She wakes groggily, her head lolled against Holly's shoulder as the pilot's voice echoes through the cabin speakers. She forces herself to sit upright, her neck and back aching from the uncomfortable position she'd fallen asleep in, and reaches up to rub the weariness from her eyes.

"We've landed already?" Gail asks through a yawn, stretching her body as much as the small space will allow her to.

"Yeah; you were pretty much out for the count from the moment we took off," Holly replies with a fond smile as she closes her book and tucks it back into her bag. "Probably a result of all that unnecessary stressing you've been doing all week about meeting my folks."

She knows it's true. She'd been tense and panicky all week, and that meant she'd been an unpredictable mix of extra quiet and withdrawn one moment or cranky and biting the next; constantly snapping at anything and anybody who accidentally got in her way. Holly had tried to reassure her that it would all be fine by telling her dorky little antidotes about her family to make them seem less scary, but even so she's been unable to shake off her anxiousness.

She can count on one hand the number of her boyfriends' parents she's met before, but even though it won't be an entirely new experience for her, she's acutely aware that those weren't serious; she didn't have to worry back then because none of the relationships felt long-term enough for her to deem the parent meeting part important. But she knows this time that it matters greatly, that this is it; these are the people that could one day be her future in-laws and while that fills her with happiness, it's also nerve-wracking to the extreme. She knows she can't afford to get this introduction wrong. It has to be perfect.

Gail smiles sheepishly in return and rubs a kink in her neck. "I just want to make a good impression on them, Hol."

Holly smiles softly at her and leans forward to press a kiss to her cheek. "They're going to love you, I promise," Holly tells her, swatting Gail's hand away from her neck and massaging the spot with familiar ease until Gail sighs in relief. "You just need to relax. My mom and step-dad are nowhere near as intimidating as your parents. Think of it this way, I had to be terrified of your mother having her own gun, you on the other hand only have to worry about mine offering to teach you yoga."

Gail lets out an amused breath and smiles. "Fair point," she says with a smile. "I just hope you warned them how awkward I am."

"You'll be great," Holly reassures her as she unbuckles her seatbelt and reaches over to undo Gail's. "Now, can we please get off this thing? I always feel so gross whenever I fly and I really want to get our bags, go home, and take a long, hot shower."

"Fine," Gail relents, the anxious knot in her stomach still refusing to fully untangle. "But you're not just going to introduce me to your parents and then leave me alone with them while you go off and shower, right?"

Holly shakes her head and smiles despite herself. "Gail, I promise you that I won't leave you to defend for yourself, now get up."

Gail waits until the family sitting along the same row as them has gotten their hand-luggage down and started to make their way off the plane before she stands up and holds her hand out to pull Holly up. She gets their bags down and shuffles nervously until Holly catches her gaze and rolls her eyes affectionately at her as she sees Gail's reluctance to leave.

"They really are going to love you, baby, I promise," Holly murmurs soothingly as she reaches for Gail's hand and tangles their fingers together. Gail sees the certainty in Holly's eyes then and lets it calm her as she releases a shaky breath and nods acceptingly, squeezing their fingers together tightly before letting Holly lead her out of the plane.


It feels like they have to wait forever for their bags to be unloaded off of the plane, and by the time Gail's grabbing them hastily from among the other passengers' suitcases – the constant shoving, pushing and elbowing, making her glare at anybody who overly invades her personal space – she's just about had enough of airports to last her a lifetime.

Holly interlaces their fingers the moment Gail returns to her and she follows willingly as Holly navigates her way through the familiar terminal towards the car rental booths. A man with the least sincere smiles she's ever seen greets them and Gail finds herself unable to stop staring at him as he looks for their reservation as slowly as humanly possible.

"I'm sorry Dr Stewart, it seems your reservation was cancelled yesterday," he says with an irritatingly monotone voice.

Holly shakes her head and lets out a frustrated breath before forcing a fake smile onto her face and saying, "Well, what have you got left? We'll take whatever as long as we can both fit in it."

Gail narrows her eyes pointedly at the guy behind the desk as he hums disinterestedly and begins looking for something vacant for them to rent, and tugs on Holly's sleeve to get her attention. "Can we please just go and get a cab so that we can get the hell out of here," she begs, glancing around menacingly as the family behind her shuffles in so closely that she can practically feel their body heat radiating against her back. "I can't handle this for much longer; I'm going to end up yelling profanities at somebody if I get even as much as remotely nudged again."

"Aren't cops supposed to be used to swarms of annoying people?" A playful voice quips near her ear, catching her off guard and making Gail whip swiftly around knocking into the guy accidentally. The guy regains his footing easily and holds his hands up apologetically. "Whoa, sorry didn't mean to startle you," he says with a smile, and then flicks his eyes over to Holly's. "Hey Hollypop, long time no see."

Gail feels her eyebrows knit together in confusion even as Holly breaks out into a surprised but happy smile and reaches out to pull the guy into a crushing hug. She pulls back a moment later and pats his cheek affectionately.

"It's so good to see you, Jimmy. I've really missed you," Holly says into his shoulder as she pulls him in for another squeeze before releasing him properly. "Wait, what are you even doing here?"

"Mom wanted to come and pick you up and surprise you, but since she dinged the car this morning it's back at the shop for repairs again. So, being your favourite brother I naturally offered to pick you up instead," he tells her with a grin.

"You're my only brother, you ass," Holly teases as she shakes her head knowingly in response and quirks her eyebrow. "Let me guess, mom was the one who cancelled my rental, right?"

James shrugs back at her with a smile. "She means well, she just doesn't always think everything through logically, you know that."

"I do," Holly replies fondly, and then remembering herself, turns back to Gail and holds her hand out to pull Gail into her side. "Sorry, I'm being rude," she murmurs and then flicks her eyes between them both. "Gail, this is my younger brother, James; James, this is Gail."

Gail involuntarily squares her shoulders then and offers him a smile as she awkwardly extends her hand. "Nice to finally meet you."

"You too," James replies warmly, taking her hand and pulling her into a friendly hug before letting her go and smiling back at them both. "It's about time Holly stopped hiding you away. We're all really looking forward to getting to know you, Gail. But first, let's get out of here." He reaches for Gail's bag then and nods his head towards the exit, indicating for them to follow. "I'll have you ladies home in no time so that you can freshen up a bit."

"Are you saying I smell?" Holly fires back playfully.

James shakes his head. "Of course not, my dear, dear, sister." He turns his gaze to Gail then and nods his head as he pinches his nose teasingly.

Gail watches Holly punch him in the arm then and can't help but smile at the easy nature of their relationship. It reminds her a little of Steve and she can't help but feel more at ease the longer she watches them banter back and forth.

Holly reaches for her hand again, drawing her out of her thoughts and squeezes their fingers together as she mouths, "you okay?", Gail nods in return and swings their hands between them as she tugs Holly to follow behind her brother.

"I have a question for you, Gail," James says, turning to walk backwards a couple of steps as he talks to her. "Is being a cop anything like what they show on TV? Because it looks so badass. I always wanted to be a cop; solving murders, arresting bad guys, saving the day and all, you know? But when the final choice came down to it my inner piglet won out and I ended up going to culinary school instead of the police academy."

Gail feels herself relaxing instantly at James' easy conversation, his eyes warm and soothing as he patiently waits for her answer with a smile. "Kind of. We do have to use our guns a lot more than I ever expected but there's also lots more paperwork than they show on TV."

"Paperwork?" James repeats with a grimace. "Ugh. Well, I might not own a gun but I do own a very large collection of kitchen knives. That's equally badass, right?"

"Totally," Gail says with a laugh as she catches Holly rolling her eyes fondly.

"If not, I also make the most delicious apple tarte tatin," James replies with a playful smile as he opens the trunk of his car and puts their bags inside. "Light, golden puff pastry, caramelized apples, marzipan filling, and mouth watering cinnamon ice cream. Now that's truly hardcore."

Holly shakes her head at him. "You're ridiculous."

"You won't be saying that later when you have a slice," James grins in response and opens the front passenger side door, flicking his gaze to Gail again. "Are you a dessert lover, Officer?"

Gail nods. "Oh yeah."

"I think you'll have competition in the 'who can eat the most' contest, Jimmy," Holly adds. "This one loves food almost as much as you do."

"Finally someone who understands," James replies, raising his fist towards Gail and quirking his eyebrow at her until she fist-bumps him, smiling in amusement as she does. "You get to sit up front with me, Gail. I'll teach you how to make anything you want, and you can share some secret cop stories with me while stinky over there sits in the back."

Holly swats his shoulder again. "Be nice to me, I'm your big sister."

"Okay, okay. Gail can sit up front with me so we can discuss how badass we both are, and you get to sit in the back and relax like we're your personal drivers. Better?" he replies teasingly.

"It'll do," Holly says, flashing him a lopsided smile while he presses a quick kiss to her cheek. He opens the back door for her then and mock bows as she steps past him and climbs inside.

Once he's shut the door he turns his attention back to Gail. "You ready for phase two?"

