Disclaimer: I do not own Rookie Blue or any of the characters etc.

Sorry it has taken a while to update – life just got in the way.

Thanks for the favs, follows and reviews and for encouraging me to keep going with this. It was so great to hear from readers. I really appreciate your feedback. I am trying something a bit different with this chapter – I'm going to add some crime to the story – I hope you like it. As always I love to hear what you think. I probably should re-read this again but I am keen to post it.

And to the Guest – it definitely would have been a blue folder!

…..

Having slept little the night before, Gail napped for most of the flight back to Toronto. As soon as they had taken their seats on the plane, Frankie turned to her and said 'So how was the make-up sex?'

Gail rolled her eyes and said 'Not sharing Frankie'.

'That bad, huh?'

'No, I just wouldn't want to make you feel inadequate', said Gail, closing her eyes to put a stop to the conversation, 'Wake me up when we land'.

She and Frankie had never talked about the sex they had had with other people. For all her boasting about giving women the best sex of their lives, Frankie wasn't a kiss and tell type, and didn't press Gail for details of her sex life for which Gail was grateful. So she wasn't about to start divulging anything to Frankie now, especially about Holly.

….…

Chloe was waiting to collect them at the airport. Gail had told her not to bother but she had insisted and who was Gail to argue. At least it saved them from having to wait in line for a taxi.

Chloe eyed Gail with concern. 'You look exhausted. Trouble sleeping?'

Gail shrugged noncommittally and then Chloe shrieked 'Oh, you totally had conference sex, didn't you'.

Gail rolled her eyes. 'You might want to say that a bit louder Price, I don't think that guy over in the corner heard'.

Frankie was standing just behind Gail, and she mouthed to Chloe, 'With Holly'.

'With Holly', Chloe shrieked again. 'Oh, my god Gail, that's.' Her excited expression reverted to one of concern, 'that's good right?'

'Yeah, yeah', said Gail, giving nothing away, but turning to glare at Frankie.

'I mean you're not going to be all broken hearted again. You were so sad after Holly left. I know you thought we didn't notice. No offence Frankie, but those two were kind of meant for each other. Holly made Gail happy, can you believe it, and she wasn't so cranky with everyone. Oh my god, Gail you're not moving to San Francisco, are you?'

'Muppet', said Frankie, 'Shut up. Now lets get our bags and get out of here'. Much as she was enjoying seeing Chloe torment Gail, her perkiness was starting to grate.

...

On the way home in the car, Chloe couldn't help but quiz Gail. She barely waited for an answer from Gail before excitedly firing yet another question at her, undeterred by Gail's evasive replies. Was it just a one-night stand? I mean, she totally understood, sometimes you just had to have that one last time with an ex, unfinished business and everything, or were she and Holly together? Was it weird seeing her after so long? Had Holly changed? How was she? Did she miss Toronto? Had she asked about 15? What about San Francisco? Did she seem happy –probably not, Chloe decided, answering her own question out loud, because Gail was here in Toronto and not there.

Chloe's incessant questioning was giving Gail a headache. It also put her in an awkward position. Holly's promotion had not yet been announced and until then Gail couldn't tell either Chloe or Frankie that the doctor was returning to Toronto.

Finally, in an effort to stop Chloe talking, Gail said 'Princess, we want to be together. We are working on it. That's all you're getting now'. She raised her hand in a stop gesture as Chloe was about to interrupt, 'and if you keep prying, when there is something to tell, you will be the last to know'.

'Thank Christ for that', Frankie said from the backseat, 'don't you ever come up for air, muppet'.

'Gee, I thought Gail had no filter', said Chloe sweetly, looking in the rearview mirror at Frankie, 'but you make her look like the Queen of tact, Frankie'.

'Chloe, don't encourage her', groaned Gail, who knew Frankie wore her brusqueness like a badge of honor.

….

Later that night, Gail debated whether she should call Holly. The flight from Chicago to San Francisco was about three hours longer than the one to Toronto, but Gail figured the doctor would be home by now and it would be around seven in the evening there.

