A/N: Hopefully, this chapter will answer some of the questions in the guest reviews. Not all of this chapter is 100% Bailey certified but she hasn't taken any of the heat for this; so if you don't like this chapter, we're blaming Bailey today. One time deal. :D Nah, still all mistakes are mine. I love the killer theories in the reviews. So much fun.

"A Woman," Luke repeated.

"Yes," Holly replied.

"But how…?" Luke began

Ryan scratched her eyebrow with the back of her thumb. "Okay, so the killer used a phallus of some sort then."

"Yes. We didn't immediately clue into it being one because the hardness and flexibility of it fell between the normal ranges of a penis," Holly answered.

"You can determine that?" Luke asked.

"Usually, but not this time. We missed it," Holly said with a defeated look on her face.

"We're going to have to adjust the profile," Brandon stated.

"Does this mean that all the victims were…" Marc began.

"Lesbian or bisexual," Ryan finished and then said, "They were likely lured out by this woman the same way Maggie Davis was. We're going to have to follow-up and check. No assumptions, but it seems likely."

Gail's heart was racing. Not only did they look like her, have the same occupations that she had once performed, but they might be more like her than even she thought. She started breathing rapidly and before she knew it she was starting to hyperventilate. Traci was on her in an instant rubbing her hand over Gail's back in slow circles. "Easy, Gail. Easy. Look at me. Breathe with me," Traci said. Gail obeyed looking Traci in the eyes. Gail missed the look of worry on Holly's face but Ryan didn't. After a moment Gail had calmed down enough to speak.

"I want to talk to Perik," Gail said looking up at Ryan and Luke.

"No," Holly started toward Gail, a pained look on her face.

Gail turned cold eyes to Holly, "I had no say about you talking to him. I don't think you get to weigh in on me talking to him." Holly took a step back like she'd been pushed. In a way she had, such was the force of Gail's stare.

"Gail, I don't think-," Luke began.

"No! No one is talking me out of this. This is what he was talking about. I know it. The killer is murdering women who could be me. I can find out something from him. I did before." She looked at Luke.

"You did," Luke confirmed.

Ryan saw the look on Holly's face and spoke to keep her from speaking, "Gail, let us get some information on the others. Let's make sure you have as much information as you can when you meet with him."

"I want to talk to him tomorrow. So you'd better hurry," Gail spoke staring at Ryan much the same way she had at Holly.

Ryan turned to Brandon and Marc, "You heard Detective Peck. What are you waiting for? Call the San Fran office." Both men jumped up to follow-up on the new leads.

Hours later, Marc and Brandon had received word from the San Francisco office that they had confirmed all the victims were, in fact, lesbian or bisexual. They had all been closeted to some degree, especially, the police officer and the car saleswoman, but when pressed with the detail that the killer was most likely a woman the people in their lives had been more open. Gail couldn't believe it. How had they missed this for so long? She flung a file on the table in frustration and looked at Ryan. Holly had long since gone back to the lab.

"Don't look at me that way," Ryan ran her hand through her hair, more frustrated than Gail. "We asked these questions, Gail. I swear we already asked them." They had known the prostitutes saw both male and female clients but Barbara Bennett and Julie Hammond had both been closeted. Barbara came from a very conservative, very religious family and had not had a serious girlfriend. Julie had stayed in the closet according to her police partner because she had been dating a woman on the force but they had recently broken up. "I can't believe we missed this. I can't believe I missed this."

Gail looked over at Ryan who looked absolutely broken. "Hey, we're all doing the best we can. I think your profile is still pretty accurate except for the sex."

"I went with the stats on it. The stats had it at white male. I know we never recovered semen from the victims, but they'd been washed so thoroughly. I had a niggling feeling. You know at the back of your neck? I knew I was missing something but…dammit!"

"This is hard on everyone. I think…I think we need a break."

"A break?" Ryan asked.

"Yeah. Has Holly taken you to The Black Penny yet?"

"The Black Penny?"

"It's sort of the unofficial bar of 15 Division. We go there to unwind, and you, Special Agent Parker, need to unwind. Invite the twisted twins," Gail gestured to Marc and Brandon, "and I'll make sure the guys from 15 are there."

"And Holly?"

