A/N: Just a reminder that I posted an extra chapter this week on Friday, so make sure you have read that one first. As always, thank you for your wonderful feedback.
It's not that Gail forgets to bring it up, it's more that she isn't sure how to.
She's never been the best at broaching delicate subject matters, always slightly fearful of the unexpected array of emotions that come with peoples varied responses, and even though she's gotten better at it as part of her job – learning quickly to read the signs of when to comfort or when to stand back and give much needed space – dealing with Holly feels significantly more daunting.
There's a knot sitting heavily in her stomach; a tangled mess of apprehension and guilt, which continuously tightens as she struggles desperately with how to finally tell Holly the truth about her father. They've always been honest with each other, and knowing that she's concealed this secret from Holly plagues her mind relentlessly until she finds herself doubting whether what she's done is actually a good thing or not.
It's the consuming fear that Holly might feel betrayed by her actions and the unpredictable scope of her reaction that makes Gail keep her mouth firmly shut until she can't possibly avoid bringing it up any longer.
"I need to..." Gail starts aimlessly, trailing off the second she draws Holly's eyes away from her book and up to hers.
"You need to what?" Holly asks, her forehead creasing in concern as she watches Gail's mouth open and close around words she can't seem to fully muster.
Gail draws her bottom lip into her mouth, worrying it with her teeth for a few seconds before releasing it and breathing out, "Will you take a drive with me?"
"Okay..." Holly drawls slowly, the corners of her mouth curling upwards into the beginning of a bemused smile. "Is everything okay? You've been weird and quiet all weekend."
Gail nods and reaches up to rub at the tightening muscles in her neck. "I'm fine. I just..." she pauses then, taking a second to inhale deeply as she holds Holly's gaze intently. "There's something I really have to show you."
She knows Holly must see the worry written across her face because she reaches out to rub her thumb soothingly along the arch of the foot Gail has resting in her lap. "Give me a second to get ready and we'll go wherever you need to go, alright?"
"Thanks," Gail replies with a small smile as she draws herself up from the couch and offers Holly her hand, pulling her to her feet and pressing a reassuring kiss to Holly's cheek before she disappears to gather her things together.
Holly lets the silence settle between them as Gail drives, and Gail finds herself being thankful once again for Holly's unwavering patience to just let her work through things at her own pace. She stretches her hand across the centre console to find Holly's, and tangles their fingers together and squeezes in a way that she hopes is comforting as she draws the car to a stop just outside of the Lakeside Residential Rehab Centre.
She hears Holly's sharp exhale as she turns the ignition off and daringly turns her head in Holly's direction, letting her eyes roam carefully over Holly's face as she tries to get a read on what she's thinking.
"What are we doing here?" Holly breathes, her voice shaky and confused as she forces her gaze slowly away from the building to find Gail's face.
Gail feels the rush of her heart beating loudly in her ears, and has to swallow loudly to clear the nervous lump that's lodged tightly in her throat. "Your dad's here," Gail admits quietly as she watches Holly's eyebrows knit together in disbelief.
Holly opens and closes her mouth several times before pursing her lips together as she shakes her head. "No, he... he left..." Holly retorts, her eyes narrowing further as she watches Gail shake her own head in dismissal. Holly draws her hand away from Gail's then and reaches up to adjust her glasses, tucking her hair back behind her ears in a motion that Gail knows is a nervous tick.
"Baby..." Gail murmurs pleadingly, reaching out for her hand again when she hears Holly's breathing deepen as she struggles to process what Gail's telling her, and tugs gently until Holly looks back at her. "I-"
"He's really here?" Holly cuts off, her question rushing out all in one breath.
Gail darts her tongue out to moisten her lips and nods. "He's really here," she confirms, her eyes never leaving Holly's as she finds the words to explain. "He's been working the program and he's doing really great," Gail rushes as she watches Holly blink blankly back at her as she tries to take it all in. "He wants to see you, Hol; he wants to make amends."
Holly pulls her hand free from Gail's again and regards her quietly for a painfully long moment, her expression unreadable. "You knew he was here..." Holly whispers incredulously. "The whole time he's been gone, you knew this is where he was?"
Gail lowers her eyes as her heart clenches agonizingly in her chest and nods. "Yeah."
"I don't-" Holly stops abruptly, sighing heavily and closing her eyes as she lets her head rest back wearily against the headrest. "I thought we told each other things?" Holly breathes sadly as she tilts her head towards Gail expectantly.
She sees the hurt in Holly's eyes then and Gail finds herself nodding her head hopelessly as her heart plummets to her stomach. "We do."
"Just not this," Holly accuses without missing a beat.
Gail feels her stomach twist at the bite in Holly's words and whispers, "I was trying to protect you."
Holly huffs out a heavy breath as she reaches a hand up to rub at her temple, and Gail watches anxiously as Holly stares off out towards the building, purposely refusing to meet Gail's gaze again. The sense of dread that's crept into her bones, and refused to let her sleep peacefully from the moment Mike had given her the date of his first family-therapy session, prickles up her spine and makes Gail wring her hands together tightly in her lap to stop herself from reaching out for Holly again, knowing with certainty that her touch won't presently be welcomed.
"I don't need you to be my white knight, Gail, I just need you to be my partner," Holly finally says, breaking the stifling silence that has settled between them. She turns her head to meet Gail's eyes briefly then and when Gail remains unable to hold her gaze for more than a split second, the guilt rendering her speechless, Holly releases a final, disappointed sigh as she adds, "You should have told me the truth about this from the start."
Holly doesn't give her a chance to reply then, instead she opens the door and gets out of the car in one fluid motion, not looking back as she stalks off towards the entrance to the centre. Gail lets her go, taking a second to fight against the sting in her eyes as she whispers a remorseful "I'm sorry" into the empty space Holly has left behind.
She follows tentatively behind a few moments later, arriving inside just in time to see Holly lay eyes on Mike for the first time in months, and even though her heart aches relentlessly with the need to make things right between them, she lingers back and allows Holly to have her moment with her father, knowing it's something Holly's always longed for but never allowed herself to truly believe she would ever have again.
It feels like she's intruding on a moment that she once thought she'd get to share with Holly as she watches as Holly's face lights up with a bright smile, her eyes brimming with tears that quickly spill down her cheeks as she hugs Mike tightly, pulling back after a few long minutes to hold his face and look over him in proud awe.
