I do not own Rookie Blue or any of the characters…

I'm so sorry it took so long to update this. I tried and tried to get it done sooner but life has this annoying habit of interrupting. It is a long chapter (possibly the longest I've written) so that might make up for it.

Normally I respond to guest reviews but its very late and I just need to post this so next time I promise. Please do review—I love receiving them all, even the ones asking me to update because at least I know people are out there still wanting to read this. And thanks for the follows and favs as well as the reviews.

If you are confused by the opening scenes, there are lots of references to events from the previous chapter.

And I can't believe I've been writing this for two years now...

Apologies for mistakes. Hope you enjoy.

..

'I need you to remove this,' Gail said, holding out her wrist to show Holly the Fitbit. Somehow her mother had managed to have it surgically implanted. If Gail didn't do enough steps every hour it sent a shock through her body that went all the way to her head. Right now it felt like someone was hammering her skull. She must be really behind on those steps.

'Honey, I'm not qualified,' Holly said. 'If I take that out I could kill you.'

'But if it stays on, it's going to kill me, no question. It's worth a try,' Gail wheedled, her eyes wide like a puppy's.

Holly shook her head. 'Maybe Lisa,' she trailed off doubtfully.

'Do you think she would,' Gail tried not to sound too eager.

'Possibly. I'm seeing her for lunch. Why don't I ask her then?'

Gail nodded. When Holly left, she opened the refrigerator and considered her options. The problem was if she went over her calorie limit, the Fitbit sent another charge through her body and her head already felt like a battering ram. She spied some leftover pizza and her mouth began to water but then almost instantly her head was pounding again. Jeez, it seemed like even thinking about the 'wrong' food was forbidden. What if she thought about vegetables? Gail tried to visualize a plate piled high with juicy raw carrot sticks and of herself attacking the plate with the kind of gusto she reserved for cheese puffs, but even she wasn't convinced and the image did nothing to stop the headache.

When she shut the refrigerator door and straightened up, Dov and Chloe were there, practically breathing down her neck. Gail jumped. 'Fuck, where did you two materialise from? Have you perfected teleporting or something?'

Dov smirked which made Gail curl her lip in annoyance.

'Gail, don't swear in front of the child,' Chloe chided.

Only then did Gail notice that Chloe was holding a baby, it's eyes wide and bright, almost febrile. It regarded Gail unblinkingly. Like it knew something Gail did not. Its head was over big and its skin smooth and it reminded Gail of an alien baby, although there was an earnestness about it that could only come from Dov. She guessed Chloe must have taken the pause off the baby thing.

'Can you get this off,' she held out her wrist.

'Why?' Dov asked.

'Because it clashes with my ascetic,' Gail deadpanned.

'Sure Gail,' Dov said sarcastically.

'Okay, Okay I wanna eat pizza. Happy now?'

'Well, ah,' Dov hedged. 'The thing is—'

'We can help, can't we Dov,' Chloe butted in, smiling brightly. 'I know Dov, you could reprogram the Fitbit so Gail could eat pizza.'

'But what about the Superintendent? We could lose our jobs.'

'As if,' Gail started to roll her eyes but the action caused a pain that was so searing she thought she might throw up.

Was the Fitbit monitoring her thoughts as well? Was negativity prohibited too? Weirdly, over the top of the shooting pain came the sensation that someone was examining her face, pressing their fingers against her cheekbones and down to her jaw. Their touch was light, so gentle it was almost a caress, but still it hurt. Involuntarily, Gail lashed out, trying to push the hands away.

Detective Palmer—actually make that ex-Detective Palmer—appeared then, grabbing Gail by both wrists, 'don't move, if you know what's good for you,' he hissed.

Who let him into the house, Gail wondered. Before she had time to call out to Dov and Chloe or anyone else for that matter, Gail found she was lying on the kitchen floor, pinioned by the detective, the wooden floorboards hard against her head. How had that happened? She tied to stand but the more she struggled, the more Palmer tightened his grip. He was leering again. It reminded Gail of Perick and she shuddered. 'Tell me a secret,' Palmer cajoled, the whisper in his voice laced with menace. 'All Peck's have secrets. Just ask Stevie boy. What's your secret, Gail?'

She opened her mouth to retort but her head was so foggy she couldn't think of what to say. Perhaps she'd been drugged again but then that didn't explain the pounding in her skull. Then Palmer wasn't there. He just seemed to dissolve. Poof. Gone. Well, that was a relief.

Gradually Gail became aware of a murmured conversation coming from somewhere near her feet. She looked down the length of her body but couldn't see anything because her belly was too swollen. Man, maybe Elaine was right. She really needed to lay off those donuts. Lisa came into view, pulling on a pair of latex gloves and peering down at Gail. 'Twins, I believe. Let's get these babies born.' She thwacked the band of the glove against her wrist. An old fashioned circular surgeon's mirror was strapped to her forehead and she wore an oversized green gown. Fuck, Lisa was a plastic surgeon not an obstetrician. What did she know about delivering babies? Was Holly really okay with this? I mean they were her babies too. With any luck they'd come out with those big brown eyes and nerd glasses. Gail struggled to sit up.

'Gail, honey, stay still if you can.' It was Holly's voice and it appeared to be far away.

Gail opened her eyes. When had she closed them? Miraculously Holly was right there, her face bowed over Gail's. Her mouth was tight and she looked worried. Maybe she didn't think Lisa was up to the task. Gail certainly didn't. There was something sadistic in the way the plastic surgeon had snapped those gloves, Gail decided.

At least now her head was cushioned in Holly's lap. Maybe she should just close her eyes again and have a little nap. It was so comfortable here and Holly would keep her safe. Then when she woke up all this confusion was sure to be over or else she'd be the proud mother of donut babies. Actually come to think of it, when had that happened?

'No, stay awake, stay with us,' Holly sounded panicked. Well, that was weird.

'Gail, look at me.'

Was that Lisa speaking? It was Lisa's doctor's voice. Firm and authoritative. Shit, she wasn't getting a boob job, was she? Surely Holly wouldn't let that happen. Gail's eyes flew open.

'You blacked out. You need to stay awake now. Fight the urge to sleep,' Lisa said.

Gail tasted the blood in her mouth then, and noticed how cold the floor was against her back. She registered that she was lying against the cool black and white tiles of the restaurant bathroom, their diamond pattern repeating endlessly like an optical illusion. It made her head spin. Her stomach heaved a little but she managed to fight the nausea. The lights in the bathroom were overly bright and she just wanted to close her eyes and sleep and she couldn't understand why Lisa and Holly wouldn't let her.

'Nothing appears to be broken but Frankie's called an ambulance. It will be here soon.'

Gail tried to nod but it hurt too much. Why was Lisa calling an ambulance? It was just nausea. She wondered if she should sit up. It was pretty undignified lying on a bathroom floor. I mean she'd sunk to some depths before but this was sort of tacky. She wouldn't want Holly's parents to see her like this. Although the floor was actually quite clean for a bathroom.

Thinking about Becca and Kurt made Gail recall where she was. Kurt's birthday dinner. She must have drunk more than she realised and passed out. This was bad. That had never happened before. Gail usually knew her limit. She reached up a hand to the side of her face and was surprised to find it wet, and when she brought her fingers away they were smeared with blood. Had she fallen and hit her head?

'We just need you to lie there til the paramedics get here. Is that okay?' Lisa asked solicitously.

Why was Lisa being nice? That in itself was the most baffling part of whatever it was that was going on. Gail went to nod again but remembered that made her head hurt more. 'Yeah,' she said. It came out as a croak, which surprised her. 'I'm not having a boob job, am I?'

Lisa furrowed her brow, which didn't exactly fill Gail with confidence. 'Can you tell me your name?' the surgeon asked.

'My real one or what you like to call me.'

'Real,' Lisa said, not rising to the bait.

'You know my name, Lisa. Why do I need to say it?' She sounded whiny even to her ears.

'Honey,' Holly said, her voice so gentle it seemed to be floating and Gail had this urge to follow that voice wherever it would take her. 'Can you answer Lisa's questions, can you do that for me.'

'Gail Stewart,' Gail said emphatically.

'What,' Lisa spluttered.

'You asked me my name. I told you,' Gail said impatiently. 'Gail Stewart.'

'Ookay then,' Lisa said, exchanging a look with Holly.

'I saw that, Lisa,' Gail said. 'Don't think you can fool me and don't try to drag Holly into this, this,' Gail floundered. 'Whatever this is,' she finished lamely.

'Wouldn't dream of it,' Lisa's lips twitched and Gail could have sworn she was trying not to smirk. It wasn't Lisa's usual derisive lip curl. In fact, strangely she seemed amused. 'Date of birth?' Lisa asked.

'What are you planning on buying me a birthday present?' Gail snarked but answered anyway. 'First of November 1986.'

Lisa looked over at Holly who gave a quick nod in confirmation.

'What day is it?'

'Really, now I'm your personal calendar. You're a doctor. You figure it out.'

'Gail,' Holly said, her voice still gentle but there was an entreaty there that Gail couldn't ignore.

'Alright, alright,' she huffed, 'Thursday 25th May 2017. Happy now.'

The swing door of the bathroom opened with a swish that Gail didn't recall hearing when Francine came in. That's right Francine. The reason Gail was lying on the floor or had she actually imagined that, imagined Francine appearing like a grinning idiot, malice emanating off her like an unpleasant odour.

'Francine,' she asked, wanting to know if the woman had been apprehended but Holly mistook her meaning.

'It's just Becca,' she said reassuringly.

'But Francine was here,' Gail asked, feeling confused. Nothing seemed to quite make sense. She couldn't get a handle on her thoughts. They were blurred at the edges, and she had no control over the way they swooped in and out of her head. Recalcitrant thoughts. Maybe she should arrest them for being disorderly. She giggled at that, earning a worried look from Holly. For a moment Gail wondered if she should cast about for something heavy to weigh down her thoughts, to anchor them, but there appeared to be nothing in the sterile bathroom that might serve this purpose.

Holly was peering at her, trying not to seem alarmed, to be in fact reassuring. Gail wanted to tell Holly not to bother, that her concern was palpable in the little crease in her forehead, the slight downward turn to her lips and the way her eyes weren't smiling like they normally did around Gail.

Smiling eyes. Now that was an odd concept, Gail mused, but that's how Holly usually looked at her, with smiling eyes. It made Gail want to smile herself, but then she remembered that Holly's eyes weren't smiling, in fact looked quite sombre. It confused Gail but more than anything it troubled her, especially because she bet she was the cause of Holly's anxiety.

'Frankie arrested her,' Holly said, breaking into Gail's ruminations. 'Frankie arrested Francine,' she clarified when Gail looked at her uncomprehendingly, having lost that particular train of thought. See her thoughts were wayward—they just flew off somewhere.

'Oh yes, Francine,' Gail said, doing her best to appear composed. 'Arrested.'

'Not before Holly socked her in the jaw,' Lisa said in a way that seemed almost proud, like she had personally trained Holly to do just that. 'And then finished her off with a jab to the solar plexus. After that Francine was too winded to put up a fight.'

'Wow! Always knew that boxing class at the gym would come in handy, Holly,' Gail tried to joke, tried to make it seem like she had her wits about her but her head felt heavy and the words came out shakily. She was aware she should be asking more about Francine but she couldn't piece all the disjointed bits of information together. How had Francine come to be in the bathroom and when did Frankie appear and why was Holly, an avowed pacifist, punching people.

'I've got the ice,' Becca held up a bag, 'the kitchen can give us more if we need it.'

That's right—Becca was here. Gail had quite forgotten that. How many people were in the bathroom? It wasn't that big. And they were all pressed in around her far too closely—with the exception of Holly of course. Gail didn't mind how close she got.

Becca passed the ice bag to Holly, who placed it on the side of Gail's face. The relief was almost instant. It made Gail realize how much pain she was actually in. Lisa had said she hadn't broken anything but one side of her face felt like someone had used it as a punching bag. It was throbbing horribly and Gail could tell it was already beginning to swell.

…..

When the paramedics arrived they asked Gail to give her pain a number out of ten. Gail began to scrunch up her forehead but that started up the hammering in her head again, making her realize movement of any kind was not a good idea. She was nothing if not a quick study. A fact that had always seemed to elude Elaine.

'Be honest,' Holly said. 'Gail tends to be stoic,' she explained to the paramedics.

'Most cops are,' one of them said. 'So Detective, can you give me a number out of ten?'

