Disclaimer: I don't own Rookie Blue or any of the characters….

Thanks again for all the review, favs and follows. I keep saying it, but I really appreciate hearing what you think about this story. To the guest who was confused about why Gail couldn't hear Mitchell, he was actually speaking to Lucia. I realized it was a bit ambiguous so I've rewritten that bit so hopefully its clearer - thanks for pointing that out.

Anyway, I hope you enjoy this chapter. Let me know!

Holly was getting drunk. It wasn't something she normally did. She liked a few drinks to loosen up but that was usually it. The logical, the scientific part of her brain knew that drinking never solved anything, but at this moment she wanted nothing more than the temporary oblivion she hoped it would bring.

The last time she'd been drunk was two years ago when Gail had walked out on her at the Penny, leaving her behind with Rachel making sympathetic noises and Lisa doing little to disguise her triumphant expression. Holly had felt like her heart had stopped, but Lisa was relentless.

'I predicted it wouldn't last, but I didn't think it would be over this quickly. She certainly was skittish'. Lisa crowed and was about to say more but then, catching Holly's baleful look, gave a false little laugh.

Holly had downed shot after shot of tequila; not her drink, not something she was accustomed to, but the drink of the woman she was fairly certain had just dumped her. And Holly, who was aware of her high IQ and felt like she knew the answers to a lot of things, was having trouble figuring out how it happened. So now here she was back in Toronto, back at the Penny for welcome drinks with her colleagues and the officers from 15, and once again Gail had left her high and dry and she was drinking tequila.

She felt a flash of anger towards Nick. She knew it was irrational, but she blamed him. It was Nick who requested Gail for the undercover op and it was a lifetime of being put second by people like Nick that made Gail run from the Penny that night. As Holly reached for the shot glass the bartender placed in front of her, she felt a hand on her elbow stopping her.

'Whoa, slow down there slugger,' said Chloe, a bright smile on her face, 'You're going to need to be sober enough to stick this out for at least another hour'.

Chloe didn't know of course. None of Gail's friends at 15 did, except Oliver. The operation was still active and he'd made Holly promise not to say anything. It was the first day in her new job and she gone into 15 that afternoon as part of the routine meet and greets that the Chief of Forensics, Dr Ruben Carral, had scheduled to get her orientated.

She'd made straight for Oliver's office. While most of Gail's colleagues knew or guessed from her absence that she was undercover, he was the only one at 15 who had any idea of her whereabouts or contact with her handlers, and he'd been checking in regularly with Holly to reassure her Gail was okay. Trouble was Holly hadn't heard anything since she left San Francisco five days ago.

'Ah Doctor Stewart, welcome back, welcome back. We are indeed lucky to have you working with us again,' Oliver said, clearing a stack of papers from a chair so she could sit. 'I can organize one of my very eager rookies to bring you coffee or tea'.

Shaking her head no, Holly remained standing. 'Oliver, I mean Sergeant Shaw, I just need to know about Gail. I mean I haven't heard from you for days and I know you're busy and she's probably okay, and I really appreciate that you've been keeping me informed and I know I shouldn't imagine the worse but' Holly broke off. She was babbling. She always did when she was nervous or worried but she couldn't stop herself.

'Ah, darlin',' said Oliver, 'There's no need to be alarmed'. His words were evasive, but it was the sympathetic note in his voice that tipped Holly off.

'Something's happened'.

'No, no, Holly. The bust is underway now. You can understand things are a bit chaotic and I haven't been, ah, brought up to speed on the operation, but all in good time, all in good time'. His tone was soothing but Holly was not convinced.

'So where is Gail? Is she alright?'

Oliver rubbed his face with his hand and sighed. He sensed that Holly would not let up until he told her the truth. 'We're not sure, but the Vancouver PD have it in hand. They're doing everything they can to get Gail out safely. And we have to trust Gail knows how to handle herself. The fact that I haven't heard anything is not necessarily bad news'.

