"Remember to bring food next time" Gail called after her friends as they shuffled out of her room.
She closed her eyes, ready for sleep to once again take her away to a less boring place. Gail was getting sick of the four walls she'd been laying in for the last few weeks, it was driving her stir crazy. She would take desk duty for a year over this any day.
Just as the inviting arms of sleep started to wrap around her a light rap on the door brought her back to the hospital room she laid in.
Gail blinked until she focused on her visitor. Her eyes raked over the crisp white shirt tucked neatly into dark pants, then back up to the dusty red hair pulled into a tight orderly bun.
"Mother." She greeted dryly, sitting up.
"How are you feeling sweetheart?" She asked once at the bedside, brushing a strand hair out of Gail's face.
"I still feel like I was shot and then had surgery."
Elaine gave her a disapproving look, one that said 'cut the crap'.
Gail sighed. "I don't know. I'm on a steady flow of some awesome pain killers, so I'm not totally sure how well I'm doing. But I can tell you it's better than the last time you stopped by."
She nodded once, accepting her answer. "And how are the twins? I'm guessing Ms. Stewart is still taking care of them, bringing them to visit"
"Yes Holly is still taking care of them. And yes, they stop by to give me dinner and fill me in on their days, everyday. Zander started eating normally again, and has been talking the past three days. And Ollie has decided she wants to do figure skating and hockey this year. Also Zander doesn't want sports and instead wants piano." Gail couldn't help but smile when talking about them.
"The twins seem to really like Ms. Stewart, gotten a bit attached from what I gathered last time I saw them."
Gail raised a brow, cutting Elaine off.
"She was all they talked about." Her mother answered her silent question. "As I was saying. I would like to get to know the woman who is not only stealing the hearts of my grandchildren, but yours as well."
"Oh." She shifted uncomfortably in her bed, pulling the sheet up a little higher. Gail wasn't great with feelings, talking about them especially and with her mother was at the bottom of the list. Elaine laying out her relationship for both to see was unnerving. "Um, yeah, Ollie and Zander really like Holly. And Holly really likes them, she's great with them too."
"I noticed." Elaine interrupted, tacking on a satisfied smile.
"If she's okay with it I'll bring her to the next Peck dinner."
"I look forward to it. I have to get back now, lunch is almost up." Elaine was back in 'Peck' mode as Gail liked to call her mother's business persona. "I will call you for details on the next dinner. Tell the kids I love them. Get well soon sweetheart, you don't want to get a lazy reputation or lose your spot in the division."
Gail gave her mother a tight smile, bitting her lip as to not make a snap at the Superintendent. So after receiving a quick kiss on the cheek she gave Elaine a nod.
"Yes, but your thumb lays on your fingers not tucked behind." Ollie said softly.
Gail listened intently as Ollie continued to guid Holly through what she suspected was the alphabet in sign language. These were the moments that quelled her worries of how well the teacher actually got along with her children. Whether or not Holly would get bored of them, or grow tired of them, or even if the kids continued to like the brunette in slow times like this. But as she listened to Holly eagerly learning to sign, she knew that none of that would happen. The brunette had been spending every spare moment caring for the twins. Waking up early to get them ready for school while she also got ready for work, dropping them off and picking them up from their after school activities, homework, dinner, play time, stories and bed, Holly had been doing it all and not once complaining. And here she was, absolutely enthralled with spending even more time with the kids.
Gail opened her eyes, not able to just listen anymore and smiled at the scene playing out on the little couch in the corner of her room. Her heart swelled as Holly gently shifted a sleeping Zander further into her lap, and Ollie moved a few of the brunettes fingers to sign 'k'.
Holly glanced over and smiled when noticing Gail's piercing blue eyes. "Morning sleeping beauty."
Ollie followed the brunettes gaze and also beamed when seeing Gail awake. "Mommy!"
Gail's breath was taken away as Ollie squeezed her into a hug. "Hi baby girl. I see you're playing teacher"
The girl nodded enthusiastically. "I'm teaching mo-Holly sign."
Her heart skipped at the almost slip of mom, and looking at Holly she was feeling the same way. "Is she any good?"
Ollie thought it over for a second, tapping her chin. "She's been picking it up quickly so far." She smiled looking over her shoulder to the brunette in question.
