Disclaimer: I do not own the characters represented in this fiction. They are the property of the creative minds behind the television series.

Rating: T for now, M for later chapters

Pairing: Gail Peck/Holly Stewart

Summary: Gail Peck has never been perceived as a simple kind of person. Burdened with familial expectations and a rather prickly personality, she exemplifies complicated. Luckily, Dr. Holly Stewart is okay with complicated, and she just might figure this whole "dating Gail Peck" thing out.

Alright, peoples. Here we are. The foreword to this admittedly ambitious venture into the Rookie Blue fandom. CJ and I are so excited to bring you this little nugget that has been dancing around in my head since the last few episodes of the fourth season. So much so that we totally abandoned a planned Once Upon a Time fic to jump into this one. So…here we go!

Oh, and a random logistical note...if anyone is curious about the 10-codes we used - partially because it's not clear in the actual show - we will be making references to the ones used by the Ottawa Police Service since our attempt to find a list of 10-codes for the Toronto Police Service yielded an unsatisfactory result.

HOW TO GET A CAT DOWN FROM A TREE

A Comprehensive Guide to Surviving a Relationship
with Gail Peck – Officer of the Metropolitan Police Service, 15 Division

By

Dr. Holly J. Stewart
Senior Forensic Pathologist – Centre of Forensic Science, Pathology Division

FOREWORD

Steven W. Peck

Guns and Gangs Task Force Detective – Metropolitan Police Service, 15 Division
Brother to the Aforementioned Subject

You know, you'd think that no one would know my sister better than me. You'd think that being her sibling and interacting with her on a daily basis, I would have some sort of insight into the inner workings of an admittedly complicated individual.

You'd think that.

You'd probably be wrong.

It's not that I don't know things about Gail or that I don't understand her at all. I understand her better than most. You try spending twenty-odd years with someone and not pick up things about them.

All I'm saying is that no one really knows Gail. She keeps things so close to the chest, builds up these impenetrable walls that it's difficult for people to really get through.

Even if "people" are family.

Even if she does let you through, you don't get everything. You get little pieces that if you stick around long enough to gather will eventually fit together to make some semblance of a snapshot of who Gail is.

But it's certainly not easy, and it's like wrestling a dog away from a particularly juicy bone. You might get bit, you might get scratched, and the dog will certainly be stubborn to part with it…but that's kind of the way Gail is. She's complicated.

And that's just scratching the surface.

For a long time, I didn't think anyone would really be able to uncover all of those pieces to "get" Gail.

Until Holly.

Now that I think about it, a lot of things I've seen Gail do and say recently have that condition.

"Until Holly"…

The first time I met her, I noticed things were different. I saw my sister initiate an embrace, I saw a tenderness that I don't think I've ever seen before.

I think that was the first time I really got that Holly and Gail were not going to be like a lot of the past relationships my sister had previously been in. Not like Diaz, not like Collins. In fact, I actually like Holly.

But, I admit that I wish Holly luck.

Because I know just as well as anyone…

Dealing with Gail Peck is not easy.

I can't possibly imagine the task of dating her…

Holly remembered the first time she had come into contact with Steve Peck, the first time she exchanged words with him rather than seeing him from afar. It was difficult not to work around the Metropolitan Police Service and not recognize the surname of Peck, and she had crossed paths with the elder Peck but had never really spoken to him.

She could see the family resemblance: the porcelain skin, the icy blue eyes, and the carefully-wielded blade of cutting sarcasm and witty repartee. But that was where the resemblance ended. Gail and Steve were as different as night and day. Steve had a light, whimsical side to him that seemed to contrast strongly against Gail's rough, caustic edges.

He had smiled that first face-to-face meeting, offering out a casual "Hey, how's it going?" on the heels of a rushed, teary introduction that carried the weight of the day's events behind it. She had felt bolstered by that easy acceptance, even despite Gail's panic that his loose lips would allow their fragile venture to come crashing down.

But as they settled into a relationship, Holly had an inkling that this venture with Gail Peck wouldn't be like anything she had experienced before. Steve had warned about that very same thing, and it wasn't until later that Steve had wished her luck after a particular befuddling argument with Gail that she understood immediately what he meant.

Gail Peck was complicated. She had layers.

And it seemed only Holly knew how to peel them back.

