Part 42

Gail heard the distinctive ring tone of Emily's cell phone going off in the desk drawer she'd put it in a half hour before. It had to be the tenth time the damn thing had rang in the last couple of minutes.

"Shouldn't I get that?" Emily asked from the small part of the desk Gail have given to her earlier that afternoon. "I might be important."

Gail snorted as she continued to work out the hours and wages owed to her employees this month.

Finally the ringing stopped.

Emily let out a groan then huffed as she kept her head down and concentrated on her school work. She'd got a call after she'd left the café with Gail from Matteo, apparently she was 'off sick' and he'd offered to take her homework off her teacher to make up for her absence.

Of course her asshole of a foster father had called in so the child services didn't go around and ask why she'd run away. But even Emily knew his primary motivation was to keep collecting on her care payments for as long as possible.

"Asshole." Emily muttered.

"Language." Gail replied almost without thought. She didn't much care what Emily said figuring she was old enough to know better. Especially around Holly, the pathologist had a look she gave Gail when she didn't approve of her use of cuss words.

Eyes widening, Emily focused back on her work. She hadn't meant to say that out loud and while it hadn't been directed at Gail, Emily wasn't about to explain why she'd said it.

"And if you finish that up before Holly gets here, I might even give you your phone back and you can talk to your boyfriend for as long as you like." Gail offered as she finished her own math challenge and swung her seat around to face the small safe she kept in her office. She pressed her finger to the pad and punched in the code before pulling out two envelopes of cash.

"He's not my boyfriend." Emily commented with a glare once Gail turned back to her.

Gail chuckled as she pulled a stack of smaller white envelopes from a drawer and set about counting out the pay. "You forget I've seen you both suck face." She reminded Emily.

"Whatever." Emily ignored the blush on her cheeks and got back to her homework.

That gave Gail the time to finish up. She kept the white envelopes out but put the left over cash back into her safe before standing. "I'll be back in a minute." She said, rounding her desk and heading for the door only to turn and point a warning finger at Emily. "And don't you touch that phone." She warned before slipping out of her office and heading into the main part of her bar.

"Hey Dean." She greeted the barman as she opened the till and placed the envelopes inside, keeping one out on the lower counter behind the bar that had Dean's name on it. "That time again." She said as he quickly placed it in his back pocket with a grin.

"Thanks boss." He said in reply. And he meant it, he'd only been working there a few months but Gail always paid them for their hours and extra for their share on the tips the bar made. She'd told them all up front that any patrons that wanted to buy them a drink or gave them cash tips personally for their service, they'd be allowed to keep them. Otherwise all tips that went through the system would be split 75/25 between the bar staff on shift that week and those working the kitchen.

Everyone thought that was fair, or at least no one out right complained to Gail's face.

Gail nodded then looked around her bar. It was busy with the usual college crowd and a few older people not working that day. The bar itself was pulling a nice profit which Gail wished she was more responsible for but the simple truth was that the bar's location ensured that there was always a willing market for her alcohol and decent bar food.

Her eyes found a pair at a table near the staircase.

"Damn." She muttered to herself before heading over and sitting down in an empty chair.

"Was just showing my new friend around." Anan said when all he got was a raised eyebrow from Gail.

Gail bit her lip, no how, no way was she allowing Jamie Brennan to work in her bar.

"Relax." Anan told her as he grinned and drank down the beer in front of him while Jamie watched the pair curiously. "I was thinking Jamie here could pick up some of your security work down town." He added, still grinning even when he was kicked under the table.

Gail let out the breath she'd been holding. Brennan's reputation was well earned and she wanted little to do with the guy but given she hardly worked the clubs anymore and hadn't planned to, given her new relationship with Holly, this was good news.

"Fine by me, you paid shit anyway." Gail told Anan.

Jamie tilted his head still not joining the conversation but definitely paying attention.

Gail turned her head and stared back at Jamie, unflinching at his gaze. Whatever Anan was up to with Brennan she'd likely find out later. But if it kept her friend busy and stopped him scaring Holly out of her mind she was all for it. "Good luck."

Jaime smiled a touch and picked up his beer giving the blonde a nod and salute before drinking.

Gail chuckled turning back to Anan. "Quiet isn't he."

Anan shrugged and gave the thin crowd around them a look. "Don't think this is much his style."

Gail stood, slapping Anan on the shoulder then caught Jaime watching her again. "Good. Don't show up here again." She warned him, holding his gaze until he gave her a nod.

Satisfied that was as good as she was going to get, Gail turned to her friend, if there was more going on Anan would have to let her know later. Holly was due to pick her and Emily up any minute and the last thing Gail needed was Holly spotting Anan here.

"Finish up and get out, you're both dragging this place down, it's bad for business." She commented as she walked away from the pair.

xxxxxx

Dov eyed his colleague. "You still look like roadkill." He gestured quickly to his own face when Chloe turned to him with shocked look. "The bruises." He explained.