"Well you're an amazing teacher Ollie-Pop." Holly smiled back, seemingly recovered from the 'mom' bomb dropping. Gail made a note to herself to bring it up later, see how the brunette felt about it and possibly talk to the kids.
"Ollie-Pop?" Gail questioned amusedly.
"Yup." The girl answered, popping the p. "I'm Ollie-Pop and she's Holly-Pop, Sara-Pop kinda works but not really. We also tried with you and Zander but your names don't work."
"Cute." Gail smirked at Holly.
"I even came up with a song! Well, it's the song lollipop but I changed the words to Holly and Ollie. Maybe I'll sing it for you sometime." Ollie laid beside her mother and started to play with her hair.
That was something Gail had never known she loved until Ollie came along. The little girl had always loved running her fingers through Gail's hair, she'd do it mindlessly whenever in its vicinity. She closed her eyes and hummed in appreciation of the soft touch.
"Not that this isn't great, but the doctor discharged you while you were asleep And I'm starving. So, wanna go home?" Holly wiggled her eye brows, causing the girl to giggle.
"Yes, please." Gail requested, already sitting up.
It took longer than she thought it would to pack up her room. Holly insisted she keep the drawings, explaining that it was sweet of everyone to make them and she will one day appreciate having kept them. That's when Gail learned the brunette was a very sentimental person, the kind that kept birthday cards and newspaper clippings of loved ones. After that it was a breeze, just clothes, snacks, portable DVD player, DVDs and pillow.
Gail took in a deep breath when walking in the door, feeling free from the hospital shackles and happy to be home and one step closer to getting back to normal. Damn something smells good, she thought to herself as she pulled her shoes off.
"Welcome home Gail" a growing familiar voice sounded from the kitchen. "Dinner will be ready in five. Zander, Ollie wanna set the table please"
The twins ran down the hall, music to Gail's ears after it being absent for so long, and into the kitchen.
Strong arms warped around her waist, pulling her against a warm body. Gail hummed as she leaned into the brunette, tilting her head back to press her forehead against Holly's neck.
"Wanna wash up, change and maybe make out a bit before dinner?" Holly whispered in her ear. A shiver of anticipation ran down Gail spine.
"Yes, please."
With a kiss to the top of her head Holly easily navigated through the house and to the blondes bedroom, Gail's hospital bags in hand.
Once the door was shut Gail grab the brunette and pulled her in close, wasting no time. The kiss was heated and hungry. With Gail not being able to move and Holly always having the kids, finding time to really kiss was difficult.
Holly's nails dug into the back of Gail's neck, causing a moan to escape from the blonde. She slipped her hand under Holly's shirt, caressing the smooth skin of her back and pushed their hips together.
"Take your shirt off." Holly breathlessly commanded against her mouth.
Gail smirked. "There's not enough time for that Hols."
Holly trailed kisses along her jaw and down to her neck. "That's going to happen later, right now you're supposed to be changing out of these gross hospital clothes and into fresh pjs." She mumbled against pale skin.
"Right." Gail remembered. She grabbed the hem of her shirt and started to pull it up, stopping when Holly's body was pressed too tightly for it to move.
The brunette groan taking a step back and helped to remove Gail's top. Once off, Holly got to work on devouring the exposed skin, drowning in the hums and moans she was eliciting from the officer.
A voice calling for dinner interrupted their reacquaintance with one another, pulling them from their bubble and reminding them of the situation.
Planting one more lingering kiss on Gail's lips Holly disappeared into the bathroom to freshen up as Gail changed into clean pyjamas.
"So do you have any of your things at your place or have you moved in while I was gone" Gail teased, practically skipping down the stairs.
"I do not have that much stuff here." Holly defended herself in a lightly.
"Then I weep for the day everything ends up here. Cuz that's a lot of crap, Stewart."
Holly stopped the blonde in the middle of the hallway and spun her around to look her in the eye, holding both of her hands. "So you think I'll be moving in someday" she smirked, obviously about to win this playful banter.
Gail's cheeks set ablaze. "You will-someday, right?" She asked, suddenly nervous and unsure.