'Um you know probably a three, maybe four,' Gail said, not sounding at all certain.

'So an eight or a nine?'

'You know pain is relative,' Gail said, now seeming quite lucid. 'There must be studies. Holly would know'

'Yeah,' the paramedic exchanged a look with Holly.

'How about you describe the pain,' the other paramedic suggested.

'It hurts like fuck,' Gail admitted, biting her lip to stop from saying more. She hadn't meant to blurt that out but now she'd owned up to the pain, Gail found she could no longer ignore it. 'No pain meds, though' she added through gritted teeth. 'They make me loopy.'

'How about a small dose of Percocet? Just to take the edge off,' the first paramedic suggested, looking to Holly for permission.

'Don't look at her,' Gail said. 'Of course she'll say yes. She doesn't like to see me hurting. No meds.' Even as she spoke, Gail was assailed by blinding pain. She became aware too of an incessant ringing in her ears that was getting louder and louder so she had to strain make out what people were saying. For a moment she thought she might pass out again. She closed her eyes.

'Detective Peck, I'm administering the Percocet. We need you to stay awake,' the first paramedic said, clearly reading the situation.

Gail didn't bother trying to nod. 'I'm kinda drunk, I think,' she said.

'It's okay. I promise it will be a small dose,' the paramedic reassured her.

As they wheeled the stretcher out of the bathroom, Gail caught sight of herself in a long mirror. The right side of her face was streaked with blood. Her lip was split and starting to swell and there was the beginning of a black eye. Her mouth felt strange too. Running her tongue along her top teeth and then to the side, Gail found one was jagged. She remembered then. Francine and that hideous grin and how she smashed Gail's face into the basin.

Remembered too how she was dulled by alcohol and too slow to react. Elaine would never forgive her. It was like Perick and the peephole all over again. But Gail had at least moved her head, jerked it to the side, so only one half of her face connected with the basin, but still with a terrible crunch and hard enough that she blacked out.

…..

'Where is she,' Elaine demanded. There was a dangerous glint in her eye, which made Frankie, who wasn't someone who scared easily, take a step back.

'The paramedics just arrived. Lisa thinks Gail is concussed. I'm guessing they'll bring her out any minute,' Frankie said. She was standing in the entrance to the restaurant, not wanting to crowd Gail or get in the way. There were enough people who knew what they were doing looking after her. Besides, Frankie felt she needed to keep an eye on things out here.

'I don't mean Gail,' Elaine said impatiently, 'where is Dr Hart.'

'Uh,' Frankie stalled. Should she tell Elaine? She got the sense that if the superintendent got anywhere near Francine Hart she would tear her limb from limb. There was a ferocity about Elaine which she was barely keeping in check. 'Why?' Frankie tried to ignore the eyes boring into her. You'd think she'd know better than to question a superior officer, especially a Peck.

'Are you asking me to explain myself?' It was a well-rehearsed show of haughtiness but then that's all it was. Frankie recognized there was no real conviction behind the words. 'You're not stupid Detective. You know I outrank-'

'Sergeant Vincent has taken Dr Hart to the station,' Frankie interrupted, refusing to be intimidated. 'To question and charge her.'

'Fiona Vincent? She's been here already? I only just now put a call through to her and it went straight to voicemail.'

'The Sergeant was on her way here to have dinner with the Lisa and the Stewarts and,' Frankie waved her hand about, 'and their party,' she finished lamely, wondering why she couldn't just say Gail.

'Well,' Elaine was suddenly all business—no hint of the displeasure she exhibited a moment ago. 'I best get down to 15.'

'I don't think that's a good idea, Superintendent.' Fuck why had she said that?

'You don't.' It was a statement not a question. The scorn came not from Elaine's tone but from the way in which she drew out the two words, just like Gail might when she was about to turn on someone she thought an imbecile. Elaine rocked back slightly on her heels. There was a flush to her cheeks, which became more marked as her anger gathered.

'You need to be with your daughter,' Frankie ploughed on. In for a penny, in for a pound and all that. Maybe she should just hand Elaine her badge and be done with it. 'As Gail's mother you can't get involved in this case and you most definitely shouldn't question Francine. Not if you want a solid conviction. So go see Gail.'

Elaine appeared about to snap, her mouth opened and Frankie braced herself for the vitriol that was sure to follow, but a sudden movement at the door to the bathroom distracted the superintendent. The paramedics were wheeling out the stretcher. Holly and Lisa flanked one side and Holly's parents brought up the rear. The diners seated furthest away craned their necks to get a glimpse of what was going on. Gail would hate that.

'Gail has her new family. She has no need for me,' Elaine said stiffly, but Frankie heard the hurt behind the words.

'She won't if you just stand by,' Frankie said, still not quite sure what was driving her to do this. 'Or is rejection what you're aiming for?

'I, I' Elaine stuttered. 'I don't know what you are talking about.'

The only time Frankie ever saw the Superintendent not in total command of herself was when it came to Gail. Clearly she loved her daughter more than she ever let on, despite the completely fucked up way she raised Gail. Frankie wondered if it was the knowledge of where she had gone so wrong with Gail that made Elaine hold back. At some level did the Superintendent believe she didn't deserve Gail's forgiveness?

'Yeah you do,' Frankie said firmly. 'I'm an expert at pushing people away so I recognise the move. '

'I,' Elaine began and then furrowed her brow. 'Gail wouldn't want me there.' It was said in such a sad, resigned way, and remarkably Elaine, like her voice, suddenly seemed small and deflated, her usual decisiveness deserting her.

'Just go,' Frankie urged. 'Tell Holly you'll meet them at the hospital.' She got that Elaine felt excluded. You only had to spend five minutes with Gail and Kurt and Becca to realize how much the three got along. Hadn't Elaine even taken Lisa and Fiona Vincent under her wing and here they were out to dinner with the Stewarts. Frankie sighed. She didn't even know why she cared, why she was intervening to help the superintendent. After all, Elaine had brought this on herself.

The paramedics had almost drawn level with them. Would she need to push Elaine in front of the stretcher, Frankie wondered, but then the superintendent took a tentative step forward.

'I'll follow you,' Elaine said to Holly as Gail and the entourage passed. Holly gave a grim nod, which probably did nothing to encourage Elaine but Frankie ushered her out the door anyway.

'Mother,' Gail said once the stretcher was out on the sidewalk. Gail's voice was so quiet that Elaine, who was hanging back, had to hustle to her side and lean in close to hear. 'I didn't look through the peephole. I fucked up again, mother.'

Because the paramedics didn't stop but pushed the stretcher forward, neither Gail nor the others caught the stricken look on Elaine's face. Frankie saw it though. It was as if it was Elaine who had been sucker-punched in the stomach.

….

'Gail needs to be seen immediately.' Lisa was at her bitchy, superior best but the triage nurse wouldn't be moved.

'Tell that to the folks who've been waiting here hours,' the nurse said disinterestedly, not looking up from her clipboard. She jerked her thumb in the direction of the waiting room, which actually wasn't that busy. By Holly's reckoning anyway. 'From the sounds of it, your drunk friend needs to sleep it off.'

Holly had come across people like this nurse during clinical rotations in med school. The hospital gatekeepers. If you didn't keep in good with them, butter them up and charm them, your life could be hell. Normally they didn't jeopardize patient care though. Lisa must have done something to really piss her off.

'She is not drunk,' Lisa said indignantly.

Which was not entirely true, Holly thought, although not the reason Gail's dulcet tones could be heard all the way from the bed she'd be parked in, down the corridor and out to the nurses' station. Seemed like even a small dose of pain meds didn't agree with her. She was currently singing a medley of Nina Simone songs. It had started with 'My baby just cares for me' and had morphed into 'Feelin' good' and she was now doing some complicated riffing that sounded surprisingly good, especially for someone with concussion. Elaine and Becca had stayed with Gail, and Holly wondered how the two women were coping with noise level.

'It's the meds, ah,' Holly glanced at the ID clipped to the woman's uniform. 'Beth. Gail has a low tolerance.'

'And smells like a distillery. If she doesn't shut up soon, I'll be calling the cops to throw her into the drunk tank,' Beth said, her mouth draw in a grim line.

'Detective Peck is an officer of the law.' Lisa's voice was rising. 'We're talking a potential head injury here. She needs a CAT scan immediately.'

'Is she responsive?'

'Uh yes,' Lisa said.

'Knows her name, where she is, what day it is etc,' Beth flapped her hand.

'Well, yes.'

'Any sign of a skull fracture?'

'No'

'Spinal damage?'

Lisa shook her head.

'Vomiting.'

'No but she's going in and out of consciousness,' Lisa protested, the barrage from the nurse making her uncharacteristically helpless. 'And she is showing signs of confusion.'

'Doesn't sound urgent. Take a number. Wait your turn,' Beth turned to go. It was nasty and mean and totally uncalled for.

Holly didn't get it. Lisa usually treated the hospital as if she owned it. Being a surgeon meant people normally listened to her, ostensibly at least, and as a surgeon at this very hospital surely she could, in fact should, be dictating a treatment plan for Gail.

'It's not the first time Gail has been concussed, Beth,' Holly said, hoping to make some sort of connection with the nurse by using her first name. 'As you know, that increases the chance of brain injury. Dr Barrett is on her way in to take a look at Gail. I think she'd want a CAT scan.'

'Dr Barrett. Why didn't you say Miss Peck was Dr Barrett's patient,' Beth said, instantly cooperative, though she shot Lisa an accusatory look. 'We'll send Miss Peck up straight away.'

'It's Detective Peck,' Lisa corrected, her annoyance plain. Beth didn't answer but busied herself with the clipboard. Plainly they were dismissed.

'What was that about?' Holly asked as she and Lisa walked back to Gail's bed.

'I slept with Beth.'

'And?'

'And we were having fun but Beth wanted more. As if. I'm a surgeon. She's a nurse. So I put a stop to it,' Lisa said, as if that was justification enough.

'Oh Lisa,' Holly shook her head. 'Will you never change.'

Gail was sitting up in bed. If not for the state of her face, she would have appeared quite blissful. She stopped singing when she caught sight of her girlfriend. 'Did we get married Holly?' It was hard to miss the slightly accusatory tone to the question.

'Ah no,' Holly said tentatively, uncertain of where this was going.

'Are you sure?'

'I think I'd remember marrying you, Gail,' Holly smiled.

Gail smiled back and then looked around, frowning a little when she saw Elaine seated at her bedside. 'And I guess Superintendent Mom would have organised a big ass wedding we couldn't forget even if we wanted to,' she said to Holly in what she clearly thought was a whisper but which in fact was audible to everyone gathered around the bed.

Elaine coughed uncomfortably.

'Why did you think we were married?' Holly asked, tilting her head to one side in that way that made Gail think she probably should propose, in fact was crazy not to.

'I told Lisa my name was Gail Stewart and neither of you corrected me.'

'Oh. About that,' Holly started, but Elaine interrupted before Holly had a chance to ask Gail why she'd insisted her last name was Stewart.

'Are you going to take Holly's name,' Elaine sat up straighter in her chair, her alarm evident.

'We haven't even proposed.' Gail screwed up her face, and then looked at Holly for confirmation, 'Have we?'

'No,' Holly took Gail's hand. Why was it that every time Gail got high on meds she became fixated on marriage? 'We decided marriage wasn't for us, not right now anyway.'

'An overrated institution,' Becca said affably despite the fixedness of her opinion.

'But imagine the party we could have,' Gail beamed.

'Well, there is that,' Becca agreed. 'It's as good a reason as any to get hitched.'

'You could just have a party,' Lisa said. 'Then we wouldn't have to buy presents.'

'True and I wouldn't have to tolerate you being Holly's bridesmaid,' Gail smiled sweetly. 'A win-win all round.'

Beth, who had appeared with a wheelchair at the beginning of the marriage conversation, sniggered.

'You're not a fan of Lisa's,' Gail regarded the nurse, narrowing her eyes as if she were getting a reading on her. 'You dated Lisa didn't you?'

'Technically we were just having fun,' Lisa said hurriedly before Beth could answer.

Gail turned a withering gaze on Lisa.

'Clearly nothing wrong with her head,' Beth said dryly, 'but won't hurt to do a scan.'

The ride up in the elevator to radiology was tense. Nobody spoke at first. Gail held Holly's hand. Beth was behind the wheelchair looking straight ahead, while Lisa stood to one side, as if trying to put distance between herself and the nurse.

'Are you an ex too?' Beth said to Gail after a moment.