Gail averts her gaze after a few moments to give them some privacy and wraps her arms around herself as she takes a step backwards, pressing herself into the corner and trying to make herself as small as possible. It should feel amazing, knowing that she helped bring them back together like this, but all Gail feels is her stomach knotted with guilt and disappointment in herself for ever thinking that keeping this quiet was a good idea.
Holly's been consistently supportive during these past few months; always quietly and patiently nurturing her doubts and helping to reassure Gail of her own capabilities. But not once has she ever taken complete control of Gail's life. Instead, Gail knows that Holly nudges her gently, steadying Gail until she finds her feet, and once she's sure that Gail has her balance, she backs off and lets Gail go free, believing fully that Gail is more than competent to handle things on her own.
It reminds Gail of her birthday dinner, when her mother had been on the attack and successfully inflicted her with pain. She'd had the chance to step-up and defend herself, and yet when years of lingering insecurities had rendered her physically unable to, only then had Holly swooped in to protect her. Gail feels her lungs burning as an endless wave of guilt rolls over her again, and she presses her hand to her chest to try and ease the relentless ache, remembering how Holly had willingly stepped back again, the following morning, once Gail had assured her that she was ready to stand-up for herself and face Elaine on her own.
Holly has always given her a choice, and Gail knows without question that it's that complete lack of having the option to be included in Mike's recovery that has Holly so mad at her.
She's pulled from her thoughts a few seconds later by a hand gently touching her shoulder, and she looks up in surprise to find Mike standing in front of her, grinning happily. "Thank you for getting her to come."
"Of course," Gail says, flashing a smile back, knowing how much it means to him. She chances a glance over his shoulder and sees Holly talking to a plump, smartly dressed woman who's clutching a file to her chest.
Mike tilts his head to follow her gaze. "That's Nancy, my therapist," he says, turning back to her as he addresses her unspoken question.
"She looks nice," Gail returns absently, her eyes remaining focused on Holly, willing her to look back at her with no such luck.
"You'll soon find out," Mike tells her, drawing Gail's gaze back to him as her eyebrows knit together in confusion. "It's a family-therapy session, Gail, and you're family now. I was hoping you'd join Holly and come in for the session too."
Gail swallows thickly and shakes her head. "I don't think I-"
"Dad, Nancy's ready to get started," Holly interrupts as she appears at Mike's side and touches his arm while still managing to avoid Gail's eyes.
Mike nods. "I was just trying to convince Gail to join us," he says, flicking his attention to Holly.
Gail watches then as Holly forces a fake smile onto her face and waves her hand dismissively. "I'm sure she would rather wait out here, Dad. Right, Gail?"
The force of Holly's simple brush off hits her squarely in the chest and makes Gail's heart wedge in her throat; it feels like she's choking on it. She recoils back slightly as the words sink in, never knowing Holly to be so distant with her before, and nods her head in agreement as her heart drops to the pit of her stomach, mumbling a pathetic, "Right."
She feels the tension bubbling around them as Mike glances between them suspiciously, putting his arm out to block Gail's path of retreat. "It would mean a lot to me if you came in Gail," Mike says, curling his arm gently around Gail's forearm and encouraging her to walk with him at the same time as he shoots Holly a questioning look, and nudges her towards the therapy room.
Despite the burning urge to run, Gail lets herself be led, finding her will to protest stunted by Mike's firm insistence and the determination tightening his jaw.
Nancy directs her and Holly over to one of the couches while she and Mike sit on the one opposite, and as Holly sits as far away from her as possible on the small two-seater, Gail curls her nails into the palms of her hands to fight off the desire to get up and run.
She stays quiet for the first half of the session, offering Mike and Nancy small smiles as they talk through Mike's recovery so far, and it isn't until Nancy asks Mike if there's anything he'd like to say that Gail's forced to become an active participant.
"I'm not really good at this but I'm trying, so..." Mike admits, rubbing nervously at the back of his neck as he smiles sheepishly and flicks his eyes across to Gail. "Gail, I just want you to know that I appreciate everything you've done for me. I know it took a lot of courage to back me into a corner like you did. I mean we were strangers really and yet you threatened to drag me here if necessary; which, I have to admit, pretty much intimidated the crap out of me," Mike jokes, smiling when Gail does. "But in all seriousness, you hit me with some pretty harsh truths that I needed to hear and it opened my eyes to how selfish I've been... how much hurt I've caused." He pauses then, lowering his head shamefully before clearing his throat and adding, "I hope you know that I'm eternally grateful for you getting me a place here; without it, I know I wouldn't be getting my life back together."
Gail smiles genuinely at that. "You're more than welcome," she replies softly, not knowing what else to say to such an honest speech, especially as she can feel the pressure of Holly's eyes burning into her intensely and making her breath lodge painfully in her chest.
"Holls," Mike continues, pulling Holly's gaze away from her and giving Gail a second to get her lungs to work normally again. "I know I'll never be able to make up for all of the pain I've caused you, and for all of the shit that I put you through, but I need you to know that I'm truly sorry, from the bottom of my heart," Mike murmurs brokenly, his voice thick with emotion as he offers his hand out towards Holly, letting out a relieved breath when Holly leans forward and takes it without hesitation. "You didn't deserve to grow up taking care of me. I was supposed to be the parent and I know I let you down, baby girl. We've missed out on a lot of time together and that's my fault, but I want so badly to try and make it up to you if you'll give me a chance too."
Gail watches out of the corner of her eye as Holly leans even further forward so she can cover Mike's hand between both of hers, squeezing comfortingly. "Of course," Holly replies, sniffling a little and giving Mike a sincere smile. "I'm so proud of you for doing this, and I forgive you, okay?"
Mike nods and pushes to his feet, drawing Holly into a tight embrace as he presses a loving kiss to her cheek. Gail allows herself to watch, feeling a warmth spreading through her chest as she catches a glimpse of the happy smile on Holly's face as she clings tightly to Mike for as long as she can, soaking him in.
Nancy offers them a smile when they finally break apart. "This was a good first session, we've got the lines of communication open and that's going to be essential moving forward." She flicks her eyes between the three of them then. "Does anybody have anything they'd like to add before we end for this week?"
