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

Rating: M

Chapter Summary: Gail said it herself, she can be like a petulant, adolescent child. And, like a child, when words fail her, she possesses alternate ways of communicating exactly what she wants.

Sorry, sorry, sorry! We definitely didn't expect this chapter to take this long! I'll spare you guys until the end for a longer note.

Please note the chapter rating! I'll be changing the entire story rating after the next chapter. Also, in light of what's currently occurring in the NFL and with Baltimore, CJ and I have changed the scene we offered in the sneak peek.

On that note, enjoy!

LESSON 3

Where Communication Involves Lips…and Tongues…

This may seem completely random…

But Joss Whedon is a god amongst men.

…Bear with me, this has a point.

He created this movie, then television series that all nerds and baby lesbians swear by called "Buffy the Vampire Slayer". And in the seventeenth episode of the second season, writer Ty King crafted a poignant evocation about the human condition through the lips of an admittedly hunky vampire who had just lost his soul:

"Passion. It lies in all of us. Sleeping, waiting. And though unwanted, unbidden, it will stir, open its jaws, and howl. It speaks to us, guides us. Passion rules us all. And we obey. What other choice do we have? Passion is the source of our finest moments. The joy of love, the clarity of hatred, the ecstasy of grief. It hurts sometimes more than we can bear. If we could live without passion, maybe we'd know some kind of peace. But we would be hollow. Empty rooms, shuttered and dank. Without passion, we'd be truly dead."

Pretty heavy words for a teenage television show about vampires – back when they were badass rather than sparkly. Still, this soliloquy is not inaccurate in the slightest. In every relationship, passion is king. Emotions are sharper, more sensitized, and every little nuance resonates in the recesses of the heart.

Sexual passion, however…

That's a whole different beast.

Sexual passion combines all the best and worst aspects of every point on the emotional spectrum and heightens it to a pinnacle that is both intoxicating and terrifying all at the same time. It is the state of being people can easily lose themselves in, the state of being that sheds away pretenses and lays the true nature bare.

And to those who are lucky enough to witness, it is a state of Gail Peck that is perhaps the most stunningly beautiful.

Holly could readily confess she was a passionate person. As a scientist, she studied life and death, and she saw the beauty and tragedy in both. Her passion for justice fueled her successes in her given occupation. Her passion for the female form fueled her search for a partner into whom she could pour her heart and soul.

But, Holly, ever the meticulous scientist, knew that sometimes it took a few attempts rife with trial and error for an experiment to reach a satisfactory conclusion. Independent variables sometimes had to shift and realign, the correct dependent variables had to follow, and the constants needed to make sense in the greater picture. Sometimes the fault was in the entire experimental design.

And like anyone else, Holly wasn't infallible. Sometimes she allowed passion to overrule sense. Sometimes it resulted in being victim to a devastating broken heart. Sometimes, gravity took over, and she found that she had fallen too hard, too fast. Sometimes, a charming exterior veiled less desirable characteristics that fooled a normally reasonable, normally rational person.

But Gail Peck was a completely different phenomenon entirely. Unlike elements of, say, motion or thermal conduction, there were no set definitive laws to adequately anticipate the almost inexplicable occurrences that transpired within the blonde's psyche upon which Holly could rely. So when Gail insinuated herself into Holly's life, Holly knew she had to tread lightly. Because the tough, icy exterior of Gail's hid an effervescent spirit very vulnerable to pain.

And when they started dating, Holly figured she would need the kid gloves when it came to the more physical aspects of their relationship.

But it was Gail.

Therefore, naturally, things were a little more complicated than that.

xxx-xxx-xxx

From the moment she met Gail, Holly quickly surmised that expectations were utterly useless when it came to anticipating just how Gail would react to an event. The blonde's quirky personality combined with what Oliver accurately termed as a "healthy disrespect for everything" denoted that opposite effects normally experienced by a reasonable human would probably not occur within the Gail Peck spectrum of emotionally appropriate responses.

For her part, Holly simply accepted that they were simply never going to operate as a normal couple. But that was part of the fun. From their first meeting squaring off amidst the foliage of a wooded expanse in a showdown for crime scene dominance, neither expected the other to respond the way that actually occurred.

Gail was used to her cutting jibes and incisive sarcasm beating unwitting targets into submission and sending them scurrying away rethinking their life decisions.

Holly was used to her rush of words heavy with medical jargon and framed amidst a rapid, barely discernable cadence sending formerly smug adversaries into stuttering messes as they fought to keep up with the pace and terminology.

What they actually experienced was so beyond the norm. Holly's medical jargon was met with a sharp retort of "Why are you saying all these words?". Gail's cutting sarcasm received nothing more than a raised eyebrow. And since that first meeting, precedence was set, and it seemed like that irregularity became a theme that almost defined their relationship.

As was such, Holly would have never imagined Gail would be the one who initiated their first real kiss.

For one thing, Holly had never received any indication that Gail would be receptive to the possibility of a relationship. For another thing, she certainly never pictured their first kiss to be in an interrogation room while under the threat of a cop-killing maniac. Her recollection of that kiss was a series of flashes.

First she was ranting about Simone, the set up Rachel had forced upon her. She had pretty skin, but she was no Gail…especially with Gail there and glaring daggers at them.

Then, something about telling each other things. That was true. They exchanged anecdotes often. Serious things like Perik and Holly's slight distance from her bohemian family. But also fun, lighthearted things like Gail's irrational love of cheese puffs and Holly's fascination with fitness.

Then Holly vaguely remembered spluttering excuses explaining her presence. She just wanted to make sure Gail was okay…

Then lips were on hers.

Whatever breath she had left to finish her stammered, incoherent tirade was stolen from her lungs as she felt her head seized between two palms and yanked forward.

Whatever thoughts were racing through her mind, fighting the one another for verbalized priority out of her mouth settled into blissfully idle silence.

Lips were on hers.

Gail's lips.

Gail's soft lips.

Gail's soft lips that tasted faintly of the pomegranate-raspberry lip balm Holly knew resided in one of the cargo pockets of Gail's uniform pants.

Perhaps a little belatedly, Holly realized exactly what Gail's lips on hers meant. It meant Gail was kissing her. A little more belatedly, Holly made the executive decision – overruling sense, mind you – to kiss Gail back.

Best decision ever.

It was a first, tentative step into their relationship. At the time, Holly was completely swept up in the moment, thrown at its sudden commencement. All she could think about was the softness of Gail's lips, the taste of that fruity lip balm, and the sheen in Gail's eyes as they met hers when the two women broke away as their kiss reached its natural culmination. In the pale blue spheres, Holly saw a myriad of emotions: desire, fear, arousal, confusion. None of those, however, deterred Gail from leaning in once more.

From that first kiss, Holly was addicted. As their kisses accumulated, marking things as perfunctory as a greeting or farewell to as serious as a 'Thank God you're okay' type of scenario, Holly found she adored the way Gail kissed. In those moments, the hard shell protecting Gail Peck melted away and the emotions she often struggled with conveying radiated through the push and the pull of their connection.

