A/N: FYI please. I do not own the characters or rookie blue. I'm just "borrowing" them for fluff purposes. No profit or any other pecuniary benefit was derived from this. Thanks.

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Holly looked defeated; for all intents and purposes, the walls around her have crumbled down and the only thing keeping her upright was this door frame, her long body leaning heavily or more accurately slumping against its side where she just received the worst news of her short freshman life.

Just a second ago, her last hope for the most coveted book in existence in the form of her best friend walked by the hallway shaking her head in the negative when she asked if she finally found the criminal procedure text prescribed by the Professor. It's been two weeks of relentless internet searches, scouring all possible bookstores from here to Timbuktu, (translated, that's the entire City, grid by grid, edge to edge) and begging anyone who had any possible means to get that impossible book to no avail.

She imagined college to be the ultimate source of knowledge, the Mecca of learning. In one of her dreams, she saw actual books lining the streets, willing and ready for anyone who wants to read, a heaven for nerds from all across the world. But in a few short weeks, her dreams were shattered. In the real word, everything cost an arm and a leg, especially the books. And, knowledge didn't rain from the sky; you have to really dig hard for them.

She had long let go of the pipe dream of getting a new copy, she is now very much amenable to settle even for a twenty year old edition just so she could have something, anything really to study. But the crim pro class is tomorrow and for the love of god, Holly Stewart has never gone to class without reading the requisite material beforehand. She's a big nerd that way and the prospect of not being prepared is killing her. Ready to cry and throw a frustrated tantrum on the floor, she felt a finger poke at her shoulder. When she turned, she could swear she saw an angel radiating rays of light from behind, a pixie cut, platinum blonde, blue eyed angel holding a brand new copy of the book of her dreams.

She couldn't help an indistinguishable squeak escape her partially open mouth. Is she dreaming? Did an aneurism burst in her brain because of stress brought about by the impossible search for that evil text and now she's dead and has gone straight to heaven? Is this angel her welcoming party?

"Hey, hey there, NERD!" the angel who's wearing impossibly tight jeans and an immaculate white sweater nearly shouted, waving a hand and snapping her slim fingers in front of her face trying to get her attention. "Earth to nerd, did you short-circuit or something?" The blonde continued when she still couldn't get a word out.

"Ahmmn, are you talking to me?" Holly asked when her wandering consciousness finally came back to her body, pointing to herself before looking around to make sure that indeed, this strikingly beautiful woman was talking to her.

"I don't see any other nerds here. So that's probably a yes." The blonde pointed out, a small smirk starting to appear on her chapstick moist red lips. "I saw you were about to pass out looking for this book," she lifted the hefty item clasped in her other hand a little.

Holly managed a nod, her eyes following the books' every movement like the thing might fly away, her mouth almost salivating at seeing an actual copy. For a time she imagined that the thing didn't actually exists, that it was an imaginary book concocted by a crazy professor to purposely drive her mad.

"Yeah, and soooo?" The woman continued, dragging the last word out as if waiting for her to say something. But Holly just stood dumbfounded. She was amazed actually why this angel like creature is talking to her, gracing her with her presence. She's seen her around, nobody with eyes would miss her and as much as she hated to admit it, she's had the biggest crush on the woman who seemed so aloof yet so very popular in campus since the first day she saw her cross the courtyard.

The blonde rolled her eyes. Apparently giving up, she asked the question for the bespectacled woman. "Do you want to borrow the book or not?"

"HUH?" Holly's eyes widened in disbelief.

"Duh! I thought you were smart! You're wearing glasses there nerd!" The blonde rattled, her short hair adorably sticking out after she ran her hand through it in mock dismay. She repeated the question, "I said, do - you – want - to - borrow – this – book?" pausing after each word to make a point. "You were practically begging your girlfriend to get this for you."

"I don't have a girlfriend." She answered still confused, the conversation whizzing by her head. Did she mean Liza? Probably. So she just rushed to clarify shaking her head adamantly, "NOooo. God no! Lisa's not my girlfriend, she's just a buddy."

The girl frowned at the seeming homophobic comment and Holly panicked. "No, no no! Not like that! I mean, I love girls! I do, so much! I would love to have a girlfriend someday you know, someone to bring home and introduce to my parents and I guess someone I'd marry, but never Lisa, eww, she's like a sister, an obnoxious one at that and that would just be so wrong on so many levels -" Holly rambled on before stopping and blushing profusely when she realized the amount of words that came out of her mouth.

"Oh, ok, fine, I don't really care ok." The blonde answered trying to sound bored but a slight lift in her tone and the sudden shift in her no-nonsense demeanor belied the statement. She shuffled on her feet before brusquely saying, "Here, take it!" while shoving the heavy book into the surprised brunette's middle, her arms barely managing to grab onto the thing before it fell to the floor.

"You're letting me have it?" Holly asked, amazed at the kindness. They didn't know each other. She didn't even know her name. Why would a beautiful, popular, angel-like creature selflessly lend this sought-after book to her, a self-proclaimed nerd, a nobody?

"I don't need it." The blue eyed woman stated matter-of-factly.

"You're not taking the class anymore?"

"Still am. I already read the assignment though, so just take it. I don't think I can bear seeing a grown ass woman cry on campus, and for a book that is. Jeez, get a grip, its only crim pro!"

Holly blushed. Was she really that obvious? Did she look that desperate?

"Plus, you're blocking the door." The angel pointed out, trying to make her way across the threshold to get outside, her hands gripping Holly's arms to guide her to the side. "I gotta be somewhere." She added coolly, throwing her one last side glance before marching out.

Holly felt goose bumps all over her body, the contact not helping her already muddled brain to function and form words. She saw the woman walk, nay, strut away from the classroom and she stood there, a gigantic textbook in her arms transfixed by the odd exchange. It took her long seconds before she managed to gather back her senses and call out to the blonde. "Hey! What's your name?!" she asked, before hastily adding, "I don't even know who to thank or how to get this back to you."

The blonde audibly snorted, shaking her head, she half turned and shouted back across the hallway, "No need nerd. I'm the one who should be thanking you. That book is crazy huge! Thanks for doing the heavy lifting!"

Holly chuckled, amused by the woman's reasoning. "Regardless. I really appreciate it. You don't know how much this means to me!" she hollered to the woman's retreating form who just threw her a dismissive backward wave.

When the blonde rounded the corner and was out of her sight, Holly inspected the book; she still can't believe what's in her hands. Lifting the hard cover, she noticed something written at the bottom right corner in neat cursive. Smiling like an idiot, she read out her angels' name. "Gail Peck." She then whispered to herself, "Thanks Gail, till our next encounter." She couldn't wait!