Bit of a quicker update this time round. Let me know what you think.
Disclaimer: I do not own Rookie Blue or any of the characters.
Gail's life is going so well at the moment, the best it's ever gone she's sure of it. Which is why she wasn't surprised when her mother summoned her out for coffee, everything has been too perfect recently, something was bound to go wrong. She wonders what delights her mother will have for her today. She's already done nothing to endear herself to the youngest Peck family member by leaving her sitting at the table in the coffee house alone, while she 'powders her nose'. She comes waltzing back into the room and elegantly drops onto her seat.
"The bathroom's here are delightful."
Gail smiles, what a random thing to say, although she expects nothing less, this is a classy place. Her mother chose it of course.
"No Holly?" Elaine looks around Gail's person, as if she's got her tucked away in her pocket or something.
"Mom, its eleven thirty on a Wednesday, some people work normal hours."
Elaine nods; she supposes that is one of the downsides, and also one of the perks to being a Police Officer the random hours. "You know the Toronto Gay Pride festival is coming up. You should get involved."
Gail almost chokes on the mouthful of coffee she's just drunk; she manages to regain her composure. "I'm not sure I'm a flag waver Mom."
"Well you should be Gail, if you don't stick up for yourself no one will."
"Stick up for myself against what?" Gail can't quite believe where this conversation has headed, is this why her Mom called her for coffee, so she could try and persuade her to get her rainbow flag on?
"You haven't been part of the community for very long Gail. But you should still embrace the fight for equality."
"Part of the community?! Was I supposed to get like a membership card or something?"
"You might think its funny Gail; but it's important for the Toronto Police Department to have a strong presence at these things, to show our support." Elaine smiles.
Wow her Mom actually did want to see her about this; she knew eventually her Mom would spin hers and Holly's relationship into some sort of political policing aid. Of course her Mom wants to be seen to be supporting the Gays. Gail's not sure she's quite really for that level of out and proudness just yet. "Maybe next year."
"Okay." Elaine shrugs.
Well that was amazingly easy, and once again Gail's not sure about what her mother's intentions are for this little get together. Elaine notices her daughter eyeing her suspiciously.
"What's wrong dear?"
"Nothing, I'm just trying to figure out exactly what's happening here?" Gail narrows her eyes to show her mother she knows there is more to this meeting.
Elaine plays dumb. "What do you mean?"
Gail snorts, she's not buying the innocent look on her mother's face. "I mean what are we doing here?"
Elaine tuts. "Really Gail, can't a mother just want to have coffee and a catch up with her daughter?" She smiles sweetly.
"A mother; yes. Elaine Peck; No. It's never 'just coffee' with you Mom."
Elaine sighs, her daughter knows her too well, maybe she'll make a detective out of her after all. "I wanted to make sure you're okay. That you and Holly are okay." She admits almost sheepishly.
"Since when do you care about me and Holly?" Gail looks at her like she's just sprouted a second head.
"Since your ex-boyfriend turned up in my office trying to concoct a plan to split the two of you up." Elaine says her piece, but then decides that she's offended that Gail thinks she has a problem with her relationship. "Gail that's really not fair, you know I like Holly."
Gail has purely fixated on her mother's first bombshell, she didn't even really hear her petulant moan about liking Holly. "I'm sorry, can we rewind for a second, who came to your office and did what now?"
Not for the first time this morning Elaine exhales loudly. "Officer Collins came to my office, with the intention of dropping the 'bombshell' about you and Holly, in the hope I guess that it would spur me into some kind of destructive action." She pauses to take a sip of her latte.
Gail listens to her mother open mouthed. Elaine continues. "He obviously didn't know that I already knew about the two of you."
"What an absolute. . . "Before Gail can top her sentence off with an expletive her mother perseveres.
"Of course the only action it did spur me into, was recommending him for the undercover assignment he's currently on." The older Peck is rather pleased with herself about this fact.
This stops Gail in her tracks. She has many questions relating to her mother's latest sentence. So many and she doesn't know which she should ask first so they all just kind of fall out her mouth at once.
"Nick's undercover? Wait you sent him undercover? To get him away from me and Holly?" Pennies are dropping all over the place for Gail.
"Well I obviously needn't have worried that much if you haven't even noticed he's not been around for the last week." Elaine chuckles.
She reaches across and places her hand on her still perplexed daughters arm. "I like Holly. I like the effect she has on you; I like how happy she seems to make you." Gail can't help but smile at her mother's words, and actually gets a little emotional.
