To those of you who wanted more on this. Danny's a bit grown up here, I suppose.
Gail was just stepping out of the locker rooms in her uniform when she felt her phone vibrate. Seeing it was her wife calling her surprised Gail a bit - and made her instantly alert.
"Hol?"
"Hey - I was just called out for a case - it's an urgent one and -"
"Take Danny to school?"
"Is it gonna be difficult?"
"Well I haven't signed off on my belt and stuff so I think I can make a short run before I get back to my shift I suppose -"
"Really?"
"Yeah, yeah - I'll be there soon."
"Ok then, I better get dressed."
Gail slipped her phone back into her pocket and went down to the office to give Oliver a heads up she would be skipping parade for today. Oliver didn't mind that much - it was a relatively slow day at 15. Gail drove home as quick as she could - which wasn't too difficult - it was early morning - and there wasn't much traffic on the streets. Pulling into the driveway - Gail saw Holly hurriedly rushing about the house, getting dressed. Chuckling to herself - Gail got out of her car and stood outside - waiting patiently for Holly to turn up outside. Holly did stumble out a few minutes later - 'lunchbox' and all.
"Hey! He's asleep - and I've made his breakfast and lunch and - "
Holly couldn't finish that sentence as Gail pulled her in for a quick kiss - that slowed down Holly considerably.
"Hi."
Holly smiled at that - trust Gail to go all adorable on her now.
"Hi."
"You go and be awesome. And no picking up blondes with that lunchbox again."
"I think the last blonde I picked up was quite a handful. And you and Danny is all I can deal with now."
"Oh really?"
"Hmm. Danny is actually better to deal with than you."
"Oh, you're just jealous that I'm awesome."
Giving Holly another kiss, Gail bid her goodbye and kicked off her hard police boots then ran up the stairs to Danny's room. Looking at her sweet 5 year old son sleeping like an angel in his bed - Gail half wished she could stumble into the bed next to him and fall asleep next to him. Checking the time - she sighed. She would have to wake him now if she had to get him to school on time. Internally groaning, Gail called out to her son.
"Time to wake up kiddo."
Falling into the bed next to him, Gail tried waking up her sleeping son, who clearly loved sleep just as much as she did. Lying next her son who was bundled up in his sheets, Gail rested her head on the pillow next to her son's, trying to tug away the sheets Danny was clinging on to in his sleep.
"Come on Danny - you've got to get to school you know."
Danny sleepily opened one eye and saw his mother next to him. He groaned feeling the sheets being pulled from his fists. It was killing Gail to wake him up even. If it were up to her - she would spend the whole day with him - even if it meant just dozing in bed.
"I don't wanna go to schoooool" Danny drawled back at her, trying to get under the sheets and go back to sleep again.
"Come on kid, I know getting up is awful."
"I really don't want to go to school." Danny whispers softly back, and Gail immediately notes the tone. This isn't her son being his normal, sleepy self. Gail is considerably surprised at that - she knows her son loves school as much as her nerdy wife does.
"What's the matter? Don't you feel well?" Gail's mind is already going to all possibilities - from fevers to hurts and aches.
"No..."
"Then?"
Gail turns to see Danny closing his eyes and trying to sleep again.
"Danny!"
Danny woke up at that and saw his mother was eyeing him with concern.
"I don't want to go to school."
Gail is immediately worried - thinking someone must be bullying her sweet little guy. Before she can mentally wrangle any fur ball who she believes is hurting her son, Danny replies in his soft, clear voice.
"The other kids don't think I'm cool."
Gail's heart clenches at that. She knows how it feels to be an outsider of the 'cool' gang - she was one of them after all. It wasn't a nice feeling at all, not one she would ever wish on anyone - let her alone her son. She's wishing her wife was home right now - not that Holly was any better than her at being 'cool', but at least she'd know the right thing to say. Gail's at a loss of words of what to say. She doesn't know what to say - she isn't exactly grown up in that sense- but she's sure she's got to make her son feel better. After staring at Danny who was looking back her at with his clear blue eyes - Gail decides she's got to say something. She knows she's got to accept the fact that she can't shelter him from every possible thing that can hurt him - but she goddamn wishes she could.
Folding her arms across her chess, Gail racks her brain to think of some way to make her son feel better - without going too deep into social psychology - or rather - her version of it.
"And why do you think that?"
She sees Danny consider the question for a moment, before he shrugs his shoulder and turns on his side to face his mom.
Gail's desperately wishing her wife was home to help her with this conversation, but she decides it time she imparts wisdom to her little guy as well.
"Danny, cool is just what people think about themselves. Being cool has nothing to do with what anyone else says about you."
"Really?"
"Yeah! Ok - tell me something - Do you think I'm cooler than your friends at school?"
Danny chuckles at that - pretty used to his mom's goofy ways.
"Yeah."
"What if I said you're cooler than me?"
"No" Danny gasps in surprise - and Gail loves the absolute look of awe he's got in his eyes.
"Yes. You are way cooler than me! For starters - you beat me at game night - remember? No one beats your mom at Game Night."
"Yeah." She hears Danny laughing out loud, and sees him stirring and sitting up.
"So, I'm cooler than you. "
"Hmm Mmm."
"That makes me cooler than my friends!"
"Of course it does, kiddo. You're way cooler than them."
"I'm cool!" Danny yells out - before jumping out of bed and running off.
"Ok Danny get ready already - we're going to be late."
After managing to get Danny dressed and fed, Gail drove Danny to school, as Danny sang along to the songs that were playing out of the music player, Gail hoped her little talk with Danny made him feel better. She didn't want her son to grow up an outsider - but she didn't know what exactly to tell him that would make him feel better.
They did manage to reach 20 minutes late to school, and Gail had to take Danny up to his class. Holding Danny's hand as they both climbed up the stairs to the school's front door, Gail knew she had to ask him more on that 'cool' talk. Stopping outside the classroom before going inside - Gail crouched down to look Danny and ask him a few questions of her own.
"Think you'll do okay today at school, Dan?"
She smiles seeing Danny nod enthusiastically at her. Perhaps her talk wasn't that bad after all.
"Ok - Just asking though - who's cooler - me or your mommy?"
"Mommy of course."
"Really?" Gail's shocked at that.
"Yeah."
Shaking her head and wondering what her wife told him, Gail realizes she's got to get going now.
"Ok, you have a good day then, Ok?"
"Yeah"
"And who's the champ?"
"I'm the champ!" Danny says it out loud with a huge grin on his face and gives his mom and huge hug before turning to get to his class.
Standing up, Gail stepped into the class with Danny by her side. A collective gasp comes from the whole classroom, and it takes Gail a second to make out why.
"Good morning officer, Is there a problem?" Miss. Smith, the teacher at Danny's class asks her and Gail realizes that she's been in her uniform all the while.
"Oh, not a problem. Just dropping off Danny a little late today. Sorry about that ." Gail remembers that she's never actually turned up to the school in her uniform - so the children probably never realized she was a police officer. Gail can already hear the rather loud whispers all the children are asking Danny all about her.
"You're mom's a POLICE officer. That's SO cool!"
"Oh yeah? I'm cooler than her!" Gail hears Danny reply back and Gail chuckles at that as she walks back down the hallway. Her son was going to do fine. Taking out her phone, she sends a quick text out to her wife.
Danny's at school. How did you convince him you're cooler than me?
All Gail got in reply was: ;)
Gail knew she was going to have a serious talk with her wife when she got back.