Chloe rolled her eyes at her boyfriend. Sometimes she really didn't understand him. "Ignore him, I think you look good."

Nick attempted a grin. "Thanks. I think."

Dov looked affronted by that comment but said nothing. Chloe had been giving him a hard time over everyone and everything it seemed lately. He wasn't looking for another night of arguing.

"So, what's the deal, you coming back to work soon?" Dov asked Nick wanting to move the conversation right along.

Chloe's eyes widened as she turned to her boyfriend. "You just said he looked like a dead animal and now you want him back at work?"

"When put it like that, I guess not." Dov muttered quietly. He couldn't win either way, maybe he should just sit there and not say anything.

"It's fine." Nick told Chloe. Then he lifted his hand for them both to see the half cast and stabilised fingers. "I'm having my operation tomorrow and I should be out of here the next day." Andy had already offered to come pick him up.

"Nasty." Chloe said with a wince at the discoloured skin, bruises and swelling. "Will it be better?"

Nick shrugged as he rested his hand back down onto the hospital bed. The doctors were hopeful, they'd given him 80% chance on full mobility but he didn't care what the outcome was. They didn't know him.

Talk about a wake up call.

He didn't survive tours in Afghanistan and the death of his friends to come back here and get himself killed for someone else's vendetta. He was done doing anything for Sam Swarek ever again. Despite his confusion over what Gail was doing mixed up with Damien Wolf, he was out.

If he could somehow get he's police career back on solid footing after this, he'd take it.

It would take time for people to trust him again. But he had that now. On another day he knew without question that his beating could have ended with his him losing more than the fine motor skills of his hand.

He wasn't his brother. This setback, and that's all he considered it, was just going to make him more determined to get back into his officers uniform.

"Wait and see they tell me." Nick said, finally answering Chloe. "How are things at 15?"

Chloe bit her thumb nail and gave Dov a look.

Dov shrugged at her then turned to Nick. "Swarek's gone. Oliver's the Super now, and things are different."

Nick nodded. Andy had already told him this much. "Different how?" Oliver Shaw was someone he didn't know well, he'd seen him at The Black Penny, and heard plenty of stories about the old timers and the good old days. But Oliver Shaw was before his time and Swarek didn't talk about him much.

And no one else really talked about him at the station because that meant talking about Jerry Barber and when his name ever came up everyone stopped talking and quickly found somewhere else to be.

Unless your name was Sam Swarek.

Then you could talk about how Gail Peck was responsible for Barber's death, and Oliver's injury that forced him off of the streets he loved.

So Nick wasn't sure if Oliver Shaw was a better or worse boss to have in charge than Frank Best, but the one thing Nick was hoping was that he'd at least get a chance to prove to Shaw that he was still fit for duty as a patrol officer. Given Oliver's injury.

And with Sam and Frank gone maybe Nick could have a clean slate when he got back to work.

"Just different." And that was about all Dov wanted to say about life at 15 right now. Everyone was in a state of flux. People were trying to take down Gail and then they weren't, talk was Chris was going to be back on days with them again. As cover for Nick and Duncan. "Maybe the cleaners are using a new detergent to wash the floors."

Chloe gave Dov a look then rolled her eyes. She turned back to Nick who was shaking his head, and shifted her chair closer to his hospital bed. "Word is that something is going down with that Wolf gang soon."

"Yeah?" Nick asked with a frown. Andy hadn't said anything about that earlier, but then they'd hardly talked about work at all.

Dov was also frowning. "Who told you that?" He prided himself on keeping up with all the gossip at the station and other than the failed attempt to trap Gail in some sort of sting with the Doc he heard nothing about another take down with Damien Wolf's gang of thugs.

Chloe shrugged looking proud of herself. "I heard it from Frank, that's where I was last night."

"I thought you stayed at your place last night?" Dov said.

"Anyway," Chloe went on as she looked at Nick. "Frank said there was a bunch of new faces coming into town and that can only mean a few things but," She heard Dov scoff and quickly went on with her explaination. "Either a new crew is coming in to try and take over or they've got another big dope deal in the making."

Dov was already shaking his head. "That makes no sense." He told them both. "New crews don't come from out of town, one bunch just kills the others and expand out." There were already enough gangs in Toronto to keep them busy for years just cleaning up the mess they all made filling the city with all kinds of drugs. "And Wolf isn't stupid enough to plan another big deal like the one down at the docks. Not after what happened, he has to know we're all just looking for a chance to take him down."

Chloe raised her chin. "I'm just repeating what I heard from Frank, apparently his new friends over in the big building are excited about a possible big arrest. Bigger than Gail Peck even."

Nick winced at the mention of his ex-fiancée. For a long time he hadn't believed she was capable of being so deep in with a criminal gang, not the Gail Peck he knew, not the one that listened to Kelly Clarkson and probably still slept with her socks on when the nights were cold.

