AUTHOR'S NOTE: I HAVE DECIDED TO CHANGE THE ENDING OF THIS CHAPTER DUE TO THE RESPONSES I HAVE BEEN GETTING AS WELL AS I AGREE THAT IT WOULD BE TOO MUCH AT ONE TIME...SO THE LAST SECTION IS DIFFERENT...

Hey guys. I am so sorry this took so long. I promise to keep my updates more consistent.

Thank you to everyone who has been reading and reviewing, it means the world to me. :) And a special thanks to Rwill118 for PMing me.

I hope this was well worth the wait guys.

-J

Gail Peck hated hospitals. Actually hate was not a good way to describe her feelings, it was more like she despised them with every fiber of her being. She didn't know if it was the agonizing wait to find out even minor details about the conditions of loved ones or the fact that they were either going to walk out the automatic doors forever changed or be carried out in a body bag.

Stop.

Gail had to be positive for once, at least for Holly's sake. The amazingly beautiful brunette was fighting for her life. She was clinging on by a tearing thread with all the strength in the world. But how could she stay positive? The woman that she had crazy mixed feelings for, maybe even loved, was lying on a hospital bed with a hole in her gut.

The thought enraged her that someone could be capable of hurting someone as sweet as Holly. But then again the bullet wasn't meant for Holly in the first place. It had been meant for her and Holly had jumped straight into it's path. She had saved her life without thinking of the consequences.

Stupid.

How could Holly think that Gail would be okay without her? Even in the least bit okay.

It frustrated Gail to think about the fact that Holly could die today and it would be entirely her fault. She wouldn't be able to live with herself.

Being utterly helpless, that was one of the thing's that Gail also despised about hospitals. There was absolutely nothing that she could do for Holly but sit and wait not so patiently while the doctors worked to save her life. She hated not being in control of things especially when it involved Holly. Well that wasn't entirely true.

Gail loved that she hadn't been in control when the strange feelings for the brunette creeped up on her oh so suddenly. She loved the way that Holly made her stomach do flips with just a simple smile in her direction. And how the woman knew everything about everything.

What she wouldn't give to have Holly correct her at the moment.

Gail buried her face into her hands and let out the sigh that she had no idea she had been holding. The ticking from the clock on the wall was driving her insane. She had to think of something else, something 'happy'. About Holly.

(Flashback to the day they first met)

Holly was on high alert just like every other time she stepped onto a crime scene. However, this scene was a bit different from most. Usually when she was called to a scene they were usually greeted with an actual body; not a fully decomposed human skeleton.

If this had been a few years prior she might have lost her breakfast.

She watched on as CSI took photos and collected samples. Cruz stood a few feet away collecting the two teenagers statement who had stumbled upon the bones, literally. She didn't know why but today she felt like she would rather be anywhere but at this scene.

Looking on as they worked on the bones Gail had a strange feeling. She never much thought about life. She woke up went to work, protected her cities people, and hopefully got home in one piece to do it all over again the next morning. But seeing the unidentifiable bones seemed to put things into perspective. It all seemed pretty meaningless.

With her focus on the crime scene she failed to realize a brunette carrying what seemed like a lunch box slip under the tape.

"Hey. Lunch Box. You're not allowed down there" she stated rather irritated.

"Thanks. I appreciate it." the woman had replied gratefully obviously not listening to a word that Gail had said.

Gail rolled her eyes and approached the stranger again figuring that this was just a pedestrian whose curiosity got the best of them only furthering the fact that she really disliked people.

"No. You're not allowed down there." she stated again frustration evident in her voice.

This time the woman turned around with a look of confusion on her face.

"Me?"she asked oblivious.

Gail just shrugged as if it was the most completely obvious thing in the world. This civilian was really started to piss her off. Why couldn't people just listen the first time that she said something.

"Oh. No." she began with a smile, "I am". She held up her 'lunch box' as evidence and continued, "I need to get some samples."

Gail couldn't care less.

"Who are you?" she responded blatantly.

"The Forensic Pathologist." the Pathologist responded becoming bored with the conversation and wanting to get back to her work.

"Oh." she replied approaching her, "You should have told me that before."

Gail didn't seem to care who this woman was. All she knew was that she was in the way of her crime scene.

"Sorry I thought I was obvious" She held up her bag again growing bored of all the questions she was receiving from the blonde. All she wanted to do was get her job done. She enjoyed the comfort of the lab to the field any day.