Holly felt herself go cold. If asked later she would be unable to describe the feeling of fear that suffused her. For a moment everything seemed to stop; all she could hear was a loud rushing in her head and she seemed incapable of forming a coherent thought. As she slid down into the vacant chair, Oliver moved forward and patted her arm reassuringly.

'I think you need that tea now. I'm guessing something herbal', he said.

The rest of the afternoon passed in a blur. Holly was grateful Dr Carral had told her to take her time settling in and didn't expect her to perform any autopsies, although perhaps an autopsy would have distracted her from thoughts of Gail.

She knew Dr Carral noticed she was flustered when she returned from 15, but even if she could have told him about Gail's disappearance, she didn't trust herself to speak. Her first day as Deputy Chief of Forensics and the way she was behaving she wouldn't blame the Chief if he thought her appointment was a mistake.

She tried to convince herself that Oliver was right. They couldn't assume anything until they got word from Vancouver and, as Oliver had explained, it wasn't uncommon for undercover operatives not to make contact for days. It didn't necessarily mean anything was amiss. She'd been around the police long enough to know the job could be dangerous and that undercover carried additional risks, and if she was going to date a detective she'd have to get used to this. This thought was swiftly followed by the depressing realization that she may never get the chance to date Gail.

Now in the Penny, she ignored Chloe's advice and tipped back the shot glass. The burn of the tequila felt like an apt counterpoint to despair. She saw Dr Carral watching her quizzically but she was beyond caring. Looking around, she noticed the room had become quite crowded. Holly was well liked by the officers at 15 who appreciated her efficiency and dedication to the job, and many of them, along with a good number of the forensics department, had shown up to welcome her back.

The drinks had been Rodney's idea. She suspected he was trying to make amends for the bet he and Frankie had in San Francisco. Gail would find it hilarious, thought Holly, especially as she had plans to exact an elaborate revenge on the pair. She exhaled loudly. That's if Gail was coming back.

A small commotion at the door drew her attention. Frankie had stopped on her way into the bar to exchange a few words with some officers who were leaving. As she laughed at what one of them was saying, she shifted so that Holly caught a glimpse of platinum blonde hair, the same color as Gail's was when she first met her.

Holly froze. It couldn't be. There walking towards her with that oh so sexy sway of her hips was Gail Peck, looking tired and if possible paler than usual but with a big grin on her face. That adorable impish grin that Gail couldn't suppress when she was particularly delighted, usually about the idiocy of her friends or one of her and Oliver's crazy schemes to buy guns and shoes, but now it seemed because she'd just caught sight of Holly Stewart.

Holly didn't stop to think. She launched herself at Gail, pulling her into a bone-crushing hug and when she finally let go she whispered, 'Thank God you're here'. Then almost instantly she was kissing Gail and didn't stop until a few of the officers from 15 started to woof whistle.

….

Gail was saved by greed and her mother, which even she had to admit, was a bizarre confluence. Superintendent Mitchell had a good recall for faces and he thought Gail Peterson had an uncanny resemblance to the Peck girl. What was her name? Grace, Jill, could it have been Gail? Her hair was a different color and she'd discarded the black lipstick and fishnet stockings. He guessed she was about 15 when he met her, and she was so truculent and unruly, so clearly rebelling against all her parent's stood for, he had doubted that even Elaine Peck could mold her into a police officer.

Could she have joined the force, he wondered, and if she had would she have been bought to Vancouver for an undercover operation? It was possible, but he also knew that the Pecks, well some of them at least, had been exposed as corrupt. Was Gail one of them? If she'd been expelled from the force maybe she'd assumed this alias so she could do business with people like Lucia. Criminals tended to get jittery around ex-police, even if they were disgraced. It was unlikely but feasible.

