She honestly has no idea how this happened.
The going undercover part isn't the problem. She's used to that. It's not the tight blue dress or stiletto heels. It's not even the inevitability of Oliver singing an off-key rendition of Bohemian Rhapsody in her ear.
It's the fact that she has to go undercover as part of a couple at a gay bar and her best option (and even then, not a great one) just rolled her ankle.
"Are you kidding me right now, Chloe?" Gail pinches her nose and tried not to bite anyone's head off. Blood would be way too hard to get out of this dress.
Chloe just shrugs and leans even more weight off her left ankle and onto Dov's arm.
Traci steps forward and holds up a hand to stop Gail's next cutting remark. "The operation is set to go and we really don't have a lot of time to delay this long enough to get another officer in here. This guy could strike again tonight."
Gail snorts, "There has been a serial killer stalking lesbian bars and killing couples every other night for almost a week. It honestly sounds like something out of a bad episode of 'Criminal Minds', not something that actually happens in Toronto."
"Well, who's in the station right now that we can bring in here?" Oliver asks.
There is a long pause while everyone thinks before Dov pipes up, "Andy is manning the desk right now, I can run and get her."
Gail can feel her teeth grinding together from how hard her jaw is clenching. "No."
Traci gives her an apologetic glance but nods at Dov, who runs out of the room and returns very quickly with Andy in tow.
"No one is going to believe this for a single second," Gail snaps, aiming a glare in Andy's direction.
Andy ducks her head slightly before turning to Traci with a question in her eyes. "Believe what?"
"You and Gail being a couple," Traci says and immediately Andy's eyes go wide and, frankly, terrified.
She starts stammering, "Well, um, I'm not sure that we could, you know, pull that off very –"
Gail cuts her off, "No one with eyes will believe this." She gives Traci a significant look and Traci winces slightly.
"What other choice do we have? There are no other women in the station under the age of forty-five and I've already been burned at the clubs doing interviews," Traci says. Gail scowls as she ponders how much jail time she would get if she accidentally stabbed Andy with a toothpick from her martini at the bar.
"So, either you're overdressed or I'm very underdressed," says a voice from the door.
They all turn to look at the newcomer and Gail struggles not to smile at their looks of confusion. "Hey, sorry, but I think I'm going to have to cancel on drinks tonight, we have an op," Gail says, tilting her head to the side slightly and stepping forward.
Gail watches Holly's eyes trail down her body before jerking back up to meet her gaze (which definitely does not cause Gail to blush at all). "No problem, just remember that it's your turn to pick where we're going this time."
Gail is about to respond when Oliver clears his throat beside her. She glances at him, then notices Traci and Chloe looking back and forth between Holly and Gail with thoughtful looks on their faces.
That is never a good thing.
"Holly, how would you like to go undercover with Officer Peck here to bring down a really bad guy?" Traci said.
Jaw dropping, Gail tries to gather her thoughts fast enough to object, but no sound comes out.
"Gail will be doing all the hard work. She just needs someone to pose as her girlfriend to make it all believable and to make her bait," Traci finishes, eyebrows raised in question.
Holly's expression changes from surprise to something Gail would call amusement. She has that look on her face that means she's about to do or say something that will make Gail feel like her stomach is about to drop to the floor.
"Do I get to wear a hot dress too?"
/ /
Gail leans over the bar, trying to get the bartender's attentions because, damn it, she's not going to get through this night without at least one shot of good tequila.
The music is pounding, heavy and bass-driven. There are sweaty, dancing bodies everywhere and the lights are low enough that Gail has to constantly squint to make out people's faces.
"How about I get this one for you, gorgeous?" The voice comes from right beside her ear and causes Gail to freeze for just a moment before turning. The woman standing there looks completely harmless and kind of cute, actually, but Gail is kind of paranoid at the moment.
She's about to say something cutting and possibly reactionary when an arm curls around her waist from behind.
"You okay, babe?" Holly's voice is basically a purr in her ear and Gail automatically relaxes back into her body before she knows what's happening. Out of the corner of her eye, she sees the woman put her hands up and smile before turning away and trying her luck on another single lady.
"Relax, Gail. You're supposed to look like you've been to a gay bar before remember?" She sounds amused, as always.
"I've been in a gay bar before. I totally have." Gail twists in Holly's grip to stare her in the face. There might be a slight pout involved.
"It doesn't count if you're busting the owner for cocaine possession."
Now there is definitely a pout. Gail also chooses to ignore the snort of laughter over the earbud (Oliver or Traci is going to get a smack over the head when this is over, or possibly both. Probably both).
"Whatever. I need my tequila and then we need to get on that dance floor to see if we can attract someone's attention." Gail turns back to bar and finally gets the bartender's attention. She throws back one shot and then another, just for safe measure. The steady warmth of Holly's hand resting on her hip has no impact on that decision whatsoever.
Holly grabs her hand and pulls her toward the dance floor as soon as the second empty shot glass hits the bar. They stop, Holly turns to her and suddenly Gail can't move.
