Disclaimer: Rookie Blue does not belong to me. I am merely borrowing the characters.
Holly and Gail met Claire McNally outside the house.
"I see you're both involved in the find of all those bodies. To be honest I am surprised to see either of you." said Claire.
"The last few bodies were skeletons so a specialist is dealing with them." said Holly.
"And I was ordered to take a couple of days off and to come back fresh on Monday." said Gail.
"She saw you both on TV yesterday so may have some questions about the case. My advice is to be as honest as you can without giving too many gory details. And if this goes well are you in a position to have her permanently from next weekend?" said Claire.
"Thanks for telling us. Can we talk about permanent arrangements after we see how this weekend goes?" said Holly.
"Of Course. Oh and any luck with child care?" asked Claire.
"Yeah, oddly the Morgue has a Crèche with a school pick up service!" said Holly.
"Good but I hope not too gruesome!" said Claire
When the door opened Ruth came running out to Holly nearly knocking her over.
"Ooooch." exclaimed Holly as she swung the girl in the air.
Ruth's foster mother handed Gail a small suitcase. "Everything you'll need is in there. Nightclothes, change of top and spare jeans, underwear etc. "
"Thanks. And thanks for everything you're doing for her." said Gail.
The woman just smiled back.
They are got into the car and Gail drove them to the condo, Holly got in the back with Ruth. Ruth was quiet when she got out of the car. Suddenly shy. She perked up when they got through the front door though. But it still puzzled both Holly and Gail that she had suddenly become quiet. Gail decided to see if being underground was a problem for her.
"Have you been on the subway in Toronto Ruth?" asked Gail.
"No, Daddy said the subway is closer to hell." said Ruth.
"What about the car park at the place where you were found by the Police?" she asked.
"Not allowed down there – too close to hell." said Ruth.
"Did Daddy say that to you?" asked Gail.
"Yes, Daddy said." said Ruth.
"Rriggghhhht." said Gail.
"What are you thinking?" asked Holly.
Gail got out her phone. "That there is something down in the car park they didn't want her to see." she said as she rang the head of the task force for the Purity Crusade case.
"I'll do this in the bedroom." said Gail who made her way to the bedroom with her phone to her ear.
Holly got out her laptop.
"Have you ever played 'Minecraft' Ruth?" she asked.
"Not allowed computers – evil." said Ruth.
"Well that is something else someone got wrong. Gail and I use computers to help catch bad guys." said Holly.
"Really?" said Ruth.
"Yes – we wouldn't be able to catch bad guys anything like so often without them."
"Oh!"
"Come and watch what I do." said Holly.
When Gail returned Ruth was watching Holly with a look of wonder on her face. This was magical.
"How did it go?" Holly absently enquired.
"OK, they're going to search the car park as soon as they've contacted the building owner." said Gail, then she continued "Minecraft eh? Still can't beat my high scores on real video games then!"
"I think my sister is doing really well." said Ruth.
"She is Ruth, she is for a Nerd!" said Gail.
"Hmmm who's paper needed that physics professor again?" said Holly.
"OK who wants ice cream?" Gail decided on a subject change.
Gail went to the kitchen followed by Holly and Ruth.
"What ice cream would you like?"
"Yellow raspberry!" said Holly.
"Raspberry's red!" said a bemused Ruth who was watching Gail put on a face shield and gauntlets.
"We can make any flavour and colour combination you want." said Gail.
"I am not allowed ice cream it makes my tummy go funny." said Ruth.
"But I'll make it with milk that won't make your tummy go funny." said Gail.
"You're going to make it?" said Ruth.
"With good milk." Gail showed her the carton.
"Oh – Blue chocolate please." said Ruth.
Gail poured the sugar and soya milk into a bowl and started the blender.
"And I'll have black chocolate mint." She says as she pours the two ingredients into a third bowl.
"Now that liquid is extremely cold. It would freeze your hand off instantly." said Holly.
Gail poured the liquid nitrogen into each bowl and then stopped then beaters. She removed the face shield and gauntlets, and then she brought the bowls over to the table.
Ruth ate her ice cream with relish.
Just as they were finishing Gail's phone went. She picked it up and went to the bedroom.
"Why does Gail go to the bedroom when she takes a call?" asked Ruth.
"Well. She doesn't want to disturb the rest of us." said Holly.
Gail came back after five minutes. She smiled at Ruth.
"Eaten all your ice cream up?" Gail asked.
"YES, I like ice cream!" said Ruth.
"Well only eat the ice cream I make for you. The special ice cream that won't make your tummy go funny!" said Gail. She turned to Holly, "Why don't I make dinner while you show Ruth some video games?"
"Good idea."
Gail got out the thermometers she'd once teased Holly for using and got started on a dinner of jacket potatoes, steamed veg, and home made burgers.
After dinner they put Ruth to bed, Gail read her a bedtime story about a scientist who saves the world. Ruth was asleep by the end of it.
Gail turned to Holly as they sat down. "That call earlier was to tell me they found some completed bombs stored in the car park below the building on Queen together with finished crystal meth and other things. No wonder they didn't Ruth to go down there! I know they are your parents Holly but I feel like strangling them for what they did to that girl,"
"I feel the same." said Holly, shaking her head sadly.
"Do you think we should move? Somewhere with a garden for Ruth to play in." said Gail.
"I thought you loved it here."
"I do! I'm just not sure how good it is for Ruth. And if we're going to have children, then we'll need a bigger place anyway."
"Yeah, I suppose."
They went to bed themselves, exhausted, not long after.