Title: Our friendship
Author: Moonshape
Fandom: Lie to Me
Pairing: Cal/Gillian, Emily
Rating: PG
Word count: 816
Spoilers: 2x20 Exposed
Summary: Emily's words has made Cal think and decides to see if he can safe his friendship with Gillian.
Disclaimer: This fic belongs to me, but Lie to Me, Cal Lightman and Gillian Foster belong to FOX
Author Note:
Take a look at my other fics as well! His daughter's words had made him think. Was she right? Would he be alone forever? He knew he wouldn't need anyone else but her, but the idea of dying alone suddenly frightened him.
He cursed his abilities for the bazillionth time. His life seemed anything but normal because of it and he often wondered if it was all worth it. He drove people away due to the lack of trust - trust was an issue.
But he knew he wasn't alone. He had her, and Gillian.
'How're you doing, luv?' he asked as he stood next to her table.
'I'm good,' she said, nodding her head slightly. But Cal wondered if she really was. She had only heard yesterday she would never see her boyfriend again. Her face was lying.
'Mind if I sit with you?' he asked, pointing down at the chair opposite her.
She looked past him and saw Emily sitting at a table inside. They briefly waved at each other.
'Shouldn't you be sitting with Em?' she asked, lowering her hand again.
Cal looked around at his daughter, and saw how she stole another chip from his plate, waving her hand down, in a gesture which meant he had to stay with her.
'Nah - she'll be alright,' Cal said and pulled the chair back, dropping himself down in it. 'And I think I have to make up on something.'
'Have you?' Gillian said as she placed her book down on the table.
'Yeah - about snooping around in your personal life again.'
'While I asked you not to,' she added, a weak smile on her face.
'Yeah, but - ', he said as he sat on the edge of his chair, leaning on the table. 'If I hadn't - you'd probably never have found out what would have happened to Burns - or whatever his name is - right?'
'I know that Cal,' she said, averting her eyes so she didn't have to look at him.
'And I'm only doing that because I don't want you to get hurt.'
'I know you don't, Cal.'
'So now - I suppose I'll now buy you a drink so we can both forget it,' Cal said as he raised his hand to call the waitress.
'What you said back there isn't something I will easily forget, Cal,' she said, closing her eyes briefly as if she was begging herself for patience.
Cal lowered his arm slowly, staring at her with a blank expression on his face.
'It wasn't really professional of you to say something like that - not in front of Dave or Moon,' her face still looking as if it needed patience.
Cal looked at her for a long time, debating what he should say now. He had apologized to her, but felt more had to be done by him. He knew she forgave him - like a friend, but he wouldn't feel better if he wasn't sure until he had made it up to her.
'Listen, Gillian,' he said, leaning with his elbows on the table, bringing his hands together. 'I said that for a reason.'
She gazed down at her hands, not answering him.
'I want you, Gillian - but I know I can't have you. We once set that line, remember?'
She nodded.
'And we both know things will go wrong if we cross that. We could hurt each other more than anyone else could hurt you or me.'
Gillian nodded again, lifting up her head and looking at a car passing by.
'I know, Cal,' she said, absent-mindedly tapping her fingers on the table.
'And I know that our friendship is too good to put that at stake.'
'It is,' Gillian said and finally turned her face to look at him, a fond smile on her face ,which put Cal at ease at once, and he smiled back at her with the same fondness on his face.
'Hey,' he said as he reached out and took her hand in his. 'You know that, whatever I do - I will never attempt to hurt you, right?'
'I know.'
'And that you'll just have to accept that I'll always be snooping around your business to make sure someone else won't either.'
She laughed, wrinkles appearing around her eyes. Cal joined her, the same wrinkles around his. She squeezed his hand and he squeezed back, looking down at their entangled hands for a moment.
'Come here,' she said as she got up, pulling him up on his feet as well and drawing him closer. When she finally let go of his hand, she wrapped her arms around his neck, tightly embracing them like they could. He wrapped his arms around her middle and buried his face against her shoulder for a moment before they drew back, sitting down again. Cal raised his hand and ordered them two drinks, waving his hand over to Emily to let her know she had to join them.