No one said it was going to be easy though…

xxx-xxx-xxx

Early in their relationship – prior to even their friendship, now that Holly thought about it – Gail had equated herself to a cat. "I'm very good at climbing trees," she had claimed. "And then the minute I get up there, I don't – I have no idea what to do. I want to get down, but I don't know how to do that…"

The analogy threw Holly for a moment. It had come, seemingly out of nowhere, on the tails of Gail's assertion she could live in the quiet and stillness of the morgue. It was slightly morbid. She was contemplating the psychology behind Gail's words when the blonde police officer spoke again.

She created an emergency situation to get out of it, Gail had said. Holly's confusion was evident as she inquired if Gail was referring to the tree. In the end, it had all turned out to be a metaphor. Out of relationships, she clarified. Even more, she took Holly's proclamation of her sexual orientation in stride, throwing out a blithe retort as she strode casually out of the lab.

Holly had no idea then, but Gail's cat analogy was actually hauntingly accurate. Like a cat, Gail could be temperamental, caustic, standoffish, demanding, and prone to hissing and/or unsheathing claws. However, Gail was also warm, affectionate, witty, and giving, but only a choice group of people was privy to that side of her. Still, it was that combination of things that made Gail Peck an enigma of the best quality.

It was also that combination of things that made Gail very, very difficult to handle.

xxx-xxx-xxx

Holly heard Gail's approach before she saw her. The steady clomp of Gail's uniform combat boots echoed in the relative quiet of the morgue, and Holly didn't have to wait long until that head of platinum blonde hair poked through her doorway.

One dark eyebrow arched upward as Holly noticed the veritable thundercloud hovering over the pale locks, solidified by the stormy expression adorning Gail's features. She didn't speak as Gail stomped over to the free chair by her desk, slumping into the seat.

"Hi…"

A grunt was her only answer. Gail burrowed even further into the chair, most of her torso swallowed by her uniform jacket. She sat there in silence, ice blue eyes staring out into the abyss but not focusing on anything. Holly let her stew, turning her attention, instead to the DNA sample she was logging.

"I'm starting to despair for our future."

The seemingly random comment prompted a chuckle from her audience, and Holly shook her head. She didn't respond right away, her eyes fixated on her work. She let Gail vent, knowing the officer would eventually get to her point.

"I mean, I admit, I did some pretty moronic things as a rookie; we all did. But, man, I swear none of us were as stupid as this new batch. Dov and Diaz toed the line – Dov had an accidental discharge at the loading station right before going on parade our second shift, and Diaz…Well, Diaz is often just in the wrong place at the wrong time – but I promise you, we didn't do anything as stupid as this group right now."

By this point, Holly surmised Gail's annoyance stemmed from the newest crop of rookies that had invaded 15 Division. And, in Gail's defense, she had a point. In the field, Holly had experienced the torrent of nervous energy and insatiable curiosity that accompanied a rookie police officer's first encounter with a dead body. Nothing would ever compare one for such a jolt to the system, and the rookies often handled that shock in different ways. She opened her mouth, about to ask Gail what happened when the blonde officer beat her to the punch.

Gail snorted. "I mean, seriously," she grunted. "Trampled all over the crime scene like he was Godzilla. I thought your colleague was going to have a seizure when he yakked after seeing the body."

Holly snorted. "That's definitely not the first time that's happened. Is it some, like, obligatory rookie thing to hone in on the dead body like a beacon, forget what's in the way, and/or yak upon seeing said body?"

Gail didn't answer, only smacked her palms on the armrest of the chair, one finger extending upward in indignation as she shot up straight.

"Oh, and today is totally your fault!"

The violent swings of Gail's moods were often so sudden and so random that Holly sometimes wasn't able to keep up. Her eyebrows drew together as she replayed the last few seconds of their conversation, not really comprehending how the vaguely reference to 'today' was remotely her fault.

"Uh…wait? Huh?"

"Because of you, I'm suddenly spouting out words like 'medical jurisprudence'!" Gail caught the twitch at the corner of Holly's mouth, leveling a glare at the other woman. "It's not funny! Diaz and Dov wouldn't stop giving me shit about it!"

Holly lost her battle with her mirth, barking out a laugh. "Gail, I could be influencing you in worse ways than making sure any and all evidence concerning a crime is preserved during collection, you know."

