A/N: Oh look, an update, in less than a year, wow, who would've thought...
"Who pissed you two off?" Traci asked as she entered the relatively small gym with Andy in tow to find both Gail and Chloe throwing punches at the heavy bag sitting in the middle of the room.
"I'm imagining Luck's stupid face." Gail grunted as her fist dug harder into the unyielding material. As much as she disliked most forms of exercise, the burning in her muscles as she continued to pound the shit of the inanimate object felt really fucking good right then.
"Ditto." Chloe chimed in.
"So I take it you both had a run in with 27?"
"They beat us to the scene. We had to work with them all day." The redhead complained as she threw another punch.
Gail sent the bag back in her direction with a right hook of her own. "It was the only thing that saved Price from becoming road kill."
"You love me."
"I can barely tolerate you."
"I'm not as bad as Jen."
"That's really not saying much."
"Be nice, Gail," Traci chastised. The blonde glared as Chloe stuck out her tongue from behind the safety of the bag between them.
"So what did Luck do to deserve the Peck wrath?" Andy asked as she helped Traci start setting up weights.
"Oh, she was talking about Holly," Chloe cheerfully explained.
Gail glared at her partner for the day and wished not for the first time that she had heat vision, "If you value your life at all, Price, you'll stop talking...five seconds ago."
"What was she saying about Holly?"
But Chloe ignored the warning (threat). "She was talking about how hot she was and how she was going to ask her out again."
"Okay, that still doesn't explain why Gail is so mad." Andy pointed out.
"Because she likes Holly, duh." The answer was so simple, so obvious to Chloe that she couldn't understand the shocked expressions on the other rookies' faces.
Gail avoided the looks she knew she was receiving. She needed to steer the conversation back to safer waters, like a nice calm lake where she wasn't super gay for her new best friend. Yeah, that seemed like a good place to dock.
"Yeah, enough to protect her from being bored out of her mind by someone like Luck." She tried to sound as disinterested as possible, hoping her real feelings didn't show.
"That's not -" Chloe started to say.
"Yes. It. Is." She shot a murderous look at the effervescent officer across from her as her hits connected hard between each word.
"You sure that's all it is, Gail?" Traci asked, as she critically watched her friend take out her aggression on the punching bag hanging in front of her.
"What else would it be?"
"Could be that you want to be the one asking Holly out."
She could feel her face turning red, the tips of her ears burning hotly, and it wasn't from the exertion. "I...I don't...I'm not…" Sure, she had outed herself to her mother over the phone after growing frustrated by the constant blind dates, and yeah she had talked to Holly about it. And no she didn't really care for labels, but when suddenly confronted with the possibility of everyone knowing, she panicked a little.
But Traci just continued right over the spluttering mess, "You smile more when you're around her."
"Wait, Gail Peck actually smiles?" Andy asked in mocking disbelief.
"Yeah, just not around any of us," Traci joked. "Plus, you actually go out of your way to go to the lab."
"And you hang out with her all the time," Chloe added.
"We're just friends." It was the unfortunate truth. Even though she had realized a while ago that she wanted more than just friends with the pathologist. But Holly wasn't ready to date, if what she kept saying was true anyway, and Gail honestly had no idea how to go about dating a woman. She didn't exactly have the best track record with relationships in general.
"Doesn't mean that's all you have to be."
She was definitely going to punch Chloe today.
"Everyone deserves to be happy, Gail." Traci offered with that warm smile of hers, that mom kind of smile, that was both encouraging and way too knowing. "Even you."
The attention made Gail shift uncomfortably on her feet. She hated girl talk and definitely hadn't expected to be the center of it that night. Even if Traci's word settled something in her chest more comfortably. But she kept her eyes trained on the bag, not wanting them to betray her.
"Speaking of Holly, isn't that her?" Andy pointed across the room.
"Holy shit," Chloe breathed out in awe.
"Ditto." Traci added, forced to set the heavy bar back on the rack, considering even her spotter was stunned.
