A/N: Have at it.
"Can I help you with something?" Gail packed as much venom into the short sentence as she could. She kept her eyes on her paperwork and continued writing. Steve had been perched at the corner of her desk for a considerable amount of time now but hadn't spoken a word.
"I know this certainly isn't news to you but the longer you ignore mom the more there's going to be to ignore."
Gail glanced up at Steve for a second, "like you said, that isn't news to me. But it's just kinda tradition you know? I wouldn't want to worry her by actually picking up on the first ring."
"Okay," Steven said in an overly perky tone. "So have you thought it over?"
"Yeah, I think I'm gonna start off with a Manhattan, perfect for bitter winter days like today, whatdaya think?" Gail asked, focussing her attention on her paperwork.
"Good choice. However, I was actually wondering about what you were going to apply for," Steve looked at Gail expectantly. Her stubbornness with their mother shouldn't set her career back.
"Wellll now that you mention it I heard traffic was going to have some openings. That's really where my heart lies you know," Gail deflected Steve's serious question with a beyond preposterous answer.
"Wow, it's good I asked to borrow you tomorrow while I still can."
"What?!" Gail whipped her head up and around to glare at Steve. What was he up to?
Steve rose from his seated position on the desk and backed away, "You'll just have to wait and see," he said giddily, shooting Gail a wink before he turned away.
"That's really creepy you know!" She called after him. Why did Steve have to get in her head like that?
Gail had spent the entirety of last night, and this morning before shift psyching herself out for whatever Steve was "borrowing" her for. The last time she went undercover went horribly. That is, if "horribly" could even begin to cover it. Please don't be undercover. She was also a little suspicious as to why Steve had requested her, and if her mother had anything to do with it. Gail knew he wouldn't sell her out but she wouldn't put it past her brother to be outsmarted by their mother. She didn't even know what Steve was going to have her do. She'd laid awake long after Holly had drifted off to sleep wondering what today would have in store for her.
"Ready to rock and roll?" Steve was at Gail's side as soon as she had walked in the doors. Jeez he really doesn't quit.
"Just gotta put on my uniform," she replied in a saccharine sweet tone.
"No need, plain clothes today."
"Superrr," there goes her last sense of normalcy, "just gonna grab a coffee."
"Perfect, I'll have a double double," Steve bounded up the stairs to his office.
Gail never regretting becoming a police officer. She's not going to gush about it to anyone but Gail loves her job. She gets to help people when it matters most, kick some asses when most deserved, and dish out the snark when it's most needed. There's no way Gail could deal with being chained to a desk everyday. Chasing after criminals is also a pretty good way to earn doughnuts and tequila shots. She worked with some pretty good people too; Traci, Chris, Dov, Oliver, Noelle, and Frank. Damn, Gail misses Noelle. Even Sam, Andy, and Nick were good people, even if their heads were shoved way up their asses. Heck, Marlo went a little nuts but Gail had always respected her. She could be a little bit of a hard ass but Gail liked riding with her. No personal drama, no bullshit; she looked up to her for those reasons. Marlo was good at her job. Too bad she went off her meds and started stalking Ford. Chloe was frickin' annoying but she was good at her job and one of her favorite people to make fun of. She worked with good people. Gail never regretted becoming a police officer. If she was being honest with herself; she loved it. But Gail did regret getting into the family business. Her least favorite part of her job was, hands down, her mother. The worst being that that is likely never going to change.
"Double double for the princess," Gail placed the cup of coffee on Steve's desk. "So what are we doing anyways?" Gail's curiosity and dread were peaking.
"You," Steve smiled, "are helping me plan a bust."
"Wow, how'd mom get you to do that?" God that woman just doesn't let up.
"Actually," Steve countered, "she didn't have anything to do with it. I picked you."
"Whatever," Gail plopped herself down in a chair next to Steve. She didn't believe him but there seemed to be no escape at this point.
"Do you wanna know why I picked you?" Steve asked as they climbed into his car. They were going to scout out the location of the bust they were planning for later that week.
"Um let me think? A little birdie named 'Elaine' whispered in your ear 'choose Peck, pad her resume, choose Peck," Gail was confident her mother was behind this.
Steve started the engine, "actually, she probably doesn't even know about this. I didn't tell her, and guns and gangs isn't really on her radar." Gail looked over at Steve skeptically. What was he getting at? "So, guess again," Steve prompted.
"Well then, I guess we're left with my sunshiny disposition," Gail said in a very cheery, un-Gail-like voice.
"Wrong again, little sis," Steve was going to make her work for it.
"So, any last guesses?" Steve asked again as he and Gail got in the car to head back to the station.
"What is this? The Spanish Inquisition?" Gail was tired of Steve's games. He always milked it when he knew something she didn't, and since he was her older brother he'd done a lot of that in the past twenty-eight years.
"I could have done this myself-"
"Gee thanks," Gail rolled her eyes.
"I could have done this myself but," Steve paused for a moment to let the 'but' sink in, "I wanted your help because you know the officers at this division a lot better than I do-"
"You got that right, my superlative is definitely 'Most Popular,'" Gail rolled her eyes again, what was Steve getting at? It was making her nervous.
