In Gail's absence Steve and Tracey had stopped by to lend a second round of support. They had brought me a sandwich and a canned soda as well. I greatly appreciated that, I was hungry but still hadn't left the chair. I wanted to be there for Gail's eventual return. We were huddled together our moods pensive as we discussed multiple scenarios on how her meeting would pan out. None of Steve's or Tracey's scenarios seemed promising, but I did not volunteer my ace in the hole.

"Maybe desk duty for a while?" Tracey suggested. "I mean Gail did catch a serial killer. They wouldn't still fire her after all that?"

"She left a respected civilian and valuable member of our medical lab in a coma for days …" Steve injected.

"Maybe your godfather will help?" Tracey asked.

"Only if mom asks and she's not asking." Steve frowned.

"Gail's a fighter. She will show them, that they need her on the force." Tracey added.

"She better fight. She's a Peck … a police offer. I'm almost ashamed to admit this." Steve sighed. "But there is nothing else."

"What do you think Holly?" Tracey asked me.

"I think whatever decision is made she can handle it." I responded.

"But what if she can't?" Tracey asked. Just before Gail's presence loomed over us.

"Yes and what if I can't handle it? What then? What becomes of poor Gail, will it break her?" Gail barked at us.

"Baby we were just thinking out loud." I said getting to my feet. "We weren't suggesting that you couldn't..."

"No Holly! What does become of the only Peck that couldn't cut it as a police officer?" Gail's question was met with silence stares. "Well don't you all answer at once?" Her response was icy.

"We are not the enemy." Steve said standing. "We'll help you through whatever the outcome." He held her shoulder firmly, steadying her, focusing her. "You don't know what the outcome is as yet and until you do. You need to do what you do best. You need to fight Gail. Fight for your job. Fight for your right to serve and protect. Cause no matter whatever short comings you may have. You're a damn good police officer, you were made to wear this uniform." He told her "Am I making myself clear?" he asked in the silence. "You fight Gail, you fight to the end."

"Ok" she said catching a ragged breath before he pulled her into a hug. The kind that only big brothers who wanted to love and protect you could provide.

"You are going to get through this." Tracey said offering her own words of support as Gail moved to hug her. "You are stronger than this and you have been through worst."

"We have to get back on duty, but we will check in later." Steve said once Gail and Tracey parted.

"Ok" Gail and I nodded. With a few final words of encouragement they departed and I was left in the hallway with Gail. "Come here ..." I whispered and when she moved to me I took her tie and repositioned it around her neck. "It's going to be okay Gail." I said fixing her tie before I held it in place with the clip.

"You think so?" it was an honest question.

I nodded. "But if its not. We'll get through it together. You said so remember?"

It was her turn to nod. "I did."

"Good because we will get through this together." I held Gail by her tie as I kissed her one final time before sending her off to face and fight both our fears.

"Dr. Stewart?" a voice said and I opened my eyes to see an older gentleman looking down at me. I had closed my eyes for a moment, but had apparently fallen sleep. My battery was half charged and the day in its slow progression had made me weary.

"Yes that's me." I confirmed stifling a yawn as I straightened in the chair.

"Bill Peck" he said extending a hand to me. "Gail's father." He said confirming what I had already begun to suspect.

"Inspector Peck …" I said his name somewhat dazed. "Hi. It's good to meet you." I recovered shaking his hand.

"Please call me Bill."

"Only if you call me Holly" I smiled.

He took a seat beside me then and I watched him frown slightly as his attention was drawn away from me and to Gail just beyond the closed door and I watched his aging features sullen before my eyes. I could not imagine how hard this must all have been on him. His wife and his daughter, the two women he loved more in this world than anything else were at odds. How did he find balance and peace between two such strong willed opposing personalities?

