So my wife informs me that one of the scenes near the end of this chapter was sort of done on Friends years ago. I never saw it, so I assure you this was an original (or so I thought) idea. I'm not changing it though, dammit. This is the scene I've been waiting to write from the start.

I've also been thinking about doing some one-offs, possibly taking a small break from this specific story. Is there a preference?

Let me know what you think. Happy reading.

Chapter 6 Inexorable

The soft morning light, coming through the window, slowly brought Gail into wakefulness. She gave a languorous stretch, reaching out for Holly, but came up empty. Gail frowned as she confirmed that Holly was no longer in bed with her. With a grumble, she dragged herself out of bed and shuffled over to Holly's closet.

She scanned over the contents of the closet, first confirming that there was, in fact, no fleece. She found the biggest, warmest-looking flannel and pulled it on over her naked body. Gail padded over to the bedroom's en-suite and washed her face, brushed her teeth and pulled her hair back into a loose bun. Then she went to find out what possible explanation Holly could have for leaving her in bed so early.

Holly was not in the apartment, but there was fresh coffee brewing in the kitchen. Gail poured herself a cup and sat down with the paper to wait for Holly to return from wherever she had gone.

Holly opened her front door to find Gail drinking coffee, reading the paper, and wearing nothing but her favourite flannel shirt and a disgruntled look. Holly's eyes scanned up Gail's legs, but the pout on Gail's face broke her reverie. Holly laughed.

"I woke up and you weren't there, and I didn't know where you had gone," Gail grumbled.

"I can't imagine what that's like," Holly replied, dryly.

Gail looked immediately apologetic.

"Too soon to joke about it?" Holly laughed.

"Please don't remind me what an ass I can be," Gail sighed.

"But it's my new favourite hobby."

Gail stuck out her tongue. "I thought we were going to be lazy and not get out of bed all morning," Gail said, getting the conversation back to the present.

"I brought French toast...I could just throw it out if you don't want it…"

"No! No, I obviously want it," Gail said, a little too loudly. "Thank you."

"I thought so," Holly laughed. She put the paper bag on the kitchen counter and leaned across to give Gail a kiss.

"That suits you," Holly said, nodding at the flannel. "Especially without pants."

Gail flashed a smile at her, mouth already stuffed with French toast.

"I'm going to get us some plates," Holly said, laughing again.

Holly had stabbed Gail in the hand with her plastic fork in an attempt to protect what was left of her own French toast, once Gail had scarfed her own. But she had come back a second time, and Holly had just allowed it. She was learning to order extra food.

"Hey, listen, I need to go into work for a few hours today," Holly said. "But I was thinking maybe we could make dinner here tonight, if you don't have any plans."

"No plans," Gail replied. "I guess I should really go home for a bit. I can't remember the last time I did laundry. But I would love to make dinner with you tonight. Though I warn you now, I can only be given the simplest tasks in the kitchen. I'm more of an eater, than a cooker."

Holly contemplated the sudden turn that her life had taken recently, as she watched Gail clean up their breakfast. She and Gail were spending all of their free time together, and she still couldn't get enough. Holly laughed to herself, when she considered that Gail wouldn't appreciate the lesbian U-Haul stereotype. Holly had never fit the stereotype before. She liked being single, dating, enjoying her own life and work, and wasn't looking to rush into any sort of serious relationship. Then she had met Gail, and everything she thought she knew and felt was turned upside down. It made Holly nervous. She was also wary of rushing Gail, though the other woman had shown no signs of fear since her doorway proclamation. Holly wondered if Gail knew that she was her game-changer too. She didn't think so. Things were going so well though, Holly decided just to allow herself this bliss and not worry about tomorrow.

Gail walked into her apartment, shuffling through the large pile of mail she had accumulated. I should probably pay my bills.

"Don't move or I'll call the police!" Dov yelled. "Who are you and what are you doing in my home?"

"Hardy har har," Gail replied, rolling her eyes.

"Seriously, where the hell have you been?" Dov laughed.

"She's been having lots and lots of Sapphic sex," Chloe laughed, popping her head up from the couch. Her voice was still scratchy, and she was still sporting a large bandage on her neck, but she looked happy.

"You're lucky you got shot," Gail said, glaring blue daggers at her.

"We are very happy for you. And for us," Dov laughed. "Has someone finally tamed the mighty Gail Peck?"