Gail's credentials had checked out, as had those of her contacts in Australia who were going to help make the cartel very, very rich. Mitchell didn't want to jeopardize that by wrongly accusing Gail, not if he wanted to remain in Lucia's favor, so instead he decided to buy some time. Following Lucia to the bar, he leant in as she began to pour the drinks and said quietly, 'I may recognize her'.

Lucia had turned slightly to look back at Gail before returning her gaze to Mitchell. 'Is she police?'

'I'm not sure. Not from here, maybe Toronto. I need to check her out. Can you put her out of action for a while'.

Lucia nodded. 'How certain are you? You know its too late to call off Ricardo'.

'I haven't heard anything about a bust tonight. From what I can gather it's a pint-sized operation. They wouldn't have the manpower for a raid and there have been no requests at work for additional officers. But if you take care of blondie, I'll do some digging about her and Slade can organize some back-up for Ricardo, make sure the shipment gets here okay'.

…..

It was past 3am when Mitchell got word from Slade that the cocaine was safely stashed at his warehouse. There had been no sign of the police and no need for the extra men Slade had organized to cover Ricardo and Nick. Mitchell wondered if he might be wrong about Gail, but nonetheless told Slade to keep Nick occupied for the next few hours. He needed time to do some checking on the pair.

At 3.30am Mitchell put a call through to Elaine Peck. From memory she was an early riser, and even though it was only 6.30am in Toronto he took a chance she would be awake. He knew her son was in prison, and that Bill had been suspended and he thought there was a good chance she had survived the scandal and remained in the force because of her own crooked connections. That or she had a lot of dirt on her superiors, although clearly not enough to save Bill. It had been years since he last saw her, but he felt they had always enjoyed each other's company. There was definitely an element of flirtation and if it hadn't been for Bill he might have acted on it.

'Are you pulling an all-nighter, Graham?' asked Elaine a little archly, clearly surprised by his call.

Mitchell laughed, 'Couldn't sleep and thought you might be awake. I'm coming to Toronto. I would love to catch up'.

Though Elaine was outwardly pleasant, suggesting dinner when Mitchell was in town, she was skeptical about his reason for calling, particularly given the hour. He was something of a smooth talker, and she had always found his attentiveness a little unnerving. As well, there had been rumors as Mitchell made his way up the ladder in the Vancouver PD that he was bent.

After telling Elaine he was sorry to hear about Bill and Steve, Mitchell asked after Gail, had she followed her family into the force? The scandal may have rocked Elaine, and it certainly had curbed her influence within the Toronto PD, but she still had enough clout to know her daughter was undercover in Vancouver. She wasn't a stupid woman. In fact she was very astute. If Mitchell, who Elaine had good reason to believe was corrupt, was asking after Gail, then her cover may about to be blown.

'She quit a few months ago as well', said Elaine, hoping she was playing this right. If she could persuade Mitchell that Gail was also corrupt and had left before she was drummed out of the force it might throw off his suspicions.

'For a new career?' he asked.

'Import and export, I believe, said Elaine breezily, 'she hasn't said much. You know how daughters can be. I think she wants to make a success of the business before telling me about it. Besides, she's moved to Vancouver. As you can appreciate, Toronto is no longer the place to be if you are a Peck'.

As soon as Mitchell rang off, Elaine called Oliver. She didn't mince words.

'I know Gail is undercover in Vancouver, don't try to deny it Oliver', she said as Oliver attempted to interrupt. 'You need to tell Gail's handlers it looks like her cover is blown and Superintendent Graham Mitchell is working with the people they are investigating'.

Gail surfaced into consciousness when someone came to check on her. She recognized him as the guard she'd seen earlier at the gate. Her head felt floaty and she wondered idly if he'd been sent to kill her.

She had hoped Mitchell might access her police work records and see that she'd been suspended pending an investigation. That had been Juliette's idea, to alter the records, just in case someone recognized her. With any luck Mitchell might think she was just another corrupt Peck and let her go or at least not rush into killing her.

The guard helped her to sit and held a glass of water to her lips, which Gail drank eagerly, the drugs having dehydrated her, but as she swallowed she realized from the bitter taste that she'd been drugged again.