'God no,' Gail replied. 'Girlfriend of the best friend. Too blue collar apparently. Thinks Holly could do better. Preferably a doctor but at the very least someone with a six-figure income.'

'That sounds like Dr Gordon.'

Lisa sniffed.

'But she's dating a cop now,' Gail continued as if Lisa wasn't there. 'A white shirt though.'

Beth arched an eyebrow and smiled at Lisa, a big fake smile. 'Slumming it, doctor. My, my times have changed.'

Gail laughed and Holly couldn't help smirking, which amused Gail even more because she knew Holly still hadn't quite forgiven Lisa for that blue-collar comment. Before Lisa could respond, the elevator dinged and the doors opened onto the radiology floor.

'Saved by the bell,' Gail quipped and Beth laughed.

Really, there was nothing wrong with Gail's head, Holly thought as she followed Gail and the nurse out of the elevator. Gail may have lost her filter temporarily, which was not unusual with concussion—not that she had much of one around Lisa at the best of times.

….

'The scans have come back clear, but given this isn't the first time you've been concussed, I'd like to keep you in overnight for observation,' Alannah smiled.

She was being all doctory, too doctory, Gail decided. Her voice firm but pleasant and she had that reassuring smile. Exuding confidence and authority. Gail was no fool. It was a trick so she wouldn't make a fuss and would do what the doctor ordered. They all knew how to do it. Even Lisa sounded like that back in the restaurant bathroom. Maybe they were taught it in med school. Maybe it was even a course requirement. Gail made a note to ask Holly later. She was tempted to point out that Alannah exhibited a good less vocal control last night when Gail overheard her calling out Frankie's name. Really, the walls in that apartment were paper-thin.

'Plus she was drunk to begin with, I'd be admitting her' Lisa said. 'And don't forget the paramedics gave her morphine.'

Trust Lisa to snitch, Gail thought. Maybe Lisa was getting her back for what she said to Beth the nurse. She would have rolled her eyes but she was alert enough to know that would probably hurt.

They were back in the emergency ward, and Gail was propped up with pillows on a bed that felt anything but comfortable. Elaine and Becca were no longer there but no one seemed to have noticed their disappearance. Gail made another note to ask Holly about that as well. The number of things she needed to remember were definitely not helping her headache in the least.

'So we'll take you up to neuro once a bed is free,' Alannah said as it was decided.

'Hooolly,'Gail whined, reaching for her girlfriend's hand.

'Good thing you've got a tough skull,' Holly squeezed Gail's hand and smiled but the worry in her eyes was still there. Gail hated making her uneasy. Maybe she should retire and grow flowers or something. Maybe that would make Holly happy.

'Holly,' Gail tugged Holly's hand urgently. 'No hospitals.'

'Gail, I'll stay with you,' Holly said gently, but Gail could hear the sigh behind her words. Was she being a brat? Probably. Her head still felt like it was swimming and she couldn't determine whether it was from the injury, the alcohol she'd consumed or the morphine. Perhaps it was a combination of all three. What a cocktail. Maybe she should come up with a name for it. The headbanging high perhaps?

When they'd first brought her into the hospital, Gail was floating. Wow had she felt good, like everything was just peachy, and she had not a care in the world. She was kind of in her body and out of it, her skin like velvet, soft but sleek at the same time and humming, definitely humming in a deliciously tingly sort of way. Somewhere in the very back of her mind she recognised she was high but couldn't care less. She must have been grinning because people mainly smiled back, and a few looked at her curiously.

Now though, that feeling was starting to wear off. Like a wave receding on an azure sea, the iridescent water that had drawn you here in the first place ebbing slowly to reveal a pebbled shore, the hard little stones digging sharply into the soles of your feet. No doubt about it, Gail felt like she was on that pebbled shore right now. Her head throbbed dully and her lip stung and her jagged tooth was starting to ache and she was having trouble focusing on any one idea. The only thing Gail was certain about was she hated hospitals and wasn't staying here a minute longer than she had too.

'Can't I go home. Holly, it will be more comfortable for both of us,' Gail cajoled, doing her best to sweet-talk Holly. There may have even been a small bat of her eyelids, no mean feat given the state of her head.

'I strongly recommend staying in overnight. If anything should go wrong, and I'm not suggesting it will, but if it did then we can respond immediately, which can be vital with head injuries,' Alannah said.

'I know what you're up to,' Gail said, pointing her finger at Alannah.

'Sorry?'

'Tricking me with your doctor voice.'

'My,' Alannah started uncertainly.

'She's still a little high,' Holly said as an aside to Alannah.

'I heard that, Holly,' Gail pouted. Traitor, she thought.

'And I heard you entertained Emergency with an impromptu concert,' Alannah smiled.

'See you're being tricky again. You can't trust doctors,' Gail said. 'Even my girlfriend's siding with you.'

'Gail, its just, well it will make me feel better, okay,' Holly said, the words coming out with difficulty. 'I'll worry less if you're here. I know you hate hospitals and I know you'd rather be home and I know that of course you're going to be fine but can you just do this one thing. It's only one night and I promise I'll be here the whole time and—'

'Alright, alright,' Gail threw up her hands. If she wasn't starting to feel so lousy she'd just kiss Holly but right now that was definitely not an option, particularly as Elaine and Becca had reappeared in the ward and were marching towards the bed with an overnight bag. Well, Elaine was marching and Becca looked a lot less uptight. 'No need to ramble, all you needed to do is ask, nerd.'

Holly quirked her lips in a way that suggested she was faintly amused and Gail was pleased she'd been able to divert her, even if briefly. By this time, Becca and Elaine had arrived at the foot of Gail's bed.

'I thought they would have admitted Gail by now,' Becca said. She didn't wait for an answer before continuing, 'Kurt and Zach went to Alannah's apartment and got you pyjamas and toiletries and a change of clothes for tomorrow.' Becca held up the overnight bag. 'They can't come in as Emergency has a limit on visitors. It's supposed to be two but I think Elaine has some sway,' Becca winked. 'Anyway, Kurt sends his love and said to look after that head of yours, Gail.'

'And I've got you a private room,' Elaine chimed in. 'I didn't think you'd appreciate sharing.'

'Wow,' Gail scowled. 'Is everyone conspiring to keep me in the hospital. Next you're going to tell me donuts are being served for breakfast.'

'That can be arranged,' Alannah said brightly.

….

'We spend too much time in hospital,' Gail said.

'Don't remind me,' Holly winced.

'Sorry, sorry,' Gail said softly, looking pained at causing Holly distress.

They were lying on the bed in Gail's room, positioned so they were face to face. Holly had an arm around Gail's waist. It was a protective gesture and Gail wondered if Holly had consciously placed her arm like that or whether it came from an instinct to shield her. Gail didn't mind either way. It felt safe and calm being this close to Holly. Now the effects of the morphine and alcohol had dissipated, Gail was remembering. She hadn't yet told Holly, but the thing she kept thinking about, the thought she couldn't shake, was she believed Francine might kill her.

There was this look in Francine's eye, which Gail caught just as Francine smashed her face into the basin, and it was so depraved and so malevolent that Gail was convinced she didn't stand a chance. Had she had time before she blacked out, Gail would have berated herself for allowing this to happen, for getting so drunk she was taken off guard.

It hadn't occurred to her that Francine would attack her in a public place. It should have. Hadn't Francine approached her at the swimming pool and threatened her and why hadn't Gail taken that as a warning? How could she have been so stupid? If she'd overlooked something so obvious in a case it would be considered negligent, enough to earn her a formal rebuke, if not a demotion. She was a police officer for fuck's sake and she let someone sneak up on her.

'You are thinking too much,' Holly said, placing a soft kiss on Gail's forehead. 'It's not good to over tax your brain after a concussion.'

'Is that right, doctor,' Gail mustered a small smile.

'Gail, it wasn't your fault, getting attacked. You couldn't have known Francine would follow us to the restaurant. Don't blame yourself for this and don't let anyone else either.'

'You mean Elaine?'

Holly nodded. She was so earnest Gail wanted to believe her. 'How did you know what I was thinking?' Gail asked.

Holly did that lopsided smile thing, but there was something in her expression that said, really you need to ask that question. 'I reckon I know something about the way your mind works.'

'Yeah,' Gail said. 'So you punched Francine.' She said it to deflect, to stop from admitting that she had believed she might die. Gail didn't think Holly was ready to hear that yet, not so soon after the event.

'You really want to hear about that now?'

'Yeah,' Gail said, lacing her fingers with Holly's.

Holly hissed and seemed about to pull her hand back, but Gail wouldn't let her.

'Let me see,' she said. Even in the weak strip of light that came from a fixture above the bed, Gail could tell that Holly's hand was red and puffy. 'Shit, Holly it's really swollen. We need to get some ice on it.' Gail tried to sit up in the bed.

'What are you doing?' Holly asked in alarm.

'Looking for the call button. We need a nurse.'

'Gail, nothing's broken,' Holly started to protest but Gail looked unconvinced. 'See I can make a fist.' Gail looked at her sternly. 'Oh okay,' Holly said, finding the call button on her side of the bed and pressing it.

'And you told the paramedics I was stoic,' Gail grumbled.

'Oh, I'd definitely be asking for the best pain meds in the house if I had my face all smashed up,' Holly said, and then bit her lip. 'Oh shit. I didn't mean that to sound so, so callous.'

'It's okay,' Gail smiled at Holly's agitation. 'But just so you know, I may have to rename you slugger.'

After the nurse left—having furnished Holly with an ice pack and a dose of Tylenol—Gail, with much prompting, finally convinced Holly to tell her what happened after she passed out.

'And don't feel you have to spare me. I want all the details,' Gail informed Holly. 'I'll find out anyway so it's better if I hear your version.'

'Is that how you get all your confessions,' Holly teased but Gail just looked at her implacably. 'Oh all right.'

It transpired that Frankie, who had driven Holly to the restaurant, had just merged back into the traffic when she happened to look in the rear-view mirror and see Francine lurking on the sidewalk outside the restaurant. Frankie pulled the brake and flipped the hazard lights and, leaving the car in the middle of the road, sprinted across to the restaurant, ignoring the irate drivers behind her who were honking their horns and yelling obscenities. By the time she reached the sidewalk, Frankie had lost sight of Francine and guessed she must have slipped inside.

Once in the restaurant, Frankie almost immediately spied Holly, Lisa and Zach but no Gail. She rushed up to the table demanding where Gail was. Holly didn't reply but stood so fast it made her chair tumble back and onto the wooden floor with a crash. The commotion drew the attention of the other diners and several of the wait staff, but Holly was already off, making a beeline for the bathroom with Frankie and Lisa close behind.

When Holly pushed the swing door of the bathroom open, the first thing she saw was Gail lying on the floor and the second was the blood on her face. Francine was raising her foot like she was about to stomp on Gail's head. Just for a moment everything seemed to slow so that it was as if Francine's foot was suspended there. Holly wondered why Gail didn't roll out of the way, didn't put up some resistance. Then she realised Gail was unconscious. An unnatural calm descended over Holly and with it the tunnel vision of adrenaline and she just knew, god knows how or why, but she was certain that it was she who would stop Francine. There was no other option in fact.

Francine was so intent on Gail, she didn't immediately register Holly's shouted 'stop.' When she finally did, she turned bleary, unfocussed eyes on Holly. That's when Holly hit her. A punch to the jaw and then the solar plexus. Holly knew the second blow would take her out and so it did. It was swift and it was coolly done like Holly had been practising for this her whole life. Francine fell to the ground, clutching her stomach. Actually, Holly decided, it was more like Francine subsided, which was no surprise really as Holly had literally knocked the wind out of her.

It was then that Holly was overtaken with rage. She could hear the blood rushing in her ears and there was this violent surge that started in her gut and filled out her lungs. She didn't notice Lisa and Frankie come in and, if she were completely honest, may have even continued hitting Francine had her most pressing concern not been Gail. In any case Frankie said, 'I'll take it from here,' and swiftly cuffed Francine and led her out not in the least gently. Quite possibly Francine's shoulder connected painfully with the doorjamb but Holly took not the slightest bit of notice.

Gail didn't say anything when Holly finished but just stared at her.

'It was too much, oh god I should have waited before telling you,' Holly said in a rush.

Gail brought her hand up to touch Holly's face. There was a reverence to the gesture and herexpression was serious and then she smiled softly.

'Holly, you are totally bad ass,' Gail's smile morphed into a grin. 'If I wasn't already completely in love with you, I would be now. '

'So that's all I needed to do to stop you running,' Holly teased.

