They got out of the car and Holly stopped.
''Gail, give me the keys….''
''What?''
''Give me the car keys…''
''What for?''
''I need to take a ride… Have some time…alone…''
''Why? What is going on?''
''I need some distance…''
''Why?''
''Because if I go into that house with you I will not stop… I will not be able to control myself…''
''Holly?''
''I want you Gail and I don't want to mess things up with sex…''
Gail looked at her surprised.
''How is that possible?''
'' I want us to be in a good place before we do anything…''
''And we are not?''
''I'm not so sure we are ready… It could have two scenarios. One is, that we keep having mind blowing sex entire weekend and on our lunch brakes, like we used to do, and the other is that you start running for your life because you are scared of what is going on with us… I don't want us to pretend like nothing happened, like we do every morning we wake up pretty tangled into each other…''
Gail came to her and took her hand..
''How about we go for a walk together and then see what next. I am not going to lie and say I'm not scared, but I believe in our strong will and ability to control our…urges…''
They walked for two hours and went back home. Gail was taking a shower and Holly was in the living room reading her book. It was already around eleven and it was time for bed. Gail emerged from the bedroom to take the water.
''You can use the bathroom now.''
''OK.''
Holly took a long cold shower and returned to the room. Gail was in bed watching a movie. Holly got in and went back to reading. Gail would sneak a glance toward Holly's direction and mumble something about being a coward. When the movie ended, Gail turned off the TV and her light. She took Holly's book and glasses and Holly looked at her surprised.
''We are not having sex tonight, but I want to make out and cuddle… After that I want you to hold me and to fall asleep on my side with you as a big spoon. That is a good start.''
That made Holly laugh…
''We have to make up the ground rules… There is no hands on skin… You can touch the clothes, but no skin…''
Holly was laughing even more now.
''You are insane Gail…''
''Maybe, but I need rules for this. I want this to happen and I know you want it too.''
''Fine, let's try it…''
''O.K.''
They had no idea who was supposed to start first. They wanted it, but now the question was who would be brave enough to make the first move. Holly took it upon herself to start their little make out session. Gail's first instinct was to reach for Holly's hair. She loved how it felt in her hands. She heard Holly moan and she knew she was doing the right things to get Holly in the mood. As it was expected, it was Gail who broke the rules. She could never stick to any rule, even ones that had nothing to do with sex. It was simply Gail being Gail. Her hands ended under Holly's shirt touching all they could. It felt so good to feel Holly once again…
''Wandering hands, that is against the rules….''
''I'm Chief Superintendent and my direct order is to break the rules…all of them… I promise, I will not run… This time the cat will stay on the tree.''
Holly was the one with more control over her actions.
''No, not tonight… Give us some time…I promise it will be amazing…''
''But I want you…''
''I want you too…But…Not that soon…''
''It has been nine years Holly…It's not soon…''
''But I just came back…''
''Two months ago…''
Gail jumped from the bed and turned towards the bathroom.
''Let's face it… You don't love me anymore…''
''I do… I love you so much…''
''Than why? Did I get too old?''
''No… You are still beautiful and sexy…''
''But not like that three year old you were with… I'm almost forty… I don't look that well anymore…''
''Gail, stop! It has nothing to do with Irene. I think you are sexy, fun, amazing…''
''But not good enough for you to sleep with me…''
''I do want to sleep with you Gail…''
''No, you don't…''
Holly got off the bed and came close to her. She took her hand and took her to bed. Without a word she stripped her of the pajamas and Gail stood naked in front of her wife after so long. Holly lightly pushed to bed and Gail just fell. Holly was very determined to show Gail how wanted she was. Gail didn't remember ever being this nervous in her life. Holly stripped too and stood in front of Gail naked and never looking better in her life. Gail licked her own lips and waited for Holly to come to bed.
''You are annoying Gail Peck and you sometimes get on my very last nerve… But you are mine and now I'm going to show you how mine you are.''
She got into the bed and spent entire night making love to Gail. At first she was a bit rough. There was still a lot of anger and pain to work on, but as the time went by, it got much different. They were more gentle and loving towards the other one.
''I love you Holly…''
''I love you too…''
''Don't you ever dare leave again… I promise I will kill you if you try…''
''I will not…''
Gail slept on Holly's chest. It felt so good to be that close again and to feel her. Holly felt like they were finally home. She loved the feeling of Gail falling apart in her arms and that smile that was always on her lips after they made love. Holly loved these faces she made and she loved her. They were woken up by someone knocking at the door. Gail put on her robe and went to open the door. Her parents were at the door and she was surprised to see them.
''What brings you here?''
''Is it true?''
''What?''
''Don't play dumb with me… Is she really here?''
Before she could answer, Holly showed up at the bedroom door.
''Hi Elaine….Peter….''
''So, you are back?''
''I am…''
''Why?''
''I beg your pardon?''