It was nearly 6am when Mitchell made his way into the breakfast room at Lucia's house, where he gratefully accepted the cup of coffee she held out for him. Christ, he thought suppressing a yawn, I'm too old for all-nighters. It amazed, no to be honest, annoyed him, how fresh faced Lucia looked. It was likely she'd only had a few hours sleep and here she was with her hair swept up into an elaborate bun and make-up perfect.

'Well?' said Lucia, looking at him expectantly.

'I've just had a very enlightening conversation with Gail's mother, Superintendent Peck'.

'So she is police', Lucia interrupted.

'Was. Her mother claimed she left the force, but I checked her record. She was suspended three months ago and is under investigation. The Peck family used to run the police in Toronto but now her brother's serving time for taking kickbacks and her father's been suspended for trying to interfere in his trial. It seems like Gail might be a chip off the old block'.

'But why not tell us she was ex-police?'

'Would you have felt comfortable working with her?'

'Probably not, no', Lucia shook her head, 'But what if its some kind of elaborate ruse?'

'Her mother thought she'd gone into the import export business. Sound like code for drug dealing?'

'Could be', Lucia agreed, 'although if that's the case was Gail trying to sugar coat it for her mother or is the Superintendent in on it?'

'Hard to know for sure. My guess is that Elaine is as crooked as the rest of the family. Look at it this way, if Gail were undercover the police would have known about the shipment and busted us last night, especially given the size of the shipment'.

'If you're right, we're going to have to do a lot explaining to Gail'

'I'm sure you can handle that Lucia', Mitchell, not at all embarrassed by the flattery in his tone.

'Hmm, but if you're wrong about her, it means Nick's also police'.

Mitchell nodded. 'Slade's bringing Nick here as soon as they finish up at the warehouse and once they get here, I suggest we wake blondie and get some answers out of her and Nick'.

'And if we don't like what they have to say we'll take care of them both', Lucia gave a smile that was so unnerving and so devoid of warmth that Mitchell could only describe it as reptilian.

….

Gail was woken by the sounds of shouting. Her head felt thick and her limbs were aching. For a moment she couldn't recall where she was, until she looked down and saw that her hands had been tied. That's right, Lucia had drugged her. Well, at least she wasn't dead, she thought wryly. She had a memory of someone coming to check on her and being drugged again but the recollection was so hazy she couldn't be sure whether she imagined it.

Looking around, Gail found she was in a small windowless room, the only light coming from a crack under the door. With difficulty she tried to shift up off the floor using the wall as leverage, but her muscles wouldn't cooperate and she was hampered by the ties around her wrists. She tried hard not to think how much the situation reminded her of Perick's basement.

The shouting was coming closer and she wondered if it was a good sign. Did she dare hope that Juliette had sent a team to rescue her? Probably not with her dumb luck. And she didn't want anyone else to die saving her. She sighed, unable to suppress an image of Jerry lying, bleeding, on Perick's floor. The image that would always haunt her, his death made so much worse by Steve's betrayal; for if Jerry had lived he and Traci would have married, and then Gail would have never encouraged her to date Steve.

The door to the room being kicked open yanked Gail back to the present. She blinked at the sudden invasion of light. A burly ERT officer trained his rifle on her.

'Detective Peck?' the officer asked.

She nodded then cursed because the movement exacerbated the throbbing that had started in her head.

'Detective Ward', Gail heard the ERT officer shout, 'I've found her'.

…..

The paramedic guessed that Gail had been drugged with ketamine, based on how fast acting it had been and Gail's descriptions of it effects, although later under questioning Lucia refused to confirm this.

'You might experience some short-term memory loss and you'll probably feel lethargic for a day or two', he said after checking her over.

'Will it be worse if I've had it before?' asked Gail, and when the paramedic had looked at her strangely, she added by way of explanation, 'Not the first time I've been drugged by a psycho'.