'Well, yeah,' Gail said it like it was obvious and started to screw up her face but then remembered her injuries and the fact that her head felt like she'd gone three rounds or ten with someone. 'I definitely would have hung around to see you KO Lisa.'

'Oh, I didn't actually mean,' Holly stammered. 'I was being metaphorical, I guess. I didn't literally mean that.' She emphasised the word 'that' which Gail took to mean knocking out Lisa. 'You know at the restaurant Lisa was really concerned about you.'

A memory of Lisa being attentive swam back into Gail's head. She recalled being confused that Lisa was being so kind. 'Does that mean we have to be nice to her now.'

'Well,' Holly drew out the word and appeared to be thinking. 'I won't hold you to it.'

'You think I can't,' Gail challenged. 'You know I'm capable of being nice to people.'

'Absolutely,' Holly smiled. 'Just not Lisa.'

'Hmpph,' Gail pouted. 'And just for the record, I was already in love with you, even before that night at the Penny.'

Holly smiled and kissed Gail very gently on the lips, avoiding where it was split, and tightened her arm around Gail's waist to draw her closer.

'Holly, I thought I might die in that bathroom,' Gail said so quietly it was nearly a whisper. She didn't want to alarm Holly—she just felt she owed it to her to be honest.

'I was afraid you would too,' Holly said, pulling Gail closer still.

…..

Gail didn't feel particularly rested in the morning. She never slept well in hospitals and then the nurses kept coming in every two hours to wake her. Which meant they also woke Holly. At least they hadn't said anything about Holly being curled up in bed with her. It had to be against hospital regulations but perhaps Elaine had put the fear of god in them. Although, it could be Alannah's doing. It was obvious the nursing staff universally liked the neurosurgeon.

By morning, Gail was completely sick of reciting her name and date of birth and the day of the week. 'It's Thurs—nope it's Fridays now,' she'd said, as she saw the small hand on the nurse's watch tick past midnight. She had sounded like a smartass and the nurse wasn't impressed. She kind of grunted in a noncommittal way and pursed her lips.

Waking up everything was sore. The drugs had worn off and there was a dull hammering in Gail's head, one side of her face was tender and she was again conscious of the jagged tooth.

Frankie slipped into the room just after 6 am, when the sullen nurse was doing a two-hourly check. The detective gave Gail a curt nod but didn't say anything, leaning against the wall with her arms crossed. Gail got the distinct impression she wasn't a happy camper. Had something gone wrong with Francine's arrest?

'Shit, you're up early,' Gail said when the nurse left, 'or didn't you get to bed.'

Frankie gave a weak smile, which was weird because she very seldom smiled. Her resting bitch face was really quite sour, and yet somehow Frankie pulled it off so people thought her alluring rather than bad-tempered. She looked exhausted. Dark circles under her eyes and a tension about her that might have come from lack of sleep but Gail sensed had another and far less benign cause. It wasn't like Frankie needed to get up early and come to the hospital to check on her welfare, especially as Alannah was sure to have updated her.

'Just need to borrow Holly,' Frankie said, 'is she around?'

''Bathroom,' Gail said, as Holly emerged freshly showered and dressed.

Holly didn't seem surprised to see Frankie, although her brows knitted together when the detective asked to speak to her outside.

Well that was peculiar, Gail thought after the two women went into the corridor. Maybe Frankie needed to take Holly's statement, but that could've waited a few more hours. And Frankie was acting strangely. When she walked in she hadn't even said hello to Gail or asked how she was. It was possible she was here about the Melanie Fisher investigation. Perhaps there had been a new development, maybe they had a solid suspect and needed forensics' input. Although, if that were the case, Rodney or someone else from the morgue could have easily covered for Holly.

Maybe the concussion was throwing her off and she had misread Frankie's behaviour and it was nothing. Just a case of overthinking because she couldn't switch her cop brain off. The appearance of Gemma Lister prevented further deliberation. If Frankie looked like shit, Gemma was worse. She had a moroseness about her that was completely odds with her usual peppiness. Whatever was dragging her down seemed to have manifested itself physically in the way her shoulders drooped, her downturned mouth and in the worry that clouded her eyes. Gemma started when she saw Gail.

'Yeah, not a pretty sight,' Gail said dryly. 'Black eyes and bruising don't do a thing for my complexion.'

Gemma tried to smile but it came out more like a grimace. She was tense just like Frankie, although it was a nervous tension. And like Frankie, her eyes were ringed with dark shadows but puffy as if she'd been crying.

'I need to examine you,' the resident said, not looking directly at Gail.

'I forgot you were on neuro,' Gail said. 'Did you pull an all-nighter?'

'What,' Gemma started again.

'You look,' Gail waved her hand in Gemma's direction, 'exhausted. I thought maybe you had a double shift.'

Gemma shook her head.

'Didn't sleep?' Gail asked.

Gemma didn't say anything but swallowed audibly. Okay, this was even weirder than the encounter with Frankie.

'Well, can't say I slept the sleep of the just either,' Gail joked. 'Between the nurses asking me questions and all the things that beep in this place—'

'Restorative sleep is important after a concussion,' Gemma interrupted, her speech hurried and stilted, like she was reciting form a textbook. When the resident moved closer to the bedside, Gail noticed a bead of sweat on her upper lip.

'You don't say,' Gail said acerbically, and then felt bad because Gemma seemed so rattled. To be honest, it was oly a little bit bad because, well, Gail Peck didn't generally bother trying to put people at ease.

'I think you'll be okay to go home today,' Gemma said when she'd completed the examination. 'Dr Barrett will want to double check of course.'

'Ookay,' Gail drew out the word, Gemma's jitteriness now making her awkward. 'Ah thanks.'

Gemma didn't reply but turned and practically fled from the room. Jeez, what was that all about, Gail wondered? Was Gemma uncomfortable because she'd tried to come on to Gail that time or were Gail's injuries so hideous she couldn't wait get away? Maybe it didn't have anything to do with Gail—duh, its not always all about you, she thought—maybe Gemma had had a bad case or lost a patient or something.

Gail's head hurt too much to be figuring out why everyone was acting so strangely, and anyway the sudden and pressing need to empty her bladder took priority. She got out of bed gingerly but even so standing made her woozy. Maybe she should have waited for Holly to help but then she and Frankie were busy doing secret squirrel business. Gail shuffled to the bathroom feeling like she was doing a good impression of an old lady.

Looking in the mirror, Gail took stock. The black eye was prominent now, her lip fat, and the bruising on one side of her face was purpling. She didn't look great. Then again it could have been a lot worse. Applying ice to her face immediatley had apparently helped.

When she thought about Becca's concern, in fact about the way everyone had made sure she was okay, Gail experienced a rush of warmth in her chest. It was a happiness and a contentment that she realized, with a measure of surprise, came from being loved, and it persisted despite the dull headache and her other twinges, and despite her battered reflection. Until Holly, Gail never believed she mattered much. This feeling of being valued, of people caring for her, was still novel and faintly miraculous, and sometimes she had to remind herself it was real. Gail did a mental eye roll. She really had been spending too much time with Chloe.

When Gail came out of the bahtroom, Holly was sitting on the bed. She looked up and gave Gail a grim smile.

'Okay not you too,' Gail said.

'Me too what?' Holly blinked.

'Everyone's been acting weird this morning. Frankie. Gemma Lister. Now you. Did someone die or something?'

Holly paled.

'What is it Holly?' Gail said. That last bit about someone dying had been a joke but now she was worried.

'Come sit,' Holly patted the space next to her on the bed. Gail did as she was asked. Holly reached for her hand but didn't look directly at Gail, instead staring straight ahead. 'Last night, well actually in the very early hours of this morning, but overnight I guess while we were here, well not here but maybe when we were still in Emergency, I mean they admitted you fairly late—'

'Holly what?' Gail asked, trying but not managing to conceal her impatience.

'Your house—I mean our house, um someone set fire to it. It's, oh fuck it's completely gutted, Gail.'

'Oh.' Perhaps it hadn't quite sunk in, but the relief that everyone was fine overtook the weight of the actual calamity. Gail knew her small 'oh' was a woefully inadequate response, and unsurprisingly Holly peered at her with unmistakable concern.

'I'm so sorry Gail—'Holly began but Gail interrupted her.

'Nobody died?'

Holly shook her head.

'The neighbours okay?'

'Yeah, it only affected our house. The fire fighters managed to control it before it spread to the surrounding properties.'

'That's good then.'

'Good? But everything's gone,' Holly said. 'Everything. All our possessions. Everything.'

'It's just stuff, Holly. It's replaceable,' Gail said gently. 'Thank god we weren't in there.'

Gail could see she was fighting it but Holly, who normally remained positive about most things, was glum. It was the final straw in a year of crazy. Home had always been a sanctuary for Holly, and increasingly for Gail. Even though she bought and renovated the house, Gail hadn't quite committed to that idea—that home could be more than a roof over your head—until Chloe came to stay.

The bubbly redhead insisted they compost and plant vegetables and a strawberry patch which last spring had produced the sweetest, reddest strawberries. On Saturdays when they weren't working, Chloe would drag Gail to the farmer's markets and back to the house laden with produce to cook up a feast, inviting friends over, at least the usual suspects—Dov and Chris, Frankie, and Oliver and Celery and even on occasion Andy—to eat and drink. Gail had grumbled at first but fairly quickly had to admit—only to herself of course—that she liked Chloe's hominess and actually looked forward to what had quickly become a weekend ritual of sorts. For the very first time in her life Gail understood what home really meant. Holly moving in only strengthened that feeling.

A single tear tracked down the side of Holly's face. Gail pulled her in for a hug. Frankie had clearly thought it best to spare her and break the news to Holly first but it probably would have worked better the other way round. Gail had become quite inured to the slings and arrows of outrageous fortune. Actually, just at this moment it was probably better not to reference a speech where Hamlet contemplated taking his own life. But whatever, she was used to life throwing crap at her and Holly was not.

'I'm sorry, it's just,' Holly sniffed, 'with you in here and Francine might have killed you and then our house. It's just—'

'Kind of too much,' Gail supplied. Holly nodded against her shoulder. 'We have each other. That's all that matters.'

'But the house,' Holly said pulling back to look at Gail.

'It was a beautiful house,' Gail said slowly, like she wanted to give that fact its due, 'but Francine breaking in, kind of, I dunno, tainted it?'

Holly nodded in understanding, her expression sorrowful.

'This way we can start fresh. Wherever we end up, it will always be just our place. No other history, no ghosts of girlfriends past or of psychos either. There's something cool about that,' Gail smiled.

'I guess,' Holly said tremulously.

'Wait, does Frankie know who did this? It has Francine written all over it but I'm guessing that doesn't fit the timeframe.'

'No, it doesn't. Francine was in custody when the blaze started. The Fire Department estimate it started around 10 pm. Unless she had some sort of sophisticated trigger that delayed the start of the fire, it has to be someone else. In any case, the house was doused in petrol before being set alight.'

'So no delay trigger,' Gail said musingly. She chewed at her lip as if deep in thought. 'Do you remember Gemma Lister, the resident who looked after you after the accident. The one who worked with Francine.'

'Yeah, of course' Holly said. 'Yesterday on the way to the restaurant, I stopped by home to have a shower and grab a change of clothes and, on our way out of the house, Frankie and I literally ran into Gemma lurking on the sidewalk. She was kind of being weird.'

'Weird? How?' Gail asked sharply.

'Evasive. Vague about what she was doing in the neighbourhood.'

'Yeah,' Gail said keenly.

'Okay, what?' Holly asked sensing Gail was onto something.

'Gemma came in to check on me while you were talking to Frankie. She seemed really jumpy. Wouldn't look me in the eye. I got the impression she hadn't slept last night.'

'Oh,' Holly said, understanding immediately what Gail was implying. 'But she hated Francine.'

'Yeah, well maybe that was an act or maybe Francine had something on her. I dunno, but Frankie should definitely talk to her.'

Gemma Lister, it transpired, had left the hospital saying she had a migraine and needed to go home.

'I thought something was off about her,' Frankie said. 'God I wish I'd pulled her in for questioning last night then this, your house, you know,' Frankie waved her hand about vaguely.

'Having a bad feeling about someone doesn't mean they've done something wrong,' Gail pointed out. 'Otherwise we'd be questioning half of Toronto.'

'That many people give you a bad feeling,' Frankie said. 'That's over a million individuals.'

