AN: So this received a better response than I originally anticipated, not that I was expecting anything. But thank you all very much for reading, following and reviewing! I'm very humbled and I took on board your feedback, it was really helpful so keep it coming :D
I do apologise for the lateness of this chapter, I'm aiming to update this fic each week. However, life and health constraints will impact to some degree so I do hope you forgive me.

The characters aren't mine, I don't own anything. Just a poor student with crushing debt. All errors, however, are mine. Do feel free to point them out to me xox

Chapter 2.

Holly awoke to the sound of her phone chirping on the bedside table. Obnoxious chirping that was inappropriately cheery given her current circumstances. She blindly reached out for the infernal device, barely making out the blurry digits. 7.15am. That meant she had 45 minutes to look presentable and mentally prepare herself for the day ahead. Holly briefly reviewed the status of her bodily functions: limbs moderately unresponsive, head exploding and bladder beckoning. So far, not the greatest start to her second day on the job. She groaned and internally berated herself for putting herself in this position.

Cool fingers trailed across her stomach, leaving a trail of fire in their wake. Holly froze, her eyes fluttered closed and she bit her lip trying to suppress the gasp threatening to escape. Then again, maybe this position wasn't so bad. The blonde was still fast asleep, completely unaware of the effect her hands were having on the doctor beside her. Gail looked adorable while she slept, her face was relaxed and softer making her seem uncharacteristically vulnerable. 'Stop it, you literally just moved into town and met her yesterday. Plus, she's straight and there is no way she'd ever think twice about you. If you go there, you will fuck this up. Undoubtedly.' Her subconscious had this fantastic way of ruining great moments. Holly frowned at the sleeping woman, determined to stop the feelings from growing any larger than they were already. They had been drawn to each other from their first encounter in the bar, surely the connection hadn't only been one-sided? Holly sighed and tried not to get her hopes up. Gail had told her she was straight and Holly had to accept that. She would enjoy whatever the blonde would give her and that would be enough.

"Gail?" Holly nudged the blonde gently, trying to ease her back into reality. Gail's body stirred, proving that enough alcohol to take down a large animal was no match for her liver of steel. It was admirable really, if a little irresponsible.

"Mmmmm let me die." The blonde's face was hidden in her pillow, voice muffled and almost impossible to make out.

Holly rolled onto her side, away from Gail's wandering hands and propped herself up on one elbow. "Scale of 1 – 10?"

"About 11." The blonde remained buried deep within the crevices and clearly had no intention of moving anytime soon.

The brunette was sympathetic but couldn't resist teasing her. "Why did we decide to go out? Remind me."

"Cause I like alcohol and I like you." Well, that made sense. It made Holly deliriously happy to hear the words 'I like you' come out of Gail's mouth, even if they weren't meant in the sense that she wanted. Morning conversation was going to have to wait, the cop wasn't exactly functioning right now.

"Well I'm going to get up, meet your flatmate and maybe eat something. I'm also going to borrow a jersey so I don't give him a fright. Sound good?" A grunt and brief hand flick towards the floor was all the response the blonde was capable of. Holly pulled on an old academy hoodie that Gail had gestured to, it smelt like her and she inhaled deeply. She pointedly ignored the fact that smelling someone else's hoodie was weird and made her way through the rest of the house. It was a frat house, really. Devoid of personal touches but more than its fair share of mess that seemed to spew from every direction she looked.

"Uh, hi?" A clean shaven man with a crop of messy bed hair was reading the paper at the table. He looked at her in confusion, unsure what to make of the stranger in his kitchen. Logically speaking, if the stranger didn't belong to him, then she must have been Gail's guest. The only problem was that Gail didn't fit into most conventional equations, so who knew where she was concerned. The woman wasn't from 15 division which ruled out essentially everyone Gail would voluntarily spend time with. But the most intriguing part was the fact that she was wearing one of Gail's favourite sweaters. The blonde didn't share things lightly, if at all. So the plot thickened. However he wasn't about to complain that a tall, beautiful woman was standing in his kitchen wearing only a jersey and her underwear.

