02.09 - Coming Home
And now our birds come home to roost.
This chapter takes place over five days. Five very action packed days.
Having a hickey on one's neck as a teen was amusing. As a twenty year old it was something to be teased about. At thirty it got eyerolls. Forty and fifty year olds were told they were too old for that shit. Going on sixty, Holly wondered if she was near the point in life where people might congratulate her.
Still, she texted Gail to inform her she sucked because neither Shay Peck nor Sue Tran would give her any quarter.
"Hey check it out, matching hickeys!"
Holly sighed and looked at the duo- no, the quartet. With the firefighter captain and the ETF lieutenant was Kelly the arson specialist and the youngest Peck. Vivian. Who was blushing. Matching? She eyed her daughter's neck and spotted ... It was more of a bite than a hickey, but there it was. Her daughter had a pretty obvious one on her neck. Heh. Gail would be delighted.
"Glad to see you're keeping McGann out of trouble, coz," said Shay, teasing.
"Who's this?" Sue perked up and eyed Vivian. "You've got a girlfriend?"
"Oh my god." Vivian shook her head. "I ought to tell all the rookies how you dated, and dumped, Dov."
Sue looked offended. "Who told you that?"
"Dov." Vivian smiled an evil, sharp, Peck smile. "Yes, I'm dating a firefighter from Captain Peck's station. Her name is Jamie McGann. Can we light things on fire now?"
Both the senior officers laughed. "She's got you there," said Kelly, smiling. "I keep telling you not to date in-house."
"No one asked you," snapped Shay, before he could go any further.
Holly shook her head and caught sight of Vivian's hickey. "Tug your collar up," she advised her daughter.
"Won't help." Vivian tugged though. "Did you see the lab tests?"
"I did." Holly beamed at her daughter. "The lab was abuzz about it."
Excitedly, her daughter explained how she used the air filters and the ignition, and how the various parts from the car and the liquid in the refuse had combined. "The coolest thing is that it's because of Mom that I got it!"
"Mom — Gail?"
Vivian nodded and gestured at Sue. "Lt. Tran told me about how she and Gail exonerated Steve from the bomb in evidence."
It took a moment, but Holly remembered that day when the bomb went off and she'd met Gail at the station. And blushed. She remembered hauling Gail into interrogation as well. "Well now. The circle is complete," Holly said to Sue.
"Of course, this isn't a bomb," said Kelly, the voice of correction. "And technically the lab figured out most of this."
Holly chuckled. "I take it Gail's story inspired you to find that trigger?"
Nodding, her daughter opened her mouth to delve into that story, only to have Kelly cut her off with a cough. "Who are we waiting on?"
"Trujillo," said Vivian. "She's working this part for Sgt. Simmons."
Holly frowned. Trujillo. She was newish. One of Gail's baby detectives. And Gail was allowing her to be in charge of the arsons. That was interesting. A baby detective and their baby cop. Gail and John must have a great deal of confidence in them both. "And what does Trujillo think?"
Tapping on his phone, Kelly answered. "She defers to my vast and copious experience—"
"Ego," Shay said, interrupting.
"Same thing." Sue smirked unkindly.
Kelly ignored them both, which was more than Holly might have mustered. Certainly more than Gail would have. "Young Peck here was right about the construct of the fire starter devices. They're able to be timed with a slow, safe, burn. Which is why Tran is here, though. Slow burns are her forte."
"You're only saying that because I turned you down." But Sue was grinning. "It's damned ingenious. All it needs is the right amount of heat, chemical or otherwise."
"Which is why my lab's had a devil of a time isolating," Holly interjected. She knew that part. When an arsonist used seven different starters, it made for headaches.
Shay rolled her eyes, looking remarkably like her cousin. Shay was taller, though, and her hair was starting to grey. "If we're done playing exposition fairies, here comes Trujillo. Shall we blow things up now?"
Safely behind the bomb glass, they all watched as the various versions of the fire starters were kicked off, all making notes as it went. Vivian was attached to Trujillo's side, pointing out various things like an excited puppy. On Vivian's other side, Sue watched with deep interest.
So there was the future for her daughter, no questions need be asked. The girl was as excited about bombs and time delayed arson as she was about her girlfriend. When Sue and Kelly started to ask her about how she'd contain the explosions since none were reported at the scene, Vivian's answers were serious and well thought out.
In short, this was something she was made for.
After Trujillo and Vivian left, the detective tasking the patrol constable with some beat cop follow ups, Holly made sure to pull Sue aside. "Sue... She's going to apply."
"I know." Sue sighed. "She's got the head for bomb dispersal. Calm in a crisis and she never stops thinking."
Those traits Holly was so proud of, the analytical mind that Vivian had grown under Holly and Gail's wings, was exactly what made her right for that kind of job. "Which is your way of telling me, she's going to get in if she applies," she said to Sue.
With a nod, Sue sucked on her lower lip. "Her record is sealed," said the ETF lieutenant at length.
Holly winced. Of course Sue looked. She'd have looked. Everyone looked. And a cop with a sealed record from when she was six was certainly eyebrow raising. "We promised, Gail and I, that we wouldn't talk about it with the Division. Or the police. Unless we legally have to. She deserves that."
Right away, Sue nodded. "She does! God, not even a question, Holly! I just... I want to make sure she's not a ticking time bomb."
They both paused and broke into awkward laughter. "Sue, that's horrible."
"Shut up! I didn't think my sentence through!"
"No kidding!" Holly wiped at her eyes. "Oh. No, no, Sue. It has nothing to do with that." In fact, Holly thought that it would be better for her daughter. Not as many people, and if she was in bombs and not some of the other aspects... "Do a lot of people apply for the bomb part?"
"No. Just nut jobs like me." Sue smiled brightly.
While she smiled to Sue, Holly felt unsettled. Was Sue just saying all that because she thought Holly wanted to hear it? To hear that her kid was good, maybe gifted, at a rare aspect of police work? Or maybe Sue felt that the truth was best and this was all what it was.
Holly distracted herself with the routine of the lab. The follow up of arson evidence, making sure it hadn't just looked right but the residual was correct, took quite a while and the data was interesting. Holly didn't often get to mire herself in the details of those cases (bombs and fires were neither her forte nor her passion), but since the Summerland Arsons (named after the first location) were such a large case, she'd no doubt be expected to know the data backwards and forwards.
"Uh oh," said the familiar voice of her wife. "What'd you do to her?"
"Nothing!" That was her daughter.
Looking up, Holly saw them both, still dressed for the workday, holding takeout bags. What? She stared at the clock on her wall, then her computer, and then her watch. It was one in the afternoon. "Oh. Did I miss something?"
"Nope." Gail walked in and put her bag on the coffee table before going back to kiss Holly. "We wanted to surprise you. Junior here is officially assigned to the arson case."
Vivian turned a little pink. "Trujillo is letting me be her point for patrol. McNally approved it and everything."
"Well. At least you and Jamie can shop talk in bed," said Holly absently, getting up. Her daughter turned even pinker and Holly bit back a laugh. "Oh, honey, you are your mother's daughter."
It didn't matter which one.
Jamie picked up a picture on Vivian's dresser. "Who is this not-you?"
"Not me?"
"This photo. It's a kid, and it looks like you, but that's not you."
Frozen as she pulled her boot on, Vivian realized there was only one 'not her' that Jamie might be looking at. The other photos on the walls and the dresser were of her, but almost always with her Peck/Stewart family. Which meant the photo was… She looked up and sighed to see her girlfriend holding that photo. "Oh. That would be my, er, sister."
Her girlfriend turned, surprised, and eyed Vivian. "You have a sister?"
"Had." Vivian corrected and leaned over to buckle her boot. "Kimmy was almost nine."
There was a soft clack of the photo going back down and, a moment later, the bed dipped as Jamie sat down beside her. "Sorry."
Frowning, Vivian glanced up. "Why?"
"I mean I'm sorry she died. Not that I'm sorry I asked." Jaime leaned in and bumped her shoulder against Vivian's. "Sometimes you're an idiot. You know that, right?"
"Oh. Yeah." Vivian leaned back, propping herself up on her hands. "Is it weird? To have her photo?"
"A little," said Jamie, thoughtfully. "I mean, you don't have your, ah, birth parents. It's all the Pecks and Stewarts and then your sister, who you somehow neglected to mention the first time we talked about all that."
Sighing, Vivian recognized the meaning behind Jamie's words. She also didn't correct the use of 'who' instead of 'whom' in the sentence. "Well. They're dead. He .. He killed everyone."
Jamie blinked, clearly processing the information differently than the first time Vivian had told her 'everyone' was dead. "Even your sister... Was there anyone else?"
"No." Vivian scratched her neck. Of course there was much more to it, and Vivian didn't feel capable of delving into it, not even now. "I don't really have a lot of memories about them. I remember sneaking into Kimmy's bed to sleep, or her in mine, and getting carsick on a road trip, and that's really it. Just weird snippets." She looked at the photo across the room. "That was the summer before they died. And… I'm pretty sure afterwards, my … My birth father got all mad Kimmy had gotten ice cream on her shirt."
Jamie put a hand on Vivian's knee and exhaled loudly. "You don't have to talk about them."
"I know." She did know. "But. You asked."
That had been their deal. If Jamie asked, and she could ask anything, Vivian would do her best to answer. Even if the answers were weird and took a long time to come out as anything understandable.
"Why do you keep a picture of her? I mean, up on the dresser. I'm assuming you have pictures of the others?"
"Oh, yeah. Moms have them in the attic. My grandparents and crap too." Vivian looked over the other photos. There was Gail and Holly, a dual-selfie taken in the snow in the backyard at the house. There was Holly swinging off the rope at the cottage, Vivian laughing in the background. There was Vivian, in uniform, at the Academy graduation, with her Moms smiling with her. There was Matty and Vivian on the day he got his driver's license. Happy moments. "That's … So that's the only photo I've got where she's really happy. And I'm still pissed at everyone else, so I don't want to look at them. Ever."
In the back of her head, Vivian knew how that sounded. Nineteen years later, she was still pissed off, hurt, and confused by what her ... They ... He ... Fuck. The whole thing still stung. She stood up and went to put her uniform in her bag.
Jamie said nothing for a while, sitting thoughtfully on the end of the bed. "I get that," she said at last. "Being mad."
"My therapist's still on my case about it." Vivian unlocked her gun safe and pulled out her badge and gun.
"Well that's her job. Mine is to be a girlfriend. We tend to pick your side."
Vivian blinked and looked at Jamie in the mirror. Her girlfriend was grinning. "Is that how it works? Maybe that's why everyone dumps me..."
The firefighter tossed her hair out of her face. "Let's see. You can't sleep at someone else's so you always bail, you hate talking about yourself because someone always asks about your family who are dead, which I agree is hella awkward. I mean... God, how many dates went tits up after they asked if you had any siblings?" Jamie made a face. "You, Peck, are an enigma wrapped up in angst that you don't want to slap people with. Which is really wonderful and tragic at the same time."