Gail rolled her eyes and went to go get her dirty laundry. The truth was that once Gail had let herself go, she had fallen hard. She was mildly embarrassed how much time she was spending with Holly, and the fact that it never felt like enough time. She was missing her at that very moment, and she had only just left her. Gail had never felt this way before, and letting herself go was still a frightening situation to be in. She focused on how deliriously happy she was and tried to live in the present moment. The present moment required her attention on the large heap of dirty clothes that needed cleaning.

Gail woke up the next morning in Holly's bed again. It was still early, and only faint hints of the sunrise were peaking in through the window. Gail reached out sleepily and this time found Holly's warm body next to her.

Last night had been lovely, having a quiet night in with Holly and cooking dinner together. Though she had made a face at the suggestion, the turkey burgers they had made were delicious. Gail had chopped the onions and eaten the cheese faster than Holly could cut it for the burgers. Holly had ordered her away to set the table so she could finish the meal in peace. Their night had been simple. It was romantic for its very simplicity.

Holly had stunned her slightly when she had told her it was her birthday in a couple of days. Gail had felt badly for not knowing, but Holly had assured her she didn't mention it because she didn't want Gail to feel any pressure about finding her a gift, not to mention everything else that had been going on. She had, however, asked Gail if she would come out and meet her friends, who she was having dinner with at a restaurant not far from work the very next night. Gail had fluttered between nervousness at the sudden prospect of meeting Holly's friends and pleasure that Holly wanted her to meet them. Gail had replied that of course she would come, with what she thought was commendable confidence.

Gail turned over so she could look at Holly. She didn't think that anything had ever looked more beautiful than Holly's sleeping form. As she gazed down at Holly, Gail was flooded with emotion. She felt a physical ache in her heart, and it suddenly dawned on Gail that she was very much in love. She wondered if it was possible to love someone so much it broke your heart.

Gail ran through her relationship with Holly. She thought about their friendship, which had always had other feelings idling under the surface, to the point when they had finally become lovers. She realized, with perfect clarity, that she had loved Holly since the first time she had seen her, and that she had been marching towards this inevitable realization all along.

Gail felt the worst part of herself, that part that didn't think she deserved to be loved or to be happy, spring into action. She felt sudden panic and doubt. Don't you dare Peck. Gail clamped down on her weak inner voice. She wasn't going to run again, not this time.

Holly had awoken to find Gail hovering over her, but staring off into space, unaware that Holly was no longer sleeping. She watched quietly as a myriad of emotions swept over Gail's face. Holly wondered if she had had another nightmare, though she hadn't had any since their first night together. Holly saw alarm in Gail's eyes, along with uncertainty. She saw something else flash in her eyes, though she had never seen that look on Gail's face before and wasn't sure what to make of it.

Then Gail had looked down at her and seen that she was awake. Gail had reached over, ran her fingers into her hair and caressed her cheek with her thumb, a very serious expression on her face. Holly had asked her if she was alright, and Gail had assured her that she was. Holly had wanted to insist that Gail tell her what she was feeling. She wished for the thousandth time that she could read Gail's mind. But she had decided to trust that Gail would tell her what she was feeling when she was ready to do so.

Gail had not lingered that morning like she normally did. She had quickly gotten ready for work, explaining that her tardiness had been noted by Frank, and she couldn't be late for parade that morning. Holly reminded herself that Gail was trying very hard to be more emotionally open with her. She reminded herself to be patient.

Gail had left in such a rush that she had forgotten her phone. And now Holly had to return it to her at the station. She really does need her phone. This isn't even a lame excuse to see Gail, Holly assured herself as she walked into the building.

The station buzzed with its usual activity, as officers, support staff, and the public went about their business. Holly scanned the main room, scattered with officer's desks, and was about to give up and just leave Gail's phone, when she spotted her blonde head. She was chatting with her brother and Chris, and Holly felt a serious case of déjà vu.

Gail noticed her as she approached, and Holly was relieved to see both surprise and happiness on Gail's face. Gail stood up from the desk she had perched on and walked towards her. Steve and Chris followed her trajectory and waved hello when they saw Holly. Holly returned the greeting, warmly.

"Hey, whatcha doing here?" Gail asked. "Are you ok?" Gail's face had become concerned.

"Officer Peck, you forgot your phone," Holly replied, holding it up to Gail and smiling.

Gail slapped her forehead. "I didn't even realize. Thank you so much for bringing it in for me, Doctor Stewart," Gail laughed, enjoying the obviously tongue-in-cheek display of professionalism. "That would have been a minor disaster."