Gail shakes her head dismissively and pushes to her feet, her eyes meeting Holly's for the first time in what feels like hours. Holly doesn't look away but Gail finds herself unable to read the expression washing over her face and clouding her eyes.
"I have one final thing to say," Mike interrupts, cutting through the thick silence that has filled the room. "Both of you, look at me," Mike demands, waiting until they do before he pins them with a serious look. "I get the feeling that whatever this... weird tension... is that's going on between you two right now, is about me and-"
"Dad, we're fine," Holly retorts, the unexpected abruptness making them all flinch a little in surprise.
"You're not fine, Holly," Mike replies calmly, holding his hand up when Holly goes to interrupt him again. "You might forgive me but I need you'd stop pretending that you're okay with everything I put you through. You're allowed to be pissed at me or upset at me-"
"I'm fine," Holly repeats stubbornly. "We're fine, and Gail and I are-."
"Fine?" Mike echoes, his tone unconvinced as he reaches for Holly's hand. "You've always been a terrible liar," he says softly, ducking his head a little to meet her eyes. "I know you, and deny it all you want but I know you're angry, Holly. But please don't take it all out on Gail, she doesn't deserve it. If you want to be angry and lash out at somebody, take it out on me, okay? I'm the one who stole from you and disappeared for months on end without a word, and I'm the one who made Gail promise to keep it quiet, okay? I didn't want to disappoint you anymore than I already have if I couldn't do it again."
"Your father's right, Holly," Nancy adds, her voice gentle as she rises from her position on the couch. "You're allowed to feel whatever it is that you're feeling, but the best way for Mike's recovery to continue progressing is for everybody to be honest." Gail watches Holly nod her head reluctantly in acknowledgement and Nancy smiles back encouragingly. "Take some time, I know this is all very overwhelming. We'll keep working on all of this in our next few sessions, okay?"
Holly swallows thickly and tucks a fallen piece of hair back behind her ear. "Okay," she relents quietly, accepting Nancy's parting handshake.
Gail watches as Mike wraps Holly up in a final embrace, lingering for as long as he can before letting Holly go and moving over to position himself in front of her. "She's stubborn, just like her old man..." Mike stage whispers, taking a second to flick his eyes between her and Holly's, making sure that they're both listening before he adds, "...and we tend to take things out on the people we're closest to even though we don't always mean to. So, do me a final favour and let my bull-headed daughter apologise for not knowing that it's okay to lean on somebody else sometimes when things get too tough to handle alone."
She nods understandingly and lets Mike pull her into a hug, his hands rubbing a soothing circle on her back before he releases her and says his goodbyes to them both. Holly turns to her once they've watched Mike retreat from the room, and as their eyes meet, Gail's finally greeted by the familiar warmth and affection she's come to expect from Holly's gaze.
Holly closes the lingering divide between them timidly then, worrying her bottom lip between her teeth as she comes to a stop in front of Gail, looking weary and lost. "I'm officially the world's biggest asshole, huh?" Holly whispers guiltily, her eyes shining with tears.
Gail shakes her head and shuffles a little closer, instinctively seeking out Holly's touch as she lets their hands bump together clumsily, a rush of relief flooding her chest when Holly curls her fingers around hers and clings on tightly.
"You were right, I never should have kept it from you," Gail murmurs back, shrugging sheepishly. "I'm the asshole who blindsided you with it and-"
"Don't," Holly cuts in, shaking her head firmly. "Don't you dare just brush this off; you did this amazing thing for my dad and for me and I just... I was jerk. My dad's right, I'm so used to tackling things alone that I don't really know how to handle not being in control of things or how to accept help. I'm really sorry I was such a bitch to you."
Gail smiles softly in return and wraps her arm around Holly's waist, drawing her in closely. "I made a mistake keeping it from you, I should've let you be a part of this process, but I really was just trying to protect you, Hol; I didn't want you getting hurt again, I couldn't stand it. I promise though, that I'll never hide the truth from you like this ever again, okay?" she murmurs as Holly leans into her gratefully and rests their foreheads together.
"Thank you," Holly whispers, her eyes flicking up to find Gail's.
Gail soothes her hands up and down Holly's back comfortingly. "I just wish you felt comfortable leaning on me as much as I lean on you, Hol," she breathes, making Holly nuzzle their noses together and close her eyes as she releases a shaky breath.
"I'm sorry," Holly replies, pressing a kiss to the corner of Gail's mouth. "I didn't mean to make you think that I don't trust you because I do. I'm just so awful at losing control... it makes me feel weak and useless and I hate it."
"Baby, you've taught me that it's okay for me to need you, so let yourself need me in return, okay? That's what I'm here for," Gail says softly, pressing her palm warmly to the base of Holly's back beneath her shirt. "There's nothing weak or useless about us needing each other."
"I know," Holly nods in response, her eyes tearing up again as she leans in to press another kiss to the opposite side of Gail's mouth. "I promise I'll start getting better at letting you take care of me when I need you too," she murmurs honestly.
Gail smiles in return and tilts her head forward to nudge their noses together again, encouraging Holly into a tender, lingering kiss. "I'm holding you to that," Gail whispers against Holly's mouth, smiling softly when she feels Holly nodding eagerly in acknowledgement before she lets Gail draw her in for another kiss.
It makes her heart swell reassuringly as Holly melts into her, her eyes slipping shut as she sighs contentedly into the kiss, trusting Gail to be the one to keep her together. Holly's fingertips press tightly against her back, holding her impossibly closer as she takes the time to kiss Gail slow and deep; the earnestness of her apology felt in every brush of their lips together.
But it's the look Holly gives her when they break apart – her eyes trailing over every inch of Gail's face with complete and utter awe – that reminds Gail that it's not just her who's having to learn to let somebody else in. She lets herself takes comfort then, in knowing that even though both of them have their faults, that they're growing together, and that's all that really matters.
The crunch of the glass under her shoes makes Gail grind her teeth together involuntarily as a disgruntled shiver prickles up her spine, and she can't help but glare down at the offending shards briefly before stepping over the rest of the mess and following behind Traci as they head further inside Milton's Jewellery Shop.
Oliver spots them immediately and beckons them over, turning to order something animatedly at a fresh faced uniformed officer lingering behind him. Gail watches as the young officer awkwardly flips his notebook open and writes down whatever Oliver has said before scuttling over to the group of witnesses.