'What can I say,' Gail shrugged, 'I don't like people.'

'Yeah, well add Gemma Lister to your list. Just so you know, Fiona Vincent is on her way over to Gemma's apartment.'

'We can't know for sure she's responsible for the fire,' Holly ventured.

'True,' Frankie agreed, 'but my gut feeling says she is.'

'What about Francine,' Gail asked, 'has she been charged.'

'Yeah. She admits being in the bathroom but isn't saying anything more. Francine's lawyer is insisting she have a psych assessment before we interview her again. Her parents are also on the way here from Boston.'

'I'm no doctor but I have a feeling she belongs in a psych ward not prison,' Gail said.

'And I guarantee she'll use her mental health as a defence,' Frankie scowled.

'As long as she stays away from Gail, I don't care what happens to her,' Holly said vehemently.

…..

It took several hours for Gail to be discharged. First Alannah came to examine her and give her the all clear. She was surprised to hear Gemma Lister might be responsible for setting the fire. 'She's a good doctor. She cares a lot about people. It's hard to see her doing something like that.'

'That's what most people say about the perps we arrest,' Frankie said, her countenance still grim.

Next Gail had to get her discharge papers sorted and then there was some awkwardness when both Becca and Elaine showed to take her home—well not home, but back to Alannah's place. Elaine had backed off, saying she'd visit in the evening. Becca only stayed at Alannah's long enough to fix lunch, while Holly got Gail settled on the couch.

On her way out, Becca gently hugged Gail, careful of her injuries. She clasped Holly a little tighter, giving her arm an extra squeeze as she pulled out of the hug. 'I know Alannah said to stay as long as you like, but you know you are welcome to stay with us anytime,' Becca said.

Elaine arrived just as evening fell. Gail was dozing and she woke at the sound of her mother's voice. Elaine's mouth was set in a grim line—come to think of it, she often wore that expression—and Gail couldn't tell if it was from disapproval or concern.

'Fiona Vincent has arrested Gemma Lister. She's confessed to setting the fire,' Elaine said without preamble. The information was delivered in a way that suggested Elaine was satisfied with this result.

'I can't say that fills me with joy,' Gail sat up, pulling the blanket with her. She must have moved too quickly for it made her light-headed. The room titled and with it Elaine, making Gail quite nauseous.

'Are you okay, honey?' Holly swam into view. She sat on the end of the couch and placed her hand on Gail's arm to steady, to reassure, although to Gail it seemed as if Holly were leaning with the room, just lie Elaine. Gail tried to nod but that only increased the dizziness.

'Yeah,' she said after a moment, even though the wooziness had not completely passed but it was never good to show weakness in front of Elaine. 'Yeah.'

Holly took her hand and squeezed it.

'Well, it was you who figured out Lister was the firebug,' Elaine said. Gail could hear the accusation in her words.

'It's just,' Gail blew out a breath, 'I think Gemma Lister's not a bad person and I bet Francine Hart is somehow behind this.'

'Not a bad person,' Elaine echoed, not bothering to disguise her incredulity, 'the woman razed your home to the ground.'

Gail started to reply but then stopped. Elaine had the decency to look somewhat abashed.

'That was harsh, I didn't mean,' she began to say, but Gail waved a dismissive hand. At least that movement didn't hurt.

It was true of course—her house was gone—and Elaine had put it so baldly that for the first time Gail allowed herself to grieve a little for the home she had made. That had been one of her first real adult decisions. A place to call her own, one that she had chosen. It had marked a shift from her usual temporary accommodation arrangements, which she generally drifted into for lack of other options or at least a will to create them. Still, she must remember what she told Holly back at the hospital. They had each other. Nobody died. That's all that mattered.

'Every silver lining has a cloud,' she said.

'You mean every cloud has a silver lining,' Elaine corrected, her eyes narrowing a little with worry. Clearly she thought Gail still affected by the concussion.

Holly understood though. She kissed Gail's cheek—the good one. Mostly she was good at deciphering Gail's cryptic remarks

'You know you can come home,' Elaine said, 'both of you, until you find somewhere to live. It's a big house and Bill would keep out of your way. I would see to that.'

Elaine tried to make the offer sound casual but the words were wooden as if she was just doing what might be expected of a mother (but then when had she ever done that) and was unused to and uncertain of the tenderness and solicitude this entailed. Gail wasn't sure how to respond. She had detected a note of hopefulness in Elaine's voice, which confused her. The thought of returning to her childhood home, of taking Holly to live under the same roof as her parents, of being in close quarters with her father who had essentially shunned her, well Gail decided having her face smashed into a basin again might almost be preferable.

'Thank you Elaine,' Holly said, clearly sensing Gail wasn't going to reply to her mother, 'but Alannah's very happy for us to stay as long as we like.'

'Vey well,' Elaine said briskly, 'if you need money to get re-established—'

'The house was insured,' Gail cut in, 'we're okay.'

'I should be going then,' Elaine said stiffly, getting up out of her chair.

'What do you know about Detective Palmer or former Detective Palmer,' Gail asked abruptly.

'An odious man,' Elaine twisted her mouth with distaste.

'Was he on the take?'

'There were rumours. He retired suddenly and before anything could be substantiated. A decision was made to drop the investigation into his conduct.'

'Could he have had anything to do with sex trafficking?'

'Not that I heard. I wouldn't put it passed him though.'

Gail paused. She wasn't sure how far she could push this with her mother—if she dared ask that next question. 'Was Steve mixed up with him?'

Elaine started. Just for a moment, a fraction of a second really, she lost her customary composure and Gail saw something that looked very much like fear in her mother's eyes. But then it was gone and Elaine drew herself up as if nothing had happened. 'Where did you get that idea,' she said as if the very idea of linking Steve and Palmer was preposterous. 'They worked in different units and in different divisions. It was unlikely their paths crossed.'

'But did they,' Gail persisted.

'Why the interest,' Elaine was annoyed now.

'I came across Palmer in the Melanie Fisher case. He pretty much told me to back off because he had dirt on Steve.'

'Palmer's a crook. A low-life. Of course he'd say that to you. He'd do anything to protect his skin.'

It sounded plausible enough. Gail regarded her mother for a long moment. 'Including murder?' she asked.

'Including murder,' Elaine said heavily. 'Now I believe you should be resting that brain of yours, not trying to solve anymore crimes, not today at least, wouldn't you agree Holly.' She gave a forced little laugh.

Holly made a noise that could have passed for agreement yet could just as well sounded as if she were demurring. Gail knew Holly hated it when Elaine tried to make her complicit in handling Gail. Because make no mistake, Elaine still believed Gail required handling.

The superintendent took a step toward Gail. it looked very much as if she were considering kissing her goodbye, but then she stepped back and flapped her hand in an awkward half wave. They always did this little dance these days. Elaine had never been overly affectionate. Gail had vague recollections of hugs when she was a toddler but she couldn't trust whether these memories were real or imagined.

'Am I just imagining it or was there something a little off about my mother's response,' Gail asked when Holly returned from seeing Elaine out.

'She did seem a little guarded when you asked about that detective but that's not usual for Elaine,' Holly said. 'Honey is this something you really want to pursue right now.'

'It needs to be looked into,' Gail said stubbornly.

Holly made a rueful face. 'You didn't tell me Steve had come up in the investigation,' she finally said.

'I didn't have a chance before…' Gail trailed off and pointed to her face.

'Oh, oh,' Holly as she realized what Gail was referring to. 'You know Elaine's probably right. As soon as Palmer heard you were a Peck, he probably knew exactly what to say to push your buttons.'

'I guess,' Gail didn't look overly convinced.

'Can you let it go for now?' Holly asked gently. 'Concentrate on your recovery. You are on medical leave.' She had come to sit back on the couch next to Gail and took her hand now, giving it a squeeze that was hopeful more than anything else. 'Maybe it's something Frankie could chase up,' Holly ventured.

'She's not even convinced it's a thing,' Gail sighed. 'I think she let Chloe and me question Palmer to stop us complaining about being sidelined. Anyway Frankie likes the ex-husband for it. I doubt she'd be bothered looking into this any further.'

'That may not a bad idea just at the moment, especially if Frankie's got a suspect.'

'You don't get it. I think this guy could be covering up for Melanie's murderer,' Gail said, unable to let it go.

'What do you mean?'

'Remember Chloe found out Melanie was a freelance journalist. Well, when she disappeared she was writing an article about sex trafficking in Toronto. Palmer was the lead detective in missing persons. He wouldn't let his partner Larissa Chang pursue that angle. Apparently he was quite adamant. She had just made detective and felt she had to do as she was told.'

'Okay, I agree it sounds like it's worth checking out, if only to rule it out as a possibility.'

'And Palmer kinda smells bad, if you know what I mean.'

Holly regarded Gail with an amused smile. 'I take it you're not referring to his body odour.'

'Thankfully I didn't get close enough to notice that,' Gail said. 'Although, I bet it was bad too. He was that kind of guy. Stained t-shirt that barely covered his gut.'

'So you want to arrest him for being a slob,' Holly teased.

'What, no,' Gail said, not tuning into Holly's light-heartedness.

'So what has Steve got to do with Palmer?'

'Palmer intimated he had some information about Steve. Said Steve knew where the bodies were buried.'

'So you're worried he's referring to crimes Steve hasn't admitted to or been charged with.'

Gail nodded.

'I thought everything had come out at the trial.'

'But what if it didn't?' Gail asked. She somehow managed to look wide-eyed and earnest all at once.

'Honey, don't you think Steve's paid enough. He's done his time. He'll never work in law enforcement again.'

'I know. I know,' Gail sighed again. 'But don't I have a duty?'

'Oh honey.' It was Holly's turn to sigh. She took Gail's hand again and kissed it. 'I think most probably that detective—Palmer—was messing with you and you have nothing to worry about.'

Gail might have believed that—wanted to believe it—had it not been for Elaine's obfuscation. It made Gail almost certain her mother was hiding something, that there was much more to this story than Palmer yanking her chain.

Fiona Vincent came over just as they were finishing dinner. It had been an irritable affair. Gail had tried to talk to Frankie about Palmer but Frankie wasn't interested.

'Trafficking has become the latest cause celeb,' Frankie said, 'especially with that hot new commissioner—'

'You never told me the trafficking commissioner was hot,' Holly turned to Gail, her tone playful.

'I guess she was, is,' Gail shrugged a bit irritably and turned back to Frankie. 'But people trafficking has become a cause celeb or whatever you want to call it Frankie because it's actually a problem. The fact that Kate is attractive or whatever is immaterial.'

'Kate. On first name terms,' Frankie cocked an eyebrow. She was being an asshole and Gail couldn't understand why.

'Jesus, Frankie take this seriously,' Gail said.

'Kate Lewis is a crusader and I totally understand why,' Frankie said. 'I went to her talk at 15. She's on a mission. And it doesn't hurt that she's attractive and charming.'

'And so?' Gail demanded.

'So people like that can lose perspective. If you knock on her door asking questions that imply a murder is linked with sex trafficking of course she's going to jump on board.'

'It was not like that,' Gail insisted. 'You're the one who's blinkered, Frankie. I don't understand why you won't consider anyone but the ex-husband.'

'Enough,' Alannah held up her hands. 'No shoptalk, not while we're eating. Anyway, Gail you should be taking it easy.'

Gail would have scowled but last night, once the drugs wore off, she had found it best to keep her face as immobile as possible. It was harder to do than she would have guessed. Up until now she hadn't been aware of the extent to which she used facial expressions to interact with people. It wasn't like she had a neurological tic or anything like that or went around winking at everyone. But a raised eyebrow or a twist of the lips could do a lot of talking.

Holly stood and started to clear the plates. She shot Gail a worried look, which made Gail feel guilty again. Not enough to drop the subject or leave Frankie alone, though.

'I just want you to keep an open mind,' Gail told Frankie.

'Except Melanie's ex is a guilty as fuck.'

'Just because his alibi doesn't stack up doesn't mean he murdered her.'

'Motive, opportunity, history of abuse,' Frankie ticked them off on her fingers, 'lying about his whereabouts was the icing on the cake. I'm betting he murdered Mitchell Cormann too.'

'Maybe but it won't hurt to look into this other angle,' Gail persisted. 'It's not like there's any urgency to wrap up this investigation. Melanie's been dead four years.'

'Seeing as I'm in charge of this investigation and you're on medical leave, I guess I can rush it as much as I want.'

