A golly prompt; angst + happy ending; where gail or holly is pregnant (up to you on how many months) but she got dumped/divorced by their partner; cheated or any reasons you prefer. Golly never met before; showed empathy at first but somehow they fall in love! What a total loss for dumping this incredible soon to be mom! :)))
Gail had been sitting on the same spot for almost two hours, patiently waiting for the door to swing open, to hear the familiar sounds of the door clicking shut, heavy boots thudding against the hardwood flooring, and the soft, low groan that sometimes accompanies what would be a long and tiring shift.
She did not know if it was fate, destiny or whatever the universe had planned for Nick to appear at 15. All of a sudden, he was back in her life and they were back together and Gail never thought she would be married to Nick, for real this time, after what he did years ago.
But there she was, married and unhappy, not at all surprised by how her marriage had turned out.
Nick proposed shortly after the Perik incident. There was no wedding, no party, just the two of them getting their marriage license at the courthouse one day right after their respective shifts ended. They took a quick trip to Niagara, spent the weekend at the casino and in bed and then went back to work acting like nothing new happened before someone at 15 finally figured it out and threw them a party at the Penny. A party that ended early when her parents arrived with disappointed looks on their faces.
The first few weeks of their marriage was fun, they were having sex all the time and it did not feel any different then when they were just girlfriend and boyfriend. Gail was beginning to get used to the idea of being Mrs Collins before it all started to go downhill.
Nick was beginning to feel like one of them, he was starting to fit in, as a cop and not an ex-soldier from Afghanistan. He was making friends, and one of them was McNally. Despite being married, it was hard to ignore the chemistry he had with his colleague. It was only some harmless banter and flirting at first, but slowly he was developing feelings for Andy and deep down he knew it was wrong. He was happily married to Gail. So he shut those feelings down and then the next thing he knew he was going undercover with Andy, only leaving a sticky note on Gail's desk to let her know he was gone.
Gail tried not to let anger take over, she kept reminding herself he was only doing his job, and he happened to be doing it with McNally, his colleague. She would be fooling herself if she said she wasn't paying attention to Nick and McNally's interactions on duty and off, but she tried hard not to let jealousy swallow her up whole. They were married and he was only trying to make friends. Besides, McNally should know better than to sleep with her friend's husband. Yes, Gail considered the brunette cop as her friend, whether or not she admitted it out loud. So during the six months Nick was gone, Gail tried not to think about it too much. She trusted Nick and McNally was her friend. Nothing was going to happen.
When the undercover duo finally returned, it was getting more and more difficult for Gail to ignore their closeness. The way their shoulders brushed against each other's, the way McNally would laugh at Nick's incredibly lame jokes (according to Gail), and how they would go to the Penny to grab a beer without telling Gail.
Their marriage was slowly withering away, they talked less, touched each other less, the distance between one another was too vast to ignore – but they did nevertheless. They were almost like strangers sharing the same bed, and by the time it escalated until this way, Nick finally made an attempt to rekindle their relationship.
They cleared their schedules for the night, went out for dinner at a fancy restaurant – as fancy as Nick could handle, he wasn't a fine dining kind of guy – a stroll by the waterfront and then some toe curling sex by the end of the night.
They thought one date could save their marriage, but they were wrong.
Nick and Andy continued to flirt around each other, and Gail continued to burn holes into the back of both of their heads. It went on for a couple of weeks, which led to this day – Gail standing in front of the bathroom mirror, pregnancy test kit in held between her pale, shaky hands.
It all started with Gail missing her period and feeling disgusted by food she would normally inhale within seconds. Then came the morning sickness and nausea. Somehow Gail knew what was happening, but she had to be sure. So on her day off, she when to the nearest drugstore to purchase the test, rushed back home and started to pee on the stick.
The minutes it took for the results to show was the longest minutes of Gail's life. Millions of things flew past her mind, a baby could change everything. It could be the one thing that saves their marriage, the one thing for them to fall in love all over again. It could be the universe's way of giving them a second (or third) chance.
When the test was positive, Gail took a second one, just in case. She felt like throwing up while waiting for the second test to reveal its result. When the second one confirmed her pregnancy, she left the tests on the sink in shock and walked out of the bathroom and into the living room as if her body was on autopilot and paced up and down the length of the room. After the panicked pacing was out of her system, she sat down on that spot on the sofa and waited for the front door to open and Nick to walk into the apartment.
When Nick walked into the living room and saw Gail staring at him with wide eyes, he sighed because of what he was about to do next.
"Hey, how was your day off." It wasn't a question, because he knew Gail wouldn't give him an answer, just a shrug of her shoulder like always.
"Nick, I need to talk to you."
He rounded the sofa but did not take a seat. "I have something to tell you too."
Intrigued, Gail decided to let her husband talk first. "Yeah, what is it?"