It also became Gail's go-to method of stemming the flow of words that often escaped in a rambled rush from Holly's mouth.

Not that Holly found it in herself to mind.

However, the one kiss that stuck out in her mind wasn't one that held any sort of important significance. Honestly, it was fairly innocuous considering the gravity of the ones that preceded it.

What truly resonated in Holly's mind was a kiss that happened right after what had come to be known as the Great Hair Massacre of 2014. Things had calmed down after their intense makeout session in the bathtub, not progressing much further, but both women could see the effect it had on the other.

Gail was huddled on the couch in a pair of yoga paints and one of Holly's hoodies. Idly, one hand drifted up to her head, unconsciously stroking the newly-shorn hair. The short strands felt weird against her fingertips, and her neck felt too bare without platinum locks extending down past her shoulders. She was past her minor anxiety attack, and the repercussions were already starting to settle in. Luckily, it seemed as though the only victim would be her hair. That was certainly something she could live with. Her hand ran through the pixie cut again as though the action would prompt a sudden regrowth of her previously luxurious locks; she didn't want to think too closely about the whole thing.

Needing something else to distract her from the slight freak out that resulted in her impromptu haircut, Gail frowned down at the garish royal blue fabric adorning her torso, the text on her chest proclaiming an allegiance to "New York Giants" football.

…Whatever that meant.

She glanced up as Holly descended down from the stairs, running a brush through her damp hair and clad in a pair of tiny shorts and a comfortable looking Henley. Taking a moment to appreciate the expanse of toned, bronzed skin bared to her gaze, Gail piped up from the couch. "Question…"

Holly smirked, tossing her brush onto the coffee table and plopping down beside Gail. With such an ambiguous opening statement, the multitude of options that could possible follow might be anything from morbidly hilarious to gravely serious. She cocked her head. "Possible answer."

Gail pointed down at the blue sweatshirt. "What is this and why do you have it?" she asked.

Holly laughed. "Well, I told you I received my doctorates from Johns Hopkins University in the States, right?"

Gail nodded, recalling that piece of information Holly had shared early in their friendship. "Yeah."

"It's in Maryland," Holly further explained.

Gail leveled a deadpan, nonplussed look at the pathologist. "Your words do not mean anything to me, Holly."

"That's the logo of an American football team, the New York Giants," Holly responded.

Gail pursed her lips, shoulders bobbing to convey her confusion. "I fail to see the correlation," she answered. "Why do you have a sweatshirt from an American football team from a different state?"

Holly laughed, knowing her words didn't constitute the most cohesive clarification. "A couple of friends dragged me out to a bunch of Washington Redskins games while I was there because their stadium is also in Maryland," she explained.

"That still doesn't explain why you have a sweatshirt from a New York football team," Gail countered, justifiably a bit perplexed.

Holly shrugged. "I wasn't really interested in Washington's team, but one game I saw had the Redskins playing the New York Giants. For some reason, I became a fan."

Gail cocked an eyebrow. "Just," she wiggled her fingers mockingly. "Poof? Eh, I don't think I'm gonna root for the team I came here to see?"

Holly grinned. "Well, there's this player on the Giants who did a salsa dance to celebrate every time he scored. I thought that was cool. So every year when Washington played New York, I made it a point to go to the game."

"Ew, sports," Gail declared succinctly.

Holly chuckled, reclining back against the corner of the couch. She draped her legs across Gail's lap, propping her head on her fist as she regarded the blonde police officer. "You wouldn't be saying that if you saw me in the Giants jerseys I bought," she remarked casually. "I wear them a lot and…" she leaned in, clearly teasing the cop, "I wear only the jersey."

Gail shuddered as Holly returned to her previous position. The doctor grinned widely, gesturing vaguely as though she hadn't just mercilessly teased the blonde. "Your hair looks good," she complimented.

Gail smirked. "Are you really complimenting my hair or your own aptitude with scissors?"

Holly laughed. "Well, I certainly can't ignore the latter, but the cut really brings out your bone structure."

"Yeah," Gail drawled, "my bone structure."

"Well, you know me," Holly quipped. "I do love bones."

Gail nodded, a small smile blooming across her face. Her lips pursed, quirking to the side. She gazed upward to Holly through lowered lashes practically radiating her vulnerability. "So…" She was clearly stalling, unsure of how her next query would be received. "Are we a thing now?"

Holly's mouth twitched as she battled with her impulse to smile. "What do you mean?"

"I mean…" A canine tooth poked out and buried itself into a bottom lip. "I don't, you know, make a habit of kissing people for fun, you know?"

Holly nodded. She opened her mouth to respond, but something in Gail's expression gave her pause. She straightened, sensing the gravity of the situation, readying herself for the serious conversation she knew had been lingering ever since their kiss at 15.

"And I don't freak out in front of just anyone." Gail wasn't meeting her eyes, a clear indicator she was feeling particularly exposed to the emotions running rampant through her consciousness. "No one gets close enough to see that. I don't let them." Finally, a pair of eyes a shocking shade of pale blue rose up to meet hers. "But I let you."

Again, Holly nodded.

"So, you know, I think all of this," Gail's hands flapped between them; it was a futile gesture, unable to truly encompass its meaning, and it seemed Gail was very aware of that notion, "kinda means something."

Holly hummed sagely. "And you want to label it." She ducked her head, meeting Gail's eyes directly before they could plummet back to her lap. "We don't have to," she offered. "I know this is new for you, and I'm sure it's probably terrifying…"

Gail's mouth opened to immediately respond, but she reconsidered that knee-jerk reaction. "It's just…" She let out a breath rife with frustration as though mere words weren't enough to truly shape the message she wanted to communicate. "I don't want you to think I'm not serious about this," she admitted finally. "Not labeling it seems to, I don't know, disregard or dismiss it. I don't want that. It's not really fair to you."

Holly's head fell to the side, and her eyes softened. "Gail."

"No, c'mon," Gail interjected. "You deserve better than some messed up, emotionally stunted, barely functional cop."

Holly reached out, cupping Gail's chin. Gently, she lofted those gorgeous eyes to meet hers. Her free hand brushed away the stubborn strands venturing onto Gail's forehead. "And what I want doesn't matter?"

Eyelids fluttered, closing and opening in a slow, deliberate blink. "You want this?"

"Yeah," Holly murmured, voice heavy with conviction despite the soft tone. "I really do."

"I'm not good at relationships, Holly," Gail warned her. "Cats and trees, remember?" Her gaze turned entreating, anxious. "I might create an emergency situation. I might hurt you."

Holly shrugged. "And I might hurt you," she countered. "Gail, that's just a risk we're going to have to take."

Gail didn't answer verbally. Much like she had before, she surged forward, lips finding Holly's. Holly squeaked her surprise, her hands scrabbling for purchase before settling on Gail's waist, fingers tightening around the sweatshirt pilfered from her closet.

This kiss surprised her, stealing the breath from her lungs. She attributed the lack of oxygen to her lightheadedness.

Because Gail's kisses?

Masterful.

She expected hesitancy, fumbling, tentativeness.