It was a weird relief to have someone say all that and be okay with it. "I'm not sure what I'm supposed to say now." Vivian checked her handgun was fine and locked the safe again. "Except... I think I get why Gail just kisses Holly every time she babbles."
Jamie laughed. "Kisses her? To shut her up? That... That sounds like your moms alright."
"I know, right? You need a ride in?"
Shaking her head, Jamie hopped off the bed and stepped into her sneakers. "I snagged a spot. We meeting tonight at the Penny?"
"That's the plan." She grinned and leaned in, kissing Jamie.
She was still grinning when she rolled into the Division and spotted Chloe talking in Andy's office. She nearly plowed into Duncan when Chloe frowned and pointed at Rich. Oh. Quickly Vivian did math and grinned ear to ear. Oh hell yeah.
"Watch it," said Duncan, catching her upper arm. "Don't wanna spaz today."
"That's today?" Vivian felt her heart rate jump. That was practically confirmation.
"Shh! You're not supposed to know!"
Vivian rolled her eyes. "It's the right time of year, Duncan. October's not too cold. Cold enough we wear warm shit to cover up. And don't think I don't know about the big UC op Price is working on. Cramming us into hookers and the hunt this year? With the arsons? Come on." She slapped his arm and hustled to change into her uniform.
"You're chatty with Duncan," teased Lara.
"I'm prayin' for Pick Peck right now."
"Says the girl on arson."
Of course Lara had a point. But. This was the one thing her mother had never been able to do. "Hush. Did you see Price up there?"
Lara nodded. "Another boring stakeout in a van. Yawnsville, population us."
"Oh no, this is something else." Vivian grinned and shimmied into her uniform. "Come on, you don't want to miss this."
She left her classmate baffled and grabbed a seat at Parade. Most of Andy's admonitions and warnings were filed away in her back brain as she waited for it. "And. Last but not least, I want to let you know that, uh, some of the rookies will be sitting out of rotation today."
There it was. Vivian exhaled and fought the smile off her face. Chloe spotted it anyway and rolled her eyes. Vivian mouthed a sorry and watched Andy.
"Detective Price is sending three rooks out on the infamous scavenger hunt, so wish 'em luck," explained Andy. Then she sighed. "Volk, Fuller, Peck. Stay behind for your briefing. Aronson and Hanford, you're riding together. Everyone else, assignments are on the board. Serve. Protect. Good luck."
Now Vivian let herself grin. She knew she had been the last second squeeze in for the hookers. That they needed someone to pass for that guise and that Christian and Rich would never work was sheer luck. This, though. This meant she'd been getting it right and, unlike her mother, didn't stand out too much in the wrong way.
"Peck. What's the drill?" Andy pointed at her as soon as the room emptied.
She cleared her throat. "We're dropped off in nowheresville. Plainclothes. We have no money, wallet, IDs. No badges or phones or trackers. No guns. Goal is to get as much contraband as possible and be back by ... Six AM. In uniform."
Chloe smiled. "Very good. You can be a team, or not. Pick a character, and whatever you do, commit to it."
Raising his hand, Christian stammered. "Uh, h-how do we know who we should be?"
With a shrug, Chloe went on. "Be yourself, or be the opposite of yourself. I don't care. Use what you know. Know what you don't know." Chloe waved a hand. "You have one hour to be back here, ready. Skedaddle."
They started to clear the room when Andy coughed. "Before you go. My office. All of you."
C hissed at Vivian, as they walked to Andy's office, "What does she want?"
"Why are you asking me?"
"Heyo, how many generations of Peck? Come on. Dish."
Vivian rolled her eyes. "For the record? No idea. My mom was too stand-out looking to do it."
Before anyone made a snide comment, Lara nodded. "She's practically glamourous. Like Marilyn Monroe levels of SA."
It had been a while since Vivian had heard SA for sex appeal. "Stop reading those Victorian bodice rippers," she advised Lara.
"Edwardian, thank you." They shared a grin. "Your mom is hot, though. I wonder why Rich went for the doc and not the inspector anyway?"
Christian rolled his eyes. "He said Gail terrifies him."
"Smartest thing he's ever said," said Andy. "Peck. You first."
Vivian shrugged at her classmates and followed McNally in. "Ma'am?" She closed the door behind her.
"Game's different this year. You have an extra goal." And Andy stopped there, looking expectant.
Studying her sergeant's face, Vivian tried to guess. "You want me to try and check out suppliers for our firebrand?" Andy nodded once. Wow. "Uh. Okay. But -" The sergeant held up a piece of paper.
"Memorize the list. Those are where Trujillo things it's most likely your boy is getting supplies these days."
Vivian nodded, feeling whey faced and scared. "But what if they know I'm a cop?"
"That's the beauty. Tell them the truth. You're supposed to score as much drug as possible."
Not feeling the delight McNally was brimming with, Vivian could only nod and memorize the locations.
Gail felt hollow. The first time this had happened, they had been in and out of the hospital so fast, it was almost hilarious. This time Gail found herself sitting in an uncomfortable chair, holding her mother's hand, watching machines beep.
But now, here she was, waiting.
The phone call scared the shit out of her. She'd been joking with Andy and Dov about who they'd bet on in the hunt. Dov picked the dark horse, Christian, saying that he was the one with hidden depths. Andy liked Lara, whom they all agreed would apply for the detective rotation later that year. Gail and Traci had picked Peck, out of familial requirements, and were told their bets were invalid.
And as they had joked, her phone rang and the hospital asked her to please come in. Miss Elaine Peck needed bypass surgery. Now.
Never in her life had Gail actually been scared for her mother.
Possibly never before had Gail realized she genuinely loved her own mother, and that was a rather horrifying thing to say. But it was true. She did love her mother, even if she'd never said the words. She cared about Elaine greatly, couldn't imagine her life without the woman, and actually cried with relief when the doctor came out to say Elaine was going to be just fine.
As she sat in Elaine's private room, Gail made the calls to everyone. First to Steve and Holly and Gordo, whom she'd called before, to update them. Then to Andy to apologize for running out. Andy understood and didn't even tease Gail about running off. The news spread quickly after that. Many of Elaine's old coworkers called to ask what they could do and Gail ruthlessly dumped them in Gordo's lap.
Except Oliver. Because, see, he knew Elaine Armstrong. And he was Oliver.
Oliver she dumped her own terror on when he asked how she was.
"I'm not ready for this," she said quietly into the phone.
"No one is, darlin'. When my old man died, I was a mess for months."
"I remember." Gail wiped at her eyes. "I didn't feel like this when Dad died."
"Hey, Elaine's not dead," Oliver said firmly. Comfortingly. "She had a second heart attack. She had bypass. What kind was it?"
"Triple. And a weird tube thing in a vein. Ventricle. Whichever."
"Nice," he said with a laugh. "She's going to be okay. You should go home."
"Can't." The surgery had gone well, thankfully, but Elaine still hadn't woken up and Gail was staying until she did.
"You mean won't."
Gail sighed. "Ollie. We made it here. We talk about things. Me and Mom. I ... I love my mom, and I'm staying here until she wakes up. Captain Stupid can take over after."
Oliver laughed again. It was so warming. "How's Keystone?"
"He went to get us food."
"Ah. Well. I think you should sign a paper and let Elaine's gentleman take over for you two tonight." When Gail mumbled a maybe, Oliver asked something else. "Why is your Young Peckling not there?"
"She's been dropped in the wilds of Toronto." They would have pulled her if they could. But she had no phone, no ID, and no way of being found. She had a city card, to use if she needed to get home, but Gail knew her daughter wouldn't. They had taped a note to her bike and her bedroom door, telling her to call home ASAP, and patrol would haul her in if they had cause to pick her up, but... Vivian was in the wind until at least 6 tomorrow morning.
"Shitty timing."
"I know. I kinda feel like déjà vu all over again." Gail rubbed her thumb across the back of Elaine's hand. When had Elaine gotten old? Her skin felt thin, as if Gail could tear it by touching. The veins stood out, the blue bright against the pale skin that was as Peck as anything.
"Look. She's gonna be okay. Both of them. So remember to talk to your wife. Okay?"
Gail exhaled loudly. "Okay." Then she added, quietly. "Thanks."
"Any time, darlin. You're my favorite."
Everyone was Oliver's favorite, but Gail smiled anyway. It felt good. "I know," she replied, and Oliver laughed.
Hanging up, Gail texted an update to Holly (no change) and sat in the quiet. Her mother was breathing and looked peaceful. Gail squeezed Elaine's hand and watched her sleep. Was it creepy? It was family. Gail had done the same with Vivian when she slept off the painkillers from her appendectomy. She'd done it with Holly when she was swimming out of the abyss from narcotics, the afternoon Holly had broken her wrist.
It was hard to say.
"She still out?" Her brother came back in and sat next to her, holding out a take out box. Chinese. The stress food of Pecks.
"Yeah. Holly said it'd be another hour or two at most, depending." She popped it open and frowned at the healthy food therein. Steamed brown rice and vegetables. Damn it. Not even a good meaty sauce. Just chicken.
Steve grunted. "And where is my wonderful sister in law?"
"She really hates hospitals, Steve."
"Which is nuts for a doctor."
Gail looked up. "She saw her assistant die in this hospital. I'm not making her watch my mom lie here." Her brother looked ashamed. "I don't like taxis, my wife doesn't like hospitals. And Mom had a heart attack."
"Triple bypass. Mom never does anything on a small scale." Steve looked at their mother sadly. "Uncle Eli is getting checked out right now. I have a blood draw next week. You ought to."
With a snort, Gail put Elaine's hand back on the bed. "Unlike you, my idiot brother, I take excellent care of my health." It would be more accurate to say Holly took excellent care of Gail's health. Her heart, her cholesterol, her calcium levels, everything was checked regularly. Over the last eight years, Gail had changed her diet and exercise patterns in order to live a long and happy life.
Because it all mattered. Because she wanted to be with Holly for as long as possible. Because she wanted to be there for her daughter as long as possible. Because it was important.
"Yeah, why is that?"
"Because ... Steve I finally figured out I could be happy. And I love my wife, my kid, my family. I can be happy and I want them to be happy. I can't do that if I take stupid risks and die."
"You're a good daughter."
They both startled and stared at Elaine. "Crap, she's dying," Gail said under her breath.
Elaine snorted, her eyes open but bleary. "They didn't put a stake in it, Gail, stop being melodramatic."
"Oh thank god," Steve said loudly. "Mom, don't scare us like that. You were ... Nice."
"I am nice," argued Elaine. "Where's my granddaughter? She'll tell you that."
"Beats me." Gail pulled her phone out. "Chloe dropped her, Lara, and Christian out in the back ass of the city and told them to come home."
