DISCLAIMER: Rookie Blue belongs to Global TV, ABC, and all of those people.

Part Two: Do Over

Summary: Having pretty much tanked the best thing that ever happened to her, Gail did try to move on, but if there's anything the Pecks are good at, it's making a complicated situation even more complicated.

Chapter Notes: We are now off track for the show officially, and into original territory. Slightly more realistic dealings with Oliver and Gail and their issues. I suspect some people would argue I'm humanizing Gail too much, but I tried to think up reasons why she would behave the way she does, and decided it's her family, so I'm going to delve into why Gail is Gail. And yes, I do think she loves Oliver in her own way.

This chapter begins some deep stuff and has darkness. Gail has darkness.

While she had her own car, Gail let Steve drive her to dinner with their parents. Her excuse was that she wanted to drink, though the reality was she never got drunk in front of their parents, no matter how much she and Steve joked about wanting to do so. They always wanted to get blitzed, but getting drunk in front of Herr Peck and the Super's Inspector meant being harassed for days. And you just never, ever, got drunk at a fancy restaurant with reporters stalking your parents. They were Pecks. There were rules.

Still, public dinners out with the parents were infinitely better than the ones at home, which she'd managed to avoid most of, by picking up night shifts at the last minute. The public ones, however, she'd been caught and dragged into, and that meant at least one person stopping by the table to interrupt parental harassment. This one she'd hoped would be where she could introduce them to Holly in a way that would prevent a public scandal. Not so much.

"That wasn't so bad," Steve muttered, buckling in. Gail ignored him and turned her face to the street, watching the valet go to get the next car. They pulled out and, in a moment, hit the empty streets. "You gonna do this all night?"

He meant the silent treatment, probably. "What do you want me to say?"

The dinner wasn't an unmitigated disaster, not even according to Peck standards, which were really low. Judgmental comments from her father about the haircut notwithstanding, he'd kept his opinions of Gail's sexuality to a minimum. Steve had muttered that the table for six had been a low blow. Both of the siblings had Peck'ed it up to the best of their Peckish ability. As Nick had put it, the Pale Fails.

"I don't know," sighed Steve. "I was kind of expecting you to yell at me."

"I'm not mad at you." She side-glanced at Steve and caught him smiling. It was not without notice that Steve took the long, slow, way back to Gail's apartment. He wanted to talk. "I miss Holly," Gail finally allowed.

Steve turned to look at her for a moment. "I miss Traci."

"Please, it hasn't even been a month." She, on the other hand, was on week seven of the outs, and now the done and gones. "Holly's seeing someone else." Like everyone else in her life, Holly had moved on fast. Gail Peck was really not girlfriend material, thank you very much, Nicholas.

Steve glanced at her, "I'm sorry... You didn't say that before." He sighed, "I'm just saying, sister. If I feel a tiny bit like you feel? I feel you."

Gail snorted and then laughed. Steve chuckled. Within a minute, they were both laughing. "That was the dorkiest thing you've said in hours, Steve," she informed him, smiling for the first time since dinner started.

"Oh, really? You're the one who said 'I'm a lesbian. Steve, please pass the salt.' I mean, come on!" He smirked and stopped at the red light.

"I said please," muttered Gail, and Steve laughed.

"The face Mother made was great." Steve puckered his face up in an approximation of annoyance.

"And then there was Dad," she muttered.

Steve winced, "He'll get over it. I mean, Mom's okay, so he'll have to be. The Super's Inspector, and all." They both knew their mother ruled supreme in that relationship, though Gail was starting to think this would not be that simple.

"I should have brought Nick, he would have been their target." Her parents still hated him, though. Twice over. Not that she'd told them the details about the second time, but she'd certainly gotten stern looks from her family for even considering a second round with the idiot. He wasn't Peck Material, her mother said.

"That's mean. You're not mean anymore."

"Am to!"

"You helped a total stranger, Gail! And you said it felt good! You're all soft and gooshy and—" Gail wound up and punched her brother's arm. Hard. "OW!" Steve stared at her as the light turned green.

