Gail had woken up the next morning with a wicked hangover. Opening her eyes slightly she saw a bottle of water and a bottle of orange juice sitting in an ice bucket and a packet of aspirin next to a bagel on a small plate on the nightstand. Danni's note said nothing but her cell and direct extension in the hotel, giving Gail all the support she needed without actually saying anything. At least she had one friend she knew she could count on. After taking advantage of both the water and bagel as well as the meds, Gail got up and left for work, knowing it was going to be a long day.
Her shift seemed to drag on and on and being stuck in a car all day with Chloe, who at least noticed something was off and had the sense not to bring it up. The minute her shift was over, she made a call she hated to make from the parking lot of the Huxley. She informed her mother that she would be using the room in reserve at the Huxley under the Peck name. That just meant that the hotel would automatically grant them a room if they weren't at full occupancy, in case of conferences and such. Gail could hear her mother drawing breath to interrupt, so she hurriedly forced the next bit out. "Just until my nightmares go away." At that her mother calmly agreed and they hung up.
Gail's nightmares had started when Oliver was abducted but Holly had been there and they had faded. They started again when Sam came back on duty but thankfully, Gail remembered who had helped her through the first time.

Everyone has secrets, Gail.

No one knew that better than Danni. It's how Gail met Danni and why she went by her middle name rather than be associated with her brother back in Maryland. The only real clue was the Muskrt3 license plate in Danni's townhouse. Gail had never held Danni's family against her and had found someone that could relate to "Peck-spectations". After her abduction, Gail had found that she wasn't the only one with scars and a side she didn't let others see. There had been nights where Gail could still feel the blindfold over her eyes even after she was awake and her eyes were open. Nights where she woke up ready to scream but felt like the gag was still lodged in her mouth and her heart in her throat. In extreme situations, like when they were storming in to save Oliver, she had to fight her mind from getting hazy and feeling like she was drugged again in that basement.
Why didn't you tell me you are a cop?!
Gail had no physical scars, but the smell of mold and mildew in a basement made it hard for her to breathe if she wasn't able to talk herself down first. It sounded less crazy in her head.
When she first got out of the hospital she pushed everyone away except for Traci. She couldn't say no to Traci, but Traci also gave her time to herself to heal- or whatever. She'd gone full horror show on Danni, and Danni hadn't even flinched. She just pushed Gail back into her house and followed her to her room.

Then Danni had shown Gail her scars.

They had both gone through horrors. It was easier to talk to Danni. Nick had his whole soldier attitude where she knew he'd seen things while he'd served but he didn't talk to her about any of it so she didn't him as someone she'd be opening up to. Chris was like a puppy. He was loyal and happy and protective but she couldn't dump all of this on him. There was Traci but Gail felt that since she was the cause of all her pain it would be too cruel to add to it. Gail had briefly thought of talking to Holly, but there was too much police and personal history that would have needed to have been explained. Danni at least knew her personal history and had an understanding not only of her helplessness but why she couldn't look to her family for support.

Gail was afraid of her fears getting the best of her, especially when someone needed her. She had gone over to Danni's one night instead of Holly's when the nightmares returned to talk about them. It had seemed stupid when her therapist suggested it, but it helped. Not that Gail was ever going to tell her that. She knew that Danni had just come back from some "family business" and would be going back and forth for a bit, making this sudden get together all the more special. It was also why Danni was a bartender instead of something that she could actually use her college degrees on. Gail hadn't missed the cast, despite the fact that it was black and being hidden in a fashionable black sling in a look that few could pull off. Danni had told her that fear was healthy and kept things in perspective. Gail knew there was a lot more to it than that, but sometimes her job as a cop kept things short. Gail never really felt Danni would harm someone without it being self defense but knew that she had a dark streak. Together, they managed to keep each other from sinking too far into their dark moods. Which was why she was in a hotel room watching Saved! on her laptop while she waited for Danni to get of shift at midnight.

Holly walked over to the bar again and settled on a stool with a deep sigh that had Danni raising an eyebrow at her. She raised it again as she watched a brunette walk up and turn Holly towards her.
"Holly, I was talking to you!"
"And I was leaving because you were continuing to be an asshole" muttered Holly around the drink Danni had set in front of her.
"Look, I said have fun with the cop didn't I? But look at where we are! You think she has a room at the Huxley? Your career is still taking off and you want to settle for a beat cop? You don't have to be a city pathologist forever!" argued Lisa as Holly gripped her glass of ginger ale tighter and ran her other hand through her hair.
"You know what? I love my job as a pathologist. The only person who seems to think so little of it is you! And Gail isn't a beat cop, she's an officer! And-!"
And this was as good a cue as any for Danni to race from where she was serving Johanna her gin and tonic and step in because she really didn't want her pay docked when Holly broke her glass on the bitch's head and if anyone was going to do it, she wanted to.
"It is hotel policy not to release information on our guests, but as Gail's friend I can tell you that Officer Peck has booked a suite for the whole week."
"I'm sorry, did this involve you?" sneered Lisa.
"If it involves Gail, and she's practically my sister, then yeah it does, Ms Lacking in Self Confidence." Johanna didn't even try to hide her grin when she snorted into her drink a few seats down from Holly.
"I'm perfectly confidant with myself" retorted Lisa haughtily, drawing her small frame to full height.
"Yeah? How much liposuction did that take?" asked Danni. Holly seemed to have trouble breathing, having inhaled her drink up her nose. Despite the late hour, a man in a suit came to the bar with an envelope right as Lisa was about to either continue floundering or try to come up with a witty remark.
"Ms Verger?" Danni sighed and held her hand to her eyes as both Holly's and Lisa's mouths dropped. Danni waved at the man.
"I need your signature on these and a witness's signature?" Danni flipped through the papers, reading each carefully before signing and then pushing the stack to Johanna to sign as witness before handing them back to the man who left as quickly as he came. She took a little enjoyment at the fact that Lisa had backed up a step.
"We all have our secrets" stated Danni with a shrug before she was flagged down from the other end of the bar for a drink.

AN: Having rewatched Hannibal episodes with Margot in them and a few episodes of Endgame again, I think Danni/Margot would be good friends with Gail. Johanna is there because I watched The Ruins again and THG:CF and Jena Malone and Katharine Isabelle are now a ship that I ship and a fighting duo I need to see in action. And the secrets and Margot thing is something I've had planned out (rare, I know) but it might shift depending on what happens next it the show. Let me know if you have a preference as to which way!

PLEASE REVIEW!