"No problem. You left in a bit of a rush…" Holly prodded, dropping the game.

"Yeah, listen parade is about to start," Gail said, quickly. "But I will see you tonight. I'm really looking forward to it."

Holly warmed at the silly smile Gail flashed at her. Gail had to be nervous about meeting her friends, but she was obviously trying to be cheery about it. Maybe that was all she had seen this morning. "Me too. Be safe and have a good day."

Holly turned around to leave, when she felt a sudden smack upon her ass that stopped her in her tracks. Holly's eyes widened in incredulity, as she turned to look back at Gail. Gail's face was beat red, and she looked as surprised as Holly felt. Gail mouthed the word 'sorry' at her. Holly couldn't help it - she burst out laughing. She noted with further amusement, that both Steve and Chris had also seen what Gail had done, recovered from their initial surprise, and were now laughing their asses off behind Gail's back.

Gail gave a sheepish smile, shrugged, spun around and hustled away.

Gail had no idea what had possessed her to smack Holly's ass in the middle of a busy police station. Nice one, Gail. She had just acted on instinct, without thinking. Luckily Holly had seemed amused. Chris and Steve also seemed very amused.

"Very professional, Officer Peck," Steve laughed. This made Chris laugh harder.

"Shut up," Gail mumbled. She punched both of them and stalked towards the parade room.

It had been a boring day; she and Dov had been assigned to monitor the activity of a house on Front Street. Gail hated these kinds of assignments, stuck in the squad car with nothing to do. Gail had endured Dov's teasing throughout their shift together. But she had also been preoccupied with her feelings for Holly. Things were happening so fast now, Gail's mind couldn't keep up with her feelings. Holly hadn't indicated that she felt the same way, and Gail wouldn't blame her if she wasn't there yet. She just hoped she would get there. Gail couldn't think of anything better than to be loved by someone like Holly. She wondered if she could possibly deserve it. Gail pushed the thought down. She would just have to earn it. Gail made the decision to be brave and let herself love. She would keep her feelings to herself for now though and wait for Holly to feel the same way.

Right on cue, Dov threw a serious hitch into her 'earning it' plan, when he got off his phone.

"Listen Gail, don't shoot the messenger…"

"What is it Dov?" Gail asked, annoyed.

"Frank says there is nobody available to take-over for us right now. We're going to have to stay late."

"You have got to be kidding me. Holly has a birthday thing tonight, and I told her I would go and meet all her friends."

"Yikes. Yeah, you're screwed. Take it from an expert on dating women, you're really going to have to make it up to her."

Gail rolled her eyes at the idea of Dov being an expert on women, but he had a point. Gail knew that tonight was important to Holly, and her own behavior this morning had not been ideal. The last thing she wanted was for Holly to think she was trying to get out of meeting her friends.

With a sigh, Gail pulled out her phone and called Holly.

"Hey, I was just thinking about you." Gail still felt a thrill every time Holly answered her phone.

Dov was making kissy faces at her, and Gail punched him in the arm.

"Hey, listen Holly, I have some bad news…"

Holly's heart sank. Gail was cancelling on her.

"OK…"

"Frank says Dov and I have to work late on this stakeout. I'm so sorry. I really wanted to come and meet your friends tonight."

Holly swallowed her disappointment. "It's ok. I understand. You have to work late - comes with the job."

"Can I come over later? I promise, I'll make it up to you."

This went some way in assuaging Holly's worry that Gail was getting cold feet again. "Yeah, of course. I'll see you later then."

"Holly, I really am sorry."

"Don't worry, Gail. You can meet my friends another time."

"Yes, absolutely. Have fun, and I'll see you later."

"Bye."

Holly sighed with disappointment. It wasn't about her birthday; she would rather celebrate someone else's than her own, and she never made a big deal about it. But she wanted to bring Gail into her life, have her meet her friends, and show her off.

Gail was acting strangely, and something had obviously happened that morning. But it didn't feel like Gail was running either. Holly wondered again what was going on in that complicated head.

Gail had been trying to think of how to make it up to Holly for hours. She wanted to do something really special, not just because she felt guilty, but because it was Holly's birthday, and she loved her.

Then Gail got a brilliant idea. A terrible, brilliant idea. Gail let out a loud groan, startling Dov. Is this the sort of crap you do when you're in love?