The car behind them honked, and he blinked. "Steve, green means go."

"When the hell did you learn to throw a punch?"

"I'm a cop, Steve!"

"The laziest one in existence, too," he noted.

Gail slouched in the seat. "Well. I've been working out, okay? It's that or listen to Dov and Chloe. Or Chris."

After a moment, Steve asked, "Sleeping okay?" She snorted. "If you want to talk about it…"

"I really don't, Steve." Gail looked away again, watching the street flow past.

He'd been away when she'd been abducted. When he got back, he tried to talk about it, but Gail had yelled at him. Then, after one night without any sleep, all alone in their suburban hellhole of a house, she'd shown up on his doorstep at three AM, asking to sleep on his couch. Steve was safe, after all. And he knew, he totally knew it was crap comfort they got from their parents.

Pecks, after all, didn't have anyone to talk to about these things. She couldn't talk to their parents, they wouldn't hear about it, or worse, they'd just tell her to suck it up. Steve, maybe, but he wasn't there at the time, and now it was just too hard to talk about at all. Except for one session with her therapist, Gail had found she just wasn't physically able to talk about it, not even drunk out of her mind. Her throat would close down, her heart would race, and once she even puked.

That one she blamed on the alcohol.

Her current therapist told her that she may never fully get over it, which was just peachy, and something she'd already sorted out. There was even an ugly, painful term for what was going on in her head, with the sleeping and the dreams and the days where it all hurt and she lashed out, angry and bitter and cynical. Post traumatic stress disorder. And there was no real cure.

At least now she could talk around it, tell people to shut up, and move on. It was better than the time she'd thrown a book at Oliver. He was seeing the same therapist she was, and doing much better than she was, which was galling. But then again … Oliver was off the streets now. She wondered if he'd ever be back.

"You gonna take the detective's exam?"

Gail glared at his reflection, "Go screw yourself, Steve."

He sighed. "Fine. Here you go, home sweet, stinky, home." Steve pulled up to the sidewalk and studied his sister's face.

"Steve," she sighed. "Can we just not go next time?"

"If you don't go, I don't go," he agreed.

Gail nodded and got out of the car. Of course Steve didn't drive off right away and she turned around to look at him. Thank you, she signed at him. It was easier this way.

You're welcome, he signed back, and then held up his fingers in a well understood formation. I love you.

"Shut up, asshole," smiled Gail, and she went home alone.

She wasn't supposed to hear the conversation. She was supposed to be working on her immigration papers. But the voice was so familiar it kept pulling at her,

"Look, Gail, I'm sure Dad will settle down..." Gail? Holly peeked around the corner. A tallish man with strawberry blond hair was at the far, far end of the hall, talking on the phone. "Just be happy Mom isn't starting up blind dates again." Blind dates. Gail. Steve, right. She'd only met him twice, maybe three times, and he didn't look that much like his sister. He sighed and looked at the ceiling. Now he looked like Gail. They shared mannerisms when frustrated. "You know that isn't what she meant."

Steve fell silent for a long while, and Holly suspected Gail was ripping into her brother. "I am glad you came to the dinner, Garbage Pail," he said softly. "I don't think so, no. I just thought- Mom thought that coming to dinner at the club meant you'd come to dinner at home." There was another long silence. "Hah, no, if you don't go, there's no way in hell I'm going. I told you that in the car." He laughed softly, "I love you too, sister dear."

Steve Peck tapped his phone and frowned. He dialed another number. "Hi, this is Detective Peck. Is the Superintendent in? Yes, I'll hold." He rocked on his feet and waited, about as patiently as his sister ever did, which is to say not at all. "Hi, Mom. She's not coming." He sucked in his breath. "I know... Yes, Oliver talked to her... Why me? Come on, she told me to screw myself, Mom." He huffed, sounding just like Gail. "Because she's gotta get it out of her system!"