Holly straightened her glasses, she felt a little sheepish standing in front of Gail's friend in her state of undress. "Yeah, I'm really sorry about the intrusion. I'm Holly, a friend of Gail's. We went out last night and …"

The man snorted and interrupted, "Let me guess, Gail is dead to the world?"

"Something tells me that this isn't exactly new." Holly grinned and pulled out a chair.

He passed over some toast and pulled out an extra mug so she could pour herself a coffee. "She texted last night and told me she was going drinking for the second night in a row. She never does things by halves, trust me."

"I noticed. Anyway, I'm Holly. It's nice to meet you." She held out her hand for him to shake, "I'm the new forensic pathologist, just moved here last week. We bumped into each other at a homicide yesterday." Holly neglected to mention their impromptu meeting at the bar.

"I'm Dov, good to meet you too." Dov was desperately curious about this new development in Gail's social life but knew she would be extremely pissed about the intrusion. Finishing off the last of his breakfast, he brushed the crumbs off his hands and smiled warmly, "Well Holly, you're welcome here anytime. Gail doesn't really do people things, so if she did something social with you after meeting earlier that day, you must be something special."

Holly blushed at Dov's admission and it didn't go unnoticed. "This is going to sound forward, but is there any chance I can get a lift to the station?"

He dumped the dishes into the already piled sink. How could two people even produce that many dishes? "Yeah, no problem. I'm leaving in about 20 minutes, give some coffee to sleeping beauty and I'll see you at the car. Tell her she owes me."

"You're taking this quite well. You're going to give her shit about this later, aren't you?" Holly smirked.

Dov laughed, he liked this doctor a lot. "Wouldn't you?"

"Without a doubt." Holly laughed as well. It sealed the deal, Dov was smitten. If he hadn't already been taken with Chloe and was sure Gail wouldn't gut him, he would have asked her out immediately.

Holly poured a generous mug of coffee and headed back towards Gail's bedroom. "Hey there cop, got you some coffee." She brushed the few strands of hair that had fallen onto Gail's face. With much groaning, Gail finally managed to crawl into a sitting position. "My head hates me." Her voice had a husky timbre, thick from the lack of proper sleep. It was vastly different from Gail's normally silky tones and Holly wanted nothing more than to wake up to her voice every day.

"I bet your liver hates you more." Holly handed over the coffee and plopped down beside her. Gail accepted it gratefully, "Thanks for the coffee, lunchbox."

"Anytime cop." Holly picked up her clothes from last night and sniffed. She winced, the stench of booze was unmistakable. "Can I borrow some clothes and a shower?"

Gail eyed the pile on the floor with a grimace. "Cleaner stuff is probably in the drawers. I don't have any plaid though and showering is fine."

"I'm sure I can find something that will satisfy the lesbian dress code, thanks." Holly said wryly.

Gail rubbed the sleep out of her eyes and had just noticed what Holly was wearing. As well as what she was not wearing. There was something oddly arousing at seeing Holly in her clothes, it made the more primal parts of her scream mine. Her bare legs didn't hurt either, they seemed to stretch forever and possessed toned muscles indicative of a runner. Gail cleared her throat, trying to rid herself of the feelings and look at absolutely anything except the glorious expanse of Holly's body. She felt like a teenage boy. "Hurry up and get a shower, nerd. Otherwise you'll be late for work."

"Shit, you're right. Fuck!" Holly checked the time on her phone before tossing it back onto the bed. Gail could hear the swearing as Holly ran down the hall and she snickered. There was no way she could fall back asleep with the noise as people moved through the house, so she decided to drink the coffee Holly had brought her and picked up the phone that had been left on the bed. It was unlocked. 'Well doctor, how very careless of you.' She tapped in her number and texted herself so she would have Holly's on her own before tossing it back on the bed beside her. Closing her eyes, she sipped her drink and mulled over the previous night's events. It was the most genuine fun she'd had in a long time and the dynamics of hanging out with someone who she didn't directly work with was refreshingly new. It was altogether very un-Gail like.