Gail quirks her eyebrow questioningly and Oliver rolls his eyes. "New rookie," he explains without missing a beat. "I swear the water at the academy must have something in it because you lot get infinitely over-eager and clueless each year."
"Come on, we were never that bad," Traci fires back, her eyes narrowing as she watches the guy fumble with his pen and drop it.
Oliver looks between them in amusement and smirks. "Sure thing, Nash, whatever you say."
Gail lets out an amused breath and tunes out the rest of their banter as she takes a moment to survey the scene; smashed up display cases, the spray of blood on the wall behind the cash register and the battered face of a dark-haired man wearing an ugly brown suit.
"So, a robbery that got out of hand," Gail starts, flicking her eyes back to Oliver and drawing his attention. "How very original. Specifics?"
Oliver smirks at her snark before snapping back to the job at hand. "I questioned the witnesses and from what I can tell, three masked males entered the store with guns; one held everybody up, the other smashed the cabinets and grabbed what he could, and the third guy tried to get the owner to open the register but he refused," he explains, hooking a thumb over his shoulder towards the register as Gail nods. "Seems like there was some kind of disagreement between our buckos then though, the guy holding the gun at the witnesses wanted to leave but the other two didn't seem keen on leaving without the money..." Oliver points over at the guy wearing the brown suit. "Mr O'Neil there used their momentary distraction and tried to grapple suspect one for the gun, suspect two intervened and pistol-whipped him across the face – thus explaining his bloody nose – while suspect three shot the owner in the shoulder."
"They took the money then?" Traci questions, looking up from her notepad.
"Nope," Oliver replies with a shake of the head. "Apparently the shot freaked suspects one and two out and they fled, making suspect three hightail it out after them without bothering to grab the money. They drove off together in a white van. We got here a couple minutes later but they were long gone. I called for backup and then held pressure over Mr Milton's wound until the medics got here while my rookie started taking the statements."
Gail turns her head towards the front of the store, making a mental note of the street name and the possible routes heading away from the shop. "Did anyone get the van's plates?"
Oliver shakes his head. "No, but I've got Epstein and Diaz looking over the security camera footage for the area; hopefully we can pick it up on there."
"None of the witnesses saw their faces; masks stayed on the whole time?" Traci questions.
"Masked the whole time," Oliver echoes. "Although the witnesses claim one man had a thick accent; the consensus is Russian."
Traci purses her lips together thoughtfully and lets her eyes roam over the store for a moment before turning back to Oliver. "You got Mr Milton's statement before the EMT's took him to the hospital?"
"It was only a shoulder wound; through and through, so I got a quick run down from him before they took him," Oliver replies. "I've sent Price to the hospital to get a more detailed account from him once they've patched him up."
"Did you question Mr Milton about a personal link; any disgruntled employees out for revenge?" Gail theorises. "This is a pretty nice area of the city; lots of private company security guards and cameras. Seems like a high risk area to target when there's other jewellery stores in the city that would make an easier mark."
Oliver folds his arms over his chest and shrugs. "Didn't mention anything to me but I'll have Price question him about it."
"Thanks Ollie. I'm going to go and take Mr O'Neil's statement," Traci says with a small smile before flicking her eyes to Gail. "Take a look around, see if you can spot anything. Also talk to forensics, I want details on that bullet, and see if they've managed to find anything else; stray hair, a careless fingerprint; anything for us to go on, okay?"
Gail nods. "I'm on it."
She purses her mouth together tightly and starts looking around, letting her eyes trail over everything slowly. She's almost given up hope of finding anything when she spots a shard of glass tipped with a dash of red on the corner of one of the display cabinets.
"Hey, can I get forensics over here," Gail calls out, not taking her eyes off it. She's joined only seconds later by a guy from the forensics team who swabs it. "Is it blood?"
He squints at it, holding the tube up to the light for a better look. "It's hard to say without testing it for sure but I'm going to go on a whim and say yes. Looks like one of your guys cut himself when he smashed through the cabinet. There are some fibres here too, probably from the gloves he was wearing. I'll run them as soon as I get back to the lab and get you some concrete answers."
Gail lifts her eyes as she hears a crash and looks up in time to see the new rookie squatting down to pick up the pieces of a vase he's just knocked over. She flicks her gaze to Oliver then and quirks her eyebrow. It takes a second for him to catch on but then he waves his hand in the air, clicking his fingers and calls over his rookie.
"Walker, I want you to go with forensics and sit on this until they get the results and then run it through the database," Oliver orders slowly, cocking his head to the side and regarding his new rookie carefully. "Then you're going to call me with the results. Think you can handle that?"
Walker nods eagerly. "Yes, sir. I'm on it, sir."
Gail tries not to smirk when he doesn't move an inch and continues to just stand there, and it isn't until Oliver narrows his eyes at him, holding his arms out at his sides that Walker jumps back into action. "What are you waiting for rookie? Go, now. Hurry."
She catches Oliver's gaze then and smiles in amusement. "Wow."
Oliver smiles and points back at her. "Don't judge, Detective, it wasn't so long ago that you were a bumbling idiot like him."
Gail scowls in reply. "I was never that bad, I was a bit of a snot but I wasn't that bumbling or clumsy. He kind of reminds me of a Chris/Dov hybrid; an eager and cheerful puppy who accidentally chews things he's not supposed to."
Oliver laughs at that and then points at her. "You really were a little snot," he jokes. "What happened, Peck?"
"I had good training officers; so I watched, I learned, and I grew up," Gail returns, smiling genuinely.
Oliver smiles back at that and then glances around suspiciously before beckoning her over to the back corner of the store. She follows behind him curiously, and raises her eyebrow questioningly when he slips an arm around her shoulders and pulls her in close to his side, tapping his finger against one of the only remaining undamaged display cabinets.
"What one do you like, Peck?" he asks, his voice hushed conspiratorially as he quickly looks back over his shoulder to make sure no one is watching them.
Gail lets her eyes trail over the selection of rings inside before returning her gaze to his. "Ollie, I know you're very fond of me but I really don't think you should buy me a ring," Gail jokes.
Oliver glares back at her, not amused, and taps his finger against the glass again. "I'm serious, which one do you like? Or are they all hideous? I mean, that one caught my eye but I'm not sure... it's got to be the right one when you ask, right?"
