Part 26

Dov put down the phone slowly as he struggled to understand what he'd just been told.

Noticing the stunned looked on her boyfriend's face Chloe wheeled herself over to his desk. "What's up?" She asked with her usual cheer.

Dov blinked and shook his head then glanced around the bullpen. "You seen Andy?" He asked as he stood.

"Nope." Chloe replied, now she glanced around. There were a few faces around but she couldn't spot Andy. "Isn't she working with Rosati still?"

Dov nodded, remembering that now. "Thanks." He replied distractedly as he headed for the back corridor where Jo and Luke had commandeered one of the interview rooms for the day. As he turned the cornered he saw Andy coming out of the supply room out of uniform. He would have asked about that if he didn't have more pressing issues.

"Hey." Andy greeted him as he came closer and she tried to move around him not wanting to keep Jo and the others waiting. To her shock Dov grabbed her arm when they came level and forced her back into the room closing the door behind him.

"Okay, what?" Andy asked as her pulled free. She scowled at her friend wondering what the hell was going on today. It was weird enough knowing she was about to head out and try and use their own pathologist against Gail without the rest of her friends acting out as well.

Dov crossed his arms over his chest. "I found Nick." He said quietly.

"That's great!" Andy replied with a smile. She didn't know why he had to pull her in here to tell her that but whatever. "You should go let Jarvis know." She told him then tried to open the door to leave but Dov didn't move.

"You won't believe where I found him, or how." He continued.

Andy sighed.

"He's in the hospital."

"What?" Andy asked in surprise. "How? What happened to him? Is he okay?"

Dov shock his head.

Needing answers Andy gave her friend a slap on the arm. "Dov!"

"He's fine, or at least he will be." He said, when Andy looked ready to hit him again he went on. "The nurse said he'd be fine, couple of broken bones but nothing life threatening. That was about all she'd tell me over the phone."

Frowning Andy wondered why no one at the station had been informed. "What happened? Why didn't anyone call us?"

Dov shrugged. "Apparently he came off his bike last night."

Andy snorted, that didn't sound like Nick, underneath the cop uniform was a petrol head. He loved his bike as much as he loved his job.

Dov still had a sour look on his face. "How do I know this you ask? Donny Edwards over at 16 responded to the traffic call last night and was one of the first on scene."

Andy recognised the name instantly because they'd graduated from the academy together.

"He arrested Nick last night for being drunk and causing the crash, luckily no one else was involved." Dov finished telling her.

"No way." Nick liked his drink as much as the next cop but he'd never risk riding his bike home if he wasn't capable of doing it safely.

Dov looked away for a moment, he was angry that his friend had been so reckless. "Yeah, they tested his blood, it came back 0.3."

Andy blinked in astonishment. Could Nick really have been that stupid?

"You know anything?" Dov questioned Andy.

"Like what?" Andy asked.

Dov shrugged. "I don't know, he and Swarek are buddies, he say anything about yesterday? Was it a significant date?"

Andy paused and thought about it. She wanted to ask what Dov meant but she knew exactly what he was getting at. She and Sam had covered for Nick a couple of times when he'd drank himself into a stupor. Over his parents, over the war, over his friends deaths, over the faces of the people he'd killed. The ex-solider did have demons of his own that he didn't always deal with in the right way.

But yesterday wasn't a date Andy could connect to Nick old army buddy or the death of his parents.

She shrugged and shook her head. "Not that I know about anyway." Sam might have known more. "Seriously Dov is he going to be okay?"

"Donny said when he ran the plate on the bike, or what was left of it, and found out Nick was a cop he made it go away, but he said he needed to know who to talk to over here. With Best gone and Jarvis here right now…it wouldn't be good for Nick." Dov trailed off with a shrug as he tried his best to explain.

"Shit." Andy's eyes widened just thinking about what Jarvis would do to Nick if he knew about this. Nick was already on a suspension.

Dov grunted in agreement. "So know what do we do?" He asked her. "I told Donny I'd get back to him. He'll do this as a favour but he wants to make sure someone gets Nick to deal with this, or he'll file the charges."

Andy shook her head. She wasn't sure she knew what to do with Nick. "Let me speak to Sam. Just, don't say anything yet." Maybe they could keep Nick from losing his job completely. A DUI charge on top of the stuff with Gail, and Jarvis would have his badge. "We can talk after shift."