"Thanks for last night, Gail. I had fun." The blonde opened a lazy eye and her mouth went dry. Holly had chosen a pair of form fitting black pants and a tight shirt that accented her breasts rather nicely. She didn't even recognise the clothes as her own but those possessive feelings were back tenfold. Combined with the blinding headache and exhaustion, Gail was fighting a losing battle trying to hold back the feelings inside her body. Instead she let her eyes feast over the delicious curves of Holly's body, not caring whether the brunette noticed. The brunette in question did in fact notice and it took an impossible amount of self-control to gather her things and leave the object of her desires in bed. The sexual tension between them was palpable and it seemed only a matter of time before it burst.

"No problem, nerd. Have fun at work." Gail flashed her typical smirk, albeit with dark shadows underneath tired blue eyes.

"Not gonna happen. Get some sleep Gail, you look terrible." Holly grinned, every bit as exhausted as the blonde looked. She quickly pecked Gail on the cheek before leaving and unbeknownst to Holly was a dopey smile that lit up the blonde's face.

'What on Earth is this nerd doing to me?' Gail drained the last of her coffee and flopped back onto her bed. She was out as soon as her head hit the pillow.

Feeling a lot more refreshed after another few hours of sleep, Gail had drafted Ollie into giving her a lift to the station on his way back. "You're riding in the back though Little Peck and I gotta be honest, I'm not sure about the last time it was cleaned out."

She bristled at the nickname but it was Ollie, a better male role model in her life than her own sorry excuse for a father. Just as she rounded the side of the car, he pulled open the passenger door and chuckled. "I'm kidding, rough night darlin'?"

"Yeah, my head's exploding." She leant her head against the window, the cool glass soothing her dull throbbing headache. The best part about riding with Oliver was the certainty of doughnuts and coffee, he never failed to deliver. It was a stereotypical cop car and Gail loved it.

"I'll try not to hit any pot holes then." He winked at her and true to his word, it was smoother than any other car Gail had ridden in.

After she'd stolen as many doughnuts as she could hold, Gail walked into the office and prayed that the rest of her day continued on the current trajectory.

"Hey Gail, how's things?" Traci glanced up from her work as she heard the approaching footsteps.

"Fine Trace, nothing new –" The blonde had almost managed to get to her desk unscathed. Almost. She should've known that a quiet day while working hungover was too much to ask for.

"She's made a friend!" Dov interjected excitedly, looking up from his own work. He had been waiting for this moment all morning and was practically bouncing in his seat.

"Really? Gail, that's great!" Traci hadn't had a chance to interrogate Gail about the new doctor. She was well aware that Doctor Holly Stewart was the same woman from the bar but didn't know that they were spending time together outside of work.

"I hate you." Gail glared at Dov. Her blue eyes were icy as they dared him to continue speaking.

"No, you don't. Because I gave her a lift to work this morning while you were sleeping." Dov shot back just as quickly. Traci had to hide her smirk, this was just getting better and better.

Gail bit her tongue, it was true after all. And she hadn't thanked him either if she remembered correctly.

"No comeback? Gail, you're losing your touch. Or maybe Holly is having a good impression on you." Dov gleefully clapped his hands together, enjoying the ribbing he could get away with. Gail cuffed him over the back of the head before sitting down at her desk. The younger man rubbed his head sheepishly, maybe he couldn't get away with ribbing yet.

"Alright, alright kids. Settle down and get back to work." Traci tried her hardest to look serious but Gail wasn't buying it. She was not amused by the sudden ambush on her personal life by her so-called friends.

"Hello little sister. What's this I hear about a new friend?" Typical. Steve would happen to come by at the worst time in their conversation.

"Shut up, brother. Do you actually need something, or are you here to annoy me?" The blonde muttered through gritted teeth. All the digging was beginning to get to her, the frustration evident on her features.