When Holly first left, Gail used to calculate the time in San Francisco and speculate about what Holly would be doing. That was until she realized it only made her miss Holly more. Gail had decided then that she had no right to imagine Holly's life because she was no longer a part of it. That realization left her feeling so desolate she resolved to stop thinking about Holly. For the most part it worked, but sometimes thoughts of Holly would catch her off-guard and leave her almost winded with the physical ache of her absence.

And now, Gail thought, Holly had chosen her. Holly didn't want to shape her into some blander, less acerbic version of herself. She didn't see Gail as cold and unfeeling and she wasn't scared off by her snark. With a small sense of wonder, Gail realized that Holly actually saw who she was and still wanted to be with her. It was big and novel and Gail almost dared not think about it because no one had ever put her first.

Tracy had told Gail that everyone deserved to be happy, even her, but as everything she cared about was stripped away from her – Holly, Steve, then Sophie and even her parents - Gail became convinced happiness, true bursting with it happiness, wasn't something she was allowed. Maybe, Gail thought, it was because she was an imperfect Peck or because she couldn't be bothered with most people, or someone in the cosmos wanted to screw with her, or maybe it was just because when a good thing happened to her she couldn't help but sabotage it. Now, however, she felt like she was standing on the brink of happiness and she was determined not to jeopardize it.

Which left her with a dilemma. Should she call Holly or would it seem clingy and desperate. After all they only saw each other this morning, and even though Holly said she wanted to be with Gail, and Gail said they should date, in the rush to leave Chicago they hadn't settled on what they were to each other.

After Frankie had left her hotel room, Holly had followed soon after. Leaving though with a long lingering kiss that had Gail trying to pull her back onto the bed and Holly resisting, reminding her they each had a plane to catch. Then it was a flurry of packing and showering and checking out and piling into the car for the airport.

Frankie took the front seat, and Gail found herself in the back sandwiched between Holly and Girl-cop. She noticed that Girl-cop kept looking furtively at the two of them. That first night, even before they reached the restaurant, she'd detected that the young officer had a major crush on Holly and that Holly was doing her best to ignore it. Surely, Gail thought, Girl-cop had figured out that there was something going on between the two of them.

As if on cue, Holly took Gail's hand and entwined their fingers and smiled at her goofily. Girl-cops' eyes widened slightly. Gail couldn't help it, she leaned in and kissed Holly lightly on the lips, then as Holly's smile widened, she leaned in again, this time drawing out the kiss, savoring the feel of Holly's lips against her own.

'Keep it PG', Frankie piped up from the front seat and Gail rolled her eyes.

Once they arrived at the airport they had to part as their departure gates were literally on opposite sides of the building. Holly held Gail tightly and murmured in her ear, 'Come to San Francisco, before I leave. I can't wait six weeks to see you again'.

Gail had said okay and kissed her gently, trying to ignore the wrench of leaving, before Frankie interrupted to say their plane was about to board.

Chloe would know if she should call Holly, Gail decided, but she didn't want to tell Chloe everything, not yet anyway. It wasn't just because Holly's appointment wasn't official, but Gail felt like she wanted to hold close what she and Holly had shared in Chicago for a little while longer, even if Frankie had let the proverbial cat out of the bag.

Eventually she decided to send Holly a text, but kept it light. In the car to the airport, she had had the foresight to put her contact in Holly's cellphone and call herself to get Holly's number.

Hottest Detective: You'd help me dispose of a body, wouldn't you?

Doctor Nerd: Context?

Hottest Detective: Frankie wanted details about the sex we had.

Doctor Nerd: In that case, can you wait til I get to Toronto?

Hottest Detective: Not sure I can put up with Frankie for another six weeks.

Holly didn't respond to that, but a moment later Gail's phone rang. 'I wish I was there now', Holly breathed when Gail picked up.

'To get rid of Frankie?'

'Actually I can think of far better things to do in Toronto than waste my time on Frankie', Holly's voice had become low and suggestive.

'Catch up with Rachael and Botched Boob-job?'

'Gail', Holly drew out her name, and Gail wasn't sure if she was being chided for having a dig at Lisa or deliberately ignoring what, or more accurately who, Holly would actually like to be doing in Toronto.

'Don't forget we're planning on taking this slow', Gail said.

'Yeah, how serious are you about that?'

'Bit desperate for sex, Holly', Gail teased.