When Steve started to turn, Holly tried to duck and hide in her lab. Nope, not eavesdropping! "That's not what I meant. Being a lesbian isn't another phase, Mom." Footsteps paced the corridor. "No. That's ... Mom, she's not going to be you. Or Dad, or Uncle Al or Gary, or anyone but herself. That's why you've gotta let her be. She's a great cop." He sounded angry. "See? This is why neither of us want to come over for dinner anymore, Mom. At least in public you have to be Superintendent Peck, and worry about the news. Look, I'm working on a case, so you'll just have to entertain without your pet monkeys. I have to go." There was a beep and an annoyed growl.

"Damn it," he snapped loudly. Then he was silent for quite a while before knocking on Holly's door. "Hey, Dr. Stewart." Steve's affable smile seemed stretched.

"Hello, Detective Peck." She returned the smile a little uneasily. But all he wanted to talk about was the case, which was a relief. As he turned to go she felt guilty. "Ah, Steve. You should know... The hallway? Excellent acoustics."

Steve tilted his head and smiled tiredly. "I know."

And he left, leaving Holly to wonder what the hell that meant.

When the call came in the middle of the night, Gail had almost forgotten it was a possibility. "Peck," she mumbled into the phone.

"Can you come over?"

Gail's eyes snapped open as the voice registered with her brain, though she checked caller ID first. "Yes. On my way." She hung up and stumbled out of bed, not caring about the noise. Pants, shirt, hat, coat.

As she was pulling on her boots by the door, a cranky Dov opened his bedroom door. "Gail, what's going on?"

Things in the house were still tense. Chris was away at rehab, which Gail felt guilty for not having noticed but also for not going to visit him. But then again, Chris didn't want to see her, so she concerned herself with cleaning his room. "I gotta go, it's a ... thing." She didn't bother to tie her boots and tugged her watch cap on. "Don't freak, okay?"

Dov stood in the doorway to his room, clad only in boxers. "Freak?" He yawned. "Gail it's one."

She sighed. "Getting up early is good for you. Aren't you on night shift tomorrow?" Gail grabbed her keys off the peg.

But Dov hesitated. "Did you... Have a nightmare?"

The walls in the apartment were too thin. Gail normally was quiet when she had a bad dream, or a flashback, but sometimes she knocked things off her dresser. And it was no good telling them she was a restless sleeper, because Chris knew better. "No, but I will if I have to look at you in your underwear any longer." She smirked and bounced out the door.

The drive wasn't too terribly long, but Gail kept checking her phone for another call or text. She pulled up to the curb, not really worrying if she parked illegally, and tried to keep her volume down as she knocked on the door.

One knock, the door opened, and a strained Celery was there. "He's in the dining room."

Gail nodded and went right in. She didn't see Oliver at first, but then saw his feet. For whatever reason, he was sitting on the floor, hugging a photo of his kids. At least he wasn't drunk. Gail sat down beside him. "Hey," she said softly.

"Hey," he repeated.

They sat in silence for a while. "So. Holly is seeing someone," she informed him. "And I helped someone move. I also told my parents I'm a lesbian."

Oliver puffed a laugh. "One step past dating a woman. What did your mother say?"

"She didn't. She just looked like the wine had turned." It had been a great expression. Gail mimicked it for Oliver, who smiled weakly. "My father, on the other hand, informed me I was being a petulant child."

"Only I get to call you petulant, Peck," remarked Oliver, almost reflexively.

"That was the first thing you called me."

He looked at her softly, as if she was one of his daughters. "No. No, I remember this. I called you a delinquent and a car thief. And then you handed over your license. I thought I was going to piss myself."

"Pleasant," sneered Gail, but she wasn't mad. "Steve was such an ass."

"You took his car."

"I borrowed it!" They shared a smile. "Anyway, he didn't press charges, thanks to you." The fact that Oliver (and Steve, technically) was the only officer involved was the only reason Gail didn't have an arrest on her record. She'd actually been resigned to fact that she was about to disappoint her mother, again.