Gail shakes her head and smiles. "Yes and no. Honestly, I'm a little nervous; meeting your girlfriend's parents... it's a big deal, you know?"

"I felt the same when I met my girlfriend – Phoebe's – parents, but I just tried to relax and be myself and it went great," James confesses with an encouraging smile. "You've really got nothing to worry about, Gail. If it makes you feel any better my mom made me cook all of the food for tonight's meal because – well, truthfully she's a terrible cook – but really she asked me to do it because she's nervous and wants to make a good first impression on you since she knows how much you mean to Holly."

"That's really sweet," Gail says softly, feeling oddly comforted by the fact Holly's mom feels just as nervous about meeting her as she is about meeting them.

"Don't tell her I told you about the food though, she'd be embarrassed if she knew I'd told you," James adds as an afterthought, grinning sheepishly. "But if she ever offers to cook you pancakes, decline for your own safety, okay?"

"Got it," Gail replies as she smiles back reassuringly. "And not a word, I promise."

Holly's head pops out of the window then and she glances between them with concern. "What's going on; is everything okay?"

She flashes Holly a smile and nods. "Everything's fine, Hol, relax. We're just bonding over our mutual love for the champion of all foods... cheese-puffs."

Holly shakes her head fondly in response. "As happy as that makes me, can you two bond while we drive? I really want to get home and take a shower."

"Aye, aye, captain bossy pants," James teases, throwing Gail a wink before he walks around to the other side of the car and climbs inside.

She follows his lead, and within seconds they're pulling out of the airport short-stay car park and heading down the highway. She lets James ask her questions about her job and finds herself falling into easy conversation with him as they move on to more food and then video games. It isn't until he announces that they'll be at the house in ten more minutes that Gail realises Holly's been silent the entire journey, and as she glances into the back and finds Holly sleeping peacefully – her head lolling against the window with a content little smile on her face – she realises that her anxiousness has completely faded away.

"I thought she could use forty-winks," James says, glancing at her with a smile.

Gail smiles softly in return. "She always falls asleep when she sits in the back, huh?"

"Yeah. I hope you don't mind, I just thought she could use a short respite because otherwise she's going to start nervous rambling like crazy," James murmurs fondly. "That doesn't mean that I didn't honestly want you to sit up front with me, because I really did want to talk with you."

Gail smiles understandingly in return, and can't help but acknowledge then that there's just something so easy about being around the Stewarts'; that without even realising what they're doing, they somehow manage to calm her usual awkwardness and leave her totally comfortable to open herself up.

Somehow it makes the thought that she's actually, finally, about to meet Holly's mom and step-dad seem a lot less daunting than it did only hours before.


The first thing she thinks when James pulls into the driveway is that it looks far more like a proper family home than the house she grew up in. There's an old tire-swing still hanging from a tree and a couple of goofy garden-gnomes standing by the front door; their panted faces bright and happy as they hold a little sign between them that says 'welcome' – (she knows her mother would think they're ridiculously tacky, but Gail finds herself smiling at the little touch of character the Stewarts' have added to their home).

"Why don't you wake her up while I take the bags inside, that way it gives you a couple of extra minutes to ready yourself," James offers kindly as he turns the ignition off.

"Thanks," Gail replies appreciatively, flashing him a smile before they both climb out of the car.

She helps James get the bags out of the trunk, accepting the final reassuring squeeze he gives her shoulder before he heads off towards the house. Once the front door has closed behind him she opens the back door of the car as gently as she can, trying to be careful not to jerk Holly awake and takes a moment just to take in how peaceful Holly looks. Her hair looks a little ruffled and her glasses have tilted to a weird angle but she still looks absolutely beautiful, and Gail can't help but think that there's something utterly lovely about the soft, content, little sounds she's making as she sleeps.

"It's time to wake up, sleepyhead," Gail murmurs, reaching her fingertips out to stroke lovingly against Holly's cheek. She feels her heart swell with affection as Holly's eyes flutter slowly open at her feather-light touch, her mouth twisting into an adorable, sleepy smile as she nuzzles her face further into Gail's touch.

"I fell asleep," Holly says, a touch of surprise in her voice as she stumbles more into consciousness.

It makes Gail chuckle fondly as she lets her fingers brush the hair from Holly's face. "You fell asleep," she confirms with an amused smile.

Holly unbuckles her seatbelt then and pushes herself upright as she moves her glasses to rest on top of her head and rubs the lingering haziness from her eyes. "I hope Jimmy didn't talk your ear off too much, I probably should have warned you that he's a bit of a chatterbox," Holly says as she accepts Gail's hand and lets her help pull her up and out of the car.

"He's nice," Gail replies, stepping back to give Holly the room she needs to stretch. "A little weird and nerdy but then again I think that must just run in your family DNA."

Holly shakes her head with a fond smile and reaches out to pull Gail into her arms, their hips bumping together as she searches out Gail's eyes. "How are you feeling? Are you nervous? Because we can go take a drive and come back when you feel ready, if you want? I mean we've got all weekend, there's no rush and-"

Gail presses their mouths together softly, quieting Holly's anxious babbling with a lingering kiss that she feels Holly melt into with ease. "I'm actually feeling oddly calm about this now," she says with a smile as she pulls back. "I want to get to know them, Hol."

Holly lets out a breath and smiles happily back. "It's going to be a good weekend, I promise."

"Oh, I know it will," Gail quips back with a playful smile. "I've already been promised delicious food, and there's colourful gnomes standing outside your parents' front door welcoming me with glee, what more could I ask for?"

Holly laughs at that and takes Gail's hand, tugging her up the front path towards the door. "Want to know an embarrassing secret? I painted the left one and Jimmy painted the right," Holly confesses. "My mom thought they would be a charming addition to our home."

"Well, she was right. Although it has to be said, it looks like you weren't the neatest painter, Dr 'steady-hands' Stewart," Gail teases. "Even Jimmy did a better job and he's what, six years younger than you?"

Holly bumps their shoulders together and chuckles. "Shut up. I'm just not artsy, okay?" Gail just smirks back and lets Holly lead her through the front door and into the house. She hangs up their coats and then reaches for Gail's hand again, giving it a final, reassuring squeeze before calling out, "Mom, Pop, we're here."

Gail inhales deeply then, bracing herself as she hears the soft padding of footsteps hurrying their way. Within moments they're being greeted by a woman smiling welcomingly, her eyes flicking between hers and Holly's with comforting warmth.

The first thing that strikes Gail is just how much Holly looks like her mother; endless brown eyes, dark flowing hair and a smile so sincere that it instantly settles any last lingering nerves that were fluttering in her stomach.

"You're here," she exclaims happily, reaching to pull Holly into a brief but tight hug before pulling back again. "It's so good to see you, sweetheart."

"You too, Mom," Holly smiles, leaning in to hug her again before pulling back and slipping her arm around Gail's waist, her fingers stroking soothingly at Gail's hip as she turns her head towards her to check that she's okay before turning back to her mom. "Mom, this is Gail; Gail, this is my mom, Maggie."

She smiles shyly then as Holly's mother's eyes fall to hers again, regarding her kindly, and it takes her a little by surprise a moment later when she's pulled into an equally warm and tight hug as Holly had received. "It's so lovely to finally get to meet you, Gail."

Gail pats at her back a little stiltedly at first, still not overly used to people communicating themselves through embraces, but feels herself relax into it a second later as relief rushes through her with how welcomed she genuinely is. "You too, Mrs Stewart. Thanks so much for inviting me."

Maggie releases her but catches her hand between her own and pats it idly. "It's our pleasure to have you," she replies with a smile. "I know how busy you two are, but I'm just so glad that I can finally stop pestering Holly to book some time off to come home for a break. You both look tired; did you get any sleep on your flight? I bet you're both working far too hard, it's not good for your health, you know-"

"Maggie, give the girls some room to breathe, they've barely even made it through the door," A male voice interrupts playfully. He offers Gail a smile as he comes to stand beside his wife, immediately wrapping his arm around her shoulders. "Welcome to the mad house, Gail. I hope Holly gave you fair warning about my wife... I know she's a little eccentric but you'll grow to like her; trust me, I did."

Gail smiles in amusement then as she watches Maggie turn and swat at his arm, shaking her head with a warning smile, and says, "I'm glad you warmed up to me, dear, it would have made our marriage a little awkward if you hadn't."

"I wouldn't have you any other way, my darling, you know that," he replies charmingly, and leans forward to kiss her cheek.

Gail sees the love passing between them then as they momentarily get lost in each other's eyes and something about it warms her heart. She thinks it's the way they seem so at ease around each other; happy to joke and banter affectionately still after years of marriage, unlike her own parents whose interactions seem to have grown increasingly sombre throughout the years. It makes her hope longingly that her and Holly will always remain so in-step with each other; she never wants them to lose the ability to laugh together, or to look at each other like they're the only two people in the room.

Holly's step-dad seems to remember himself a brief moment later and he extends his hand to Gail. "Forgive my poor manners; I should have introduced myself already, I'm Ted," he says as Gail takes his hand and shakes it.

"Nice to meet you, sir," Gail replies, offering him a smile.

