The door creaked as it opened, causing Holly's ears to perk as the new sound slipped into the quiet room. Holly's mood soured at the thought of any interruptions. She was scheduled to be evaluated on her knowledge of human anatomy and physiology. The course could be considered the most important course leading up to her career. While Holly thought she was ready, she still did not feel confident.

She chose the manager's office to study because no one ever bothered to go into the room including the manager. The space was small, about the size of two broom closets pushed together. It served as the shop's document dump and extra storage space. Boxes of supplies cluttered each corner of the room. Stacks of old order sheets, receipts, and accounting records laid haphazardly spread out on the old wooden desk, against one of the walls in the room.

Holly cleaned up as best she could before settling in to her school work. Now, a few hours in, she no longer noticed the clutter in the room. The work before her consumed her focus. She had a tough exam ahead of her. Everything else was second in her life.

At least that was what she thought before she heard the door creak, and an impossibly loud sultry voice fluttered beyond the threshold and caused the edges of her lips to slowly shift upwards.

"Holly, Holly, Holly. Please tell me you are not that kind of nerd."

Gail spoke with a radiant tone that ignored the earliness of the morning. And despite Holly desired to stick with her studies, she found herself waning. She cursed herself for being easily distracted and for not caring as much as she knew she should.

Holly attempted to stop the spreading of her smile. She held it in, refusing to look away from her laptop. Still, she could not keep the giddiness of having Gail's presence from her voice.

"What kind of nerd are you speaking of exactly?"

Gail strolled in enough to casually lean against the wall to the side of the entrance. With her in such near proximity Holly's brain flat-out refused to continue to stay trained on her work. She looked away from the laptop and let her eyes roam luxuriously up Gail. She was in her most casual uniform. Holly rolled her eyes and chuckled inwardly at the oxymoron. Still the short sleeve shirt and light slacks played well with Gail's lighten attitude. She was in a good mood. And her mood unknowingly eased some of Holly's earlier anxiety.

"Holly, I refuse to believe you are one of those nerds who studies for hours with a smile on your face. And before you deny it, I saw you when I came in."

"I have nothing to deny." Holly shook her head reinforcing her words. "I really love studying. There is always something I miss, something new I learn. I would be fine now if I was not a little troubled by the latest twist to Dr. Handley's exam."

Gail shook her heading in disbelief, grimacing at Holly's words.

"Just when I've decided you may not be all bad, you go and say something like that. Loving to study? The horror."

"Oh Gail." Holly leaned in with a twinkle in her eyes. "I think we both know I was never all bad. In fact, I'm very much all good all of the time."

Gail's brows shot up, "I don't even know what that means."

"I think you do." Holly fave her a flirty smirk.

Gail scoffed but felt a blush creeping on her cheeks at Holly's gaze. The change in color brightened Holly's day even more than Gail's presence. Anytime she got visible evidence that she was not the only one being gradually swept away by their relationship, Holly stored the moment away, because the evidence did not make an appearance enough for her.

Holly turned back to her laptop and highlighted a few passages in her notes she knew she would need later. She then looked back at Gail. Her eyes met Gail's steady gaze as the blonde cadet continued her lean. Holly wondered how long Gail had been looking at her unnoticed. And what was she thinking behind those clear blue eyes.

"This is an early visit for you. Usually I don't see you until the fifth batch is ready to go."

"Wow., you know exactly when I usually stop by? Keeping close watch on me, are you Stewart?"

"What can I say, Gail? I am a scientist who loved the minute details. And you do know how to commandeer my attention."

"No duh, Holly. I don't know why you are so surprised."

Holly chuckled at Gail's overt arrogance. She pulled it off so adorably. Gail sauntered to the desk, pushing several files to the side as she plopped down on it directly in front of Holly.

"Big practice drill day for me and my team. What about you? What's today's big twist in this test you are talking about?"

Holly sighed. "The first part of the exam is essay form. That is usual so I've terms with it. I can lay out the facts of any case. But last night, Dr. Handley emailed the entire class to tell us that after the exam he wants to talk to us."