And poor Gail nearly lost her damn footing as the punch she threw missed its mark at the distraction. And oh sweet Sapphos, was it distracting! How many times in one week was she supposed to resist the sight of Holly Stewart in short shorts and a sports bra? And to make it worse she now had to bear witness to all the glory of Holly on a fucking salmon ladder. She was only human and it really wasn't fair for the universe to keep tempting her like this.
"I think I'm a little gay for Holly too."
"I'm pretty sure I'm a lot gay for her, damn!"
"Please...can you just stop...can you just shut your faces," Gail begged. She silently prayed for the ground to just swallow her up so she wouldn't have to hear them anymore.
"Alright, come on, the guys are waiting on us at the Penny, let's hurry up." Traci snapped them all back to attention and thankfully for Gail the conversation shifted to Andy's newest relationship drama.
But even in her attempts to focus, her eyes every so often drifted over to Holly. She didn't want to, but it was like Holly had her own magnetic pull and try as she might she couldn't escape it. Unfortunately, it was also the reason she saw when smug-as-hell Detective Frankie Anderson rolled in. The older officer wasted no time making her way over to Holly. But they were too far away for Gail to hear what they were saying. But she could see that Holly was smiling, the amusement evident from across the room. And suddenly Gail found a renewed energy to punch the ever loving shit out of the hanging bag.
"Careful there slugger, or you're going to hurt yourself." Traci had switched out with Chloe a while ago after one of Gail's punches got a little too close to the redheaded officer's face.
But she ignored her and kept swinging and when the other women finally finished their workouts, Gail had continued to stay, still pounding away silently, every punch reverberating in her arm. But she was so lost in her thoughts that she didn't care that come morning she probably wouldn't be able to pick up a pen, let alone be on patrol. Maybe, she'd just volunteer for desk duty or to hide away in evidence. Yeah, that could work.
"Hey, I thought you hated exercise."
Holly had that trademark lopsided grin on full display as she wandered behind the bag. It was way more distracting than Chloe's incessant chatter or Traci's mom speeches. And Gail could feel her heartrate picking up even though she had been exerting herself for over an hour.
"I enjoy punching things." Her right arm crossed over with a little extra flair for the sake of it.
"I can see that. Nice hook."
"If you really want to be impressed you should see me with a baton."
"That certainly sounds like a sight," Holly agreed, and Gail merely grunted in response, she kept her focus mostly on the bag between them, but she did slow her pace considerably.
"So I never got to ask," Holly's voice sounded weird. Like she was uncomfortable or something. It was enough to finally draw Gail's eyes to her, but now it was Holly's turn to fiddle with the bag, her thumb picking absently at a piece of tape. "How was your date the other night?"
Oh….that.
"Well, it seems my mother has slightly better taste in women then she does in men when it comes to blind dates. At least this one was able to take a hint and not proposition me."
"Was it really that bad?"
"I don't know….she was okay, I guess…." How did Gail explain that while the woman had been pretty and certainly well-bred considering she had Elaine Peck's stamp of approval, there had been no spark? That the entire night, Gail had had to restrain herself from texting Holly because she was the only woman she was thinking about through all the small talk and idle chit chat. That while this woman that Elaine had introduced her to was significantly better than the men (and unlike them had actually been good enough for a second chance), she wasn't the one Gail wanted to be on a date with.
How did she explain any of that?
"It just…" She faltered, but before she could finish her thought, an ominous ringtone started playing in her bag. It only meant one person.
"Speak of the devil." She let the call go to voicemail as she slipped off her gloves. Despite the tape on her hands, Gail could already see that they were turning red, she'd probably have bruises tomorrow. She groaned loudly after she heard the message that was left. "Superintendent Mom is setting me up on another blind date."
"So she's continuing her vendetta against spinsterhood."
"Probably thinks she saving me from almost getting married in Vegas...again."
"What?"
"Oh..umm..long story."
"I happen to enjoy stories. Long ones in fact are a personal fave."
"Explains the…" Gail started before being cut off quickly by the doctor.
"Books in bars, yes I know, you've mentioned." Holly finished with a suffering sigh.
Gail smirked, it was a running joke at that point. With Traci's words still ringing in her ears, and the easy smile on Holly's face for encouragement, she decided that maybe it was time to take a chance. She focused her eyes back on the bag, trying her best to punch the nerves right out of her system.