"Not if I'm not only using the word correctly but I'm able to define it!" Gail countered, arms crossing petulantly over her chest. "I shouldn't have opened my big mouth and yelled at the rookie. Then I wouldn't have gotten into this mess…"

"Wait…" Holly's head bobbed up, and her eyebrows drew together in confusion. She pieced together the smattering of details revealed to her. "So, the rookie nearly tramples the scene, you go all MeanGail at him, spout off some of my impeccable nerd speak, and Chris and Dov make fun of you for it?"

Gail shrugged. "Basically."

One eyebrow inched upward. "And all of this has your wrath directed at me because…?"

Gail's arctic eyes narrowed as she glowered at the pathologist. "I. Spoke. Nerd," she growled. "I don't speak Nerd. I speak Awesome, sometimes with elements of Badass. And you lost me major awesome points, not to mention all badass points. Now, the only time I will have Dov willingly regaling my awesomeness is if I thoroughly humiliate him in Death Domain again, and he won't play with me anymore."

Holly absorbed that for a moment. "So are you mad at Chris or Dov? Or the rookies?" She considered a fourth alternative. "Or is it a combination of the three?"

"I'm contemplating the sanity of the universe and how general propriety has rapidly diminished in the face of our relationship," Gail waved a hand, fingers snapping impatiently. "C'mon, Dr. Stewart, keep up!"

Holly shot out a bemused grin, shaking her head at her girlfriend. "…I'm not following."

Gail hefted a long sigh. "Holly, sometimes I wonder if I even am…"

Holly put her pen down, standing and crossing over to where Gail had slumped back in her chair. She snaked her arms around Gail's shoulders. "So, what? You're mad at me?"

Gail snorted. "You are the inadvertent source of my current misery."

"So you're inadvertently mad at me," Holly deduced. She leaned down, pressing her lips to Gail's cheek. "What if I'm purposely sorry?"

"Whatever, Lunchbox," Gail huffed.

Holly didn't miss the smile that curled the corners of her mouth though.

xxx-xxx-xxx

At times, Holly wasn't sure what made Gail tick. The woman was a mass of complexities and contradictions that, had all of her psych profiles been put on paper, Holly wouldn't have believed it had all come from one woman. Ultimately, that was probably what made Gail so intriguing.

Currently, it made Gail so very irritating.

Holly thought back to the previous morning, to the exchange that had Gail storming out of the morgue after an argument that had bordered in workplace propriety. She replayed the conversation in her mind, analyzing every gesture, every word, even every inflection of her voice that she could muster up into her recollection, wondering exactly what had set her girlfriend off. In the end, she pushed their argument to the side, focusing on work. Holly figured such an exchange would happen every so often. She and Gail were two strong personalities with clashing methods about asserting their dominance; they were bound to butt heads every so often.

Relaxing at home, Holly reclined on her couch, her laptop balanced on her thighs, a glass of wine just within reach. Her fingers stroked the keys, eyes tracking the words as they appeared on the screen. She nudged her glasses higher on the bridge of her nose, attempting to focus her concentration on the case report she was contributing to The American Journal of Forensic Medicine and Pathology. The sentences flowed easily, effortlessly despite the complex subject, but she wasn't paying her report much mind. Instead her mind, as it was so often recently, was on Gail.

For as much as she could be so mesmerizing to Holly, so effortlessly engaging, Gail could be infuriating. Holly knew Gail had the type of personality that couldn't be characterized with mere words, and one of those words certainly would never be easy-going. From their very first meeting, Holly was well aware of the sharp tongue that hid behind the bow shaped mouth and the piercing stare that pierced the distance from a pair of beautiful blue eyes to their target. Holly could see how Gail Peck could be intimidating to anyone who could muster up the courage to approach her, only to run into the mile-high brick wall that guarded her from the world. But perhaps that's why she was so attracted to Gail; perhaps that…something about Gail Peck that was so invariably appealing in Holly's eyes made her all the more irresistible. There was absolutely nothing simple about the blonde, and that was undeniably attractive.

Still, knowing that there was nothing simple about Gail also meant enduring the multiple and complicated facets of Gail's personality, and it was certainly a fact that Gail just had a way of saying the worst possible thing at the worst possible moment. For someone who claimed to be so indifferent to people, Gail unquestionably knew how to viscerally cut a person to pieces with nothing but words and expressions. The confrontation they had this morning – a silly one, really – was evidence of that. They didn't fight often but when they did, it was with the explosive, kinetic energy of a bomb.

