A/N Couldn't help myself had to do another take at this before the next episode in a bit over 12 hours time. My editor is asleep as it is night time in the Land of Oz so all mistakes are mine and anything that isn't a mistake is also mine ;) enjoy.
Gail was sitting at her desk completing her paperwork from today's Patrol still burning with anger as for today she got stuck with Nicholas. Surrounding her now at 15 Precinct office are all the boys; Dov, Chris and Nick while they too finish their paperwork off before the end of their shift.
She looks at them all just sitting there and she can't take it anymore, she gets up and grabs her Dad coffee cup and heads straight to the kitchen. After making her coffee she leans on the bench and starts to go over the last couple of shifts she has had with the boys.
Her first memory flashes back to Dov and the conversations that they had while they were on patrol the other day before Fight Night. Out of all of the things that were said, Dov telling Officer Luck from 27th Division that she does not have feelings really hurt her even though she made sure she didn't let on. That's what a Peck does after all, don't show them how you really feel, don't show weakness. It wasn't the fact that it was Officer Luck, it was the fact that Dov actually believes this of her.
Her second memory is of Chris telling her about how cold she is, how she never gets too wrapped in anything, if it doesn't work out, he believes she just simply moves onto the next one. Of all the men she dated, he should know that this isn't her after all. Chris actually got to see snippets of the true Gail especially when she was trying to save his life in that abandoned warehouse after he was stabbed. That whole day was of one of hurt and pain for she had to comfort Sophie with the death of her mother; her heart went out for this child.
After taking another sip of her coffee she now replays today's adventures with Nick. They got called to a domestic violence scene where a guy held a knife to his girlfriend threatening to kill her as she had cheated on him. After some time, Gail was able to reason with the guy to put the knife down. After they cuffed him, Nick couldn't help make reference to how she is a cheater and that is how she must have known what to say to get him to drop the knife.
She pushes herself up from the kitchen bench as she thinks to herself how only two people in her life truly get her, well only one now. The first being Oliver and the other was Holly. Not even her own family get her! She sighs, takes the final sip of coffee from her cup and washes it out before heading back out of the kitchen to her desk. The faster this day gets over the better.
Walking into the kitchen was Oliver "Hey darlin', how's my Peck?"
"Pfft, been better, been worse" is all Gail can get out, as she continues on walking back to her desk. Oliver can see her shoulders are hunched, even though she is nearing the end of her shift, to him she looks more tired than she ought.
He changes paths and now follows her to her desk, he is about to speak when he sees Holly coming down the corridor. She too is looking more tired than he can recall ever seeing her.
Oliver turns to Gail and says loudly for both her and Holly to hear "Oh look, the courier is sick again!"
Gail spins around in her chair with a quizzical look and without a beat says "What are you on about Oliver?" and that is when she sees her. Her face drops, her breathing slows but her heart beats faster as she takes in the sight of Holly in the Precinct.
At hearing Oliver's words, Holly stops dead in her tracks. She is now frozen to her spot holding a blue folder with the results that Traci got her to put a rush on. As it was at her last case for the day, she thought she would speed things up and bring the results directly herself. Even though she knew she might run into Gail, she kind of feared it and was also excited at the prospect at the same time.
Gail gets up from her chair and walks over to where Holly is still standing frozen to the floor.
"What are you doing here?" Gail asks bitingly.
"I have a report for Traci" she says back trying to show no emotion, trying to keep her tone flat.
"Really, you expect me to believe that?" Gail shoots back.
"No, Gail I don't expect you to believe anything I say or don't anymore" Holly says starting to get defensive.
"Whatever!" Gail quips back while flailing her arms in the air.
"Whatever? Really is that all you have to say? Hey how about I go get you that taser so you can tase yourself in the eye so you don't have to see me again" Holly is now mad. Mad at Gail but more mad at herself for coming to the station in the first place. She tells herself that no matter what, the courier can deliver these reports in the future. Never again!
While this exchange was going on, more officers had stopped what they were doing and was watching the confrontation between the two woman. Traci, Steve, Sam and Andy now stood at the top stairs to the entry of the Detectives Office. No one had ever seen before someone giving it back to Gail like this, in some regards they were in awe of this woman but at the same time they feared what Gail was going to do or say next.
Without thinking Gail blurted out "God damn it Holly don't you know that you broke my heart that night. If I knew you were only just having fun I would have made sure I didn't fall in love you because I am tired of crying myself to sleep at night"
At that acknowledgement the whole world seemed to stop turning. Dov, Chris and Nick who were watching and listening the whole time stood together with their mouths fallen wide open in shock at Gail's confession of love.
"You love me?" Holly's heart is now beating a million miles an hour, did she really just hear Gail tell her that she loved her.
"Yeah even though it doesn't matter does it!" she simply says back with her head now looking at her own feet.
"Gail, of course it matters"
"What so everyone can see that I have a heart and I am not this uncaring freak that they all think I am" she responds resolute and somewhat now defeated.
Holly takes a step forward and lifts Gail's chin up with her right index finger so they are now looking into each other's eyes and says in a soft nurturing tone "I don't think that, I have seen how much you care in fact I am kinda in love with you too".
"You are?" Gail says back still unsure.
"Yep, I wasn't just having fun Gail, I was falling in love with you too" Holly smiles her lopsided grin for the first time in awhile, still looking Gail directly in her eyes.
Gail looks into Holly's beautiful brown eyes and then down at her lips, those lips that she misses so much. She grabs the back of Holly's head and drags her in for a passionate kiss; much like their first kiss in the interrogation room on that fateful day that the courier was sick for the first time!
In the background of the station they both can hear Oliver and Traci wolf whistling while the rest of the office clap them on but they don't care and stay in each other's arms kissing.