Ted nods his head in Holly's direction. "Polite and respectful; I like her already, Holls."

"Me too, such a lovely girl," Maggie chips in, her eyes flicking to Gail's again. "You've got such a beautiful complexion; are you a natural blonde, Gail?"

Gail tries to ignore the way the tips of her ears start burning at the attention, but she knows her cheeks must be tinged with a rosy blush when Holly rolls her eyes at her parents and pulls Gail closer into her side protectively. "Enough already you two," Holly cautions fondly. "You've got all weekend to get to know each other, but for now, step away from my girlfriend and give us a chance to settle in."

"You're right, we're being overbearing and you've been here for less than ten minutes," Maggie says apologetically. "You've just got time to freshen up before dinner. It should be ready shortly; it's pork tenderloin with a honey glaze and veggies, I hope that's okay?"

Holly smiles back. "Sounds lovely, Mom. Just remember no-"

"Tomatoes," Maggie cuts in knowingly. "Gail's allergic. You told me and I remembered. Don't worry, my cooking isn't going to poison her, Holly, you can relax." She turns her gaze back to Ted then. "Get the girls some drinks will you, dear."

Gail smiles in amusement then as Ted mock salutes her, earning himself another swat across the chest as Maggie rolls her eyes at him and heads back into the kitchen. "What can I get you; wine, beer, or perhaps something stronger? I'd personally suggest something stronger, getting through a meal with us can be quite the ordeal."

She glances up at Holly then and Holly just smiles back at her reassuringly before saying, "Tequila, Pop; she wants tequila."

"Ah," Ted hums with a smile, pressing his hand against his chest playfully. "A woman after my own heart. Why don't you two go freshen up and I'll go and get the good bottle out of hiding; it's about time it came out for a special occasion again, and having you two lovely ladies here with us for the weekend is definitely a cause for celebration."

Gail returns his parting smile and feels Holly's fingers sneaking beneath her top, softly caressing the smooth skin at the small of her back. "On a scale to one-to-terrified, how are you feeling?" Holly jokes as Gail turns to look at her.

She offers Holly a soft smile and reaches up to cup Holly's cheek, drawing her down for a quick, sweet kiss. "They're nice," she says reassuringly, and then echoing her earlier thought she adds, "A little weird and nerdy but then again I think that must just run in your family DNA."

Holly laughs at that and smiles happily. "I'm really glad you came with me."

"Me too," Gail replies honestly, knowing already that she's going to get along just fine with Holly's family.

Holly ducks her head to kiss her again then, and Gail lets her eyes flutter closed, allowing herself a moment to just enjoy the simplicity of what it means that she's actually there with Holly at her childhood home, meeting her parents, and she can't help but think that it feels like another piece of her life is falling into place.


Compared to the dinner they had with her parents that first time, sharing a meal with Holly's family is considerably tame. The food is delicious – she makes sure to send James a sneaky smile when she meets his eye across the table – and the conversation flows easily; there are no awkward silences or overbearing, prying questions, just a continuous flow of good natured curiosity, mixed with genuine laughter.

James leaves shortly after he's served them all a slice of his apple tarte tatin, pressing a quick kiss to her and Holly's cheeks and inviting them over the following evening to catch up properly. As Maggie starts clearing up their plates, Gail can't help but insist that she help, and even as Maggie protests, Gail carries several dirty dishes over to the sink and holds her ground until Maggie relents with a grateful smile.

They shoo Holly and Ted from the kitchen a few moments later, and although she'd normally feel a sense of dread at being left alone with her girlfriend's mother, chatting with Maggie as she washes and then passes the plates to Gail to dry, seems like the most natural thing in the world.

"Holly tells me that as well as being a hard-working detective, that you're also a rather wonderful photographer," Maggie says, passing Gail a wine glass to dry.

Gail nods in response as she runs the dish-towel around the glass, holding it up to the light when she's done to make sure she hasn't left any water-marks. "I'm actually kind of just getting back into it," she confesses as she places the glass back in the right cupboard.

"Was it a hobby you had as a child that you lost touch with?" Maggie inquires.

"Yeah," Gail breathes, darting her tongue out to lick at her lips as Maggie's eyes hold hers with gentle encouragement. "I was kind of a shy and awkward child so my Grams got me into it to try and help bring me out of my shell a bit..." Gail trails off then, not used to feeling like she can be so open about that part of her past, but something in Maggie's eyes – Gail thinks it's the familiar unrelenting, understanding warmth she sees so much of in Holly's – makes her feel like she can trust her. "I stopped after she died. My mom wasn't a fan of it; she thought it was a fruitless pursuit that was just wasting my time, so..."

"I'm sorry to hear that, Gail," Maggie murmurs softly as she reaches out and touches her arm comfortingly. "But I'm glad you've found your way back to it; it's important to do the things you love."

Gail feels a rush of affection fill her chest then and she offers Maggie a smile as she says, "Holly said the exact same thing to me awhile back. It's thanks to her that I've even picked a camera up again. She encouraged me to just play around with it, and I've got to confess, I didn't realise how badly I'd missed it until I was getting out there again and taking photographs of the things I love."

"That doesn't surprise me," Maggie replies, turning so that her back can lean against the counter. "Holly's always been good at giving people a helping hand; she's just not very good at accepting help herself unfortunately."

Gail sighs softly in agreement. "Tell me about it; she's annoyingly stubborn sometimes."

"She gets that from her father," Maggie says, and then raises her eyebrow. "But you already know that, I'm sure." Gail presses her lips together and nods, not wanting to say something she shouldn't, especially knowing that Holly doesn't share things about Mike with her mother or James. "He called me from the rehab centre last week," Maggie adds. "It was the first time I've heard from him in over ten years."

Gail swallows past the lump in her throat and averts Maggie's gaze. "Oh."

"He told me everything about what had happened, and he even apologised to me for things that happened between us long ago. It was surprising but I think we both needed that last bit of closure. I'm happy to know that he's doing well," Maggie says, her voice cracking a little. "I also know that it's partly my fault that Holly's so independent and reluctant to acknowledge when she needs somebody to lean on," Maggie admits guilty, her eyes brimming with tears as she holds Gail's gaze. "I fell apart when Mike was using heavily; I just didn't know how to cope. I'd tried to help him but he wouldn't let me in, he shut us all out and then he just upped and left." Gail feels her heart aching in her chest then as Maggie sniffles and reaches out to curl her fingers around Gail's wrist helplessly. "James was still so little and Holly, even though she was only just becoming a teenager, was the one who pulled it together when I couldn't. She was the one who would force me to get up off the couch each morning, and who would help me get the groceries, or remind me to take James to school..."

Gail covers Maggie's hand then and squeezes comfortingly even as her heart pinches at hearing more about Holly's difficult childhood. "You did the best you could, Maggie."

"She had to grow up too fast," Maggie murmurs, reaching up to wipe the tears away from her eyes. "And I know she's kept what she knows about Mike from me all these years because she wanted to protect me, but I just wish she didn't put such a brave face on all the time."

"Me too," Gail nods understandingly. "But it's a work in progress, and I promise you that she is getting better at letting me know when she needs some support."

Maggie smiles softly at that and pulls her into a tight hug. "I'm so glad she has you in her life, Gail. It makes me worry less knowing she has somebody like you looking out for her."

She pulls back after a long moment and presses a grateful kiss to Gail's cheek; her eyes trailing over Gail's face so trustingly that Gail feels an overwhelming need to go and wrap Holly up in her arms and hold her tight for awhile.

Maggie pats her cheek knowingly and nods her head towards the door. "You go spend some time with our girl, I'll finish this last part up and then make some tea and come and join you all."

"Thanks," Gail replies with a smile, letting Maggie pull her into a quick hug again and making sure that she returns it just as tightly before she pulls back and adds softly, "I hope you know that I'd do anything to make her happy."

"I know." Maggie smiles fondly back at her then, nodding her head. "That's why I like you so much; I can see it in your eyes how much you care about her, and I know she feels just as strongly about you because her whole face lights up in a way I've never seen before whenever you're around."

"I hope so," Gail murmurs affectionately, her gaze holding Maggie's when she quietly adds, "She's the one, you know."

Maggie smiles knowingly back at her then and presses another kiss to her cheek, and Gail feels the understanding pass between them as their eyes lock; they're family now, and they both know that it's only a matter of time before it actually becomes official.


When Holly leads her upstairs later on that night, Gail can't help but forgo getting changed straight away to look curiously around Holly's childhood bedroom. There are little signs of the Holly she already knows; books and CDs lining her shelves, and a large poster on the back of her bedroom door of an anatomical skeleton, but there are also glimpses into what Holly was like as a child. There's a well worn looking teddy-bear with only one eye sitting against the pillows of her bed, and scattered around the room she can see a few old toys; a purple hoola-hoop, a pair of well worn looking roller-skates, and even a couple of old Barbie dolls – one of which is wearing a white doctor's coat which causes Gail to turn to Holly and quirk her eyebrow teasingly.

"When I left home for university my mom sold a lot of my old childhood stuff, these are the few things she randomly kept," Holly says with a lopsided smile, and making Gail eyes twinkle with amusement. "I think they mean more to her than they do to me."