There's a pause, probably not noticeable to anyone else, but Holly catches it and steps in a little closer. "Hey, what's wrong? I thought you'd done this before." Her voice is low and calm and how on earth is Holly so pro at this? Gail can feel her own brow furrowing in that annoying look of confusion she seems to wear around Holly far too often.
"Nothing's wrong. We're good." Gail says it partially to Holly and partially to the team waiting in the van. There aren't any cameras in the club, so they're relying on Gail to be their eyes.
She sways slightly to the music, trying to dance like the crowd surrounding them, but Gail's movements remain a little too stiff, a little too self-conscious, to be truly believable. She feels out of sync and out of place and her breathing starts to quicken.
"Do you always dance like this?" Holly's eyebrow is raised in question as she stares at Gail's slightly frantic movements.
"Shut up, I am an awesome dancer." She can feel the lie on her tongue but all her muscles are tense and ready.
Holly is quiet for a moment before reaching down to tangle their fingers together. "Just relax, slugger." The nickname is said with that infuriating smirk and Gail can't help but smile back just a bit, remembering the batting cages and carefree laughter.
Gail holds up her free hand and quickly signs, "Nerd."
Holly laughs and tugs at Gail's hand, trying to get her to move to the music, natural and smooth. Gail takes a breath and just lets Holly take the lead. As the heavy bass beats against her ribcage, she can feel her body relax when Holy smiles at her and raises their hands over their heads. Gail smiles back, a full, honest-to-goodness smile, and finally just lets the music work its magic. Having fun and relaxing with Holly comes as naturally as breathing sometimes.
Closing her eyes for a moment, Gail doesn't even notice how close their bodies have become until she opens her eyes and Holly is right there in front of her, face serious and maybe a little hesitant. Gail just breathes and can feel her heartbeat pick up when Holly sways forward just a bit.
Then Oliver's voice cuts in, "Hey guys, any update at all? Anyone sparking your radar?"
They both jolt apart at the sound of Oliver's voice in their ears and Gail turns her head quickly to the side. Out of the corner of her eye, she spots a young couple heading outside through the side door while fumbling with a pack of cigarettes. She's about to turn back to Holly when she notices a figure all dressed in black slip through the door after them.
Jerking away from Holly, she mutters under her breath, "Just saw someone follow a couple outside into the side alley. I'm going to check it out."
"Okay, Nash and McNally are going to wait by the alley entrance for your signal."
Gail glances back at Holly, who tightens her jaw and nods. "Copy that." And with that, Gail slips through the crowd and out the door.
/ /
Glancing to her left, Gail sees the dark figure stalking toward the couple. She pulls her badge out of her little purse and moves forward quickly to grab the suspect by the arm.
"Police! Freeze!"
The figure immediately throws up their hands and the couple beyond them lets out matching screams.
"Turn toward the streetlight and keep your hands above your head." Gail can hear Traci and Andy coming down the alley, guns most likely drawn.
"What the hell?" The suspect's dark hood falls back to reveal a young woman with delicate features.
"Riley?!" The high-pitched shout comes from one member of the couple, stepping forward with an expression of mixed confusion and anger.
"Madison, I swear I haven't done anything. I just wanted to talk to you, honest." Riley's eyes are wide and frightened and she really doesn't look like a serial killer.
"Come on, Riley, we broke up over a month ago. I'm with Allie now." Madison reaches back and grabbed her girlfriend's hand.
Gail steps forward, hand raised for quiet. "Just to be clear, this is just a small disagreement between exes?"
Madison kind of rolls her eyes at Riley and nods.
"Right. Oliver? False alarm." Gail hears Oliver acknowledge her and then turns to Andy and Traci, who are holstering their weapons. "Well, back to the van with you two, I guess."
/ /
Holly watches Gail make her way to the side door for a few seconds until she's bumped by a dancing girl from behind. She grimaces and walks over to the bar, slipping onto a stool and holding up a hand to the bartender.
He smiles and asks, "What can I get you?"
Leaning onto the bar with her elbows, Holly says, "Just a beer."
"Really? Just a beer? Kind of boring, don't you think?"
Holly lets out a laugh. "Fine then. How about you surprise me?"
The bartender grins back at her and flips a bottle off the counter with a flourish. "You won't be disappointed."
As she waits for her drink to be completed, Holly hears someone say, "Did it hurt when you fell from heaven?"
At the sound of the incredibly bad pick up line, Holly can hear Oliver laughing over the comms. It takes all her willpower not to laugh in this poor girl's face. "Um, thanks, but I'm here with my girlfriend," she manages to say.
When the rather unfortunate pickup artist moves on, she turns back to the bar to see the bartender laughing as he places her drink on the bar. "Hope your girlfriend isn't the jealous type. That blonde from earlier, right? Tequila shots?" Holly must look impressed because he shrugs and says, "I have a good memory for faces and drinks."
"Well done," she says, opening her purse to search for something as he moves away to deal with another customer. She finds what she was looking for, a small drug testing card. After starting her job at the forensics lab, Holly had started testing all her drinks. It was basically a habit now, even if she's never had a positive drink test.