"Oliver..." Gail murmurs calmingly, noting the seriousness in his eyes. "They're all beautiful."
He regards her sceptically for a few seconds making sure she's telling the truth before pointing to one specific ring. "I think that's the one; it just has a certain vibe about it, you know? I can see her wearing it."
Gail smiles softly then, knowing exactly what Oliver is asking her advice about. "I think Celery will love it; it's very unique," she replies, smiling brighter when Oliver grins at her and pats her on the shoulder thankfully. She watches then as the relieved smile slips from Oliver's face as he reaches up to rub a hand wearily through his hair. "What's wrong?"
"Look," Oliver says dejectedly, pointing at the price banner underneath. "I was so hyped when I saw it that I didn't even notice how expensive it was." He sighs sadly then and shakes his head. "I can't afford that... I guess it's a good thing Wiccan's only have hand-fasting ceremonies, huh?"
Gail offers a small, agreeing smile back and nods. "They'll be other rings, Ollie," she says reassuringly as she reaches out to squeeze his shoulder.
Oliver averts her gaze and nods, trying to play off his disappointment. "Of course," he replies with a shrug, stepping away from the display case. "I'm going to go call and check in with Price."
"Ollie..." Gail says softly, watching as he waves his hand dismissively at her and wanders out of the store without looking back.
She glances back at the ring a final time before heading over to Traci and quickly trading notes with her, throwing a few of her own questions at a couple of the witnesses. Traci leaves her inside a few minutes later while she goes to phone Chris and Dov to see what they've found on the van, and Gail takes the moment of quiet to go back and investigate the ring further.
"Is everything okay, Detective?"
Gail turns at the voice and finds a middle-aged woman looking at her with concern. "Everything's fine ma'am, we're doing our best to work this investigation as quickly as possible," she replies, her eyes suddenly drawn to the woman's expensive looking necklace and then her name tag. "Mrs Milton, right?"
The woman smiles but shakes her head. "Mrs Milton is my ex mother-in-law; I'm Judith Milton," she replies, offering her hand out to Gail. "My ex husband called me from the hospital, said his father had been shot and asked me to come see what was happening at the store."
"You still work here even though you're divorced; isn't that weird?" Gail asks, her interest instantly piqued. "I'm sorry," she adds a second later, catching herself. "That was inappropriate."
Judith waves off her apology and smiles back. "I guess it is a little odd, but our marriage ended amicably and I loved working here, so they let me stay."
Gail smiles back, feeling a daring urge rush through her. "Can I be inappropriate again and ask you something about one of your rings?"
"Of course," Judith replies, moving closer to look at the one Gail points at.
"My friend, Oliver..." Gail starts, taking a second to glance behind her and point him out to Judith, feeling relived that he's busy discussing something with Traci not to notice her. "...Officer Shaw," Gail emphasises. "He wants to propose to his girlfriend and he's fallen in love with this ring but we're cops, you know? It's a little out of our price range," Gail breathes, holding Judith's gaze and shrugging sheepishly. "Is there any way you could discount it for us or let us pay it off in installments?"
Judith breaks her gaze to look over at Oliver and then turns back to Gail with a smile. "Does your friend know you're asking me this?"
Gail shakes her head, and sighs, "No, he'd kill me if he knew. It's just... he's so in love and was so happy when he saw it; he said he could imagine her wearing it, and I normally wouldn't ask but I really want to help him if I can, so..."
Judith smiles at her and arches her eyebrow questioningly. "Have you always been such a romantic?"
Gail feels a blush creeping up her neck and shakes her head with a sheepish shrug. "Not always, no."
"Ah," Judith murmurs, her eyes twinkling knowingly. "Well, falling in love can certainly change that about a person." Gail feels the tips of her ears burning as her heart hammers loudly in her chest and she averts her gaze briefly, feeling exposed all of a sudden. Judith reaches out and pats her on the arm then, smiling softly at her as she says, "I think I can find a deal on the ring that's suitable for your friend. I do have one condition though."
"If it's to try and make us work the case faster, I'm afraid we're doing all that we can, and we're not allowed to accept bribes," Gail rushes, feeling the need to exert some authority again.
"Of course not, Detective," Judith replies with a bemused smile, shaking her head. "I was just going to say that when you're ready to take that next step with the special person in your life, I insist that you come back here and let me help you pick out your rings."
Gail blushes even harder at that but breaks into a smile when Judith wiggles her eyebrows at her knowingly. "I think it might be awhile as yet," Gail murmurs nervously. "But when I do decide to propose to her I'll let you know."
She realises then what she's said and opens her mouth to explain herself only to have Judith beat her to it. "What's her name?"
Gail releases a shaky breath and feels her defences deflate again when she sees the warmth in Judith's eyes. "Holly..." Gail breathes, smiling fully as thoughts of Holly flood her chest and make her heart swell. "Her name's Holly."
"Well then, I very much look forward to meeting your Holly someday," Judith replies kindly. She cocks her head in Oliver's direction then and smiles at Gail. "Go and get your friend, and we'll get the ring boxed for him."
Gail smiles appreciatively in return. "Thank you."
It might have been a little inappropriate, but Gail knows that it's worth it when she sees Oliver's face light up again as he flicks open the box and shows her the ring once more later on that evening as they're finishing their shift. She lets him pull her into a crushingly thankful hug before planting a cheeky kiss on her cheek and telling her the drinks for the night are on him.
(It feels even more rewarding knowing they've ended the day with the three suspects in booking after tracking their van down at an old abandoned warehouse just outside the city).
But what makes the day end on an even higher note is the way Holly snuggles back into her sleepily when she climbs into bed later that night, her left hand instantly tangling with Gail's own as she draws them up to her chest and sighs happily. It makes Gail's stomach flutter longingly, and she can't help but press her mouth to the nape of Holly's neck in a delicate kiss; her lips whispering loving promises into the soft warmth of Holly's skin.
She spots Chris sitting over at their usual table the moment she sets foot inside of The Penny for her lunch break. He catches her eye and waves her over, nodding in acknowledgement when she points at the bar first.
With her burger and fries ordered and her glass of orange juice in hand she makes her way over to Chris and slumps down onto one of the empty stools, quirking her eyebrow questioningly. "Eating lunch alone, Diaz? That's sad, even for you."