'Well, I haven't actually had a lot of it in the past two years. I think you ruined me for everyone else'.

'Yeah', said Gail, conscious they hadn't really talked about whether Holly had had relationships in the past two years beyond Holly saying she had dated a few women. She tried to suppress the feeling of jealousy provoked by the thought of Holly sleeping with someone else.

'Where those American lesbians not up to scratch'.

Holly snorted. 'I met quite a few very nice women, but Gail I don't think I ever got over you'.

Holly's words reminded Gail of that time in the interrogation room before Holly left for San Francisco when the doctor said she and her 'someone else' had broken up because she wasn't over Gail. It occurred to Gail that she had never really found out about that particularly interlude.

'That woman you dated here in Toronto. The one after me. Did you have sex with her?'

'Gail', again Holly drew out her name, and Gail wasn't sure whether it was in exasperation or a warning not to pursue this topic. 'We only had a couple of dates'.

'So, did you have sex on one of those dates?' Gail wasn't sure why she was pushing Holly, but for some reason it was important for her to know.

'Yes', Holly sighed, 'the very last one. I told you I could be impulsive. I was hurting and I thought it might help me forget you, which was stupid, and the sex wasn't great, and I left straight after, and in the morning she called and told me I wasn't over my ex'.

'Oh', said Gail quietly. She realized she hadn't actually needed to know that, and now that she did she felt a deep regret that it was her behavior, her insecurities and fears, that had led Holly to do that. 'I'm sorry'.

'It was my decision to sleep with her, Gail', Holly said, 'but you need to promise me that if you ever doubt how I feel about you, that I want to be with you, don't climb up that tree. You need to talk to me first and you can't ignore my texts or my calls and you need to know this, I'm not letting you go again, not without a fight'.

"Seems like we might be stuck with each other', said Gail, cradling the phone against her ear, a huge smile breaking across her face. So this, she thought giddily, is happiness.

…..

Three nights later she and Frankie got the call to attend a suspected arson, apparently an ex-girlfriend bent on revenge. They were working the second shift and it was close to 10pm so they were due to knock off in just over an hour. Frankie was less than impressed. She wanted to go dancing and had been trying to persuade Gail to come with her. The address was for an apartment in Yorkville, home to some of the most expensive condos in Toronto.

The building was 55 stories of glass and steel and Gail guessed you wouldn't get an apartment here for under a million. As they pulled up they could see lights flashing from a couple of cruisers and two fire engines. A crowd had gathered on the sidewalk but a security guard was keeping them at a reasonable distance from the entrance to the condo.

She and Frankie flashed their badges and made their way into the lobby, where the building manager was waiting for them. He introduced himself as Phil Bishop. A non-descript kind of guy in his mid forties, there was nothing remarkable about him except the worried expression on his face. Hiding something, wondered Gail. He ushered them into an elevator while muttering, 'Terrible business, terrible'.

The elevator took them to the top floor. A penthouse apartment, thought Gail, realizing she needed to revise her estimate of its worth. She and Frankie nodded at the rookie stationed outside the front door. Officer Miller or was it Mailer, Gail couldn't quite recall.

As they entered the penthouse, Gail was struck by the acrid smell of smoke. The damage from the fire was not immediately obvious. The hose monkeys had left tracks on the carpet and the carpet itself was soggy from their efforts to extinguish the fire. The apartment was expensively but tastefully furnished and included a number of what looked to be original artworks. Floor to ceiling windows and a wrap around balcony gave panoramic views of the city.

Officer Moore was standing outside the master bedroom. 'Detectives, uh', he said, 'I'm glad they sent you two. I asked for you'.

'Missed us, did you Gerald', Frankie said. 'Geez' she continued as she surveyed the bedroom.

The walls were blackened, the paint blistering in some sections from the intensity of the fire, and the furnishings, including what was once a king-sized bed, were burnt almost beyond recognition. This would be one hell of an insurance claim, thought Gail. Two men in blue Tyvek suits were carefully examining the room. Gail recognized them as the fire investigators who came to 15 after the bombing. Mike and Brody, she remembered.

'This guy must have really done a number on the girlfriend', Frankie said.