What catches her eye the most is the pin-board of photographs that is over next to Holly's little desk. She trails her fingertips across the surface as she leans in to get a better look, and smiles when she sees a few of younger Holly posing with a little James, or a little Holly with her hair in bunches, grinning at the camera with her arms looped around two of her school friends.

The one that holds her attention the most though is a photo-booth strip of snapshots of a teenaged Holly and a dark-haired, well-built, handsome teenage boy. In the first one they're both smiling at the camera with their heads leaning together, in the second one they're pulling silly faces, but in the last one they're sharing a kiss.

It seems a little silly to feel so bothered by a photograph that was taken so long ago, but Gail can't help but feel a prickle of irrational jealousy shiver up her spine at the sight of somebody else kissing her girlfriend.

"Old flame?" Gail asks, trying to mask her intrigue by shifting her fingers across to another photograph as she feels Holly come up behind her.

"My high-school sweetheart, Jared," Holly replies lightly, and Gail lifts her eyes up to Holly's face in time to see her mouth twitch up into a fond smile. "We'd been friends for a couple of years and then we started dating during senior year for awhile. I broke up with him a couple of months before we graduated though because he started talking about changing his plans and coming to Toronto with me for university."

Gail hums in acknowledgement and narrows her eyes at the photo-strip of them both, wondering why Holly's kept it all this time. "Did you stay in contact with him?"

Holly shakes her head. "To begin with, I did occasionally. But during my second year at university I'd realised I was gay and I'd started dating this girl, Kimberly, and when I bumped into him that summer he tried to ask me out again and I had to tell him the truth. He didn't take it too well."

"Ego bruised, huh?" Gail smirks.

Holly reaches out and squeezes at Gail's hip. "Don't be mean, he was a really nice guy and he was always a good boyfriend to me; treated me with respect and never pushed too much, you know?"

Gail hums in response again as she starts changing into one of Holly's old t-shirts and a pair of shorts, the little knot of jealousy that had settled into her stomach fading away completely now that she knows the story behind the photographs.

She watches Holly pull back the covers on her bed and plump the pillows a little before she climbs in and makes herself comfortable. Gail crawls in beside her and shifts so she's facing Holly before cheekily asking, "So, did your childhood bed ever see any action with this Kimberly chick? Or did she luck out just as badly as Jared?"

Holly shifts so she's facing her more and lets her mouth curl into a small smile at Gail's obvious teasing. "I never brought Kimberly or any of my other girlfriends home actually. I've always introduced them to mom and pop when they were in town visiting me," Holly replies, and Gail feels herself smiling smugly in response, liking that she gets to be the first, and then after a beat Holly thoughtfully adds, "And what makes you think Jared 'lucked out'?"

"You said he never pushed," Gail says, her eyebrows knitting together in confusion as Holly's smile suddenly grows sheepish.

"Gail..." Holly says slowly, reaching out to brush her hand soothing over Gail's hip. "Jared never pushed me to do anything I wasn't comfortable with... but that doesn't mean I didn't have sex with him, you know that right?"

Gail feels her breath lodge in her throat then, the realisation hitting her square in the chest as a renewed rush of jealousy burns through her veins. "That- that douchebag in the photograph... that's the one and only guy you've ever had sex with?" she hisses indignantly, the urge to get up and rip the photo into pieces enough to make her curl her fingers tightly into her palms.

"Gail..." Holly murmurs gently, slipping her hand from Gail's hip to settle at her back, pulling her closer as she strokes her fingers up and down Gail's spine soothingly. "Come on, don't be upset about this... you knew I'd dated guys before; it was like one of the earliest conversations we had, and besides it was years ago."

She knows she's being irrational, but she can't shift the uncomfortable weight that's sitting in her chest that reminds her that somebody other than her has been lucky enough to touch Holly, and be close to her in a way that's so intimate that it makes Gail screw her eyes shut as she tries not to think about it.

"Baby..." Holly coos softly, hands stilling on Gail's back as she presses even closer, tangling their legs together. She nuzzles her nose against Gail's cheek then, letting her lips follow with a trail of tender kisses until Gail's hands clutch at her t-shirt.

"I know it's stupid," Gail whispers petulantly, averting Holly's gaze. "But I always thought you'd just casually dated guys throughout high school and that you'd... I don't know, had a non-serious fling at some point. I didn't realise you'd had a serious relationship with some handsome, teenaged guy who looks like the lead in some lame romantic comedy, where he's all super charming and plays every sport in the world, and sweeps the girl off her feet without even trying."

Holly lets out an amused breath at that and smiles softly as she starts caressing her hands reassuringly up and down Gail's back again. "He didn't sweep me off my feet," Holly breathes, waiting for Gail to meet her eyes before continuing. "I was struggling with how I was feeling and I just wanted to try and fit in, so I tried to do the whole relationship thing with him. I only slept with him because all of my friends were doing it with their boyfriends and talking about how amazing it was, and I didn't want to be the only girl who went to university as a virgin still."

She watches as Holly shrugs her shoulders then, her eyes darting away from Gail's briefly as she worries her lip between her teeth looking a little embarrassed at her confession, and suddenly Gail feels an overwhelming wave of protectiveness pulling at her heart. She knows from her own experience that her first time with a guy hadn't been the most gentle or elegant experience of her life, but knowing now that Holly only seems to have slept with Jared because she felt scared of what she was feeling in herself and pressured because of her friends, makes her chest ache.

"So, Jared, he took- he was the one you lost your virginity too?" Gail voices quietly even though she already knows, her question drawing Holly's eyes back to hers and making her nod in response. "Was he..." Gail pauses then, swallowing away the dryness in her mouth and darts her tongue out to moisten her lips as she tries to figure out how to put what she wants to say. "... was it okay? He didn't hurt you, did he?"

"No," Holly murmurs, shaking her head and smiling softly back at her. "He was actually very sweet, and he went slow and made sure I was okay. I didn't see fireworks or get why all of my friends talked about it non-stop, but it was... okay, I guess; didn't last particularly long."

Gail reaches up to brush the hair from Holly's face and strokes her fingertips along Holly's jaw and down her neck. "My first time wasn't all that wonderful either if it makes you feel any better," she offers with a smile, feeling relieved when Holly brushes her foot up and down her leg.

"At least sex got a hell of a lot better for us both as we got older, huh?" Holly replies, nudging her nose against Gail's and brushing their lips together in a knowing kiss.

Gail feels herself smiling against Holly's mouth as Holly's fingertips trace the edge of her shorts before sliding beneath them and grasping at her ass. "So, so, much better," Gail whispers against Holly's lips. "The best."

"Mmhmm," Holly agrees, shifting so she can trail her lips up the edge of Gail's jaw before sucking at her neck.

She lets her eyes flutter closed as Holly's teeth graze against her pulse then, and bites at her bottom lip to stifle a moan. "God, you drive me so crazy, Hol," Gail rasps, letting Holly guide her onto her back as she settles over her.

Holly pulls away from her neck a moment later with a parting nip that makes Gail gasp, and shifts until she's sitting upright, straddling Gail's thigh, as she reaches for the hem of her t-shirt and pulls it over her head in one swift motion.

"Whoa... what are you doing?" Gail whispers, her eyes wide in surprise even as she reaches out reflexively to slide her hands up Holly's sides.

Holly just smirks in response. "Well, I finally brought a girl home with me, and now I'm initiating the start of mind-blowing sex."

Gail involuntarily licks at her lips as she takes in the soft swell of Holly's breasts and feels the tightness of desire already coiling low in her stomach. "We're at your parents' house, Hol," Gail says aloud, wanting to remind them both – a little making out was fine, but this... "We can't."

"Says who?" Holly murmurs sexily as her fingers tangle in the hem of Gail's t-shirt and ever so slowly start working it upwards. "They're all the way on the other side of the house."

"They could still hear us," Gail protests, the end of her warning trailing off into a hiss as Holly pushes her t-shirt up over her breasts, exposing her nipples to the cold air and making a shiver tingle down her spine. "We really can't."

Holly just smirks again and ducks her head, trailing a path with her tongue up Gail's sternum. "We can," she murmurs against Gail's skin, lifting her eyes to Gail's as she presses a kiss to the swell of Gail's left breast. "You just have to be a little quiet, that's all," she says, darting her tongue out to lick over Gail's nipple teasingly before sucking it into the warmth of her mouth.

"Fuck," Gail gasps, her toes curling into the mattress at the unexpected onslaught as she reaches up to cover her mouth to quiet her moan.

She feels Holly's teeth graze against her before she shift over and repeats the process on her other breast, and she knows she has to put a stop to it before Holly takes it too far. She tangles her fingers in Holly's hair then and tugs gently, getting Holly to stop and lift her head with a sly smile as she takes in the blush colouring Gail's heaving chest.

"Want you," Holly murmurs, pouting pleadingly.

Gail shakes her head, trying to ignore how good Holly feels against her. "Baby, we can't... you know I can't be quiet when you touch me... I just can't."