Dov nodded in agreement. But that didn't solve the main problem for him or Nick. "What about Jarvis? He wanted Nick back here ASAP."

Andy rubbed at her temple. She really had to get back or Jo would be even worse to work with for the rest of the day, if she didn't just kick her off the assignment. "Tell him…tell him, I don't know, make something up Dov. Look I've got to go." She told her friend then pulled him away from the door and slipped out before she got herself in trouble.

Dov lifted his arms and let them drop. "Thanks a lot!" He called after her.

He looked around the small store room, sizing it up for a long stay, or at least until the end of his shift. If he was lucky no one would find him including Jarvis. With his hand on the door he sighed in resignation and then walked out. It would only have been a matter of time before Chloe hunted him down anyway.

"You! You found my missing officer yet?"

Dov paused with a wince as Jarvis called out from behind him. Could his day get any worse?

He spun around trying his best to come up with a plausible excuse only to feel his jaw literally drop when he noticed who was stood next to the Inspector.

Oliver Shaw grinned at his old rookie. "Hey kid. Careful, wind might change and you'll be stuck like that." He said with a chuckle as he made his way along the corridor with his cane and Jarvis by his side.

Jarvis was still scowling at Dov when they stopped in front of the officers. "Well?" He demanded.

Dov couldn't take his eyes away from Oliver though, not even for Jarvis. "You're wearing a white shirt." He mumbled, his eyes still wide with shock.

Jarvis snorted his arms crossed as he watched on unamused. He shook his head and then started walking back the way he'd come. "You've got a tough job with this lot Ollie, I'm going to owe you one."

Oliver laughed.

Dov looked first at the retreating back of Jarvis and then at Oliver. "Huh?"

Oliver reached out and pinched Dov's cheek. "Say hello to your new Staff Sergeant." Then he turned and kept walking, albeit slowly, as he went to claim his office. He looked around as he went and sniffed happily. It was good to be back.

xxxxx

Luke felt the van turn into a side street and slow to a stop, they were on the other side of the park from the café and from here they'd let Holly drive the rest of the way to the meet once they'd gone over plan once more.

He turned and watched the pathologist glance out the two way glass on the back door as Jo headed for them having driven behind them in Holly's car. "It'll be okay." He told her quietly, aware of Andy in the front seat. Steve was at the monitors checking for any last minute problems with the listening device.

Holly scoffed and tucked her hands under her arms to hide the shaking. She shifted out of the way as the back door opened and Detective Rosati squeezed into the limited space.

Jo ignored Holly for the moment as she looked to Steve. "We set?"

Steve put down the head set. "Sound's good, we'll test it before she goes in just to be sure."

Jo nodded then turned her attention to the woman of the hour. The pathologist looked about ready to throw up. If that didn't raise any warnings with Gail then this might just work. She shifted closer the monitoring station taking up most of the van and picked up a small box lying there. She handed it over to Holly. "Put that on."

Holly scowled at the box held out to her then slowly took hold of it. "What is it?" She asked as she opened the lid.

Steve cleared his throat. "It's an ear piece."

Jo grinned. "Just to make sure you aren't wasting our time here."

Holly glared at the blonde and snapped the lid closed. "So you'll what? Tell me what to say?"

"If we have to." Jo insisted, not looking even slightly guilty. They were all here to get something rock solid on tape that they could hold over Gail to get her to cooperate in bringing down Wolf's whole operation.

"No." Holly bit back tossing the box towards Steve. "You've got me wearing a wire but this is it, this is all you get."

Luke saw the fire light in Jo's eyes and cleared his throat before the blonde could blow up at Holly. The pathologist was scared and he didn't blame her for it, but a heated argument right now would ruin any chance they had of pulling this off.

"What?" Jo asked with glare as she turned to Luke.

Grinning he glanced pointedly to his watch. "We're already late." He reminded everyone. "And besides, do you really want to risk Gail spotting it."

Jo scoffed, with the long hair down and the glasses there was no way anyone would spot that Holly had an ear piece in. But she also knew pushing the pathologist wasn't going to get her far, not with the look of anger she was getting from the brunette.

Instead Jo handed the keys to Holly's car to Luke and shifted over to take the seat beside Steve to listen in.

