Holly flies in to Toronto early on the Friday, lucky for her her parents' anniversary party isn't until the Sunday. She gets a taxi to go to her parents' house where she is happy to be spending the weekend, knowing she can take a nap after her flight. She's excited to be seeing Gail tomorrow, the blonde has to work the Friday, but then has the rest of the weekend off. They made plans to meet each other at the Penny again, not in a coat closet this time.

Earlier that week, after a hard day at work Holly went out with some of her coworkers for a few drinks, she may have had one too many, because when she was texting Gail that night she totally texted something she would have never texted if she was completely sober. Gail texted back a smiley face, so Holly thought nothing of it, kind of, other than she should not text people she barely knows that well while she is slightly intoxicated.

She makes it to her parents' house, excited to see them but more excited for her bed. Also slightly excited to see her blonde friend tomorrow, and hoping that it wont be awkward. She likes Gail and she hopes she hasn't ruined anything between them, she's also a little bit nervous, they've never really spent any time together. Holly's return flight is on Tuesday morning, giving her approximately four-ish days in her home city.


Gail's already at the Penny, she happened to work that Saturday morning having to cover Chloe's shift who's currently out of town, Gail gets to the Penny after her shift, she's talking to Traci at the bar. The door opens, Gail's been looking up to make sure she spots Holly when she walks in, but it's just Dov, who wanders over to his two fellow rookies. "You look nice Gail," he comments. Gail scrunches up her face and doesn't comment. Traci sniggers. "What?" asks Dov, "what did I miss?"

"Nothing," says Traci who picks up her drink and moves to the table where Andy and Chris are waiting for them.

Dov follows her asking, "what? Come on Trace, just tell me, you know Gail wont tell me, so you have to," he practically begs.

Gail laughs to herself as she watches her two friends walk away. Behind her she hears someone timidly ask, "Gail?"

Gail's about to turn around and unleash hell, she turns around to Holly, "oh. Hi."

Holly smiles her lopsided smile, "not this again. Full sentences please."

Gail laughs, "hi nerd."

"Don't just 'hi nerd' me, I deserve a hug."

"Deserve?" Gail questions, raising an eyebrow.

"Yes, you really scared me the other day with your gun shot texts."

"Okay," agrees Gail.

Holly doesn't let Gail change her mind as she quickly hugs the blonde. Gail counts to three in her head, she pats Holly's back signaling for her to release. She hears Holly make an unagreeable noise. Gail counts to five in her head and rubs Holly's back, once again hoping for Holly to release her. Holly says, "not yet."

Gail, who is starting to enjoy the hug, decides enough is enough, "Holly, I don't normally hug people, let alone in public, you need to let go of me or others are going to expect this kind of treatment."

Holly laughs. "Just tell them we haven't seen each other in a very long time," she tries to give Gail what she thinks is a good enough excuse, certainly a reasonable excuse.

"I don't think that will work," says Gail as she is finally released from Holly. She takes a quick glance at her fellow rookies and sees them all with faces of confusion, "yeah, that's not going to work," she mumbles to herself.


Gail's sipping on a margarita and Holly a jack and coke, both sitting at the bar. "I feel like I need to apologize in person. I know I texted you an 'I'm sorry', but I still feel weird." Gail quietly says, "I didn't mean to scare you with my gun shot texts…" Gail doesn't know what else to say, does she explain it's a part of her job, or does she allow Holly to ask any question she wants, or hopefully leave it at this.

Holly sees the sincerity on Gail's face, sees how truly terrible she feels, "it's okay," assures Holly, "you're safe." She touches Gail's arm to assure herself and Gail. "But if you still feel weird about it, you can make it up to me by buying the first two rounds," Holly smiles at Gail.

"Only the first two rounds? I was expecting I'd have to buy all night!"

"What? You would have bought all night?"

Gail gives her a funny look, "well not anymore, not that I now know it's only going to take two rounds."

"Darn," says Holly.

"You missed your chance nerd."

"It's okay, I'll survive." Holly gives Gail a lopsided smile, happy to finally be having a conversation with the blonde in person.

Gail orders two more drinks for them, she gestures to an open tall table, they pick up their drinks and walk over to the table where they can have a little bit of privacy. Gail sits atop the one stool, Holly debates sitting across from her or next to her. She decides to sit across from the blonde. Holly asks once they're all settled, "you're feeling better?"

"Oh yeah," says Gail, "those first few days were terrible, it hurt to move, I had desk duty, but now I'm back out on patrol, I was out there today, and I felt great."

"You had to work today? I thought you had the day off?" Holly asks kind of confused as to why the blonde didn't tell her, but then she tells herself, Gail is her friend, nothing more, Gail doesn't have to tell her whatever she doesn't want to, but what Holly really likes about them is that they talk, that they do tell each other stuff.

