Begin Again
Set three years after Holly left for San Francisco.
After a hectic day of giving lectures, reading term papers and finalizing lesson plans the brunette decided to take a breather and clear her mind before heading back to her office. She teaches every Saturday to keep herself busy during weekends. She strolled down the park located just across from the University of San Francisco. She finds herself seated on an empty bench; alone and for the first time in her life acknowledge that she is in fact lonely. She's been living in San Francisco for three years and many things happened particularly with her career. She's not only a senior forensic pathologist; she's also a professor at the University of San Francisco and has written a book about how she and her team of forensic experts solved a high profile case which has been on the New York Times best seller list. But despite all her success, she's not happy. Something is missing. She glanced at her wrist watch and decided it's time to go to her office.
It's 7:00 PM and she finally decided to call it a day after realizing that everyone else had gone home. When she arrived home, she ate instant ramen for dinner before opening her laptop and continued on writing for her second book. Holly did her best to keep herself busy or else the fast paced life she had chosen will eat her up inside. But today the brunette seems to have a brain freeze, she can't think. Holly kept on thinking about the what ifs and wondered if she made the right decision. She searched for her phone and dialed Traci. It took her over a year to finally reach out to Traci; she thought the detective was mad at her for leaving all of a sudden without a proper goodbye. But Traci whole heartedly accepted her apology and they became text mates ever since. The detective kept her in the loop about what was happening to them over at Toronto and most importantly Tracy gives her updates about how Gail was doing.
A lot has changed over the years. Traci told her that a few months after she left Gail, the blonde took the detective's exam and passed. She was partnered up with Sam for the first three months and then to Traci. Now, she's been showing the ropes to Nick who recently became a homicide detective.
Chris is now a detective in the guns and gangs unit. Dov chose to be a detective at the cyber crimes unit. Oliver was offered to be the superintendent but he respectfully and gracefully refused the offer. He is still Staff sergeant at 15. Andy and Chloe became legendary training officers. Traci got married, Andy got married and Chris too was now married with a son.
"Hello?". Traci answered.
"Hi Trace. How are you?". Holly replied.
"I'm good. What's up? You okay?".
Holly smiled. She sighed before saying "No,… I'm.. it's.. I'm kind of lonely here".
"Take the next available flight to Toronto".
"It's not that simple Trace".
"Yeah it is".
"Half of the police force there hates me because I left Gail".
"Holly! That is not true. Okay maybe like 1%. Dov, Chris, Steve and Oliver? maybe hates you?,.. a little bit".
"How's Gail?".
"She is alright. Workaholic but she's fine".
"Is she with any one, dating maybe?".
"Why don't you ask her yourself? I can give you her number Holly."
"You know she will ignore me and she probably moved on".
"Elaine has been asking her to go on a blind date with the district attorney's daughter".
Holly gripped her phone tightly against her ear upon hearing Traci. "Is she interested in going at all?".
"I think so. Holly? Have you moved on? I've been asking you this question for three years but you just shrug it off or change the subject. Have you moved on? And I want you to answer me honestly".
Holly closed her eyes for a moment. She knew this day would come, Traci confronting her. "No. It's a struggle Trace. I think about Gail everyday and how I left her, how I made her feel like I used her and how I made her feel like she means nothing to me".
"Well, you have to deal with the aftermath of what you did".
The brunette thought long and hard about what Traci said and she agreed. But dealing with the aftermath is too much. She basically ditched Gail for her career. The brunette didn't even listen to any of Gail's explanations. She painfully goes through the moment she slammed the door on Gail's face. Tears slowly filled the brunette's eyes. She cried herself to sleep that night.
At the county morgue….
The brunette had finished meticulously reading a forensic report submitted by her intern. She leans back, removed her glasses and massaged the bridge of her nose. Out of impulse, she typed out an email to a friend of hers, who happened to be the Chief Medical examiner of Toronto. The brunette inquired if there is a vacant position for a forensic pathologist. She then went on searching for teaching jobs that was around the Toronto vicinity. She wasn't quiet sure why she did that, but she felt like it's the beginning of something she doesn't even know what.
