Long legs trudged towards the bathroom and ran their hands under the cool water from the faucet. It was a quiet morning, and the birds haven't sung yet, but the tall frame was used to a 5am morning rise. Her circadian rhythms were all off and they just loved to make her sleep less. Holly splashed water on her face to wipe the sleep from her eyes.
She looked up at the mirror and stared at her reflection for a few seconds. Her face was paler, not much vibrance as before, her hollow cheekbones were distinct. A well manicured finger followed its path up her cheekbone. Her wrists even looked thin. She had lost an appetite recently, but there wasn't much she could do. This unrecognizable face staring back at her, it wasn't her.
It'll pass. Holly was not depressed, her body was just too used to the bed being occupied and the constant laughter quenched by Gail.
She took the toothbrush from the cup but paused to look at a pair of scissors laid down flat on a towel. She hadn't moved them since that night Gail impulsively chopped her long blonde locks off. She remembered Gail's porcelain hands clutching, nearly shaking as she described each inch that was cut. The blue eyed officer looked so broken and lost then, but Holly had been there for her.
"Still kind of beautiful though." Holly slid down from her chair into the tub and cupped Gail's face, catching a beautiful glimpse of the ocean that she would willing succumb herself to, before she leaned forward closing the gap between them. Their lips found each other easily and soft moans sounded when Gail swiped her tongue on Holly's lower lip lightly tugging on it.
Clothes clung tight to their skin as the water cascaded down from their faces, but they never felt so naked as wandering hands discovered the unfamiliar dips and crevices of each others bodies.
…
A yawn escaped the officer's mouth as she peered at a photo on her desk. After looking through newspapers, online sites, and making many calls, Gail still couldn't find a permanent family for Sophie.
She thought she found a family, but when she did a background check, the husband had a DUI and the wife had a few unpaid parking tickets. Maybe she was too harsh on people, but Gail Peck had standards. She was not about to just recommend a run down family for the girl. She deserved the best life and Gail wanted to offer the world to this girl.
" C'mon Gail get your ass up, Steve and I agreed that you'd be my partner this week." Traci plopped a folder on the woman's desk that caused her finished stack of papers to slip to the ground.
"Lovely. " At least she didn't have to do paperwork anymore.
...
A huge camera stood on a tri-pod by the window peering through a small hole in a curtain, while a desktop computer played a faint buzz in the corner on top of a desk.
Gail picked up a few photos displayed on the table, she recognized some of the pictures from the file she was given back at the station.
" There hasn't been much for the past two days. Someone tipped us off that men were shipping unlicensed weapons at this warehouse so I've been scouting it. " Traci said as she watched Gail look at the photos.
Traci motioned Gail over to the camera. " See that entrance over there? All the men that have come out through that gate have been shot down and killed. There have only been 4 so far, I have a feeling they're just mules that do the local work. "
" Where did the bodies go?"
" Holly and I have been taking them early in the morning before anyone from the warehouse even entered. She's been doing a careful study on each of the bodies. "
" Holly is on this case? " Gail raised her eyebrow as she picked up a photo of a man on the autopsy table. She read the note scrawled on the post it that each man had the same tattoo behind their ear.
" Well she is the head forensic pathologist Gail. "
" I see. "
Gail sat on the chair looking through the camera for a few hours while Traci reviewed more of the files that Steve had sent her.
" Does being a mother give you happiness Trace? "
Traci looked up from her computer and peered at Gail for a second. She pondered for a moment as thoughts and memories of Leo growing up surfaced." Being a mother gives you a sense of fulfillment and love. The happiness may not always be there, but in a general statement, yes. Leo gives me happiness. "
"Why?" Traci questioned, the sudden inquiry puzzled her.
" It seems hard…" Gail ignored the question and laughed thinking about her own mother, " and pretty fucking stressful. "
" Unlike relationships…" Traci paused trying to test the waters to see if Gail was going to silence her, but it never came, " Leo is a constant in my life and I know that we'll always love each other. "
The blonde silently acknowledged the answer as she peered back through the camera.
…
Before a formal greeting could be made, warm arms pulled the forensic pathologist through the door into a tight embrace, " Oh my little baby, I've missed you dearly. " Evelyne Stewart, Holly's mother, cooed as she hugged her oldest child. She hadn't seen her in weeks.
" Jeez Hols, you look a hell of a lot thinner. " Kaitlyn, her younger sister, embraced the taller woman. Holly smiled as she exchanged further greetings with her father and younger brother, Mason.
" Oh darling, let me take a good look at you. " Wrinkled eyes peered at her daughter's frame and back up to her face. She motioned her fingers in a twirl and Holly awkwardly spun around a few times. It was agreed that Holly was definitely skinnier, the woman still had an athletic build, but her bones were more angular and easily noticed.
She knew that look, but decided to question her later.
Holly was pulled into the kitchen with her sister to gather the feast her mother had produced for the small get together. The younger woman hated cooking, Holly was always the better chef. Kaitlyn pulled two small glasses from the oak cupboards and filled them up to the brim with her father's hidden hard liquor stash behind the expensive wine bottles. The younger sibling passed the tiny glass to Holly, " Looks like you need it sissy. "
Full lips pressed on the glass hesitantly, then suddenly downed it. " Bourbon? "
Kaitlyn nodded and gave her a questioning look. Holly ignored the familiar expression, she did not want to talk about it. " I honestly liked her out of all the others Hols. Should I bring out my pitch fork and hunt her down? She's a cop though, she might shoot me."