What she got was the very essence of Gail Peck: Stubborn, bull-headed, and full of blustering confidence that masked the vulnerability beneath. It was as though Gail refused to be bad at this, refused to perform at a standard less than absolute flawlessness. There was an intensity to Gail's kiss, as though it became the vehicle to showcase the blonde's seriousness to their newly realized relationship.

As their lips prolonged their connection, Gail was motionless for a moment, her mouth slightly puckered and resting softly on Holly's. Even that slight caress sent tingles tumbling down her body to center at the apex of her thighs. Then Gail's lips began to move.

And Holly felt the tingles escalate to outright heat that pulsed outward to encompass the nooks and crannies of her entire body.

She could feel Gail's lips purse, drawing her own further into their embrace, seeking as much contact as possible. They released, and a breath passed before she could feel Gail's head rotate, connecting them again from a different angle. Her mouth parted, nudging at Holly's, teasing the pathologist with whispers of contact but not engaging fully. The tip of Gail's nose bumped Holly's, a continued taunt, delaying that sweet press of lips on lips, resisting the magnetic pull that continually drew them together.

As Gail finally granted her relief, Holly could only reciprocate, drowning in the sensations caused wholly by the blonde cop with the choppy haircut and her pair of soft, luscious lips.

And then the tongue.

Oh, the tongue.

It ventured out, skating briefly against the seam of Holly's lips, slyly asking for an entrance that was granted readily. Holly's whimper of a moan fell against a questing mouth, drawn out by a similarly pursuant tongue intent on eliciting even more of a response.

She surged upward as Gail broke away, feverishly attaching their lips again. Heavy breaths passed between them as hands began to wander, matching the rhythm of lips and tongues seeking more of the taste that was becoming so addictive to both women.

Gail shifted, urging Holly down against the couch cushions. Limbs slid naturally against each other, settling into a comfortably intertwined state as the accompanying bodies relaxed in a sprawl searching for as much physical contact as possible. As Holly's hands skated upward, raking into the strands of Gail's hair, she couldn't help the amazed exhale from escaping her lips. Gail was unyielding, relentless, her mouth in a constant state of motion. Masterfully, Gail teasingly unveiled her skill, offering different pressures, different angles, and different combinations of lips, tongue, and teeth to facilitate a kissing experience that completely escaped Holly's expectations.

"Gail…" Holly tried in vain to stifle a strangled moan. Her attempts were futile as the sound escaped into the air. She was on fire, cradling Gail's head as the blonde found a particularly sensitive spot on her neck. "Oh, God. You're driving me crazy."

She could feel the smirk against her skin, sharp teeth nipping gently as Gail pushed herself up on her elbows. Pale blue eyes twinkled down at her, rampant with mischief and tinged with desire.

"What, Lunchbox?" Kiss-swollen lips curled upward in a smirk radiating with smug satisfaction in a manner that as wholly, endearingly Gail Peck. She shifted, her body sliding deliciously against Holly's. "I may be a little fuzzy on the logistics of it all with…" Gail waved an absent hand over Holly's supine form. "Different parts and everything, but I'm fairly certain kissing involves something both men and women have."

Holly laughed, her hands cupping Gail's cheeks. Her thumb grazed over Gail's mouth, reveling in thought that she had experienced the softness, knowing she had sampled the delectable taste. "Gail, I promise kissing women is a lot different from kissing men."

A blonde eyebrow arched upward. "Yeah?"

"Oh yeah," Holly affirmed. "A woman's lips are softer…" She accompanied her statement with a kiss. "Curves on a woman's body give you more options for handholds." Her hands wandered, drifting down from Gail's neck to her shoulders. Holly retracted her touch, letting the backs of her knuckles trip over the delicious swell of Gail's breasts, down to Gail's hips to finally settle on the blonde's posterior. Holly palmed the globes, squeezing gently, the natural motion causing Gail's pelvis to rock forward.

"Huh," Gail hissed out, her voice heavy with arousal as she fought to keep her composure even as new sensations previously foreign and alien to her erupted in nerve endings she had no idea existed. "Looks like there are a few things you can teach me."

"Probably," Holly conceded. "Because, you know, I know a lot of things. And I'm certainly willing to share."

"I knew that big brain is good for something," Gail quipped, knocking their foreheads together.

"Right?" Holly joked. "I'm damn useful!"

They shared a laugh, and Holly grinned as Gail's head ducked down briefly, burying itself in her neck. The pathologist let a hand rub through the shortened platinum strands. "So what do you think, Peck? You okay with kissing a girl?"

Gail's head bobbed back up. Piercing blue eyes cut through the distance between them. Holly didn't move, merely allowed the blatant appraisal. There was something about Gail's eyes, something that despite the initial veneer of guarded suspicion, existed an incredible beauty beneath. Gail wasn't proficient with words; but her eyes expressed what she wanted to say, and her lips communicated everything else in between. It was a promise.

"Well, you know what they say," Gail countered. "Practice makes perfect." A grin spread across her face. "And I'm very much a tactile learner."

Holly could find no fault in that.

xxx-xxx-xxx

For the longest time, Holly was under the impression that in relationships, momentous occasions proceeded with adequate buildup before their culminations. Everyone knew that moment right before the first kiss, that hesitation, that minute pause rife with anticipation before someone makes the first move.

Once she began a relationship with Gail, however, things weren't quite conforming to the norm. For some odd reason, everything similarly momentous in their relationship had occurred with the utmost degree of spontaneity. There was no calculated measurement, no premeditated action, just a series of spur-of-the moment decisions that eventually paved the way to their relationship.

And it wasn't like Holly would have changed a thing. For the whirlwind that was the beginning of their relationship, Holly loved every crazy, tumultuous minute that brought them to this point of completion where she was glad to call Gail her own. She enjoyed unraveling the puzzle that was this insane yet endearing woman.

She found out rather quickly that, surprisingly, Gail didn't mind showing affection. It wasn't so much what Gail said – her multitude of teasing nicknames surely disproved that notion. It was more subtle actions that defined an attitude of Gail's that indicated the normally prickly cop held Holly at a higher esteem than her usual demeanor of begrudging tolerance. When Holly's hand dangled freely, Gail would slip her own into the waiting grasp. Each time Holly stopped by Gail's desk at 15, she would be greeted with a short kiss. It wasn't that Gail was particularly demonstrative; they certainly strayed away from more obscene gestures like making out in public. Alone and one-on-one, Gail had no problem letting those passions out, but the blonde just believed some things were more appropriate behind closed doors. One tidbit about Gail that the blonde had sworn Holly never to divulge under penalty of every single medical journal Holly owned mysteriously vanishing was that under the prickly, grumpy exterior, Gail Peck was a secret cuddle monster…

…Well, maybe not entirely a secret since at one point or another all of Gail's friends had fallen victim to Gail's koala grip when she was either intensely inebriated or exhausted.

Therefore, one morning, in one of the rare moments where Holly was serving as the little spoon, she found herself thrust into consciousness with a sensation that she was familiar with but until now had not felt coming from her current partner.