"Of course," Gail made a face. "Can't leave Holly out. She needs a break too."

It was nine o'clock before Holly and Ryan walked into the Penny. Ryan went to the lab to pick her up. Everyone had worked until Ryan and Gail made them leave at eight. Ryan wanted to be here sooner, but Holly insisted on reviewing a few tests at the lab to see if they had missed anything else. They had ridden over to the bar in complete silence after Ryan had explained where they were going.

Holly walked straight to the bar ignoring the table where most of the folks she and Gail had known from 15 were. "Bourbon and diet, please."

Ryan walked up behind her, "Make it two." The bartender mixed the drinks, served them, and then walked away. Ryan took a breath and then began speaking again, "Did I ever tell you that the first year I had my driver's license I wrecked my daddy's pickup truck?" Holly didn't respond but Ryan continued anyway, "I hit a deer. It started running across the road and froze. I've never felt sorrier for anything in my life. I didn't mean to hit it. I couldn't react fast enough to avoid it. It was awful." Holly looked at her then and tilted her head in question. "There's a reason for that cliché 'deer in headlights' Holls. You had the same look on your face today in that hallway. Tell her," Ryan finished emphatically.

"No."

"Okay. Then I will."

"Ryan Parker, you will do no such thing."

"That's fine for you to say. She doesn't want to rip your head off and shit down your neck."

"You're the crudest person I know, and she does not."

"Look, I get that Peck is all starry-eyed when she looks at you usually, but she's not all that warm and fuzzy and she definitely holds some ill-will towards me. But who can blame her when she thinks we're doing the horizontal mambo."

"Keep your voice down."

"Then tell her."

"No."

"Why the fuck not, Holly?" Ryan said a bit loudly.

Holly looked around and whispered hotly, "Because I left her. Okay? I left her and then this psycho happened. I left her and she deserves to be happy. She deserves to be happy. More than anyone I know, she deserves to be happy, and I've rained this shit storm down on her life in spite of my best efforts to protect her from this nightmare."

"You're in love with her, and I'm pretty sure she's still in love with you considering if looks could kill, I'd be lying dead somewhere."

"I can't do this. I'm leaving," Holly said but was interrupted by Chloe approaching the bar.

"Holly!" Chloe squealed and pulled Holly into what Holly thought was an aggressive hug. "I'm so glad you're here! I've missed you! We've all missed you and Gail has been downright mean since you've been gone. I know she's glad you're back. Come on over to the table and see everyone," Chloe finished as she dragged Holly toward the table.

Holly whipped her head around to Ryan who just shook hers in response, "No way. You're going. I'll bring the drinks."

Holly closed her eyes briefly to brace herself, Chloe still had a death grip on her forearm. Holly surveyed the group of tables that had been pulled together. Brandon, Marc, Luke, Traci, Steve, Chris, Dov, an empty seat she assumed to be Chloe's, Nick, a woman she didn't know, Andy, Sam, Celery, Oliver, Gail and two empty chairs. Ryan must have been right behind them because she sat down in the second empty chair leaving the other empty one next to Gail open as Chloe sat next to Dov. Not seeing another option, Holly sat next to Gail.

"Holly, darlin' I think you know all the folks gathered 'round tonight. Except, maybe for the lovely Juliet Ward. She's new to 15 and putting up with Collins there until she comes to her senses. Juliet, this is Dr. Holly Stewart who used to work here in Toronto and is back here on a case. Next to her is Ryan Parker of the FBI," Oliver finished and gestured to Ryan.

"Ma'am," Ryan said and nodded her head.

"Is she for real?" Juliet asked.

"Painfully," Gail answered and all eyes turned to her. "What? Like I'm the only one…whatever. Alright, Parker pay attention just in case you don't already know these losers." Gail pointed and spoke again, "You know your boys, Luke, and Traci Nash. The rest are Steve Peck, the ugly sibling, Chris Diaz, Dov Epstein, Chloe Price, Nick Collins, you've met Juliet, Andy McNally, Sam Swarek, Celery and Oliver Shaw. Nash, Diaz, Epstein, McNally and I graduated from the academy together."

"Anything else I need to know?" Ryan asked.

