Thanks again for the reviews. Always nice to know you aren't writing in a vacuum. From the feedback I've received, I'll put the one-shots on the backburner for now. Just been tossing around ideas in my head about a series of short scenes flashing further into the future of Gail and Holly's relationship.

Let me know what you think about the chapter. Happy Reading.

Exciting side note: I was jogging around Toronto the other day and I was wondering why the hell a police car was cruising really slowly next to me. So I looked around and there was a van tricked out with a bunch of cameras and a second squad car, as well. I wasn't wearing my spectacles, so I couldn't see any specifics though, plus I was running faster than the car was driving. A lot of stuff films in Toronto, but I'm going to assume it was Rookie Blue filming, since they were Toronto PD cars.

Chapter 7 Days like today

Gail woke up early the next morning so she could make Holly a birthday breakfast, served in bed. She was halfway through burning her way through breakfast, when Holly popped her head around the corner.

"Hey babe, what are you doing?" Holly asked, amused. "I heard yelling and swearing…"

"I'm making you breakfast in bed, as a birthday surprise," Gail replied, tensely. "So go back to bed and pretend to be surprised when I come in. I've got everything under control."

Holly arched her eyebrows, but went back to the bedroom. "Please don't burn down my kitchen."

"This fucking thing isn't working properly," Gail grumbled to herself.

Holly climbed back under the covers and listened to the sounds of Gail trying to cook breakfast. While adorable, she worried about the state of her kitchen. Right on cue, the smoke detector went off, and Holly heard Gail emit a string of blush-worthy curses. Holly stuck her head under the covers and willed herself not to go sneak a peak at what was happening.

After a moment, the smoke detector stopped its screeching and the curses and banging of kitchenware lessened. Holly gamely composed herself into a reasonable facsimile of sleep. The bedroom door quietly opened, and Holly felt the mattress shift. Gail's lips brushed against hers.

"You know, it would be more convincing that you were actually asleep, if you weren't smiling," Gail laughed.

"I was dreaming about you," Holly replied, with a wink

"Mmhhm. Breakfast is served," Gail said, with a flourish towards a tray of food.

"Wow, Gail, you shouldn't have."

Holly looked over the tray, as Gail scooted into bed next to her. There were fresh strawberries, scrambled eggs, bacon, toast, and what Holly was guessing were pancakes, though it was a bit hard to tell. There was also coffee and orange juice.

"Technically the eggs were supposed to be an omelet, but I had to abandon that ambitious plan halfway through. The pancakes are a little crispy…"

"It looks delicious. This is so sweet, thank you." Holly leaned over and planted a kiss on Gail's mouth.

Holly went for the pancakes first, out of sheer love for Gail. Gail watched her with big puppy dog eyes. The pancakes were awful - somehow burnt on the outside, but liquidy on the inside. Holly found the will to swallow and smile.

"How are they?" Gail asked, with such hopefulness.

"Mmmm, mmhmmm," Holly nodded. "Really good."

Gail looked at her doubtfully before putting a forkful into her own mouth. She quickly spat them out into a napkin.

"Oh my god," Gail laughed. "Those are truly horrible. I don't even know how they could be that terrible."

"Yeah, I'm impressed you managed to make something so delicious, taste so horrendous," Holly laughed. "I don't even know what they taste like." She put another forkful into her mouth, immediately regretting it.

"No, stop!" Gail was really laughing now. "I don't want to have to call 9-1-1. Just eat around the pancakes. Everything else should be edible."

Gail handed Holly some orange juice, so she could rinse the taste from her mouth.

The eggs were runny and the mushrooms that were mixed in were undercooked. Luckily, Holly liked her toast and bacon well-done, but she stuck mostly to the coffee and strawberries.

"This is my new favourite breakfast," Holly announced, after they were finished eating. "You should probably only make it on special occasions though."

Holly meant it too. She would eat any number of inedible pancakes if it meant she could eat them in bed with the woman she loved. What a mushy sap I have turned into. She wasn't sure her kitchen could survive a regular Gail cooked breakfast though.

"I only have to be in court for a few hours today," Gail said, excitedly. "So I'll be done work earlier than you for once. So what do you want to do on your birthday? We can do whatever you want."

