Hey, my loves! I'm in my Cal character arc right now because my life is chaotic and took an unforeseen turn, but I like spontaneous decisions. I'm going to be away on a trip till Monday night, so my new fic publishing is postponed until Tuesday or Wednesday, and here's a new one-shot as a redemption. I appreciate your reviews. I can't say this enough.

Gillian was fighting her lightheadedness the whole work day. She knew she had been neglecting self-care recently, and it probably caught up with her. Ideally, she hoped to push through those symptoms; wrap up her case without anyone noticing that something was off. Gillian felt a sudden wave of dizziness as she walked through the Lightman Group's hall. She tried to steady herself by putting a hand on the wall, but her legs gave out, her eyes saw nothing but black dots and blurred spots, and her ears were filled with echoed ringing. When she thought she was going to hit the ground, she felt a strong pair of arms wrap around her, holding her up.

"Easy there, love. You alright?" Cal asked, concern etched on his face.

Gillian whimpered slightly, sinking further into Cal's embrace, disoriented, causing him to carefully sit down on the floor with her.

"I've got you, Gill. Breath with me," he whispered reassuringly, stroking her hair.

Ria emerged from around the corner, running up to them.

"Is Foster okay?"

"Peachy. Could you please bring us some water?" Cal said.

"S-sure." Ris stuttered a little, allowing Cal to notice a weird expression on her face.

"I'm sorry," Gillian mumbled, barely audible. "I don't know what's wrong with me. Everything's spinning."

"Don't be sorry, darlin'. Do you want me to call a doctor?" He continued to rub gentle circles on her back.

"No," she protested. "I'm just tired."

"Gillian…" Cal didn't have time to finish the sentence. Ria appeared again, handing him a glass of water. He helped Gillian drink it and then pointed back at Torres.

"What's that look?"

"Huh? Nothing."

"Torres."

"Thank you, Ria." Foster interrupted him, giving her an empty glass back. Ria glimpsed somewhere in between them, sighing.

"I noticed Foster skipped lunch today," she said.

Cal nodded, motioning for Ria to leave.

His eyes narrowed in concern. "When was the last time you ate?"

Gillian thought for a moment. "I don't remember," she admitted. "I've just been so busy with work and everything else…"

Cal's expression softened. "Come on," he said, helping her to stand. "I'm taking you home with me."

"Cal."

"What? You're too weak to fight me back anyway." He joked in an attempt to lighten the mood.

"Don't get used to it," she chuckled faintly.

"Not a chance, love. Not a chance." He put an arm around her waist, guiding her out of the building to his car.

"What about Emily?"

"She's at her friend's. She'd be even happier to see you than me, though. Always. You know that, right?"

"I don't like intruding or coming announced."

"You can never intrude. You're not me, eh?"

"Yeah, but you're not exactly a by-the-book gentleman."

"Thank you very much." he laughed, pleased with himself that he was able to make her giggle.

Gillian climbed into the passenger seat of Cal's car, leaning her head back against the headrest.

"Take a nap," Cal said, glancing over at her. "I'll wake you up when we get home."

She felt the car start moving, and soon she was lost in a deep slumber. Cal watched her for a moment, admiring how peaceful she looked, before turning his attention back to the road. She still seemed pale. He was almost eaten alive by his conscience. He should've known better. Maybe he could never be anyone other than a friend to her. Not anyone. A partner. A lover. A…It didn't matter. He'd be anyone she wanted him to be if she let him, but right now, in those last months, he failed at every single social role possible. Hurt way more than all of his fights, all of his bruises, and all of his broken ribs combined.

"We're here, love." Cal gently shook Gillian awake. She blinked a few times, trying to orient herself.

"Oh…I really dozed off," she said, unbuckling her seatbelt and stepping out of the car. Cal followed her, walking her to the front door.

Once inside, Cal headed to the kitchen. "You're up for helping me a bit, darlin'?" He figured keeping her busy might ease her mind for a while.

"Of course, what are we making?" She got her enthusiasm back. One step at a time.

"Noodle soup, do you mind?"

"Not at all," she smiled.

She started chopping vegetables. Cal broke the silence.

"What's going on, Gillian? Why haven't you been taking care of yourself?"

Gillian took a deep breath to compose herself. "It's...the pressure, the stress. I don't know how to deal with it all. I've been feeling pretty anxious a lot. I can't seem to shake it."

Cal took her hand, feeling his own heartbreak for her. "You don't have to deal with it alone, Gill. I'm here for you. I'm the biggest wanker in the whole universe, repeatedly screwing things up with everyone I care about. Which they didn't deserve, by the way. But I am here, and I mean it. Whatever you need, whenever you need it."

"I believe you, Cal. I appreciate this," she said, squeezing his hand. He reached out to kiss her on the cheek, but she turned her head, not expecting this, and his lips crashed into hers instead. They didn't pull away until she realized what just happened, blushing like a berry.

"Can I…umm…I'm gonna go take a shower," she murmured.

"Help yourself," he grinned. "Your clothes are in the spare bedroom!" he shouted while she disappeared and ran up the stairs.

Having sleepovers became a regular, not that unusual, occurrence as their friendship blossomed over the years. His divorce, her divorce, him coming late at night to her in need of a confidant; It was easier to have a set of clothes for each other.

After they ate, dissolved in awkward tension and intensity, he had the revelation that perhaps he didn't fool himself into thinking she wanted something more too.

He popped by to say goodnight. She grabbed him by the sweater.

"Stay. I'll sleep better with you," she pleaded.

"Aye, Foster, you're making me sleep in my own spare room, how fair is that?"

"Very. You can't get everything you want all the time."

"Oh, I bet," he said, settling in beside her and pulling her into his arms.

She snuggled closer to him and he tightened his grip.

"I love you. So much," he whispered, making sure she wouldn't hear it yet. He had a long road ahead of him to make amends.