"Plus I know you have a tendency to mess these things up, and Collins seemed determined to help you with that in this instance, so I thought the distance would help."
And she ruined it; the nice mother daughter moment they could have just shared spoiled by Elaine Peck's inability to say anything 100% nice about her youngest child.
Gail smiles, she guesses it wouldn't be her Mom if she didn't have the little barb at the end. She grabs her Mom's arm right back. "Thank you."
Elaine can see the sincerity in her daughter's eyes, she's not used to such exchanges with Gail and it makes her a little uncomfortable, but she hopes these occurrences will increase in the future, she hopes they can become closer and have a more fitting relationship. For now though she smiles and nods.
Gail is furious and delighted in equal measure right now. Furious at Nick, how dare he do that to her, imagine if her Mom hadn't know, his interfering could and probably would have caused World War 3. Wait until he gets back from his undercover assignment, he's going to wish he was never born.
Delighted because her Mom really does seem to be a fan of her and Holly, hell so much so that she shipped Nick off for God knows how long just so he couldn't jeopardise her relationship. She never thought her Mom would be okay with the gay thing. Apparently she's more than okay, she's actually an advocate. She supposes it helps that Holly's amazing, pretty much the most amazing person she's ever met. With Mama Peck fighting her corner, she feels even better about the future than she did before.
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It's a couple of days since her enlightening coffee date with her Mom and Gail Peck is now stationed on the front desk of 15 division, along with Chris, and man are they bored. Slow day doesn't even begin to cover it. Gail is surprised when she sees the now familiar figure of Ashley Jones walking towards the front desk, looking a hell of a lot smarter than she did the last time she saw her, wearing what looks like a designer skirt suit.
Ashley smiles at Gail's confused look. "Officer Peck, nice to see you again."
"What's the matter Ashley, you didn't see enough of me at the weekend?"
Chris watches the interaction like his head is going to explode. What is going on here, Gail is with Holly; isn't she?
Ashley chuckles at Gail's words. "Well as much as I love to see your beautiful face, I'm actually here on official business."
"Oh?" Gail wonders what that could be; she doesn't look like someone who's here to report a crime.
Ashley laughs at the look of pure bewilderment on her new friends face. "Gail do you remember me telling you that I'm a psychologist on Saturday, and that I've just got Board certification in Forensic Psychology?"
Hmmm this information does sound vaguely familiar. Ashley continues. "I'm here as Doctor Ashley Jones today, one of your Homicide detectives wants a criminal profile. Don't suppose you can point me in the right direction?"
Chris takes over. "Down the hall to the right."
Ashley looks at the male officer for the first time, he's hot. She glances down at his name stitched onto his uniform "Thanks Officer Diaz."
She grins before heading off in pursuit of Diaz's directions. "Catch you later Gail."
"Yeah laters Doctor Jones." Gail has a playful edge to her tone, so much so that Ashley turns around quickly and sticks her tongue out at the younger woman.
It still surprises Gail that Ashley is as educated as Holly, not that she's not clever, she just less of a nerd, or at least she seems to be. Maybe not. Gail happens to look up a Chris she does not know where his current expression is coming from he looks almost angry. She's about to find out why.
"You've snagged yourself another hot girlfriend?" Chris really can't get on board with Gail stealing all of Toronto's finest women for herself.
She half laughs half snickers at Chris. "Yeah genius, I'm with Holly."
"Oh yeah, I'm sure she'd be delighted to see how much you flirt with other woman. When did you become so gay?" Chris frowns, have all the women in the vicinity switched teams while he hasn't been looking?
"Ashley is Holly's best friend." Gail hopes that these words alone will be enough to confirm to Chris that, that was not flirting; she hopes he thinks enough of her to know she wouldn't do that to Holly, especially not with her closet friend. Playful banter is a label she's more comfortable with.
Chris appears to have got it; he's needs confirmation that his 'all hot women are only interested in other hot women' panic isn't true. "Lesbian?"
Gail rolls her eyes. "Contrary to popular belief, Holly has straight friends too."
Chris can't miss the opportunity his friend has presented him with here. "Oh yeah, like you were Holly's straight friend?" He wiggles is eyebrows.
Gail shakes her head, what a dufus. "No not like that. Ashley is actually straight. Let's face it; if she's not remotely interested in Holly then she's not likely to be interested in any other women."
"Oh right, because I forgot Holly is the hottest lesbian in the history of the world?"