" I left her. "
Kaitlyn silently nodded. Her sister was usually on the bad end of shitty break-ups, she never broke up with anyone. She remembered the many late night calls they shared back when she was barely an intern, Holly was the emotional-ice-cream eating type. Gail must've done a number on her.
"Holly, Kate! We're getting really hungry out here!"
Holly was already full looking at the plate of food her mother heaped on.
" So where's Gail?" Holly's father spoke up as he chewed on the steak.
An awkward silence fell amongst the family for a few seconds, Holly's father, Tony, could feel the death glare from his wife.
" Well I'm specializing in Peds Hols. " Mason quickly said, he was always there to turn conversations around.
" Mom had finally convinced you to join her bandwagon of merry kids? " Holly laughed.
Holly fell into a line of medical generations, but she was kind of the odd ball out. Her mother was a pediatric doctor while her father worked in the ER. Her two younger siblings followed a similar route, Mason being in pediatrics, while Kaitlyn was an orthopedic surgeon. Holly worked with the dead people, Mason would always joke around that she was the Queen of the Dead, in which she would respond with a flick to the forehead every time.
Gail used to be in on the banter of the Stewart clan, she too boasted that she saved lives before they even got to the operating table. They all laughed at her witty comments. She was a perfect fit to the family.
...
Gail mindlessly watched the warehouse, but was more focused on what Traci had said to her. A click of a button and a shutter of photos snapped when she saw a man peering through a window at the farther right end of the warehouse. Gail was not, girlfriend material, but she mildly considered the fact that maybe she could try with that whole being a mother thing. She could possibly turn out to be a better mother than her own. She still had to think about it though.
We still on for tonight Gaily Wailey? xLucy
Gail shook her head and rolled her eyes.
Really? You couldn't at least say blondie bitch? xGail
The woman's phone buzzed a few minutes later.
Hey you said it not me! Haha, and it sounded way better out loud. xLucy&Nora
" Hey Gail, we can clock out now, I'll see you tomorrow alright? " Traci picked up her things quickly, she forgot she had to pick up Leo from daycare. Plus her and Steve promised a Disney marathon movie night with Leo.
Thirty minutes later Gail pulled up to the address Lucy had texted. She was still partly in her uniform, her loose blue trousers and tight black shirt on. The woman didn't have much time to go back home and change, or comb her hair for that matter, she peered at herself in the rearview mirror seeing her blonde locks standing up in weird directions. They wouldn't mind.
Gail pulled open the door and smirked at the sight before her. Really, a shooting range? She saw two females at the far end of the room. They already had their gear on, shooting down the range with what looked like SIG P220s. She showed her badge to the man at the entrance and slid cash down so she could enter.
Gail watched for a few minutes silently judging them till Nora turned around and greeted Gail. Her dreads were pulled up into a messy bun and she looked completely exhausted.
" Driving Miss Daisy I see. You took a fucking long time. " Lucy placed the gun by the table and pulled out her ear plugs welcoming the officer.
" You got good aim Lucy. " She smirked and glanced at her paper target. All of the shots were in the chest.
" Years of practice my friend. " she winked.
Lucy motioned Gail into her aisle. " Let's see what you got officer. "
Gail smiled and pulled her Glock 22 out of the holster. " You're messing with the wrong girl, Dupont."
" Yeah, yeah Peck."
Gail aimed down her sights and towards the target. She pulled the trigger and rapid fired down the range. All her shots were right smack on the forehead of the target, she wore a smug expression and cocked an eyebrow towards Lucy and Nora.
She felt the familiar light buzz in her hands. They were tingling from the recoil. It had been awhile since she went to a range, but she was glad her skills hadn't gotten too bad. After all, the woman did graduate from the academy at top of the class. It was a Peck thing.
Lucy grabbed the towel from the table and wiped her forehead ridding the glossy sweat. She waved the towel in defeat, " Yeah yeah, the white flag is up Peck. I'll make sure not to piss you off." She laughed.
" They were probably just lucky shots" Nora rolled her eyes trying not to feed the officer's ego.
The three women continued shooting for a good while. They shot at their targets in comfortable silence. Gail liked that, they all didn't need to talk in order to have a good time. Their friendship had barely begun, but Gail was comfortable around the couple, she never felt like a third wheel around them, except for one of the very drunken nights when the couple started making out in the bar.
"Having a good show Gail? " Lucy laughed. " Would you like to come join?" Nora added, teasing the blonde whos face visibly carried a blush.
The blonde politely declined and told them that she's seen better. " Don't tell me you watch porn Gail, that lesbian shit they do is so overrated. We're just pulling your leg girly. "
"Va te faire foutre"*
"Toi aussi."*
Gail shot the last bullet in her magazine.
" Had any fun dates with more stuck up bitches? " Nora asked. Gail choked at her use of vulgar language. Maybe the woman was adopting Gail's common language.
" Nope, thank God. "
…
Evelyne Stewart knew her daughter too well. Holly had explained to her the events of her breakup as they spoke on the couch with a cup of Earl-Grey tea in hand. Holly was still head over heels for the girl, there was no doubt about that.
The mother wanted to give her wise words of advice, but she wanted Holly to figure out herself.
It was already 11pm and Holly had to call in early. She gave her mother a tight hug, " I love you mom."
" I love you too Holly. You better eat child, I don't think you'd want your co-workers to see the bagged lunches labeled Hollykins on it. "
…..
"Va te faire foutre"* - Fuck you
"Toi aussi."* - You too