Nick pulled the zipper on his bag that he was still shouldering and took out a yellow envelop, putting it on the coffee table.
"I think we both know where this marriage is heading. I got the divorce papers ready, just sign it and leave on the table when you're ready. When it's done I'll give you the time you need to move out of the apartment."
It felt like a slap to Gail's face. How long had he been thinking about the divorce? Before going undercover? After? How was she supposed to break her pregnancy news to Nick after what he just did without ever consulting Gail? She would be lying if she said the idea of divorcing Nick never came up in her mind. But she was a Peck, and Pecks do not give up without a fight. She was ready and willing to fight for their marriage, but it seemed like Nick wasn't.
She wanted so badly to utter out the two words that would absolutely change everything. She knew the power of "I'm pregnant" was enough to make Nick stay, because even though he wasn't a good husband, he was a good man. But Gail wasn't sure if she wanted to stay in this marriage anymore. It would be a loveless marriage bound to end anyways.
So instead of her initial plan to tell Nick that she was pregnant, Gail stormed out of the apartment and onto the streets, walking aimlessly. She just walked and walked until exhaustion took over and her legs gave out outside a café.
Strong steady arms immediately caught Gail by her waist before she hit the ground and in response she clutched tightly onto those arms, trying to hold herself up while her eyes were closed.
"Are you okay, miss?"
At the sound of the soothing voice, Gail opened her eyes to see a bespectacled brunette staring back at her with warm, worried brown eyes. She just let herself be held by the complete stranger.
"Y-yeah. I'm fine." Gail kept repeating that she was fine, but the pastiness on her already pale face said otherwise.
"You're cold. C'mon, let's get you inside."
Without protesting, Gail let the brunette lead her into the delicious warmth of the café and onto a chair. After sitting Gail down, the woman went to the counter to ask for a glass of water before returning to Gail's side.
"Here, drink some water."
Glad that Gail's hands were strong enough to hold up the glass of water to her lips, the kind stranger simply sat at the opposite side of the small table and stared worriedly at Gail.
Gail took this short time to examine the woman in front of her over the glass. She had long, wavy and dark brown hair, tanned skin and wore a pair of black rimmed glasses. She looked like someone who would totally help a weak and lonely woman who almost passed out on the street.
Putting down the now empty glass, Gail was feeling much better now that she was settled in a chair in an almost vacant and quiet café.
"Thank you for your help."
"No problem," The brunette broke out of her staring and suddenly felt bashful for watching Gail so intently. She couldn't help it. The blonde was a beautiful woman, even in her pale state.
"How are you feeling now?"
"Better, I should get going."
Gail stood up to walk away but a wave of nausea hit her and she wobbled on the spot. The woman sprang to her feet to support the blonde, only to have her wave her off.
"I'm fine. I'll be fine."
"You don't look fine, do you want to go to a clinic? Or the hospital?" The brunette hovered around Gail, afraid of touching her.
"I just wanna go home."
When the words came out of Gail, it registered to her that she no longer had a home. Nick was divorcing her and the apartment was his. She had nowhere to go, no one to turn to. No one that wouldn't give her the 'I told you so' look, and Steve would definitely say it to her face.
Gail sat back down in defeat, in sorrow. All she had was the tiny little bean growing inside of her. She wasn't aware of the tears rolling down her face until the woman standing next to her sat down too and handed her tissues. Gail was glad the café was empty besides the barista, because she couldn't stop the tears from flowing. If Elaine Peck witnessed this little breakdown, she would probably chastised her daughter for it.
She let Gail silently cry it out, figured that the poor woman had nowhere to go. The wheels in her brain started turning, should she leave the blonde here, bring her to the hospital to get checked out, or someplace safe – like her apartment? She immediately scoffed silently at her own idea. No one in their right mind would offer their home to a complete stranger. What if the blonde was a criminal? She wouldn't want the cops to be banging at her door and arresting her for aiding and abetting a wanted criminal. She was starting her new job as the new forensic pathologist for the Toronto police in a week.
But… she did not look like a criminal, or a serial killer.
When Gail had calmed down and stopped crying, she was mildly embarrassed at her breakdown in front of the brunette. She did not know why, but she felt like she could trust this stranger to keep her secret.
"I'm pregnant. I just found out a few hours ago, and when my husband, sorry, ex-husband came home from his shift I wanted to tell him. But he had the divorce papers ready and I bolted. I couldn't tell him."
That made a lot of sense. The exhaustion, the crying. The brunette let Gail continue her story.
"And now I have nowhere to go. I'm so tired. Tired because of my failed marriage, tired because this pregnancy is making feel exhausted all the time."
"Yeah, being pregnant will do that to you. You're not showing yet. Do you know how far along are you? You should have plenty of rest. Are you taking prenatal vitamins?"
