Disclaimer: Not mine.

Rated T, just because.

A/N: I wanted to have this out sooner, but I kept changing things ;). But here it is! A Gail drabble.

I hope you enjoy!

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Gail Peck. Set after 'To Serve or Protect'.

You're not weak.

You've never been weak, and you never plan to be. You're self-sufficient and fully capable of taking care of yourself. But having weaknesses doesn't make a person weak, you don't think; because you're not, but you do have a few weaknesses. Well, one big one, really:

Disappointing your mother.

Your mom gave you three pieces of advice a long time ago, that she never fails to remind you of; know who you are, always try harder than anybody else, and don't screw up.

You know who you are, and you try harder than everybody else. (Trying is all you've been doing ever since you can remember. Trying to make Mom proud; trying to get good grades; mainly, trying to be the best … at anything, and everything.)

You've never felt like you've ever made your mom proud, though. (You've yet to master the 'don't screw up' philosophy she's set out, as hard as you try.) Certainly never proud enough to keep her from making a well-placed and intentionally back-handed compliment about something you did that she thinks is in need of improvement. (It's amazing how a few words can bring you crashing back down to earth from cloud nine.) You're starting to think that maybe you'd have been better off trying to be liked by people, instead. Because your mom would be just as disappointed as she no doubt is now, but at least you might be happy instead of miserable.

That's the big weakness. But there's a smaller one that you can't seem to shake off, and it's fifty-percent of the problem in this particular case; public speaking. Just thinking about being up in front of people making a speech is enough to make your heart pound loudly in your ears, and your armpits become uncomfortably damp.

As much as you know that it could be your downfall on your desperate climb to the top, you just can't be rid of it. (You've tried; it's around to stay, and you just can never seem to face it.)

Even now, knocking back a shot with Traci, you don't know if it's something you'll ever be able to overcome. (You're an adult, and still sometimes you have to play the fake 'home sick' card, after all. Not to mention the fact that a six-year-old had more courage than you and got up on stage despite his fears. You don't have a mom like Traci, though … so maybe that's where it all evens out.)

And you don't know if you'll ever be able to live up to your mom's standards. Probably not; but maybe no one could, given how high above your own almost-unreachable standards they are.

But you'll be damned if you stop trying.

Because one thing you'll never stop wanting to do is make your mom proud, as impossible as that task is turning out to be.

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Did anyone else know that next week is actually a two-hour season finale? I didn't have a clue, lol, until Global showed the preview right after the show! Now I'm twice as pumped, lol! And twice as sad, because it's coming to an end ;). But it all looked really amazing, so I'm mostly pumped!

Anyways, please review!