"Just like talk?" Holly smiled delightfully at Gail's clear confusion.

"Yes, Gail. He wants to have a conversation with each student one to one. But this conversation will be worth half of the grade. He wants to, and I quote, make sure we are not just memorizing but we store this information in our hearts."

"Really?!" Gail did not even try to hide the disgust on her face. Holly nodded solemnly.

"Last night when I read the email I think I was fine. I just scheduled a time to see him. But this morning all I could do was look over my notes. Then look at them again. And again." Holly looked at Gail. Concern clouded her eyes. "Gail, this is the eighth time I've look at them. I'm kind of freaking out."

Gail frowned as she took in Holly's state. Holly knew she was usually the calm one, impervious to fits of irrationality. She felt a the sting of humiliation creep up as Gail's gaze sat on her.

"Holly, are you telling me you are scared to talk?"

Holly waited for the tease or joke. But Gail just watched her, concerned. Holly was use to Gail's teasing but she was unfamiliar with this side. The consideration she saw when she met Gail's scrutinizing eyes made her self-conscious.

"I'm not scared to talk. It's just the thought of… I don't know… It's more than talking. It's an exam in the form of a conversation. Who knows what he will ask?"

"Holly, you are an idiot." Gail stated as if she was simply given the time. Yet Holly was taken aback by her words.

"Thanks Gail." Holly muttered as she looked away. Gail's hands went up, waving her earlier statement away.

"I mean you are an idiot to think you can't handle this. You are Holly Stewart, a.k.a., the smartest person I have ever met. If anyone has this stuff attached firmly to their heart, it's you. It's not just in your heart. It runs through your veins and arteries. It's in your freaking blood."

"Well, if it runs through my veins and arteries, then adds are, yes, it would be in my blood." Holly stated matter-of-factly. "Veins and arteries are the blood vessels that carry the blood to and from the heart. So anything passing through that part of the circulatory system would definitely be in the blood."

"See!" Gail yelped, throwing her hands in the air. "If that stuff is water Holly, you are the shark that swims in it. You own it."

Holly flushed at Gail's passionate affirmation of her intelligence.

"I'm a shark. That is good to know."

"You're not just a shark." Gail shot back. "You're the shark. Own it."

Holly held Gail gaze, feeling the nervous energy ramped up inside of her. Gail was right. Gail was spectacularly right. Holly stood and grinned cockily at Gail. The light in her eyes matching the brightness of her smile.

"I own this."

Gail and Holly both beamed with confidence. Holly told herself to stop freaking out. Why was she having trouble believing in herself. Gail seemed to have no trouble at it.

Seeing the woman in front of her so on her side caused an unrecognizable feeling to rise in Holly. Holly's friends tended to push Holly by prodding her emotions or searching for the rationality of her fears. Not Gail. Holly had never had someone who absolutely refuse to give her doubts in herself any credence. It was a display of absolute faith.

Holly looked away, not wanting her eyes to reveal the tender emotion working their way through her. If a Gail only knew… she sighed. It was probably best not to dwell on the moment, so Holly did what she always did when life left her a bit shaken. She turned to what was the easiest to understand.

"I still need to study." The words slipped quietly from her.

"Sure," Gail agreed as she slid off of the desk. "I'll probably see you later." She turned towards the door then paused spinning back towards Holly. "Unless it would bother you. I could alway wait until after—"

"No. I'm fine." Holly reassured Gail warmly. "Plus I want to you to bother me. I like it when you do."

Gail smiled. "Then I'll be a bother."

Holly watched Gail walk through with some sadness. She knew with Gail there she would not be able to study and while she was more confident she still would like to go over her notes one last time. Yet she liked the rush Gail caused in her. Holly did not know what to do about the faith the cadet probably did not even realized she had revealed to Holly. The way the blonde strongly put her fears to rest made Holly feel amazing. She was so caught up in that feeling that she did not notice Gail peaking back into the room.