"Well...my brother told me about this new sushi place on King...and….well, it's always full. But since being the daughter of white shirts sometimes comes in handy, maybe we could get something to eat on Friday? I can ummm tell you that story."
The way Holly tilted her head to consider the question made Gail realize that maybe the she was picking up what Gail was putting down.
"Oh, I….can't."
Or maybe not. Gail tried her best to shrug it off, even as she felt disappointment coil around her stomach. "It's not a big deal. I just thought maybe if you were hungry…."
"No, no, I want to. It's just... I can't…. I have to work this weekend."
"Right, yeah, of course." Of course. She knew Holly had been taking on extra shifts, still trying to prove herself, considering she was the lowest in seniority and was the freshest out of fellowship. The young doctor may have already accomplished a lot in her short career, but she was still the new kid on the block as far as the Toronto lab was concerned.
She should've let it drop there. She really didn't know what possessed her to ask, maybe she just needed the validation. "Is that what the D was talking to you about?"
"The D? Detective Anderson? Oh...ummm...no," Okay now Holly definitely sounded uncomfortable. And clearly she was, considering she reached up to adjust glasses that weren't even on her face. Gail didn't miss the way she tried to make up for it by running a hand over her ponytail instead. "She was actually asking me out for a drink."
Yep, definitely awkward.
"Oh," was the only sound Gail was able to get out, because the disappointment coursing through her body had suddenly been joined an even more unpleasant feeling: jealousy.
"Yeah, but I uh...told her I couldn't."
"Cause you have to work."
"Ummm...yeah. Something like that."
There was something in the Holly's tone that had Gail's spidey senses tingling, that said there was more to the story, but Gail didn't get a chance to ask.
"Hey Peck, if you don't hurry your ass up and shower, no tequila for you." Andy shouted from the doorway, towel wrapped around her dripping hair.
Holly stepped back, tilting her head in Andy's direction "Your friends are waiting for you."
"Good."
"You're incorrigible, Officer Peck."
"You like me this way."
"Maybe." But the smile on Holly's face seemed to indicate a hard yes. "Enjoy your night, Gail."
Gail watched her walk away (what? it was a damn good sight) and caught the way Holly couldn't stop herself from looking back before she left completely. Hmmm….maybe she wasn't completely wrong.
Stepping out of the precinct Friday night, Gail just wanted to go home, drink some tequila, and eliminate the date from the calendar. No one in the station had seemed to realize that it was the day the world became significantly more awesome 27 years ago. No mention from Chloe, Traci, Andy, or Dov. Silence from her exes. Not even a fricking phone call from her parents remembering that it was her birthday. The only one exempt was her brother, who was undercover and unable to call. No cake, no presents, no acknowledgment in any way (except doughnuts with Oliver but that was a longstanding tradition). So yeah, even though she thought she couldn't possibly hate her birthday any more, that year took the cake, so to speak.
She was so focused on the disappointment that she almost didn't register the person waiting just on the street. But damn, did she notice now. Leather pants, leather jacket, the helmet, the motorcycle she was leaning against. The biker version of nerdy Holly Stewart was hot as fuck. It put her everyday sexy librarian look, and even her half-naked sporty look, to shame.
"Wow," Gail could barely breath but somehow her feet keep moving her closer. A moth to a flame didn't even begin to describe how badly she wanted to get burned right then.
Holly handed over a helmet once Gail was within reach. "Ready to go for a ride, Officer."
"I'm in love with your bike."
"Get in line." Holly patted the spot right behind her.
But Gail didn't budge, "You owe me driving privileges."
"I do, but we never established when those privileges had to be granted."
"I do not ride bitch."
But Holly ignored her, reaching forward to catch hold of the lapels of her open jacket and tugged her closer. Wait, was she still breathing? Gail wasn't sure she even remembered how to, let alone convinced that she actually was anymore as Holly smoothed her hands down the two sides of leather. She clicked the pieces at the bottom together before zipping back up until she reached the slender, pale neck where Gail was swallowing hard.