Holly leaned back, taking a sip from her wine. As stubborn as she was towards her own innocence in their argument, there was no way she was going to make the first move. The ball was in Gail's court, and Holly was determined to make it very difficult on the police officer.

"Lunchbox…"

Yanked from her musings, Holly jumped, nearly upending her laptop. Her head snapped towards the call to find Gail reclining against the doorway. For someone so inept at anything related to sports, Gail had a sort of catlike grace, and Holly hadn't heard her enter. Seeing Gail's long, lean frame slink forward was absolutely mesmerizing.

Holly's eyes widened behind her glasses as Gail stalked over to her. She circled the couch slowly before coming to a stop in front of Holly. A pale hand extended out, pushing the lid of her laptop closed. The other hand extracted the wine glass from Holly's increasingly slackened grasp, placing it safely out of reach.

"Hi."

Gail didn't answer, merely smirked. She leaned forward, bracing her hands on the back of the couch, her nose grazing Holly's. It was the most erotic nose graze she had ever experienced, and it sent a shockwave of electricity directly down to her center.

Holly drew in a sharp breath at the sensation. Whatever oxygen she had was stolen away as Gail kissed her.

Holly's arms flailed in surprise grasping the edges of her laptop and shoving it to the side before it ended up crashing to the floor. As Gail broke away, Holly shook her head.

"I thought you were mad."

Gail shrugged blithely. She propped a knee on the couch, swinging a leg over Holly's lap. She settled against the pathologist, draping her arms around Holly's neck. "Maybe I got over it."

She leaned in again, lips finding Holly's instantly. A sly, conniving tongue breached Holly's stalwart defenses, reducing the pathologist to a human subjugated to her baser instincts. Holly whimpered softly, hands finding purchase on Gail's hips, unconsciously pulling the blonde closer. She could feel the smirk on plump lips, curved in triumph, but Holly's pride didn't seem to mind. She gasped as Gail's mouth began to wander, littering little nibbles on Holly's jaw and making its way towards the weak spot on the pathologist's neck just above the slope of her shoulder. The gasp turned into moan as Gail began to move, her hips writhing in a subtle dance of seduction.

Through her lust-filled haze, a thought struck Holly, and she pulled back, looking up into ice blue eyes. "Wait, wait. This is a distraction." Holly kept Gail at bay with outstretched arms, ignoring the chuckle that emanated from the woman in her lap. "You haven't forgotten about being mad."

"Nope," Gail popped the 'p' with a smirk.

Holly's gaze narrowed. "This isn't like you to not hold onto something," she remarked. "Sorry if I'm inherently suspicious."

Gail shrugged blithely. "It will probably be revisited some time in the future."

An ebony eyebrow inched its way skyward. "So…you're just gonna keep this in your back pocket?"

Again, pale shoulders rose and fell. "I reserve the right to add this to any incident where I'm already mad at you."

Holly absorbed that for a second, ignoring the way Gail was subtly moving in her lap. On one hand, she was relieved their little squabble wasn't at the forefront of their interaction at the moment. On the other hand, she wasn't too enthusiastic about the idea that Gail was cataloguing their squabble for future use. Still, with the way Gail was clearly after something a bit more mutually satisfying than a fight for both parties concerned, Holly conceded that some arguments just weren't meant to be pursued. Holly sighed, shaking her head. "It must be complicated being you."

The smirk on Gail's face widened. "You have no idea."

"How do you function?"

The smirk shifted to a grin. "Very carefully." Gail shifted again on Holly's lap. "Now," she drawled. "Are we gonna have sex or am I gonna have to take care of this myself?"

Holly laughed, one hand skimming up Gail's torso to curve around her breast, the other cradling the blonde officer's upper back. "Yes," she answered.

"To?"

Holly leaned into Gail, finding her own sweet spot on the porcelain skin of the blonde's collarbone. "Does it matter?"

"No, can't say that it does…"

xxx-xxx-xxx

It was interesting dating someone in a similar line of work, Holly mused once she and Gail had settled into their relationship. Out of the office, they were Gail and Holly, goofy and bantering. On the field, however, it was inevitable their paths would cross, and in those times, it was Officer Peck and Dr. Stewart. They labored to avoid bringing work home, and for the most part, Holly found they were successful. Other times…well, sometimes it was just unavoidable.

