Gillian was sitting in her office, organizing some recent case files to add to their archive before deciding to call it a night. One them concerned an accused candidate in the upcoming senate election that they had just wrapped up that afternoon. The kind of case she loathed and would have liked to have been able to refuse based on her personal disgust with the airing of another person's dirty laundry. But somehow the group had been roped into it; not to mention the company desperately needed the pay out. Adding to frustrations, the case wasn't as open and shut as they had all anticipated, making Gillian regret the decision even further. More than a few nights in a row over the past week Gillian and Cal had stayed late going through contacts and interview video footage. In the end, it had all been a political smear campaign, but clearing the name of the wrongly accused man didn't offer as much satisfaction as it should have, and Gillian took a moment to reflect on things.

Their work of finding out what people were hiding- their motives and their secrets, made Gillian that much more conscious about the things she kept hidden herself. How she tried to convince herself that drawing boundaries and keeping her guard up made her somewhat less accessible to those around her, despite seeing suspects fall apart in front of her every day. Logically she knew it was only a false assurance, but at the same time she needed to believe in it; especially with Cal.

Lately their friendship had taken a turn and she knew he was well aware of it, too. To be perfectly honest, who wasn't? But neither of them wanted to take the first step. It wasn't that she didn't want to let him in. Quite the opposite, but something within her couldn't let her pride and her own sense of privacy slip away. The thought of being in the position where he could read every thought and emotion under that intense gaze of his gave her chills. But more than that, she was afraid that he wouldn't like what he found; her inner weakness.

She had seen Cal's and Zoe's marriage fall apart over the same issues. Reading people wasn't something that Cal could just turn off after a long day's work. While Gillian managed not reflect on everything she saw and genuinely tried to believe the best in those around her, his past had hardened him- made him unable to easily let even the smallest things go. Gillian wasn't sure if she could handle being that vulnerable or the possibility of being rejected because of it. After the divorce and losing Sophie, her friendship with Cal was the only thing that kept her world grounded. Their partnership and work gave her life meaning and fulfillment. No matter how much he had hurt her over the past months, not having the support she had now would be a much bigger blow if things didn't work out.

Lost in her train of thought, she barely registered the knock at the door.

"Gillian, love?" came a call from the other side.

She cleared her mind and got up from her desk. "Yes, Cal," she sang back.

The door swung open and Cal sauntered in.

"Since when have you taken up knocking?" Gillian smiled as she moved across the room.

"Haven't heard not one peep coming out of your room for the past hour and a half and I was startin' to get a little worried. Thought you might be sleepin' on the job. Don't start thinking I'll be making a habit out of it though," Cal replied as he closed the door behind him and walked over to the sofa.

"Thanks for your concern," she feigned.

He plopped down on it and stretched out. "So what's new?" he looked up and waggled his eyebrows at her.

"Besides you interrupting me?" she countered. "I was just taking care of some odds and ends around the office in preparation for next week."

Gillian focused on the boyish way his feet hung over the arm's edge. "Do you and Emily have any plans for the weekend?"

"Nah, Emily's at her mum's and left me fending for myself until Tuesday."

"Oh, then is there something you need?"

"No, no carry on, love. I just came for some company and to enjoy the view."

She shot him a look and turned her back to him as she made way back towards her desk.

"Well... There's just one thing. I was wonderin' if we could have a little session. You know, a bit like the old days and all that."

"It's been awhile." She paused.

"It has," came Cal's reply.

"Are you letting it get to you again?" She sighed and faced him, trying to read his face. "You've got to quit blaming yourself, Cal. You can't change the past." She took up the chair beside him and sat down.

"You know it's not as bloody easy as that, Foster," he returned. "But that's not what I wanted to talk to you about..."

Gillian looked over at him with concern. He noted how tired her eyes were, but even then how beautiful she was.

"Lately I've been doing a lot of thinking 'bout life. I'm not the kind of bloke that worries too much about putting myself out on the line."

Gillian nodded, thinking back to some of the dangerous situations he had put himself in, as well as her, and wondered what this was leading up to.

"But things are changing, Gil. Things that honestly scare the bloody hell out of me." Cal looked up at her, and continued on. "There's some risks I'm not sure about taking. Not worth the pain and regret it could cause. Not worth losing more than I already have." He shifted a little. "Been there, done that once already with the Pentagon. I don't want to make the same mistakes again."

"You've dedicated your life to this science, perfecting it so that what happened there doesn't happen again."

"No matter what I do, it will never be enough."

"Enough for what?"

Enough for you, enough for Emily, enough to do right by mum,he thought, but left her question unanswered.

"Seeing as you've stood by me through thick and thin, despite what a right arse I can be, I just wanted to know if you think I'm doin' the right thing."

"I'm not going to lie and say it doesn't upset me, or others, when you take chances. But I also know that no matter what you would never risk anything that went against your intuition. You have my complete trust, faith, and support. Nothing would ever change that."

He went over her words in his head for a moment before deciding to leave the subject alone.

"We all believe in what you're doing or we wouldn't be here," she added.

"Thanks, love. I know I can always count on that clear perspective of yours. The reason I hired you to be my partner, you know. Besides the aforementioned view." He grinned.

"The only reason, huh?" She let out a small laugh at his attempt to lighten the mood, but was still concerned that Cal would make this much effort to come to her for a only few simple words of encouragement.

"Is that all that's on your mind?"

"Yeah, feels good to get a load off. Better be getting off on my way then. G'night Foster, have a nice weekend, eh?"

She watched him pop up of the sofa, and step towards the door. Gillian stood up as well, knowing that he wouldn't be revealing anything else tonight.

As Cal reached out for the handle he hesitated, and then spun around facing her. He walked up to her, placing both hands on her shoulders. Not having any time to react, Gilian suddenly felt his lips upon hers, locked in a kiss that was neither too short nor too long, but filled with more passion than any of the friendlier kisses they'd exchanged in the past.

"What are you doing, Cal?" Gillian could hear her own voice falter, and she pulled away a little.

He studied her face. A mixture of surprise and fear, and yet for a microsecond, he was sure he saw a sad smile disappear as quickly as it began.

"I'm taking one of those risks," he answered, his breath low as they both stood there, his words hanging in the air.

Gillian tried to compose herself, tried to defend herself against the unguarded honestly and love that shown in his eyes.

"Cal..." she finally began, but not finding the right words, angled her gaze downwards.

Cal let his hands fall, but kept his eyes on her form. The silence in the office room was almost deafening and he mentally cursed himself. Her rejection was more than he could bare, but he held himself back, and refusing to add to the tension between them, did his best to brush it off.

"It's getting late, then. Let's get out of here, shall we?"

"Don't misunderstand..." Her heart broke at how bad she wanted this, but her mind kept reeling her back.

"You don't have to apologize for anything, Foster," he replied without letting her finish. "See you on Monday, eh?"

She nodded as he vanished from the room, leaving her standing there in the absence of his warmth that filled the air instead.