"Honestly, I would like to get some take-out and watch the Star Wars trilogy. No girlfriend of mine can not know the difference between Star Wars and Star Trek."

Holly kicked herself as soon as the words were out of her mouth. They hadn't actually had the 'girlfriend' talk yet. She looked nervously at Gail.

Gail swallowed the nerd joke that was about to come out of her mouth at the mention of Star Wars. Holly had just referred to her as her girlfriend. "Am I your girlfriend?" Gail asked, quietly.

"If you want to be," Holly said, simply.

"Yes, of course I do," Gail said, beaming.

Holly beamed back. She had worried that Gail would balk at the label. Apparently I'm not giving Gail enough credit.

"OK, Star Wars. Anything else?" Gail asked.

Holly arched her eyebrows at Gail in the most suggestive way possible.

"Now?" Gail asked, looking at the clock. "I have to get ready for court…like right now. And I still have to clean up breakfast."

"I can clean up breakfast," Holly said.

"This is going to have to be really fast…"

"I can be fast."

Holly laughed as Gail shoved the breakfast tray aside and tackled her to the bed.

"Shit, shit, shit," Gail said, from behind the wheel of her car. She was running very behind for court. She was also looking rather disheveled, as she tried to sort herself out in the rearview mirror. Worth it, Gail thought to herself, with a smile. So worth it.

"Hey asshole, where did you learn to drive?" Gail shouted at the car in front of her, laying on the horn.

She lucked out with parking, once she got to the courthouse, but she still sprinted the rest of the way. As she pulled open the courthouse doors, she noticed that her shirt wasn't buttoned correctly and quickly re-did the buttons. Holly had buttoned her shirt for her in an attempt to help her get ready faster. It had been slower and apparently not done correctly either. She made a mental note to question the doctor's ability to perform simple tasks later that night.

As she entered the courtroom, Gail dropped the flustered grin from her face and put on her professional court face.

Holly spent the day in giddy anticipation of her birthday evening with Gail. She thought the last time she had been so excited for a birthday was probably when she was a little girl.

Holly wanted nothing more than to spend her birthday with her girlfriend. She had never watched Star Wars with someone who had never seen it before, and Holly was so excited to share the experience with Gail. She maybe wouldn't let on to Gail just how special it would be for her though.

Holly congratulated herself on her speedy efficiency. Holly's coworkers had insisted on taking her out for a birthday lunch, though she may have preferred to stay in and get ahead on her labs. She was still making excellent time though. Just then, her phone buzzed.

Gail: Hey, I'm just heading to a late lunch with Traci. I'm going to stop by my place for a bit, and I have to run some errands, but then I am all free. So excited to see you. Any chance you get out of work early?

Holly: I am a paperwork machine! I'll be out early, so just text me when you are on your way over.

Holly: I wasn't going to tell you how excited I am for tonight, since you already think I am the Queen of the Nerds, but…

Gail: You're my nerd.

Gail: I'll be on my best behavior tonight. So feel free to get your geek on. You are the birthday girl.

Holly resisted the urge to text 'I love you' in bold, capitalized letters.

"You know you've used the word 'girlfriend' twenty times during our lunch, right?" Traci laughed. "I've met Holly. You can use her name."

"Have I?" Gail asked, blushing. "I guess I just like saying it."

"I like this sweet, adorable, Gail."

Gail glared, but couldn't help smiling. "I don't know what you're talking about."

"You seem happy."

"I am."

"You must really like her."

Gail looked down at her hands, blushing. "Trac, I am so in love."

Traci's eyes widened, and she clapped her hands together, pleased. "Have you told Holly that yet?"

"No."

"Why not?"

"Too scary."

"Why?"

"Because what if she doesn't feel the same way?"

"You'll never know…"

"I am so far gone. And it is scaring the shit out of me. I'll wait. I can wait."

"Mmmhmm."

"How about lets talk about how you're dating my doofus big brother?!"