"Come on, Peck, it won't kill you to try something new."
Gail huffed (oh good she was breathing) and rolled her eyes before putting on the damn helmet, making sure the driver saw her displeasure clearly. But she still climbed onto the back of the bike. Except once she got there, she was suddenly reminded of how much of an awkward mess she was because she wasn't prepared for how much touching was about to be involved.
"You might want to hold on," Holly suggested.
Gail slipped her arms around Holly's waist, "I know it's been a while since a woman touched you, Nerd, try not to get too excited."
Gail couldn't hear Holly's laugh, but she could feel the way the muscles of her stomach tightened under her grip, and Gail's heart lept in a way that had very little to do with the jolting bike beneath her.
They drove for a while, and even though Gail didn't know where they were going, she also wasn't in any hurry to find out. The feeling of the wind whipping around them, the power of the bike, and the excuse to wrap herself tightly around Holly had Gail more than content to spend her entire birthday just riding aimlessly. But of course all good things come to end because it wasn't terribly long before Holly was signalling and they were pulling off the road.
Gail was quick to remove her helmet the moment they came to a full stop.
"Are you serious right now?" She couldn't hide her wonderment as she looked up at the racetrack.
Holly climbed off and offered her companion a hand. "Yep, come on I've got a surprise."
Gail let the doctor drag her through the gates, not pulling her hand away as they walked through the deserted area. Not even when they came to a stop in the empty arena.
"Ummm...Holls where is everyone?"
"Everyone who needs to be here, already is. And that over there, is your chariot, m'lady." Holly pointed to bright red stockcar that was waiting in the pit.
"What the what?! Holly, what is all this?"
"This is your surprise. Because you hate people but you like driving like a maniac and it's your birthday. You should do something you like on your birthday."
"You rented out this whole place just for me."
"My mom's a mechanic, she knows a guy."
"But…"
Holly just shook her head, she pressed a soft kiss to the pale cheek in front of her, a wide smile on her face. "Happy Birthday, Gail. Now, what are you waiting for?"
And with those words, Gail took off for her present with childlike abandon and Holly's gorgeous laugh ringing in her ears. Her own face hurt from smiling so widely.
"How'd you know it was my birthday?"
They were on their way back to Holly's bike, walking side-by-side, hands brushing every so often, but neither woman taking the initiative to just intertwine them like they both wanted.
Holly leaned further in and nudged her playfully with an elbow. "The real question is why didn't you tell me it was?"
Gail shrugged and looked away, she kicked at the dirt slightly with her feet. "You were busy."
"Not too busy for this."
"You said you had to work."
"I switched shifts." She left out the part where she now owed Rodney a huge favor, but Gail didn't need to know that part. "I'm still on call though, so let's just hope no mysterious dead bodies show up tonight."
"So who told you then?"
"Chloe."
"Price barely spoke to me all day! She didn't mention it once."
"Oh, right, that's probably because she was planning a surprise party for you."
"A surprise party? But I hate parties."
"I know that's why I'm telling you now. It was supposed to be today, but I figured you wouldn't want it and so I kinda asked her to let me have the day with you. Hope you don't mind."
"Mind? Holls I just spent the last few hours getting to drive a car with 600 HP getting to go literally as fast as I wanted instead of having to make small talk and get hugged by people I see every single day."
"Damn, I knew I should've let you go to the party."
Gail playfully swatted at the laughing brunette.
"So, are you ready for Part 2?"
"There's more?"
"Only if you want."
"Oh I want. I definitely want."
"Alright, then you gotta take the backseat again." Holly handed back her helmet.
"What? I still haven't earned driver status."
"After what I just witnessed, I'm regretting that deal with every fiber of my being. Come on, birthday girl, time's a ticking."
"She's going to try to surprise me tomorrow isn't she?" Gail asked as she settled behind Holly once more.
"I'm not at liberty to discuss such a possibility," Holly demurred as she kicked the bike back into gear.
The next stop turned out to be an old-fashioned arcade. Gail loved arcades. They always reminded her of afternoons with her brother when they wanted to escape their parents. It was just time for the two of them to to hang out without all the pressure.