Slightly disoriented and blinking away the fog from her entrance to the waking world, she glanced down to find the hand attached to the pale arm slung around her waist had snuck its way beneath her tanktop and was currently splayed comfortably around her breast.

Which also meant Holly was currently stuck in quite the psychological limbo.

On one hand…no pun intended…she was quite content with her present predicament. Gail's palm cupped her breast snugly, the thumb absently stroking against the nipple Holly was painfully aware had been aroused to a stiff, rigid point.

On the other hand, she knew had Gail been completely in control of her facilities and fully cognizant of her actions, there was a distinct possibility the blonde would have been spooked to the point of retreat.

The internal debate raging in Holly's brain screeched to a halt the moment Gail returned to the land of consciousness as the thumb hesitated mid-stroke. Holly reacted and hoped her encouragement would stem the panic she knew was currently paralyzing Gail as the blonde realized their current position. Making an executive decision that she prayed wouldn't send her curmudgeonly metaphorical cat scurrying down the tree, Holly trapped the hand over her breast, nestling her ass deeper into the cradle of the hips curved against her. She smiled into her pillow at the sharp intake of breath that echoed behind her.

"I know you're awake, nerd," Gail mumbled, her voice heavy with sleep and muffled in the pillow. "I can feel your brain working from over here."

"Kind of hard to avoid when someone's getting a little handsy," Holly teased, her voice lowered to a fond murmur. "You're taking advantage of my helpless state to cop a feel."

"Yeah, well, don't get any ideas," Gail grunted. "You keep this room so cold and maybe your boob is my only source of warmth."

"Or you're a groper," Holly countered.

"It's too early for banter," Gail whined. "My best zingers lack effect when I'm barely conscious."

Holly chuckled. "Babe, your zingers lack effect when you're fully conscious."

"Now that's just crossing a line," Gail grumbled. "I am a fount of wit and eloquence, perfecting sarcasm and one-liners with the mastery of a savant. You're insulting the very essence of Gail Peck."

"Empty words," Holly drawled. "Your hand is on my boob. I'd say we crossed a few lines here…or, more aptly, your hand crossed a few lines."

"Yeah, well, your ass is doing some line-crossing of its own," Gail retorted.

Holly grinned, nestling said backside deeper into curve of Gail's hips, enjoying the groan that fluttered against her bare shoulder. "Do you mind?"

"No," Gail mumbled. She ducked her head, turning her face against Holly's. Distractedly, her lips found Holly's neck, nibbling a path to a spot just beneath Holly's jawline where her neck met the soft curve.

Holly inhaled sharply, barely biting back a moan. "Not there," she murmured.

Gail paused. "Why not?"

"Because when we have sex, I refuse to rush through it, which we will have to do if you keep kissing me there, and we both have to get up in under an hour."

Holly felt more than heard the soft "Oh…" of realization, but she certainly heard the chuckle that followed. She didn't have to see Gail's face to know that mischievous, slightly evil expression was currently adorning the blonde's features.

Inwardly, that notion made Holly groan. Now that Gail knew one of her sensitive spots, the blonde was bound to use that particular piece of knowledge against her.

Before Gail could exploit her newfound information, Holly turned to face the blonde. Slinging a leg across Gail's hip, she deftly rolled them, throwing Gail onto her back. Sitting astride Gail's waist, Holly smirked triumphantly.

Gail grinned from their new position, not minding the view. "You're no fun," she chided lightly.

Holly smirked. "Oh, baby. I'm very fun." With that declaration, she crossed her arms at her waist, inching her tank top up her torso.

The slackjawed expression adorning Gail's face was both comical and encouraging at the same time. It solidified the notion that despite the fact Gail had probably never entertained an attraction to women, she certainly found Holly desirable.

Ice blue eyes followed the path of the slowly discarded article of clothing as olive-toned skin was revealed to her gaze. Holly smirked as the blonde came to the slow reminder that Holly was bare beneath the tanktop. Tugging the garment over her head, tossing it aside, Holly smirked.

"Just giving you something to look forward to."

Gail could only nod dumbly, her eyes centered steadfastly on Holly's chest. Idly, her mind mused that she now understood the male fixation with boobs. Holly's breasts were simply gorgeous. And there was skin. So much skin. So, so much skin. Firm and full, boasting a perfect circular shape and topped with chocolate brown tips.

Gail's eyes followed the silver pendant as it swung tantalizingly just above the valley of Holly's breasts, suspended from her neck by a silver chain. The circular charm adorned with a wax seal of an anchor was a gift from Celery during an impromptu double date after Gail and Oliver's shift. How the witch had known to bring the gift, neither woman knew and had certainly never asked. Celery had slid the box over to Holly as the two couples enjoyed after-dinner drinks and Gail and Oliver had wandered off to the dartboard. As Holly opened the box, marveling at the elegant simplicity of the pendant, Celery explained the anchor was a symbol of optimism and refuge. With that small, enigmatic smile adorning her pretty features, Celery mentioned she had placed a protection spell on the charm. Whether the protection spell was for Holly or Gail, Celery didn't say. She merely slid a hand over Holly's and knowingly commented it was difficult being the significant other of a cop. She noted it was well worth it as Oliver drunkenly tossed a bullseye and was currently engaged in a rather absurd and ridiculous victory dance as Gail pouted in her defeat. Celery shrugged, the love clear in her eyes as she gazed at Oliver and his rather ridiculous gyrations. Well, most of the time.

Holly could see Gail's eyes scanning over her, could see the pale digits on her thighs twitching, lifting slightly before settling again, hesitant to follow through with whatever thought was flickering through Gail's mind. Looking to encourage the other woman, Holly walked her fingertips down to Gail's hands braced on her thighs. Grabbing a hold of the wrists, she slid Gail's palms up the length of her torso until they fit snugly against the full curves of her breasts.

Gail's chest rose and fell rapidly, her throat working to swallow the lump that had suddenly materialized. She took in a deep, shuddering breath before letting her hands move. Delicate fingertips mapped the expanse of skin now available to her touch, tracing the shape, testing the weight, familiarizing herself with the soft curves so different from hard planes of muscle. Idly, Gail mused Holly clearly liked whatever she was doing.

Unsatisfied with their position and wanting to be closer, Gail rose up to a sitting position, her hands still cupping the soft, generous swells. Her mouth opened and closed, and her tongue peeked out to run across her bottom lip as she fought to convey her desires to Holly. Words seemed so inadequate, and they wouldn't express exactly what she wanted to say with her limited communication skills. But actions…actions would work. Gail's eyes flicked from Holly's face to her breasts, carefully gauging Holly's body language.

The pathologist clearly anticipated Gail's hesitation and nodded receptively. Her eyelids fluttering shut as Gail's head ducked down to her chest. Holly leaned back, her hands sifting through Gail's hair, supported by the palm spread across the small of her back. Tentative lips parted, beginning at the collarbone. They skated over the slope, but didn't engage the skin fully.

