Crashing Down

Part One - Chapter One

Gillian woke up to find Cal staring at her.
"Morning, love."
"What time is it?" She asked him sleepily.
"10:30."
She shot up like a rocket.
"Cal! We're so late for work! Why didn't you wake me up?"
"Because you've barely slept for the last week, Gill. The baby has been kicking and you've had heartburn and everything else."
"You still could've at least woken me up an hour and a half ago!"
"You deserved the rest."
"Well, you're crazy if you think I'm waiting around for you to get ready. Torres and Loker have probably destroyed the office by now. You know what they're like when we leave them alone. There's a reason Ria always goes with you and Eli always goes with me."
Cal stood up and put his hands on his girlfriend's shoulders.
"Gill, breathe, relax. Everything's fine. I sent Ria to interview the politician and Eli is still in the lab."
"What?"
"Don't worry. The office is still in one piece."
Cal quickly pulled on a pair of jeans and a shirt as Gillian rushed around the bedroom to get ready. It was rather funny really. Cal didn't understand why she always freaked about getting to work by 8:00 sharp. They owned the company, they could arrive any damn time they pleased.

Eli heard the clack of heels as they came down the hallway. He didn't turn around when the lab door opened. Figuring it was Ria back from the interview, he said,
"Done doing Lightman's job? Maybe he'll promote you from Maid to Side Chick for when Foster gets boring, which we both know she will, because I mean have you met her?"
"Excuse me?"
Eli's eyes grew wide as he spun around in the chair. He was greeted with a very angry Gillian Foster.
"I thought you were Ria. I didn't mean-"
"I'm sure you didn't. You better get to Cal's office right now before I fire you and blame it on pregnancy hormones."
He practically ran out of the room. Normally Gillian was gentle and caring but ever since she'd gotten pregnant six months ago, her mood swings scared the crap out of everybody. Everyone except for Lightman that is. It was weird, what usually made him run in the other direction was now making him a softie. Go figure.
Although now that Eli thought about it, Cal had slowly grown kinder since he started dating his partner eight months ago.

Cal noticed something was off with Gillian after she'd gone to fetch Loker. He'd asked about it, but she wouldn't tell him. But he could tell whatever it was really bothered her. He knew he would never get it out of her so he pulled up the security cameras and went back to the time they'd arrived. He saw himself come into his office and Gillian go to the lab. She stood in the doorway longer than she should have and then Loker came running out looking terrified. Cal pulled up the cameras in the lab and turned up the sound.
"...Maybe he'll promote you from Maid to Side Chick for when Foster gets boring, which we both know she will, because I mean have you met her?"
Well that explained a lot. He made a mental note to cut Eli's next paycheck in half. No, fourths. If Cal could find it in his heart to pay him at all.
He closed his computer and went to Gillian's office. She was sitting on her couch, hands on her growing belly, staring into space.
"Gill?"
She jumped a little at the sound of his voice.
"Sorry, love. I didn't mean to startle you."
"It's okay. Did you need something?"
"No." He said, sitting down beside her. "Are you ever going to tell me what's wrong?"
"I've told you, I'm fine."
"Gillian, you and I both know that's not true. We also both know I already know what the problem is."
"Do you think I'm boring? Or that I'll get boring? I know you'd never sleep with Ria, but maybe someone else-"
"Gill, darling, I've known you for nearly eight years. If you were going to get boring to me, it would've happened ages ago. And I would never cheat on you. You know that. I love you."
"I love you too. That's why the thought of losing you scares me so much."
"I'm right here, love. I always will be. I promise."
Gillian snuggled into Cal's arms.
"Eli's a jerk." She said, which despite their current situation, made them both laugh.
"I know."