"Only to nerds." the blonde and remarked sarcastically, "Can you come back later?"

"Who the hell was this woman" the brunette thought to herself. She obviously didn't know much about what exactly her job entitled and how prevalent it was to solving their cases. She was clearly going to have to freshen her up.

"You're not up on your Medical Jurisprudence" she took a step closer to the blonde. To intimidate her? She wasn't sure. "We need to determine the cause of death. I test the water for diatoms; and if we find diatoms in the blood marrow...Oh, did you notice if the femur was still intact?"

The blonde shook her head bored.

"I'll check later" she continued, "If the diatoms match we know the person drowned. If there aren't any diatoms then we know the cause of death was something else. I'll need to consult with the Forensic Anthropologist; I'll need to grab some leaves, bugs, dirt, so they don't have to come back. It helps in identifying the post-mortum interval."

She was obviously proud of herself but Gail was growing more irritated by the second.

"Why. Are you saying. All these words" she asked as if everything Holly had stated meant next nothing.

Sam addressing everyone brought their conversation to an end and the Pathologist went to work.

"Alright I need someone to stay here and someone to go on to the morgue." he called out.

Cruz raised her hand. "I'll stay here".

Gail rolled her eyes and raised her hand. "Alright, I'll go to the morgue."

More time with the nerdy pathologist?

"It's never too late to learn about Medical Jurisprudence."

This was going to be a long day.

"Gail." called out her brother as he made his way into the Emergency room.

Gail stood up as Steve rushed over to her and pulled her into a bone crushing hug. She was so emotionally and physically drained that she didn't even bother and fight him, but rather closed her eyes and cherished the comfort.

"How is she?" He asked pulling away after a few moments.

Gail shrugged frustrated and ran a hand through her light blonde hair.

"Nobody is telling me anything! And it's driving me crazy. She's been in there for an hour. AN HOUR!" Gail yelled.

Her hands were balled up in fists. She needed answers. This whole waiting around crap was driving her insane. All she wanted was just to know if Holly was still alive. That was it. She need to know that Holly was still there.

"Gail you've gotta calm down. Getting worked up isn't going to make anything better." Traci stated trying to calm Gail down but doing the exact opposite.

"Calm down?!" Gail yelled as if Traci was out of her mind, "If it was Steve in there on that table would you be calm? If Steve was in there fighting for his life and you had no idea if you would be able to see him again, would you be calm?" Her voice began to get louder drawing the attention of others in the Emergency Room. "If you never even got the chance to tell him that you loved him? WOULD YOU BE CALM THEN?"

Traci was silent and looked over to Steve who just shook his head. He knew his sister. Nothing that anyone said could possibly make the situation better for her.

Gail sunk back into her seat and buried her face in her hands.

"I'm sorry"

Traci sat beside her and placed a comforting hand on her shoulder. Gail didn't even bother to argue. She didn't have the fight in her.

"She's going to be okay Gail. I think that girl is just as stubborn as you if not more and that's saying something. After all you've told me about her is true I wouldn't be surprised if she wasn't in there right now telling all of her doctor's the correct way to treat her"

Gail let out a small laugh. It wouldn't surprise her.

"Traci I love her." Gail confessed in a voice so small that she wan't sure if it was truly her own.

Her words shocked her. It was the first time that she had ever admitted her feelings about Holly out loud. It was the first time that she was honest with herself. Holly Stewart had stolen what was left of her broken, bruised, and guarded heart. She was amazing in every sense of the world. She drove her insane and kept her grounded all at the same time. How? She had no idea.

"I know" Traci said simply.

Gail looked up at her boyfriends sister in amazement. How could she have known?

She looked over to her brother to try and figure out what he was though about her unexpected confession.

"Gail don't look at me like that." Steve accused, "You know I don't care who you have feelings for. If anything I am happy for you. She is three thousand steps up from Nick and those other douche bags you attract."

Before Gail could reply a voice interrupted them.

"Gail Peck." the doctor standing beside them asked. When he had gotten there she was completely unsure.

The doctor looked very young. Maybe no more than 29. Gail was shocked and a little infuriated that they had allowed this kid to have Holly's life in his hands. He just didn't seem rightfully qualified enough for her. After all, this was Holly's life.

"How is she?" she asked frantically pushing her thoughts aside, "Is she okay? Did she need surgery?"

The doctor held up his hand in an effort to get her to calm down.