Elaine made an ahhh noise. "Scavenger hunt. You're too noticeable. Both of you, my pale, pale, progeny."
"You're no dark something yourself, Mom," laughed Steve.
Gail smiled and texted Holly, letting her know Elaine was awake. "At least you stopped dying your hair."
"Had to." Elaine smiled up at Gail. "You gave me a granddaughter."
"Oh good, I can keep dying mine for years," joked Gail. Her phone buzzed. "Holly's glad you're awake."
Closing her eyes, Elaine nodded a little. "She won't come to see me?"
Gail shrugged. "You know she hates hospitals."
"Poor Holly." Elaine was more sympathetic than Steve. "I like Holly. I'm glad you married her."
Steve and Gail shared a look. "Oh man, Mom, you are on the good drugs."
"It's nicer than being drunk," admitted Elaine. "I have a nice mellow." And she started humming and half singing a song.
Gail stifled a laugh. This was how Holly (and Andy and Vivian) described Gail when on painkillers. This was how Steve was when he'd been in the hospital. "Well. There's an old question answered," she said.
"Holy crap. We get it from Mom," said Steve, equally stunned. "But Mom can drink anyone under the table!"
"Is she singing ... That's why the lady is a tramp?"
And indeed. Elaine was high as a kite, singing. Gail grinned ear to ear and pulled out her phone to record the moment. This was getting played at Elaine's next birthday.
As soon as Holly walked into the Penny, Dov rocketed over. "How is she?"
"Gail's fine-"
"No, Ms. Peck, her mom. She okay?"
Holly eyed Dov curiously. Everyone was looking at her. Even the bartender. "Elaine's okay. The surgery was a success. She woke up and was talking to Gail for a while."
The tension in the room washed away and people seemed relieved. Holly had no idea that so many people cared about Elaine Peck. Maybe it was the result of the last fifteen or so years of support for everyone... Because Elaine had taken time to talk to Dov about his transfer to the big building. And Elaine had helped Andy when she failed miserably in the K-9 unit. Traci had been coached by Elaine when she went for Inspector. Even Gerald had listened to Elaine when he flunked the sergeants exam. Three times.
Now, in the days when Elaine's power in the police force was gone, she was actually more of a presence. She was the heart behind Fifteen in many ways and they liked her. No. No they loved her. Maybe when Elaine was home they'd all show up and say hello. Holly would have to make sure they did. Elaine would love it. Gail would hate it if it was her, but Elaine was a bit of a drama queen.
Holly texted Gail to let her know what was going on, and Gail replied with the laughing/crying cat emoji. Then Gail texted to say she'd be by after Gordo showed up. Good. Gail wasn't going to stay all night. She took her drink from the bartender with a smile and was just sitting at their regular table when someone shouted.
"Hey, who let the hose monkey in?"
Hose monkey? Holly blinked and glanced over to see one of the younger cops hassling a familiar face. What was Jamie, her daughter's girlfriend and a firefighter, here at a cop bar? According to Gail, those lines were never crossed alone. Oh, Jamie was probably looking for Vivian, and instead she'd run into Rich. "Rich," Holly said over the room's noise. "She's with me."
The jovial teasing stopped cold. "Oh... Sorry, Dr. Stewart. Uh. Round's on me." Rich looked terrified and went to the bar in a rush.
Jamie looked appreciative as she sat down. "Thanks."
"Any time." Holly smiled and tried to figure out how to safely ask the next question of why Jamie was here without Vivian.
"Why is that idiot terrified of you?"
"Oh. That's Rich."
Jamie grinned. "Oh that's Rich!" Clearly she'd heard the story. "I take it the Pecks aren't here yet?"
"Oh... Wow. No. It's a weird night." And then Holly realized that Vivian had forgotten to cancel a date. God. Her idiot daughter. "Did Viv not call you?"
"No…" Jamie looked abruptly worried.
Patting Jamie's hand, Holly smiled warmly. "She's not ditching you."
Jamie sighed. "I hope not. Ruby, my roommate, made up with one of her boyfriends."
Making a face, Holly understood. Or at least she thought she did. At least she understood the important part. "Loudly and at home? Yeah, I had roommates at your age."
Jamie grinned. "It's annoying. No offense."
"None taken. Viv used to say the same thing about us."
A quartet of beers came to the table. "So they are coming?" Jamie picked a bottle up and sipped it.
"Supposedly. Gail's ... " Holly paused. Was it appropriate to tell one's daughter's girlfriend about one's mother-in-law's heart attack before one told their daughter? No. It was not. "She's with Steve. I'm actually not sure if Vivian's with them."
"Some Peck thing?"
"Well. It's complicated." Holly sighed. "Vivian's on some rookie thing today. They have to be back by 6am tomorrow, but Andy said that sometimes meant being back at six."
Jamie looked confused. "What? Man, cops do weird things."
Holly rolled her eyes. "Tell me about it."
"She didn't call." Jamie sounded a little perturbed.
"They had very little time to change and go, as I understand it. She didn't call Gail either, and they work in the same building." They hadn't even told her about Elaine because she was in the wind. Holly tried to think about how she could possibly explain any of this, and silently lamenting at how bad the day was turning out.
"Aunt Holly?"
Well. Holly thought her day could get worse. "Olivia!" She got to her feet and hugged her virtual niece. "What are you doing here?"
"Ouch!" The young woman laughed. "Sophie's birthday. And I haven't been home in, like, a year." Olivia glanced at the other woman at the table.
Jamie was smiling, politely, but recognition was clearly dawning. "Hi." She gestured with her bottle of beer and looked at Holly, expectantly.
The ball was in her court. "Right. Ah, Olivia Best, Jamie McGann." Holly faltered. Why did the universe hate her?
Olivia eyed Jamie. "Do you know why Holly's acting weird?"
"I do." Jamie nodded. "She's trying to figure out how to introduce Vivian's girlfriend to her ex."
And Olivia laughed. "Oh. Yeah. She'd be crap at that." Sitting down, Olivia held out her hand. "So this is awkward. Hi, Olivia. Nice to meet you."
"Jamie. I've heard a lot about you." There was a tense pause. "Mostly good things. Except for the time you puked in her car."
"Oh that was a bad day."
Holly slowly sat back down, tapping an sos on her watch. Gail replied quickly, saying she was on her way. Very carefully, Holly watched the two young women talk around their shared relationship, and eased her phone out of her pocket to text a longer explanation.
Olivia and Jamie are here.
Gail's reply was a panicked cat faced emoji and a 'BRT.' Thank god.
"She's texting Aunt Gail," said Olivia, conspiratorially.
"I would if I were her. But to be honest, I'm not sure what the Pecks are up to." Jamie pulled her phone out and tapped at it. "Well. Vivian hasn't replied to a text all day and Holly said that was normal."
"She won't." Gail reached around for a beer. "She's somewhere between here and the airport, trying to pick up illegal narcotics and weapons. No phone. Just a city pass for the bus." When Jamie looked confused, Gail added, "Scavenger hunt. We use it to sort out which kids are good at certain ops and which aren't."
Holly felt relieved as Gail sat down. Except for the part where they were stuck with two women their daughter had dated. "How is ... Everything?"
Leaning in to kiss her, Gail shrugged. "Mom's awake, high as a kite. Steve went home. Uncle Eli's freaking out. Gordo's staying with her tonight." To the girls, she added, "Elaine had a heart attack. Her second. She's fine. Cantankerous old bitch that she is. And no, Viv doesn't know because we can't find her. And yes, that's expected and normal. How are you guys?"
Both Jamie and Olivia looked a little shocked. "I'm sorry," said Jamie first. "Are you okay?"
Gail looked surprised to be asked. "Me? Not like I'm the one in the hospital."
Oh. It was one of those things. Gail would be a ball of angst later. "You call it a scavenger hunt?" Holly put a hand on Gail's thigh. Distraction tactics for now. "What'd you find? A hidden lair?"
"Yeah. I didn't do it. Too blonde and pale."
"You practically are a vampire, Aunt Gail." Olivia grinned.
Sticking her tongue out, Gail smirked. "Nobody asked you, smart ass. Your mom kicked ass at it though." Then she asked. "Why are you here? Not that it isn't nice to see you, but your folks don't work here anymore."
"Sophie's birthday. The big 30." Olivia grinned. "Since we missed her twenty fifth with her being in the US..."
Gail looked horrified. "Jesus, Mary, Joseph, and everyone else."
"I know, right?" Olivia turned to Jamie. "My mom did the same thing."
"What the hell is it this year? We had our 20th, Steve retired, now Sophie's thirty... Oh my god. Holly!" Gail suddenly looked gleeful. "Traci's fifty!"
Holly snorted. "That's where you went with all this?"
Gail grinned. "Hey, I have to have some joy. She's younger than I am."
Watching the interplay, Jamie half-smiled. "I have trouble believing you're fifty, Gail."
"Thank you!" She pointed at Jamie. "This is why I like her."
"I think that was a comment on your immature behavior, Gail," said Holly, drawling her words. Jamie wisely looked innocent while Gail spluttered. Smiling, Holly reached over and crooked her fingers under Gail's chin, drawing her in for a kiss. "Should I be worried about Viv?"
Gail sighed softly. "No. This is pretty tame. Only people who got into trouble the last twenty years... Andy and Gerald."
Both Olivia and Jamie looked confused. It was Jamie who asked, "Gerald's a real person? I thought he was a made up example..."
"He is. He is," grinned Gail. "Gerald. Gerald is still at Fifteen. He ended up arrested for jacking a car. It was filled with heroin though. Mixed bag I guess."
Holly shook her head. She remembered when it had happened. The old guard had laughed so hard that night. And now, having Jamie and Olivia in the same room, seemed to be tempered just by Gail chatting with them. It was as if nothing was odd. This was normal, expected, and okay.
"What did Andy do?"
"Slept with her TO, Swarek," said Gail, dismissively. "Liv, I actually meant why are you here at the Penny?"
Olivia sighed and looked at Jamie, awkwardly. "Waylaying your daughter. I ... Er ... I said something stupid last time I saw her and wanted to apologize."
The table got nervous. Did Jamie know? Of all things, Jamie nodded. "You kissed her. And yes, she told me."
Well didn't that put it all out there. Olivia winced. "That. Yeah."
Gail shook her head. "I recommend calling her first next time."
"So noted." Olivia sipped her beer and turned to look dead on at Jamie. "So, Jamie. What do you do?" Olivia was the picture of innocence. A look Holly never in her life trusted.
"I'm a firefighter," said Jamie, and she actually did seem innocent.
Olivia startled and looked at Gail. "Wow... times change."
With a grin, Jamie picked up her beer. "Not too much. I asked her out at a crime scene."
"That's my girl," said Gail, smirking. "And before you ask, Jamie, Olivia's in medicine. Trying to cure cancer."
"Heavy," said Jamie, looking a little impressed and daunted. "I take back what I said about Vivian telling me about you."