"Shh, you can," Holly hushes, pressing forward to kiss her deeply. "Please, baby," Holly whispers against her lips. "You can just bite down on your hand or..." She kisses Gail deeply again then, rocking her hips against Gail's thigh until Gail whimpers against her mouth. "...or I'll just keep kissing you or something... but I need to touch you. Please, baby. I want you so much."

Gail feels her resolve slipping then as Holly starts working her mouth back along her jaw, nipping below her ear before soothing it with her tongue in a move that she knows always makes Gail tremble.

"Fuck," Gail groans low in her throat again, turning her head to give Holly more access to her neck. She feels Holly smile against her skin then and squeezes her fingers at the nape of Holly's neck as she mumbles, "You don't play fair."

Holly lifts her head and smirks victoriously up at her as she shifts lower again to return her attention to Gail's breasts. Gail swears Holly goes slowly on purpose then as she curls her tongue around her nipples at an agonizing pace, sucking at them softly until she's got Gail squirming impatiently beneath her and rolling her hips desperately against Holly's thigh.

"Please, Hol," Gail whimpers, her body flushed and aching to be touched.

Holly makes quick work of helping Gail rid herself completely of her t-shirt before sliding her shorts down her legs and kissing her slow and deep, muffling the sound of Gail's moans with her mouth as she slips her hand down between them and drags her fingertips teasingly down Gail's quivering stomach.

"I need to taste you," Holly pants wantonly into her ear, running her tongue around the shell of Gail's ear and flicking at the lobe teasingly.

Gail can do nothing but let her head tip further back into the pillow then as she gasps in response to Holly's admission, and as Holly starts kissing down her stomach, one of her hands sliding up over Gail's breast, Gail's forced to bite at her hand to stifle the whimper that rumbles deeply from her chest.

She feels Holly shift even lower then, her mouth moving to the junction where her thigh meets her hip, and stroking a wet path along the crease with her tongue before she shifts to press a soft kiss to the slick heat between Gail's legs.

Gail feels the thrum of desire building quickly at the base of her spine as Holly's mouth works against her in a torturous combination of slow, teasing licks, and endlessly, soft sucks. It feels like she should be used to it by now, after all these months, but something about having Holly's mouth on her always feels like that first time when she felt like her heart was hammering so loud, and so fast, that she could have sworn it was only a matter of seconds before it burst free from her chest and shattered into a million pieces.

She knows she's getting close to the edge then when she feels more than hears Holly humming against her appreciatively as Holly's hands try to steady the rhythm of her hips. And as her body tightens increasingly with every stroke of Holly's tongue against her, Gail can do nothing but gasps brokenly into her hand.

It doesn't take much longer after that until she feels the familiar rush of heat bursting inside her, her chest heaving uncontrollably as her body tenses and convulses in wave after wave of mind-numbing pleasure that leaves white light burning brightly behind her eyes as she whimpers Holly's name.

Holly brings her down slowly, pressing gentle kisses against her until she's whining lowly in her throat and attempting to squeeze her thighs together to get Holly to stop. She feels Holly chuckle against her stomach then as she lets her hand fall away from her mouth and breathes a contented, "Fuck" into the stillness of the room.

Gail lets her fingers run through Holly's hair as she looks down at her, and she finds herself blushing as her body slowly returns to a sated calm. "Told you that you could be quiet," Holly murmurs smugly.

"I didn't have much choice, did I?" Gail replies with a pout as she tugs on a strand of Holly's hair, encouraging her back up her body.

Holly laughs softly against her stomach again before moving herself until she's settled comfortably in the bracket of Gail's hips and ghosting their lips together teasingly. "I love watching you come," Holly whispers against her mouth, holding Gail's eyes, and nudging their noses together when Gail tries to look away. "Don't," Holly says softly, her eyes full of love and awe. "You're so beautiful, Gail."

"Glad you think so," Gail quips quietly, feeling the tips of her ears burning under Holly's unrelenting gaze.

There's something about the way Holly always looks at her when they make love that never fails to make Gail's heart swell in her chest, her stomach fluttering with happiness that always feels so big that she's not sure that she can contain it without breaking apart. But then Holly always follows up her look of utter devotion by stroking her nose against her cheek so softly, and so lovingly, before she searches Gail's mouth out for a slow and tender kiss, that it never fails to remind Gail that Holly will always be there to hold her together when it all starts feeling a little too overwhelming.

She loses track of time as she melts into Holly's kiss, her hands clutching desperately at her back as she keeps Holly as close as possible, letting her be the one to tether them to reality. It's only as Holly starts whining softly into her mouth as her body rocks searchingly against Gail's own, that Gail remembers that Holly must be aching for release.

Gail lets her hands slide down to Holly's ass, kneading at the soft flesh and encouraging the motion of her body as she pulls back to find Holly's eyes. "Can you come like this?" Holly's eyebrows knit together as her body continues to rock aimlessly between Gail's legs and she shakes her head in frustration. "Then let me help, baby," Gail murmurs.

Holly bites at her bottom lip thoughtfully for a second and nods her head before shifting off Gail and getting out of the bed, disposing her shorts as she goes. Gail pushes herself upright, immediately missing the warmth of Holly's body and shivers a little as the cool air wisps against the sleek perspiration that's built up on her skin. She watches with intrigue as Holly searches through her suitcase then until she's turning back to Gail and raising her eyebrow questioningly as she dangles the strap-on between them.

"I-I can't believe you actually brought that to your parents' house..." Gail stutters incredulously, her mouth dropping open in shock.

Holly just bites at her lip again and shrugs. "I had a feeling you might get a little... bothered... if you knew I lost my virginity in this room, in this bed with-"

"Don't say his name," Gail growls, feeling a surge of jealousy claw bitingly inside her chest.

"I wish it had been you," Holly admits quietly, soothing her jealousy away easily, and Gail feels her heart lurch longingly, wishing she'd been the only one to ever touch Holly too.

Holly saunters towards her wordlessly then and holds it out for her to take, and even though they've only done this a couple of times since they went to the store and picked it out together last month, it always sends a little thrill up Gail's spine.

There's something about the thought of being able to be inside Holly like this – so fully and so deeply – that makes Gail's stomach clench with an urgent need that she just can't ignore.

She lets out a long, shaky breath then and gets up from the bed, making sure all the while that she holds Holly's eyes promisingly as she takes the harness from her hands and slips into it, pulling at the straps to tighten it around her hips. Once she's sure that it's secure she reaches for Holly's waist and pulls her flush against her body as she kisses her slow and deep; taking control with each sweep of her tongue as she leads Holly back towards the bed.


She remembers how it had taken her a little by surprise when Holly had brought it up that night as they lay panting for breath and smiling at each other in mutual satisfaction – Holly's purple box and vibrator discarded carelessly on the floor by the bed – but really Gail thinks she should have known that her teasing comment at The Penny earlier that day would lead to something more.

Holly is ridiculously confident in bed – for good reason, Gail had learned quickly – and because of that, during their first few times together, she had encouraged Gail to voice what she liked and what she didn't like, and to try things that Gail never had. She'd let Gail have the freedom she needed to explore her body slowly and watch her closely whenever she had touched Holly in return, and in doing so Gail had soon discovered her own confidence in being with another woman.

It's liberating and exhilarating to know just where to touch Holly to make her moan, or how exactly to make her whimper her name, and even though Gail's always thought of herself as somebody that liked sex, being with Holly is a completely different matter. With Holly there's no need to pretend; there's no clutching her eyes tightly closed and letting her mind drift, and no need to sometimes will her body desperately to let go. But the most striking thing is that there's no need to feel like she owes somebody something in return; she touches Holly because she wants to, and Holly touches her in return because she wants to; it's as simple as that.

Even though her sex life has been pretty active since she was a teenager, Gail's well aware that she's never been the most adventurous in bed. She'd always been a little too dominating for Chris, who seemed happy to just let her take the lead given his own lack of experience, and with Nick it had been about getting to the end result as quickly as possible; there'd been no room in the status of their renewed relationship to take time and indulge in each other (and actually, Gail's not even sure if she could have given herself that openly to him even if she tried).

But being with Holly is different. Sometimes it's soft and slow, and sometimes it's rushed and heated, but it's always, always, intimate. Holly always searches out her eyes and makes a connection, and Gail knows that being with Holly is the closest she's ever felt to anybody else in her entire life.

When Holly had suggested that they go toy shopping together, Gail had felt an instant need to shake her head and say no, but something about the way Holly had smiled at her and told her not to be nervous, that it could just be something else they shared together, had made Gail agree to at least take a look and consider it.

She blames her natural curiosity – mostly – for being the driving force behind her agreement to let Holly fuck her with the strap-on that first time, but something about the way Holly had kept her eyes on hers the entire time that their bodies moved so seamlessly together – Gail clutching at her back as her muscles clenched tightly around the extension to Holly's body, drawing her impossibly close and deep as she came apart so thoroughly – had left Gail utterly reeling.