'Umm, that's the thing, Detective Anderson, it's two women. I mean it's not a guy. The owner of the apartment is a woman and so is her girlfriend, well ex-girlfriend'.

He trailed off as Frankie regarded him with narrowed eyes.

'We don't do lesbian drama', she said pointing between herself and Gail.

'Whhat', stuttered Officer Moore.

'I said we're not interested in lesbian drama'.

'She's just messing with you, Duncan', Gail said, feeling a little sorry for the officer. If this involved two women, then he did the right thing calling them in. Some of those older male detectives were dinosaurs and, despite mandatory diversity training, couldn't be trusted to handle something like this sensitively.

'So I'm guessing this wasn't an accident', Gail said, leaning in the bedroom door to address the fire investigators.

'Yup. Looks like a huge amount of accelerant was poured over the bed, as well as the walls and across the floor, and then it was lit. It's a wonder the arsonist didn't go up as well,' said Mike, 'We'll know more once we run some tests'.

'The smoke detectors were disabled too', said Brody, 'whoever did this meant business'.

Gail nodded and turned to Duncan. 'Do we know how the ex-girlfriend got access?'

Behind Gail, the building manager coughed. 'Umm. I let her in. I was on reception. I mean she had a keycard so I assumed Dr Gordon, that's the owner, had given her the card so I didn't stop her'.

Ah, thought Gail, that explained why he looked so worried. 'So you knew she was Dr Gordon's ex-girlfriend?' she asked

'I'd seen them going in and out together a few times. I thought they were exes because I hadn't seen her for about six weeks. I said that to her, when she came in, and she said she'd been on holidays. But Dr Gordon's entertained some other ladies in that time, if you know what I mean'.

Gail narrowed her eyes at him. She didn't like this guy's tone. Building managers were supposed to keep an eye on things, but Bishop seemed to be taking an unhealthy interest in Dr Gordon. She exchanged a look with Frankie.

'So, do you know her name?' Frankie queried.

'Trish, I think. I never got her last name'

'Would you have any CCTV footage of her arriving?' Gail asked.

'Yes, the entrance way and lobby is under constant surveillance. I can get you that footage'.

'And the key card would have given her access to the building and the apartment', Frankie prodded.

Bishop nodded his head. 'It also activates the elevators'.

'How did Trish seem when she came in?' Gail asked.

'Calm. She seemed quite relaxed when I spoke to her. She was carrying a large backpack. I guess that's where she put the gas for the fire'.

'Dr Gordon was out?'

Bishop nodded. 'She came home about forty minutes after Trish left. She's the one who discovered the fire and called 911'.

'And where is she now?'

'In my office. She's with one of your officers. I thought it best to get her away from the, uh, scene'

…..

Bishop's office was just behind the reception area. A large glass panel gave a view both in and out of the office, which Gail thought wryly probably allowed him to snoop on residents like Dr Gordon.

As they got closer to the office, Gail glanced through the panel. She stopped dead, causing Frankie to almost run into her. A woman, about their age was seated in the office with her profile to them, but Gail could see enough of her to recognize who she was. The last time she saw Lisa, Gail was backing out of the Penny saying she'd rather tase herself in the eye than spend a minute longer with either her or Holly.

'Doctor Gordon is Lisa, Holly's friend', she hissed to Frankie.

'Botched boob job?' asked Frankie, regarding the woman in the office. 'She's hot'.

Gail rolled her eyes.

'Not appropriate', asked Frankie innocently.

'You think', Gail replied sarcastically, 'Come on, Mr Neighborhood Watch is getting impatient'. Gail inclined her head to indicate Bishop, who was standing at the office door waiting for them.

Lisa and the officer were seated at a small round table, Lisa with her back to the door. Someone had given her a cup of tea but it didn't look like she touched it. The officer got to her feet when Gail and Frankie entered the room.

'Ah, Officer Larson. Mr Bishop has some security footage for us. Could you give a hand with that'. Frankie didn't want the building manager hanging round while they interviewed the doctor, and she certainly didn't want either he or the young officer in the room if Lisa decided to bring up her last encounter with Gail.

Lisa now turned and if she was surprised to see Gail she didn't show it.