"Shifts change," Gail shrugs her shoulders, like it's no big deal, because it is no big deal, shifts change. "How was your flight?" Gail internally cringes at her obligatory nice question one asks another after they just travelled somewhere, when did she start doing obligatory nice things?


After Holly decides she doesn't want another jack and coke, Gail suggests they share a pitcher of beer. Holly's not ready to call it a night, and nods her head. After finishing that pitcher, Holly goes to the bar to get them each one more pint since Gail doesn't have to work tomorrow, as far as she knows. Gail just smiles happy at her new friend's style.

Both feeling nice and tingly from the booze and are now completely comfortable with the other, their stools somehow migrated next to each other and are now sitting shoulder to shoulder, sharing silly smiles and laughs at the other's comments. Holly can't help but stare at the blonde, she so badly wants to touch her, but noticing how she reacted to the hug earlier feels that that wont go over well. Her eyes also keep lowering down to Gail's lips, wondering how soft they are. Holly internally debates with herself, you can't kiss her. But I want to. She's your friend who lives three time zones away, do you really think kissing her is a good idea? I didn't say it was a good idea, I just said I wanted to. She's funny, she's kind, she's easy to talk to, and that fire behind her eyes, I just find that so attractive. Don't do it, you'll regret it later. What if I just kiss her cheek or something… Holly tries to negotiate with herself. "Thank you to agreeing to have drinks with me," bold Holly decides to go for it, she kisses Gail's cheek, she doesn't leave Gail's personal space, "don't take this the wrong way, but," Gail nods her head for Holly to continue, "but I forgot how beautiful you are."

Gail smiles a toothy grin and bumps their shoulder's together, "we should fix that," she fumbles for her phone, "you take a picture of me and I'll take a picture of you, that way I'll finally have a photo for your number."

Holly retrieves her phone off the table, they simultaneously point the camera in the other's face and *click*. They look at the result and laugh, Holly quickly takes another picture of Gail, whose face is all lit up from staring at the picture she now has of Holly on her phone.

"Hey!" Gail scrunches up her face, "I wasn't ready for that one."

"That's okay, it's a good one."

"But I'm smiling in it."

"So?"

"I don't want people having pictures of me smiling."

"Weird, but okay, I'll take a different one then." Holly leans over to kiss Gail's cheek again, this time snapping a picture of it. Holly looks at the picture, the blonde's face went from grumpy to surprised. "Nope, not smiling in this one," says Holly.

"Good," says Gail, reddening from Holly's second kiss.

"We should do this again sometime. I like talking to you…in person. Talking in person is just so different from texting. I get to see your facial expression, I also get to hear the sarcasm in your voice as opposed to reading the extremely helpful texts seconds after the first one saying 'that was sarcasm.' I mean texting you is great, but talking to you is a lot of fun too." This time Holly reddens.

"Calm down nerd," Gail laughs, never really experiencing one of Holly's rambles before, "how do you suppose we do that nerd? Meet up again?"

"I don't know, I'm in town for a couple more days, I have to be at my parents' party tomorrow," Holly clasps Gail's hands, "my siblings are all bringing people, want to be my date?"

Gail scrunches up her face, not fond of that word, especially right now, especially since her mother has started setting her up on blind dates again, something about some clock ticking, Gail want listening, she just knew she had to say yes or else she would face her mother's rage.

Holly sensing the hesitation, changes the wording, "how about my plus one? That way we can hang out more," she says somewhat timidly.

Gail smiles, "I can do that. I am way better plus one material."

Holly gives Gail a lopsided smile; she takes her last sip of beer, looks at her watch and gasps. "It's already after 1, I didn't realize how late it is, we've been here for hours," she looks around the bar only a few people are left, "I should get going, I don't want my parents to worry. I have to help them set up for the party tomorrow; it's going to be a busy day."

She slides off of her stool, Gail does the same. "Do you need a ride home or something?"

"No, I'm catching a cab." Holly puts on her coat; she meant to have dinner with her parents tonight, just the immediate family, not like what tomorrow is going to be, with extended family and close friends. She gives Gail a hug, "this has been fun, I'm so glad you got my number, which you still haven't told me how you got…" waiting for Gail to divulge her secret, when Gail doesn't say anything she continues, "I'll see you soon." Holly releases Gail and walks out of the bar into the cold night.

Gail sits back down on her stool, takes another sip of the beer still in her glass, 'I'll see you soon' she says in her head, as in tomorrow since she asked me to go to her parents thing or when? WAIT! Did I actually agree to go to a party with people I don't even know?


Does Gail go, does she not go, is it weird to go to someone else's parents' anniversary, a family one has never met, with someone they kind of barely know?

Thanks for reading