"I would love nothing more than to go to fall asleep holding you every night, and wake up every morning with you and the twins." Holly gave her a lopsided smile, her eyes sparkling with love.
Dinner was filled with stories and laughter, Sara fell seamlessly with the group just as Holly said. The twins loved the teen, -and Gail was starting to see why- going on and on about how cool she was. How unlike most babysitters she actually played with them, and how one night Sara taught them how to play a card game call War. Gail picked up on the little things the teen must have learned from Holly, and it really clicked just how much the brunette meant to Sara. How big of an impact Holly has been in her life, in raising her.
After Sara was released she went to visit Gail, to thank her and explain. She told Gail about how Patrick used to abuse her mom and brother, Mikey.
Holly had mentioned Mikey before, told her that he was her closest friend, attached since preschool, although she called him Micky.
The police had gotten involved and that's when Patrick was put away. Her mom remarried before she was out of diapers, Sara had always known about her birth father, told stories, but Kirk would always be her dad in her eyes. Her mom ran away when she was two, leaving fourteen year olds Mikey and Holly to take care of the toddler while Kirk worked day and night. The four of them became a family of sorts, life got easier as they fell into routine and the years went by.
That was until a few years ago when Sara and Holly walked to the store to pick up a few things for dinner, as they often did. Kirk was playing as Mikey's sue chef while they cooked when the stove exploded, leaving a crumbling building for Holly and Sara to return to. That's when the teen went into foster care, Holly found her the best group home she could after Sara refused to let her take on the responsibility of her care again.
It broke Gail's heart to finally know why Holly only told half stories, always stating it wasn't hers to tell. And she'd caught the gleam in Holly's eye every time she talked about Micky. But it also broke her heart to look at this beautiful young -oh so young- girl and know the horrible hand she's been dealt. To know that from the get go her life was rough, only given small pockets of surety before having it ripped from her grasp. And yet Sara still wore a smile, she had a clear record and was a straight A student. She was optimistic and as cheerful as a regular teen. Sara still lived, perhaps even more than most as she knew loss like the back of her hand.
Sara volunteered to get the twins ready for bed while Gail and Holly cleaned up dinner.
They listened fondly as giggles and running emanated from the top of the stairs, laughing at the quick remarks Ollie was shooting at the teen. It wasn't long before Sara called down that they were ready for goodnight kisses, just as Gail was drying the last few dishes.
Holly went up first, giving Gail the time to finish up. "I hope you weren't too harsh on Sara" Holly smiled at the eight year olds as she walked into the room.
"We would never." Ollie faked being hurt and they both giggled.
Holly hummed and sat on Zander's bed. "How do you sign goodnight again?"
The freckled faced boy smiled widely, over joyed the teacher was trying so hard to learn sign, and slowly went through the actions. Holly watched closely, mimicking his actions until she remembered again.
"Right, thank you." She then smiled adoringly down at Zander and signed 'goodnight, I love you'. Holly pulled the blank up a bit further and planted a loving kiss to his forehead.
She slowly stood, smirking at the girl who was eye to eye with her. "Crawl back under those blankets miss missy."
Once in the warmth of her bed Holly tucked in the sides, almost swaddled the girl. The brunette went through the same motions with Ollie, goodnight and I love you, a kiss and a loving caress.
"My turn"
Holly spun around, weirdly feeling embarrassed that Gail had been watching. Her cheeks grew warm under the the blondes adoring smirk and fond stare.
She watched as Gail painted both of their faces with kisses, mumbling I love you's and I missed you's between each new peck of her lips. Holly's heart swelled at the scene, she yearned for this, to do this every night for the rest of her life.
Back in their own room Holly properly welcomed her home, kissed every inch, nipped and soothed with her tongue, filled her with ecstasy over and over again. Gail was still recovering so Holly refused to let her return the favour, not yet at least. She kissed away Gail's pout and promised a night in the next few weeks -depending on when she's healed enough- where the blonde could do whatever she wanted. Maybe even on a date night so they could go to Holly's apartment and be as loud as they pleased.
When Gail's breathing slowed down, coming off the high of her last orgasm, Holly pulled her in closely and nuzzled her nose on the heated pale skin.
"I love you too, Gail" she whispered onto Gail's shoulder and sealed it with a kiss.