'Officer Peck', Lisa's tone was clipped, 'I hope you left your taser at home'.

Frankie smiled. This was going to be entertaining. Gail had told her about that night at the Penny, but where Gail raged at her own stupidity for believing, even for a moment, that Holly was just having fun and at her impulse to lash out so viciously, Frankie thought it one of the most hilarious break up stories she'd ever heard.

'Its detective now', said Gail. So Lisa wasn't going to make this easy. 'And this is Detective Anderson. Mind if we sit?'

Lisa nodded. As Gail took a seat opposite her, she noticed that despite her initial bravado, Lisa looked shaken. The detectives quickly established that Lisa had come home after drinks with colleagues and on entering her apartment noticed fire coming from the bedroom. She'd used her cellphone to call 911 and then tried to douse the blaze with a fire extinguisher from the kitchen, but the fire was already too out of control for it to make a difference. She then alerted the building manager, but by then the fire brigade had arrived.

Gail was impressed. Lisa had obviously kept a cool head.

'So, do you think you're ex girlfriend, Trish..?' Gail trailed off.

'Trish Crompton. We weren't really girlfriends. We were just having some fun. I put a stop to it when I realized she wanted more. I mean I thought it was the right thing to do, before she got hurt'.

At the mention of 'just having fun', Gail winced internally but managed to maintain her composure.

'Do you think Trish was capable of this?' Gail asked.

Lisa faltered for a moment. Gail could tell she was debating what to say.

'Umm, she had been leaving some threatening messages'.

'Did you keep them?' Frankie asked.

'I deleted them. They were vile, but she left one this morning that I kept'.

'Can we listen to it?' Gail asked gently.

Again Lisa faltered. 'It really is vile'. Nonetheless she pulled out her phone and played the message. Trish didn't sound angry, but rather her tone was low and mean and menacing and the threat was graphic and disturbing.

'How long has she been leaving these?' Gail asked.

'Since I broke it off'

'So six weeks. And how often?'

'It varied. I might go days without receiving one, and then she'd leave five or six on the same day'.

'And did you feel like it was escalating?' Frankie asked.

'Yes, I guess it was'.

'Dr Gordon, you should have contacted the police and made a complaint. This is serious harassment. You don't have to put up with that, and any escalation is not a good sign', Gail said sympathetically.

Lisa looked down at her hands and then back up at Gail. 'This doesn't happen to people like me. I thought if I ignored it, she would stop', she said quietly.

While Lisa's statement might sound arrogant, Gail realized she was ashamed. 'Li, I mean Dr Gordon, unfortunately this can happen to anyone, regardless of who you are, and I'm sure you know this is not your fault, you did not ask for this to happen'.

'Yeah, well maybe if I treated her better'.

'It sill does not excuse this behavior', Gail said firmly. 'I would advise that you immediately take a restraining order out on her. We'll send some officers round to Trish's address to see if we can pick her up. Meantime, do you have somewhere you can stay tonight'.

Lisa shook her head and Gail saw that she'd started to shake. 'No, Rachel's out of town'.

'Any other friends who could put you up?'

Lisa shook her head again and Gail realized that aside from Rachael and Holly, Lisa obviously didn't have any close friends.

'A hotel' she suggested.

'I'm not sure I'd feel safe'.

A tear leaked out of the corner of Lisa's eye and Gail recognized that the shock was starting to take hold. Without really thinking, she said 'you can stay at my place. I have a spare room'.

This time Lisa did look surprised. 'Why?' was all she said.

'Holly would never forgive me if I didn't make sure you were okay', Gail shrugged, trying to ignore the look of incredulity on Frankie's face.

'You know it won't get her back', said Lisa, suddenly back to her acerbic self. 'She loves it in San Francisco'.

'Yeah, yeah', said Gail, 'Do you want a room for the night or not'.

….

Gail slept in late the following morning and was woken by a call from Holly.

'So', Holly began without even saying hello, 'that will be two bodies I have to help you dispose of when I get to Toronto'.

'Lisa told you', Gail sighed.

'Rang me first thing this morning. I'm not sure which of us is more perplexed by your behavior, Gail. I mean are you completely crazy, letting Lisa stay'.

'Well, you did call me insane once'.