"So what do you say, Peck, want to put your luck to the test?"
"Game on, Nerdette."
Frogger, air hockey; street fighter; racing games; shooting games; pinball; skeeball; Whac-a-mole. It had been a valiant effort, but Holly had suffered defeat at the hands of the cocky blonde all over the arcade. Even the damn claw machine had betrayed her.
"It just isn't statistically probable that you would win at everything you do." Holly complained after they finished cashing out the ridiculous number of tickets Gail had managed to secure.
"And yet….I'm the one with the giant stuffed doughnut." Gail had also earned a foot massage after her next double shift, breakfast all week, and Holly agreeing to help her scam the rest of the rookies the next time Dov wanted to do his stupid trivia night. All in all a successful outing if she said so herself (oh, and she had, repeatedly).
"But, no one is that good?" Holly was a scientist afterall, but her little experiment had backfired big time.
"You're right, maybe you're just that bad."
"You think you're so cute."
"No, I know I'm cute," Gail corrected her, causing Holly to roll her eyes, but she didn't miss the slight upward twitch of the corners of her lips because of course Gail was looking at her lips.
Damn it, Gail needed a new distraction. "So what's next on the agenda?"
"Well, I still need to give you your gift. So the plan was to head back to my place." Holly paused in front of her motorcycle and held out her keys. "Think you can get us there in one piece?"
"Of course," Gail was a little too enthusiastic about her chance to cash in on their previous wager.
"This is not going end well for me is it?"
"This is going to end wonderfully for both of us."
"You are literally the worst influence on my life."
"You're welcome."
And now that the roles were reversed as they settled on to the bike, Gail realized that her mocking earlier in the night had nothing on how distracting having Holly's arms wrapped tightly around her. She wondered if it had more to do with Holly's actual fear of her driving or if she was just enjoying the opportunity to touch her.
"Ready, Nerd?"
"As I'll ever be."
Gail laughed and kicked them into drive, and yeah there really was no comparison to the thrill she got from the power of the bike and the way Holly's body felt pressed so tightly to her. She would definitely be taking the long way home.
"And now I remember why I've never let anyone else drive her, ever." Holly jokingly (mostly) complained as they walked into the doctor's home.
"Not even any of your girlfriends?"
"God, no, my relationship with that bike is my longest one yet. It survived much longer than any of them."
"Holly Stewart: Heart-breaker Extraordinaire. That's the diploma on the far left of your office right?"
"Hardly, I'm the dumpee not the dumper. Got my Ph.D. in it and everything."
"Was that before or after the medical degree?"
"Hmmm...earned my bachelor's in it prior, had a Master's by the time med school ended, and finished my dissertation back in Montréal."
"Are you ever going to tell me about the mysterious Montréal relationship?"
"Are you going to tell me about Vegas?"
"Touché. But it is my birthday so technically you should probably do what I want today."
"You're right, it is your birthday, which we should definitely get back to. Wait right here."
Holly vanished before Gail could protest. But it was obvious Holly still didn't want to talk about whatever happened prior to her coming to Toronto. It was frustrating, because Gail knew that that relationship was the reason Holly had sworn off relationships and it was definitely a contributing factor to why Holly still hadn't made a move even after Gail basically gave her the go-ahead before Lisa's inopportune phone call the previous week.
When Holly returned she was carrying both an envelope and a small cake with a candle already lit. She sang a very off-key version of Happy Birthday that had Gail smiling in genuine admiration. Holly finished just as she reached the couch where Gail was still seated.
"Make a wish."
Gail knew what she wanted to wish for, had known for awhile, and every day they spent together had just made her more and more certain. She kept her eyes fixed on Holly's, making the wish silently, but never straying even as she leaned forward and blew out the small flame.
"Happy Birthday, Gail, I hope your wish comes true."
"Me too."
"But in the meantime," Holly placed the cake on the nearby table and held out a card, "How about you open this?"
Gail bypassed the outstretched envelope, catching hold of Holly's wrist and tugging her down onto the couch beside her. She waited until Holly settled comfortably just beside her, thigh-to-thigh, shoulder-to-shoulder, every inch touching not seeming like enough but it would have to do for now, before accepting the card, but she still didn't open it.