Steve could read her like a book and felt bad for her, "Gail, you wound me. I'm here on business though, I need some bodies to assist on a sting tonight. Briefing in 5 upstairs, okay?"

"Not a question is it." Gail raised a brow but thankful for the change in subject.

"Nope." Steve grinned. They knew each too well.

A group of officers lounged on the various chairs dotted around the room while Steve briefed them on the operation that was due to take place that night. Gail crossed her arms and looked bored throughout the entire meeting. She noted how close together Nick and Andy were without wanting to draw any further attention to themselves. The way one hand would brush the other's fingers, or how they angled their bodies towards one another. It made her blood boil with barely suppressed rage, the fucking audacity to flaunt their affection in front of her was infuriating. Steve needed to hurry up, Gail wasn't sure how much longer she could stand being in the same room as them both before she quite literally barfed.

"Okay, we got a tip from one of our guys that the diablo gang is moving a weapons shipment from the warehouses by the docks. This is going down at 11.30 tonight so Peck and McNally will be placed in the van on the east side and Price and Collins on the other side." Steve gestured to the spots on the map tacked onto the whiteboard. It was straightforward, nothing they hadn't done before.

"We've got word that these guys are getting antsy, someone messed up a deal and all the stock needs to be moved tonight so there's bound to be some new faces. We're running some surveillance first, and then we're going to move in and make some arrests. There's only one way out and we've got back up as well but be careful, they're probably more likely to shoot."

Steve took a breath, "Sound good, team?"

They all nodded their assent. Gail was less than thrilled about being partnered with Andy, but she was a Peck. That meant being nothing short of professional where her job was concerned.

"Right then. Grab some food, finish up whatever and we'll meet back here at 9pm."

After several hours of boredom and mindless paperwork, the words had begun to morph into indecipherable squiggles. Gail decided to break the monotony by grabbing a quick coffee, "Cover me Epstein, I'm going on a mission."

"Grab me one too!" Dov hollered after the blonde but her only response was to raise a single finger in the air without a second glance. She did owe him after this morning but considering his shit stirring this morning … fuck it. He could suffer a little.

"Gail, wait up!" Traci quickly caught up and flashed her friend a beaming smile. The woman had this uncanny ability to appear from nowhere and it especially occurred when Gail didn't want company. "If you're heading out for a coffee, how about we hit up the place down the road, my shout?"

Gail slowed her pace and narrowed her eyes at her friend. There was a catch, no one offered to buy Gail Peck free food unless they wanted something. It was the one thing she couldn't resist.

"Fine, let's go then. I've got like half an hour maybe?" She would play along for now. The short window of time meant that Traci would have to get straight to the point and Gail had a hunch that conversation would turn to a certain brunette doctor.

Once they'd bought their coffees, the blonde leant back into her chair and tilted her head. She regarded the woman opposite her with a cool expression, giving nothing away. Traci smiled to herself, the entire situation reminded her of the one time they played poker together. Gail cleaned everyone up and she had lost almost $100. "Anything new happening with you?"

"Apart from the sting Steve has planned for tonight, nope. Not since you asked me when I got to work earlier." The blonde was nonchalant, instead focusing on stirring an excessive amount of sugar into her coffee. The detective would have to try harder than that, and she was running out of time.

"The Superintendent set you up on any more blind dates?" Traci sipped at her coffee, eyeing Gail with an innocent expression.

"Not yet, I've successfully managed to evade interrogation for the last week. It'll probably only last till next week maybe?" Even though she knew Traci was just fishing for information, it was still nice to talk to someone. Since her falling out with Andy, she was a little lacking in the friend department.

"Ahhh, if only someone could capture the cold, dead heart of one Gail Peck." There was no doubt in Gail's mind that Traci was referring to Holly.

Gail smirked, Traci was subtle but very good. "She's just trying to make sure I don't end up a lonely spinster."

"So no one's gotten your attention lately?" The darker haired woman was direct this time, obviously getting impatient.

Fine, she'd bite. "If you're referring to Holly Stewart, then yes. We went out last night and she came over to mine afterwards."