'It could increase your chances of experiencing flashbacks. It really depends on the dose you were given'.

Juliette had wanted to take her to hospital, but Gail had refused. Now, sitting in the ambulance with a blanket draped around her to keep her warm, she took in the scene before her. It was 7am and the street was full of squad cars, lights flashing and the occasional staccato calls from the car radios cutting through the crisp morning air. Lucia and Mitchell had been led away in cuffs and now detectives and a forensic team were combing the house. Not the usual thing this neighborhood woke up to, thought Gail.

She felt numb and disoriented, and she wasn't sure if the cause was the aftereffects of the ketamine or the knowledge that her mother had saved her life. Discombobulated, that was a word for it. Gail had always assumed her mother kept tabs on her to ensure she was being the perfect Peck, but on this occasion Elaine had acted not like Superintendent Mom but as a mother and had moved heaven and earth to make sure her daughter was safe.

It seemed Elaine Peck still had a lot more clout than people gave her credit for. After speaking to Oliver, she rang Vancouver's Deputy Police Commissioner and filled him in. She and Gail might not be on speaking terms, but dammed if she was going to lose her daughter. Within hours, Juliette had the backup needed to raid the warehouse where the drugs had been stashed, and a swat team was in place outside Lucia's mansion.

Gail watched as Juliette approached the ambulance. 'I'm heading back to the station to start the interviews. Are you up to coming back with me to make a statement? Then I promise you can go home and sleep this off'.

Home, that was Toronto, not the shitty apartment she'd been sharing with Nick these past weeks.

'Am I needed for the interviews?'

Juliet shook her head. 'No, we've got enough on them. Plus once you give your statement we can add forcible confinement and assault and battery to the charges'.

'So can you get me on a flight to Toronto, once I've made the statement'.

'Today?' Juliette was surprised by the request.

'Yeah'

'But Gail, you've just been drugged and held captive. I don't think flying right now is a good idea'.

'Its important', said Gail, too tired to explain the urgency, 'I need to get back'.

Juliette didn't know Gail Peck well, but one thing she had observed was that Gail never asked for anything unless she had a good reason.

'Okay, I'll do my best', she said, 'Oh and Gail, Nick found out how the drugs were getting past the Coast Guard. Turns out Slade was paying off one of the coast guard to let him know when the route was clear. We've arrested him as well'.

Gail nodded and then a thought occurred to her. 'What about you Juliette? Slade made a pretty serious threat against you'.

Juliette smiled 'Well, I'm here now. Must be good at lying low. I think Slade may have been a little distracted when they thought you might be a cop'.

….

Gail was on the midday flight to Toronto. After debriefing with Juliette and giving her statement, she'd gone back to the apartment to shower and change and pack her few possessions. Nick had driven her and she was fairly certain he had explained to Juliette why she needed to get back home.

As she'd left the station, Juliette had handed Gail her real wallet, phone and badge, and said 'I need to apologize. You can definitely look at yourself in the mirror each morning'.

Gail had shrugged, a little overwhelmed.

'Well yeah, I'm glad things worked out for you and Nick', she said, wondering at her sudden need to match Juliette's generosity.

She had planned on ringing Holly from the airport but the traffic was slow and by the time she checked in the plane was already boarding. Taking her seat, she pulled out her phone and tried Holly's number but it was disconnected. Of course, she would have a new number now she was back in Toronto.

Over the intercom, the flight attendant instructed passengers to buckle their seatbelts and turn off mobile phones. Gail hastily sent a text to Frankie asking her to collect her at the airport. Last night had reminded her enough of Perick and she didn't think she could handle taking a taxi. At least Oliver would have told Holly she was safe, Gail thought. As the plane began to taxi down the runway, she closed her eyes and fell immediately asleep.

…..