"Bill …"

"I have been meaning to come by and see you and Gail sooner ..." he finally said on hearing his name. "I know Gail believes that my silence means I've taken her mother's side. I have not." He assured. "Gail … She has never been a happy person, but Steve says that with you she been happy and sad … but mostly happy. That should count for something." He decided. "Sometimes in life as parents we struggle. We want what's best for our children but often times fail to realize that what's best for them is not what we envisioned. Elaine and I failed to envision you Holly… and your presence has left a rift in my family that I am struggling to repair." He admitted. "But I am a reasonable man, a mature man in my thinking and compassionate in my understanding of things that are … different. Therefore I can accept this for what it is. A love between two people …"

"Thank you sir."

Bill shook his head at me. "Don't thank me, I should have said this sooner, rather than now when the damage has been done. The damage to my daughter has been done Holly. I just hope that in time Gail can forgive me for the part my silence played in this." He told me. "I want to thank you for being here today for Gail, waiting, supporting, and loving her through this difficult time. Today may be the first of much more difficult days to come. I want to do what I can to help Gail …as any father would when they see their child suffering …her career is suffering, but I am stuck between being morally good by trusting the system that I have spend decades serving and openly defying my wife who I have spend decades loving." He sighed. "I want to trust the system that I have told many officers to believe in but my faith is weak. This is Gail's second strike; the system can be very unkind to those who continually defy it and Elaine believes a lesson needs to be learnt. I think that lesson has been learnt. Don't you?"

I nodded. "It's been learnt."

Bill Peck patted my knee then and got to his feet. "She's not taking my calls, but if you can reason with her. Ask her to call me please. Its time to put our family on the mend."

"I'll try …"

"That's all I can ask Holly." He said before leaving.

"So we separate into whites, darks, delicates, jeans and towels." I explained as I sorted our combined laundry on the floor of my apartment. "Delicates have to be hand washed, but everything else you can put in the washer." Gail was perched on the washing machine listening to me, or at least I hoped she was as she flipped through one of my medical journals. "There are two types of fabric softeners …this one" I said holding up a green bottle. "Is for the whites, darks and delicates and …" I held up a blue bottle, to which she glanced at me. "This one is for jeans and towels … Are you getting all this?" I asked.

"Yeah sure …" she said and I raised a brow at her. "I am, but what are delicates?"

"Gail!" I fussed throwing my bra at her.

"Sweetie I'm playing …panties, bras, slips, camisoles ... delicates." She smiled.

"Maybe you should write it down …" I frowned getting to my feet.

"Why should I write it down? Is there a test afterwards?" she challenged.

"Will you remember if there is?"

"Depends …"

"On?"

"The reward for passing…" she said patting the dryer top.

"No, absolutely not!" I said shooting down the idea immediately. "I am still paying for that by salary deduction. We cannot afford to dent it." I laughed.

"Fine" she playfully frowned. "But I got this Hol …our laundry will be sparkling clean when you get home later." She reached for my hand and pulled me between her legs. "Besides what else am I going to do with all my free time?"

I frowned; she had a lot of free time.

"Hey …don't look so glum. I'm just making fun…two weeks suspension, eight weeks of duty working the evidence room, ten weeks anger management sessions. Is not so bad given what's happened." She lifted my chin and smiled. "Then I'm back to full duty … I really thought I was going to be fired…"

"I'm really happy you weren't."

"No more than me Holly. I couldn't cut it as anything else but a cop." Gail sighed. "I must have a guardian angel out there…" she wondered out loud. "Cause the impossible happened …remind me to thank them if I ever get a chance meet them." She said before kissing me and I wanted to tell her that my dad had helped but didn't. Sometimes we do things for the people we love, because we can, not because we want recognition for it. "Now what else on this house cleaning list do I need to know about." She said easing off the washing machine.

"It's not so much as another chore but a surprise …" I led Gail to the bedroom room and opened the walk in closet. "I cleared the entire left side for you, plus two shelves, space for shoes … and three draws in the chest." I told her. "That way you can have space for your things, instead of throwing them in your bag …

"Or tangling up my disorganized bundle with your military style folded everything?" Gail added amused with herself.

"Well … yes there is that too" I admitted. " but more so that you feel less like a visitor when you are here."

"Holly, are you hoping that I'd feel so much less like a visitor that I'll just move all my stuff in and never leave?"