Holly hissed out her approval, her fingers tightening against Gail's hair, clenching as both lips finally retracted, catching the rounded curve of her breast fully, tasting and searching. Holly moaned, her hips canting forward as Gail let her tongue wind around the underside, circling around to the dusky areola at the center. Her tongue navigated a lazy lap around the skin, spiraling towards the distended nipple. Wrapping her lips around it, Gail gave an experimental tug, rewarded with a whimper bursting from Holly's lips.

"Shit."

The curse trailed off to a ragged exhale as Gail switched to the neglected twin, giving it the same treatment. The blonde introduced teeth into her intent perusal of Holly's breasts, scraping deliciously against sensitive skin that sent shockwaves pulsing down to her increasingly aroused sex. Holly tugged Gail's face up to hers, capturing those magic lips in a frenetic, voracious kiss. Her hips worked into a frantic cadence, desperately chasing relief that seemed to be just out of reach.

They broke apart, eyes meeting, the desire reciprocated in the spheres reflecting in the light and dark of contrasting irises. They met in the middle with the aim of escalating this impromptu romp…

…When the blaring cacophony from Holly's alarm shattered the connection. The insistent, maddening series of beeps jerked both women from their sexual haze, sending them crashing back to reality. Gail slumped back down to the bed with a pained groan.

Holly chuckled, leaning over Gail to shut off the alarm. She slid back over the cop, leaning down to bestow a consolatory kiss to Gail's lips.

"We have to get up."

Gail whined, her hands over her face as Holly dismounted, turning towards her closet.

"How exactly do you expect me to function today?" Gail grumbled. "Every spare minute, I'm going to be thinking about your boobs."

Holly grinned, tying up her hair in a messy bun before flouncing off to the bathroom for a quick shower. "You could always excuse yourself for some relief," she commented over her shoulder.

"Huh…" Gail frowned, seriously considering the implication. That notion had honestly never occurred to her. Gail shook her head. "Wait, no, that wouldn't work. Do you know how long it takes to get the duty belt off?"

Holly shook her head, tuning the tap and letting the water spill out from the showerhead into the tub. Gail craned her neck towards Holly's bathroom, catching the long, tan back in the parted door.

"Hol?" Gail called, still sprawled against the rumpled sheets, willing her buzzing body to dull the pain of their aborted tryst.

"Yeah?"

"I think I'm a boob girl."

Holly's laugh echoed over the sound of the shower.

xxx-xxx-xxx

Just to let you know, I may or may not have missed you and your face.

Walking through the airport, Holly laughed as she read the text from her girlfriend, slipping the strap of her briefcase from her shoulder and sliding into the backseat of the taxicab. Holly knew the blonde hated when she traveled for conferences, and Gail had been sending subtle reminders informing Holly of the fact her existence was disturbingly dismal without the presence of a red lunchbox or other nerd paraphernalia – clearly Gail's words, not hers. And as the cab dropped her off in front of her home, Holly didn't even bother unloading her luggage, just transferred it from the taxi to the trunk of her SUV.

Sliding into the driver's seat, she checked her phone again. A smile bloomed on her face as she received a follow-up message.

Therefore, I may or may not have thought of you naked. I may or may not admit to this when I see you. Maybe.

Whatever doubt she had in her plan vanished with Gail's seemingly innocuous words, and she started her car, pulling out of her driveway. As she drove the familiar path to 15 Division, she couldn't help but shake her head. It wasn't the first time Gail inserted suggestive language, and while Holly knew the blonde wasn't some blushing virgin, she certainly didn't have any sort of indication towards how comfortable Gail would be with the more physical aspects of their new relationship.

But Gail was constantly surprising Holly, and she never would have imagined Gail would be the aggressor in their relationship. She figured there was two ways their relationship would have gone:

Gail could have played timid, content on letting Holly take the lead.

Or Gail could have said "Fuck it all" and cannonballed in…

…now that she thought of it, maybe she really should have known the answer.

Holly pulled into the parking lot of 15 beside Chris's Jeep, killing her engine with a smile. There were many aspects in which Gail could be timid, mostly in the emotional arena, but Gail's physical confidence was something that was constantly surprising her.

She kept her eyes trained on the door, lighting up when Gail pushed the handle to release her back into the real world. The white blonde head covered by a warm, knit beanie was facing away, saying something to Chris as he trailed behind her. Holly could see the tall officer laugh before he met her eyes over Gail's head. Chris grinned, nudging his partner, and Gail turned as he gestured. Tired, weary eyes scanned the cars, settling on Holly as the pathologist leaned against her front bumper, and Gail lit up at the sight, her face relaxing into a soft smile. Gail came to a stop in front of Holly, nodding at Chris as he wished them a good night before disappearing into his car.

"Hey! What are you doing here?"

Holly smirked, throwing out an exaggerated pout. "I'm guessing you didn't miss me."

"I totally did," Gail countered as she stepped into the cradle of Holly's legs. "But I was planning on picking you up from the airport. You kinda torpedoed that course of action."

"In that Matchbox toy you call a car?" Holly shook her head, tugging on the lapels of Gail's leather jacket. "Honey, you can barely fit in that thing, I would hate to imagine trying to shove you, me, and my luggage inside; the car might tip over."

Gail was the proud owner of an old, cherry red 1975 Honda hatchback. Despite the fact it was almost forty years old, the car was in premium condition due to Gail's meticulous care. The engine still ran like new, and the interior was spotless as though Gail had driven the car straight off the lot the day before. Still, Holly couldn't help but rib Gail as the blonde steadfastly refused to replace the car. It was Gail's first grown-up purchase, and she was very, very reluctant to part with it despite the fact she could certainly afford a newer vehicle.

Gail frowned, affronted for her beloved vehicle. "Hey, don't be insulting Moose!" she chastised, recoiling back from Holly's grip. "He's been there for me since high school!"

Holly smirked, undeterred. She reached out again, reclaiming her grip on Gail's jacket. "Your car has identity issues," she countered. "A tiny, little hatchback called Moose."

"Moose has high self-esteem," Gail retorted. She gestured to Holly's shiny, new model Volkswagen SUV with a contemptuous eye. "Unlike your monstrosity who needs bells and whistles to hide obvious inadequacies."

Holly grinned. "Don't lie to yourself. You're just jealous your rust bucket isn't as pretty." She leaned in, her lips nudging Gail's teasingly until the stubborn blonde acquiesced, making the move to fully engage their lips. Holly's giggle was muffled as Gail took control of their kiss, conveying just how much she missed the pathologist with a ravenous mouth just barely skating the bounds of propriety.

Gail broke away first, a smirk touching one side of her mouth. She braced her palms on the hood of Holly's car, nibbling tantalizingly at the jut of Holly's chin. "You're pretty," she countered. "And I would rather show you somewhere other than the parking lot of 15." She cocked her head. "Whatcha say, Lunchbox, how about we head to yours?"

Holly laughed. "Oh how you slay me with the romance, babe."

Gail shot out one of her rare goofy grins, waiting for her girlfriend to unlock the doors. She pouted, crossing her arms. "You gonna let me in or am I gonna hitch a ride on the roof?"

"I don't know," Holly huffed. "You've been insulting my car all night. You might have hurt its feelings."

Gail sniffed, tossing her head. "Your car doesn't have feelings."

