah, it's alright love." He smiled at both of them, and to show them it really wasn't a big deal he hopped on the couch and laid down on it, trying it out for size and comfort. "I can sleep pretty much anywhere."

For very different reasons, both women knew that to be true and they considered the matter resolved. Nobody wanted to drag it further: Emily was glad that little oversight didn't compromise the overall impression of the place she had secured, and Cal and Gillian were mighty glad that the conversation about the night arrangements had not gone any deeper. Then the three of them went outside and finished unloading the car, realising exactly how much equipment they had brought only when they saw it all lined up on the floor. Still fully committed to her role and to demonstrate she was not going to be a hindrance for them, Emily once again invited them to check out the rest while she set up things. Gillian wanted to help, it was a lot of work for one person after all, but Cal motioned her to follow him with a quick nod.

She followed him, through the short hallway and towards the back door, not entirely sure she should have. There was something in his eyes, a little plea to just go with him and a silent request, and she could easily guess why: she wanted the same after all, despite her distancing strategy in the morning it had been an awful long day with him and yet without him, together and apart. But she followed him, mostly when she understood he probably thought it was best to let Emily somewhat exhaust herself so that she could eventually relax and start to accept the fact that she wasn't being a problem for them and the case.

Behind the back door was a small patio, providing a breathtaking view on a small river, the water shining under the late evening sun. It was a wonderful view, certainly fitting with the location, and as far as she was concerned the sight had the added value of Cal Lightman standing in the middle of it, leaning back on the banister with his hands in his pockets and a warm smile, just for her. Gillian bit at her bottom lip, it was quite the view, then smiled back and walked toward him. She was going in his direction but had to go for a small diversion at the very end, standing not in front but next to him, not too close knowing what sudden and prolonged proximity could do to them, in general and even more so after the day they just had. Cal smirked but understood, he wasn't too sure what would happen if she came any closer either, and had to fight back a good dose of feelings, emotions and instincts when she leaned forward, her arms on the banister and her eyes wandering around the view in front of her.

They stayed like that for a while, listening to the peaceful silence around them, Cal with his back to the view and Gillian staring right at it. He looked at her, saw how the dusk light was contouring her features and felt the need to hold out his hand and touch her, no matter how, just to let her know how beautiful she was. Gillian was smiling, an absent and bitter sweet smile that showed him she knew what was going through his mind and that she was pretty much in the same spot, then Cal sighed loudly and took a deep breath.

"This is actually really nice," he whispered then after a while, talking to her but also to himself.

"It is," she agreed, with the same peaceful yet painful tone. "Emily really did a great job."

Cal nodded, his eyes looking at the house in front of him as he pictured his little girl scrambling to set things up for them. She hadn't only done a good job, she had absolutely nailed it and he was beyond himself with pride. But he was also wary of the fact that she had to calm down about it, to stop worrying about everything, and that he and Gillian still held a secret that would have a huge impact on her. A secret that was going to be extremely hard to keep with the three of them sharing such close quarters.

"It's gonna be miserable, isn't it?" Gillian asked then and Cal smirked, not at all surprised she had once again managed to somehow read his mind.

"Yeah," he moaned in despair, suddenly wishing at least one of them had made a daring joke about the sleeping arrangements "Bloody torture!"

Thoughts?