It was one of the rare days where she caught a body in the middle of Gail's patrol, and Holly spared a smile to her girlfriend before crouching beside the body. Gail hovered over her as Holly worked, performing a precursory analysis of their victim before she sent the body back to the morgue for the full autopsy. The other forensic scientists were spread to the other areas outside of the building, leaving Holly with their victim. Chloe, Chris, Andy, and two rookies fresh out of the academy had cleared the other rooms and assisted the homicide detectives outside.

"No diatoms this time?" Gail joked, her hands settled casually on her gun belt, her right hand curved comfortably over her sidearm.

"Nope," Holly affirmed with her small half-smirk, recalling their first meeting. "Just good, old fashioned blood and guts."

Gail rolled her eyes, shaking her head. "Oh yeah," she drawled. "Nothing like getting your brains splattered everywhere."

"Well, like I told Detective Swarek, it looks like we're dealing with blunt force trauma. Although…" Holly trailed off. Her eyebrows furrowed together as a practiced gaze swept over their victim. She hummed her discontent, shaking her head absently.

Gail winced, taking in the scene and the mangled features of what was once a beautiful young woman. "Looks a little excessive, don't you think?"

"Yes, actually," Holly murmured, her eyes narrowing from behind her glasses. "This is very excessive."

"At least you're not sniffing the body," Gail commented. "Traci told me how you–"

Holly glanced up as Gail halted mid-sentence. She watched as the blonde's head snapped up, crystal eyes darting from side to side. Gail's body tensed, her features tightening. Her movements slowed, becoming deliberate, and Holly could feel the apprehension emanate from Gail's posture. Gail widened her stance slightly, gaze scanning their surroundings. The hand that had been casually curved over the Glock at her side shifted, inching over to the grip of her pistol. There was a slight click as Gail moved her thumb over the protective casing covering the slide of her gun, pivoting the protective hood downward, her thumb falling naturally onto the release lever of her holster, ready to draw her weapon if needed.

"Gail…?"

The blonde held out a hand, quieting Holly non-verbally. Something was wrong. She could feel it. Eyes still scanning their surroundings, Gail reached for her radio, murmuring quietly into the microphone to Chris outside. "1504, 1544. What's your 20?"

The speaker crackled as Chris responded. "Just outside."

"10-78 on scene with Dr. Stewart."

"NO! DON'T!"

At the unfamiliar voice, Gail whirled, her pistol out and aimed at the source. She moved automatically, placing herself between Holly and the man who had come out of the shadows. His eyes were wide, panicked, and they were fixated on the body.

"POLICE! Don't move and hands where I can see them!"

He was disheveled, his hair unkempt and his chin and cheeks dusted with uneven stubble. Gail's eyes shifted over his shoulder to the room he had emerged from before snapping a quick gaze back to Holly. The forensic pathologist stood, keeping herself behind Gail. The man continued to move forward, his eyes alternating between the victim and Holly, muttering angrily.

"She made me do it," he raged. "Nag, nag, nag, that's all she did. I just couldn't stand it!"

"Hands up, don't move," Gail repeated.

Again, he failed to heed her command seemed erratic waving a bloody pipe he had clenched in his fist. Gail watched the movement, keeping her eyes on the pipe, attempting to talk to him one more time.

"Police! Drop the pipe and put your hands in the air!"

His mutterings grew louder and intensified as he moved erratically this way and that. He clearly was not hearing her, and a closer look at his face became clear that his glazed eyes and halting speech meant it was possible he was a man off his medication.

Gail softened her tone, trying a different approach. "Sir, please." Her attempts to calm him down went ignored, and she kept her weapon at the ready. "What's your name?"

He continued to pace and mutter, seemingly unhearing. His eyes flashed, gaining clarity for a moment, registering what was in front of him. Gail tensed as his eyes flicked from the body to Holly, and finally to her. With an animalistic roar, he charged, pipe lofted at the ready.

