Disclaimer: Rookie Blue does not belong to me. I am merely borrowing the characters.
A/N Thanks for the reviews guys! Sorry about the initial formatting of the text, corrected now, this site and good formatting are not not friends! Oh and I've assumed that Canadians spell 'mum' the US way ("mom") not the British.
Half An Hour Earlier.
Gail arrived at her parents house by cab. Steve was already there. She was glad of that, he had been a real rock in this.
She took a deep breath and knocked on the door.
Her mother answered. "Hello dear! Come in, what would you like to drink. Steve and Traci are already here. Go through."
"Mom, do you think for once we could just go sit down and I could just say what I have to say. It is important."
"Of course dear but are you sure you wouldn't like a drink first?"
"Yes I'm sure thank you!"
Elaine led Gail to what Elaine insisted on calling the drawing room.
After greeting the rest Gail sat. Her mouth opened.
Her mouth was dry. She wished she'd accepted that drink.
"I've asked to see you..."
"Yes dear we know you have." Her mother interrupted.
"For Christ sake Elaine let the girl say it!" said Bill.
"Thank you Dad. I have asked to see you to tell you that I have met someone..." Gail was again interrupted.
"Oh that is nice! Who is he!" Elaine was clapping.
"Mother!" Steve chimed in in support.
"Not a 'he'. A she!" Elaine's jaw dropped. "Her name is Holly and she's a forensic pathologist. I've been living with her for three months now."
Elaine's brain was already working out what this meant for her career. It could be good...
She clapped her hands "Good! We can all walk at the head of Toronto Pride next year two generations of Peck inclusive policing!"
Of all the reactions Gail and Holly had prepped for, this was one they'd somehow overlooked.
Traci looked at Steve. "Is she being serious?!"
"Entirely, I think!" Steve whispered in reply.
"So get her on the phone and get her over here." Elaine ordered.
"Elaine!" Bill wasn't happy, this was not unusual.
"Mother!" Steve was trying to protect Gail.
"It's OK, we thought this might happen, that's why I arrived by cab..." said Gail as she got her phone out.
Twenty minutes later the doorbell rang. Gail got up.
"That'll be Holly I'll go get her."
"Nonsense. It's my house I'll go" but for once Elaine was too slow and Gail was in the hall determinedly heading for the front door.
"Elaine! Let the girl greet her friend!" Bill knew he was in for a row once all this was over so he didn't care about his wife's feelings at the moment.
Elaine was in the hall behind Gail as she opened the door and greeted Holly with a passionate kiss and hug.
Holly noticed Elaine and pulled away and coughed. Gail turned to see her mother open mouthed.
"Mom, this is Holly, my girlfriend." Gail calmly introduced them, standing close to Holly.
It took a second for Elaine to re-adjust.
"Holly, nice to meet you! Come through to the drawing room. What would you like to drink, white wine ok? And you Gail?" Elaine had recovered her snake-like slither.
"Nice to meet you too Mrs Peck.." Holly tried to be smooth.
"Elaine, please!"
"Nice to meet you Elaine. I bought a bottle of wine with me that I hope is acceptable." Holly handed the bottle which was wrapped in white tissue paper to Elaine.
Elaine unwrapped the bottle, looked at the label and smiled.
"Thank you Holly." She said.
"Which wine did you give her?" hissed Gail.
"The same one we had the first night I cooked for you." whispered Holly as she followed Gail into the room.
"Dad this is Holly." said Gail.
Bill extended a hand "Bill, nice to meet you Holly."
"Nice to meet you too Bill."
Elaine came back with two bottles of white wine and six glasses.
After she had poured the wine and handed out the glasses she said: "I think we should have a toast to Gail and Holly."
"Oh god she's overdoing it. Sorry about this." Gail whispered to Holly.
"No need to be sorry, I think it's nice." Holly whispered back.
Everyone else raised their glasses in toast.
"She seems to have recovered well." whispered Traci to Steve.
"I wouldn't be so sure of that." Steve whispered back.
They then went and ate the meal that had been prepared. Over the meal there were a barrage of questions about Holly's work. None about open cases of course, all the other people at the table knew better than to ask about those. Elaine seemed very impressed to hear that Holly had had articles published.
They were equally impressed by the wine Holly had brought. Gail knew they would be. Holly had bought two cases in France whilst at a conference and had them shipped back after she'd been out on a one night stand with a local wine journalist.
At the end of the evening Holly and Gail went back to their condo.
"That seemed to go well." said Holly.
"You don't know my mother – we won't find out how well it went for a few months. She might just be thinking this is a phase for me."
"Bit late for a phase."
"Yeah, but mom doesn't think of me as an adult."
"Neither does mine of me. I think it is pretty standard for moms."
"Probably." But there was something in Gail's voice that said she didn't see Superintendent Elaine Peck as a standard mom.
As they were both exhausted they went to bed.