When Gail remained silent and confused, the woman stopped her babbling, suddenly self-conscious. Maybe she was saying too many words. She pushed her glasses further up the bridge of her nose.
"Sorry. I'm only asking because I'm a doctor. A forensic pathologist, actually. Well, I start next week. Transfer from Vancouver."
"So, you're a dead people doctor then?" Gail broke out in a tiny smirk, the first signs of a smile since forever.
"When you put it that way, yeah, I am."
"No, I don't know how far along am I. Give or take a few weeks? I only peed on a stick this afternoon. I probably need to schedule an appointment with the OBGYN."
The woman just nodded.
"You know, I don't just cry in front of anybody. I'm Gail."
"I'm Holly. Holly Stewart. Nice to meet you."
They exchanged smiles, and for the first time since meeting Holly, the blonde allowed herself to really see how beautiful the doctor was, her bright crooked smile that would capture anyone's attention and her soft brown eyes – even more beautiful under the soft lighting of the café.
"I'm sorry."
Gail tilted her head slightly. "What for?"
"Your divorce."
"Oh." Gail looked down at her fidgeting hands. "I should've known, he left me at the altar a few years ago. We were young back then, I thought the second time round would be the real deal."
Holly offered a sympathetic smile. She did not know what she could do for the blonde, but she knew she wanted to be there for her. A listening ear, a cup of peppermint tea, maybe her guestroom? The blonde needed a good rest and the new bed in her guestroom was much more comfortable than the one in her own room. Perhaps she could stay the night.
"If you want, you're more than welcome to stay the night at my place. I promise I'm not a serial killer or drug dealer."
"You better be telling the truth because I work at 15 division and I can do a background check on you in a matter of minutes." Gail smirked.
"What are the chances of us being co-workers, Officer…?"
"Peck,"
"Right, Officer Peck. So do you wanna check out my new apartment and incredibly soft bed?
"At least buy a girl dinner first," Gail smirked harder as Holly's face began to turn red.
"I-I mean my incredibly soft bed in the guestroom. It is crazy comfortable."
She was about to get divorce but there she was, making friends with a doctor and… flirting with her?
"Okay. Let's go to your place."
"Great!" Why don't you try sounding more enthusiastic, geez. The brunette shook her head as she stood up. "My car is parked right outside. And I'm sure I can whip something up for dinner. You should eat something."
They were heading for the door when Gail's phone rang in her jean pocket. One look at the name on the screen and the grave look on her face from earlier returned. She ignored the call but it only took a second before her phone rang again. She ignored it again. Then came the slew of text messages. Holly tried to look anywhere but at Gail.
I saw the tests.
Please answer my calls.
We need to talk.
Where are you?
Come back home.
Gail bit her bottom lip, she really was exhausted and needed a good night's rest. She thought about switching off her phone but she knew Nick would probably call up everyone they knew at 15 and she did not want the whole precinct to know about her pregnancy and divorce drama. She turned to Holly who was staring out the window.
"I think I should go."
Holly tried not to look too disappointed, she did not know where that sinking feeling came from, she just knew she wasn't going to lose this new friend of hers.
"Okay, let me drive you back?"
Gail nodded, a weak but appreciate smile on her face. "Thanks."
The drive back to the apartment was quiet as the radio played soft soothing tunes that helped calm Gail's nerves. It was a relatively short drive, but the traffic was a pain so it look quite a while before Holly pulled up by the sidewalk of the apartment building.
No words were exchanged as both women sat still in their seats, Holly patiently waiting for Gail to feel ready enough to face what was ahead for her. When the silence was broken by the releasing of Gail's seat belt, they looked at each other, worry evident on Holly's face and sorrow evident on Gail's.
"You sure you're going to be okay?"
"Yeah." That did not sound very convincing to the both of them.
Holly brought her hand up to Gail, palm facing upwards. "Give me your phone."
Gail took out her phone and slowly placed it on the woman's palm, looking at her suspiciously without saying a word. Holly tapped the screen a few times and her fingers flew across the keyboard. When she was done, she returned it to Gail.
"Here. My number's in there. Please feel free to call me if you need anything."
Gail saw no ill intentions behind Holly's eyes and lopsided smile. The doctor seemed genuinely interested in helping Gail, even though she hardly knew her. It was nice to know someone in this world was there for her.
"Thank you. For everything."
"Don't mention it." Holly nodded, the warm smile still plastered on her face. "Oh and remember to eat something, okay?"
Gail nodded her promise. She was sure she would get choked on her words if she continued to talk. With a small wave, she got out of the car and walked into the building wearily.
The second she turned the knob, she could hear a pair of feet stomping toward her and the door flew open.
"Gail, where were you?"
"Out."
Gail walked through the doorway and into the living room, the big yellow envelop on the coffee table staring back at her. She grabbed the back of the sofa tightly, refusing to look at Nick.