But he'd been told after his beating that Gail said 'hi' so yeah, right now he could believe pretty much anything was possible.

"I don't think so. Damien Wolf is too smart for that." Dov added.

Nick looked down at his broken hand as he spoke. "Or maybe he's smart enough to think we'd expect him to lay low, maybe even get out of the city for a while and let things settle down." He lifted his head and stared Dov in the eyes. "Maybe he thinks we're too much of a mess to even notice."

Chloe grinned. "Exactly!"

Dov swallowed. He didn't want to believe that another big deal was going on in Toronto that he and his friends would have to try and stop. And because Nick was right, they were in a mess at 15.

Swarek was suspended, so were Duncan and Nick. Add to that he knew Rosati was still pissed about Steve Peck trying to take her bust on Gail away from her, Luke was keeping his head down like the smart detective that he was, and Oliver was only just back. He hadn't had the time to get the station running smoothly again.

Dov shook his head and eyed the pair in front of him. "We are so not ready for another run in with Damien Wolf."

Chloe just shrugged a shoulder. "We the big building are gearing up for something. And Frank thinks it's going to be a major arrest. Who's bigger than Damien Wolf right now?"

Dov couldn't think of anyone that didn't have the last name Peck.

xxxxxx

Gail heard the scrunch of paper just as her phone vibrated on the table, but she kept her head tilted back and her eyes closed.

"You hit me with that and I'll ground you." She warned, popping an eyelid open to spot Emily with a ball of paper in her hand, ready to throw. "And that had better not be your homework." She warned as she sat up straight in her chair and grabbed for her phone, praying that it was Holly and they could finally go home.

Emily smirked but took the warning and aimed for the trash can instead. "Maybe I was just going to check you were still alive, I won't want Holly to come in here and get all excited that you might be dead."

With a snort Gail stood and gestured to the door. "Well you're in luck, because she's outside in her car waiting to pick us up so grab what you need and let's go I'm starving."

"Does that mean I can leave my school work, I swear I don't need it."

Gail narrowed her eyes at the young girl until she picked up her school bag.

"Ugh, maybe I should play dead." Emily muttered as she pulled the heavy bag over her shoulder. She could hardly believe that she wasn't even in school but she'd still had to do her homework for the classes she'd already missed.

"Keep it up and I'll call the cops, they can arrest you for being a minor in a bar." Gail warned.

Emily turned a look of outrage onto her boss. "You've kept me locked in your office the whole time!" She said. "And anyway wouldn't they charge you?"

Gail shook her head and gave Emily a light shove. "Just keep walking, I've had enough riff raff in my bar to know it when I see it."

"Looked in the mirror lately?" Emily hit right back.

Gail opened her mouth to respond but had a feeling she wasn't likely to win anytime soon with Emily. "Were you always this snarky?"

Emily grinned. "Maybe you just bring out my best side." She offered as they stepped out of the bar and onto the street. It was still busy with University students in the common across from them, enjoying the nice weather.

A horn sounded and they both turned to see Holly's car across the street a little further down.

Which was weird to Gail because there was parking available right outside her bar.

Emily was just about to take off and cross the road but Gail reached out and grabbed her by the backpack.

"What?" Emily asked as she was almost pulled backwards off her feet.

"Listen, can you go down to the shop on the corner and get me a cola?" Gail asked as she took possession of Emily's bag and pulled a couple of twenties from her pocket, and Emily's phone. The shop was in the opposite direction from Holly's car and right now that's where Gail wanted Emily to be, just until she was sure her gut was off on this.

Emily stood there for a few seconds when she noticed Gail was staring at Holly's car intently, she glanced over her shoulder trying to make Holly out through the window but the car was just a bit too far down the street. She took the money and her phone but still wasn't sure about leaving.

Gail finally glanced at Emily. "I'll text you when to come to the car."

And with that bit of information Emily started walking.

And when she got to the corner shop she didn't go inside, she just kept walking. And when she spotted an alleyway she turned down it and started to run.

xxxxx

Holly watched Emily getting sent away and almost sighed with relief. But she couldn't relax right now, not even with Gail coming towards her.

"Who's the kid?" Came the voice from the back seat.

Holly clenched her teeth, she wasn't going to answer that. She just kept her eyes on Gail, half wishing she'd gone the other way with Emily as well.

But eventually the passenger side door opened and Gail sat down closing the door after her.

Gail placed Emily's bag in the foot well and as she sat back she turned, slipping her gun between her seat and Holly's as she came face to face with an unwanted guest.

"What do you want Steve?" She asked, not remotely in the mood for more games.

xxxxxx

AN/

As always thanks for reading and sticking in there with this.

We've still got places to go and people to… entertain us, in this fic. Hope everyone enjoyed this latest update.

Slowly but surely.