The biggest surprise however, had come the following weekend when Holly had drawn the straps up her legs and told Gail that she wanted to feel her inside her like that. It had been the unconditional trust in Holly's eyes that she had wanted Gail to be the one that she shared that experience with, that had made a rush of unrelenting need course through Gail's body until she was so sure that if she didn't make love to Holly like that she'd undoubtedly explode.

It's that same feeling that fills her chest now; her heart aching to give Holly exactly what she needs from her; wanting to be everything that Holly can ever possibly want and more.

Gail moves carefully, rocking into Holly with smooth, soft thrusts of her hips, keeping her movements drawn out and tender as Holly's initial shaky breath drifts off into a trail of endlessly soft, low whimpers.

She can't help but watch the changing expressions on Holly's face as they move together; the way her eyes flutter closed as she tips her head further back into the pillow, unconditionally trusting Gail to be the one in control, and the way her brow creases in pleasure as she moans, and how she can't seem to stop darting her tongue out to lick at her lips every time Gail thrusts into her just right.

There's something about the way Holly melts into her, giving herself over to her so completely that makes Gail wish that just for one moment that she could actually feel what it's like to be so utterly and completely inside Holly like this; to truly be this close and connected to her. It's the first time in her life that she's ever felt truly jealous of men.

"God, Gail..." Holly moans throatily, forcing her eyes open to find Gail's. "...love feeling you like this... you feel so good, baby."

The unbridled want and love in Holly's eyes makes her hips momentarily jolt, and Gail feels her heart pounding rapidly in her chest as blood rushes noisily in her ears. "Fuck," Gail gasps, fire racing uncontrollably under her skin. "You're so beautiful, Holly... so beautiful."

"Please don't stop," Holly begs brokenly, her eyes slipping shut again as she bites down on her lip to try and muffle the sound of her increasing moans of pleasure.

Gail shifts her position then, bending lower and pressing every inch of their bodies together that she possibly can as she bows her head close to Holly's ear and thrusts deeper. It doesn't take long before she feels Holly's blunt nails dragging up her back and digging into her shoulder blades as her breathing grows increasingly shallow; her breath coming out as warm, stilted pants against Gail's cheek.

"I've got you baby, let go," Gail murmurs softly into her ear, recognising the telltale signs of Holly drifting further and further towards the edge.

Holly's body starts trembling beneath her then as Gail feels a growing resistance to her thrusts, and within seconds she feels Holly's body tense and arch up from the bed; her hips convulsing wildly as she softly whimpers Gail's name, clutching desperately at her back and riding out the waves of her release.

Gail slows her movements as Holly's body shudders against hers while she comes back down, and she uses the last part of her strength to press up onto her palms, lifting her head enough to find Holly's eyes. There's something ridiculously intimate then about the way her hair falls down around them, blanketing them in the stillness of their ragged breathing, and trapping them in a bubble that's just theirs as Holly blinks lazily up at her, her mouth twisting into a sated little smile.

"Hi," Holly breathes, smoothing her hands up and down Gail's back affectionately.

Gail smiles back at her, and ducks her head to nuzzle their noses together. "Hey."

Holly's eyes drift down to her mouth then and Gail can't resist the temptation to ghost their mouths together, needing urgently to kiss her. Holly hums contentedly as their lips brush together, and Gail feels her heart swell with happiness as Holly smiles into the kiss and traces her fingertips down the ridges of her spine. She shivers at the touch as Holly scratches her nails against the base of her back, and Holly gasps into her mouth as Gail's hips involuntarily jolt against her.

"Sorry," Gail whispers breathlessly, her body quivering wearily as she struggles to hold her position. Holly kisses her chin knowingly in response and offers her a smile as she lets her hands fall down to Gail's hips, steadying her as Gail slowly pulls out.

She slips out of the harness with ease then, discarding it on the floor by the bed and settles comfortably against her back, letting Holly instantly curl into her side. Holly hooks her leg possessively over Gail's hip and presses a soft kiss against Gail's collarbone before she nuzzles her face into the crook of Gail's neck and laughs happily.

"Better?" Gail murmurs, her mouth twisting into a smirk as she strokes her fingertips aimlessly up and down Holly's back.

Holly lifts her head to look at her and shrugs her shoulders. "Meh... it was okay," she teases, unable to hide her smile.

"Just okay?" Gail echoes, scowling in mock offence, and twisting to bite playfully at Holly's shoulder.

Holly laughs again and kisses Gail slowly until she feels her smile into the kiss. "Nobody's ever made me feel the way you do, Gail," she whispers truthfully against Gail's lips then, pulling back to find her eyes as she slides her hand down from Gail's jaw to rest over her heart. "I hope you know that."

Gail smiles softly in response, her heart aching unbearably with how much she feels for the beautiful woman in her arms. "And I hope you know that I feel the same way," Gail breathes, covering Holly's hand with her own.

She searches out Holly's mouth again then, kissing her soft and slow, and hums contentedly as Holly pecks sweetly at her lips a couple more times before she snuggles sleepily into her neck. It doesn't take long for Holly's breathing to even out into a steady rhythm as Gail holds her close, and as she lays in the quiet of Holly's room, she can't help but feel an overwhelming sense that everything in her life is exactly as it's supposed to be.


She wakes gradually, her eyes blinking against the light of the room as she slowly becomes aware of the warm weight still pressed tightly against her side. Holly breathes quietly against her neck, snuffling sweetly in a way that always makes Gail smile, and she tries to keep as still as possible as she flexes her fingers and tries to work blood back into the arm she has tucked beneath Holly's head that's gone numb during the night.

With well practiced ease – thanks to her many early morning shifts – Gail manages to slide her arm free without disturbing Holly too much and successfully replaces the space she's left behind with a pillow that Holly instinctively cuddles into.

She watches Holly for a few moments then, admiring how beautiful and peaceful she looks as her eyelids flutter slightly with the deepness of her sleep, and Gail has to resist the urge to reach out and stroke her fingertips over the smooth arch of her cheek.

Their discarded clothes are haphazardly strewn across the bedroom floor, and Gail picks them up quietly, slipping back into her shorts and t-shirt before placing Holly's neatly on the end of the bed. She almost forgets to hide the strap-on back in Holly's suitcase until she fondly remembers the reason why exactly her muscles ache with every movement she makes.

It feels a little weird, creeping quietly out of Holly's bedroom and making her ways down the stairs of Holly's parents' house, but every fibre in her body is calling out for a caffeine fix and Gail can't help but let her feet carry down into the kitchen.

Luckily for her she finds a fresh pot already brewed, and as pours herself a large cup, sipping at it gratefully, she almost jumps out of her skin when she catches sight of Maggie sitting at the breakfast bar and drinking from her own cup as she flicks through the paper.

"Morning, Gail," Maggie greets with a friendly smile. "Did you sleep well?"

"Morning," Gail nods back slowly, trying not to blush as images of her and Holly from last night rush into her head. "Erm yeah, very well... thanks."

Maggie cocks her head to the side and flashes Gail a potentially knowing smile that only makes Gail blush harder, her ears burning so hot that they feel like they're actually on fire. She's going to kill Holly.

"Wonderful," Maggie replies, and Gail feels a breath rush from her lungs with relief, never more grateful that somebody might be letting her bypass what would undoubtedly be a very awkward moment. "Do you want anything to eat? I can cook you up some pancakes if you'd like?" Maggie asks, motioning for Gail to come and take a seat. "Or Ted has quite the collection of sugary cereals that I'm sure he wouldn't mind sharing with you."

Gail shakes her head and reluctantly sits herself on the stool on the opposite side of the breakfast bar, still feeling the need to avert Maggie's gaze. "No, I'm fine thank you. As long as I have coffee I'm happy," she replies with a sheepish smile, curling her hands around her mug and fidgeting a little as a stretch of silence passes between them.

"Relax Gail," Maggie says, offering Gail a reassuring smile that immediately puts Gail at ease. And then, "Holly told me that you spent the weekend at your family cottage a few months back and that you showed her lots of lovely photographs from your childhood, so I found these up for you earlier this morning, thought you might like to see them."

She slides a photo-album across to her then and smiles when Gail's face lights up brightly in return, eagerly reaching out to open it to the first page. The first sets of photographs are of Maggie in the hospital holding a newborn baby wearing a pink cotton beanie, and Gail smiles as she recognises a tuft of Holly's dark hair peeking out from underneath it.

"She was beautiful even then, huh?" Gail murmurs, tracing her fingertip around baby Holly's tiny form.

Maggie chuckles. "Most beautiful baby I'd ever seen, but then again I might be biased."

Gail smiles at that and goes through each page slowly, taking in the range of photographs from Holly as an adorable baby who smiled at everything, to Holly as a cute toddler with masses of wild dark hair, and lingering over the page filled with Holly as a child, dressed in a little white lab coat and smiling proudly as she stands next to a table with a little science kit.

"How old is she here?" Gail asks, her heart swelling at the sight of Holly looking so much like she does now whenever Gail stumbles across her in her lab, working on something she's excited about.