Hours turned into days, still no reply from her Chief Medical examiner friend. "Maybe it's not meant to happen". She murmured to herself after checking her phone for email messages.
"Dr. Stewart?". Claire, her intern knocked on her office door.
Holly spun her chair around. "Yes? Come in".
"Detective Davis wants us to go to the crime scene and collect some samples".
"Okay, thanks. Meet you at the car". Holly stood up and gathered her things before leaving her phone on her drawer. She can't afford to be distracted when she's processing a crime scene. After she did an autopsy and process all the evidence collected, the brunette went in her office to check her phone once again. Dr. Stokes finally replied. Holly rapidly typed out a reply saying "Thank you for your reply Dr. Stokes. No I'm not recommending anybody. I was hoping I could re-apply for the available position if that's possible". She expects that it would take Dr. Stokes days to reply to her again; when her phone buzzed she thought it was someone from the lab or a detective asking for the lab reports. She unlocked her phone and Dr. Stokes' name was flashing on her screen, he was calling her. "Hi Dr. Stokes". Holly nervously answered.
"Holly. You are more than qualified for the job and we would be honored to be working with you".
Holly smiled widely and pumped her fist to the air. "So is that a yes? I would love to work for you again Dr. Stokes and I miss working there".
"But we can't give you a higher compensation than what the San Francisco County gives you".
"I don't care about the compensation rate at all Dr. Stokes. I just want to work there again". Holly crossed her fingers. Hoping that this would make Dr. Stoked hire her again.
"Alright then. You're hired for the second time. I want you to take your time in giving your resignation letter and endorsing all of the evidence that are pending for processing".
"Thank you Dr. Stokes. This means a lot to me". All of a sudden Holly wasn't so sure how she's going to do this. Moving back to Toronto and work with the friends she left three years ago, she wasn't sure if she will be welcomed or ignored. Well, there's only one way to find out.
The brunette submitted her resignation letter to her superior. She only has a week to pack everything up and move back to where her heart has always been, Toronto. She had already informed Traci about her plans but begged her to keep it a secret between them for now. The detective agreed to help her find a temporary apartment located near 15.
Holly's new apartment…
She marched towards the door when she heard someone knocking. It was Traci. She brought Thai takeouts with her. "Lunch". She raised the brown paper bag up.
Holly stretched her arms and yawned. "Yes please".
"You did a pretty good job unpacking". Traci looked around the apartment. It looked cozy and homey now.
The brunette gave her a nod and continued munching on the food. Traci eyeballed Holly carefully and said. "I told Steve".
"About me moving back?". Holly's panic stricken voice echoed inside her apartment.
"I told him before you arrived. He knows we've been talking a lot on the phone and he's my husband, I can't lie to him". Traci avoids any eye contact with Holly. "You have to buy a TV". She pointed out to keep the tensed conversation a little lighter.
"What did he say? Is he still mad at me?". The brunette didn't feel like eating anymore. She kept on staring at the empty boxes of food in front of her.
The detective turned to her. "He was furious when you left Gail but when I told him about you coming back, he seemed okay with it. I mean it's been three years, people change, opinions change and the only constant thing around here is changed". She reassured Holly.
"I guess I'll have to suck it up. Because I ruined a perfectly good relationship with Gail for my career and I kinda sabotaged the friendship that I had with you guys". Holly sighed loudly. Reality hurts.
Traci grabbed a black garbage bag and cleaned up. "I have to go, lunch break is over. I'll see you at the Penny's tonight? After my shift". Traci walked towards the door.
"Yeah, I could use some alcohol tonight". She hugged Traci before closing the door. She went on unpacking more stuff and rearranging furnitures around over and over. She took a shower, thinking a long warm bath would wash some of her apprehensions, anxiety and fears away.