"Would that be so bad?" I said moving towards her.

"Are you asking me to move in?"

"I am …"

"Then you're going to have to give me half of the right side of the closet too. I have a lot of clothes" she laughed.

"Consider it done." I agreed pressing my lips to hers. "What no u-haul jokes?" I asked once we parted.

"Nope!" Gail grinned. "We've been through enough to last a life time. Exes, commitment issues, cheating, , danger on the job, Job loss … I'm surprised we aren't married with kids by now…"

"Group, we have a new couple with us today …" the group leader for the couples's therapy session said as Gail and I approached the small circle of people seated in the gym at the community center. The group leader was a small woman, with a distinct British accent and a warm sunny demeanor. "Ladies, thank you for joining us. I'm Lisa …" she offered.

"Hi, I'm Gail and this is my partner Holly." Gail said by way of introductions as we took our seats. Being here today had been Gail's idea much to my chagrin. She had seen a flyer for the class on the notice board during one of her many trips to the center, where she had her anger management classes. The anger management classes seemed unnecessary, anyone who knew Gail, knew she didn't have anger management issues, but Gail had convinced me that the couples class would be good for us. Help us to communicate …Help me to communicate better and trust he relationship more. She understood that our relationship had been through much and that we needed an outlet to express all that had happened and learn better techniques on how to handle challenges as they come. Following her to a strip club was not a solution to be repeated.

"So ladies, tell us about yourselves and why you are here" Lisa encouraged.

"Well I'm a Police Officer and Holly is a Forensic Pathologist ..." Gail began.

"You guys are like Rizzoli and Isles?" the lady to my left said and I looked at her slightly alarmed but relaxed when Gail touched my knee.

"No Rizzoli and Isles aren't a couple like they are." a man said.

"That's right , its just subtext, writers trying to fool us …" his wife added. "Holly and Gail are what Rizzoli and Isles could be …but more like the Fosters …" and the group laughed. I laughed too, because well, there are worst things to be compared to than two hot TV couples.

I relaxed as the session progressed, easily talking about how Gail and I met, what interest we found in each other and my fears at the start. The other couples talked too, expressing their own fears at the start of their relationships and how they eventually overcame them. They offered sage advice to us, especially being the youngest couple there and by the end of the day, Gail and I found acceptance in a group of people we otherwise would not have known.

"I'm in the mood for pie Holly." Gail said as she pushed the community center door open ahead of me as we were leaving two hours later.

"You know what me too." I agreed. I really could have done with something sweet in my mouth just about now. "There should be a bakery around here." I said pulling my car keys out my purse as we walked the small distance to the car.

"I don't think they have the kind of pie I'm interested in."

"Really?" I frowned slightly. The bakery had everything. I had been quite impressed the few times I'd been there. "They do have a wide variety. Apple, blueberry, peach, chocolate pecan, coconut. What kind are you in the mood for babe?"

Blue eyes danced at me before Gail draped an arm around my shoulders and leaned in to whisper in my ear. "I'm in the mood for open all night, leg over my shoulder full access pie …"

THE END

AN: Crew it's been a blast these past 3 months! I really enjoyed sharing this story with you; I hoped you enjoyed reading it. I loved all your comments; they were the best part of writing this story. Thanks for taking this journey with me sticking through all 38 chapters. I know they have been hard to process; there have been some rough seas and at times it was just plain heartbreaking. It broke my heart too, but we got through it right?... Barely Lol

Just a few shout outs …

Auggy .. a "Good Chapter" on every chapter from you, got me through the early days and made it worth writing to the end. Thank you for the never ending support.

Annbanna … I think I'm gonna miss writing for you most of all.

Poisondart … I'm going to miss our chats about the story. Your mind is intriguing.

Mel, lunalight, ragingscooter, chickenet, oceanchic … I double and triple read your reviews, cause they were just always amazing.

Banks …. For well just being you and all that you mean to me. Thank you for the never ending love and support.

And which ever Guest who keeps posting "Love it need more now!" It's because of you this story was update so often.

It's been great guys' thanks for your time.

Toni (The Captain)