Gail couldn't help it. She screwed up her face, which hurt like hell. It must have showed because before Gail could say something to Frankie like 'what the actual fuck,' Holly had moved to sit next to her and placed a hand on her arm.

'Honey,' Holly started to say but then paused. It made Gail realise Holly was working up to ask her to do something she wouldn't necessarily want to do. Holly would probably appeal to Gail's better nature and give her that lop-sided smile and Gail would be putty in her hands.

However before any of this could transpire, the intercom sounded through the apartment as irritating as an overactive blowfly on a sweltering day, a jarring sound that ricocheted in Gail's head, kick-starting the hammering that had only just waned. She winced. Maybe she should just let go of the investigation and go back to bed. Let the others deal with the crime. She chanced a glance at Frankie and saw, if anything, the detective looked relieved at the interruption.

'It's probably Fiona Vincent,' Frankie said, making her way to the door and nodding in confirmation when she saw the sergeant's face framed by the intercom screen. 'She said she'd drop by.'

As soon as she stepped into the apartment, it was obvious Fiona picked up the tension. 'Everything all right here,' she asked, looking around at the four women.

'Anderson's just being a dick, don't worry about it,' Gail said in that syrupy tone she used when she was being particularly sarcastic.

'Jesus Peck, lucky you're injured or—' Frankie trailed off as she caught Alannah's stony expression.

'Or what?'

'What are you two five years old,' Alannah said in exasperation. 'I can't believe you used to date–'

'Date,' Frankie said incredulously, her expression sour.

'Or whatever it was,' Alannah sighed.

'Whatever it was didn't involve a lot of talking,' Frankie said.

An uncomfortable silence descended then. For a moment everyone was quite still. Even Frankie started to look sheepish.

'Way to go Frankie,' Gail finally said, 'because that wasn't in the least awkward.'

Gail knew Holly wasn't that bothered by her past with Frankie—that she understood it for what it was or what Gail had imagined it was—sex with no labels to define or tie them down, no expectations or strings attached. It was what Gail needed and all she could handle after losing Holly. Fuck buddies were the words Holly used when she first sussed out that something had gone on between Gail and Frankie—in Gail's mind that was about right. Back then, post Holly's departure to San Francisco, she hadn't factored that Frankie might want more.

On the other hand, Gail wasn't sure Alannah was so relaxed about being confronted by Frankie's past, not when their relationship was still so fragile and untested. It was only a few days ago that Frankie said she was willing to commit.

'Cabin fever already?' Fiona Vincent said, an eyebrow raised. She seemed faintly amused and Gail would have said something cutting had Frankie not beat her too it.

'Wanna share why you're here, cause it isn't a social call, is it Sergeant Vincent,' Frankie drawled so lazily it bordered on insolence.

Alannah pursed her lips, more in frustration than disapproval or so it seemed to Gail.

If anything, Frankie's response just increased Fiona's amusement. 'Well, Lisa did want to come over here with me but I said it was police business.'

'Have you charged Gemma Lister?' Holly asked, clearly tiring of the small talk, if that's what it could be called.

'Yes,' Fiona nodded gravely, switching into job mode. 'She asked that I apologise to you and Gail.'

'Apologise,' Holly echoed, not quite believing what she was hearing.

'Francine Hart made her do it, didn't she,' Gail chimed in. 'I bet she had something on Gemma.'

'You figured that out,' Fiona said, in such a way it suggested she was a little impressed by Gail's powers of deduction. 'Two months ago, Gemma gave a patient the wrong meds. It was after a sixteen-hour shift. Francine was supposed to be supervising her but the hospital was swamped after a major pile-up. Gemma was tired. She missed the note that said the patient was allergic to penicillin.'

'The patient died?' Alannah asked.

'Yep and Francine covered it up. Told Gemma not to worry and altered the electronic record. Dov's working on retrieving the original record now.'

'Why would Gemma agree to that,' Holly asked.

'Gemma comes from a family of doctors. In fact, a long line of doctors. A wing at the hospital was even named after her grandfather. There was a lot of pressure on her to succeed—to live up to the family legacy. So being kicked out for malpractice was not an option.'

'I know the feeling,' Gail said.

'So Gemma agreed to the cover-up—said she was pathetically grateful that Francine would go out on a limb to protect her,' Fiona continued. 'Then a week ago Francine contacted Gemma, threatened to expose her if she didn't go along with the plan to burn down your house. Francine had been watching the house so knew you two weren't staying there. Gemma swears she wouldn't have gone ahead if anyone had been home, no matter what Francine had on her.'

'Do you believe her?' Frankie asked.

'I'm inclined too,' Fiona said. She seemed about to continue but hesitated.

'But?' Gail said. It was obvious Fiona had more to share but something was making her hold back. 'But Gemma's not the problem,' Gail supplied when the sergeant didn't immediately reply.

'No,' Fiona sighed, 'it's Francine of course. She's alleging Holly assaulted her. She wants to press charges.'

…..

Gail was already in bed when Holly finally came upstairs. Fiona Vincent had stayed late talking over Francine's latest bit of insanity and Gail had finally excused herself, fatigue taking over. Her head was aching again, although she suspected yesterday's incident wasn't the cause. Rather, it had been the tedium of trying to second-guess Francine. Round and round they'd gone, endeavouring to figure out if she had a case and how much damage she could do to Holly.

'Frankie and I have been pulled off the investigation,' Fiona had informed them, 'given we're both dating people who are Holly's close friends. Plus Frankie and Lisa are witnesses.'

'That's good right,' Gail said. 'You can tell them what happened. Holly didn't have a choice.'

Fiona and Frankie didn't say anything but Gail swore they exchanged a look. It was almost imperceptible. A slight narrowing of the eyes, and there was a knowingness and a heaviness to their expressions, like the information that Gail guessed they were holding back was not favourable.

'This is just Francine stirring up trouble, right. She did the same when she lodged the complaint about me. It's her pattern. Best form of defence is attack.'

'True,' Frankie agreed, but she didn't sound entirely certain.

'I could lose my job,' Holly said quietly. When Gail turned to look at her, her face was drained of colour and she was quite stricken.

'It won't come to that,' Gail said firmly.

'Surely not,' Alannah said, 'no offence Gail but look at your face. Frankie took photos at the hospital and I can provide a report on your injuries. Francine doesn't have a leg to stand on, Holly.'

'So who's interviewing Holly?' Gail demanded, 'I mean most of 15 know and like her. How are you going to find someone neutral.'

'Matt Kennedy. He's running the investigation now.'

'Okay, he's fair,' Gail said. 'He only worked that one case with Holly before he joined internal affairs.'

'Do I need my lawyer,' Holly asked.

'Um,' Gail wasn't certain how to advise Holly. The interview should just be routine. Once Matt heard Holly's side of the story and spoke to Frankie and Lisa, he should be able to dismiss Francine's allegation, shouldn't he?

'It probably wouldn't hurt,' Fiona said with that reassuring cop voice. The one they all used when they had to break bad news to someone. 'It pays to be cautious, especially when dealing with someone as tricky as Francine.'

Okay, that didn't sound good. If Holly had done nothing wrong, why would she need a lawyer? The same thought must have occurred to Holly because she breathed out an 'Oh shit.'

'It's going to be alright, Holly,' Gail said.

'But if this goes to trial anything could happen. Francine's got that flashy lawyer—' Holly trailed off.

'It's not worth thinking about, not unless it happens,' Gail reassured but Holly still looked bleak.

'How about some tea,' Alannah said brightly, too brightly. Although Gail appreciated her attempt to shift the mood.

'How about something stronger,' Frankie suggested.

When Gail had excused herself to go upstairs, the other four were on to their second whisky. Alannah had produced the bottle from the back of the cupboard. It had been aged for twenty years in a special chestnut cask, and Frankie made a great show of sniffing it as if she were a connoisseur.

'A gift from a very boring ex,' Alannah explained as she filled four tumblers, 'this whisky was probably the most interesting thing about her.' It was about the meanest thing Gail had ever heard Alannah say.

We should grow flowers,' Gail said as Holly slipped into bed next to her.

'Do you mean in our new place?'

'Nuhuh, we should give up our jobs and grow flowers.'

'I can really see that happening,' Holly smiled a little goofily, making Gail wonder how many whiskies she'd had.

'You don't think I could do it?'

'Well,' Holly stopped as if she were considering Gail's question, 'you might last a day.'

'You have no faith in me,' Gail pretended to huff.

Holly didn't respond mmediately, and when she did her voice was small. 'Do you have faith in me, Gail?'

'Of course I do,' Gail's reply was swift. She put her arm around Holly's waist and drew her closer.

'But, am I a bad person?'

'God no,' Gail exclaimed. 'You're like the best person I know. Why are you even asking that?'

'Because when I hit Francine, I wanted to keep on hitting her. I was full of rage. Like nothing I've ever experienced. I think,' Holly paused and looked down and away from Gail, 'I think I might have been capable of killing her.'

'If someone was trying to kill you, I'd wanna murder them.' Gail tilted Holly's chin so she was looking at her again. 'It's a normal reaction to protect people we love. Your big brain must know that. And the fact is you didn't kill her. You came nowhere near. Some people would say you showed admirable restraint.'

'Yeah.' Holly looked doubtful.

'Oh yeah.' Gail cupped Holly's cheek and leaned in to place a soft kiss on her lips. 'Holly, this will come to nothing. I promise.'

…..

Holly left early in the morning, having arranged to meet with her lawyer and then Matt Kennedy first thing.

'Good luck,' Gail said.

'Do you think I need it?' Holly tried to sound casual but Gail picked the slight tremulousness in her voice.

'God no! Just tell Matt exactly what happened. Then we can put this behind us.'

When Gail heard Alannah leave for work, she shuffled downstairs, hoping for a chance to speak to Frankie alone. Frankie was sitting at the kitchen table drinking coffee and looking gloomy.

'So,' Gail said once she'd made herself a coffee and sat down opposite her friend. 'Why were you being such an ass last night?'

'Yeah and good morning to you too Peck,' Frankie scowled.

'You knew Francine had pressed charges against Holly before Fiona Vincent showed, didn't you.'

Frankie shrugged but didn't deny it.

'So why keep it to yourself?'

Frankie shrugged again.

Gail blew out a breath. 'Frankie we know each other pretty well.' She held up a hand in a stop gesture when the other woman started to demur. 'Nuh, enough of your bullshit. What's this about?'

'Why does it have to be about anything?'

But for her injuries, Gail would have raised an eyebrow. As it was she did her best to look sceptical. Frankie stared back, her expression somewhere between defiance and contempt. Really, Gail had thought they were passed this kind of posturing, that they knew each other well enough to be honest with one another.

'You're pissed,' Gail said, 'at me and Holly and you've no reason to be.'

'Yeah, well maybe Fiona's right—it's cabin fever.'

'I know I'm hard to live with but it usually takes more than a couple of days for people to want put me out on the street.'

Frankie twisted her mouth and said nothing again.

'You know what I think,' Gail started.

'Really, do we have to do this,' Frankie interrupted.

'Yep,' Gail said heavily, popping the 'p'. 'The thing is I don't think you're really pissed with Holly and me.

'Go on Peck, enlighten me with your psycho-babble.'

'Can you cut the crap for a minute.'

Frankie looked as though she were about to say something but stopped herself. The defiant look was gone and in its place was something Gail thought seemed awfully like guilt.

'I fucked up, alright,' Frankie breathed out heavily. 'I shouldn't have let Francine get to you. I should have anticipated she'd turn up like that.'

'You don't think I'm beating myself up over the same thing,' Gail exclaimed. 'But we're not infallible. Yeah, it was a rookie mistake, but because we're police officers we think we can handle someone like Francine and so we're not as rigorous or as cautious as we would be in a normal case.'

'Maybe,' Frankie conceded, although she still sounded dubious.

'Anyway, if I hadn't been drunk, Francine wouldn't have had the opportunity to do this to me,' Gail indicated her face and Frankie winced. 'So if you want to ascribe blame then I'm the one that you should be pointing the finger at.'

For a few beats Frankie was silent again and Gail decided to wait her out. Then Frankie shook her head slowly. 'You and Holly are my friends. I should have been able to protect you and, because I didn't, Holly is facing assault charges. I fucked up big time.'

It made sense then—Frankie's hostility—she didn't like to let people down. It was a hangover from a childhood where disappointment was a constant and where her mother contrived to blame her children for her shortcomings. For Frankie, friendships, real friendships, were rare too. Gail got that. Understood that it was hard for Frankie to trust, to let her guard down enough to allow people in. But she'd let Gail and then Holly in, and now felt like she'd failed them.