At the Penny's….
She walked in the Penny's. It was crowded as usual; she scanned the room looking for Traci. When she saw a hand waving back and forth vigorously she saw Traci. She was standing beside a rectangular table holding a beer. Holly made her way through the dancing crowd and approached Traci. Traci leaned closer to her ear. "I invited them to come along". She pointed at the table that was occupied with the friends she hasn't seen in years.
Holly felt like somebody hit her with a baseball bat in the head. She looked confused, disoriented and she felt like throwing up. Oliver was there, he lost a lot of weight. Andy and Chloe looks the same. They still have that mega what smile. Chris was sporting a full grown beard, he was almost unrecognizable. Dov and Sam looked like they've been pumping irons regularly. Nick looked the same too except for his hair, he shaved his head. "Holly!". Chloe shouted. And that brought Holly to reality. She was not sure what to say, where to start or how. No words are coming out of her mouth. She heard a familiar voice and turned to her side. "Hey Holly". Steve said in a low calm voice. "Hi Steve". The brunette replied. It was almost a whisper.
Oliver high fived her and handed her a beer. "Welcome back Holly. We obviously haven't seen each other for God knows how long, feelings were hurt, trusts were broken and tears were shed but it's all behind us now. Let's forgive but never forget. So let's get this awkwardness aside and have a good time".
A weight has been lifted off her shoulders. Yes, they were mad at her and they'll probably remember what she did forever but the most important thing is they have forgiven her. She can't go around asking about how Gail is doing. Tonight, she just wanted to focus on restoring her friendship. Earning trust and establishing a bond with the very people she abandoned.
"So Holly, How was San Francisco? I have read your book by the way". Dov proudly stated.
"Thanks Dov. San Francisco was great, I learned a lot, encountered high profile cases but I was lonely". Holly honestly admitted which made Sam tap her shoulders. "There's no place like home". Holly nodded at Sam and gave him a closed lip smile.
Steve sat beside Traci and asked her with a serious look on his face and a serious tone in his voice. "You're back for good then?".
"Yeah". Is all Holly could say. She was so sure just by looking at Steve that he was going to grill her on why she left. But Steve kept her cool and kept the conversation casual. The only person who hasn't said a word to her was Chris. Holly knew Chris was very protective of Gail. He didn't like the idea of her and Gail being together before so Holly thinks he hates her even more now.
15 Division morgue….
Holly walked through the dark hallways of the morgue and her every footsteps echoing. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw a blonde woman walking away from the sliding door. She walked faster hoping to catch up with the blonde she believed was Gail. She passed by the toxicology room that the blonde just came out from but when she glanced back at the hallway, the blonde disappeared. She seriously contemplated walking to 15 division and demanded to speak with Gail like she used to before. It's different now though, Gail might ignore her so she kept her self preoccupied with lab work.
Later that day Andy walked in asking for the DNA results Gail had been asking. "Hey Holly". She greeted happily.
Holly looked up at Andy and smiled. "Hello Andy. What can I help you with?".
Andy inched closer to her. "The DNA result for the Huewe case".
Holly runs her fingers through the pile of folders on the desk. "Who's the lead detective?"
"Uhmmm". Andy hesitated for a moment. "Detective Peck".
Holly cringed internally upon hearing Peck. "I think I saw her down here earlier. Her blonde ponytail was literally glowing in the dark hallways".
Andy frowned and arched a brow. "Ponytail? That wasn't Gail. She has a short hair now, like really really short hair".
"Oh. Okay. Here it is". Holly was wondering what Gail looked like with a short hair. She wanted to snatch the folder back and give the DNA results to Gail herself.
"Thanks Holly. See you around". Andy waved at her before leaving the morgue.
A month after she had returned to work for Dr. Stokes, she got a call requesting for her presence at a crime scene. Skeletal remains were discovered by a hunter deep in the woods. Chloe arrived at the morgue to give Dr. Stewart a ride to the crime scene.