8pm and Oliver still hadn't heard from Juliette. He had put a call through to the detective an hour ago but her phone had gone straight to messages. Oliver sighed. He guessed he better make his way over to the Penny for Holly's welcome back. He didn't really want to face the doctor, not when he didn't have any news for her, but he was already an hour late for the get-together.

Oliver's phone rang as he was pulling up outside the Penny. It was Juliette.

'Gail safely home, then' she said.

'What' Oliver asked confused, 'is she okay? We haven't heard anything'.

'Oh' said Juliette, 'I thought Gail or Superintendent Peck would have told you. Nick put her on a plane back to Toronto at midday. Sorry, its been crazy here and I haven't had a chance to call you'.

Oliver let go of the breath he hadn't realized he'd been holding in. 'Thank God. I need to go tell her girl'.

'Well I believe she's the reason Gail insisted on getting on that plane. But Oliver, Gail had a rough night. She's okay but keep an eye on her'.

As Oliver opened the door to the Penny he could hear the sound of woof whistles and, judging by the scene before him, he didn't need to tell Holly that Gail was safe. Peck had beaten him to it and it looked like Holly wasn't letting go of her anytime soon.

….

Gail had never seen Holly really drunk and she was fast discovering that drunk Holly was extremely handsy. Although she decided that after the last 24 hours Holly could touch her anywhere she wanted and she wouldn't object, except not here in the Penny in front of half of 15 and Holly's colleagues from forensics. And not tonight. The adrenaline rush Gail experienced on seeing Holly had worn off and now she felt like she could sleep for days. Tonight she just wanted to hold Holly close.

It felt surreal that less than 24 hours ago she was in the clutches of a modern day femme fatale. Dramatic much, Gail said to herself. When Frankie had told her about the get-together for Holly, Gail didn't think she could face the Penny with the noise and the people and their inevitable questions, but then the longing to see Holly had won out. Now here she was seated at a booth in the Penny sandwiched between Chloe and Holly with Frankie opposite. Frankie, having collected Gail from the airport, was once again taking credit for reuniting she and Holly. The ego of the woman was astounding, thought Gail.

Holly was leaning in against Gail and her hand, which had started on Gail's knee, was moving further and further up her leg. Gail knew she needed to get Holly home and soon. Holly was the consummate professional - well except when it came to her, thought Gail smiling at the memory of fake files and the kisses in interrogation rooms - and she might regret her behavior when she showed up at work tomorrow. Although, to be honest that kiss had put pay to any hope of keeping their relationship low-key at work.

'Is it time to go home?' Gail asked quietly, and when Holly nodded enthusiastically she turned to Chloe and said 'Can you drive us Price?'

'Jeez, Peck', Frankie interrupted, 'keep it in your pants'.

Gail just rolled her eyes. Was Frankie born to be a jackass. Once in Chloe's car, Gail turned to Holly and said 'my place or'. She trailed off, realizing she didn't know where Holly was living.

'I'm staying at Rachel's, but your place'.

By the time they arrived at Gail's, Holly who was in the backseat, and who had been talkative when they left the Penny, had become quiet. Gail went round to open her door and Holly looked at her sheepishly, saying softly, 'I don't feel too good. Things are spinning'. So Gail had led her upstairs, helped her out of her clothes and into a t-shirt and put her to bed.

As she crawled in next to Holly, her head leaden from the need to sleep and feeling like every muscle and joint in her body ached, Gail reflected on the irony that it was she who was looking after Holly when at the airport she'd reassured Nick, a little saucily, not to worry about her because she'd soon be in the hands of a doctor.

….

When Holly woke the next morning, she was alone. She hadn't taken in much the night before, but looking around now she saw she was in a spacious attic room that led out onto a rooftop patio. There was a glass of water, Tylenol and a note on the bedside table. In her slightly messy script, Gail had written 'Had to leave early. Hope your second day at work is ok. Feel free to borrow any of my clothes – there might even be some fleece. I'll call later'.

Holly groaned and dropped her head back onto the pillow. Gail Peck had disappeared on her again.