Next chapter has arrived. As always let me know what you think. Small freak out from our favourite Peck this time around.
Disclaimer: I do not own Rookie Blue or any of the characters.
Gail has been sitting here in her apartment, alone for the best part of an hour. She feels like this is really the first time since the shootings, since Holly, that she's had a moment to herself to actually contemplate what's been happening over the last few months, and to be honest; it terrifies her.
She has been living day by day, she feels like she's been in a daze, and has just allowed herself to go with the flow. And now here she finds herself a few months down the line, finally with a chance to open her eyes and take a peek at her life. She finds herself in the most serious relationship she's ever had. With a woman no less. She finds herself, happy; actually genuinely happy. Again with a woman.
It freaks her out. In fact it induces panic. How on earth did she get here? She knows Holly's parents for god's sake, even worse than that, Holly knows hers. All of their friends and family know about the two of them, and are all genuinely happy for them. Gail can feel her breaths getting shallower and shallower as she starts to panic more and more.
She would have usually gotten herself out of a situation like this well before now. Before it got too serious, before there was a chance anyone; and by anyone she means her; could really get hurt. But now here she is, in too deep. If she fucks this up, not only will she break her own heart, but Holly's too, and those of Holly's parents and Siblings, maybe even Ashley as well, although she's fairly certain Holly's best friend would probably just try to kill her.
Not only that though she can imagine how disappointed her own friends would be, they all love Holly. Jeehhze even Elaine Peck has given her seal of approval. All of those people would be so let down and upset, if Gail does her usual 'cat up a tree' routine. And all of a sudden the pressure is too much.
Gail sprints to the bathroom, and loses the contents of her stomach. What was she ever thinking getting in this deep with Holly, all those aforementioned people's lives are going to be at the very least disturbed, and at the most destroyed, when she does what she feels is the inevitable; and screws this up.
She takes a few deeps breaths and tries to stem the flow of bile currently hitting the water in the bottom of the toilet.
She's pulled from her thoughts when her cell phone starts to ring. She grabs it from her pocket, and watches the caller ID as it flashes up the name 'Holly'. She has to answer, mainly because she knows Holly is going to want to see her later and she's not sure she can cope with that in her current panicky emotional state. She swipes the green button.
"Holly hey."
Holly instantly knows there is something wrong with her girlfriend; she decides to give it the benefit of the doubt though. "Good afternoon Officer Peck, I was wondering if I will have the pleasure of your company this evening?"
The panic that has been swirly around Gail's brain firmly sets in again, she just needs to think, she can't see her, not tonight, not with all this crap on her mind. "Actually I have plans with the guys tonight. Just at the Penny, but I don't want to start neglecting them."
Holly knew she was right, there is most definitely something wrong, but she doesn't want to call her on it over the phone. "Oh okay then. I guess I'll see you tomorrow."
Gail hates the disappointment she can hear in Holly's voice. But she can't shake this feeling. "Yeah."
"Right well I've got to get back to work. Speak to you soon."
"Yeah." Gail feels pathetic; she actually lets her head drop into her hands as she lets the second one syllable word meander from her lips. Holly deserves more than this, she deserves better than me.
"I love you Gail." Holly isn't sure what's happening here, but she wants Gail to remember that no matter what, this statement is true above all else.
Gail feels a tear drop develop at the corner of her eye before its weight becomes too much for itself and it drops and trickles down her fingers, which are still providing much needed support for her head. "I know. I've got to go."
Gail hangs up. Holly looks at her phone her body flooding with worry, what on earth has happened here? She could swear Gail was on the verge of tears towards the end of that call. She needs to talk to someone, so she hits speed dial number 6, and Ashley's name pops up on her phone. Boy is she glad for her best friend at times like this.
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Although she never really had any plans to be here, Gail does actually find herself in the Penny this evening. It makes her feel a little better, a little less like she has lied to Holly. She's sitting at a table by herself at the moment, nursing her second Jack and coke. She groans when she watches Steve, Traci and Chris walk through the door. She doesn't know why this upsets her so much; she knew they were bound to turn up at some point.
The threesome spy Gail immediately and head straight over to her, all smiles, oblivious to the inner turmoil that the younger Peck is going through. As they reach the table, Chris is the first speak.
"Where's Holly?"
"We're not joined at the hip." She can't keep the venom from her voice, nor can she help the glare she fixes him with.
Traci and Steve look at each other worriedly, both thinking 'what the hell has happened?'Chris rather wishes he hasn't spoken at all, he wants to escape.
"Right well I'll head to the bar."