Holly wasn't sure what motivated her, but her only defense was that she'd felt battered since she arrived in Toronto and the scene in the hallway with Gail and that cute little girl didn't help matters at all. "Well, Gail dated Chris, Nick and me."

"And Dov confessed his love for her when he was high on pain pills once," Chloe added.

"Chloe!" Dov shouted.

"Price! Have you lost your mind?" Gail tried her best to stare a hole through Chloe as Ryan started laughing.

"You never told me you dated Gail," Juliet said to Nick.

"Oh yeah, they were engaged. Nick left Gail at the altar," Chris added helpfully.

"I see," Juliet said and stood up.

"It wasn't like that," Nick started and stood. Then he saw the look on Gail's face. "I mean it's not like that anymore. We're just friends now."

"You two were in the car together the second time we met!" Juliet shouted.

"Nice, Chris. Nice," Gail grit her teeth and stood too. "Juliet, believe me. We're just friends. I cheated on Nick and we broke up and then I dated Holly. There's nothing but friendship between us now. Believe me."

"Yeah, besides when he was with Gail, he was in love with Andy," Chloe supplied.

Nick looked like Chloe had hit him in the head with a pipe. "Chloe! Don't help!"

"Did you and Andy date, Nicholas?" Juliet asked.

"Yes," he replied and hung his head.

"This is like cable TV," Ryan said out of the side of her mouth to Holly who looked a little guilty for having set this series of events in motion.

"And just how did that end?" Juliet asked.

"Uh, uh, Andy and I broke up after Sam was shot," Nick answered.

"I was wrong. This is better than cable," Ryan whispered to Holly. "I wish I had popcorn." Holly hid her grin behind her hand.

"You know what, I'm going home," Juliet stated.

"I'll go with you. We can talk," Nick said and tried to put his hand on the small of her back but withdrew it when she glared at him.

"Thanks, guys," Nick said sarcastically as they left.

They waited until they had cleared the door of the Penny and then the table erupted in giggles all the way around. Oliver was the first to recover, "How did that to happen?"

"No idea," Traci said wiping her eyes.

"Y'all are like Days of Our Lives. That's how," Ryan answered.

"Epstein, you owe us all drinks after that. I want a double," Gail said.

"Me? What did I do?" Dov asked incredulously.

"I'm holding you responsible for Price and Chris, since she's your girlfriend and he's your son." Gail answered.

"Nope. You have just as much responsibility for Chris as I do. Chloe is on her own for this one." Dov crossed his arms over his chest as the said it.

"Fine. Price, go get everyone at the table a refill," Gail ordered.

Chloe looked a little hurt and Holly felt guilty. "I'll help, Chloe. C'mon," Holly said as she stood.

"You know this is why you never have a girlfriend for very long, Chris, your tendency to overshare," Gail said.

"Hey! I just like variety that's all. No one has complained but you, Gail," Chris retorted.

"Then they're idiots."

"I'll have you know, I have a few who want more but I can't be tied down. I need to be free. Just in the last two weeks, I've been out with a nurse, a flight attendant, a cop from 27, and a paralegal."

"You're a regular love machine, Diaz, but I gotta tell ya, being tied down to one good woman…not such a bad thing," Sam grinned.

"Here, here," Oliver held his glass aloft.

After that, there were more than a few rounds and more laughter than Holly could remember. The folks from 15 seemed to be having a competition with Ryan and the FBI boys about the most ridiculous collar. Ryan won because she had actually arrested a woman on Santa's lap. Never mind it was an exotic dancer wanted for credit card fraud and identity theft in four states but she still won.

It was just after midnight and Ryan and Holly had excused themselves to go back to the hotel. They were still standing outside the Penny when Holly spoke, "Thank you. I needed that. I feel lighter than I have in weeks."

"Don't thank me. It was Gail's idea," Ryan shrugged and turned to Holly in time to see a red glow on the side of Holly's head. She didn't think, she just reacted instinctually. She tackled Holly to the ground and heard the first shot hit the glass window behind them. She covered Holly's body with her own as the second shot took out the glass of the parked car they had fallen behind. Safety glass rained down on them. Ryan was determined to protect Holly so she was afraid to move. She hoped no one in the bar had been hurt and she hoped that someone came to help soon.