Part 10

Gail shifted, blinking her eyes open. "Shit, fuck!" She groaned, feeling her body ache everywhere as she took in the surrounds and realised that she wasn't in her own apartment. A quick, painful glance to her right and the figure on the other end of the couch and it all started coming back to her.

And then she remembered; Holly Stewart.

Holly Stewart and a baseball bat, oh, she remembered the baseball bat all right, in fact her whole body remembered the fucking baseball bat.

With a grunt of pain and a momentary wobble, Gail got to her feet. Sparing a slower glance at the pathologist Gail made her way gingerly into the kitchen, pulling out her cell phone as she went.

Holly must have closed the blinds after she'd fallen asleep because it was dark, but her cell let her know that it was almost 6am and she had missed calls and text messages from Romi. That boy did worry sometimes, she had told him she could be late, he also reminded her of her meeting in his last text.

"Fuck!" Gail groaned as she walked into the table. "Shit that hurt." She muttered as she rubbed at her thigh. With a limp she made her way over to what looked like a professional coffee maker, which was a score because Gail Peck practically lived on coffee.

It took a while but Gail eventually got it started and after a nosey in the cupboards and the fridge she had found the milk and sugar to go in it.

Her head was still really sore but Gail figured once the coffee was in her system life would be good again. Which, if the machine had its way might be never, it was making a humming sound but Gail wasn't sure if that was it starting or if the thing was in the throes of death.

She gave it a hard smack with the wrong hand and had to stifle a sharp cry of pain, she had forgotten about that what with her raging headache taking precedence right now.

"Fuck it." She muttered, leaving the kitchen and heading for the bathroom.

Holly yawned and stretched as she woke. It took a second before she was upright and looking around for Gail, who she was supposed to be watching closely because of the head injury. She must have fallen asleep.

Spotting the empty couch, Holly got up and ventured towards the kitchen where she could hear her coffee machine was already on. But before she crossed the threshold a noise further into her apartment caught her attention and made her change direction.

She walked over to the doorway and peaked in, pleased to find Gail up and about and clearly not dead. Still.

The blonde was moving things about her cupboard where Holly kept all her cleaning supplies.

"What are you doing?" She asked the blonde quietly as her back was to Holly and she didn't want to startle her.

Gail rolled her eyes as she glanced back over her shoulder. "What does it look like Doc?" She asked before going back to her searching. But it seemed useless, she'd already check everywhere else in the room. Standing she walked over to a nervous looking Holly and pouted.

"My head hurts and I can't find a fucking painkiller anywhere in this place."

Holly tried not to smile as she fixed her glasses. And to think the woman in front of her was supposed to be some sort of criminal mastermind.

"I don't keep any in the house, sorry." She told the blonde with a touch of regret, she knew after such a heavy blow to the head patients could suffer from severe headaches for weeks afterwards.

"Fuck." Gail growled in annoyance. Her morning wasn't looking up. "Your coffee better be shit hot." She warned the woman as she passed by her and carefully made her way back into the kitchen. She didn't bother pretending she was going to make anything as she sat stubbornly at the table and scowled at Holly as she followed her in moments later.

Holly stepped over to the coffee machine which had yet to finish and leaned back against the counter as she took in Gail's complexion. "You know coffee probably isn't the best thing for you right now." She tried, hoping to maybe get the blonde to agree to water or some fruit juice.

Gail glared at Holly with narrowed eyes, very close to throwing a full on tantrum. "I'll take coffee, milk and two sugars." She insisted.

"But it really would be better if-"

"Holly?" Gail said as she cut the pathologist off. "I can have someone here in less than ten minutes with a gun, and I will blow my brains out right here in your kitchen if you don't give me my fucking cup of coffee." She warned.

Holly opened then closed her mouth as her eyes widened. Then she shook her head and lifted up her hands, if Gail wanted coffee and a worse headache than she had right now, who was Holly to stop her?

"Drama queen." Holly muttered loud enough to be heard as she turned slightly to fix the drink for the blonde invading her house.

Gail fought the grin but as she caught Holly glancing at her she couldn't help but break and let out a chuckle. "Killer." She answered back, if there was going to be name calling Gail could live with the best of them having had years of practise.