"Okay, you're kind of abrasive, snarky, you don't roll out the red carpet for anyone; you're a Peck. You're a little judgmental, but you're also a good judge of character. You know everyone's strengths and weakness better than I do, heck, better than they do," Steve was on a roll, and when Gail offered a shy objection he just soldiered on, pretending not to hear. "You told me that Dov can be overeager, like he's trying to prove something; that Chris follows the rules to a 'T' even when maybe he shouldn't; that Andy's quick to dispense sympathy, especially for women; that putting her and 'Soldier Boy' together probably wouldn't be good for anyone; that Noelle's pregnant again and her bladder wouldn't survive the surveillance van. You're good at reading people Gail. People trust you on the job. You'd be a good leader. Just because they might not want to be your 'BFF' doesn't mean they don't know you'll have their back. Leading isn't about making friends anyways."
"What's your point Dr. Phil?" Gail doesn't take compliments well and she still didn't get where Steve was going with this.
"Mom's going to try and get you to apply for a detective rotation. You shouldn't do that though. You'd hate it. The amount of BS would drive you insane," Gail turned her head to look at Steve as he talked to the windshield. "This year you'll get promoted to training officer. You'll probably be good at it too. The rookies will be too afraid of pissing you off to do anything wrong...or rather; to do anything wrong for a second time," Steve chuckled, "and like I said, you're a good judge of character, you'll figure out what they need to learn," Steve paused to look over at Gail for a brief second. "And then in a year or two you should take the Sergeant's test. Don't listen to mom. Listen to me," Steve looked over at Gail and smiled as he pulled over into an on street parking spot, "I'll have a plain glazed." Steve was hungry, but he also wanted to give Gail an out, a way that she could almost pretend that conversation hadn't happened without forcing her to publicly denounce everything he said.
"Sure thing boss," Gail shot him a closed lip smile as she moved to get out of the car, "oh, and don't go blabbing to anyone about Noelle. I don't even know if it's true, I've just noticed stuff..."
"Noticed stuff?" Steve asked, openly confused.
"You're a boy, you wouldn't get it," Gail rolled her eyes.
"Oh, and a hot chocolate? They have the best hot chocolate!" Gail didn't respond, and just slammed the door shut.
"I'm always right? Am I not? I am, I am always right," Steve mused aloud to himself. Someone was pleased with himself.
"So, how was working with Steve today?" Holly was her usually cheery, positive self, chopping root vegetables for dinner. She looked over her shoulder as Gail rummaged in her cabinets. She hadn't even taken her coat off, she'd just dropped her bag at the door and made a beeline for the kitchen cabinets. 'Well, at least she used the key,' Holly thought to herself.
"Do you not have anything stronger than wine?" Gail wanted a real drink.
"Um, well, you might want to try the liquor cabinet," Holly motioned to the mini bar in the living room with her chopping knife. Duh?
"Oh. Right," Gail quickly shut the cabinet doors, spun around and headed straight for the hard stuff.
"Hey, do I not even get a kiss 'hello'?"
Gail blew Holly a kiss from the living room just as she reached her prize.
"I guess that'll do for now," Holly's head was down to the cutting board but her eyes were watching Gail clatter around with the whiskey. "So...not fun then?"
"Meh, it was fine. Steve talks a lot though," Gail rounded the kitchen counter and took a seat next to the cutting board.
"Take your coat off, stay a while," Holly joked.
Gail looked down at herself. She hadn't bothered to remove her coat or boots yet. She had been so looking forward to kicking her boots off but had completely forgotten in her quest for hard alcohol. No wonder she was starting to feel a little warm.
"Eh, I'll probably just leave after this drink," Gail quipped as she moved to hang up her coat and leave her boots by the door. "Also," Gail heaved as she struggled to remove her boots without spilling her drink onto the floor, "Frank said we all have to do ride alongs with the medics this month. Mine's next week," Gail was not looking forward to it. She had done one before before while she was in the academy and then once again two years ago. She was not a fan. She really didn't mind blood and guts, except on real, live people. Ambulances were scary places; A box of metal going too fast, with not enough time with too much pressure.
"Oh! No way! I love ride alongs. They're so much fun! Exciting, get your blood pumping kinda stuff. Summer got certified as an EMT last summer you know?"
"Summer did, last summer, you don't say," Gail joked. "Maybe she can go for me."
"Yeah, I don't think it works that way," Holly laughed, "hey, are you gonna make me a drink or what?"
For the second night in a row Gail laid awake long after Holly had fallen asleep. She couldn't stop replaying what Steve had said to her. Was he right? Gail knew that Steve wouldn't lie to her. Steve was a loyal brother. He could be obnoxious, cocky, forward, and sometimes a little over confident. But he was a loyal brother. Gail knew he had nothing to gain by saying all that stuff. Self preservation was telling her to forget it. At least for now. She could deal with it later. Gail rolled back over onto her side and scooted back into Holly's embrace. Gail loved to cuddle. She would never admit it to anyone, and sometimes she tried to hide it from Nick and Chris. Holly had seen right through her, but she still wouldn't admit it. She put her arm over Holly's that rested across her front.
"Holly," Gail whispered, "Holly, you awake?"
The room was silent except for some light snores coming from behind Gail's head.
"Holly, Bill Nye's on the phone for you."
More silence.
"Night nerd. I love you."
A/N: Gosh Gail, if you want her to say it back she has to be awake. Right? That's how it works right? Anyways the next chapter is mostly written so it should be coming your way pretty soon :) Love y'all!