So when the test card changes color, she freezes. After a long moment of staring, she tucks the card back into her purse and grabs her phone, watching for the bartender out of the corner of her eye. She quickly types out 'bartender slipped drug into my drink' and sends it to Gail. Almost immediately, she receives a reply of 'stay put, don't let him know. I'm on my way. Traci and Andy too.'
Holly takes a deep breath and fiddles with her straw, gripping her phone far too tightly. She tries to keep her face calm and collected, but it must not be working too well because the bartender comes back over and gives her a slightly worried look.
"Hey, you okay?" he asks.
Letting out a small laugh that she knows sounds nervous, she replies, "Of course, just, uh, looking for my girlfriend. That's all."
"Well, how's the drink taste?" He's watching her with interest and she doesn't know how to not take a sip without seeming suspicious.
Just as soon as she opens her mouth to say something (she's not sure what to say, but something), a firm hand grabs her shoulder and spins her around on the stool. Gail is right there, breathing a little heavily and looking slightly spooked. She flicks her eyes to the bartender over Holly's shoulder before reaching up to slip her hand into Holly's hair.
Holly has just enough time to blink once before Gail leans forward to kiss her rather soundly on the mouth. Their lips are closed and she knows a suspect is watching them, but Holly can't help but think that Gail's lips are just really soft. Her heart is beating a rhythm in her ears and Gail's hand is hot against her waist.
Gail pulls back after a few seconds and lets a corner of her mouth twitch up in a smile before suddenly grabbing Holly's hand and pulling her away from the bar. Holly lets Gail basically manhandle her into a corner, pushing her back against the wall while Gail braces her arms on either side of her, creating a sort of shield with her body. Holly can feel her heart racing and the fact that Gail is basically pressed up against her is probably a factor.
There's a loud commotion and over Gail's shoulder, Holly watches Andy, Oliver and Traci storm in to cuff the bartender. A rush of relief surges through her but when she looks at Gail, all she sees is Gail doing her best impression of a human shield, body still pressed up close to Holly.
Traci walks up and pats Gail on the shoulder, saying, "Good job, Gail. I think he's our guy."
Gail just smiles at Traci once and turns back to Holly. "You okay?" she asks.
There are a hundred appropriate responses to this question, but all that manages to come out of Holly's mouth is, "You kissed me."
"Really?" Gail's voice is high and incredulous. "That's what you're focusing on?" She looks pointedly over her shoulder at the arrest happening behind her. "I just maybe saved your life."
"Um, thank you?" Holly says, almost flippantly. Then she looks beyond Gail at the bartender being led away in handcuffs. It suddenly hits her just how close she might have come. She looks back at Gail and waits for Gail to meet her eyes. "No, seriously, Gail. Thank you."
A slight blush spread across Gail's cheeks and she glances away quickly. "No problem, Holly." She pulls back, letting her arms fall to her sides again, and takes a small step away. "I just need to talk with Oliver for a second, then I'll drive you home, okay?" Holly nods and watches Gail interact with all the uniformed policemen that have taken over the club.
Gail is really good at her job.
She's known this the entire time they've known each other, known that Gail came from a police family, that the job was in her blood, but it had never really sunk in before. Gail is really good at her job and she may have just saved Holly's life.
When Gail glances back and smiles slightly, Holly can feel the pit of her stomach swoop in that oh so familiar way and she knows she's in danger of falling into bad habits.
She's falling for the straight girl again.
/ /
The car ride is quiet.
They're never quiet; it's always banter and laughter and teasing, so it feels strange and uncomfortable. It's freaking Gail out a little.
Holly shifts slightly in her seat and clears her throat, her brow furrowed and her hands fidgeting. Something is off with her, but asking the question right out might lead to answers Gail is not quite ready for yet.
Gail glances away from the road and says haltingly, "Thanks, by the way, for doing this whole undercover thing. I know it's not really part of your job description."
There's a beat of silence before Holly responds, "I'm just glad we got the guy."
Another awkward silence stretches between them.
"Well, I finally made it to a gay bar." Gail's voice is purposefully light and cheerful, trying to get the mood back to what it normally is.
"It doesn't count if it's part of a bust, Gail." A familiar smirk makes its way across Holly's mouth.
"Whatever, Stewart. It totally counts."
"Oh really? I suppose you did kiss a lesbian in a gay bar, so maybe it does."
"That totally doesn't count. It was for a bust."
Holly glances at her sideways and says, "Caught, Peck."
Gail opens her mouth to retort, but nothing comes to her (this happens too often around Holly; she gets tongue tied and can't think fast enough – it's incredibly frustrating) and she lets her face fall into a pout as she pulls the car up to the curb by Holly's apartment. Holly smirks and steps out of the car.
"Fine, if it doesn't count, then I still get to pick where we go next time," Gail yells out the open door.
There's a slight hesitation from Holly, but then she smiles slightly and responds, "Deal." She gives a small wave and turns away to walk up the steps to the main doors.
Gail grins triumphantly and turns back to the road.
All in all, not a bad night, but one of these days she'll figure out a way to render Holly speechless.