Holly grinned as she turned and set the mug down in front of Gail and sat down opposite her. "That's attempted killer and don't forget it." She replied back with a giggle before she wondered what on earth she was doing, this was Gail Peck. The same Gail Peck that broke into her apartment last night and scared her half to death.

Gail watched the brunette shake her head and wondered what the woman was thinking. She paused about to sip the coffee and sent Holly a questioning look. "There's no arsenic in here is there?"

Holly grinned but refused to answer, thinking maybe that would prevent Gail from drinking it.

Gail sighed then took a tentative sip, and she was pleasantly surprised by how nice it tasted. She happily went back and took a bigger drink.

Holly watched on then shook her head. "You're going to regret that."

Gail shrugged. It might just be psychosomatic but she swore she could already feel the radiating pain in her head lessening.

Holly didn't want to ask, she really didn't because the potential answer petrified her, but she couldn't take the not knowing.

"Why are you here Gail?" She asked quietly as she nibbled on her bottom lip.

Gail sighed and sat her coffee down, taking the time to glance at her cell. She'd have to get going soon. She looked back at Holly.

"I need to know what you said to the police." She told her.

Holly frowned. "That's all? You're not here to…" She swallowed hard. After the gun was pointed into her face, she was sure this would only end one way. They had both seen her, knew she could give the police information about them, even if she hadn't, why would criminals believe anything she said?

Gail rolls her eyes and goes back to her coffee. "Out with it, and please don't lie, no one's going to hurt you no matter what you told anyone." She tried to assure Holly. She remembered the tossing and turning she was doing last night when she had found her sleeping on the couch.

Holly bit her lip, thinking. "He had a gun." She couldn't help but remind the blonde.

He's also dead. "He did his part and has move on, you won't ever see him again, I promise." She offered although she wasn't sure how much that would mean to the doctor.

Holly leaned onto the table heavily. It didn't matter what Gail said, the memory of that gun was still too fresh to discount it, he had clearly decided that killing her would have solved his problem of her being there.

"What makes you so sure?" She asked in a shaky whisper, her eyes begging the blonde for an answer.

Gail closed her eyes, her headache was definitely coming back full force. She opened her eyes to see tears gathering in the brown orbs in front of her. Dammit.

"He's dead."

Holly sat back in her chair with a gasp.

Gail tapped the floor nervously with her foot, unable to look at Holly anymore after admitting that Alexander was dead. She wondered briefly if Holly realised that she was the one that had killed him, maybe she did, maybe that was why she had shifted as far away from her as she could without getting up.

Gail swallowed and picked up her cell phone again, she really did have to go.

"Holly just forget about him, okay? I really need to know what you told the cops." She repeated.

Holly shifted in her seat again and took off her glasses to rub at her eyes. "Uh, not much…there really wasn't anything helpful I could give them." She put her glasses back on and noticed the dubious look she was getting from the blonde. "When one of you knocked me over I lost my glasses, I told Sam and Traci that my vision was blurry, all I know was that I was taken into the lab and tied to the chair by two people, only one of whom talked and I could tell he was male. That was it, they left and I was trapped there with a fucking hood over my head for over an hour. An hour Gail!"

The blonde had sworn to her the guard was due any minute as she placed that hood over her head.

Gail scratched her cheek to break the red hot glare she was receiving, and it was totally hot.

"The guard?"

"Never showed up until after 5.30 according to Traci, I wouldn't know I had a hood over my head!" She said glaring again.

Gail chuckled already knowing this and knowing it worked heavily in her favour. "Ow, what'd you kick me for?" She asked Holly.

"You know exactly why."

Gail rolled her eyes. "Yes, let's play that game, hmm, I tied you up for an hour and you scarred me for life as you attempted to kill me." She said and lifted her hands up as she asked, "So tell me, of the two of us, who has the right to be more pissed?"

Holly crossed her arms over her chest. "I still didn't like it." She muttered.

Gail wondered if the other woman listened to herself at all. Of course she wasn't going to like being tied up but seriously? She could have killed Gail last night.

"Tough. And I hope all my blood stains your apartment and never comes out." She said only just managing not to stick her tongue out at Holly.