Gail rapidly finishes her drink and places her glass in Chris' hand, leaving him in no doubt to the fact that she wants a refill and he's paying. Chris just looks at glass, before looking between Traci and Steve; he shakes his head, and makes his way to the bar. Steve and Traci join Gail at the table, and get comfortable. This could be a long night.
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They started with day to day chit chat; they could see that Gail was in no mood to talk about whatever it is that's wrong with her. But Traci and Steve know that if they want to get any sense from the blond they are going to have to do it soon, before she gets too smash. Steve lets Traci take the lead.
"So Gail do you want to talk about it?" Traci is treading very carefully.
"Talk about what?" Gail shrugs.
"Whatever it is that's wrong with you."
"I'm fine and dandy." Traci is losing patience really quickly.
Steve has broken already, so much for leaving it to Traci and the softly, softly approach. "What have you done?"
Two sets of female eyes are on him immediately, he decides to explain himself. "Look Gail, it's obvious that you're upset about something, so either you've messed up with Holly, or you're freaking out and you in the process of messing things up with Holly?"
Gail hates that Steve knows her so well, but she's not quite ready to give the game up just yet. "Well that's nice Brother of mine. What makes you so sure that I've messed up? Maybe Holly has done something to upset me."
She's met by looks from Steve and Traci that scream 'cut out the bullshit'. She sighs and shakes her head, before finishing of what's left of her current glass.
"Fine; option two."
Traci voices her confusion. "Option two?"
"Option two." Gail feels like they should know exactly what she's talking about. "Steve's option two."
Her brother thinks back over what he actually said. Jackpot. "So you're freaking out, and messing up."
The penny drops for Traci. "Why are you freaking out?"
Gail's eyes bulge, this part should be obvious, but just in case she starts out on a rant like expedition through the story, of why Gail Peck is freaking out.
"I've met Holly's parents, she's met mine." He face contorts to convey disgust. "She loves me, she really loves me. Where two freaking steps away from a lesbian wedding, and a white picket fence."
Steve has to stifle a chuckle. Traci, who is currently in disbelief at her friend's insanity right now, speaks. "You know Gail, when two people love each other as much as you and Holly do, that's kind what tends to happen."
"Are you going to tell me about the birds and the bees next too?" Gail smiles sweetly.
Steve steps in, he's fairly sure Traci is close to smacking Gail in frustration. "You're freaking out because you haven't messed this up yet." Gail's expression confirms he's right.
"But you expect too. And you're already in too deep for that."
Gail's focus is firmly on her brother, her jaw is hanging. "When did you get the ability to read minds?"
Steve laughs. "It's amazing the training you get in Guns and Gangs." He wiggles his eyebrows and Gail can't help but return his grin.
She sighs. "I'm going to get my heartbroken, and worse than that, so is Holly."
"You don't know that Gail." Traci's glare is firmly on her friend, she needs to shock her into not being so stupid. "You can't not take a chance because you're scared it might end one day. You should savour everyday you and Holly have together, because you don't know when it might be your last."
Gail feels awful; Traci played the 'Jerry Card'. This sobers her instantly and makes her realise just how stupid she's been acting. Traci's right, life is short. She's need to enjoy the time she has with Holly and if they break up, they break up. Gail decides there and then that if they do break up, it absolutely won't be down to her freaking out like this again. She thinks back to her telephone call with Holly earlier and feels awful.
Traci watches her friend go through a myriad of emotions, she almost feels bad. But not quiet, that was the kick up the backside Gail needed to stop acting the fool. She reaches over and grabs Gail's hand.
"You and Holly are perfect, and if you're really lucky, then you'll get your Lesbian wedding, and your white picket fence."
Traci gives her the most brilliant smile and Gail can't help but reciprocate. "Now whatever you've done to Holly, make it right."
Traci prods her as she speaks, Gail just nods. There's no way she can do it tonight though, it's late and she's had far too much Bourbon to have a serious conversation, so she slouches back into her chair.
She feels about three feet tall when she sees Ashley walk into the Penny. The brunette sees Gail and gives her look which screams 'I know what you did'. Before making a beeline for Chris. Gail watches as her friend and Holly's best friend greet each other warmly, with a kiss.
Traci and Steve both watch Gail as she watches this mystery woman. "Who's that?" It's Steve who lets his curiosity get the better of him.
"I thought you were psychic?" She sticks her tongue out at Steve, before relenting and answering his question.
"That is Doctor Ashley Jones, otherwise known as Holly's best friend in the whole world."
"Oh yeah, you guys set her up with Chris, seems to be going well." Traci watches as the two of them laugh a joke together with that closeness that you only have with someone you're dating.
Steve watches his sister get more and more nervous. "You're scared Holly's told her about whatever it is you've done in the midst of your freak out."