'Frankie, neither Holly or I hold you responsible for what happened and you know what, nothing is going to be achieved by indulging in self-flagellation—by either of us.'

Frankie twisted her mouth again.

'That's not the only thing bothering you is it,' Gail asked, remembering the way both Frankie and Fiona had fallen silent last night when Gail said Holly had no choice but to hit Francine. 'Something happened in the bathroom didn't it, something that isn't good for Holly.'

'I, look,' Frankie started and then sighed heavily.

'What did you see Frankie,' Gail pushed, sounding more strident than she meant to. 'Or is that the problem, you didn't see what happened.'

'No, I was right behind Holly. I saw everything.'

'Yeah, and?'

'I saw Holly kind of slam into Francine and push her away from you. Then she punched Francine. Twice.'

'Holly didn't say anything about pushing Francine.'

'No. I think she's forgotten. It all happened so quickly and she was focussed completely on you.'

'And what, you're saying Holly didn't need to punch Francine once she pushed her out of the way?'

'It could be interpreted that way. It's possible we could have subdued Francine without Holly going all Muhammad Ali on her but then again Francine was kind of crazed. Like nothing would stop her from harming you.'

'So what are you going to say in your statement?'

'That Francine was in a frenzy and we had no way of knowing what she was capable of doing next and Holly had no option but to punch her. That Holly had to make a quick judgment call and it probably saved your life.'

Gail swallowed. 'And that's what you actually believe?'

'I'm not lying,' Frankie interrupted hastily. 'Everything I tell Matt will be factual. I'm just going to leave out the parts that could be misconstrued.'

'We just have to hope Lisa does the same,' Gail said despondently.

….

Holly's mood, when she returned home that evening, was considerably lighter. Gail didn't want to quiz her too much about the interview but it sounded as if it had gone smoothly. Matt didn't appear surprised when Holly showed with her lawyer. He was courteous and pleasant but his questioning was thorough. Holly told Gail it was clear Matt wasn't cutting her any slack on account of her relationship with 15, both professional and apropos Gail. Still, her relief that it was over was palpable.

'So just routine,' Gail asked, doing her best to sound nonchalant.

Holly nodded. 'I think I let myself get worked up over nothing.'

The next week passed slowly. Gail wasn't allowed to watch TV or play video games or even look at her iPad and strenuous activity of any type was ruled out completely. 'You need to rest your brain,' Alannah had said, 'think of it as allowing your brain to convalesce. Checking it into a retreat.' Gail twisted her mouth in displeasure.

In the absence of anything better to occupy her, Gail spent her days cooking, joking with Alannah and Holly—and Frankie when she stopped by—that she was like a 1950s housewife with dinner on the table the moment her spouse came through the door after a busy day at the office. Holly had laughed and Frankie said she hoped Gail wasn't contemplating a foursome because eeww. 'As if, Anderson.' Gail rolled her eyes, which she could do now without a band of pain shooting across her temple. Which made Frankie observe that a true 50s housewife wouldn't answer back. 'Just how you like your woman, huh,' Gail had snarked. Which in turn led Alannah to shake her head and say 'you two are children.'

There was the obligatory trip to see her therapist. 'I don't need to tell you an experience like this can lead to depression,' Leslie had said, 'mainly because it shakes your sense of self, coming face to face with the realization of your vulnerability.'

'I didn't feel overly vulnerable.' Gail said. 'Just stupid. I should have seen that coming.' Which resulted in a discussion about how Gail set herself impossible standards. When Gail revealed what she said to Elaine as she was wheeled out of the restaurant, Leslie urged Gail to bring it up with her mother. 'And yeah that will achieve exactly what,' Gail said defensively. 'Confirm that my mother thinks I'm a fuck-up.'

'You may be surprised,' Leslie simply said.

Becca came and took Gail to the dentist and shopping for clothes for both her and Holly. They had each only bought an overnight bag to stay at Alannah's and the rest of their clothing had been lost in the fire. It was on one of these trips that Gail asked to stop by the house or at least it's 'smoking ruins' as she put it, the acerbity not masking her apprehension.

It was a mistake of course. The intensity of the fire had caused the windows to shatter and the exterior bricks were blackened were the flames had rushed out. Nothing had escaped the inferno inside. A section of the second floor had collapsed exposing part of an upstairs bedroom, the one Gail had thought might one day do for a nursery. Anything that hadn't burnt was charred and the ground floor was under an inch of dirty water. It was a miracle the neighbouring houses had been spared.

'Thank god you and Holly weren't home,' Becca said.

Gail grunted non-committedly. She wished she were anywhere but here. Seeing the ruins of her house was more confronting than she had imagined. It left her wretched and somehow numb, like she was in delayed shock.

Sensing her mood, Becca said nothing for a moment. Gail looked away from the house—or what remained of it—bowing her head and looking at the ground beneath her boots, sludgy where the fire fighters had dragged their hoses across the front yard, flattening the shrubs Gail had planted one summer. She breathed in deeply, mainly to supress the sob that threatened to erupt from her chest.

It was then that Becca pulled her into a hug. Gail didn't resist. The ease with which she accepted Becca's hugs had surprised Gail but Holly had not seemed in the least astonished. 'Mom hugs,' she'd said to Gail as if that was explanation enough. It made Gail realise that this was one more thing missing from her childhood. The warmth and comfort of a parent's embrace, arms that encircled you and said that everything would be all right, that held you tight, a shield against the world.

It helped, this hug from Becca but not enough for Gail to stop the bitterness that bubbled up. It made her feel like the Gail of old, caught between dejection and wanting to lash out.

Gail swallowed. 'Do you believe people can be cursed?'

Becca looked at her curiously, but also knowingly like she recognised where Gail was going with this.

'Holly would tell you no, emphatically. There is no basis for it in science.'

'But do you believe it?'

'I believe some people are more prone than others to fatalism. What psychologists refer to as an external locus of control. Where you think there is little or nothing you can do to change your life so you blame luck, destiny, supernatural forces, and other people, really anything outside your self. On the other hand, people with an internal locus of controlbelieve that what happens in their life is nearly all down to them, and that even when chance events occur, what is important is not the event itself, but how you respondto it.'

'I think you're giving me a pep talk.' Gail smiled ruefully.

'Is it working?' Becca tipped her head to one side in that way Holly did.

'Maybe but that also sounds like I brought this,' Gail indicated the house, 'upon myself. That I made this happen because I don't have a positive enough attitude or something.'

Becca expression was sympathetic. 'No, that's not what I meant to imply. Bad luck happens to everyone—probably in fairly equal measure statistically—the key is how you deal with it.'

Gail blew out a breath. 'I seem to attract this kind of shit. I've probably butted heads with more psychos than most agents from the Behavioural Science Unit at Quantico.'

'That's the nature of your job. Nothing more.'

'Is it?' Gail turned wild eyes on Becca, 'because hanging around me seems to be bad news. Holly's life was smooth and uncomplicated before she met me.'

'Really,' Becca said skeptically, her voice still even and pleasant. 'Well, for starters it was Holly who slept with Francine.'

'This is not Holly's fault,' Gail broke in fiercely.

'No,' Becca smiled softly. 'Neither Holly nor you are to blame. Francine has a mental health problem. As to Holly's uncomplicated life—when I met you Gail, the reason I was so—' Becca paused to search for the right word.

'Hostile,' Gail suggested.

'I was going to say protective, but all right hostile, the reason I was like that was because you had the power to destroy Holly. She fell so hard for you it was impossible for her to find anyone else who measured up, who made her as happy as you.'

'Happy,' Gail said doubtfully. 'I behaved so badly she ran away to San Francisco.'

'Where she was miserable without you. You have brought an indescribable joy to my daughter's life and I suspect, no I'm fairly certain Holly has done the same for you. Don't sabotage that, Gail.'

…..

In the car, on the way back to apartment, Gail stared out the window at the passing neighbourhood, not really registering anything but an indistinct blur of passing cars and row after row of houses. How did Becca know her so well, she wondered, because just for a moment when she looked at the ruin of her house Gail thought about cutting and running. It was fleeting, gone even before she'd finished thinking it through, but it had occurred to her that that might be the easiest thing to do. The old self-doubt had crept back in and she had wondered if Holly would be better without her.

'I used to be like that,' she said, not turning away from the window but fiddling with a loose thread on the upholstery of her seat.

'Mmm,' Becca queried, her focus seemingly on the road.

'Fatalistic. I thought things happened to me. Parents who dictated who I should be, drifting into relationships where people pursued and then dumped me, friends who weren't always there for me because hey I was a bitch and tough and why would I have feelings, and then a serial killer,' Gail paused and blew out a breath, 'when bad things happened I thought I deserved it.'

'You don't really believe that?' Becca said sympathetically.

Gail shook her head. 'Not now. When I met Holly, I thought she was too good for me. Too smart, too nice, too normal. Lisa's blue collar comments just confirmed what I was already thinking so I sabotaged the best thing that ever happened to me.'

'Happened to you?' Becca smiled.

'That I guess Holly and I made happen.' Gail conceded with a small smile. 'Losing Holly, well I could have done my usual thing and disappeared down a hole of bitterness and cynicism but the hugeness of what I'd given up, what I'd fucked up—the chance of being happier than I imagined possible–made me want to change.'

'So it was about how you responded.'

'I guess. Yep.'

'Gail, you are plenty good enough for Holly. I have to agree with her–none of her other girlfriends measured up.'

Inexplicably Gail found herself blushing under the implied compliment. She was grateful Becca was concentrating on driving and couldn't see the flush on her cheeks.

'Well, if Francine is my competition…'

'Oh Holly had some very accomplished girlfriends. Most of them—or at least the ones I met—were nice enough and they seemed to love Holly. But there was never that, I don't know how to describe it, but it's like you two have this spark. I know that sounds clichéd. I've been pouring cold water on the notion of fate or at least fatalism but it's like you two were meant to be together. Anyway, some of her exes tried to change her, mould her into something she wasn't. You love Holly for who she is.'

Gail smiled. 'What's not to love.'

Becca laughed. 'You are by far my most favourite of Holly's girlfriends.'

They fell into a comfortable silence for the rest of the journey. Gail's mood had shifted considerably. As they reached Alannah's apartment, she turned to Becca. 'Will you come and check out some places Holly and I could to live. She's so busy, I thought it would make it easier if I got a shortlist and then we could decide.'

'Of course,' Becca beamed. 'Just as long as we don't have to deal with that sleazy realtor again.'

….

The day before Gail was due back at work, Kate Lewis called.

'I've found a girl who met Melanie Fisher when she was researching the story about sex trafficking,' Kate Lewis said. ' Her name's Giselle and she's willing to talk to you, off the record.'

When Kate rang off, Gail called Chloe.

'What's up, Gail?' Chloe asked. 'Have you eaten all the fudge brownies already.' Chloe had been visiting Gail every couple of days bringing baked goods with her. Even though Gail pretended to be indifferent, she was actually grateful for the distraction and boy could Chloe cook.

'As if,' Gail said, wiping the crumbs from the last of the brownies from the corner of her mouth. 'Come and get me. We're going to see Kate Lewis.'

'Gail,' Chloe drew out her name warningly. 'You're not back on duty until tomorrow.'

'Chloe,' Gail whined. 'It's an arbitrary start back date. Kate's located a girl who talked to Melanie Fisher.'

'Well,' Chloe started, again drawing out the word so Gail knew she was in with a chance.

'How's Frankie going with Melanie's ex?'

'He's lawyered up. The public prosecutor isn't convinced we've got enough to charge him. It's making Frankie a cranky pants and it's making working on this case a bit of a drag. In fact, its making me wish you were back at work.'

'Missing me, huh.' Gail tried not to sound too pleased.

'Well,' Chloe began but Gail interrupted her.

'Well, yeah I am pretty awesome.'

Chloe coughed but didn't reply

'Did you just roll your eyes at me, Price.'

'Geez Gail, do you have x-ray vision or something.'

'Told you I was awesome. Anyway, if Frankie's getting nowhere, it wouldn't hurt if we had a word with Giselle, check out her story. I'm still on leave and I bet you haven't taken a lunchbreak so Frankie can't ride our asses about it'

'Check it out unofficially you mean.' Chloe sounded a little unsure.

'If you like. That way if it comes to nothing we don't have to bother Frankie.'

'I'll be there in thirty minutes.'

Gail smiled.

….