"What do you think I spent last night doing?"

"Oh." Bummer. Of course it also meant that Gail wouldn't be leaving trace evidence of her little visit. Then Gail looked at the mug she was drinking from and thought, DNA and fingerprints.

She finished her coffee then pushed the empty mug over to the forensic pathologist. "There you go, evidence, you can plant it at some horrible crime scene and I'm sure the City will give you a medal."

And with that Gail got up. From what Holly had told her she gave them very little to go on and she already knew from Chris they were looking into the security guard. So if Romi had remembered the midnight money transfer she could lead the detectives on a nice little goose chase to keep them busy.

"Where are you going?" Holly asks as she follows Gail out into the living area where she watches the blonde pull on her jacket slowly, obviously still in some discomfort. "And what the hell was that about framing you for a crime? I'd never do that!" She told Gail, insulted that the blonde would think she was capable of such a thing.

Gail shrugged and headed for the door. "Do what you want Holly."

"Wait, where are you going?" Holly asked again as Gail opened her apartment door.

Gail sighed and turned back. "I have a meeting I have to get to, so while this has been so much fun, I'm going to love you and leave you. Have a nice trip," She pointed at the suitcases still sitting by the door waiting. "Bye."

Holly watched the door close behind the blonde then groaned and grabbed for her coat. "Dammit."

Gail wasn't waiting by the elevators so Holly went over to the stairs and looked over the railing. "Hey, Gail, wait up." She called out then headed down to join the blonde as she reached the ground floor.

"What are you doing?" Gail asked, totally confused beyond the brain fuzz her headache was causing.

Holly licked her lips then gestured to Gail's head. "You shouldn't be out with your injury, actually you should be resting in bed somewhere."

Gail couldn't help but smirk as they made their way out of Holly's building. "Was that an offer?" She asked and the sudden blush it caused on Holly made her laugh. Which she regretted instantly as she head reminded her that Holly's advice was probably warranted.

"Shut up." Holly muttered with a shake of her head wondering how the blonde could be so annoying all of the time and still she was following her to make sure she was okay. "So where are we going? Do you have a car, you shouldn't be driving as hurt as you are, I guess-"

Gail groaned and reached up to cover her ears. "So many words." She complained.

Holly snapped her jaw closed and sent the blonde a glare, she was only trying to help.

Grinning Gail gestured towards the end of the block where, in the distance they could see trees.

"There's a café near the park down there, I have to meet someone," Then she glanced sideways to Holly and a sly grin broke out on her face. "I guess you could join us?"

"Oh." Join them. What did that mean, did Holly want to put herself in a position like that?

Gail glanced around again, trying to check without Holly noticing that she was looking for signs that they were being followed but it looked clear. She then noticed the look on Holly's face and her grin widened.

"Scared?"

Holly turned to the blonde and shrugged. "I guess I could join you, of course that means that you're paying right?" Gail had told her she was safe, and for some reason Holly believed her.

Gail wanted to laugh, she really did, but it would hurt her head too much she just knew it. "Getting brave are we?" She asked smiling at the other woman.

Holly took a breath trying to get back the confidence she normally had, the confidence she'd had until being attacked in the morgue. She smiled at Gail and shrugged. "I took you didn't I?" She said cockily.

"Ooooh, that's big talk for someone that hits from behind."

Holly sniffed and made a face. "Still counts."

"Whatever." Gail muttered as she continued to keep a careful watch around them as they slowly made their way down the street.

"We can always have a rematch if you like? Baseball bats at 12 o'clock."

Gail scowled at the smile on Holly's face. She'd already told the woman she hated the sport.

Holly chuckled and looked off into the distance. "You know I normally run in that park every morning?"

Shit. Gail had forgotten about that.

"Yeah?" Gail asked, trying to sound uninterested.

"Yes, but I guess you don't like running either, huh?"

"Nope, it's why they made me give my badge back." She told the brunette, "I wouldn't get out of the car for anything but a doughnut."

That got a laugh from Holly and Gail liked hearing it.

She eyed Holly, wondering what she would make of the meeting with Chris.

If nothing else it was going to be a very interesting morning.