"Is it mine?"
Gail let go of her death grip on the sofa and whipped around to look at Nick in the eye.
"Fuck you, Nick. Just because you were busying eye-fucking McNally doesn't mean I've been unfaithful too."
Feeling slightly ashamed of his accusation, Nick stared at his feet for a moment before looking back up at Gail. "Why didn't you tell me you're pregnant?"
"Because you were busy telling me that our marriage is over." Gail was so over this conversation. She really wanted to just go to sleep.
"You should've told me."
"Would it change anything?"
"I-I wouldn't have–" started Nick, with a softer voice.
"Shoved the divorce papers down my throat?"
"We… we can make this work."
"No. I don't want to stay with you when all you can think about is McNally. I'm not stupid. I'm sure you'd be sleeping with her the minute the divorce is finalized."
Gail moved towards the bedroom and started throwing her uniform, clothes and other necessities into a duffel bag while Nick watched her pack.
"It's my baby, too. I have a say in this."
"I don't want it to not have a father, you can be in his or her life if you want. I'm raising this baby with or without you."
Without waiting for Nick's response, she took the bag out into the living room and dropped it on the floor. There was already a pen on the table, so Gail took the papers out of the envelop and signed them immediately.
That was it. They were no longer husband and wife, no longer lovers, no longer in each other's lives the way they desperately wanted it to be but couldn't be. They would see each other at 15, have each other's back on the job and maybe, in the future they could be friends and parents to their baby.
"Goodbye, Nick."
"Hey."
"Hey, Gail. Are you okay?" Holly saw the unfamiliar phone number on the screen and was surprised to hear from Gail so soon, but deep down she was happy to hear the blonde's voice.
"Where are you?"
"I just parked my car. Everything okay?"
Gail pinched the bridge of her nose. She had people to call for help. She had Steve. She could go back to her parent's. But as she was scrolling through her contacts, her thumb automatically settled on Holly's name and the next second she already had her phone to her ear.
"I'm officially a free, pregnant woman. Yay."
Holly's heart clenched for the woman on the phone. The sadness in her voice was painful to hear and she wanted nothing more than to give Gail a big comforting hug and tell her that everything would be okay.
"Where are you right now? Are you still at the apartment?"
"I'm right outside." Holly was already pulling out of the lot.
"Alright, give me 10 minutes. I'm on my way."
It was too much to ask from her new friend, but she could hardly argue with her and Gail knew the brunette would go out of her way to help someone in need. Someone as broken and tired as her.
Holly was 5 minutes late thanks to traffic, but Gail was just glad to get out of the cold and into the car. She stood up from the steps and jumped into the vehicle.
"Can we go back to your place?"
The poor woman looked so sad and so small, and Holly just drove away from the building and back to her place without saying a single word. Every once in a while Holly would steal a glance at Gail, who was staring out of the window, lost in her own world. She could tell Gail was trying to keep it together, her lips quivering slightly whenever Holly looked at her.
When they arrived at Holly's, the brunette hopped out of the car to get Gail's duffel bag from the back and held the door open for the blonde. Gail smiled at the gesture. They rode the elevator up in silence, shoulders touching. Gail found it comforting, which was weird for her because she barely knew the doctor and yet she found solace in the brief contact.
There were a few boxes in a corner of the living room, books on the coffee table and missing chairs at the dining table, but the place was still rather neat and tidy. The place was new but it already felt very cosy and comfortable.
"Sorry for the mess. I've still got some things to unpack and furniture to buy."
"It's really nice, actually," Gail rapped her fingers on the breakfast counter, taking the place in. "I could live here."
Holly set the duffel bag on an armchair and walked into the kitchen. "Yeah?"
"Uh-huh."
"So what do you wanna eat for dinner? I just went to the store this morning, so my fridge is fully stocked." The brunette opened the fridge, inspecting the contents in there. "How about chicken salad? You should eat more veggies now that you're pregnant."
Now, in the safety of a confined space where no one could judge her or look at her, Gail could feel the beginning of her second breakdown coming, the lump forming in her throat. This time it would be painful and loud, the tears would keep flowing and she would cry until she run out of tears and lose her voice, until her loud cackling sobs wrecked her being. She needed it and she wasn't going to fight it.
She held onto the edge of the counter as the first round of tears blurred her vision. Her shoulders shake, and she could feel a comforting hand on her left shoulder, squeezing reassuringly.
Gail turned around abruptly and Holly wrapped her up in a crushing hug. The brunette was strong, yet incredible soft at the same time. Gail felt save in her arms. As she cried against the brunette's neck, Holly kept her lips against the top of her head whispering "It's going to be okay" over and over again, for as long as Gail needed to hear them.
Too much Nick, I know.
I know they did not fall madly in love, but they had to start somewhere, right?
Hope you liked it. :)