"You know I can help." Gail shrugged as she stood at the door. Holly inhaled sharply in surprise. She was more shocked by Gail's offer than her reappearance.

"Really?"

"Yes really, Holly." Gail reprimanded as if Holly should have immediately known that Gail was available.

"But you have drilling?"

Gail shrugged. "I have a little time to kill. And if you need to get ready for a conversation you kind of need a person to talk to. I know I don't know anything about this stuff but you can talk to me. I can listen."

Holly shook her head in amazement Gail must be seriously trying to kill her using her very own emotions. If she did not stop being so wonderful Holly was sure she would turn into a warm puddle right before her.

"Gail Peck," Holly shared with the goofiest grin. "Are you offering to help me study?"

Gail grimaced immediately. "Only if you don't let it get around. But yes, Holly. If you need me that is."

I think I will always need you.

Holly froze, unsure if she had said the words out loud. They had been so close to the edge of her lips. How could they have not fallen over? She watched Gail, waiting for her reaction. Their moment in the kitchen replayed in her mind. The simple brush of her lips against Gail's cheek has sent to Gail into hiding for nearly a week. Holly did not want to push the growing relationship between them. She was unsure of where the break line laid.

When no reaction came from Gail, Holly relaxed in her chair and nodded to the corner.

"There's another chair. Pull up a seat," she said with a fluttering smile. Gail did as she requested. She grabbed the chair, removing first the stacks of paper in them, then sat it next to Holly. She took her seat a breath away from the starry-eyed brunette.

Gail sighed as if she was doing to hardest chore of her life.

"Don't make me regret this."

Holly laughed at Gail's serious tone. With a smile filled with teeth, Holly replied, "I'm never letting you forget this."

Gail groaned again, and the two went to work. Their conversation stayed primarily on Holly's exam but, for Holly, it did not feel like she was studying. Maybe it was the way Gail would slip in a joke or a comment about her family. Or how they seemed to stray from the topic to talk about personal facts like their favorite color or their favorite song. It wasn't until their conversation was over that Holly realized that had hit each point in her notes.

—-

Nearly halfway through the day, Holly watched as Gail and her friend, Dov, sat in the corner of the shop. The two similarly dressed cadets sparred over the last donut in front of them, and it looked like one of them was finally getting the upper-hand. Holly expected nothing less though. If she was a betting woman, she would have put everything she had on the blonde with the firm frown eyeing her cohort intensely. Gail Peck was not a quitter when it came to something she wanted. And she wanted that prize.

Not surprisingly as Holly watched, Gail grabbed the fried treat from her slim companion and gave him the smug smile of a winner. Her friend grimaced, his face contracting in what could only be hidden pain. Holly did not know what Gail had said or done to win the battle being waged by hissing words and harsh stares. Whatever maneuver she pulled, it obviously did the trick.

Feeling sympathy for Gail's lanky pal, Holly quickly grabbed a saucer and a donut from one of the glass-clad shelves and headed their direction.

"So Dov, what brings you back to our small establishment so late in the day? It is Dov, correct?" Holly asked as she slid the saucer in front of him. Dov beamed at Holly in gratitude.

"Keep the sweets coming Holly and you can call me anything you want." Dov said as he took a bite of the pastry. Gail rolled her eyes at Dov's reaction to Holly's not-so sneaky move. Since it was Holly usurping Gail's well-fought win, Gail decided not to throw a fit. At least not in front of everyone. She did however turned hard eyes on Dov

"We're here because apparently losers need breaks."

"I'd rather be a loser than dead." Dov shot back. The mangled food in his mouth muffled his words but he did not seem to care. He took another smaller bite.

"Whiner." Gail muttered before she took a huge bite of her donut, engulfing nearly half of it. Dov shrugged.

"Peck, you consider anyone a whiner who dares to push back at your autocratic system of leasing.

"Here it comes," Gail groaned with a roll of her eyes.