Holly felt time slow, the sound around them retracting to a din of white noise as Gail shouted out one more warning, pistol held steadily aimed at the man's chest. She could see the grim set of Gail's mouth as the officer made her decision, eyebrows drawing tightly together on her forehead. One shot then two roared into the quiet, knifing towards their target. Both bullets impacted, stopping the man in his tracks, sending him sagging to the ground. Then, like someone abruptly cranked the volume all the way up, time reverted to normal, sound rushing back into the warehouse as Chris charged through the door, Oliver, Andy, and Chloe right behind him. Chris grabbed the downed man, still howling and kicking despite the two bullets buried in his chest and shoulder, cuffing his hands behind his back. Holly's eyes turned back to Gail as she lowered the gun. Smoke still wafted from the barrel, and Gail's shouders slumped in resignation.

Her view of her girlfriend was obscured as Detective Swarek stepped in front of her, his kind eyes imploring as he asked if she was okay. Holly could only manage a weak nod as she allowed him to lead her away. She chanced one more glance back to Gail. The blonde looked lost, her features flickering through a variety of emotions as though Gail wasn't sure which one to settle on. With a resigned sigh, Holly returned her attention back to Detective Swarek.

Back at the scene, Gail kept her eyes on Holly as she was pulled away by Sam to take her statement. The pathologist looked shaken but physically, she was unharmed. Gail took a deep breath, closing her eyes as her hands rubbed over her face. So many things battered at her psyche; she wasn't sure what she should be feeling. Guilt? Fear? Sadness?

Anger.

She knew anger; that was familiar.

Anger it was. Gail whirled away, rounding in on Oliver as he directed officers to secure their new crime scene. "What the hell happened, Oliver?"

Oliver spread his arms in a placating gesture, trying to calm the raging beast that was Gail Peck. "Easy, Peck. Take a breath."

"Easy, Oliver?!" Gail raged. She gestured wildly, her arms waving in a futile attempt to convey the true "Holly…she…she…she could've…I didn't…"

"Hey, hey, hey, darlin'," Oliver grabbed her, pulling her into a strong embrace. "Nothing happened. You stopped that. Holly's okay because of you."

"How could he have snuck in?" Gail continued. "He came in from one of the back rooms! How is that possible?"

Oliver tensed, his eyes shifting away from hers for the scantest of moments.

"Oliver." Gail's voice brokered no argument that she expected a response.

"It was a rookie," he admitted. "We left the back rooms to the rookies. They were small and we figured they could handle it."

"Which rookie?"

Oliver's features flashed with indecision. He glanced over to where Sam was still talking with Holly, and his jaw clenched as the implications of what might have occurred hit him. He hitched his head to a pair lingering to the side of the building. "The one on the right."

Gail stalked away from Oliver, heedless to his calls. She was like a heat-seeking missile, and she was zeroed in on her target. The rookie was leaning up against the side of the building, chatting with another one of his rookie friends as though he didn't have a care in the world. The moron didn't have a chance as he was faced with an irate, aggressive, utterly incensed Gail Peck.

"Clear. The. Area," Gail bit out, placing herself right in front of the two men and halting their conversation. Her gaze narrowed in on the rookie responsible. "How hard is that to do?" She thrust a finger out, whipping her arm back at the warehouse. "Check every single inch of one singular room and make sure that no one is there."

"C'mon, Officer Peck," the other rookie managed to muster up enough courage to try and calm the rampant beast. "I know we're rookies, but we know how to clear a room…"

"I'm not talking to you, Buzz Cut," she snarled, turning the full force of her glare on the other rookie. Whatever courage he had accumulated diminished quite spectacularly as he shrank back slightly. "You can either disappear from my sight or get it just as bad as he is. Choose wisely because I'm not discriminating at this point."

Needless to say, the rookie relegated to "Buzz Cut" chose wisely, shooting a sympathetic look to his fellow officer as he quite hastily found somewhere else to be. Gail returned her attention to her unwitting prey, taking pleasure in the way he visibly paled, his Adam's apple bobbing as he swallowed hard. Physically, he was easily over six foot tall, with a good fifty pounds on Gail. In any other scenario, he would have probably handed Gail her ass quite handily. But in that moment, with the fear and the adrenaline fueling all semblance of sense and rationale, Gail would not be denied.

"B-but…I did cl–"

"No," Gail roared, cutting him off before he could get the rest of his ill-advised response out of his mouth. "You didn't. Whatever you thought you did, you clearly didn't because if that was the case, I wouldn't have had to face down the raging psycho who very well could have killed Dr. Stewart!"

The rookie blanched, his eyes snapping to the scene where Sam was taking Holly's statement, the detective protecting her from view as they led away the handcuffed, still struggling 'raging psycho'.