"Yep." Gail leans back into her chair, and starts to daydream about just how true Chris's statement is.
Chris just giggles and shakes his head; he can tell he's lost her. He looks back over to the door that Ashley had disappeared through a moment or so ago. "Finally, a hot straight one."
This is definitely interesting information.
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Holly is pottering around her kitchen when Gail enters fresh from the shower, she likes coming to Holly's straight from work, firstly because her shower is amazing, and secondly because she knows Holly will cook for her. She wanders into the room and takes in the delightful aroma's before hugging Holly from behind and placing a gentle kiss on her neck, if there's one thing that smell's better than the food, it's Holly.
She swiftly detaches herself from her girlfriend, so she doesn't distract her around all the cooking, that would be a recipe for disaster. She takes a seat on one of the stools at the centre island, and gets ready to partake in one of her favourite pastimes; watching Holly. Plus she knows Holly appreciates the company while she's slaving over the hot stove.
"How was work today?" Holly satisfied that the pot can look after itself for a few minutes' turns to face Gail as she poses her question.
"Urrgghh. It was so boring." Holly stifles a laugh at Gail's child like response. Suddenly Gail light's up.
"Ashley stopped by."
"Yeah she said she'd been asked to do a profile."
"I think Chris has a crush on her."
"Really?" Holly's not sure she likes where this is going.
"So what do you think, should we set them up?" Gail knows Chris would love nothing more, and she's felt kinda sorry for him since his 'I need a girlfriend' meltdown not that long ago back at their place.
"I don't really think he's her type."
Gail scrunches up her face. "Why what's wrong with him?"
"Nothing." Holly is quick to clear that up. "It's more like what's wrong with Ashley. She seriously has the worse taste in men I've ever come across. In fact as a psychologist you think she'd be able to pick them a little better."
"Go on." Gail is intrigued now.
"I wouldn't even know where to start, she's had them all, emotional abusers, idiots, deadbeats, control freaks, she actually got hit once by one of the many losers she's dated."
This makes Gail rage, from what she knows of Ashley so far she can't help but really like her, the thought that anyone would hit her, and a man at that, well she would use the term 'man' very loosely in those particular circumstances.
"She didn't take it obviously, she's not that stupid." Holly continues. "But I honestly don't remember her having a nice boyfriend. I would love nothing more than to set her up with Chris, but I think he's just too much of a nice guy for her."
Gail sighs. "Maybe we should set her up with Nick. He's a dick."
Holly already knows what Gail is talking about having previously been filled in regarding Gail's coffee meet with her Mom. She chuckles to herself at Gail's words.
"Hey that rhymes."
Gail laughs too. "Nick the dick."
She decides she's going to proceed with her idea in spite of Holly's warning. "Come on Hol, let's set them up anyway and see what happens. You never know? And if all else fails at least it could be a source of amusement for us, you know disaster date, those are always fun stories."
Holly is appalled. "Maybe I should set Ashley up with you. You're horrible." She is of course teasing.
"I'm taken." Gail says matter of a factly.
"Yes you are." Holly leans in and kisses her, before quickly turning her attention back to the pan. Gail leans back against the Kitchen Island once more, determined to put her Diaz-Jones match making plan into action.
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Ashley strolls into Holly's lab clutching a brown bag with lunch for the two of them. Happy, it's been a while since the two of them had lunch like this. Holly feels a little bad that she's allowed herself to be drawn into Gail's match making operation, which is what she's actually referring to it as now, like it's some sort of big police mission.
"Hey, I got you a chicken salad on wholemeal." Ashley reaches into the bag and throws a wrapped sandwich at her best friend.
She glances across to what can only be described as a rotting corpse laid out on Holly's table. "You know I've just remembered why I stopped having lunch with you."
Holly follows her vision and drags her by the sleeve to a couple of chairs at the other side of the lab.
"Better?"
"I guess, I can't see it anymore. The smell is delightful though. Although I'm pretty sure it's one that's going to be lingering with me for the rest of my life, so I don't think leaving the room will help all that much." She grins.
"Dramatic much?"
Ashley takes a bite from her own sandwich. "So what is this impromptu lunch invitation all about anyway?"
"Cant I just want to spend time with my best friend?"
Ashley gives her look which screams 'do you know who you're talking to here?' "You know if I was a trained professional, my answer to that question would be a firm no. Oh wait, I am a trained professional." She raises her eyebrows.