The easy-going smile slips from his face and Chris narrows his eyes at her accusingly. "You just came in alone. Besides, I'm not... alone that is."
"I'm meeting Holly," Gail replies, smiling appreciatively when the barman delivers her food a second later. She takes a large bite of her burger, glancing around the empty bar before pinning her eyes back on Chris. "You on an imaginary date again?"
Chris rolls his eyes at her and steals some fries from her plate. "I'm here with Walker, the new rookie. He just went to the restroom," he explains, reaching for more of Gail's fries only to have his hand smacked away.
"Touch my food again and die," Gail growls just as Walker emerges from the restroom and joins them at the table.
"Hi Detective," he greets chirpily, flashing her a boyish smile that she doesn't return. He fidgets a little under her blank gaze then and turns back to Chris, immediately launching into a round of questions about a few of the calls they've obviously made that morning.
Gail tunes them out for the most part, letting the low thrum of the background music fill her head instead as she happily munches away on her lunch, and it isn't until she hears the bar door swing open, announcing somebody's arrival, that she's drawn back to their incessant babbling.
"15 Division has some real babes," Walker states, his gaze directed over at the bar appreciatively where a group of officers are talking and turns back to Chris adding, "You hooking up with anybody from the station?"
Gail glances over her shoulder to see who they're gawking at and rolls her eyes at them before pulling her phone from her pocket to see she's missed a text from Holly saying she's running a little late.
"No, not from the station," Chris replies. "I have a date on Friday with this woman I met at the coffee shop the other morning though."
"Good for you, man," Walker says, slapping Chris on the back so hard that he buckles forward a little at the sudden contact, and causing Gail to fight back an amused smile.
"What about you? That red-headed rookie, Evans? She seems interested in you from what I saw this morning," Chris returns courteously, shuffling his stool away a little to give himself some space.
Walker shakes his head. "Not my type, man. But her..." he says, nodding his head over at somebody. "...she's totally my type; I mean look at her; endlessly long legs and a super toned body. She's a total babe. Plus, I met her last week when Officer Shaw sent me to the lab and she was totally flirting with me. I think I might have a shot with her."
Chris's eyes widen when he follows Walkers gaze and he shakes his head discouragingly. "Erm, Walker, I don't think so man, she's-"
"I know she's a little older than me but I like that," Walker cuts in. "They tend to really know what they're doing if you know what I'm saying?" Walker chuckles, wiggling his eyebrows and making Gail narrow her eyes in disgust at him before she returns her attention to her phone. "Dude, look she's totally smiling over here, I told you she was into me. I think I should ask her out. Do you think I should go for it?"
Gail feels a hand patting insistently at her arm then and she lifts her eyes up to catch Chris' gaze, watching as he raises his eyebrows dramatically at her, his mouth opening and closing wordlessly as he stutters over her name. Gail scowls at him and shoves his hand off her arm before huffing out an irritated breath as she turns to see who exactly Walker is directing his attentions too.
She sees Holly leaning against the bar, laughing at something the barman has said, and she lets her gaze flick back between Chris, Walker, and Holly knowingly then, catching on to exactly what Chris was struggling to get out.
When Chris fails to reply to Walker's question, he diverts his gaze to Gail. "What do you think, Detective? She does keep smiling over here so that means she's interested right? I should totally go for it, yeah?" When Gail just stares blankly back at him he whips his gaze back to Chris and adds a hushed, "I'd be a complete fool not to try and tap that, man, you know?"
Gail glares at Walker then as a fiery prickle rushes through her veins, and as she watches his eyes rake up and down Holly's body hungrily – not missing the way his eyes linger extra appreciatively on the sleek curve of Holly's bare legs that are revealed by her skirt – she can't help but feels the need to teach him a lesson. She glances back over to the bar and catches Holly's eye briefly and smirks when Holly smiles beautifully over at them; or rather, at her.
"You do what you gotta do, Walker," Gail replies with a shrug, acting as disinterested as she possibly can, and glancing over at Chris, grinning warningly when Walker isn't looking.
Walker pushes to his feet as Holly turns from the bar with a drink in her hand and waves her over. "Dr Stewart, come sit with us."
Gail leans her elbow on the table, propping her chin against her hand and smirks as Holly's eyes meet hers, her brow furrowing a little in confusion. Holly lets Walker awkwardly pull out a stool for her and sits down slowly, flicking her gaze between Chris and Gail with a bemused smile.
"Thanks... Walker, right?" Holly asks, curling her fingers around her glass.
He nods eagerly, his face lighting up into a bright smile. "That's me," he returns goofily. "But you can call me Denny."
Holly offers him a smile in return. "Denny, right. Got it," she says kindly. "How are you enjoying your first few weeks on the job as a rookie?"
"It's been awesome," Denny replies excitedly. "I feel like I'm already learning so much. Speaking of which, it was super cool getting to see you forensics peeps at work last week. I really appreciated the help you gave me when I was down at the lab. I feel like I'm totally up to date on my medical jurisprudence now and that's all thanks to you Dr Stewart."
Gail catches Holly's eye briefly and nods along with Walker's horrible attempt at flirting, chipping in slyly, "Walker's right, it's never too late to learn about medical jurisprudence."
Holly cocks her head to the side and quirks her eyebrow pointedly at Gail before returning her attention back to Denny. "You're more than welcome, Officer Walker."
"Well, maybe we'll get to work together again soon at a scene; I'd love to really see you in action," Walker flirts back, leaning in closer to Holly.
Chris stands abruptly then, grimacing hard, and Gail fights hard to keep her face neutral when his gaze meets hers. "Walker, we've got to get going," he blurts, reaching out to grab at Walker's shoulder, pulling him to his feet.
"Sure thing, sir," he returns firmly, squaring his shoulders and tucking his thumbs into his belt as he looks at Holly again. "It's a tough job out there protecting the streets but somebody's got to do it."
Gail sniggers a little then and Holly kicks her under the table. "I'm sure," she replies, struggling to keep her smile in check. "Stay safe out there, guys."
"Walker," Chris says again, trying to gain his attention only to be waved off. "I'll be in the cruiser," he adds, shooting Gail a parting look that says 'play nice' before turning on his heel and heading out of the bar leaving Walker to fend for himself.
