The Rewrite

Set during 5x09

Nick decides to come with Gail to the family dinner, to be there for her as her friend. Holly hears Gail's going with someone else, and gets jealous.

In this scenario, Nick is friends with Rodney from the morgue.

Nick and Gail are partnered today. Gail was mumbling a song indistinctly, looking at the planner on her phone. The song reminded her of Holly, it was one of her favourite songs. These recent days, ever since Holly brought her the thumb back, Gail was wallowing in a sense of melancholy. She realised now that she had been completely stuck in her tree after leaving Holly at the Penny. By the time she was ready to come down again, it was too late. Holly had moved on it seemed.

And the only one to blame was her own stupid pale face, and Boob Job of course. Gail'd been pondering for days over ways to win Holly back, but no genius ideas had come to mind yet. Maybe she should ask Steve to help her with some solid detective work.. come up with some sort of master plan.

"What's that, Mumbles?" asked Nick

"Oh, it's just shaping up to be a very fantastic day…. " she said sarcastically

"we're helping people move for about 10 hours, and then …. I'm headed straight for a Peck family dinner.." She could actually admit that this was the first one she's looked forward to, if Holly was going to be there. Now she's just dreading it more than usual.

"Oooh, I do not miss those passive-aggressive conversations, all smiles and insults"

"It's just that this was supposed to be my first dinner with them as - well, as a 'lesbian. I was just kind of hoping it would be with Holly, and Traci and Leo.

They were supposed to be there, and now she and Steve are on the outs, so we're just a couple of sad sacks."

"The failed pales.."

"I would just be so happy if I never had a family dinner ever again"

"Don't say that"

"Right. I'm sorry. … You don't have a family.

And normally I mean to be insensitive, but I-I didn't actually mean it that time"

"It's fine"

"You could come if you wanted!" Gail suggested, sounding a bit hopeful.

"No, thank you. I'm more of a lone wolf."

"Yeah. Well, my parents still hate you anyway." And she realised she herself didn't anymore, she actually felt kind of friends with him, having known him for such a long time. Actually it would be kind of fun to bring Nick, it would piss her mother off even more.

"Fair enough"

A few hours later, at the end of their shift. Nick just picked Gail up from the apartment buildings. They were driving back to the barn.

"Are you sure about not coming?" Gail smiled her brightest smile at him. "I'm serious, would you come with me?" She could really use the backup. Then she pouted.

Nick looked at her for a second, before facing the road again. She looked really sincere. He is glad things are back to normal between them, her grudge against seems to be gone. And that pout he couldn't resist.

He sighed wearily, these dinners weren't really his kind of thing, then he smiled, a genius plan forming in his head. Facing Gail again, "Yeah, I suppose I'm free tonight. I'll meet you there"

"Yay!" Gail cheered. Now she had backup, entertainment and a distracting-Elaine-tool.

Later, at the precinct. Nick' s plan was forming in his head. Traci was just walking down the corridor and Nick grabbed his chance. "Traci, Traci! Wait up! "

She turned around to face him "yeah? What's up Nick?"

"You ,ehmm, have anything to bring to the morgue?"

She studied his face with a questioning look. "What's going on?" she said slowly, suspicious "What are you up to?"

"Ehm, I just have this plan. So do you have anything that needs to be taken to the morgue?"

"Does this plan involve Holly?" her questioning look transformed to one of happy conspiring. "I don't have anything that needs to go to the morgue. But I may have something for you to pick up. You can go pick up the DNA results of the granola bar we fed to a suspect earlier."

"Fantastic!" Nick smiled, and quickly went on his way to a squad car.

"And, hey, Nick?" Traci called after him, he turned around in his steps "Yeah?" "Let me know if your plan works?" "You got it! Will do."

"Hey Rodney, how you doing man?" Nick greeted his forensic friend with a clap on the shoulder. "I'm doing good. How about you? How can I help you Officer Collins?"

Holly was working late in her office, working on her latest research paper. She'd been doing that a lot lately, working late, to distract herself mainly, not that it was working or anything. She sat up straight when she heard the voices outside her door, that's Gail's ex.

The voices continued. "Yeah, yeah, peachy. I'm here to get the DNA analysis of the granola bar Detective Nash requested. I'm in a bit of a hurry, I promised Peck I'd meet her tonight." Rodney replied "Oh, yeah, you do not do well to let the Ice Queen wait. Come along, it's right over here."

Holly felt something in the pit of her stomach, churning away. She wasn't jealous, not at all, she told herself. Gail was free to see whoever she wanted, of course. Especially since she told Gail she's seeing someone else! Holly quickly stood up, she'd been sitting here for too long anyway. She picked up her coat and bag, and locked up her office. She took out her calendar, flipping through it as she walked towards the exit. She turned a corner, then she suddenly bumped into someone, and her calendar dropped to the floor.

"Dr. Stewart, my apologies! You okay doc?" Nick Collins bend to pick up her calendar. "Officer Collins" Holly said, a bit coldly, the jealous green monster rearing within her. She grabbed her calendar back. It had fallen open on today, and she saw in Gail's scribbly writing 'Peck family dinner, 8 pm'. It was now 7.30. Then it clicked, "You're going to the Peck family dinner with Gail?" Okay, she was jealous, she admitted to herself.

"You caught me, guilty as charged." Nick grinned. "Though you don't have to be jealous Holly. It's all passive aggressive conversation." "I'm, I- , not jealous." she stuttered. "yeah, yeah, you are. I'm a cop, remember?" "Uh, yeah, okay." "You can go instead, if you want?" Nick offered, with a cheeky grin.

Chloe frantically runs past Gail as she enter the locker room. "What the hell is her problem?"

Andy, tired: "I have no idea"

Gail laid down on the bench, "puff, Oh god", stretching a bit.

"Hey, I heard you guys took down a human trafficking operation.

I, on the other hand, I perused second hand household items for - I think it was about an hour.

All those family memories just tossed aside. It made me feel downright melancholy."

It was a step to the next level, sharing some feelings with a person -who was not Holly or Oliver - and then Andy of all persons. She sat upright, having had no reaction from Andy. Now she felt pretty lonely, seeing the empty locker room.

"It was a really good talk.." she says forlornly to the empty room. She notes she isn't angry with Andy anymore and feels like she needs her friends. She is still snarky Gail, but she's changed since Holly, learning to be more at ease with herself, and as she'd said to Dov, she is a better person.

She lays back down, looking at the ceiling. It is about time to get ready for dinner, pff, at least Nick and Steve will be there. She closes her eyes for a second.

Holly rushes to her car, and goes to 15, see if she can still catch Gail. She walks up to the locker rooms. As she walks up to the door, she sees Andy walking away. She sighs nervously, standing at the door, with her hand hovering over the handle. Then she hears Gail talking an empty locker room "all those family memories just tossed aside. It made me feel downright melancholy….. It was a really good talk.." Holly quietly opens the door, and goes to sit on the bench beside Gail.

Gail hears someone entering the locker room, trying to be quiet. Assuming it's Andy, she says "It's too late now, McNally, sharing time is over."

"Is it?" she hears someone say timidly, wait — that's not Andy! Gail sits up immediately, "Holly!"