''Why are you back?''
''Gail wanted me to come home…''
''You left all these years ago… Why now?''
''I was in an accident and they found Gail as my next of keen.''
''And?''
''She got me home…''
''I can't believe this… You are back together like nothing happened…How long was this going on?''
''About two months mom.''
''I had to hear from the some officers who were at Oliver's that she and you are back on?''
''Mom, we just got back together. We lived together for some time, now we are officially on again.''
''I hope you know what you are doing…''
''We know mom…''
Gail's dad waved at them and left their apartment.
''That was very warm welcome.''
''Who cares. We are good and we will get even better…''
Gail kissed her and took her to the bedroom. She took off her and Holly's robe and they got back to bed.
''I just want to be near you and enjoy having you here.''
''Me too…''
There was short silence.
''Holly, how did you and that girl happen?''
''Irene?''
''Yes…''
''She was the only person I was seeing. It started about less than two years ago. She was scared of doing her pathology assignments and afraid to being alone in the morgue. It can be creepy and it comes from me.''
''I never thought you find it creepy…''
''I did…Long time ago…''
''I want to know more.''
''Oh… I decided to help her by being there when she has to work. In the beginning, I was in the room, and by the end I was in my office. She was a nice kid; she had something so gentle and optimistic to her that I was attracted to it. I wanted to come home, but after seeing you on that date I believed I had nothing to come back to. So, I let myself be with her. It was not serious in my eyes. We spent very little time together, she was never in my apartment and sex didn't happen often… I really tried to have normal thing going on with her, but I couldn't. I have no idea where did she get idea to propose to me. I swear Gail; our relationship was far from that stage. There was nothing to indicate we should be heading in that direction.''
''Why would she think it was?''
''Maybe she fell in love? Maybe she believed it was what I wanted and believed I kept her on the distance because I wanted her to make that step… I have no idea Gail. But I know I didn't want to marry her. That night I run into my car and started driving. All I could think of was you. I remembered your birthday and the fact we were married two hours after I asked you to marry me with a ribbon from my shirt…''
''I still have it somewhere…''
''You do?''
''Yes… And I loved that we only had wedding rings…. We had no money for anything else. It was few days before pay day and that's why we only got the wedding rings. We got our marriage licenses and got married fifteen minutes later. I think they looked at us like we were crazy…''
''We were Gail. It was nine o clock and we got married in jeans and boots and police uniform. No fancy dresses no flashing hot looks, just plane us…''
''I never wanted a fancy wedding….''
''I just wanted you… And that's when I knew I had to come back home regardless of what was going on here. I had to try to see you Gail. I had at least to say I was sorry for leaving.''
''Why did you leave?''
''I had to… I had to make name for myself. There was large amount of people saying that your mother keeps me there and works on people to give me funding for all of my work.''
''But she never did it…She never liked you and she was so pissed for us being married and very out with it.''
''But that is what we knew, not the rest of the world.''
''I know… I hated them all. They looked at us like we were less worthy and less women…''
''Sometimes I felt it too in the lab.''
''Pigs… Lucky for them some of them retired…''
''Gail, revenge will bring you nowhere…''
''Just a little…''
''No…''
''So? You left me to prove a point?''
''Yes, I wanted them to see I can be good even without your mother and her ''protection''. I never regretted leaving. I got so much out of that work, but I regretted leaving you…''
''Don't do it again to me…''
''I will not…''
''But you know that now there will be storied that you have your job because you are my wife?''
''And now I don't care. Now I'm not that insecure… I am ready to be who I am and I don't care if I am married to you or not. I am great at my work and I don't care about them… I promise….''
''We'll manage Holly. I changed too…''
''Do I get the story of your promotions?''
Gail's smile faded…
''Not today love… Soon…''
''O.K.''
They made love again and fell asleep. They napped for an hour or so and after that they were woken up by the phone.
'' Chief Superintendent…Yes….She is here…. Let me ask her….''
''Holly, can you take over the case today?''
She nodded and Gail continued the talk.
''Fine…. She'll do it… Tell me where the body….O.K is.''
She hung up and looked at Holly…
''And so it beguines…''
''Yes…''
She got out of bed and got dressed. She was greeted by the crew at the crime scene and she used spare kit from the pathologist's car. She was assisting the pathologist on the scene, but unofficially she was the one giving everyone what to do. It was her turn to go and see the body… Body was in a small cave and it was not easy to get to it. It was on the floor and already covered with white sheet. Holly asked officers who found the body about what they saw around the body and on it and they gave her pretty detailed descriptions. She lifted the sheet and stayed in shock. She got off the floor and took one of the officers on the side.
''Tell them to call for Chief superintendent… She has to come here as soon as she can.''
''She is not coming to the scenes.. She is the white shirt…''
''I know… But for this she will. Tell her Dr. Stewart called her….''
They went to call Gail and Holly stayed to look at the body…