A/N: This is more than a few years in the future. It just kind of happened.
Gail squinted into the sun and plucked her sunglasses from where they were hooked into her vest pocket. The sun pierced through the windshield and Gail could feel her dark uniform absorb the heat. It caused her skin to prickle uncomfortably and she resisted the urge to itch her forearm. She tightened the hold her left hand had on the steering wheel as she maneuvered the eyewear onto her face. Her movements were slightly awkward and poorly coordinated but she managed to avoid poking herself in the eye. Chloe was yammering on about the fortieth birthday party Andy was planning to throw for Sam and Gail couldn't stop herself from rolling her eyes. Was forty even a birthday people wanted to celebrate? Maybe it's different if you're a guy?
"I really hope it's a surprise party," Chloe mused as she leaned forward, trying to turn up the air conditioning.
Gail scoffed and looked over at Chloe as the light was still red, "Chloe, you're the only person on the planet who would enjoy being thrown a surprise party." Gail had warmed up to Chloe considerably since she first arrived at 15. She was bound to at least become less sensitized to her in the past few years, but Gail could tell Chloe had good intensions even if she was borderline crazy, and seemed to need to talk more than she needed air. Chloe said, and did, what she felt in a way Gail had never allowed herself the liberty, and deep down she envied that, and secretly admired Chloe for it.
"What? Lies, Gail. Surprise parties are awesome!" Chloe thought back to the surprise party Dov had thrown for her own birthday last year, "they're so exciting, and unexpected; thrilling! So much fun!"
Gail took a deep breath in and adjusted her grip on the wheel. The rubber and her skin made a quiet bubbly squeak. "Maybe for you, but for humans they're dark, scary, people jump out wearing awful looking hats, blowing horrible sounding kazoos. Basically a tear filled heart attack waiting to happen."
Chloe's jaw was practically on the floor, "nooo," she said in disbelief.
Gail kept her eyes ahead of her as she pulled the car onto the access road to a large park. It was unusually busy given the day's heat and they wanted to make their presence known before anyone did anything stupid. "All I'm sayin' is that anyone at all involved in a surprise party for me should serve whatever they want their last meal to be. Plus, I don't really think that's Sam's style. Andy knows that, and if she doesn't she deserves the look on his face when everyone yells 'surprise!'"
Chloe huffed and tried again to fiddle with the air conditioner, "yeah, maybe Sam wouldn't be so into that."
Gail raised an eyebrow. 'Ya think?!' is what she wanted to shout, but instead she accepted Chloe's retreat with an "mmhmm."
"What the Dickens!?" Chloe's voice was loud and high pitched and Gail leaned away from the noise. Chloe banged on the air conditioner vent in frustration, "I thought 15-08 was the squad with the busted A/C?" Chloe was nearly whining but Gail let it go, it was hot out and the dark 'cotton blend' uniform made her feel like she was wrapped up in hot sand in all the wrong ways.
"It just got fixed," Gail answered, "so obviously it's time for a different one to break." She gave the dashboard a good smack with her right fist knowing full well it would be fruitless. The computer rattled around and both women felt oddly satisfied with their efforts. At least they were getting some of their frustrations out since they were likely to be stuck with the weak air conditioning for the rest of their shift. Gail sighed in frustration as she pressed her head back into the headrest as hard as possible. She was sure her sweat had soaked through her undershirt where her dress shirt was covered by her vest. They both would kill for a cold shower and they still had over six hours left on shift. The brakes squeaked quietly as Gail brought the car to a stop. She looked out her window and almost laughed, "okay, that cannot be allowed. I'm pretty positive it's not, actually."
"Huh?" Chloe leaned forward in her seat, fighting against the seatbelt to get a better view.
Gail pointed over at the fountains, wiggling her finger slightly as she did, "pretty sure you can't be naked even if you're only two."
Chloe's eye's locked onto what Gail was referring to and her face scrunched up in disgust, "ew," she agreed. "Health code?"
Gail kept her eyes on the patrons as she put the car in park and removed the key from the ignition, "health code," she confirmed as she popped the door open.
Gail and Chloe informed who turned out to be a nanny that even if the little munchkins protested they had to be wearing a diaper or at least shorts in the fountains.
"Well that could have been worse," Chloe proclaimed as she slammed her door shut and pulled her seatbelt across her body.
"Parents can be such self entitled prisses," Gail fired up the car immediately, eager to get whatever form of air conditioning they could blasting as quickly as possible. "Thank god that was a babysitter."
Chloe smiled at her knowingly and raised an eyebrow.
"What?" Gail spat back quickly.
Chloe's smile grew larger, "nothing," she shook her head. "Lunch? Somewhere with air conditioning?" She changed the subject quickly because she was hungry, and she wanted Gail in a decent mood for the rest of their shift.
Gail got the car moving again but couldn't help herself from sending Chloe a sarcastic reply, "I was actually going to suggest we grab our winter gear and picnic on some pavement, but since you burn so easily we can go with your plan."
Chloe rolled her eyes and chuckled. Over the years she learned not to take Gail's snark personally, and that the older officer actually considered her a friend, although she hadn't spelled it out since Chloe had been released from the hospital. It was only a few months ago that Gail had made it perfectly clear to a particularly rude, and smelly, small time drug dealer upon his arrest that she had staked her claim on making fun of Chloe's pigtails years ago, and that he would have to look elsewhere for his recycled comedic material.