"Eight, if I remember correctly," Maggie says fondly. "That little science kit was her birthday present. You should have seen her; she was so excited when she unwrapped it that she was practically bouncing off the walls." Gail laughs at that, glancing down at the photo beneath of Holly holding a little Petri-dish up to the camera, showing off the sparkly purple crystals she's obviously grown. "I don't know where she got her love for science from – neither Mike nor I are really what I'd call intellectuals – but I'm so glad she's had it because it's the one thing in her life that's always kept her going, even when things got tough."

Gail smiles softly at that. "Did she ever tell you how exactly we met?"

Maggie shakes her head. "No, just that it was through work."

"I was at a crime scene being all surly and standing off to the side and Holly just strolls on past me without a second thought," Gail recalls with a smile. "I snapped at her pretty much right away, I mean how dare some stranger just walk into my crime scene, you know? But then she just turned to me with this amused look on her face and quickly put me in my place with some sassy science lingo."

Maggie laughs. "That sounds like her."

Gail smiles fondly, remembering the moment so clearly. "She swept me off my feet then before I'd even realised it; I couldn't keep away from her after that."

"Well, it's a good thing you didn't because look at how happy you both are now," Maggie says, making Gail smile as she gets up and brings the pot of coffee over to refill their cups.

Gail flicks through the next few pages with equal curiosity, spotting Holly's awkward early teen years when her limbs looked too gangly for her still growing body, and smiles at the ones of Holly at science-camp, smiling at the camera shyly as the metal of her braces gleamed in the light. The next few pages document Holly's life as she finishes high-school and university, and moves on to medical school and then to her residency.

Maggie tells her fond little memories as they go through them together, and Gail makes a mental note of a few to tease Holly with later. As they come to the end of the photo-album though, Gail can't help but turn back to the one of eight year old Holly dressed in her little white lab coat, and looking unbearably proud as she poses with her little science kit.

"You can have that one if you'd like," Maggie murmurs softly, interrupting Gail's moment of quiet as she traces her fingertip fondly around the outline of the photograph.

Gail lifts her eyes up to Maggie's, her eyebrow quirking disbelievingly as she breathes, "Really?"

"Of course," Maggie replies, drawing the photo-album across to her and sliding the photograph out from beneath the protective plastic surface before holding it out to Gail. "I want you to have it."

Gail takes it carefully from Maggie's grasp then, and offers her a grateful smile. "Thank you."

"You're more than welcome," Maggie says, smiling back. She glances at her watch then and lets out a little sigh before turning her attention back to Gail. "Ted and I have to go and run some errands. You should go and wake Sleeping Beauty and get her to show you around the city, it's a beautiful day out there."

"Have you ever tried to wake her before? Because I'm going to need a fresh pot of coffee just to get her to keep her eyes open for longer than a minute," Gail jokes, making Maggie chuckle as she gets up and sets the machine for Gail before leaving her with a parting smile and a teasing, "Good luck!"


She finds Holly almost exactly as she left her; snuggled tightly around the pillow Gail had slid into place to fill her void – although somehow having shifted over towards the edge of the bed – and snoring softly, completely oblivious to the world around her.

It makes Gail smile fondly as she makes her way over to the bed, setting the cup of coffee down on the nightstand as she crouches beside the bed and strokes her fingertips lightly up and down the smooth skin of Holly's bare back that's peeking out from the top of the bed-sheets. She watches Holly's mouth twitch a little at the caress, and as she gently increases the pressure of her touch, Holly's eyes slowly flutter open to meet hers.

"Morning," Gail murmurs affectionately as she watches Holly's eyes gradually blink into focus.

She presses up on her toes to give herself enough leverage to lean in and kiss Holly softly then, smiling when Holly groans and turns her face away, burying it further into her pillow.

"You taste like coffee," Holly mumbles sleepily, turning her face back towards her and opening one of her eyes to look at Gail accusingly as she adds, "You better have brought me some."

"Like I would dare wake the beast without it, we both know how monstrous you can be without your morning caffeine fix," Gail quips, grinning cheekily as Holly haphazardly swats her arm out to shove at her shoulder. "I had to think of my safety, you know?"

She watches the corners of Holly's mouth curl up into a smile, and Gail knows she's got her as Holly reaches unsuccessfully for the coffee cup. She makes sure she holds Holly's gaze then as she playfully takes a sip.

"That better not be mine," Holly growls, rubbing lazily at her eyes and forcing herself to sit up, instantly making a grabby-hand motion towards the cup. "Gimme, Peck, or I'll really show you what monstrous means."

"Somebody's feeling feisty this morning," Gail teases with a smirk even as she hands over the cup of coffee, and climbs up to perch on the bed next to Holly's feet.

Holly ignores her remark and swallows several large mouthfuls, humming happily and then offering Gail her normally bright grin. "Good morning, baby."

Gail laughs in response, shaking her head as Holly taps her finger against her mouth, silently demanding a proper morning kiss. When Gail doesn't budge, Holly narrows her eyes at her and pouts, nudging at Gail with her foot until Gail relents and shuffles forward to kiss her again.

"Sleep well?" Holly asks when they break apart.

"Yeah, you wore me out pretty well," Gail nods, breaking into a smile when Holly smirks proudly. "And what about you Dr HornyPants, how are you feeling this morning?"

Holly rolls her eyes and shrugs, trying to hide her grin behind her cup as she says, "I feel pretty damn good... a little sore, but in the best possible way. You?"

"Oh, you know..." Gail smirks and shrugs back. "I feel pretty damn good too... a little sore, but in the best possible way."

Holly smiles infectiously at that. "Good." Gail pinches at Holly's side in response, making her yelp in surprise. "Ouch! What was that for?"

"I had coffee with your mom this morning and she definitely let on that she heard us last night," Gail hisses in a low whisper, feeling her cheeks flush with embarrassment.

"She did not," Holly retorts, shaking her head and rubbing at her side. "You're being paranoid."

Gail scowls, crossing her arms over her chest. "I am not. I'm telling you she knows what we were doing."

Holly lets out an amused breath and quirks her eyebrow disbelievingly. "Okay then, what did she say? Did she tell you she'll stab you to death with one of Jimmy's knives if you ever dirty her daughter's innocence again?"

"No, she didn't- It wasn't-" Gail stutters, shaking her head in frustration, and feeling her chest tighten uncomfortably as Holly continues to look amused. "She didn't actually say she heard us but she just... she gave me that look, you know? Like the 'you might think you're being sneaky young-lady but you're not' look."

Holly laughs heartily at that. "You're being ridiculous. But even if she did guess what we were doing last night, we're both adults, and not to mention we've been together for ten months, Gail, so trust me when I say she knows we're sleeping together; it's not going to be a shock for her."

"Fine, but you're officially cut off until we get back home," Gail says sternly. "Because as funny as you find this, I'd actually quite like to be able to look your mother in the eye without feeling like she knows exactly what I did to you last night."

"Whatever you say, baby," Holly sighs dramatically, setting her now empty cup down on the nightstand and getting up from the bed, stretching her arms above her head as she yawns.

Gail tries not to take notice of the way the sunlight glistens off the smoothness of Holly's perfect olive skin but she can't help the way her eyes are drawn up along the curves of Holly's perfectly toned legs, and up over the firm, rippling skin of her stomach, and the soft swell of her beautiful full breasts and-

"Gail..."

She snaps her eyes up to Holly's then and swallows away the dryness in her mouth at being caught staring. "Hmm?"

Holly smirks back at her and raises her eyebrow as she hooks her thumb over her shoulder. "I'm going to go shower... do you maybe... want to join me?"

"No... I-I'm good," Gail replies shakily, sucking her bottom lip into her mouth and knitting her fingertips tightly into the bed-sheets.

"Your loss," Holly shrugs, turning on her heel and sauntering sexily off into the bathroom.

Gail closes her eyes as she hears the sound of the water running, and she manages to count to ten slowly in her head before she remembers that they have the house to themselves. She strips off her t-shirt and shorts as quickly as she can, stumbling a little as she catches her toe against the corner of Holly's suitcase and rushes into the bathroom.

She tries not to roll her eyes when Holly turns to her and smirks smugly, running her fingers through her hair to comb it back from her face as she says, "What took you so long?"

Gail ignores Holly's teasing taunt as she steps into the shower and instantly reaches for Holly's hips, walking her backwards until Holly's back hits the wall. Holly gasps a second later as their bodies press flush together, and she decides then to shut Holly up with the only way she truly knows how.


The second the door swings open, Jimmy greets them with a cheerful lopsided grin. "Hollypop and her badass cop, glad you finally made it. We were starting to think you'd got lost out there in our wonderful city."

Holly shakes her head and smiles back at him. "We would have been earlier but this one..." she says flicking her eyes over to Gail who grins sheepishly in response. "...got into tourist mode randomly and we had to go explore literally everything."

"Well in that case get your butts in here, you must be starving, and mom and pop are already here," James says, stepping aside and gesturing for them to come in.

Gail keeps her hand tangled with Holly's and lets her lead them further into the apartment to find Maggie, Ted, and an attractive red-head sitting in the living room chatting away animatedly. Holly flashes her a comforting smile, and drops her hand as her mom and Ted come towards her, taking their turns to pull her into a welcoming hug.