Gail had shown up at Holly's, arms full and well stocked, for a birthday evening in. She had brought a nice bottle of wine – "I usually drink the cheap stuff, so I hope this is good. It's got a cork and everything" - and a bouquet of flowers, which Holly placed in water. She also brought a brown paper bag of take-out from Thai Basil that looked like it could feed them both for a week and a plastic bag filled with an assortment of different snacks – Twizzlers, Swedish Berries, Smarties, Skittles and a bag of mini-chocolate bars.

Holly had laughed at the assortment, to which Gail had replied, "I didn't know which was your favourite, so I just got you everything."

"I was going to make us popcorn, but I guess that won't be necessary," Holly suggested.

"Why wouldn't you make popcorn?" Gail asked, genuinely confused.

"Silly me," Holly laughed.

"I also realized, we've never been out to the movies together, so I think we should do that soon."

"I'd like that," Holly smiled, uncorking the wine, while Gail covered her coffee table in Thai dishes and bowls of candy.

Holly brought over the wine and a couple of plates and curled up on the couch next to Gail.

Holly still got genuine chills when the familiar music started to play, and the yellow font began to crawl up the screen. She looked over at Gail, who was happily heaping Pad Thai into her mouth. So this is what contentment feels like.

"Oh hey, I have that outfit!" Gail said enthusiastically, as Princess Leia made her first appearance.

Holly rolled her eyes, laughing.

As it turned out, Gail was actually really enjoying the films, even 4 hours in. She wondered if it had more to do with the company than the actual movies. Gail would periodically glance over at Holly to see her endearingly mouthing along to the dialogue. She also seemed to have an endless supply of fun facts, anecdotal information, and trivia that she shared with Gail as they watched. Gail had had a number of questions and points she wanted clarification on, which Holly seemed to find very amusing for some reason.

Gail was proud of herself for having successfully avoided any teasing of Holly's unbridled enthusiasm. Every time Holly said something adorably dorky, she would just lean over and kiss her. It was an excellent strategy.

The combination of Thai food, candy, and wine had left Holly feeling rather ill by the time they had started to watch The Empire Strikes Back. She had rested her head on Gail's lap for an hour, as she let her body digest, and Gail gently played with her hair.

Gail had asked a series of adorably dumb questions about the movies throughout their viewing, which Holly had found endlessly amusing. She had also been leaning over and kissing her a lot.

Holly had rallied from her food coma by the time The Return of the Jedi had started, and Gail was now leaning against her chest, head tucked under her chin. Holly wrapped her arms tightly around her and kissed the top of her head.

As the end credits rolled, Holly titled Gail's chin towards her, so she could look at her face. "So what did you think?" Holly asked.

"I really enjoyed them," Gail said, enthusiastically.

"Really?"

"Yeah, really. I think I could get into this nerd thing. Just don't tell anyone."

"Deal. I'll think of another movie marathon we can have."

"What's the one with the alien?"

"Um…Alien?"

"Yeah, that one. They did a few of those, right? Maybe we can watch them next."

"You haven't seen them?" Holly shouldn't have been surprised, but she was still a little appalled.

"Nope."

"I guess your education has really only begun, Gail," Holly said, eyes gleaming.

Gail felt a thrill at the double meaning in Holly's words, whether it was intended or not. She was certainly learning a lot lately.

"I look forward to it," Gail managed to say.

She reached up and placed her hand on the back of Holly's head, pulling her in for a deep kiss. "It's 11:48, any last minute birthday requests?"

Holly had been hoping for the question. She had had something in mind all day. "Take a bath with me?" Holly asked, placing a kiss on Gail's neck.

Gail sat up. "A midnight bath? That is an odd request that I am 100% enthusiastic about. This is why I – "

Gail had been about to say 'This is why I love you', but caught herself before the words tumbled out. " – enjoy spending time with you," Gail finished, lamely.

"Give me five minutes to get the bath ready, then take your clothes off and bring what's left of the wine," Holly directed.

Gail managed to wait two minutes before she grabbed the wine bottle and started to yank her clothes off.

Holly was lighting candles when she heard Gail come into the bathroom. The tub was still filling with bubbly water.

"That wasn't five minutes," Holly said, turning around. Holly was satisfied to find that Gail had followed her other instructions, however. Gail stood there, clutching the bottle of wine, hair tied back, and wearing not a stitch of clothing.