Olivia snorted. "Please, the girl barely talks. Getting more than a sentence out of her at a time is harder than -"
"Cleaning your room?" Gail grinned her most evil.
"Backing out of a garage," offered Holly.
"Oh! Getting away with a house party while your two cool parents are out of town." Laughing unkindly, Gail turned to Jamie. "She's fucked. I've changed her diapers."
Jamie shook her head. "So, so very glad I met you as an adult."
Olivia sighed. "I had no choice. My mom was her TO."
"Your mom got knocked up on accident too, chuckles, and don't forget it." Gail had teased Olivia and her parents about that for years.
Holly rolled her eyes and squeezed Gail's knee. "I love you, knock it off."
"You're right."
That was fast. Holly doubted the sincerity. "I'm right?"
"You're right. I'll save it for when Viv's here and is embarrassed to hell. I mean, what's the point of having a kid if I can't make her life hell?"
Holly sighed. "Why did I marry you?"
The two girls laughed though.
Around eleven, Gail begged out and noted that she needed Holly to drive her home. She'd caught a relay from the hospital. Gail didn't hug anyone, which was normal, but Holly hugged both girls, telling each she was happy to see them.
It wasn't until they were safely in the car that Gail exhaled loudly. "Damn, that was tense."
"The girls?"
"Yeah. They were like feral cats."
Holly had thought it went reasonably well, but was inclined to believe Gail's ability to read people. "Thanks for coming."
"I didn't really want to stay at the hospital once Mom's boyfriend showed up." Gail smirked. She actually did like Gordo, even if she thought he had a stupid name. The man had been Elaine's off and on casual partner for events for six years. They'd only recently transitioned into dating.
"Pretty sure they're just keeping it casual."
"He showed up with flowers. And I bet he asks her to stay with him while she gets better."
"She'll say no," said Holly, knowingly.
Gail sighed. "She will. But. I dunno. How am I supposed to do this?"
"The part when you're trying to encourage your mother to make her boyfriend a serious thing? Beats me."
Huffing, Gail crossed her arms. "You're no help."
"I'm awesome help."
"You're terrible relationship help, Holly Stewart."
Smiling, Holly leaned across the center console to kiss Gail softly. "I succeeded at one relationship in my life, Gail Peck. And I succeeded where it mattered."
The blonde sighed deeply. "Yeah. You did." Holly leaned back to eye Gail and found her smiling softly.
Four shops down. Four to go. Vivian blew on her hands to warm them and looked around. She'd not found any drugs either. At this rate, Christian would do better, and Vivian knew she'd never live that down.
What she needed to do was to stop thinking about the fact that she'd forgotten to call Jamie and cancel their date. At the Penny. Ugh. Poor Jamie. Someone was going to be an asshole no doubt. No. No, Jamie could take care of herself. One of her friends, maybe Jenny, would tell Jamie where she was. Maybe one of the Old Guard. Maybe her mother.
Good. Putting that out of her head, Vivian leaned against the wall in the alley. Lara had taken off to the airport. C had followed her. Vivian walked with them for a few blocks and then vanished down a side road, waiting long enough to make sure they thought she'd ditched them. That's what Dov told her to do. Leave the herd.
Tugging her winter hat down, she listened to the street. Oliver always told her she could learn to feel the city. So had Elaine, though not in the same words. Hadn't Oliver been Elaine's rookie at some point? And Elaine's advice was to face the world head on. Don't fake it, be who you were.
She sighed and looked over the people walking around. It was too light out for much of this. Who she was, was cold and broke and a little hungry. Vivian walked deeper into the alley. Maybe she could mug someone... No. No, Steve had tried to teach her that and she'd failed. Vivian hunched into her coat and walked deeper into the bowels of the city.
As a young girl, she'd rarely strayed far from the umbrella of her mothers. Before that she didn't clearly remember much except arguments and a house on the edge of the city with a postage stamp excuse for a yard. Vivian frowned. Where was the house? She looked up at the street signs, placing herself in the mental map of Toronto that Elaine had taught.
The house she'd been born to was only a mile away.
Huh. Fifteen minutes.
Checking her watch (the utilitarian one she favored for work), Vivian nodded. Why the hell not. Be who you were, right? Turning to the north, she walked down dingy and ungentrified streets. Her stomach growled as she passed by a greasy shop. Money and food would be nice. That would have to wait. She rounded the last corner and froze.
It was her house. There was the window to her bedroom. Kimmy's bed was on that side, the one by the street. She had the bed by the door. Warmer. Except she used to sneak into her sister's bed sometimes, to not hear the sounds from the other room. The shouting. Her chest tightened and it was, for a moment, hard to breathe.
"Well fuck," she muttered to herself. Had she been wrong to come here? It felt unbalanced and strange. Like she was looking at another life. "Fuck," repeated Vivian.
A child laughed.
Vivian turned and arched her eyebrows. "Funny?"
The child was barely a teen. Maybe fourteen. Probably less. "Why're you swearing at the murder house?"
"Murder house?" She eyed the kid.
"Yeah, twenty years ago some guy went and shot his whole family."
Not the whole family. And less than twenty years. Vivian scowled at the house. Well maybe it was better that everyone thought they were all dead. "There are worse things than dead."
The kid scoffed. "Like what?" Then he eyed her skeptically. "Where you from?"
"Don Fork," she said absently.
His eyes widened. Then they sharpened. It was the same look from Jordan Lewis. A kid (adult now) who had seen too much. "Nuh uh."
She shrugged, shoving her hands deep into her pockets, and was rewarded with the boy flinching. He was expecting a gun. "I'm not an idiot," Vivian told him. She took her hands out of her pockets.
"But ... You are...?"
"I'm nobody." Vivian shrugged again. He looked at her, then to the side and then back. What the hell? Vivian turned to look where he had and saw a car with a door open and another kid. "Oh. In over your head."
The boy nodded. "Know cars?" When Vivian nodded, he jerked his chin to his fellow. "We're stuck."
"Hm." She nodded and walked with him, crossing the street and leaving her house behind her. "Volvo. Not choice."
"Yeah. Well. You know." The kid grunted. "Cheeto an I can't start it."
"Paolo, who this?" The kid's friend eyed Vivian suspiciously. "Po?"
She snorted at them both. "I'm nobody. Cheeto." And the two started to argue in a vaguely familiar language. For a moment, Vivian wished she had Gail's gift of language or her ability to know what to say. Hadn't Gail always been able to do that? No. No, and this was a language someone else was better at.
"Os homi," hissed the one called Cheeto. He wasn't stupid, it seemed.
Vivian rolled her eyes as she recognized it as Portuguese. Chloe's lingua fraca. "Oi, vatos. No one teach you how to jump a picker?" They froze. "Pop the hood."
Paolo grinned. "See? Man, you gotta trust me. She's okay. Look at her. She been in the system." When Cheeto eyed her, Vivian nodded. She always knew, she could tell. Everyone could. "Pop it, mano."
Cheeto scowled and pulled a lever. And popped the trunk. "Fuck," he swore.
"Smooth." Vivian smirked and walked to the back of the car. She half lifted the trunk for leverage and froze. Jesus. Reaching in, she picked up a bag of familiar green herb, slipping it into her pocket and closing the trunk. There was no way she could let the kids keep the car with drugs in it, and it was too much to slip out without them noticing. "Other lever, hero."
The hood was popped and she walked back, shaking her head as if she was disappointed. Cheeto looked embarrassed, but huffed, "You wanna buy it?"
"A POS mom wagon? Why the fuck would I want that?" Vivian propped the hood up and stared at the engine for a moment. It was a newer model. The electronic starter kind one couldn't easily trick under the dash. Reaching into her pocket, Vivian pulled out her knife and used it to pop a seal. "How'd you even get into it?"
Silence.
She paused and leaned around to eye the boys.
"Unlocked," admitted Paolo.
She waited.
"Aw man, come on, she ain't gonna help."
Vivian sighed and closed the hood. "Trade you." The boys stared at her. "I need a car. You're in over your head, jacking this ride." She pulled the weed out of her pocket. "Fair up."
They stared at the weed. "Kush."
"This. But I need a favor."
Cheeto nodded. "You running."
"Ayup." Vivian nodded back. "I need a disposable cell, with a camera."
Bless their stupid hearts, they didn't argue. "There's a store round the corner." Paolo bounced on his toes and ran off.
Moments later, he was back, they had the weed, and Vivian had a car. And a burrito.
Life was weird like that.
She drove through the edge of the city until she found a quiet park, empty at this time of year, and backed into a spot. Vivian had to sort out what the hell to do with the shit in the trunk. There was a backpack, plain black, and the weed had been sitting on top. There was more weed, some cocaine, and... "Uppers. Downers." She frowned and eyed a box of vials, reading the label. "Medical grade ketamine." Vivian hefted a brown package. "No fucking clue..."
She put it all back in the bag and rooted around for any information. An ID would be great. Nada. Not even a slip of paper or a note about the drugs. Well. At least that meant there was nothing to remove. Vivian tossed the backpack onto the passenger seat and got back in the car. Where to go now ...
"I can't keep the car," she said to herself. "I mean I could. But… Who am I? I'm running. I need cash, not some dealer's unlocked car. The kids don't know my name…" Vivian closed her eyes. Of the four shops left on her list, two were also probably chop-shops. The one further away would be safer.
That was it then. She started the car and drove, carefully, not trying to draw any attention to herself. Vivian wondered what it would be like if she ran into someone she knew. But this was well away from her stomping grounds now. And the odds of anyone recognizing her as Vivian Green were next to nothing. It was safe. Except for the fact that, technically speaking, she'd stolen a car.
Well. Gail would be delighted at least. Holly would ask her if she would be charged with anything. No. They got a free pass today. Thankfully.
Pulling up at the second to last chop shop on her list, Vivian checked the time. Eleven ... Okay. They wouldn't be open for honest business. There was a light still on. She parked and took the backpack with her, knocking on the back door.
"Closed! Go away!"
Vivian rolled her eyes. "I'm looking for Sly." She had no idea who Sly was, or if there was a Sly, but it was a good name to guess on.
The door opened. "Who are you?" An angry looking woman in garage overalls glared at her.
"Look, is Sly here or not?"
The woman stared at her. "He took off with his bimbo months ago. Who. Are. You?"
Holy fuck. Jackpot. Vivian remembered her role and groaned in faux annoyance. "Are you fucking kidding me? He said to look him up when I needed ... Shit. Never mind." She turned to the car.
"Hey. What the hell? You showing up the middle of the night and fucking off? Who's Sly to you?"
Vivian leaned on the car, as if the weight of the world settled on her shoulders. "Sly. Owed me one. Said if ... Said he'd help me out when I needed to skip town."
"Why? You kill someone?"
Vivian blinked. "Uh no. Thanks." She reached for the car door. Come on. Bite, fishy.