A dark brow inched skyward. "But yours does?"

"I named my car," Gail pointed out. "Wouldn't that count as some sort of transference thing?"

Holly snorted. "Disregarding the fact that you are assigning human feelings to an inanimate object, no, I don't believe naming your car gives you exclusive rights to a transference of emotions."

"Stop logicking me!" Gail howled. "I have been without you for three days. I want to go to your place so we can make out and get naked, not stand here arguing about the legitimacy of Moose's feelings!" She stopped just short of stomping her foot. "Just let me in, Hol."

Holly burst out laughing and obliged, the headlights flashing as the doors disengaged. She couldn't help the giggles as Gail grumbled beneath her breath, climbing into the passenger seat. Holly slid behind the wheel and soothed her girlfriend's bruised ego with a kiss, bumping their noses gently before she started the car.

As they pulled away from 15, Gail kept stealing glances her way, a soft smile curving her lips. Holly felt her own smile bloom, and she snuck her own glance over before returning her attention to the road. "You can look away, you know," she teased. "I'm actually back."

Gail groaned, her head thumping against her seat. "Seriously, it felt like forever. The last three days really sucked without you." Her eyes narrowed, shooting an accusatory gaze to the woman beside her. "What the hell have you done to me, Stewart? You and your stupid red lunchbox are giving me feelings and all that nonsense."

Holly's face softened, and she reached over, letting her fingers tangle with Gail's. She lofted their joined hands to her lips, brushing a kiss to Gail's knuckles. "If it makes you feel better, I felt the same," she admitted. "The conference was amazing, but I kept thinking of you."

"Yeah, well, you seriously can't leave me for that long again," Gail whined. "I willingly hung out with Chloe. Chloe, Hol." She shook her head. "I'm not sure who was more gobsmacked, Dov or the pretty, pretty princess."

Holly barked out a laugh. "I asked if you wanted to come with me," she pointed out. "You specifically said you would rather hang out with 'the pretty, pretty princess' than go to one of my, what did you call it?" Holly cocked her head, smirking over to her girlfriend. "'Nerd conventions', was it?"

"And I still stand by that," Gail affirmed. "It would take weeks for me to devolve into a normal, functional human who doesn't use words such as 'esophageal varices' in common parlance."

"It would be more impressive if you could convert that to layman's terms," Holly commented.

"Ruptured blood vessels in the esophagus usually caused by alcoholism," Gail answered promptly.

Holly grinned, pulling into her driveway. "Aw, honey!" she cooed teasingly. "You do listen to me!"

Gail rolled her eyes. "It's a habit I'm trying to break," she snarked back.

"How's that working for you?" Holly returned.

"Miserable fail," Gail answered grumpily. "It's unfair how sexy your voice is when you're talking all smart and science-y. It does things to me."

Holly beamed, unable to help herself. Unbuckling her seatbelt, she jabbed at Gail's own release button. As the safety device snapped back to its place, she grabbed a handful of Gail's sweater, pulling the blonde across the center console to her. Their lips met, satisfying a craving that had lingered in a painful absence.

"I missed you too, babe."

Gail hummed her agreement, leaning further into their embrace. She felt Holly's hands drift up, yanking the beanie from her head to allow olive-toned fingers access to the soft blonde strands beneath. Gail's lips parted, chasing Holly's tongue as she poured every ounce of latent passion into their kiss.

"I definitely missed that," Gail murmured as they parted.

Holly grinned, nipping Gail's bottom lip. "So is that you admitting to missing my face?" she teased.

"Maybe," Gail played along. Her lips puckered, attaching themselves to a spot on Holly's neck just below the curve of her jaw. Holly whimpered, her fingers tightening in Gail's hair as the pressure coming from each pull of Gail's lips sent a tingle straight to her rapidly warming center. The whimper deepened to a moan as Gail's teeth scraped against her pulse point, a nomadic hand sneaking beneath her shirt to tickle her ribcage.

Holly broke their kiss with a gasp, and with a mischievous smirk, she braced her hands on the front seats, maneuvering her lengthy limbs into the backseats of her SUV.

Gail poked her head in a space between the front row. "You're kidding, right?"

In return, Holly's head swung coyly from side to side. Nimble fingers traced delicate paths to the buttons dotting her dress shirt, slipping one from the hole. Gail's eyes spanned over the revealed expanse of bronze skin, the irises darkening with arousal.

"C'mon, Hol." Gail's voice had deepened, growing rough and husky. "We're not teenagers."

Holly's lip climbed higher as she popped another button, reclining further across the seat. Gail let out a grunt, turning back to the front with a huff. She warred with herself before making a decision.

Holly watched the proceedings with a mirthful chuckle. "What are you doing?"

Gail rolled her eyes. "You're ridiculous." She opened the passenger door, ducking out of the car. Shutting the front door, she pulled open the back one and clambered in.

Holly laughed, grabbing Gail's lapels and yanking her into the SUV, reaching around the blonde to shut the back door.

"I don't know about you, Lunchbox, but I'm barely coordinated as is," Gail grumbled, wriggling her body to fit comfortably in the limited space. "I'm not about to explain to Oliver how I ended up with a concussion in the twelve hours I've been away from him."

"Well thank goodness we didn't bring your car," Holly retorted. "There would have been absolutely no room. I'm sure you would have compounded that concussion with some pulled muscles or twisted ankles."

"Yeah, well, you wouldn't be much of a medical doctor if you couldn't treat me for those," Gail returned.

Holly responded by pulling Gail down into another kiss. Blindly groping for the lapels of Gail's jacket, she pushed the garment from pale shoulders, tugging at the hem of Gail's sweater. Instinctively, Gail straightened to pull the shirt off, only to hit her head on the roof of Holly's car.

"Holly, we are seriously too tall for this," Gail whined, her voice muffled from the fabric as she wrestled the sweater from her torso.

"No, you just need to be more creative." Holly grabbed Gail's hips, shifting the blonde so that she straddled a thigh. Pressing down, she guided Gail into a rough grind that stole whatever complaint lingered at the tip of Gail's tongue. "C'mon, Gail," she husked out. "Show me how much you missed me."

Gail stuttered out a breath, her eyelids fluttering shut. She tossed her sweater away, folding herself forward to brace her hands on either side of Holly's head. Holly's hands skimmed up her ribcage and back down, leaving tingles in their wake. Gail growled deep in her throat, lowering her head to Holly's. Their lips brushed, teasingly soft, tantalizingly a whisper of an embrace, but neither woman engaged. Their breaths mingled between them, hot and rough in a cadence heavy with arousal. Gail rocked forward leaning her weight on one hand as the other hitched Holly's free leg tight around her hip.

Holly's head sagged back, digging deeper into the seat cushion as they awkwardly commenced a sensual rhythm. Gail was right, she mused idly. They were much too tall for this sort of activity in such a cramped space.