"You really didn't have to get me a gift, you've already done more than you should've tonight."
Holly stretched an arm along the back of the couch behind Gail, her other adjusting her glasses before running through her long hair in that nervous way of hers. "It's not a big deal, really."
"I didn't deserve any of this."
Holly's hand dropped to just above Gail's jean-clad knee. The gentle pressure resonating through her entire body. "You deserve all of this and more. You've been the best surprise I've gotten since moving to Toronto, Gail, so I thought I'd pay you back for it. Now please open your gift."
Gail was smiling even before she opened the cheesy card and noticed the tickets nestled inside.
"Are you shitting me? Holls, this show has been sold out for weeks!"
"Well I thought this was going to be your Christmas present since someone hadn't told me when her birthday was."
That fucking hand gave another gentle squeeze that Gail was sure was supposed to go along with the friendly gest, but fucking hell if it wasn't doing some very unfriendly things to Gail's body.
"I can't believe… Holly, all of this has been perfect." She meant it. No one had ever known her this well, known everything she liked-loved, and brought it all together. "You've been perfect."
"Hardly."
"I mean it, Holls. You're perfect."
"Please don't do that."
"Do what?"
"Put me up on some kind of a pedestal."
"Why not? You deserve it." And so much more, she added to herself.
"Because things on pedestals are meant to be admired, but they're untouchable." Holly paused, the hand burning a fire on Gail's thigh shifted higher until it reached her own hand, where Holly tangled their fingers together. Her voice dropped even lower, "And I really want you to be able to touch me, Gail."
Gail's heart was pounding, every nerve fiber tingling with anticipation. "In that case, how about we make my birthday wish come true?"
"Thought you weren't supposed to tell people your wishes," Holly teased as she tucked an errant blonde hair behind Gail's ear, the gap between them closing slowly but surely.
"Then it's a good thing talking isn't required."
Holly smirked but her eyes drifted down to Gail's lips, so Gail took the initiative and started to move in, slowly, tentatively, wanting to enjoy every damn moment of finally getting what she wanted since that stupid bet with the stupid boys. But the boys were definitely not what she was thinking about just then, not when Holly was so close and every second they had spent together had been leading them right there. And she paused, it was just a few more millimeters to Holly's lips, but she knew that this was going to be a moment worth remembering, worth savoring and it was just within reach….
A dulled ringing sounded from Holly's back pocket and it had the brunette pulling away once more.
That fucking phone! "I'm going to fucking shoot that thing," Gail growled.
Holly dropped her head into the crook of Gail's neck and let out a low groan, a sentiment being echoed by Gail's tense body.
"It's probably work."
"Of course it is."
Holly made an apologetic face, even as she answered, "Stewart."
Gail waited quietly for the call to end, wishing that Holly wasn't being called out to some crime scene somewhere that wasn't there, wasn't on the couch with Gail where they could easily pick up where they left off. But Holly had to work and Gail had to calm her body back to a semi-functioning level at least until she could take a cold shower.
"I have to go."
"Yeah, no, I get it. I should probably get going too."
"You don't have to. I mean-I know I probably won't be home for awhile-but, you could stay. You know, if you wanted. And...we should talk. We can talk in the morning. I can make you breakfast, I have that maple bacon that you like."
"I can't," Gail breathed out a disappointed sigh as she stood up, because Holly and bacon seemed like a dream combination right then, "I have to cover that construction project on Seventh and the crew starts early."
"Right, yeah."
"But tomorrow? You'll be at my surprise party right?"
"I might have to work, but I'll try my best."
Gail nodded, "Seriously though Holls, thank you for everything tonight."
"Happy birthday, Gail." Holly pressed a kiss to corner of Gail's lips before grabbing keys so they both could leave.
And it wasn't how either of them wanted their night to end, but there was always tomorrow, right?
A/N: One more chapter to go for this one. And before anyone asks: yes, I am working on Freedom so maybe there's an update in the not super distant future for that one too. Then again maybe I'll just crawl back into my hole and continue to hide from the world. Who knows...
