Title: The Inheritance
Pairing: Gail Peck/ Holly Stewart
Rating: M
Genre: Romance/Family
Summary: AU- Successful Forensic Pathologist Dr. Holly Stewart was a busy woman with a five-year plan that didn't include a baby or romance. So when she finds herself in the care of her friend's child, she's out of her depth and doesn't have a clue. She's in need some child care lessons fast! Who better to teach her than the gorgeous Police Officer Gail Peck who always seem to be a call away and slowly stealing her guarded heart. So what happens when the two things Holly thought she didn't want, becomes what she needs the most?
Disclaimer: I do not own the characters Gail Peck and Holly Stewart, they are the product of the TV show Rookie Blue. I'm only taking them out for a spin.
Chapter 1
" … And what this all boils down to is - You're a mother." the attorney had said. Those words kept echoing in my mind over and over again.
You're a mother...
You're a mother…
But that was the problem, no matter what the attorney had said, I wasn't a mother. What I was ... suddenly and without warning or reason for that matter, was the guardian of my late friend's baby boy, Camden.
Camden, who for the past two hours had been in the middle of my lovely downtown Toronto apartment screaming his little head off.
"Please be quiet." I begged. "I don't know what you want and I've already had four complaints from my neighbors." I pleaded, but of course my seven-month old charge went right on wailing. Then the phone rang to add to the cacophony. "Good grief!"
I considered not answering it. I was sure it was another complaint from my neighbours, but the ringing seemed to agitate Camden even more, leaving me no choice but to pick up the intrusive device.
"Hello, Mr. Ewbanks or is it Mrs. Holland?" My tone was edged with a warning. It was Mr. Ewbanks from next door. "Yes… Yes. I know. You like going to bed early and the noise is keeping you awake." I said rephrasing his complaint. "I'm doing the best I can…" It's not like the kid comes with an off button. "I apologize for the disturbance Mr. Ewbanks, but you may have to bear with me for the time being." I told him trying to smooth things over. My attempt at making peace gave the impression that we were only in this for a short duration, but to be fair, I actually had about five or six long (and dare I say it) noise filled days of Camden ahead of me.
Which was my own fault.
The attorney had wanted to meet with me yesterday but I had been too busy and having no idea what the meeting was about, I had foolish delayed him until 6pm tonight.
Friday night.
Friday of a long holiday weekend, when all the agencies were closed until after Christmas. Which meant I was stuck, with no hopes of calling Social Services or a private adoption agency to begin the process of finding Camden a more suitable home, with knowledgeable and adept caretakers. So for the next few days, I was in possession of a child that I had absolutely no idea what to do with, but Mr. Ewbanks didn't need to know those details.
Not that it would have helped.
He ignored my apology and started shouting, demanding that I quiet the child or he was going to call the police and report me as a child abuser. Then he proceeded to slam the phone in my ear.
"What a turd!" I made a nasty face at the phone before hanging up, only to lift the handset again to leave it off the hook. At least one problem was solved… but my bigger problem of Camden remained. He was still strapped in the infant carrier on my coffee table, which was exactly where I had set him down since arriving home.
"I don't understand, you were so good at the lawyer's office." I lamented, recalling how Cam had slept like an angel. He had those long dark lashes that rested on chubby cheeks and his tiny hands were in two fists up near his rosebud mouth. He seemed so perfect then. The attorney had even carried and strapped a sleeping Cam to my car. At the stoplight I had even checked to see if he was still breathing. That's how soundless he'd been, but three blocks from the law office he had woken and hadn't stopped screaming since.
"Just go back to sleep." I begged, my voice barely audible over the racket that I prayed would die down soon, if I could just wait it out.
Then to make things more uncomfortable, I was feeling hot all of a sudden, the air conditioning didn't seem to be cooling the space. I was roasting in my work attire. "I'll be right back." I informed Cam before making a dash to my bedroom in search of flimsy pajama pants and a tank top from my dresser. I couldn't help but catching a glimpse of myself in the mirror. I looked…
Haggard and disheveled.
Like I'd been run through a wringer.
My blush … gone.
Lipstick … eaten away.
Leaving my skin pale and my cupid bow almost indistinguishable. My brown eyes were wider than usual ...like I was afraid of something.
I was afraid…. of a baby.
Not even a new haircut had been able to keep my brunette mane in place.
"You are probably scaring the kid Holly." I told my reflection as I dragged fingers through my hair, then reluctantly returned to the baby.
The still crying baby.
"Listen." I told him my voice laced with desperation. "You have to help me out here. I am a doctor. The kind that deals with humans ...that are … less alive than yourself and most times by the time when they reach me...they are well … just bones." I explained. "I don't even have a pet … not that you are a pet. I just can't be anyone's mother. I've never been around babies outside of a medical setting and those babies were well …. and the one time in my life when I was…, something bad happened. So what I'm saying is, I don't know what to do with you. So if you will please just go back to sleep, I have a plan that will make everything okay when you wake up tomorrow."
Naturally Camden was uninterested but I was at my wits end and felt compelled to explain further. "You see, my assistant Anna is great at everything. She'll know how to take care of you, but right now she's on her way to Quebec for the holidays, but when her plane lands I can give her a call. If I can convince her to come back, she will be able to do whatever it needs to be done to make you happy but you can't cry for the next few hours until I can get her here. So if you go to sleep until then, we will all be better off." By the end my voice was as loud as the tiny noisemaker and just as upset. So I took a breath – a ragged one and tried to gain some control. I hadn't quite accomplished it when the sound of a knock on my front door broke through the apartment.
I closed my eyes and shook my head. I was sure it was one of my neighbours here to complain, or the police that Mr. Ewbanks had threatened to call. If my apartment had a backdoor. I probably would have used it but I also knew I had to face whoever was on the other side of the door. So with my stomach in knots, I opened the door.