"Car's hot, ain't it?"
Got her. Vivian froze and swallowed her smile. Nervous. Be nervous. She half turned and looked at the woman. "Not ... Exactly. Cops ain't looking for it." Probably. Vivian highly doubted the owner would call the cops on her.
"Owner is... " The woman stepped out into the night. "Not bad. Not too old. Picked a good one. All your shit out?"
Vivian nodded, tightening her grip on her backpack. "Travel light."
"Got ID?"
"Nope."
"Cash?"
"Nope."
That got her a grunt of approval. "Bring it in. Give you fair up for parts." The woman pressed something and the garage door opened. "Anyone who got fucked over by Sly, practically family."
Yes! Vivian exhaled, expressing relief she actually felt in her bones. Sure, she would have gotten beaucoup bucks for the car, but it was not something she wanted to try. Vivian hopped into the stolen car and eased into the garage. "Thanks. I'd owe you one but..."
"We'll call it even. What's your name, kid?"
Vivian shook her head. "Best not."
The woman laughed. "Alright then."
Hours and hours later, with the sun peeking over the edge of the city, Vivian hopped off the bus right outside Fifteen. Her face stung from the elbow she'd caught at the chop shop (an actual accident), and her backpack was more full of clothes than drugs. She was glad the shop was the hell out of Fifteen's territory. It would suck to have to bust them later.
Hustling into the department, Vivian swore. She had less than ten minutes to clean up, suit up, and get into the conference room. No time for a shower. Vivian washed her face and loaded her pockets. She checked her uniform twice. It would have to do. Then, checking her pockets one last time, she skidded into Parade as the clock hit six.
"Cutting it close, Peck," said Chloe. But there was something odd to her voice. "Nice shiner."
"Looks worse than it is." Vivian eyed the table, where C stood by a small dime bag of weed and some pills. At the end was Lara with a really respectable pile of hard core shit.
Rich smirked from the doorway, watching. "Empty handed, Peck?" Clearly he was miffed to have been left out. Vivian smirked right back and emptied her pockets of the drugs and the money and the phone. Everyone stared for a moment. "What the hell?"
"Uppers, downers, medical grade special k ... I had some weed but I swapped it for a car, which I traded for cash and these." The look of shock on their faces was worth it when she put the high end lock picks down.
But as Vivian prepared to explain her story in full, Chloe shook her head. "Right. Peck, you're off today."
Vivian blinked. What the what? "Off?"
"Off. Wait here though." Andy took the others out, telling them how they'd done a good job, and ordered Rich back to work.
"But..." Vivian gestured at herself.
"Sit." Chloe's voice was odd. Tense.
As Chloe collected the various items into bags, the question dawned on her. "Chloe... Where's my Mom?" Not Detective Price. She was asking her doofy nerd princess aunt who came by for dinner.
Chloe hesitated and then capitulated. She was a mother, after all. "Gail and Holly are fine. So's Steve."
And that told Vivian what she needed to know. She sat down, hard. "Elaine..."
Oh god. How Gail would break.
"You know you can go," said Elaine as she picked at her blanket.
"Do you want me to go?" Gail looked up from her laptop.
Elaine was quiet for a moment. "No. But it's seven in the morning. Vivian should be back already."
Ah. Gail smiled. "Andy texted. She came back fine and she'll be here soon."
Her mother huffed. "I don't like your smart watch."
"I know." Gail tapped on her keyboard, saving the report. "Wonder why Trujillo's all excited," she said aloud, absently, and closed her laptop. It would wait. They'd call if it couldn't.
Just in time, too. The door opened. "Miss Peck, are you up for another visitor?" The nurse smiled sweetly.
Gail smirked. "Told ya."
Elaine rolled her eyes. "If she's a slightly awkward young woman with hazel eyes and brown hair, please send my granddaughter in. Heavens knows she's more well behaved than her mother."
Amused, the nurse looked at Gail. "Not a difficult task. Though thank you for the muffins."
"Any time, send in the young'un." Gail sat up as her daughter walked in, holding Elaine's favorite flowers and her own motorcycle helmet. "Wow. Nice shiner."
"I got it stripping a Volvo for parts," said Vivian. "Hi, Elaine. How are you holding up?" She put the flowers on the nightstand and kissed Elaine's forehead.
"Better. I'm on some lovely drugs. How was your night?"
"Educational." Vivian sat down and held Elaine's hand. "I'm sorry I wasn't here." Hazel eyes flicked over to Gail. "For both of you."
The thing was... Gail could hear the absolute sincerity in her daughter's voice. Sitting up, Gail scooted over to be beside the youngest Peck. "We're fine," Gail said softly. "Well... I'm fine. Mom, on the other hand, has a sick scar."
Elaine smiled a little druggily. "Wanna see?"
Tension in Vivian's shoulders slid out. "No, no thanks."
The door opened again and the nurse brought an ice pack. "Your eye looks painful," she informed Vivian, vanishing again.
"Yeah, it does," agreed Gail. She took hold of Vivian's chin to get a better look. "Caught an elbow?"
"Yeah, we couldn't get the door off." Vivian put the ice pack against her face and hissed a little.
"I," said Elaine imperiously, "want a story. Tell me about the scavenger hunt."
Hesitantly at first, Vivian gave in and started the story. She left out parts, Gail was sure, but when she got to the part where they stripped the car, Vivian explained she'd started asking questions. Her cover story was amusing. Vivian was one of the strays left over from the gang wars of less than a year ago. She'd left it vague as to if she was a Hill or a Three Rivers, and simply implied she needed to get out of Toronto with no ID or cash.
Gail grinned as Vivian explained how she'd befriended people. Broken people. Vivian had always been able to connect with people who were damaged, the people who wouldn't ask about her demons. Really they weren't friends. They were people who shared a natural distrust of others, who knew exactly how evil things could be, and who would stand together when needed.
They couldn't be relied on for long, though. That was a truth all Pecks knew. No one but Pecks could be relied on. And the Pecks were dangerous. You trusted them with your life, but never your secrets.
While that had been Gail's truth, Vivian's was a little different. Vivian actually did trust her family. She trusted some of her cousins. She trusted her classmates and Fifteen. But never with her heart or her secrets.
"But, the best part is that I found where everyone sells the scrap Volvo parts," concluded Vivian, grinning ear to ear.
Ruining the reveal, Elaine snored.
Mother and daughter smothered their laughter. "Come on, junior. Lemme buy you breakfast and you can tell me all about that?" Gail shoved her laptop into the bag.
"I have to go back to the station and tell Trujillo..." Vivian yawned. "God. Can I maybe put that off?"
"Did you write it all down and email it in?" When Vivian nodded, Gail clapped her shoulder. "Go home. I'll tell Trujillo you're still out."
Vivian arched her eyebrows. "You're not? Mom, not to be that way but she's your mother. I'd be in there 24/7 with you, and not 'cause Mom has flashbacks when she's here."
"Ah. You are not me, monkey." And their relationship was nothing at all like Elaine and Gail's. They talked, shared their feelings, and were generally a family. "And Traci's coming after Parade to take over. We're not leaving her alone."
The brown head nodded. "Okay." She picked up her helmet. "Is the breakfast here any good?"
"Oh no, it's shit. But it's here." Gail smiled and led her down the hall to get some food.
"Does it feel too big?" Gail was standing in the living room, looking up at the ceiling thoughtfully.
"What?" Holly eyed her wife as she put the groceries on the counter. They'd both gone in to work for half a day, but Holly had made sure to get Gail out after lunch. The Division did not need a fussy Gail Peck lurking and claiming to work.
"The house. We have three bedrooms, an office, and it's just the two of us. It's huge."
Ah. Holly walked up behind Gail and rested her cheek on Gail's shoulder. "You're feeling an empty nest." Her wife grumbled, so Holly wrapped her arms around Gail's waist and squeezed her close.
"I mean we could ask Elaine to move in..."
Holly made a face. "Honey. Your mother is fine. And if I thought for a second that you and she could live under the same roof without one of you shooting the other, I would endorse this plan."
Her wife grunted. "I know." And then Gail muttered. "Thank you."
"Welcome." Closing her eyes, Holly leaned against Gail. "Maybe she'll get married."
"My mom? Ew, you're right. I don't want Gordo moving in."
Holly pinched Gail's side. "Vivian. Maybe she'll get married one day and have kids. Then we can steal grandbabies to fill out the house."
Gail laughed softly. "I'm sorry. Viv having babies?"
"She's good with kids. Just like you."
"Yeah. Maybe if she adopts."
Holly smiled. "Medical advances have come a long way, you doofus."
Leaning back a little, Gail covered Holly's hands with her own. "I was thinking she'd get annoyed being pregnant."
"Maybe she'll find someone who won't mind."
That gave Gail pause. "I like Jamie. She's good people." Gail shifted and Holly let her go. The blonde was a little antsy. "Are you ever jealous of me being friends with Nick?"
Snorting, Holly shook her head. "Of Nick? Never. Not even once." Gail arched her eyebrows. "Okay, fine. Maybe once, really really early on. You treat him like your personal plaything."
"He is." Gail sauntered into the kitchen and Holly smiled, watching her wife's butt. "Stop staring at my ass, Stewart. Serious question. Is our house too big?"
"Your ass is sweet, Peck." But she did put serious thought into the question. "It may be," Holly admitted. "I kind of miss the townhouse right now, but I really love that yard." The yard had been a selling point. "If we do get grandkids, they'll love that."
"They'll have the cottage."
Holly walked into the kitchen and watched Gail put away food. "You grew up in the 'burbs with a yard and a big house," Holly said slowly. "We had an apartment. Going to my grandparents to play in the yard, or my aunt's was a huge treat. But I liked my grandparents' best because I could take the bus by myself."
After a moment, Gail eyed her. "You're really into this grandkid thing, Holly. They haven't even been going out six months."
"My biological clock is a bit ahead of yours," Holly pointed out, primly. But the truth was, the older Vivian got, the more she wondered about that. Would she, one day, be a grandparent? Like marriage and children, it wasn't the world Holly had seen for herself at thirty. "Am I turning into my mother?"
"You didn't ask if Jamie was satisfying our daughter sexually, so no."
Holly grinned. "I think Vivian warned her about that."
Gail smirked back. "And I'm pretty sure the answer is yes."
"I hope so. She seems happy. She has a monster hickey." Holly picked up a bag of cheesepuffs and put them in the cupboard. "If. If the house is too big, what's your proposal?"
There was a lengthy silence from her wife. Holly smiled and put away the groceries with her, quietly, until Gail finally spoke. "When you retire... A house. Smaller. Maybe two bedrooms and a den. Big ass yard."
"When I retire." Holly smiled more. "What about you?"
"Me too," said Gail so softly, Holly barely heard it. "Maybe?"