"Dov, I need to stop on Yonge Street on the way back to the station."

"Where on Yonge?"

"Er, you know the dodgy bit with all the sex shops?"

"Oh my god, Gail! Are you buying Holly a sex toy?"

"No, Dov!" Gail punched him again. Her hand was really starting to get sore. "Do you think I would buy a sex toy when you were with me?"

"Well, I would buy a sex toy if you were with me…"

"That's because you're an idiot. I want to go to the costume shop."

"Ohhhh kinky!"

Gail punched him again for, what felt like, the hundredth time that day.

Dov had insisted on coming into the store with her. Though the store had late hours, it was about to close, so Gail just allowed him to tag-along, avoiding the delay of bickering with him out in the squad. Gail wandered the aisles, trying to find what she was looking for in the labyrinthine, haphazard displays. Gail had finally given up and asked the storeowner for help.

"I didn't know you had it in you, Peck," Dov hooted with laughter, when he heard her inquiry.

He dodged away before she could connect with another punch.

He came back wearing a long, black wig. "Oh Gail, I want to blind you with science. I may work with the dead, but you make me feel so alive. Kiss-"

Gail connected with a hard kick. "I will shoot you."

Gail had received a text from Holly at the station, letting her know that dinner was over, and she was heading back home. After she had finished sorting through her paperwork and changed back into street clothes, Gail headed out for Holly's. She had done her hair in her car mirror and had donned her costume. In the brief walk up to Holly's apartment, she had got some strange looks, but Gail had just glared back and no one had dared to comment. Gail knew she had to be in love – she felt ridiculous.

Holly had unlocked the door when Gail had buzzed up, but she had still knocked. Holly yelled for her to come in, but Gail still hadn't opened the door. Holly grabbed the two glasses of wine she had just poured in one hand and went to go open the door.

There stood Gail Peck in full Princess Leia costume.

Holly's mouth dropped open, and she heard herself gasp. She stood dumb-founded, as she took in the blonde buns on either side of Gail's head and the long, white, flowing gown she wore, tapered at the waist by a silver belt. She realized that she was spilling wine on the floor and quickly adjusted.

"Oh…my…god," Holly said, in a strangled voice.

Gail had a very satisfied smirk on her face. "I'm here to boldly go where no man has gone before."

Holly laughed, finally getting some of her brain function back. "Ok, while funny, that is actually Star Trek."

Gail rolled her eyes. "Beam me up, Holly."

Holly grabbed onto Gail and pulled her inside. "Shhhhh. Please be quiet."

Gail and Holly lay in a tangled heap on the bed. Gail stared longingly at Holly, biting down on the urge to tell her she loved her. She was thinking it so hard, she wondered how Holly didn't hear her thoughts.

"My eight-year-old self thanks you for the costume," Holly said, causing Gail to laugh. "My adult self thanks you for everything afterwards."

"Mmmm, no problem."

"No really, Gail, you're amazing. I can't believe you did this."

Gail ducked her head down, a little embarrassed, but thrilled that she had made Holly so happy with a silly gesture. She looked over at the bedside clock. It was 12:10am.

"Hey, Hol, happy birthday." I love you, Gail finished in her head.

Holly looked over at the clock. It was indeed her birthday now. She turned back to Gail, who was looking at her so intensely, that it gave her shivers.

Gail's blonde buns had come loose, and were hanging haphazardly off her head. Holly smiled at the juxtaposition between Gail's ridiculous hair and the very serious look she was giving her.

Holly felt a tangible ache in her heart and knew that she was in love. She was not surprised. She had known when she had first met Gail that she could fall in love with her. She was only surprised to find herself acknowledging that she had been in love with Gail since that very first day. Holly was a scientist - she should scoff at the idea of love at first sight. But here she found herself, with experiential proof that it was possible.

"Things got a little weird with the bun-holding, huh?" Gail said, interrupting her thoughts.

"Yeah, sorry about that," Holly laughed. "I may have got a little carried away."

Holly reached over and let the rest of Gail's hair down. She gently pulled out the tangles with her fingers, as Gail silently watched her.

Holly decided to keep her feelings to herself. Everything was happening so fast, and if Holly was scared by the depth of her own emotion, then Gail must be as well. She didn't want to rush her. Gail had already been acting strangely since that morning, and Holly didn't want to put any sort of pressure on her.

Holly could love Gail quietly and let it warm her from the inside. Gail was worth the wait.