Luke sighed then shifted over to Holly. He gave her a smile as he passed the key's over.

Holly swallowed and gingerly took the set of keys and tucked them into her pocket, gripping them as hard as she could.

"Just take a deep breath." Luke advised softly as he reached over and shifted Holly's shirt at her chest, inches from wear the listening device was strapped to Holly's skin. "Take it easy in there let Gail do most of the talking." He told her as he held her gaze. "If she asks about work, tell her how crazy everything and everyone is still, lead her into the hard stuff but don't push she'll clam up if she thinks your questions are deliberate."

"He's right." Steve said suddenly causing them to look over at him but the red head kept his eyes on the station in front of him. "Remember she's still a Peck."

Jo rolled her eyes unimpressed, instead she picked up the radio. "Nash, you in position?"

Static sounded into the van before Traic's voice. "Copy that, target is inside."

Jo grinned. "You got eyes?"

A pause then Traci replied, "No."

"Damn." Jo muttered drumming her fingers for a moment before sighing. "Copy." She then turned to Luke and Holly and gestured. "Get going then."

Holly took another deep breath then put her hand on the back door and got out.

"You'll do fine." Luke told her before closing the door.

Holly walked over towards her car in a daze hardly believing it had come to this. Was she really about to do this? Backing out now would have lasting consequences for her career, she knew Jo and Elaine would do everything they could to ruin her even if she did get her lawyer involved.

With a shaky sigh she started the engine and drove herself around the van and towards the café.

If only she could rewind a few days to when she had her flight booked and her bags packed, before Gail had waltzed into her apartment and into her life.

Did she mean that?

This wasn't Gail's fault.

Elaine Peck and Rosati were desperate to get a hold over Gail and they were use her to achieve that. She couldn't in any way blame Gail for that. The ex cop had to live under the strain of not knowing who she could trust but that hadn't stopped her from letting Holly into her life.

The more Holly learned of the blonde the more she felt disconnected to the person described to her by Steve, Rosati and Elaine Peck.

All too soon Holly was pulling up across from the café.

Confused, worried and terrified she was making the worst decision of her life, Holly got out of her SUV and cut across the street and entered the café. She looked around at the faces and spotted Gail in the same booth where they had sat with Chris and Romi only the other day.

"Hey." Gail greeted the pathologist as she stood and pressed a kiss to Holly's cheek then sat down after Holly had shuffled into the booth.

Holly stared at the blue eyes watching her with an openness that Holly didn't deserve.

She picked up Gail's hand and played with her fingers. She was running out of time and the pressure made tears sting her eyes. If she confessed to Gail right now she could end up on charges.

"You okay?" Gail asked with concern as she studied the pathologist closely.

"Yeah, I'm fine, just, tough morning." Holly managed to reply.

Gail groaned and rolled her eyes. Her morning hadn't been much better. "What we need is a night out just the two of us."

The normality of that comment sent Holly's thoughts spinning. Luckily the waitress came over to take their orders and she was spared from making her decision for another few moments.

But as she listened to Gail order she knew her time was almost out and she would have to do what was expected of her or risk everything on her feelings for the woman beside her and on their relationship.

The cost of getting this wrong couldn't have been higher for Holly or Gail.

"You sure you're okay?" Gail asked again as she noticed Holly seemed distracted.

Holly smiled and squeezed Gail's hand. "Yes. Just strange being back after…"

Gail frowned and nodded as she felt Holly's fingers dance over her hand.

Holly licked her lips and took a breath as she watched their hands, they fit together in a way that she'd never found before.

But the device tapped to her chest made her continue.

"I always thought you were safe at work, you know?" She went only dropping her voice. "And then I got caught up in something I still don't understand, and maybe I don't want to."

Gail blinked her hand now laying limp in Holly's.

"Were you ever scared, when you were a police officer?" Holly asked. "You carried a gun every day and…how could you do that? Know going out there and some maniac could shoot you or worse?"

Gail swallowed as she listened to Holly.

She knew why the woman was here with her right now. She knew people were listening to this conversation, and now she knew what side Holly was now on.

She had hoped that Holly would have been someone she could trust with everything that she was but this was reality.

And Gail's reality was sometimes hard on the soul.

Maybe Holly's choice shouldn't have surprised her.

But it did.

xxxxx

AN/

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To me this ship is unsinkable.

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