"Ms Stewart suffered a ruptured spleen due to the bullet. She was rushed into surgery as she started hemorrhaging. It was touch and go for a little while. We managed to remove the spleen entirely and close her up without too many complications." the doctor informed them.

"So she's okay?" Gail asked still waiting for him to get to the point.

"Well. Holly is currently in Critical condition. She has been placed in the ICU. We gave her a transfusion. As of right now she is resting comfortably but make no mistake officer she is not out of the woods. We almost lost her on the operating table. The effects of that kind of trauma are endless. We won't know until she wakes up."

It was as if someone had punched Gail straight in the gut.

"Can I see her" she asked simply.

She was trying to process what the doctor was telling her but it was all too much. She had to believe that Holly would pull through. She had to. She could not fathom the possibility that she would lose the forensic pathologist. Because if she did that then she would break down and she refused to let that happen in front of all these people.

"Only you and only for a while, she needs her rest." the doctor informed her before turning and beginning to walk away.

Gail followed close behind before realizing that Steve and Traci were still standing behind her. She stopped and turned but before she could speak Steve did first.

"Go see your girl Gail. Traci and I are going to head back to the 15 and see how the search for the shooter is going. Don't worry okay, we'll find the bastard." Steve tried to console his sister.

No matter how hard Gail tried to act Steve knew his sister better than anyone. Beneath her shell he was certain that Gail was angry and scared and on the verge of losing it. She wouldn't show it though. Weakness was one quality that Gail Peck did not posses. She was adamant on making people afraid of her so that they would never get to close. She tried make herself seem unapproachable with her sarcasm and mean jokes but somehow Holly saw past all of that.

Gail simply nodded and walked away hurrying to catch up to the doctor.

The Shooter.

Gail had almost forgotten all about the shooter who was responsible for this whole mess to begin with. She was so focused on Holly that it had seemed to skip her mind all together. The man or woman responsible for all the anguish that she was going through was still on the loose. And for their sake Gail hoped that her colleagues caught him/her before she had a chance to.

As they approached a excluded room Gail heart felt as if it was in her stomach and once the doctor gestured for her to enter the room she feared it would explode all together.

Gail slowly pulled back the curtain surrounding Holly's bed and her heart shattered to pieces. Holly laid on the hospital bed with countless tubes and wires connected to her body. The brunette was as pale as anyone she had ever seen before and a machine connected in the corner was breathing for her.

A part of her wanted to turn around just then and run our of there. Run far away from everything and everyone but she couldn't. Holly needed her. She needed to stay strong.

Gail slowly approached the bed and sat in the chair. She reached out for Holly's hand but stopped mid way because she was afraid she might hurt the brunette. Instead she decided to rest her head on her hands as tears began to sting her eyes.

"I'm so sorry Holly."

Gail sobbed. Seeing Holly in such a fragile condition had pushed her over the edge. The woman that she love was on the brink of life hanging on by an ever thinning string and she just couldn't take it.

Gail tried to wipe the tears away but they kept on coming; it was no use. She knew that at any moment someone could walk into Holly's room and see how much of a mess she was but a part of her didn't care. She was emotionally and physically drained and felt as helpless as when she had been kidnapped the previous year.

The steady beeps brought a strange sense of relief to Gail. She tried to tell herself that as long as the machines kept on ticking Holly was okay. Well not okay, but alive.

"Holly baby, I need you to do me a favor. I need you to fight okay. I need you to put in as much energy that you do into your science medical jurisprudence mumbo jumbo into opening those beautiful brown eyes for me. To fight through this; because I cannot lose you."

Gail knew that she wasn't one of the best people out there. Hell, she was obnoxious and sarcastic and probably one of the most difficult people in the world but when it came to the people she cared for she would do anything to keep them safe. She knew that she didn't have a lot of browning points with the universe but she would sell her soul if it meant that Holly would just wake up.

Holly pulled her chair closer to the hospital bed and folded her arms on top of the bed ever so lightly. It was then that she realized how tired she was and that she was still in her uniform. She had half a mind to call her brother and ask him to drop off a fresh pair of clothes but she just didn't have the strength.

Instead she laid her head down on her arms and drifted off into an uncomfortable slumber.

"Gail..." A faint voice called in the distance as Gail began to stir.

Gail's eyes began to flutter as she adjusted to the sunlight that peered through the hospital blinds. For a moment she didn't know where she was. Her surroundings were different, foreign. Then it all came back to her. Holly being shot. Holly laying in her arms as she bled out. And just like that she felt like she had hit by a truck.