Holly put the last can away and turned to Gail. She wasn't at all unclear on why Gail was quiet and scared. This was the first time Gail had started to voice a future that wasn't dying in blue. Even SIU was much the same. But this... Yeah. Just like Holly had never seen herself a married parent, Gail had never seen herself as anything but a police officer.
Leaning against the counter, Gail chewed her lip. Nervous, skittish, and half expecting the world to beat her down. That was her wife. Holly stepped towards Gail, cupping her face in one hand. The pale, Peck skin stood out against Holly's darker color. It always did. It always looked so perfect. Holly kept delivering on her smile, tipping her head in and kissing Gail softly, a brush of lips.
"Do I get to be with you?" Holly asked as quietly as Gail had.
"Uh, duh." Scrunching her face up, Gail eyed Holly with rapidly returning humor.
"Then yes."
Gail's expression softened. The slow smile that warmed Holly's heart, that touched her soul, spread across Gail's pale face. "Okay." Gail leaned in and kissed Holly, slowly. Slowly. Softly. Warmly.
It made the pit of Holly's stomach tingle, even now. She grinned when Gail leaned away. "Good." Holly sighed and wrapped her arms around Gail's shoulders. "Because as annoying of a jerk as you are, Gail, you're my jerk, and I absolutely adore you."
After a moment, Gail's arms slid around Holly's waist and squeezed her close. "I told Oliver you wouldn't want to be with a jerk."
"When was that?" Holly rested her weight against Gail, savoring just feeling her there.
"Very early." She sighed. Then Gail kissed Holly's temple. "Grandparents. If that ever happens, it'll be a trip. I wonder what we'll be to her in another twenty years?" Clearly Gail was thinking about her own complicated relationship with her mother.
Suddenly Holly remembered a wedding from twenty years in the other direction. Oliver's wedding. "Gail, what did the white haired lady at Oliver and Celery's wedding say? About how we're irreplaceable."
Gail huffed. "Oh. I remember. She was telling us how we're always a part of the bride and groom's life."
"Can you recite it?"
Silence. And then. "You have shared in their best and their worst days, and you are an irreplaceable part of their yesterdays, their today, and all of their tomorrows. So as you can see, although many of you don't live right around the corner, you are never far from their hearts."
Holly beamed. "That's what we'll be."
A soft puff of breath, no more than a tiny exhalation that barely stirred Holly's hair, was Gail's silent reply. It said everything.
There was someone else in the bed. Vivian jerked awake. The sun was up. She was in her own room. And someone was behind her.
"Hey. It's just me."
The voice was familiar. Vivian blinked and pushed the heaviness of sleep away. "Jamie?"
"Yeah."
Vivian frowned and looked over her shoulder. Her girlfriend was on top of the covers, reading from her tablet. "Oh. What time..."
"A little after two." Jamie looked a little doubtful. "You do remember inviting me over, right?"
And just like that, Vivian did remember. After breakfast, she'd called Jamie to apologize about the night before. They'd chatted a little and Vivian asked if Jamie wanted to come over and hang out. There was a Netflix and chill joke, but really what happened was they watched at least one episode of a sci-fi show Holly swore by on Vivian's laptop and then... She flopped onto her back. "Okay, in my defense, I was up all night."
Jamie smiled and rolled onto her side, brushing Vivian's hair away from her face. "Yeah, Gail explained this hunt thing. Did you do a good job?"
Closing her eyes, Vivian nodded. "Stole a drug dealer's car. Fully loaded."
"Bad ass." Soft fingers circled her black eye and Jamie sighed. "Not a fan of this."
"Accident." She yawned. "Do I have to get up?"
"No." Jamie settled along side her. "I should go before dinner though."
That sucked. "Why? You aren't on shift for another two days."
"Hm. As much as spending all my time holed up with my hot girlfriend is appealing, I have things to do." Jamie was smiling. Vivian didn't even have to look, but she knew it. "What are you doing this weekend?"
"Birthday for a friend."
"Oh, right. Sophie? Olivia's sister?"
Vivian's eyes snapped opened and she looked up at Jamie in surprise. "You went to the Penny last night..."
Jamie nodded. "Olivia showed up. She's smart. Funny. Kind of sassy. Your Mom, Holly, was totally freaked about it."
Her girlfriend met her ex without her around. "Am I in trouble?"
"For having a hot ex? No." Jamie toyed with some of Vivian's hair.
"Hot?" Vivian squinted.
"Yeah, you left out the part about her being gorgeous. And a doctor? Hot and smart. A bit bitchy..."
"Probably jealous," admitted Vivian.
"And yet ... you're going to see her."
"Well... It's Sophie's birthday. She's ... In another world, she might have been my sister."
The hand in her hair stopped. "What?"
So Vivian recounted the story. How Gail had found Sophie's birth mother, bleeding from a gunshot wound. And how orphaned Sophie pulled at Gail's heart and she tried to adopt her. But the story was so convoluted, so tied in with the drama of Gail's parents and how that led to a divorce, that Vivian was sure she confused Jamie more than enlightened. "Since Mom got Sophie adopted, we're all sort of family."
Jamie sighed. "I never in my life thought I'd meet someone who made my family look normal."
"I'm not sure what that means," admitted Vivian, frowning in confusion.
After a pause, Jamie sat up and crossed her legs. "You didn't ... I thought you and your Moms talk about everything."
"Most things." Vivian looked up at Jamie, thoughtfully. "We didn't talk about Olivia because she didn't matter. I was more worried about how Gail would take Elaine being sick."
The firefighter looked somewhat confused. "I know you really care about them, but you're the kid."
"I'm a plus one." Vivian propped herself up on her elbows. "Look. Holly can't deal with hospitals. She's got ... She's got a real thing about it. She nearly died in one when I was six."
"She was sick?"
"Not... Well. It was a really, really bad case. She was in isolation for almost a month." And Jamie's face had a stunned expression, eyes wide. "Her field assistant died, in front of her, and Holly's been kind of twitchy if you get her in hospitals ever since. It was okay for months and then... Then it wasn't. And Gail and I, y'know, we get it, so we don't make her."
Jamie shook her head. "What's plus one mean?"
Ah. Vivian grinned. "Mom... Gail could explain it best, but she and Mom are each other's plus ones. They went to a wedding, as friends, and Mom invited Holly as her plus one. It stuck. They're plus ones forever." Briefly, Vivian wondered if her interchangeable use of 'Mom' for her mothers was confusing. "When Gail asked me if I wanted to be adopted, I was a plus one. So ... It's more than family for me."
Her girlfriend made a noise and hugged her knees. "Why haven't you asked?"
"About what?"
"My dad."
"Oh. Gail didn't freak out. And Elaine, who probably did run a background check, and I am sorry about that, didn't tell Holly to make us break up. So I figure... When you're ready. Or not."
"Quid pro quo, Viv," replied Jamie. And she sighed. "I thought about telling you before." Then she paused. "I told them, my folks, that I was seeing a cop."
How odd must that have been. "What'd they say?"
"Dad said he trusted me. Is he gonna flip when I mention Peck?"
"Uh. Possibly. I don't know. I really haven't asked Mom about the case."
Her girlfriend narrowed her eyes. "Are you afraid to know, or what?"
Vivian smiled. "Or what. It felt invasive." Normally when she was quiet, Jamie would babble. It was as if the quiet made her desperate to fill the void with noise.
This time, it felt like the quiet was comforting Jamie.
Finally Jamie spoke. "My dad nearly killed his step-dad. Like six months in the hospital. He, Dad, was a professional boxer and beat the shit out of him. Twice."
Both of Vivian's eyebrows lifted. "Shit, I thought I'd be the only one with a weird story."
Jamie snorted. "Don't be a dumbass."
Vivian smiled. "This is not the grandfather you came out to." She didn't phrase it as a question. Gail always said not to ask if the answer was known.
"No, that's my Mom's dad. We don't talk much to Dad's side of the family." Jamie rubbed her lower lip and looked at Vivian, confused. Maybe it was because Vivian was calmly reacting to the news so far.
"There was a reason," said Vivian, as she knew there had to be, else Jamie wouldn't be stalling.
There was. Jamie sighed. "He was beating my grandmother."
Exhaling, Vivian leaned back. "Yeah, I can't really argue that. But why'd that land him in jail? A decent lawyer should have gotten him off. Lose his license, sure, but..."
"Public defender. And grandma testified against him."
That surprised Vivian. "Well. Shit." She frowned deeply.
In her best game show voice, Jamie added, "But wait, there's more." This time Vivian just waited. "When he got home after the fight, all beat up, Mom yelled at him and he hit her. Once." Vivian's eyes widened. "And then Mom broke his knee."
A heartbeat passed and then Vivian started laughing. She covered her face and her shoulders shook. "Oh my god. I'm sorry, but it's just ... It's absurd. And she stayed with him?"
Jamie sighed and looked like she was trying not to smile. "Yeah, she found out she was pregnant at the trial. Dad pled guilty for a short sentence, but he did twenty months supervised." Taking a breath, Jamie went on. "When he got out, apparently his step-dad and mom tried to come see me and they got into another fight. Landed him eight months in Millburne medium security."
After a moment, Vivian sighed. "We are two sides of a dodecahedron," she muttered.
"Did your — birth parents? Ever hit you?"
"Not that I remember, no."
Gnawing her thumbnail, Jamie lapsed into silence for a moment. "Third time I was five."
Third? Vivian sat up and carefully took Jamie's hand, trying to stop her from gnawing. "How long was he gone for?"
"He wasn't. Dad got his ass kicked and Mom broke a flower vase over Rafio's head. When the cops came, Dad said he did it, so Mom wouldn't get in trouble." Jamie squeezed Vivian's hand. "Didn't work, Mom got off 'cause no one pressed charges but Dad got dragged in on a BS traffic violation by the same cops a couple days later. I guess Gail's dad was involved?"
"Sounds like. We didn't talk about Bill much. He kinda disowned Gail after she came out."
"Asshole."
"He also blackmailed Elaine into fucking up Gail's transfer, otherwise he wouldn't sign the divorce papers. Bill was pretty much a grade A asswipe."
Jamie made a face. "You're— you're like genetically and environmentally predisposed to not trust men."
Vivian sighed and leaned against Jamie. "Probably for the best that I'm a raging lesbian." Her girlfriend giggled and freed her hand to drape an arm around Vivian's shoulders. "I ... I don't want to ask this. But. Your parents aren't... They're not like aggressive or anything, right?"
The arm around her tightened. "No. They're kinda intense sometimes."
"Hm. So's Gail."
With a huff of acceptance, Jamie leaned her head so it rested against Vivian's. It was comforting and familiar. Hadn't she seen her parents do it a million times? Vivian exhaled and closed her eyes. Maybe this was what was missing in her other relationships. There was never this sort of calm. This place where they didn't have sex, but just relaxed with each other and talked. In part that was Vivian's 'fault.' She couldn't talk about things sometimes. She also wasn't really relaxing, even though it was comforting.