"We get it. You want to be the best. You're a Peck. Pecks are the best." His hands became more animated and his voice went up a decimal point with each new sentence.

"But what you fail to realize, not all of of us are Peck. None of us are really."

"It shows." She bit back. Dov sighed tiredly.

"You are going to kill us if you kept running drills like you are. You've already forced us to show up an hour earlier and stay an hour later than everyone else Hell, we even take lunch sometimes on the field."

"We need to be ready." Gail stated firmly. Her hard tone lacked the sympathy Dov was in the search of. Holly watched them stare each other down, surprised at how quickly their battle of wills came to be.

"We will be ready." Dov said with conviction.

"Not if slackjawed morons like you don't get the extra work you need. And believe me. It's going to take you a whole lot of work to be as awesome as me."

"Aww, I love you too, Peck." Dov snarled sarcastically as he took final bite of his donut. "Why in the hell do you care, anyway?"

"I'm your squad leader." Gail glared at him, affronted. Dov scoffed at the simple statement.

"You say it as if it wasn't expected. Of course you are our squad leader. You're a Peck. Do you know how engulfed your family is in the organization? And I'm not even talking about how much money your family donates?"

Holly could not see Gail's foot fly out and connect with Dov's leg, but she heard the corresponding thud and Dov's painful groan.

"Learn some matters, loser. Holly doesn't need to hear your whining about my family or your belly-aching about the drills. You don't need to sour her opinion of the group before she meets everyone."

Gail shifted uncomfortably in her seat and glanced at Holly. Holly flicked her eyebrows jokingly, hoping that would help Gail relax.

"I'm looking forward to it." She said sincerely. Dov shook his head as he looked sorrowfully at Holly.

"Obviously Gail didn't tell you how much torture it is. Some friend you are, Peck."

"I'm a great friend. The best friend an idiot like you is going to get." Gail shot back with another, softer kick. Dov reacted much like a little brother caught up in a fight with his older sibling. He pouted.

"And I did so tell her. She just didn't believe me."

"Yes, she told me." Holly nodded in confirmation. "But it can't be that bad."

"Probably not for Peck here." Dov nodded towards Gail. "Her family is considered royalty at these things. All eyes will probably be on you in awe. You will be walking with a princess."

"And you will be screaming like one if you keep talking, Dov." Holly could see that Gail was growing more agitated with each comment he made. She thought Dov could see it as well. Yet he continued talking.

"What? I'm just handing out a few truths. I still don't know why you're even a part of the cadet corp…. Unless your family is testing you, making sure you got the right stuff."

"Shut up." Gail muttered. That did not stop Dov who was on a roll.

"That's even ridiculous for your family, Gail. Is that what the Pecks do? Test if you a Peck enough and if you are not strip you of the name?" Dov laughed.

"Go to hell, Epstein." Gail growled before she turned and looked apologetically at Holly. Holly did not know why she was apologizing but the look Gail gave her was truly pained. Gail frowned as she stood and stomped to the display of donuts in front of the shop.

"I was just teasing you, Gail. Who knew you was so sensitive?"

Gail quickly showed Dov how sensitive she could be. She savor end giving him a two hands, two fingers salute.

Holly waited until Gail had stopped staring at the display case and instead made her way to the coffee before approached her.

"Are you okay?"

"Yeah," Gail grumbled. "I probably shouldn't have told we were here. We are interrupting your studying."

Holly leaned against the counter before them and surveyed the woman besides her. Her relaxed expression hid her frustration well. But Holly spent as much time studying Gail as she had her notes this morning. She knew Gail's emotions went deeper than she acknowledged.

"Gail, I told you I like when you bother me. You are not an interruption. You are more like a respite."

The firm look on Gail's face slightly faded and her lips nearly relaxed to a smile. "Nice job at the spin there."

"I know. It came so easily." Holly teased back. "Are you still worried about the drill?"

Gail shrugged stiffly, grabbing a paper cup to pour her some coffee.