But then Gail's thigh hit a particularly sensitive spot, and a stuttered cry escaped her throat, the shockwave beginning deep in her core and resonating outward in a delicious sensation that set every nerve ending on fire, and Holly found that she didn't care. Her head bobbed upward, and she latched on to the scooped collar of Gail's tanktop, pulling the blonde down to her. Lips and tongues clashed, slipping and sliding in an evocative dance mirrored by the push and pull of rolling hips.

Gail's arms collapsed as her strength and energy left her limbs to concentrate elsewhere on more important issues. The blonde buried her face in Holly's neck, teeth scraping against the slope of a shoulder, haphazardly biting into olive skin. Holly let out a cry of pleasure at the sensation, her nails scraping against the pale expanse of Gail's back. Her name was a mantra on Gail's lips cutting through the harsh cacophony of inhales and exhales wavering between pants, whimpers, and outright moans and interspersed with the occasional hissed profanity or murmured benediction.

They were a symphony of movement and sound, racing towards a crescendo neither woman had anticipated but readily welcomed nonetheless. The heat stuck to their bared skin, not diminishing the intoxicatingly sexual ambiance in the slightest. Despite Gail's desire to see Holly naked, she couldn't find it in herself to complain.

Back and forth, they moved, indulging in their enthralling, erotic dance, the heat from their fogging the windows of Holly's SUV. Gail could feel her breaths quicken as completion approached, building and bubbling deep within her. Holly clutched harder at the blonde moving above her, hips powering forward in a rare show of Gail's strength and forcefulness.

Holly sucked in a breath, the blood roaring in her ears as her orgasm reared up and spilled over, sending a dissonance of tingles, tremors, and pulses, pouring over her veins, soaking her body with the white-hot tempest associated with the pinnacle of pleasure.

She noticed Gail had stopped moving and had directed an intense cobalt gaze in her direction. The blonde's mouth was parted, forming an awestruck 'O', and Holly cocked her head as best she could from her supine position, her lungs working to replenish themselves with oxygen.

"What?"

Gail didn't answer for a long moment. "You're amazing when you come," she finally murmured.

"Did you…?"

Gail shook her head, a blush tainting porcelain cheeks. "I got distracted," she shyly admitted.

"Well, that's an easy fix," Holly promised as she popped the button of Gail's jeans, slid the zipper down, and stealthily slipped a hand beneath the waistband. Her eyes nearly rolled to the back of her head as the slick evidence of Gail's arousal greeted her touch.

Gail inhaled sharply at the new sensation, and her eyelids fluttered as Holly dragged a path up her center, stopping at her clit.

"Fuck, Hol."

Holly smirked, her fingers taking a lap around the sensitive bud, reveling in the hissed exhale it prompted from the blonde. "I've got you, babe," Holly husked into Gail's ear as the platinum hair bobbed downward. "Let me help you."

As she felt Gail's head nod against her, Holly guided Gail's hips back to their previous rhythm as her hand stayed still, purposefully bumping against Gail's clit with each downstroke. Holly moved her fingers in a circular motion, introducing a counterpoint to Gail's thrusts that grew gradually more erratic as the blonde's orgasm bubbled up to the surface.

A rumble started deep in Gail's throat. It was a curious sound, not as aggressive or sonorous as a growl yet not as delicate as a moan either. Gail's hips moved faster, desperately chasing the release that seemed imminent yet distant at the same time.

As Gail approached her orgasm, Holly could feel every inch of Gail's body gradually stiffen in anticipation. The rhythm that had once been smooth and even, transitioned to a rough, erratic pace, and had devolved even further to haphazard, irregular thrusts. Gail's orgasm came swift and without preamble. Gail's body tensed, gathering all sensations from her climax to send her muscles quaking as the feelings assaulted every nerve, every synapse. A sharp intake of breath resonated in the atmosphere heady with the heat of their bodies and thick with the scent of their erotic encounter before Gail expelled her release in a lingering, leisured, rumbling hum, ending the exhale with a soft, trilling groan.

She stayed hunched over Holly, her face buried in the crook of Holly's neck. Her shoulders rose and fell rapidly, the breaths expelled stuttered and harsh.

Holly's fingers stroked a soothing path through Gail's hair. "You alright, babe?"

The head moved in a lethargic nod as Gail kept her face nestled in its hiding spot.

Holly smiled as Gail's body slackened as the blonde fought to catch her breath. They stayed intertwined, reveling in the satisfaction radiating around them, when Gail broke their reverie with a shyly uttered question.

"Can we try that in Moose?"

Holly laughed deeply, sending Gail into giggles as they both took in the ridiculousness of the statement. Both were well aware the little red car would be a downed Moose should such strenuous activity commence in the backseat. Holly pressed a kiss to the top of Gail's head, wrapping her arms tighter around the blonde.

"We can sure try."

xxx-xxx-xxx

It didn't take much to send Holly spiraling into thoughts of Gail. As what started as a friendship evolved into a relationship, more and more things began to remind the pathologist about her grumpy, terse curmudgeon. Aesthetically, Gail easily drove Holly to distraction. It truly was unfair how painfully gorgeous the blonde was. And as Gail grew more and more comfortable with the physical aspects of their relationship, quickly conquering the logistics of lesbian lady love, the imminent conversation about sex loomed larger and more prevalent.

The topic of sex was something they hadn't actually touched on. Since their encounter in Holly's SUV and seeing the blonde unravel completely undone at her fingertips, Holly had been obsessed to the point of desperation with thoughts of making Gail come again, this time in a fully immersed and reciprocated situation where everything was being laid bare between them both literally and figuratively. Since that night, both women understood sex was inevitable, not a matter of "if" but of "when". Still, Holly had no idea exactly how to broach the subject.

Part of her knew that predictably, the consummation of their sexual relationship would reach a natural culmination, the result of a romantic tryst taken one step further.

Part of her also knew that Gail was not one to tackle emotional situations head-on without abandon. Therefore, the physical act of sex could take forever to actually occur given the emotional repercussions attached.

It was quite the conundrum, one that was currently capturing most of her attention even as Holly vacillated between answering an email from the dean at McGill University's medical school asking for her to guest lecture a couple of sections and signing off on Rodney's report concerning an accidental death originating from 27 Division.

Over the screen of her computer, Holly spotted the head of fiery red hair popping around her doorway and grinned. Bright blue eyes framed by rounded spectacles were covered by two pale, freckled hands. Immediately, the similarly freckled nose wrinkled, and the voice that burst forth was lowered to a dramatic whisper. "Is it safe to come in?"

Holly laughed, reclining back in her desk chair, tucking her pen between her pointer and middle fingers. "You're in my office, not the lab," she commented. "I don't keep the bodies here."

The hands lowered, and the woman sidled in, her eyes wide and teasing. "Maybe I'll get, like, sucked into your illegal experiments," she chided. "You know, like behind these walls is actually your evil lair that's hiding a Dr. Frankenstein fixation or something equally as shady." Blue eyes widened. "Dude! This is totally how things like zombies become a reality!"

"Yes," Holly deadpanned. "Because my life goal has always been to throw my hands in the air and say, 'It's aliiiiiiiiive!'"