Jamie's fingers absently toyed with the ends of Vivian's hair. "I thought you had this kinda perfect family. But I totally get why you have trouble talking about yourself. Everything is years and layers of complex drama."
With a muffled yawn, Vivian's eyes drifted closed. "I'm really lucky," she said softly. Jamie made a noise of agreement. "I forgot."
"You forgot how awesome your parents are?" Jamie sounded confused.
"I forgot how my birth father died. For a long time." The hand in her hair paused. "I forgot he shot himself in front of me until that guy blew his brains out last year. In front of me."
"Jesus, Viv..."
"It was a rifle, not a shotgun." That distinction had to be made for some reason. "The guy last year had one of those rifle gauged handguns, which are fucking psychotic."
It was silent. Vivian opened her eyes and looked up to see Jamie studying her face. "Is ... Is my dad going to be a problem?"
After a moment, Vivian shook her head. "I don't think so. Not unless you moved out because he still hits your mom, cause..."
"Down girl," muttered Jamie. "No. He's a total pacifist now." And she explained how her father had never again raised his hand to anyone, not even when the guy came back and nearly beat him unconscious. It was isolated, and there was a restraining order on her grandparents after that.
"I don't get going back," admitted Vivian. "Your mom. I mean, after Moms bailed me out for hitting back, I'd be gone."
"I don't really either. But... I moved out because Ruby needed to move out." Jamie looked like didn't really want to explain all of that. Probably since it wasn't her story to begin with.
And that, Vivian understood. She nodded. "We're not too different."
Jamie smiled. "You're the first person who didn't make me feel weird. About my folks."
"Is that good or bad?"
Jamie laughed a little. "So. How long will you be at the birthday party?"
A topic change was fine by Vivian. "S'lunch. So maybe noon to four?" She hesitated. "Is it okay? Olivia will be there."
"Planning to make out with her?"
Vivian made a face. "Ew. No. Ship has long since sailed." But... She sighed. "I miss having her as my friend."
Jamie exhaled, understanding. "So. This is my choice?"
"No. It's mine. I just want to know if it bothers you and how much. And... Figure it out from there."
Her girlfriend made an unhappy noise. "I don't want this to be on my shoulders." She grumbled under her breath. "I trust you. I don't trust her."
Vivian nodded a little. "I don't either, but she's not gonna try to kiss me in front of her parents. Besides, she's engaged to some dude."
"Ouch..." Jamie huffed. "I mind, but I don't think I should go. It's a family thing. Unless other girlfriends are going." Vivian shook her head. "There you are. Go, and maybe we can have dinner?"
Smiling, Vivian closed her eyes. "Yeah. I like this plan." She struggled to let her body relax and, as Jamie started to play with her hair again, Vivian drifted off.
There were four models of the arson devices on the table along side a box of parts. Standing beside the table were two lab technicians, two detectives, an ETF agent, and a rookie.
And they all fucking looked like kids at a candy store.
Holly sighed.
"Wayne, make it good."
The man smiled and gestured to Trujillo. "We have a supply chain," said the detective, grinning ear to ear. And she nodded at Vivian.
"Most of the chop shops who work on Volvos use the same dumping ground for the spare parts. The innocuous stuff everyone has." And she, in turn, smiled at Ananda.
Grinning ear to ear, Ananda gestured at the table. "That's been our problem. How do you find specificity in parts that are common?"
Everyone looked at Holly who sighed again. "You find something that isn't common."
"Oil," said Wayne, far too cheerful. "And tool marks. That's normally what we look for."
Holly pinched the bridge of her nose. "You are aware I can kick you all out."
Coughing, Ananda hustled to a computer and tapped up charts which sprung to life on the wall. "It's the trace evidence. The samples Constable Peck brought in are the exact same kind of filter, but the combination of oil, dirt, and curry matched not a specific shop, but the supplier."
"Who I got the name for," said Vivian, chiming in. "Morley Mechanics. They collect the scrap, clean it up, and redistribute."
"But their trace is unique." Wayne touched the wall. "Rather, their trace is found in every arson. The unique trace from the chop shops, on the other hand, are not. Which means the arsonist is getting his supplies from the source."
Holly blinked. "His?"
"Peter Hastings." Trujillo held up her tablet to show the face. "College student at UoT. Missing for five months, though. Grew up with Gary Cortez, our supplier of the more common parts of an arson." Holly blinked again. She knew that name. "Yeah, that Gary Cortez. Hastings and Cortez were friends with Ally Chapman. Who works for Morely."
The connections were bewildering and simple. "Oh. Interesting. But he's missing. And how did you get to him anyway?"
"Blood. That technique you came up with." Wayne grinned so hard, Holly was sure his face would split. "The one about getting blood from a charred body?"
Technically it had been Holly, four Americans, and a brilliant fellow from China who had come up with the process. And it didn't always work. But when the blood was found with oil, it tended to work better. Like motor oil. "He cut his hands making the ... The ..."
"Incendiary device." Sue nodded. "Hella impressed your lab even found the traces. On two!"
"Enough for a warrant," said Kelly.
Holly shook her head. "Does it help with your victims any?"
"It does." Trujillo checked her tablet. "Peck's theory about bullying was the common thread. We're not sure why, but Hastings was a target. Everyone was somehow connected. A dad who encouraged his son to beat up the weaker kid. A classmate who pushed him through a plate glass window. Charges were never filed. Hastings' father actually said, and this is a quote, 'Kids will be kids.' Of course," she paused and looked up. "His parents divorced after that. Hastings stayed with his mother. Father paid for school. Though we don't know why he's missing."
"Well that's on to you, Trujillo." said Kelly. "I'm happy to sign off on the evidence." The two detectives nodded at each other.
Ananda tapped the keyboard and returned the wall to its boring state of normalcy. "We're still processing the other evidence," said the woman. "No mud found only on the east bank of a river, sadly."
Pausing in her note taking, Vivian coughed a laugh. "Next you'll tell me isn't a tv show, Dr. Ames," she said to Ananda. Even though most of the lab would happily let Vivian call them by name, she called every one of them, even Rodney and Wanda, by their last name. That didn't stop the Peck from being a tease, but she was a respectful one.
"Thank you, Constable," said Holly, pressing her lips together to stifle a smile. "Do you need Dr. Ury to reexamine the bodies? For evidence?"
"Not yet," said Trujillo. "We know enough about them. Won't find much off them anyway, except maybe the one who had the Molotov Cocktail flung at him." The detective sighed. "Well. Come on, Peck. Let's go hunt down Hastings. Thanks, Ananda. Dr. Davies. Dr. Stewart."
The two detectives walked out with Sue, Vivian tagging along behind like a puppy.
And Wayne turned to Ananda, smirking. "Anaaaannnnnnda."
The younger tech blushed. "Shut up."
Holly raised her eyebrows. "Do I want to ask?"
"She has a crush on Detective Trujillo." Wayne smirked and went to his workstation.
"You're an ass, Wayne. I'm gonna tell your wife you're an ass."
"She already knows," said Wayne. "She married me because I'm an ass."
"Not to interrupt your budding bromance," said Holly slowly. "Did you call me down to let my kid show off or do I need to know something else?"
Ananda coughed. "We're splitting the duties."
"With your permission," Wayne said quickly. "But you're right. I'm overworking. And Ananda's good. She's great. So we can share the load. I'll do the reviews and she'll be my backup. And I know I'm supposed to ask first, especially since money's involved-"
"Wayne. Stop." Holly smiled. "Fill in the forms for a promotion. If you don't know what ones they are, please ask Ruth. I want it to include a description of how, exactly, you're splitting the workload. Make it real. I'll review it. I may kick it back if I don't like it, because Ananda hasn't done managerial work before. You may get to take some training classes. Both of you. But. I like this so far."
They both exhaled, relieved. "Thank you," Wayne said, sincerely.
"Don't thank me yet," said Holly. "I'll be expecting the lab to benefit from this too." She smiled and waved a hand. "Work on the presentation skills, Ananda. And write up how you extracted the DNA from, I presume, air filters? That's the stuff we submit to medical journals."
As she walked out, she heard Ananda ask Wayne if that meant Holly wanted her to be published. Holly grinned. The future of her lab was bright.
She wasn't sure which was worse, the paperwork for her job or the paperwork for her mother. Gail rubbed her face. Lunch should be spent flirting with her wife, or enjoying bad food with Oliver, or listening to her daughter babbling about her success in the field.
It was not meant to be spent with her wife and child going over the medical results of Elaine's recent heart attack.
"This is good," Holly said, around her mouthful of salad.
"You have appalling eating habits, Mom. Chewing with your mouth open." Vivian shook her head and peered at the tablet. "Wait, what's that?"
"That's normal for her age. Actually it's really good. Your mother's cholesterol looks worse."
Gail scowled. "I'm right here."
"And you have an appalling diet," chided Holly. "No, it's an occlusion from ... I'd call it a genetic defect, actually. Look here."
Sighing, Gail watched her wife and daughter bump shoulders as they looked at some scan or another. "Mom gets out next week. She wants to stay at her condo. All I want to know is if that's okay, Holly."
The doctor she'd married two decades before looked up. "She needs some care. A nurse. Which we can get, no problem. But... She's fine. Disturbingly fine. If I ever have a bypass, I'll be lucky to be this fine. Stop."
"Its my mom," said Gail quietly.
Getting up off the couch, Vivian walked behind Gail's chair and hugged her shoulders. "Mom. I love you. You're freaking out. Elaine's fine. She's going to annoy us for another hundred years. She's immortal."
"This is not how we communicate," complained Gail.
"I know." Vivian squeezed her tight. "Okay. Mom, you're on your own with grumpy here. I gotta go to work."
Holly smiled. "We'll see you tomorrow. Is Jamie coming?"
"No." Vivian pulled her leather jacket on. "I want to talk to Liv, and I think she'll be bitchy Liv if Jamie's there. Yes, I talked to Jamie about it first. She's okay with it."
"Is she really okay, or did she just say she was okay?" Holly sounded doubtful.
"I think she's really okay. We're meeting up for dinner." Vivian paused. "When is too soon to give her a key?"
Gail blinked and looked up. "Well. Holly gave me one before we started dating..."
Her wife smirked. "You never gave me a key."
"I lived with ugly boys." She smiled though. "You really like her, huh, kid?" Her daughter flushed a little.
Holly smiled at Gail and nodded. "Give her a key, honey. Tell her you like her." Holly put her iPad down. "Do I get a goodbye hug?"
Rolling her eyes, Vivian walked up and gave Holly a hug and kissed her cheek. "Bye, Mom. Thanks. Sorry about Petulant Peck."
"I'll live." Holly did not walk Vivian to the door.
They sat in silence as the garage door opened, an engine roared to life, and the door closed. "A key. She's serious." Gail knew her voice sounded flat. She really was amused and excited for her daughter, but she felt flat. A pillow from the couch smacked her in the face. "Ow!"