Traci's eyes bugged out, "You slept with her already?"

"No! God, Traci. What do you think is happening? We're just friends." Gail laughed.

Traci sighed and shook her head, "Oh Gail. I saw you two at the bar, the sparks between you two could start a forest fire."

The blonde was getting tired of everyone's prodding into her life, it felt like a fucking soap opera. "We literally just met. There is nothing going on between Holly and I."

"Do you think there is the slightest chance that you might be more than just friends?" The detective pushed one last time.

Gail hesitated for a split second before replying, "Jesus, Traci. Why the sudden investment in my non-existent social life?"

Her tone was heavily sarcastic but the slight pause was all Traci needed. Confirmation that the infamous Gail Peck did indeed have a crush on one Doctor Holly Stewart. Gail's feelings were like tiny embers and the only way they could thrive was with extreme care and patience. However, the amount of patience needed was generally more than most people had. Traci decided to take it upon herself and help Gail along by fostering the flames between them. "Maybe you should get Holly a coffee? I need some files dropped off at the lab and you're procrastinating anyway."

The thought had crossed Gail's mind earlier. If she was still feeling moderately tired, she could only imagine how Holly was feeling right now. But would randomly turning up to her lab with coffee come across as slightly weird?

"No, it wouldn't be weird. I think she'd like it, it's just coffee Gail. We get coffee together and it's not weird." The blonde frowned again, her mouth really needed to start consulting her brain before it started running.

"Give me your phone then, I'll text her." She reached for Gail's phone. Gail snatched it away from her grasp, her cheeks turning the slightest shade of pink. There was no way Traci was going to find 'Holly Stewart' in her contacts, the blonde had listed her as 'Doctor Lunchbox'.

In the lab, the aforementioned doctor was slowly chipping away at the seemingly endless amount of work. Her phone buzzed on the desk and Holly pounced on it, eager for any opportunity of a brief reprieve. The brunette frowned, she couldn't recall anyone called 'Captain Marvel'. When she opened the message, a smile slowly spread across her face. Hey nerd, hope you're not feeling too shit today. Can I interest you in a coffee? I have to run some stuff down to the lab in about 15mins

Holly quickly tapped out a reply, By all means, Cop. I'd love a coffee, see you soon

"Consulted the nerd. She said only if you're paying." Gail scanned Holly's reply on her phone and unconsciously smiled at the small device.

Traci smirked, pretty sure that Holly wouldn't have said that but accepted it if it meant that Gail was going to the lab. She pulled out several files from her bag and tossed them at Gail. "Just so happens that I have the files with me, so you're in luck."

She'd been had. 'Well played Nash. Very well played indeed.' Gail grudgingly conceded defeat, she had to admire Traci's game. She thought the detective was fishing for information but it seemed that Traci was already one step ahead of her. "Oh, and say hi from me."

"Screw you too, Nash." Files in one hand and hot coffee in the other, Gail stalked out of the café with an angry scowl.

"Hey nerd. I come bearing paperwork." Gail's anger had dissipated on the short walk to the forensics lab. She poked her head into the doorway of Holly's lab and saw the brunette hunched over her computer, typing furiously at the keyboard.

Holly growled, "Then I highly suggest you quickly turn around and leave now." Gail froze, unsure whether her presence was welcome. Thankfully, Holly broke into a rueful grin and beckoned the cop to come in.

"Thanks for bringing me coffee. Definitely needed it." Holly accepted the beverage and took a long gulp, moaning in pleasure as the bitter liquid hit her tastebuds. Gail's insides squirmed at the sound and not for the first time that day, she had to suppress her feelings of arousal.

Once Holly had sated her thirst, she turned her attention to the cop perched on the mass of papers scattered across desk. "You know, I usually hate people sitting on my paperwork. I'll make an exception this time cause you did bring me coffee."

"But it's mostly just because I wouldn't move even if you did try and make me." Gail was smug and Holly wanted nothing more than to wipe the smirk off the cocky officer's face. The woman was absolutely incorrigible and Holly was falling even harder for the snarky blonde. "Yep, pretty much. How's tricks 'Captain'?"