"I was more scared about your mother than what my first, stupid, rookie was going to do to his sister."

"Everyone is more scared of my mother."

"You're not." It wasn't true. Gail was terrified of her mother. He sighed and turned the photo to Gail. "What if he'd taken Izzy?"

"He'd have given her right back and turned himself in," Gail replied, snidely. Oliver cracked a smile. "Or we'd have done the same thing and gotten her back. Just like we got you."

"We almost didn't get you, darling." Oliver's voice shook. "It was dumb luck."

"But you did. And we got you. And you're safe, and Swarek's cheerfully making up with McNally so that's fine." The princess had worn the stupidest expression on her face all day, too.

Oliver stared at Gail. "I got scared," he whispered. "I woke up and I was scared about the streets, and then I ... Was relieved. I don't have to go out there again." Oliver's face drew pinched. "How can I be a cop, and protect people? I can't even protect Andy from herself."

To his credit, Oliver did not blurt the details Gail already knew about Gerald (Duncan, whatever) and Andy. She knew about the cover up. She knew about the deal, keeping Oliver in a white shirt. Her godfather had pulled her aside to ask her to not protect Duncan, which was the weirdest favor ever. But he wanted her to treat Duncan normally. Which probably meant she was going to be his new T.O. since McNally was such a fuck up.

"Oliver, the whole damn city can't do that. Andy's better at self-sabotage than I am!" Gail made a 'kaboom' sound and won a smile from her sergeant. "Cops get scared too, Ollie."

"Don't call me Ollie," he replied, putting the photo down. "I hate that nickname." Then he studied Gail's face. "How did you do it? Go back out there?"

She sighed. "Because. I hate people. But I hate losers and people who hurt people most of all. And... I can stop them. I like that."

"You just want to be the only mean person. But I'm on to you, Peck. You're secretly nice."

"Ice, Oliver. I'm an ice queen and a terrible girlfriend."

"And a good friend."

"If you tell anyone, I will use my connections to have you transferred to the RMCP."

Oliver whinged, "I hate horses." They smiled and he threw an arm around her shoulder. "Thank you." She didn't reply but leaned in so he could hug her. He needed it. "You're a jerk, but you're a nice jerk."

"That's a shitty compliment, Oliver," she laughed.

He sighed, "Izzy said she's sorry for messing you and Holly up."

Gail side-eyed Oliver and frowned, "Oliver, there's only one person who screwed up me and Holly, and you're hugging her."

With a thoughtful sound, Oliver let go. "You wanna sleep over?"

It was easy for Gail to translate that, and she nodded. Oliver wanted another cop around. "Sure. The couch looks fine."

"I have a guest room," he scoffed, and got to his feet.

"Fine, but we're having coffee and none of this tea crap in the morning." Gail took Oliver's hand and stood up. "And tell your girlfriend not to hug me."

"I'm just shocked Peck didn't punch him." It was a voice Holly recognized, and she glanced down the hall at Detective Swarek.

A female officer stood next to him and shook her head, "She's getting soft."

"Maybe she's growing up, Andy," laughed the Detective. "Just because you guys don't understand her sense of humor... Do me a favor and get the evidence report? I'm gonna call Nash." Swarek walked down the hall and Andy turned to face Holly.

"Oh. Dr. Stewart!" She looked confused and awkward.

"The acoustics," sighed Holly. "I never mean to eavesdrop, but I think they designed this place so we'd never be surprised by an invasion." She saw Andy (McNally, per the name tag) freeze and her face closed. Swarek. McNally. Invasion. Holly kicked herself mentally, wishing she'd paid more attention. Not that Gail had ever talked about the incident much. It seemed to be a sticking point. One of many that had driven wedges between them.

But McNally recovered. "Do you have the reports on the drowning?"

"You mean the body dumped in the lake? Yes." Holly smirked as McNally's eyes went wide. "Would you thank whichever officer controlled the scene? Getting the samples that fast, with that much detail, helped immeasurably."