"So, listen, Dr Stewart, I was wondering if maybe you'd let me take you out for some drinks on Friday night; I know this guy who can get us into that swanky new bar on King. What do you think?" Denny asks confidently. "Me, you, some drinks, some dancing, and wherever the night takes us."
Gail watches then as Holly's eyes widen almost comically as she chokes a little on her drink, completely caught off guard by Walker's unexpected forwardness. She run her hand over her mouth quickly and shoots Gail a look before offering Walker a small smile.
"Denny, that's really sweet of you, but erm... you're not really my type," Holly says apologetically.
Gail tilts her head to the side, letting her eyes roam over Walker with intrigue, wondering how quickly he'll buckle from being rejected so easily. To her amazement though he only smiles brighter and shrugs smoothly.
"How do you know I'm not your type, you haven't even given me a chance," Denny replies casually, and Gail can see the way he physically puffs his chest out to give himself more confidence. "Just one drink, that's all I'm asking, and if you're not interested after that I'll call you a cab home myself."
Gail flicks her eyes to Holly's and smirks, watching as Holly struggles with a way to let him down easily. "Again, you're really very sweet and I'm honestly very flattered," Holly starts, pausing to glance at Gail again who merely quirks her eyebrow curiously, wondering how Holly will talk herself out of this one. "But you're really, really, not my type. I'm sorry."
Walker holds his hands out in defeat at that. "Fair enough," he says with an easy smile. "You can't blame a guy for trying. But can I just ask, is it because I'm too young or because I'm a cop or-"
"No, it's not that, it's-" Holly retorts, cutting herself off and shaking her head as she releases a pacifying breath before calmly saying, "Hot, blonde, great ass, fantastic boobs, and the most kissable pouty mouth in the whole world; that's my type Walker."
Denny stumbles back a step and Gail watches smugly as his brow creases in confusion as he processes what exactly Holly's just said. "You're gay?" he blurts a second later, and Gail can't help but let out an amused breath even as Holly kicks her gently under the table again.
Holly just smirks and winks at him. "Sorry, buddy."
"No, I'm sorry," Walker replies shaking his head, a rosy blush colouring his cheeks in embarrassment. "I honestly had no idea. I wouldn't have been so persistent if I knew. I feel like a real jerk now."
Holly pushes to her feet and rubs his arm reassuringly. "Hey, no worries, okay? We're cool," Holly tells him with a kind smile as she picks up her empty glass. "I just hope my girlfriend will be as understanding about you hitting on me while she's right here," Holly teases, letting her gaze flick to Gail and linger until she sees Walker catch on.
Gail raises her eyebrow at him as their gazes meet and she has to bite at her bottom lip to keep from smiling when his face whitens in shock. He points between them dumbly and Holly just pats him sympathetically on the shoulder before heading back over to the bar, leaving Gail to have her fun.
"So... you and Dr Stewart are together, huh?" Walker says sheepishly, reaching up to rub nervously at the back of his head. Gail nods, making sure to glare at him as she hums in acknowledgement. She sees the panic settle into his eyes then and it's no surprise when he suddenly starts rambling awkwardly, apologising profusely at his mistake.
"Walker," Gail snaps, cutting him off briskly. "Stop talking. Now."
He nods then and purses his mouth together tightly before uncontrollably blurting, "I really am sorry, Detective."
Gail shrugs in return. "I don't blame you for trying, she is gorgeous after all. In fact, I commend you on your good taste in women," she says with a wry smile, waiting until he lets out a relieved breath and smiles back at her before adding, "But, Walker, if I ever catch you inappropriately checking her out again or commenting on her 'super toned body' ..." she drawls, mocking him with air quotes, "...I'll rip your eyeballs from their sockets and feed them to you. Understood?"
Walker swallows thickly and nods. "Absolutely, Detective. Understood one-hundred percent."
"Excellent," Gail chirps before narrowing her eyes at him pointedly. "You should probably head back out on patrol now, rookie, those streets aren't going to protect themselves, are they?"
"R-right," Walker stutters, lowering his gaze and backing away quickly until his back hits the bar. He blushes harder then and quickens his pace as he turns and makes his way to the door.
Gail lets herself smile fully as she catches Holly looking at her, shaking her head fondly before she turns back to the barman and accepts her drink order.
"I can't believe you set the poor kid up like that," Holly says as she slides back onto her stool and pushes a fresh glass of orange juice in front of Gail. "You're a big ol'meanie."
"How was I mean?" Gail replies feigning ignorance as she watches Holly steal the last few fries from her plate. "He was the one blabbering on like an idiot about how you flirted with him last week which, according to him, meant he totally had a shot with you." Holly quirks her eyebrow at Gail's explanation and Gail shrugs as she confesses, "I was going to let it go but then he charmingly claimed that he wanted to 'tap you'... so I may have decided that watching you shoot him down would be a fitting punishment."
Holly chuckles at that and bumps their shoulders together. "Your little jealous streak is adorable, Detective."
Gail pulls back and scoffs. "I do not have a jealous streak... especially over some fresh-faced rookie without a clue." Holly stares back at her and hums disbelievingly, her mouth twisting into a delicious smirk that makes Gail smile despite herself. "I don't," she repeats.
Holly just hums her acknowledgement again and rubs her hand comfortingly up and down Gail's thigh. "Whatever you say, baby."
"Maybe I just needed reassuring that you still think I have a great ass," Gail huffs back. "It's been a couple of days since we've really gotten to spend some quality, naked time together, and I'm feeling unappreciated... even more so now that I know you've been flirting with other officers."
Holly leans over then and quiets her with a kiss. "You're ridiculous."
Gail pouts at the comment knowing Holly won't be able to resist leaning in to kiss her again and when she does – taking Gail's face in her hands and sucking teasingly on her bottom lip – Gail can't help but smile into it and chase after Holly's mouth as she goes to pull away.
Holly lets Gail kiss her for a little longer, swatting at her shoulder to get her to stop only when Gail starts trailing her mouth possessively along the curve of her jaw, and nipping playfully at her neck as she slips her hand beneath the edge of Holly's skirt.
"Behave," Holly murmurs warningly as she pulls back and grabs Gail's hand, stopping her from stroking her fingertips further up against the inside of her thigh.