"I've been put on a sting op tonight. Pretty much means McNally and I stuck in a van for a few hours." Her previously cocky smirk was replaced with dark frown. Holly guessed that there was a story between the two but knew better than to push the blonde.

"Well if you want company, you did manage to procure my number." Her tone was light and teasing, making Gail's mood improve considerably.

"Thanks nerd but I'll be fine. You should sleep anyway." Gail glanced at her watch and sighed, "I'd better get back. I'll see you later okay?"

"Hey." Holly tugged at Gail's arm and pulled the blonde in close. "Stay safe tonight cop."

Another kiss, it was almost routine now. Gail found herself tilting her cheek towards the doctor and leaning into her space. Her body was moving by instinct, it would be so easy to slip her arms around Holly's waist and press her body against the other woman. However her body's desires were conflicting with her brain screaming 'friend' at her. The combination resulted in a strange arm spasm, followed by her whole body jerking back which Gail valiantly tried to disguise as a cough. She was the epitome of poise and grace, as per usual.

"Uh yeah, I umm will. Be safe. Thanks." 'Smooth, Gail'. She hastily made for the door and misjudged her exit, smacking her shoulder on the frame as she left. Holly's laughter echoed down the hallway and Gail's cheeks were burning. She hadn't hit her shoulder hard enough to leave a bruise, the only damage done was to the blonde's ego.

"You okay Gail?" People really needed to stop asking her that. Andy was way too chipper considering she was spending a couple of hours in a van when there were better things she could doing. Or rather, 'people' she could be doing. Gail knew she was trying to force the friendship between them but it wasn't working and the entire situation felt extremely uncomfortable.

"Andy. If we're going to get through this as painlessly as possible, you're gonna have to stop talking." Gail's tone was bored and accompanied with her trademark eye roll. She didn't know what was worse; being paired with Chloe, Nick or Andy. All three were equally annoying but she admitted that Andy was probably the least irritating.

Gail pulled out her phone, tempted to text Holly but thought better of it. 'Too clingy, it's not like we're dating. Jesus, give the woman a few days.'

The amount of mental capacity that seemed to be afforded to Holly Stewart was definitely more than Gail had given anyone else. She was slowly coming to the realisation that had Holly been a man, she would have interpreted everything that had transpired between them as romantic. The blonde had written their initial interactions off as friendliness but she was gradually accepting that she was developing feelings for this woman. And judging by Holly's behaviour, she might just feel the same way.

The blonde wasn't dense by any means. On the contrary, she was extremely astute and observant, thanks to growing up under Elaine Peck's thumb. People's emotions and intentions were no exception. However, where her own feelings were concerned, Gail simply preferred to live in denial and push up walls until whoever tried to get past them gave up and left. It was easier that way. She always seemed to throw herself from the proverbial tree and sabotage relationships before they could carry out their course.

"Gail? We're on soon. Are you watching the monitors?" Andy looked concerned, there were a lot more people than Steve had anticipated. The danger level was rising rapidly as the scene unfolded on the screens in front of them. She was grateful for the distraction and focused her attention towards the task at hand.

"Peck, McNally, We're moving in 10 minutes. I want you two to block the east side of the warehouse, if anyone comes out running then you need to stop them. It'll be damn hard to get out that way so I don't think you'll get many but we've got four other guys right behind you." Steve's voice crackled over the radio.

"Copy that Steve. See you out there, Gail out." Gail was calm and confident, surveying the monitors and committing all information to memory. She remembered her first sting operation, how the adrenalin pumped through her veins and every sense seemed to heighten. It was thrilling, she lived for this feeling. The blonde wasn't afraid of danger, the action was where she excelled and she simply thrived on it.

Gail and Andy climbed out of the van and moved towards the darkened warehouse, footsteps barely making a sound across the concrete. Everything was second nature, Gail was quite literally born to do this job. As they approached the building, Gail took the lead and Andy fell behind to cover her.