"Sure, but don't expect her to be all excited about it," replied McNally, absently. "I don't think Gail's been happy in months."

Hearing Gail's name sucked the breath out of her. "Officer Peck?" Holly pulled the last paper from the printer and tucked it in the folder.

The officer gave her a strange look. "Yeah. She's stuck with the rookie, Moore, and he took a lot of wrangling." McNally looked guilty. "And since I'm not allowed to stay at the scene with him, I'm here ... Gail asked me something about diatoms?"

Of all the damnedest things, Holly blushed. "Diatoms in the water and bones. The body wasn't in the water long enough for that. But the water in the lungs wasn't inhaled. Your victim died of anaphylactic shock, source yet unknown. We're still running that."

McNally squinted at the body. "That's what Gail said. Petechial ... Something. She was right? Crap, she's totally going for detective," sighed the officer.

"Oh?" Holy tried to pitch her voice innocently. Gail was going to be a detective? That might make her proposal harder. Would she even consider it in the first place? Gail was Toronto Police Royalty.

"Yeah... Do you know her? Gail I mean."

"We've met," Holly said, a little dryly, and that got a smirk from McNally. Clearly she had no idea about the nature of Gail and Holly's past relationship.

"We used to be friends. And then stuff happened and more stuff." McNally paused and studied Holly's face for a moment. In that look, Holly remembered seeing the woman once before at the hospital. This was Andy McNally who slept with Nick. "Anyway, Gail's been ... Weird. Even for Gail. Like she's changing. Sam thinks she's growing up. Maybe she's just becoming a Peck. Go be a detective, then an officer, then Chief of Police."

McNally sounded both offended and jealous, which Holly found amusing. "And you?" She didn't know why she was asking, but it was comforting to hear that Gail had been doing alright. What Holly really wanted to know was if Gail was single, and she couldn't ask that.

"I just flunked as a T.O. so ... Beat cop forever, just like my old man." McNally paused. "God, sorry, I'm dumping my crap on a stranger. Case?"

Holly pursed her lips. "Well. Officer Peck was right. Your victim was a body dump. The body started on manicured grass, colored. The chemicals were familiar, so I ran them and they matched what the Blue Jays and other professional fields use."

McNally looked at the report as if she could make sense of this. "Gail's going to be so pissed when Sam tells her she has to check out every baseball and softball stadium in the area."

Holly couldn't help but smile a little. It would, indeed, be very annoying for Gail.

When she got home, Holly started to tackle the personal paperwork and breaking the news to her friends. Lisa was pissed, predictably, and Rachel was upset they didn't talk first. They both blamed the 'Peck Fiasco' for Holly's decision to cut and run out of Toronto, and Holly couldn't really refute it. She still had feelings for Gail, Holly knew that.

Scratch that. She had more than feelings. Gail had uprooted her, given her a glimpse of a future with someone who was an equal in many ways. Gail's feelings for her were strangely unconditional. They never put a label on their relationship, which retrospectively seemed to be a bad idea. Maybe she should have put a label on it, told Gail that she was falling for her, that she was more than just fun.

But that would require being able to define what Gail was to her, and Holly didn't know. She did know there was an ache, a hole in her chest, where there was no Gail. Holly missed the little things, like Gail's grumpy expression in the early mornings, and the sweet looks in the day when they stole time for themselves. She missed jokes about the courier being sick when Gail brought her coffee. She missed hearing Gail berate people for being idiots.

Be honest. She missed Gail, and was starting to think this was the stupidest choice she'd ever made. But there was the job offer. A future for herself. And she was seriously doubting it was the right one. But she'd have to try and ask... She had to.

Welcome back, everyone! Yes, they're still broken up. They will get back together. We just need to sort things out. Next up? Peck and Moore. Dear god.

Yes 5x11 is in this fic, but there's more time between 9 and 10 to make room for a case. Just remember, Golly is my OTP and I have a plan. This plan will make you angry. It makes me angry. You won't be angry at Gail and Holly, if I do this right.