"Look, I…I mean…"

"No buts, no nothing," Gail snarled, advancing slowly until she was practically nose-to-nose with his quivering face. Her voice tightened, the words expelled slowly, deliberately, and he had no choice but to absorb each word, each syllable, each letter of the warning leveled on him. "If anything would have happened to her, there would be no place you could hide, there would be no hole deep enough for you to crawl your pathetic, sad sack ass in."

"Peck, c'mon." Oliver placed a hand on her shoulder, pulling gently and trying to place some space between her and the rookie who looked like he wanted to melt back into the brick wall Gail had him backed up against. "Back away from the rookie."

Gail shrugged him off, her eyes seeing nothing but the inept man before her. "You had one job. One simple job, and if you can't do that, there's a hell of a lot more that you obviously can't do. If that piece of shit laid a fingernail on that woman, I swear on everything that's holy I would have used every once of the name that I have long loathed and resented to make sure writing a parking ticket would seem like a European vacation compared to the shit storm I would rain down on you."

The rookie opened his mouth again. "I d-don't…"

"I don't need to hear anything else beyond a 'Yes, Officer Peck' because so help me…"

His mouth moved, but no sound emerged. Only squeaks.

Gail growled, her hand shooting out to the rookie in the shoulder. "You get me, rookie?"

Oliver stepped in, physically getting himself between Gail and the rookie before she took a swing at the kid. "Hey!" He pushed her away, backing her up before something happened. "Alright, Peck! Cool off!"

Gail shrugged off Oliver's hold, her ice blue eyes leveled on the rookie, unwavering in its intensity. Yanking her arm from Oliver's grip, she stalked over to Holly, nodding to Sam as he placed a hand on her shoulder. Knowing that she was done for the day, relinquishing her service weapon for investigation, Gail let a meaningful look pass between her and Holly before following Andy back to their squad car to head back to 15 for the massive amounts of paperwork that awaited her, not to mention the subsequent investigation looming from SIU.

Later in the evening as Holly waited for Gail at her condo – her own process with SIU thankfully shorter and less stressful – she prepped herself for the storm she was certain would be coming through the door. Standing at the sink, she ran a rag over the dish in her hand, the methodical process infinitely soothing, allowing her thoughts to flit through her head. It wasn't the first time Gail's occupation had scared the ever-loving shit out of her; that time was during Kevin Ford's rampage of 15. However, this was the first time Holly came face-to-face with the cool, unflappable Officer Peck.

Despite the terror she felt at the time, Holly couldn't help but marvel at Gail in retrospect. From the body language to the steadiness of her voice, Gail didn't show an ounce of fear, and while Holly had been practically delusional with fear, there was a part of her that felt completely secure in Gail's skills. Still, the incident brought about a reality that loomed clear and cutting: Gail inevitably put herself in danger the moment she strapped on a vest and set foot out on the streets of Toronto.

It was chilling.

Yet, Holly knew.

It was just...Gail.

The blue blood in her ran deep.

Holly was pulled away from her musings when sure enough, her prior prediction proved true. Just as the sun had long settled into the horizon, Gail stalked through the front door. She was clad in a pair of sweats and a sweatshirt, her duty gear and uniform taken as evidence. Gail headed straight to the cabinet above the pantry and rummaged through the back until she unearthed a bottle of whisky. Turning her attention to the cabinets beiside the fridge, she snatched up a glass and headed upstairs without a word to Holly.

Holly watched her go, giving Gail her space. The pathologist pulled out her phone, responding to the influx of texts from the Gail's friends from 15 and assuring the other officers of her wellbeing. She smiled as she was also assured nothing would happen to Gail concerning the internal investigation of the incident by the SIU. Chuckling slightly a slightly morbid but amusing text from Oliver and answering appropriately, she went to find her girlfriend.

Holly turned the corner to the bathroom, hearing MS MR blasting from the inside. She sighed, resting her head on the door, unsure of what she would find upon opening it.

"Gail…?"

Carefully twisting the knob and opening the door, Holly found the blonde officer huddled on the floor, cradling a bottle of Jim Beam and staring blankly into the amber depths.

"Hmmmm," Holly hummed to herself. "At least this time your hair won't be the casualty."

Gail grunted, eyes not leaving the swirling liquid. "You hid the scissors."