The pillow removed itself, or rather Holly plucked it along with the various papers Gail had been reading. All of those were dumped onto the couch. Then Holly sat in her lap. "You're over stressing."
Immediately, Gail took a hold of Holly's waist and sighed. "Tell me something good."
Holly leaned into Gail's chest, resting her cheek against Gail's head. "Our daughter has a serious girlfriend." Gail nodded. "Oh dear. You are depressed, honey." Holly sighed and ran her fingers through Gail's short hair. "Look at me. Talk to me."
Gail obliged and looked up. She inhaled and then just dumped all the current worries. "I'm worried about Mom. I'm worried Viv's gonna get her heart stomped on. I'm worried we won't find our missing arsonist. I worry about the serial skull smasher. I worry about Andy being sergeant and Gerald still being out there. I worry if I'm too old to keep doing this."
Through her little word vomit, Holly kept stroking her hair. When she stopped talking, Holly exhaled. "I don't think you're too old."
"I'm going to be fifty-one in a month and a half."
"I know."
"Mom had her first heart attack—"
"Much later."
Gail nodded. "Dad didn't." Her voice was small. After Bill's death, years after, they'd finally uncovered all his documents and notes. Gail remembered the day she'd found the divorce settlement, and in Bill's notes were papers that outlined his plan to ruin her adoption of Sophie. They'd expected that. They had not expected his own medical notes to include that he'd known about his heart problem for years and chosen to do nothing. Or that he'd never made a will.
Holly's hand paused. "Honey. Your father was a fucking asshole."
"And he had four heart attacks. Four. The first one, he was still married to Mom and never told her."
Her wife leaned away. "Would you hide a heart attack from me?"
"What!? No!"
"Good." Holly cupped Gail's face in her warm, soft hands. As she brushed her thumbs over Gail's cheeks, Gail felt the indentation on Holly's thumbs. Years of scalpels. "You take care of yourself and you will live a very long time with me." Holly kissed her forehead. "And even if you have to be a grumpy, fat, stay at home, retired cop, I will still love you."
Gail laughed softly. "Fat?"
"I've seen how you eat. I'll have to stick around and keep you honest." Holly squeezed Gail's face lightly and leaned back, resting against Gail's shoulder.
"Good luck." Gail sighed. "Mom's the last of her generation, Holly."
Her wife blinked. "Oh."
"Yeah." Elaine shouldn't have been, but a few older Pecks had mysteriously died 'in their sleep' in the last five years. Two were confirmed suicides. It was interesting to see what happened to them as their old support structure collapsed under its own weight. Interesting as in morbid and terrifying.
Best not to bring up the Pecks who'd eaten bullets.
Holly sighed and shook her head. "You know. She's not the last. She's the first."
"What?"
"Your mother said no. She changed the path for all the Pecks after her. She walked away from everything she was and let you do it too." Holly looked thoughtful. "Everything you built was on her sacrifice. It's kind of the epitome of motherhood."
Gail blinked a few times. It was true, her mother had given up a lot for her. All her life really, Elaine had given to her. "What does that mean?"
"It means... It means she's your mom. Of course you're scared to lose her. God, I'm going to be a mess when my parents die." Holly sighed. "Viv when we die. It's ... I don't know. You're the one who lost a parent."
"I didn't lose him. He died and we lied about who he was," Gail bit out. But she knew Holly's point. They'd both lost their grandparents. Losing a parent was something only Gail had done, and she knew on a visceral level how different it felt. Her world changed. "Steve retiring was harder than Bill dying."
Holly sighed again and nodded. They lapsed into silence and Gail took Holly's hand, rubbing her thumb over the webbing between Holly's thumb and forefinger. "Well." Holly spoke softly. "Harder or not, we can handle it one step at a time."
And the next step was getting Elaine home. And Sophie's birthday. And on and on.
"One step at a time," agreed Gail.
It was Sophie's birthday party. She was at the party alone, by choice. A choice her girlfriend agreed with, but still. No plus ones. She did wonder if Jamie was really okay with it... It was hard to tell. Vivian sighed and pulled her helmet off, locking it to the bike before walking around to the back where the grill was going. It was too cold for the pool, but that didn't stop everyone from congregating there.
"Holy crap, Viv. Is that you?"
Vivian smiled at Oliver's youngest daughter, Winnie. "Hey, Win. You came down from the frozen north?"
"Sophie's kinda my BFF." Winnie grinned. "Hey, look who showed up?"
Sophie looked over and smiled brightly, trotting over. "Vivian! Wow, nice shiner." Sophie hugged her hello. "When the hell did you get so tall anyway?"
"Hi, Soph." Vivian grinned and returned the hug. She'd grown up with the girl as a babysitter and sometimes confidant. Sophie had even woken up the night of the failed sleepover and told Vivian it was okay. She was family. And that meant she was safe to tease. "Mom talked me out of heels."
The five-and-a-half-foot lawyer stuck her tongue out. "It's not that kind of party, and I bet you've never even owned heels."
Vivian held out her gift. "You'd guess wrong, as it happens. I even had a couple dresses."
"The fact that you said 'a couple' tells me you haven't changed, Viv." Sophie teased her like she always had. "Come on in, Dad's grilling with your mom."
"Oh good. I moved out and I have to eat my own cooking."
"Which is like, Gail levels of awesome."
They stepped out to the backyard where Leo and Winnie were sitting with their feet in the pool. It was like a flashback. The adults were crowded around the grill, drinking and laughing. The 'kids' were clustered by the pool. And instead of Liv and Viv being shunted off to the side for being 'too young,' the small gap in their ages was negligible enough to be a non-issue now.
"Cousin!" Leo bounded over to give Vivian a hug and a beer. "How're you liking my old pad?"
"It smells better," she teased, taking the drink. Winnie and Sophie chortled, telling Leo they knew it was him.
"Is that your motorcycle?" Winnie peeked over the fence.
Vivian nodded. "It is. I bought it off Nick when the Crapmobile died."
"I loved that car," said Sophie wistfully.
Leo scoffed. "No you didn't. You just loved that Liv stopped asking you for rides all the time."
"Potato, tomato." Sophie winked. "Are you living there alone?"
"No, Christian's in your old room." When Winnie looked blank, Vivian explained, "Chris Diaz's not-son?"
"Oh wow. I barely remember Chris…" Winnie glanced over at their parents. "Wasn't he in Aunt Gail's class?"
Vivian nodded. "He was. Christian's mom's kinda batshit."
"He'll fit right in." Leo nodded.
Conversation quickly moved on to discussions about work and life. The older trio were happy to hear about the sole police officer of their generation. None of Oliver's girls had gone into policing. He had an artist, a politician, and a scientist. Jerry would probably be another scientist. Leo was a computer genius, and Sophie a lawyer. Little Chris Epstein... Well. Maybe.
Vivian enjoyed talking with them, though. They were her friends too, and the age differences that had once made them her mentors now let them be confidants. She could talk to them, a little, about how it was daunting to be a Peck at Fifteen. They shared her fears of the unknown. Twenty-four and thirty were much closer than six and twelve, after all.
But as the day moved on, Vivian sought out the girl her own age. Olivia stayed by her mother's side, probably soaking in the maternal fussing she missed while being out in California. And Vivian waited, patiently, until Noelle went to help Frank and Gail at the grill. Then she walked around the winterized pool, collected a burger from her mother, and sat down.
"So." Olivia looked up, a little nervously as Vivian sat beside her. "No firefighter?"
"Not today. This is kinda a family party." Looking around at the small gathering, which really was mostly immediate family and those who had helped Sophie get adopted, it was demonstrably true. "She knows I'm here, and that I wanted to talk to you."
Olivia arched her eyebrows, looking just like her mother. "Me?"
"Yeah, this idiot I used to be good friends with, and is totally avoiding me and being kind of bitchy to my girlfriend."
Her childhood friend had the grace to wince. "She tell you that?" Her tone was pretty bitter though.
"Her name is Jamie, Liv. And no, Moms told me that."
Olivia sighed. "I… You know I didn't think I'd be pissed off you were dating someone."
Snorting, Vivian put her burger together. "You know I've gone out with people since we broke up."
"Yeah, but she feels … serious."
"Uh, says the girl who has a fiancé?" Even though they had barely sat down to talk in years, Vivian could see the look on Olivia's face. They'd broken up. "Oh. What happened?"
"Stuff," muttered Liv. "Can.. can you not…" She waved at their parents.
Vivian nodded. "Sure."
They sat in silence for a moment. "Does that sound like sour grapes? Like I'm pissed because I'm … not?"
"A little," said Vivian. When the silence came back, she asked, "Have you seen Matty?"
"No. He's back?" At Vivian's nod, Olivia sighed. "You think if we'd stuck it out, you and me and him would be at your place instead of you and Christian?"
After a moment of thought, Vivian shook her head. "No. Matty's actually gay, which ruins the Jack Tripper thing," she explained, as deadpan as possible.
There was a pause before Olivia laughed. "Oh my god, I forgot how good you were at that super-serious." She slapped Vivian's shoulder. "Jerk."
"You're being way to serious about all this, Liv."
Liv sighed. "Why are you so calm? I mean… you were always quiet, but you're calm now. Like a bomb could go off and you'd just … You'd figure out what to do next and go on."
She looked over at her mothers and smiled. "Well. The funny thing about being a Peck is they teach you how to survive and move on."
Her friend made a face. "Survive? You make it sound like we were some horrible disaster."
"Weren't we? God, we really just … we stopped talking to each other, Liv, and I really could have used you last year." Vivian sighed. "I know I'm shitty about talking about myself."
"Yeah, what's fire-girl think about that?"
"She tells me off." Grinning, Vivian added, "I think you'd like her."
Olivia made a noise Vivian remembered was her friend at her most self-annoyed. "Don't push your luck."
"Alright."
"How come you get to be the better person in this? That's so unfair." She huffed. "You know what's really stupid? I actually am, totally, entirely, over you like that."
Vivian lifted her drink. "Ditto."
They touched plastic cups. "Can this … can we be friends?"
"Well. Mom's still friends with Nick." With a smirk, Vivian leaned in. "Did you know they were engaged?"
Olivia startled. "What!?" She leaned back and shouted over at Gail. "Aunt Gail! You were not engaged to Uncle Nick!"
Without turning a hair, Gail replied, "He left me at the altar. That asshole."
Apparently none of the other kids had known, and Sophie broke into laughter. "Oh my god, why don't we know this?"
"I don't advertise it," said Gail, her voice a low growl. "Worst Peck dinner ever."
Even Holly was laughing and teasing her though. Which made everything feel like friends and family again.
Vivian and Olivia are friends again, or at least working on it. And yes, Jamie is okay with that. Mostly. You generally don't like the girl who broke your girl's heart.