As she sat back in her chair she noticed that sometime during the night her hand had become intertwined with Holly's. She smiled nervously as a pair of beautiful brown eyes stared down at her.

She could feel a warm blush creep up her face and she lowered her head.

Suddenly her head shot back up.

"Holly!" she practically yelled with happiness. She didn't know how to react. She felt as if a huge weight had been lifted off of her shoulders and for the first time in almost twenty-four hours she could breathe again. "You're okay."

"Well I wouldn't necessarily say okay." Holly spoke slowly as if every word took every ounce of strength she had left out of her.

"Yeah but you're alive. You scared the crap out of me. I thought you were going to die." Gail confessed as tears brimmed her eyes threatening to fall once more.

Don't cry stupid.

Gail willed herself to refrain from breaking down once more. She was supposed to be focusing on Holly. The beautiful forensic pathologist before her who had just been through hell after saving her.

"Gail I'm okay." Holly said clearing her throat and staring at the blonde before her.

Holly groaned as a wave of pain washed over her and she squeezed onto Gail's hand. Gail, unsure of what to do, pressed the call nurse button and proceeded to stroke Holly's hair in an effort to comfort her. Her breath hitched when she felt the brunette lean into her touch. She was so close to Holly that she could feel her breathing on her cheek. All she had to do was lean in.

Before Gail could do anything Holly's doctor walked through the door and she quickly sat back into her seat.

"Dr. Stewart. Nice to see you awake. How are you feeling?" her doctor asked as he recorded her stats into the clipboard he was holding.

Gail thought it was a bit rude for him to not even make eye contact with Holly. What a little prick. But saying anything would only cause unnecessary commotion that she didn't wish to put her...girlfriend?, through.

"Like I've been shot." Holly answered sarcastically.

The doctor looked up from his clipboard and Gail tried to stop herself from smiling. The doctor tucked the clipboard under his arm before approaching Holly.

"I want you to follow the light with your eyes but do not move your head" he instructed as he pulled a small flashlight from his pocket.

Holly did as she was told and the doctor quickly wrote down his findings before tucking away his clipboard once more.

"The nurse will be in shortly to give you some more pain medicine. It will make you sleepy so Officer Peck I would advise you to let her get her rest. Luckily you have no signs of a concussion or other trauma. We will be keeping you for a little while longer as you did lose a lot of blood but I am sure that you are going to make a full recovery. You are very lucky. Try not to jump into the path of any more bullets though, okay?"

"I make no promises." Holly stated with a small smile before cringing when another wave of pain came over her.

The doctor walked out of Holly's room and Gail reached out for her hand once more.

"You are an idiot Holly. I just want you to know that."

"Really Gail? Is that any way to talk to someone who saved your life?"

Gail rolled her eyes.

"Holly I was wearing a vest. Ya'know like all cops do when on assignment."

Holly didn't take Gail's sarcasm well and looked at her with a serious face.

"I wasn't thinking Gail. The only thing running through my mind was that there was some creep trying to hurt you, kill you. And maybe your vest could have stopped the bullet and maybe it couldn't have. That was not a risk that I was willing to take. Not when your life was on the line. There was no way in hell."

Gail suddenly became upset.

"But it should have been me. Not you Holly. Me? I'm just some screw up who can't do much right and doesn't know how to let people in but you...god dammit Holly you have everything going for you. You are the smartest woman that I know. The most amazing person in the world. You are important and you were almost gone." Gail whispered off at the end, "I almost lost you"

"Jesus Gail you're not disposable. No matter what you think you are someone. You are smart and resourceful and strong. You go out there everyday and put your life on the line for complete strangers. How can you wake up everyday look in the mirror and tell yourself that you are nothing. When to me you are everything."

Gail tried to speak but Holly stopped her.

"No Gail listen to me. I did what I did because I had to because I couldn't stand the thought of losing you. Because...I LOVE YOU YOU IDIOT!"

The room was silent.

Holly was shocked that she had let those words slip from her mouth. Her heart broke as Gail slowly pulled her hand away and stood. Gail then proceeded to do the one thing that she was best at.. Ran away.

"I'm sorry but I have to go." Gail said simply before leaving the room and a heart broken Holly in tears behind.

So do you guy's think this is better?

I am already half way through chapter 3.