"Fuck! They got Jake and the others, what the hell are we gonna do man?" The man's voice was frantic, breathing ragged.

"Shut the fuck up Ethan. You're gonna get us nicked." This voice was distinctively deeper, more mature. He sounded like the brains of the duo and the most likely one to give them hassle. Gail peered around the iron door that was left slightly ajar, the moonlight giving her just enough vision to identify the men stumbling around in the dark. There didn't seem to be any sign of anyone other than the two men and she could see that they had no visible weapons within their grasp. That didn't rule out any potential hidden weapons but Gail figured they could take them. She glanced at Andy and the brunette nodded, both agreeing to move in and arrest the men.

"Freeze! Put your hands in the air!" Gail kicked the door wide open and flicked on a flashlight, illuminating the two figures.

They both shielded their eyes, momentarily stunned by the sudden turn of events.

"I said put your hands in the air!" Gail shouted again, her gun was trained intently on the taller man who she surmised was the more dominant of the two.

"Okay, okay. I'm doing it." The man put his hands in the air and waved them at Gail to indicate his compliance. His companion followed suit, however in a much more sulky fashion. He couldn't have been more than 17, his face looked like it had barely seen a razor.

Gail slowly advanced towards the men with Andy following closely behind. She holstered her gun and pulled out a pair of cuffs for each man. When it came to the younger man, he broke down and started sobbing, "I c-c-can't do this. I can't go back there, please…"

Andy looked as torn as Gail felt. She felt sorry for the kid, he probably made some stupid mistakes and got caught up in something way over his head. Once you're in too deep, it became almost impossible to get out. Gail cuffed his skinny wrists, her heart heavy as they tightened with a metallic click around his flesh.

Gail pulled the radio out, "Steve? It's Peck, we've got two for you on the east side."

A brief pause, the static echoing in the empty warehouse before Steve's voice broke the silence. "Copy that, we'll send someone over now to pick them up. Head back to the station for debrief."

The van ride back to the station was as silent as it was on their way to the docks. Although this time it was for entirely different reasons. Both women were lost in their own thoughts, Gail was lamenting the unfortunate turn the teenager's life was now going to take in light of his arrest. She loved her job, more than anything. But arresting a kid who didn't know what the hell he was doing seemed like a really shitty thing to do. The blonde stared out the window and tried to forget about it, letting herself be lost amongst the scenery flashing past her.

"Not bad tonight little sister. I'm impressed." Steve punched her lightly in the arm but she knew he meant it. Seventeen arrests and a huge cargo of weapons seized were results of their work tonight. Steve was going to have his work cut for him but it was a sizeable achievement and he was proud of his efforts.

"Mother is going to be so proud." Gail rolled her eyes.

The older Peck smiled in spite of himself, "She's going to ask you why you haven't applied for the detective rotation, you know that right?"

Gail barked out a laugh, "Like she hasn't been bugging me about it for the past few years."

"I really think you should –"

"Save it, Steve. I'm happy where I am right now." Gail cut him off before he could start on the spiel she'd heard a million times already.

"You're right, I'm sorry. Go home, I'll see you tomorrow Gail." Steve held out his fist for her to bump and she knew it was his way of apologising. Gail couldn't help but return the gesture, he could be a jerk sometimes but always wanted what was best for her.

The blonde was lucky there were extra bodies on hand for the operation tonight and she didn't have to resort to asking Andy or Nick for a ride home. Hell, she'd even ask Chloe over either of them. She was beginning to think that maybe investing in a personal vehicle wasn't such a bad idea.

Gail crawled into bed, her body fatigued from the day's events and lack of proper sleep. The final thing her sleep-deprived brain conjured was coffee and a certain brunette doctor. She was finding it hard to come up with reasons to deny her feelings any longer. Other than her own insecurities, there really wasn't anything stopping her from pursuing Holly. 'Tomorrow. I'll think about doing something tomorrow.' And with that final promise, Gail drifted off into peaceful slumber.