"Yeah," Holly admitted, dropping down beside her girlfriend. "The pixie cut is cute, but I don't think I can handle you bald."

Gail nodded absently, twirling the bottle between her palms. "You know, when I did that, it was to take off all of the bad inches. If something would have happened to you…" She mimicked the sound of a razor, running her hand over her hair. She frowned balefully, scratching the back of her neck. "I don't think it would have been enough though…"

"Hey, it's okay. Everything is okay." Holly cupped Gail's face. "Look at me."

Gail brought reluctant eyes up to meet a gaze of warm dark chocolate from behind square spectacles. Holly could see the fear dancing in the ice blue spheres, and Gail's eyelids blinked rapidly as though to reassure the blonde of the reality of the vision before her. Holly's thumbs stroked against Gail's cheeks, hoping the tangible touch would play a part in soothing the furious brute of turmoil and discord that swirled within the conflicted cop.

"You protected me, Gail. You did your job."

Pale eyelids fluttered closed as Gail whimpered slightly, ducking her head as the tears threatened to spill over. Blonde strands wavered, her head swinging from side to side rapidly. Holly glanced down to find anxious hands curled into tight, white-knuckled fists in Gail's lap. Holly ran a hand through the soft blonde strands, knowing Gail's mind kept replaying the afternoon, imagining the multitude of scenarios that could have occurred, scenarios that didn't have the desired ending.

"I'm safe, Gail," Holly assured her. "You kept me safe just like I knew you would." Holly leaned forward, her forehead resting against Gail's. "I was never afraid for myself," she murmured softly. "I was afraid for you."

Gail let out a ragged breath, clutching onto Holly's forearms, anchoring herself to the pathologist. Holly could see the doubt flitting across Gail's features, the blonde's mouth pursed tight. The doubt battled with the fear Holly felt in the tenseness of Gail's posture for dominance. Both emotions seemed to be submerging Gail in their depths. Holly could feel Gail's grip tighten, her hands scrabbling for purchase. Gail's eyebrows pinched tightly over the bridge of her nose, the terror of what could have happened prevalent in the subtleties in Gail's movements. Holly reached down, taking Gail's hand and placing it over her heart.

"Feel this. Feel me. I'm still here. I'm still alive."

Gail inhaled sharply, her shoulders releasing the tension that had wracked through her entire body. She took several deep breaths, relaxing with Holly's steady comfort and touch. Finally, she spoke, and Holly was relieved to hear the snarky inflection so customary in Gail's speech.

"Yeah, all I'm feeling is your boob."

Holly laughed, curling her free hand around Gail's neck and allowing the blonde to fall into her embrace. She tightened her grip as Gail's shoulders started to heave with the force of her sobs. With Holly's arms securely encircling her, Gail finally allowed the turmoil, fear, and the disquiet of the day subside.

xxx-xxx-xxx

Gail sighed, burrowing into the comfort of Holly's arms and the blankets and sheets. It had been a trying day, but Holly had stuck with her. It wasn't the first time the pathologist had taken the full-force of Gail Peck and not backed down or turned tail. It certainly wouldn't be the last either. She could feel the rise and fall of Holly's breaths, not yet evened out to the steady, deep cadence of sleep.

"Holly?"

Holly's arm tightened around the blonde, fingers unconsciously finding Gail's and intertwining them. "Yeah, Gail?"

"Thanks for putting up with me."

Holly ducked her head down, lips caressing the baby hairs at the back of Gail's neck. She pressed a kiss to the skin, and Gail could feel the smile curling the corners of Holly's mouth. "No problem, babe."

The venture of dating Gail Peck is one only to be undertaken by those with the utmost measure of resilience and fortitude…and a certain peace of mind. Because, in truth, dating Gail Peck is an endeavor in and of itself.

And boom. There ya go. Hope this was enjoyable for everyone. Thanks so much to everyone who took a chance on the sneak peek we posted on Tumblr, and I hope this lived up to expectations. As usual, please let us know what you think here on FFN or over at Tumblr. I try to respond to all of them! And, of course, come and see us over at Twitter! We end to post little sneak peeks on both.

Oh! And a very, very thank you to our special expert, Vanessa – aeducaan on Tumblr – who gives us a double-check on the fic to make sure we make things acceptably Canadian…or at least not so blatantly American.

Until next time!

*ISP