Holly knows Ashley expects the real reason now. She sighs. "Well Gail seems to think that you and Chris might get on. She was all for ambushing you, whereas I wanted to give you a fair warning."
Ashley is confused. "Who's Chris?"
"You meet him the other day at 15, he was with Gail." She points out.
The psychologist knows who she's referring to. "Ooooh, you mean Officer Diaz."
Holly laughs at her friend's enthusiasm. "Gail wants to set me up huh? He was pretty cute." She shrugs her shoulders.
"He's a really nice guy." Ashley looks at the expression on Holly's face; she looks like she's scared she's just offered up that information.
"You know Holly that usually considered a good trait; you don't have to look so upset about it."
"Well you're not exactly renowned for dating nice guys."
Ashley puts her sandwich down, she knows this statement is true, but more than that she knows how much Holly hates the fact that this statement is true.
"Well maybe it's time I took a leaf out of your book."
Holly's confused; Ashley clarifies for her buddy. "You've taken a chance with your heart, maybe it's time I did the same with mine. Dating a guy I actually stand the chance of having a future with would be a start I guess."
Ashley grabs her sandwich again and starts merrily snacking away on it. Holly looks at her in disbelief. Maybe Gail was right after all; maybe Chris and Ashley could be a good idea.
"So I'll give him your number then?"
"Yeah I guess. He's a cop, that's pretty sexy, as you well know."
Holly grins knowingly.
"He's got a gun." Ashley says this like she's just realised it. "That's kind of dangerous right?" Her playful grin reaches right up to her eyes.
Holly shakes her head. "The difference between Chris and your old boyfriends is that he's not likely to use it on you." Holly laughs to show she's half joking, only half though.
"Come on they weren't all that bad?"
Holly raises her eyebrows, and Ashley concedes. "Yeah some of them were that bad."
Holly smirks, which is mirrored on her friends face. "Anyway enough about me, how's loves young dream getting on?"
Holly knows she's referring to her and Gail. "Really well actually."
"I like her." Ashley is sincere. "She's good for you."
"You think so?"
"Yeah, she's got enough snark to keep you on your toes. She seems a little guarded, but I think she's basically an open book for you. No secrets."
Holly nods; she really hopes her best friend's words prove correct. Ashley reaches over and grabs Holly's hand; she instantly knows what she's worried about. "Hey, she the Polar opposite of your last girlfriend."
It's getting a little tense so Ashley decides to try and lighten the mood. "Plus, I'm kinda the only best friend you've got left, and she's really not my type. So whatever she does, running off with your bestie is not a lightening that's going to strike twice."
Holly chuckles. She can't help but think that Ashley and Gail are very similar in personality, perhaps that's why they've hit it off so quickly.
"I'm so scared of getting hurt again." Holly didn't mean for this lunch to turn so deep, she did genuinely just want to warn Ashley about Gail's intentions for her and Chris.
Ashley's sandwich gets discarded, and her heart breaks a little for her best friend. Of course she had been there in the aftermath of the disaster that had been Sarah.
"Hey listen to me. Do you really think I'd let you get involved with someone who would get close to hurting you like that again?"
She pulls Holly into a hug. "Gail loves you. That much is painfully obvious. She wouldn't hurt you on purpose. I certainly don't think she has it in her to be as cruel as certain other people were." Ashley hates her so much she can't even bring herself to say her name.
Holly relaxes into the hug with her best friend, who continues to try and re assure her. "I'll do you a deal okay?"
She feels Holly nod against her shoulder. "I will give Chris; a nice guy, a proper chance, if you promise not to tar Gail with the same brush as the 'person who shall remain nameless'."
Holly laughs. "Deal."
Ashley pulls back a little so she can look Holly in the eyes. "I'm serious Holly, don't ruin this amazing thing that you've found, because you can't let go of the past."
"I won't I promise."
Ashley kisses on the head before releasing her and taking up her position back on the stool. "So do you think we should double date that would be interesting right?"
Holly loves her friend's ability to change the subject so seamlessly, without any awkwardness. "I'm not sure that's really what Gail had in mind."
"Oh I know she'd hate it; it would be fabulous."
They both dissolve into laughter. Yep they are definitely similar. It calms Holly to think that Gail is a little like Ashley; after all Ashley has stuck around in her life through thick and thin for almost 20 years, the thought that Gail might do the same makes her giddy with excitement.
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If the mood so takes you, please feel free to review! Or drop me a tweet at Eden_Ashley_Chr More soon. . .