About Time

Chapter Seven - The Line

"Where's Bernard?" Cal asked Torres, walking into the lab, followed closely by Gillian.
"He had to take a phone call. Should be back in a few minutes."
"Where's Loker?"
"Tracking down the last guy that saw Ben."
"Right, okay, when Bernard comes back, send him to my office." Cal said and opened the door to leave.
"You don't care, do you? You just want the paycheck the FBI is going to give us if we find Ben." Ria accused.
Cal spun around and walked over to Torres, getting right in her face.
"Agent Reynolds is my friend, so yes, I do care. It is not a matter of if we find him, but when. And if you ever accuse me of something like that again, you will no longer be a part of The Lightman Group. Do I make myself clear?"
"Yeah. Crystal."
He left, leaving Ria and Gillian alone in the lab.
"Don't worry about it, Ria. He's just worried about Ben. We all are."
"He sure has a weird way of showing it."
"He's just got a lot on his plate right now."
"Like you and the baby?"
Gillian tensed up.
"Yeah, like that. Amongst other things."
"Oh, touchy subject."
"You've worked here for nearly four years. You should know by now that we don't read each other. There's a line and we don't cross it."
"Except for you and Lightman. You cross it all the time."
"That's none of your business."
"You just don't want to admit that I'm right."
Gillian sighed.
"We used to respect the line. We were both married, Cal had Emily, everybody was happy. Everything was simple. Then Cal and Zoe got divorced and we still respected the line, just not as much. Then Alec and I got divorced and eventually, the line just disappeared. It was gone, out the window. And that's how we ended up here. Everything's complicated and I'm pregnant, and neither of us have any idea what the hell happens next."
Special Agent Dillion walked back into the lab.
"Lightman is here. He wants to see you in his office." Ria told him.
Dillion nodded at Gillian before leaving.
"So have you made an appointment with your doctor?"
"Yeah, that's where we came from actually. It's why Lightman took the day off."
"And?"
"My blood pressure is a little high but it's not anything to be concerned about yet. Everything's fine."
"So you're really pregnant?"
"Eight weeks."
"Only 32 more to go."

"Foster, Torres, Loker! In my office!" Cal called. The three filed into the room and Loker shut the door behind them.
"I'm only telling people who absolutely need to know."
"You're going undercover, aren't you?" Gillian asked.
"I have to. It's the only way I can talk to those men without causing suspicion."
"Ben has been establishing his cover in Boston for months-"
"Well, I don't have the luxury of time. I'll be wired the entire time and there's some sort of special contact lens the FBI has that's actually a camera. Dillion got the authorization for the camera to come here as well, in the lab. You three and Bernard are the only people allowed in this building for safety precautions, understand?"
They nodded.
"When do you leave?" Loker asked.
"Two hours."
"Anything else?" Torres asked.
"Not right this minute. You two can go. You stay." He said, pointing at Gillian.
When it was just the two of them in his office, Cal spoke.
"Neither Emily nor Zoe is to know about this."
"What do I tell them if they ask?"
"Tell Zoe to mind her own damn business and tell Emily that I'm in Florida because they needed my help in Tampa."
"Do you really think she'll believe that after Afghanistan two years ago?"
"Then tell her I'm in Maine or Virginia or something. Anything but the truth."
"What about when she comes home for Thanksgiving next week? What do I tell her then?"
"Don't worry about next week, love. I'll be back by then. With Ben."

Cal got ready to leave. He was wired and ready to go. The contact camera was bothering the hell out of him but it was working so he figured he should probably keep it in. He walked by Foster's office and stopped by the lab where Loker was busy.
"Loker!"
"Yeah?"
"Don't let Foster do anything stupid, will ya?"
"I'll make sure she's okay."
"Good."
Cal went outside to where a car was waiting to take him to an apartment in an undisclosed location in Boston. His home while he was undercover.
"Ready?" The driver asked.
"Yeah mate. This case just better not take more than a few days."