"You must be Gail, I'm Jimmy's girlfriend Phoebe, it's lovely to meet you," the red-head greets with a friendly tone, offering her hand out politely and shaking Gail's.

Gail smiles back warmly. "You too."

She feels her anxiousness fade away then as Phoebe draws her into easy conversation, stopping only when Maggie and Ted both draw her into hugs and kiss her cheek hello. Holly catches her eye and smiles encouraging at her, and Gail realises then how easy it feels to be around these people that she's only know for less than forty-eight hours. It's surprising in the nicest possible way.

After they've all eaten – and if she's being honest, she knows she's eaten way, way, too much of Jimmy's delicious chicken curry – Gail finds herself laughing happily as she watches Holly's family all get excited as they drum their hands against their knees and yell 'game night' like a pack of crazy people.

"I hope you're ready Gail, because when we play, we play to win," Ted tells her, flashing her a charming, playful smile.

Gail lets out an amused breath and leans in against Holly's side as Holly wraps an arm around her shoulder and draws her close. "Pop's right," she says, turning her face towards Gail. "Our annual family game nights are legendary."

"Is that so?" Gail replies, smiling in affectionate amusement. "And what do these family game nights consist of exactly?"

"We start easy," James chips in as he walks into the room carrying a stack of board-games. "A couple of games of cards to get us warmed up before we move on to a quick game of Scrabble, and then Pictionary, followed by the best deciding game of all time... charades!"

Gail can't help but laugh again as she glances around the room at everybody, her eyes widening as she takes in how serious they all look. She purses her mouth together apologetically and feels Phoebe reaching out to pat at her knee comfortingly.

"Don't worry, I had the same response to these crazy people as you to start with but you soon get used to it," Phoebe reassures, mock whispering and making everybody smile.

James clears his throat nosily and quirks his eyebrow pointedly at her. "Excuse me, who are you calling crazy people?" he teases. "Only one of us in this room is the reigning charades champion and I believe that somebody's name rhymes with Pee-Hee."

Phoebe rolls her eyes back at him and shrugs before turning back to Gail and smiling. "Like I said, you soon get used to it."

Despite feeling a little self-conscious and awkward to begin with – especially during Pictionary (her drawing is terrible, okay, so back off) – Gail soon finds herself relaxing and having fun as she gets more and more into it, finding herself growing increasingly competitive as everybody cheers her on and banters with her playfully.

After the final round of Pictionary, Maggie calls for a break saying she needs to prepare herself for the charades showdown, and James immediately pulls Gail to her feet, announcing to everybody that she's going to be his sous-chef as he prepares a dessert that will absolutely refuel them all.

"So, what are we making?" Gail asks, closing her eyes in reflex as James slips an apron over her head, and grinning teasingly when she looks down to see the print of a ripped man's naked body on the front of it. "I think the fact that you even own this says more about you than it does about me right now."

James chuckles as he slips an apron over his own head and turns to her to show off the print of a very naked, very busty lady on the front of his. "They were gag gifts from Phoebe's sister," he explains with a shrug. "And we're making a bourbon-pecan tart with a melted chocolate drizzle."

"Did you just say Bourbon?" Gail echoes with a wry smile. "Now that's my kind of dessert."

James winks back at her cheekily. "I had a feeling you'd love this after I saw you downing shot after shot of pop's expensive tequila last night at dinner."

Gail reaches over to swat his arm but smirks back at him when he dramatically feigns injury. He gets her to help weigh out the ingredients and lets her help whisk them all together, teasing her endlessly about how quickly her arm tires, and mocking her lack of 'cop' muscles. Once the pie's successfully in the over, James grabs them a beer from the fridge and leans back against the counter as he regards Gail quietly for a long, drawn out moment.

"I was really worried, you know, when Holly first mentioned you over the phone to me," he admits softly, making Gail eyes snap up to his as a sense of dread washes over her like a bucket of ice cold water. "I could tell she was already smitten with you, even though she'd only known you for a couple of weeks, because she wouldn't stop gushing about you and how amazing and beautiful, and smart and funny you were."

James takes a swig of drink from his bottle then and licks nervously at his lips before he adds, "She's fallen for a straight girl before... once... a long time ago, back when she was in medical school. I was eighteen at the time and all I remember about that winter is how my big sister came home looking like somebody had literally ripped her heart out of her chest." She watches as his mouth curves down into a frown and feels her heart pinch at the thought of Holly so distraught. "She looked really tired and defeated and just so, unbearably sad and hurt... just so unlike herself. It physically pained me to see her that broken up all because some dumb chick decided to use my sister as her personal experiment."

"Oh," Gail murmurs sadly, not quite knowing what to say in response, her heart aching with a mixture of anger at the stupid bitch that dared to ever hurt Holly that badly, and the desperate longing to go and wrap Holly up in the safety of her arms.

"She was always pretty guarded with her heart after that, kept her dating life mostly to herself," James continues, pausing when the sound of Holly's laugh travels through into the kitchen briefly before fading out again. "But I knew she was getting herself in deep with you because she literally couldn't shut up about you; you're all I heard about every time she called."

Gail scratches her nail against the label on her beer bottle, picking at it anxiously as she averts James' gaze and mumbles, "I'm sorry."

"Don't be, that's not-" James struggles, cutting himself off as he waits for her to glance back up at him again and offers her a tight-lipped smile. "It was me that encouraged her to let Jen set her up on that blind date because I didn't want my sister to get hurt by a confused, straight woman again."

"I can understand that," Gail replies honestly, knowing instantly from the look on James' face that he did it with the best intentions.

"It didn't work though," James tells her. "She called me when she got back from her date that night, drunk and babbling, and all I could get out of her was how you'd been there at the bar too, and how badly she wanted to be there with you instead and just kiss you again. She said she thought she'd seen you watching her and that maybe you were jealous, but then she just laughed it off and said she must just be going crazy and seeing what she wanted to see because you were straight..." He smiles knowingly at her then. "She ended our call saying that even though she was trying she just couldn't help herself because you were just so cute and lovely."

Gail remembers that night at The Penny clearly then; she remembers how seeing Chloe and Dov all loved up had made her feel so utterly lonely, and how the second Holly had walked into the bar she felt this need to go and be with her. But mostly she remembers how deflated she'd felt when Holly had strolled over to go and be with her date. She remembers the uncomfortable weight that had settled in her chest that night, growing increasingly heavier the longer she was unable to keep her eyes off of Holly and her date and the way they laughed and flirted together. It had driven her crazy, seeing some other woman touching Holly's hand as she talked and just getting to spend time with her. She'd left The Penny that night with her nails curled into her palms and a raging fire burning through her veins that she didn't quite know what to do with.

She holds James' gaze intently then and says, "I was watching her that night, and I was jealous. I couldn't stand the sight of her being with another woman. And to begin with I might have been confused with how I was feeling towards Holly, but I discovered pretty quickly that what I was feeling for her was real." She wrings her beer bottle between her hands then and shrugs openly. "Holly's everything to me, James, and I promise you that I would rather crawl through broken glass than ever do anything to hurt her."

"I know," James murmurs softly. "I can see how much you love her; it's written across your face whenever you look at her." Gail feels herself blushing then, but forces herself not to look away. "I just wanted to be honest with you, and do the whole awkward 'brother protects sister' thing where I try and act all macho and scary and warn you that if you ever break her heart, I'll kill you..." He points his beer bottle at her then and smiles teasingly. "... badass cop or not, understood?"

Gail holds her hands up and nods her head. "Understood," she reassures, feeling a surge of affection for him rushing through her, impressed and deeply touched by his unconditional love for his sister and his need to protect her.

The oven dings then and James settles his beer down on the counter and sets about retrieving the pie. Gail inhales deeply as the delicious smell fills the room and she can't help but smile when James beckons her over and lets her cut it into six perfect slices while he gets the ice-cream out of the freezer.

"If I carry these three do you think you could manage the other lot?" James asks, expertly resting the plates along his arm.

Gail smirks in response and copies his move with ease. "I was a waitress for a whole year when I was nineteen, trust me, I've got this."

James chuckles and nods his head with an impressed smile before leading the way back to the living-room. Gail smiles as everybody breaks out into a cheer when they enter and tries not to blush when James takes her hand and makes her mock bow with him before they sit down and join the others.

Luckily for her, Gail turns out to be far better at charades than she was at Pictionary, and she can't help but feel an overwhelming sense of happiness settling inside her chest as everybody high-fives her for a difficult but ultimately successful mime. Holly pulls her into her lap then, kissing her sweetly and pulling back to smile at her with so much adoration that Gail can't help but feel herself falling just that little bit deeper for her. She's pulled from her daze by Maggie stepping up to take her go, and as she watches them all laugh at Maggie's hopeless mime, Gail can't help but smile, her heart swelling with affection for them all.

It's at the airport late the following evening though – Maggie, Ted, and James all insisting in seeing them off – as Gail gets pulled into tight, affectionate hugs, with the demand that she and Holly come back soon, that Gail realises just how much that affection is returned, and just how much they've all truly made her feel like a part of their family.