'Here,' Chloe said as Gail got into the passenger seat of the car. She handed Gail a tin. Gail tried not to smile too widely as she inched the lid off.

'Cup cakes,' she all but squealed. 'With frosting. You have missed me.'

Chloe laughed in amusement. Gail tried to scowl but found she couldn't so instead shoved a cake into her mouth and started chewing.

So,' Chloe said above Gail's audible noises of appreciation. 'I don't think we can rule out Len Cormann.'

'Whaat,' Gail turned to her, mouth full.

'Dov did some digging. Cormann's practically bankrupt.'

'Oh,' Gail said, remembering the unpaid bills that Cormann had hastily concealed when they interviewed him. 'But he just sold land to Viscom. He would have made a killing.'

'Except there's not a cent left.'

'Okay explain,' Gail said impatiently. Chloe was obviously getting a kick from drawing this out but Gail just wanted her to get to the point.

'Dov and I asked around. Cormann's an inveterate gambler. High stakes. But he's not a very good or lucky gambler. He owes money all over town. In fact, he's been banned from every casino in Toronto.'

'So you're suggesting he murdered his brother so he'd get all the profits form the sale of the club land? Pay back his debts. Why kill Melanie then?'

'He was banned from the casinos six years ago. Well before Melanie and Mitchell disappeared. He owes money alright but to someone who's a lot less forgiving about debt than the casinos.'

'Okay who?'

'Think about who runs illegal gambling in this city.'

'Lee Chou.'

'Yep. What if Cormann paid back his debt in kind rather than cash?'

'You mean murder Melanie to shut her up.'

'Yep,' Chloe nodded grimly.

…..

'Yeah, I remember Melanie,' Giselle said. 'She thought she could make a difference. Hah. As if.'

They were seated at a table in a small park. Giselle was hunched, a cap pulled low over her eyes and she kept looking around as if she might have been followed. She had eyed Chloe and Gail with suspicion at first and only relaxed when they assured her the conversation was completely off the record.

At least outdoors Gail didn't have to explain why she was wearing sunglasses. Her bruises were starting to lose their greenish tinge and become yellow, and while she could cover the one on the side of her face with make-up, there wasn't much she could do for the black eye.

'Tell the detectives what you told me,' Kate Lewis encouraged gently.

Giselle sighed. 'It's big business this trade.' She lit up a cigarette and drew on it heavily. The tremor in her hand and her grey pallor suggested she was a user. She was impossibly thin, her coat drawn tightly around her even though the day was unseasonably warm.

'We heard one girl can bring in as much as $300, 000 a year,' Chloe said.

'Sounds about right. But it's not just the pimps driving this,' Giselle said. 'There are more johns out there than girls to service them. So they started getting girls from China.'

Gail exchanged a look with Chloe. 'Getting?' she asked.

'Smuggling I guess. They're illegals.'

'Do you know who's bringing them in?' Chloe asked.

' Lee Chou.'

'The crime boss?' Chloe prompted.

'Yeah. These day's it's easier and more lucrative to smuggle people than drugs or guns.'

'And Melanie knew this,' Gail said, trying not to sound too eager. 'About Chou'

'Yep,' Giselle took a long drag of her cigarette, blowing out the smoke forcefully. 'She was going to expose it. Look, I need to get back. I've been gone too long.' She did a quick sweep of the park with her eyes and pulled her cap even lower over her forehead.

'You're still doing this work?' Chloe asked.

'Hey don't judge. You do what you have to do.' Giselle stubbed out her cigarette aggressively.

'Here,' Gail fished in her wallet. 'Take my card. Call me if you think of anything else or if you need help.'

Giselle eyed the card like it carried the plague and took a step back. 'Nuh uh,' she said. 'If I'm found with that, I'm dead.'

They watched as she scurried across the park, head bowed, hands in her coat pocket. Giselle had obviously swapped her high heels with trainers for the outing, and the shoes looked incongruous with her fish net stockings. All in all she made a sad, shabby figure.

'How long has she been doing sex work?' Gail asked.

'Since she was fourteen,' Kate replied. 'That was when she first met Melanie.'

'So she's only eighteen,' Gail said with surprise. Giselle had seemed considerably older. It was mainly the deadness in her eyes, Gail realised, and a jadedness that wrapped around Giselle as tightly as her coat.

'Yeah. It's a hard life. She's an addict. It's one of the reasons she stays. That and the threats. Most girls are told if they want to leave they have to pay an exit fee. Of course they can't afford it.'

'Who Giselle she work for?' Chloe asked.

'One of Chou's goons. Alex Zhang.'

…..

'Chou has to be involved in Melanie's murder,' Chloe said once she and Gail were back in the car.

'We need to talk to Cormann again.'

'I can't right now,' Chloe made an apologetic face. 'Frankie wants us back for a briefing. I'll text you if I can get away.'

…..

Gail didn't hear from Chloe until late in the afternoon. 'Not possible to get away. Fill you in later,' her text read. Gail blew out a frustrated breath. She could go speak to Cormann alone but she wasn't supposed to be driving. She could get an Uber though. Just as she reached for her phone, Holly came through the door.

'You're home early,' Gail said brightly—too brightly—hastily shoving the phone under a cushion on the couch where she was sitting.

'Okay, what are you up to,' Holly said after she'd leaned in to kiss Gail.

'Uh what makes you think I'm up to something?' Gail tried her best to look innocent.

Holly looked at her incredulously, arms crossed.

'Alright, alright,' Gail crumpled, 'I don't know how you figure these things out. Do you Stewart women have magical powers or something.'

Holly laughed. 'Spill' was all she said, sitting down next to Gail on the couch. Gail rolled her eyes.

'Not a good idea and I'm definitely not driving you over to interrogate this guy,' Holly said after Gail explained what she had indeed been up to.

'But Holly,' Gail protested.

'Honey, I love your dedication but you need to talk to Frankie first.'

'She's not listening. You heard her the other night.'

'Can you just wait until you're back at work tomorrow. Sound Frankie out. If you get nowhere, maybe you could talk to Oliver. Get his advice. I mean it's not like it's going to make a difference whether you speak to Cormann tonight or tomorrow.'

'I guess,' Gail huffed.

'Hey, I've got a proposal,' Holly placed a hand on Gail's knee.

'I thought you said we weren't ready for marriage.'

'Oh you remember that conversation.'

'Well, yeah,' Gail shrugged

'Hey, if that's something you want—'

'Not this minute,' Gail deflected. 'What's your other proposal?

'Well, seeing as you've been cooking for us all week, I thought I'd order take out,' Holly took Gail's hand. 'We can watch a movie and just chill. You know I left work early so I could spend some stress-free time with my girlfriend. Alannah's in surgery until late. What do you say?'

'Yeah, okay,' Gail said doing her best to smile, but not able to stop it turning into a pout.

'You know I haven't said anything about you going off to interview a witness without informing Frankie and while you're still on leave,' Holly said. 'And I think I'm being fairly tolerant here so—'

'Yeah, yeah. Let's get dinner and I won't talk about the case anymore.'

Holly smiled and kissed Gail again. 'What do you feel like. Pizza? Thai? Chinese? Maybe a burger.'

'You choose.'

Holly narrowed her eyes in apparent concern and put the back of her hand to Gail's forehead.

'What are you doing?'

'When has Gail Peck not had a strong opinion about food? I'm just checking to make sure you don't have a temperature.'

'Ha, ha. Very funny,' Gail said, but she grabbed Holly and pulled her closer to kiss her. If Holly was surprised by the intensity of the kiss, she didn't show it or put up any resistance when Gail deepened the kiss, her tongue finding Holly's and her hand moving to the back of Holly's head. They hadn't kissed like this since Gail was injured. Just a peck on the lips and even then Holly was worried she might hurt Gail. Now Gail let out a low moan.

'Oh god,' Holly pulled back in alarm. 'Are you alright? Did that hurt? We shouldn't be kissing.'

'Holly, Holly clam down. That was not a sound of pain.'

'Oh,' Holly looked doubtful.

'Geez, I thought you'd be able to identify my pleasure noises by now,' Gail arched an eyebrow.

'Oh, oh,' Holly coloured slightly, 'of course I can but you know.' She waved a hand about airily.

Gail took the opportunity to grab Holly's flailing hand, once more tugging Holly toward her and using the momentum to pull them both back onto the couch so Holly was lying on top of her. Gail smiled. 'This is good,' she said and kissed Holly again. She shifted her leg so it was between Holly's, flexing it against her centre. Then Holly stopped protesting and started grinding against Gail's thigh. Gail moved her hands to Holly's ass, pulling her closer still.

'Gail, we shouldn't,' Holly gasped but Gail just kissed her, all tongue and teeth and fiercely so Holly would have no doubt as to her intentions.

Gail would have liked to touch Holly, to run her fingers through her folds and dip inside her, to tease her clit, and to feel the nub harden but she didn't even get a chance to unbutton Holly's fly before Holly was moaning and then coming, her cries a series of swift gasps.

'Shit,' Holly slumped down, burying her head against Gail's shoulder so her voice was muffled. 'I didn't mean for that to happen. That was fast. I guess it's been a long time. For us anyway.'

Gail laughed and Holly coloured again. 'What's so funny?' she said, lifting up her head.

'You. You're adorable.'

'We shouldn't be doing this,' Holly started, 'your head. Strenuous activity isn't good post concussion.'

'It's been nearly ten days. I think I'm okay Holly,' Gail smirked.

'Well okay, right.' For some reason Holly seemed flustered. 'Are you sure you're okay?' she asked.

Gail nodded. 'What is it, Holly?'

'It's just right now I really want to go down on you.'

Gail bit her lip. 'What are you waiting for Stewart?'

…..

The credits on the movie were rolling when Alannah arrived home.

'It was a five-hour surgery,' she explained, stretching out her arms to loosen them. 'We almost lost the guy.'

'Have you had dinner. Miraculously Gail didn't eat everything,' Holly said, disentangling herself from Gail to sit up on the couch.

'Hey,' Gail protested. She hadn't told Holly about the cupcakes. They'd definitely taken the edge off her appetite.

'I got some hospital slop,' Alannah grimaced. 'It's probably a criminal offense to call it food.'

'Hey, is Frankie coming over tonight?' Gail tried to sound casual.

'No. She and the team are combing through evidence trying to find something more on the suspect. Apparently the public prosecutor doesn't think there's enough to get a conviction. Sounds like they might be pulling an all-nighter.'

'Lucky you're on medical leave, Gail' Holly smiled cheekily.

'Well, it was lucky for you,' Gail said. Alannah had busied herself making tea so she didn't see Gail hold up two fingers and mouth the words 'twice' or Holly roll her eyes and mouth back 'braggart'.

…..

Gail woke to find her hand splayed across Holly's stomach. It seemed like a message, an invitation really to dip her fingers lower beneath Holly's boy shorts, so she did just that. Holly moaned appreciatively and turned her face to kiss Gail.

'Good morning,' Gail smiled.

'It seems like it will be,' Holly grinned.

'Got high hopes, Stewart,' Gail moved a finger to Holly's clit, Holly's sharp intake of breath making her smile even wider.

'High expectations,' Holly said. That's when her phone rang.

'Ugh,' Gail flopped back on the bed.

'Dr Stewart,' Holly said into the phone. 'Uh huh. Okay. Same place. I'll be there in fifteen.'

'A body?' Gail asked when Holly disconnected.

'Yep. You're not going to believe this. It's on the Viscom building site, not far from where Melanie's body was buried.'

'It has to be Mitchell Cormann,' Gail said, sitting up and swinging her legs out of the bed.

'What are you doing?' Holly asked.

'Uh, what does it look like. I'm back at work today so I'm coming with you.'

'Do you think you should speak to Frankie first?'

Before Gail could answer, her phone buzzed. 'That's probably Frankie now,' she said. Strangely Frankie's name didn't flash up on the screen, although the number was one Gail recognised from 15. 'Yo,' she said for some reason. It wasn't an expression she was in the habit of using, in fact never used, and of course it would have to be her mother on the other end of the phone. Later Gail realized Elaine had deliberately called on a landline so their conversation couldn't be traced.

'Gail?' Elaine said, clearly put off by the informal greeting.

'Uh, yeah. It's me.'

'I thought I'd give you a head's up. Matt Kennedy interviewed Francine Hart last night. She admitted she was in the bathroom but swears she didn't touch you. She's alleging you slipped and fell, hitting your head on the basin. She claims that when she went to help you, Holly attacked her.'

'Shit,' Gail said.