"Spoilsport," Gail says as she rolls her eyes and withdraws her hand. Holly just shakes her head fondly at her then and smoothes out her skirt before reaching up to push her glasses further up the bridge of her nose. "How was court this morning?" Gail relents, deciding to do as she's told.
"Fine," Holly replies hastily and then she reaches up to tuck a piece of hair back behind her ear. "Actually it sucked. I fumbled over my notes on the case and I knocked over a glass of water while I was up on the stand... it wasn't my best work."
Gail slips her hand over Holly's knee and squeezes comfortingly. "That's not like you to be so unsettled. What's up?"
Holly takes a long sip of her drink then, giving herself a moment to collect herself before she covers Gail's hand with her own and holds her gaze intensely. "My mom called me right before they called me in, she knows I've got that long weekend off coming up at the start of next month and she invited me to go visit."
"I thought you got along well with your mom and step-dad?" Gail replies, her eyebrows knitting together in confusion.
"I do," Holly nods. "She just... well, she wants me to bring you home with me and finally introduce you to them, which is great, right? I mean, I want you to meet them and everything, but I just... I know it's a big step, and you just started your rotation last month and you're really busy-"
"Holly," Gail cuts in, ducking her head to force her way into Holly's eye-line. "You're doing that super fast, rambling thing that you do when you get anxious."
She watches then as Holly lets out an shaky breath. "Right."
Gail swallows away the lump in her throat and tentatively asks, "Do you- would you rather I didn't come with you?"
"No," Holly retorts quickly, tangling her fingers through Gail's. "I would love for you to come meet my mom; I just don't want you to feel like you have to. At least not right now. Things have been crazy lately with your mom and my dad, and now things are calming down and it just seems unfair to ask you to take time off from your rotation when you're just starting to find your rhythm and actually enjoy it."
"Hol, I asked Luke earlier to switch weekends with me so we could have some time off together. I was going to ask you if you wanted to go up to the cottage with me again, so..." Gail trails off, smiling brightly.
"So..." Holly echoes, her mouth curling to reflect Gail's bright smile. "You'll spend what could be a relaxing few days off at the cottage coming to Vancouver with me and meeting my crazy family instead?"
Gail purses her mouth together and cocks her head thoughtfully, letting out a small chuckle when she sees Holly's eyes flash with doubt. "Of course I will, you goof," she replies happily, reaching for Holly's face and drawing her in for a sweet kiss. "You still owe me embarrassing photographs of your childhood, remember?"
Holly lets out a relieved breath and smiles. "How could I possibly forget? I know you've been snooping around at home trying to find some."
Gail tries to look indignant but she can't help but laugh at Holly's knowing head tilt and smirk. "You did claim to have the worst hair cut of all time while you were growing up," Gail says with a smile. "I was just trying to save you the humiliation of having to show me yourself."
"Uh-huh," Holly hums disbelievingly. "I think you just like going through my things."
Gail shrugs and grins cheekily in response. "We live together now, so technically, what's mine is yours and what's yours is mine."
"I guess it's a good thing that I don't have any secrets from you then, huh?" Holly replies easily, turning to thank the barman as he brings over her bowl of pasta.
Gail quirks her eyebrow. "What about that purple box right at the back of your bedroom closet?"
She can't help but purse her mouth together into a smug smirk then as she watches Holly's mouth drop open. "When did you look through that?" Holly demands, dropping her voice to a low whisper and blushing as she glances around to make sure the barman has gone.
Gail laughs at the embarrassed look on Holly's face and leans in to plant a purposefully noisy kiss on her cheek. "Hey, I get it, you were single for a year before we started dating, a woman has needs," she says teasingly, loving the way Holly blushes even brighter.
Holly shoves her away playfully, averting Gail's eyes. "I don't like you right now."
Gail just smiles back affectionately at her and leans in again, kissing below Holly's ear, and murmurs lowly, "If it makes you feel better, I haven't been able to get the image of you touching yourself out of my head since." She hears Holly gasp at her confession then as she sucks the lobe of her ear into her mouth, grazing her teeth over the flesh before releasing it again.
Holly shoves at her shoulder again forcing Gail to pull back and meet her gaze. It makes Gail's breath hitch in her chest then as she takes in the way Holly's eyes have darkened with want as she bites at her bottom lip sexily. It's Holly who leans in this time, her breath hot against Gail's cheek as her lips ghost against the shell of her ear. "Maybe if you're really lucky I might let you watch sometime."
Gail feels a heated flush creep up her neck and spread across her cheeks as her heart hammers loudly in her chest, and all she can do is dart her tongue out to moisten her lips and nod dumbly back. Holly smirks at her response and slides her hand up Gail's thigh, dragging her nails along the inseam of her jeans, and as Gail feels the familiar ache of desire blossoming low in her stomach, she knows she's lost the upper hand.
"You okay? You look awfully hot and bothered, baby," Holly murmurs teasingly.
Gail grasps Holly's hand, stopping it from creeping further up her thigh. "I don't like you right now," she replies with a pout, echoing Holly's earlier comment.
Holly just smirks again and leans in to kiss her sweetly. "I did tell you to behave."
She pouts harder in response then, narrowing her eyes glaringly at Holly when she only lets out an amused breath and smiles fondly at her. Before she can reply with something witty in return Sam strolls into The Penny, spotting her easily and beckoning her with a simple motion of his hand.
"I have to get back to work," Gail says apologetically as she pushes to her feet.
Holly gives her an understanding look but catches her wrist. "Be careful, okay?"
"Always," Gail reassures with a soft smile as she cups Holly's cheek and ducks her head to kiss her promisingly. "I'll see you back at home tonight."
Holly nods in response and tilts her head up for another kiss. "See you at home."
"Peckling, come on already, enough of the lovey-dovey stuff. We've got a murder scene to get to," Sam calls out to her, smirking when Gail flips him off as she presses a final parting kiss to Holly's lips.
As Sam throws his arm around her shoulders and leads her to the car, Gail can't help but wonder how in one lunch break she went from being annoyed by a fresh-faced rookie flirting with her girlfriend, to agreeing to meet Holly's parents, and to finally not being able to think of anything else except Holly naked and panting and writhing beneath her.
She can't help but think then, that it's definitely going to be a long and endlessly slow shift.