Gail looks at him; he's starting to annoy her with all this 'rightness'. "Actually I'm scared because I know Holly has definitely told her."
Traci and Steve smirk at each other.
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Ashley has been having a great night with Chris and a few others from the 15 division, she's already met a couple of them through work, but she's finally met Oliver and Celery who both Gail and Holly have talked about before; and has been introduced to a very excited Chloe and Dov, she had been pre-warned by Gail that Chloe would be pretty hyper if she was ever introduced as 'the person who Chris is dating', boy was she right.
But now she needs to talk to Gail, the phone call she received from Holly earlier made her a little angry. Holly knows that Gail is freaking out, she knew what it was as soon as she heard the tone of Gail's voice when she called earlier, and confirmed to Ashley that she's been expecting it. But when Holly told her to make sure Gail didn't 'create an emergency situation' tonight at the Penny, Ashley has to admit she had no idea what her best friend was talking about. Then she explained what it meant, and as a result Ashley has been watching the blonde like a hawk, one wrong move and she will be coming down on her like a tonne of bricks.
To be fair to Gail though, she's been sat at the same table with the same two people all night, if Ashley had to guess she'd say that these two are probably Gail's brother Steve and his girlfriend Traci, but she decides she's going to find out for sure.
Gail tenses as she sees Ashley heading over, Traci and Steve notice her change in demeanour straight away, and they see why straight away too. Ashley confidently arrives at the table and smiles at Gail.
"Hi Gail."
"Hey, this is my brother Steve and my friend Traci. This is Ashley, Holly's best friend."
Ashley internally congratulates herself for being right about who these two are, and shakes each of their hands as they offer them to her, she takes a seat at the table, she loves how sheepish Gail is looking right now. She's surprised when it's Traci that speaks.
"So you're dating Diaz?" Ashley nods. "It seems to be going well."
"He's a great guy, but we've only been out a couple of times."
This perks Gail up, she knows Holly was really excited about their second date, she was sure Ashley was going to love it. Gail hasn't seen the psychologist since though so she's not sure how it went. "How was your last date?"
Ashley face explodes into an excited glow. "Oh my God Gail it was brilliant." She looks over to Steve and Traci and starts to explain to the three of them just why it was so good.
"He took me to Toronto FC."
"Soccer?" Steve questions.
"Yeah. My Dad was from England originally, so he's a huge football fan or soccer as you would call it; and I was a huge Daddy's girl so obviously I followed in his footsteps."
"So you had a good time then." Gail can't help but giggle along with her words; she's never seen Ashley so excited.
"It was amazing, and I'm guessing it wasn't just a good guess on Chris' part. So thank you."
Gail smiles delighted that hers and Holly's plan worked, although really she just passed the advice onto Chris, it was Holly's idea. "Thank Holly, it was her idea."
"Hmm, speaking of my gorgeous best friend, can I have a word?"
The smile falls from Gail's face almost immediately. Steve and Traci feel the tension formulating and decide to leave these two to it.
"Shall we go and see what the others are up too?" Steve is rising from his seat already.
Traci just nods and follows him. Ashley giggles. Gail takes a deep breath ready for what she feels is an inevitable telling off from her newest friend.
"So I got a call from Holly earlier."
"I thought as much."
"She knows you're freaking out. She actually said she was impressed that you lasted this long."
Ashley almost laughs out loud at the look of confusion on Gail's face. "Wait so she's not mad with me."
"No Gail she's not mad at you, as far as I know. She was being pretty weird, talking about cats and trees and emergency situations, she didn't make a great deal of sense, but I'm pretty sure she will forgive you this one."
Gail smirks at Ashley's words; she still can't believe she ever used that Cat up a tree analogy. What a dumb ass. Ashley hasn't finished.
"What she was worried about was you doing something stupid." Gail's heart sinks. "So let me be very clear here Gail. If you have one of these 'freak outs' of yours, and it leads in any way to you doing something that might hurt my best friend, I will not be happy."
Ashley stops herself at threatening any violence against Gail, she has a gun after all, but she leaves Gail in no doubt that if she does ever mess up with Holly, she will be in a whole world of pain.
"Make things better with her. Okay?"
"I will I promise." Gail nods. "But not tonight, I've drunk too much I don't want to make things worse."
"Sensible." Ashley grins, and Gail relaxes a little, enough to pose her next question.
"So the soccer was your second date right?" Ashley nods. "So that makes tonight your third date, and we all know what that means." Gail wiggles her eyebrows.
Ashley almost chokes on her beer through her laughter. "I don't know, can you really consider this a date?"