"Didn't you hear, Dov. Why should I worry? Where I go, there is always a cool breeze to lead me through."

Holly knew Gail was trying to keep it light but she could still hear the lead in her voice. There was two ways Holly could deal with the situation. She chose the one that kept Gail from doing what she seemed to hate doing, talking about it. Holly leaned in, making sure a flirty lift was in her voice.

"Cool breeze, huh? That's funny. Cause all I feel is heat when you are around."

Gail rolled her eyes but visibly relaxed even more. It wash just as Holly hoped.

"Holly, I don't know if you just called me hot or if you think I blow a lot of hot air."

"Take it to mean what you wish."

Gail looked at her incredulously. Holly just smiled back. Gail laughed. Shaking her head, she finished making her coffee. She was not looking at Holly when she spoke again, and it was just as well because. Holly was not sure she would have wanted Gail to see her reaction when the beautiful woman's next comment

"You know what, Holly? You make this worth it. I hope you know that. Absolutely worth it."

Gail grabbed her coffee and made her way back to Dov, all under the softening gaze of Holly. She did not know what the word "this" represented for Gail and she didn't care. Because she felt the same. Gail made this worth it as well.

—-

Gail stormed into the bakery and rushed to the seat she had just left less than thirty minutes ago. Unfortunately, she did not see her missing cover. She could not believe Dov had let her leave without it. He could be such a jerk sometimes. She didn't want to think about the amount of push-ups she would be doing if she did not find it.

Gail wondered if Holly may discovered it and put it away. She went to the employee area to find her, and heard Holly's voice before she made it into the hallway.

"Stop kidding around Lisa. Give me my clothes."

Gail froze at a closed door. She could not see the two women, but anyone near the door would have had to been deaf not to hear them. Gail remembered the room was the manager's office Holly had been studying in earlier. It was pretty clear she was in the room changing with some girl at her side. A girl who had stolen her clothes. Gail tried to rationalize what she hearing but could not. She turned to leave.

"Not until you tell me more about your warrior princess."

Gail paused, hearing the demand. She guessed the second higher pitched voice belonged to Lisa. She also guessed they were talking about her.

"Can you stop calling Gail that?" Holly sighed frustratingly, confirming Gail's guess. "Give me my shirt! This was supposed to be a quick change. You are making me late."

"Holly you have never been late for anything in your life. We have plenty of time. Enough time to tell me about this girl you are hiding from us."

"I'm not hiding anyone." Gail had never heard Holly so irritated. But then she had never heard Holly yelling for clothes. She sharply enunciated each of her words as if trying to control her anger with her diction. She eased closer to the door to listen.

"You just said her name is Gail. And the guys here tell me she is a kid and in the military."

"I'm going to kill Frank. This isn't funny Lisa. I need my shirt."

"Okay. Here you go. But I don't know why you have to hide your flings from your friends."

"She is not a fling."

"She can't be serious or we would have met her. "

"These are the times I wished I never had talked to you."

"You are not denying it."

"Denying that you are insane? No I'm not."

"Face you. You either are unsure of the girl or bored by her."

"I'm taking your car keys now and leaving with or without you."

"Can't stand the truth?"

"No, I just can't stand you."

"You love me. I speak the truth. And mark my words Holly–"

Gail heard the swing of the keys as Holly turned the doorknob. Without a chance to think, she rushed towards the front of the shop. She made it through the hallway entrance before Holly had opened the door all the way. The two women were still talking, but Gail could no longer hear what they were saying. She thought about waiting to see If Holly would come her way. But a growing part of her did not want to wait. She did not want to see Holly.

The part of the conversation she had heard looped in her mind, words like fling and kid sticking out. Was Holly unsure of them? They sounded like close friends. Did this Lisa chick know Holly well enough to be right? A sinking feeling overcame Gail, pressing on her and clouding her thoughts. She could hear the far off voice of her subconscious screaming for her to leave. But as she exited the building she was not clear on what exactly she was supposed to be walking away from.