Gail grabbed Holly by the belt, pulling her in, and kissed her slowly. She reached around Holly, and put the wine bottle down on the edge of the tub. With both hands free, she began to leisurely pull Holly's clothing off.

She pulled Holly's t-shirt over her head, taking the time to kiss her cleavage, neck and mouth, while the cotton teasingly covered Holly's eyes. She ran her hands along Holly's sides before undoing her belt and pants with agonizing slowness. Holly's breath hitched when Gail firmly placed her hand between Holly's legs, before pulling her pants off. She tucked her hand into Holly's underwear, cupping her ass and pulling Holly in closer so she could kiss her deeply. Gail pulled her underwear down and unclasped her bra. Holly let it fall to the floor, as Gail took her nipple gently between her teeth.

Holly had forgotten all about the running water, when Gail reached behind her and turned off the tap. "It's ready," Gail said, throatily.

Holly took an unsteady breath, taking an elastic band from her wrist, and tying her hair back into a loose bun. Gail placed her hand softly on Holly's hip, as she stepped into the tub and lowered herself into the hot water.

Gail grabbed the bottle of wine and placed herself between Holly's legs, leaning her back against Holly's body. With a sigh of contentment, she took a sip from the bottle and passed it back to Holly. They sat like that for a moment, sipping from the bottle, and reveling in the hot water and the solidity of their bodies pressed against each other.

Holly took the empty bottle from Gail's hand and placed it on the side of the tub. She tucked Gail's hair behind her ear and nipped at her earlobe. She ran her wet hands along Gail's breasts, before slipping her hands under the water.

Holly's hands ran along her stomach and thighs before finding the space between her legs. Gail pushed herself back into Holly's body, as she slowly stroked between her legs. Her breath became ragged, as Holly moved her hand with escalating firmness. Gail leaned her head back so she could turn and leave desperate kisses on Holly's mouth. Gail threw her arm behind herself and around Holly's neck, clinging on as an unbearable orgasm rippled through her body.

Holly felt the small tremors undulate through the body pressed hard against her. She placed a gentle kiss on Gail's ear and waited. Gail turned over, raising herself up slightly. Her wet breasts pressed against Holly's chest.

Gail pushed her tongue into her mouth, as she pushed her fingers into Holly. Holly moaned loudly, urging Gail on. Gail continued to thrust, as she lowered herself down onto Holly, kissing her shoulders and neck. Holly found purchase with one foot against the tub, as Gail grabbed firmly under her other leg with her free hand, Holly's body allowing her in deeper. Holly dug her fingers into Gail's shoulder blade as she felt her body release in an ecstasy of sensation.

When Holly's moans had quieted to a steady breath, Gail moved to the other end of the bathtub, intertwining her legs with Holly's under the water. She let her head loll against the edge of the tub, as she quietly watched Holly. The other woman's eyes were closed, and she looked relaxed and content, as she soaked in the warm water. Gail wondered what she was thinking, but didn't ask. Instead, she savored the opportunity to wordlessly ponder the beautiful woman across from her and all the wonders that she had brought to her life.

They stayed like that for a while, until the water became lukewarm, and Gail forced herself to stand.

"Come to bed with me," Gail said, as she held out her hands to help Holly from the tub.

"Mmmm, but if I go to sleep, then this day will be over, and I don't want that," Holly replied, sleepily.

"We'll have more days like today," Gail said.

Gail had said it casually, but Holly felt inexplicable happiness at the words. She stood silently as Gail gently ran a towel along her wet skin. Holly's heart broke a little at the tenderness that Gail displayed in that moment, realizing how lucky she was to see this side of her.

As they got into bed, Holly thought about what Gail had just said. She wanted to always have days like today. She wanted to have all her days with Gail, no matter what they did with their time. For the first time, Holly was scared about what another human could do to her life.

Gail Peck – Destroyer of Worlds, Holly thought sardonically.

Gail snuggled into her side, and Holly wrapped her arms around her body. "Thank you for this perfect birthday," she whispered in the darkness.

"You're welcome."