"This is definitely a date." Gail is adamant.
"Besides, how do you know we haven't already done it? I was pretty excited by the Football." Now it's Ashley's turn to quirk her eyebrows.
"No chance. Chris hasn't had sex in so long, there's no way he'd be able to keep information like that to himself."
Ashley keeps her face deadly serious. "So what you're saying is if I do put out, he's going to tell the whole of 15 division."
Gail panics. "No that's not what I meant at all . . ."
Ashley bursts out laughing, and Gail throws a beer mat at her, she can't believe she's fallen for Ashley's teasing again.
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Gail ended up having a brilliant time with all the guys last night; she was particularly smug when Ashley ended up coming back to their place with Chris. She just wishes Holly had been there. She's about to knock on her girlfriends door, she's headed over straight from work, it's 7.30pm now, Holly should be home by now. She hates that she has become a cliché but she has a massive bunch of Daisy's and Sunflowers, because she knows they remind Holly of the summer and she loves the summer. She takes one last deep breath, composes herself and knocks on the apartment door.
The nerves she feels while she is waiting for Holly to answer are like nothing she has ever felt, she prays she can forgive her. Holly swings open the door and can't help but give Gail her best lopsided grin.
"Nice flowers."
Gail thrusts them in Holly's direction. "They're for you."
Holly accepts them gratefully, and takes in their scent. She steps aside and lets Gail into the apartment. She follows her into the front room; carefully place the flowers down on the sideboard.
"You freaked out."
Gail turns to face her girlfriend and nods. "I freaked out."
"Are you over it?" Holly actually already knows she's over it, having spoken to Ashley at lunch today.
"Definitely over it." Gail is empathic. "I'm just sorry I was ever under it."
Holly giggles, before moving towards her girlfriend. "I missed you last night."
She leans in for a kiss and is surprised when Gail moves her head back, truth is she confused. "What I'm forgiven just like that?"
"Gail I knew what I signed up for with you. I've been waiting for this to happen. I can handle you freaking out, obviously I wish you would talk to me, but I can handle it. As long as that's all you do."
Gail knows she has a tendency not just to freak out but to mess things up completely, so she can understand Holly's worry, but she needs to prove to her, that she will never make that mistake with her.
"I promise with you, I'll only ever get as far as the freak out. And I promise that next time, I will try my best to talk to you about it, instead of shutting you out."
"That's good enough. Now can I have my kiss?" Holly doesn't wait for an answer she just leans back in.
Gail gives in and kisses Holly for all she's worth. Before pulling back. "Guess who stayed at our place last night?" Gail can't contain her excitement.
"Who?" This better be good if it's worthy of interrupting a kiss.
"Ashley, with Chris obviously."
"No way." Now Gail's excitement has transferred to Holly. "She called me at lunch and didn't mention a thing. She is so busted."
Holly can't believe Ashley didn't tell her about it, she will definitely be questioning her about this at the next opportunity.
Holly suddenly seems to remember about the flowers, and grabs them from the side. They are both taken by surprise when the door bell rings. Holly assumes, maybe it's Ashley, coming to talk about Chris, she certainly isn't expecting anyone else.
"Can you get that, I'm just going to put these in water." She gestures towards the flowers.
Gail nods and heads towards the front door. She swings it open and is met by a woman she doesn't recognise, with sandy blonde hair and green eyes the stranger doesn't speak she just looks confused.
"Can I help you?" As this woman seems incapable of speaking Gail makes the first move.
The woman looks a Gail like she's just spoken in a foreign language, before checking the number on the door, and glancing up and down the corridor she's currently standing in, she finally focuses her attention back on Gail, and smiles.
"I'm sorry I was looking for Holly Stewart, but it's been a while, I guess she's moved."
Now Gail is intrigued. "Nope, you're in the right place."
The woman who looked as if she was about to take off a second ago, plants her stare firmly on Gail and smirks, Gail does not like the way this women is looking at her, at all.
"Who are you?" It's perhaps a little blunter than it should be, but Gail can't help the instant dislike she's taken to this smug looking individual.
The woman's smirk grows in size. "I'm Sarah."
Gail's heart hits the floor, of course she knows who Sarah is, the woman who makes her blood boil every time her name is mentioned. What Gail can't understand is what the hell is Holly's ex-girlfriend, who broke her heart all those years ago, doing standing here on her front door step. And you know what, Gail's not sure she wants to find out. So instead of sticking around to find out, she just slams the door in her face, before leaning back against it.
What a nightmare this could turn out to be.
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So there's a bit more drama in store next time around. . .
As always, please review. Or drop me a tweet at Eden_Ashley_Chr