Chloe fastened her seatbelt and turned the sirens on. "You ready Holly?".
Holly fastened her seatbelt as well and answered. "Can't wait to get there. Who's the lead detective?".
"Gail and Nick". Chloe nonchalantly stated.
Holly swallowed the lump that was on her throat and stayed silent for the next 10 minutes. When Chloe pulled over, she immediately led Holly to the crime scene lifting the crime scene tape up for Holly to pass. As the brunette continued walking down on the steep terrain, Chloe stayed behind to keep the on lookers out.
Holly was half way down the crime scene when she spotted a pixie cut blonde, she was standing directly below where Holly was going. The short haired blonde was writing something on her notebook when she turned and looked up at Holly who was struggling to keep her balance. Dried leaves, sand and twigs fell on the ground to where Gail's feet was planted. Holly was visibly affected by the blonde's presence, she stepped on the loose ground which caused her to almost slip but Gail grabbed her right arm, nabbed the forensic kit that was on her hand and guided her down to the crime scene.
"Thanks Gail". Holly's face got warmer. She felt it turning red.
"It's Detective Peck". Gail said in a straight face. She did not even flinch or look away when she stared at Holly.
"Right. Sorry Detective".
Gail handed her the kit "Here's your lunchbox". She turned her back to Holly. "Let's get to work Dr. Stewart".
Holly missed Gail's voice calling her lunchbox. But this time her tone was much more different. It wasn't affectionate at all, it was forceful and bossy. She shrugged it off and maintained her composure. Right now she has to be a professional and do what she does best.
Nick watched the first interaction between the two women intently. He wasn't sure if he wants to diffuse the awkwardness or he wants to see Gail get uncomfortable with her ex's arrival. "Hey Holly". Nick nodded giving the brunette a genuine smile.
Holly slowly walked towards him. "Hey Detective Collins".
"It's Nick- Holly. Just Nick. Unlike Detective Peck over there, I would like to be addressed by my name when I'm around my girlfriends. You know girl…. Friends… female friends.. You get what I mean right? Nick shot Gail a smug grin.
Gail rolled her eyes at the beaming Nick. "Why don't you let the forensic pathologist work Nick?".
Gail shifted her weight uncomfortably while waiting for Holly to collect evidence. Nick could see Gail's eyes examining every inch of Holly's back; the brunette was on her knees collecting some jewelry found around the victim's body to help with the identification process. Nick faked a coughed to get Gail's attention. Gail shot her a sharp stare but Nick was unfazed, he wiggled his eyebrows instead.
"I'm all done here". Holly closed her kit and stood up.
The blonde turned to Collins and yelled. "Hey Collins! You go to the lab with Dr. Stewart".
Nick continued walking away. "You told me to thoroughly interview the guys who stumbled upon the remains. You go to the lab". Nick tried to give Gail an innocent look but Gail wasn't buying it.
The blonde scratched her chin. "Why don't you call Nick when you have the results". She ordered Holly.
Holly was about to concede with the blonde's suggestion but she suddenly came up with a plan. "Actually Detective, I found a titanium plate on the remains, it has a serial number on it that we can trace and compare with the medical records submitted by the hospitals so, the identification process won't take long. You should just come with me to the morgue and wait for the result". Holly talked, faster than usual as if it would make this situation less embarrassing.
Gail looked at her with knitted brows. "Okay". The blonde walked to her car swiftly leaving Holly a few feet away.
By the time Holly jumped inside Gail's car, the blonde had already turned the engine on. She wondered why Gail wasn't driving away. They just sat there in silence, finally Holly turned to Gail but before she could open her mouth Gail said to her. "Seat belt". She fastened her seat belt and Gail drove off.
She would occasionally glanced at the blonde, she was trying to assess if now is a good time to apologize. She summoned all her courage, she faced Gail. "Gail I'm so sorry. I…"
"Let's keep our relationship professional Dr. Stewart". Gail shut her out immediately.