Chloe's phone rang while she was waiting in line at the deli, or 'Artisan Sandwich Studio' as they liked to call themselves. Gail made fun of the term endlessly and Chloe had to agree that it was a little snooty. However, they both agreed the sandwiches were worth the gouged prices and that their air conditioning was bound to be one of the most reliable. Chloe was joking when she suggested that the stainless steel seats would feel good on her butt, drawing the heat away, but Gail had shifted uncomfortably in her seat and stepped down a little harder on the gas; it was true.
Chloe couldn't wait to sit down. Gail had 'sacrificed herself' offering to be the 'weird loner' while saving them a table while Chloe put in their orders, but she was pretty sure Gail just wanted to bask under the air vent.
Chloe looked up at the line as she dug her phone out of her pants pocket. She hated people who talked on the phone while placing orders or paying at the cash register but there were still a good five people in front of her. It was a popular place and apparently they weren't the only ones drawn to the cooling seats. She looked down at the screen and, seeing Frank's name, answered immediately.
"Hey Froink," she wondered why he was calling her phone, she and Gail both had their radios so dispatch could easily get in touch with them. "No joke!" Chloe cheered, quickly looking over at Gail to see if she was paying attention to her conversation but Gail's eyes were closed. Chloe lowered her voice, "yeah, yeah, I got it," she assured him, "I'll let you know, bye Froink!" Chloe had already stepped out of line and ended the call. She shook out her arms on her way to the table her partner had claimed.
Gail was leaning back in her chair with her face to the ceiling, basking in the cold air cascading down on her. Her palms were planted on the surface of the table. She would have sprawled her body onto the table top if it wouldn't get her kicked out. Gail was entirely content in this change of scenery. Chloe approached her with tempered excitement.
"Gail," Chloe broached the relaxed officer carefully. "Frank just called me-"
"You and Froink not besties anymore?" Gail opened one eye to look at Chloe. Gail couldn't quite figure what the hell was going on with Chloe's face, or her entire body really. Chloe was shaking like a leaf but her face seemed joyful? She opened both eyes to study the younger cop more thoroughly. Chloe looked really excited? But like she was stamping it down? Gail was about to ask Chloe if she was constipated when Chloe shook her head, brushing off Gail's comment about Frank.
"We have to go, Holly's at the hospital," Chloe smiled widely and her tone suggested Holly had just won the lottery but Gail immediately felt sick at the mention of 'hospital'. The kevlar of her bulletproof vest was weighing down hard on her chest, and she couldn't seem to muster a good breath of air. They were coming shallow and empty. Gail could feel her heartbeat against her ribs, and she could hear the blood rushing through her ear. She sat frozen with one leg still propped up on the chair she was saving for Chloe.
"C'mon," Chloe plucked the car keys off Gail's belt as she nodded toward the exit.
Gail was paralyzed with fear and hadn't moved a muscle since Chloe's declaration. Her mouth had gone dry and her head was zipping with thoughts, only half registering a tenth of them. She finally forced her eyes up to Chloe who looked positively giddy and was finally able to find some words, "wha-what the fuck happened?" Gail's voice was hollow and scared. "Why are you so-so happy?!" Gail's eyes had narrowed but her words lacked the venom she was usually able to lace them with on command.
"What?" Chloe grabbed under Gail's arm to get her up and moving, "she's in labor, Einstein! Rápidamente, Peck!"
It all finally clicked as Gail found herself stumbling out the door, still being dragged behind Chloe. Holly was having the baby! The baby. Duh the baby. Of course, of course. The sun was an immediate assailant and it made Gail's chest constrict. Her pupils tried to react to the change in light but spots filled Gail's vision none the less. She placed her hands on the roof of the squad car while trying to take deep breaths. It wasn't working. Her vest was tight and so was her belt. The knot in her stomach tightened itself with nerves, and Gail decided she needed to sit down. Her head was heavy and light all at the same time and maybe if she sat down it would behave. She grabbed at the door handle and, after a fumble, was able to snap it open. She did her best to lower herself into the seat and she was grateful Chloe already had the air blasting, however lukewarm it was. She closed her eyes as she leaned back into the passenger seat, the door still propped open and her right foot still resting on the pavement. Gail couldn't really feel it, and her boot seemed to weight as much as a solid cement block. She tried to make sense of what Chloe had said. Of course it made sense, it wasn't a surprise, they'd been waiting for this for over nine months now. It was pretty much all she'd thought about for months and, of course, when it was actually time it flew out of her brain. For some reason it just wasn't registering. It seemed surreal and all too real at the same time. Gail tried to breathe through her nose.
"Gail?" Chloe's voice screamed 'concerned' and she leaned over the console to get a better look at Gail's face.
Gail swallowed with a nod as she made an effort to compose herself, "yeah, yeah, I just," and then suddenly she lurched forward and to her right, leaning outside the car. Chloe heard the remnants of Gail's breakfast fall onto the sidewalk.
Chloe cringed and hissed out a "shit" as Gail rolled back into the car.
A/N: There's at least a second part coming...lemme know what you think!