Shoulders lifted and settled as the woman traipsed towards Holly's chair, greeting the pathologist with a kiss to the cheek. "I distinctly remember that was your exact answer your second year of medical school when you told me you were going to pursue forensic pathology."

"I remember that," Holly laughed. "What did you tell me?"

"I said, 'You know the people are dead right? Like they stay dead? So why bother with med school if you can't bring them back to life?'" Another laugh sounded as a wholly pleased expression crossed the pretty face. "Man, Lisa was so pissed."

Holly chuckled, shaking her head. Alexandra Lowe was the bane of Holly's circle of friends. She wasn't a doctor, she didn't hold an advanced degree, but she made twice as much as they all did doing about a quarter of the work. And that, above all, irked Lisa more than anything – not to mention Alex's wife was the plastic surgeon's boss.

Holly cocked her head, eyebrows drawn together. It wasn't often Alex visited her at work, and such an appearance normally preceded something of mild importance. "So what brings you here?"

Alex slid onto a stool crossing one long leg gracefully over the other, dropping her bag to the floor. "I have yet to meet your girlfriend," she began without preamble. "Rachel and Lisa have, and I'm a million times more accurate when it comes to judging your potential lady loves."

Holly laughed but didn't deny the point. "Yeah, good luck," she snorted, turning a page in the file in front of her. "Since Gail met Rachel and Lisa, she's put a 'hardcore, irrevocable embargo on meeting any person or persons existing outside of the confines of this lab that can lay any sort of claim to the description of friend, including but not limited to acquaintances, former schoolmates, and anyone bearing the overly pretentious title of Doctor'." Holly smirked. "Clearly her words, not mine."

Alex smiled and chuckled. She leaned back, propping an elbow on Holly's desk as she took in the expression adorning her friend's face. There was a contentment there that had been absent before. Before Gail, Alex had only really seen that look on Holly's face when it came to work. But the Holly that sat in front of her practically radiated happiness and joy. Rachel and Lisa may have harbored a slight prejudice to those with the minimum standards of education, but Alex could certainly overlook that irrelevant fact if it meant Holly kept that glow.

Their conversation was interrupted with a usual fanfare as Gail refused to enter any sort of room without announcing her presence.

"Lunchbox, your assistant is weird," Gail declared, marching into Holly's office. "Not Rodney," she clarified. "Rodney is awesome even if he insisted on fetching you that one time I was at the maximum level of Holly Avoidance Mode, but the other one who looks like a cross between Gilbert Gottfried and…" She stopped short at the sight of Alex. "Huh, it's weird seeing a living person without a lab coat around here." Gail's head tilted in a blatant perusal. "Although the glasses do create an air of nerdiness. Are you one of the nerd squad too?"

Holly's eyes narrowed with a deadpan stare. "I'm starting to see why Dov claims you make a terrible first impression."

Gail rolled her eyes and crossed her arms. "I don't need to impress anyone unless it's your family or one of your regrettably lame friends." Being the observant, proficient cop she was, she quickly surmised the situation, looking from Holly to the unknown redhead. "This isn't like a weird ambush or something, is it?" Gail's shoulders slumped as her head fell back in exasperation. "Hol, I thought we agreed I've earned a respite from meeting any of your friends for at least five years. I can't take another breakup."

"So you've met Lisa," Alex correctly construed.

"Regretfully so," Gail sneered.

"I'm sorry," Alex offered.

There was a short pause before a genuine smile bloomed on Gail's lips, much to Holly's amusement. "I like her," Gail proclaimed, pointing definitively at the redhead. "Who are you?"

"Alex Lowe," came the introduction. "Not lame friend."

"Gail Peck," came the response. "Always awesome girlfriend." Gail shot Holly a disgruntled look. "How come you made me meet Rachel and Lisa first and not her? I'd surely have a better opinion of your friends if she was the first one I came into contact with."

Holly rolled her eyes, letting the two talk as she scrawled her signature at the bottom of a page. "Because she was in Frankfurt for a conference."

"Germany?" Gail's mouth tilted downward, and she nodded her approval. "Nice." Her eyes narrowed suspiciously. "It's not 'Dr.' Lowe, is it?"

"Nope, Professor Lowe on occasion."

"I'm trying to think of a reason to dislike you," Gail mused, tilting her head one side. "Have you ever dated Holly?"

"Holly's not my type," Alex promised. "I like them feisty, mouthy, blonde, and…" she trailed off, her face taking on a slightly evil look.

"Hands off, Lowe," Holly warned, not looking up.

"I don't know, Baby Genius," Alex teased. She eyed Gail, an eyebrow slowly inching upward. "There's something about the handcuffs."

Gail's cheeks flared pink as she caught the insinuation. She cleared her throat nervously as she shifted uncomfortably from foot to foot. Gail shot a pleading look to Holly. "Please tell me she's joking."

"She's joking," Holly promised, poking Alex in admonishment. She rotated in her chair to address Gail. "Alex is very happily married to a pediatric surgeon who only deals with children because they haven't been around long enough to piss her off…" Holly trailed off. "Huh."

"What?"

"You two would probably get along swimmingly."

Gail shrugged. "I can respect a doctor who saves the pocket-sized, mini-persons," she declared. "Sounds much more worthwhile than doling out boob jobs and ass implants."

Holly shook her head. "Anything would be more worthwhile to you than what Lisa does."

"The woman is the pinnacle of shallow," Gail remarked derisively. "Pretty soon people are gonna be more similar to Barbie dolls than actual humans if she keeps doing her work."

Holly chuckled. Lisa would never redeem herself in Gail's eyes, but it was just an understood in their relationship. She turned her attention to Alex. "So, you never told me what brought you here," she commented. "What's up?"

Alex slumped back, her eyes lofting to the ceiling of Holly's office. "It's exhausting being married to a surgeon," she grumbled.

Holly laughed. "You and Beth have been together for five years, and you're just now figuring it out?"

"It's the promotion," Alex explained. "Now that she's taken a more administrative role, she's not just dealing with problems in pediatrics but also all of the other specialties."

"She wanted the promotion," Holly pointed out, eyebrows lofting behind her glasses. "She's been gunning for Chief since Reynolds announced his intentions to retire. Beth should be ecstatic." Holly smirked. "And I'm sure it certainly doesn't hurt that her promotion has Lisa so irked."

Alex laughed. "Yes, that is a nice side benefit," she conceded. "And of course Beth is beyond thrilled…" Alex sighed, her expression shifting to rueful exasperation. "But our sex life used to be consistent–"

"Yeah," Holly scoffed. "Consistently horny."

"At least I knew what to expect," Alex countered. "Now, it's like she can't decide! She either can't keep her hands off me or I can't touch her with a ten-foot pole."

Holly shot a teasing look to her girlfriend. "Hmmmm," she hummed, a twinkle in chocolate eyes. "Sounds familiar." Holly hitched a thumb over to Gail who stood defiantly, her hip popped and hands braced on her duty belt.

"This one is either so hopped up with adrenaline I get jumped the moment she walks through the door or so exhausted she does a header into bed."

Gail shrugged. "What?" She was quick to defend herself, knowing exactly what Holly's allusion meant. She knew their own erotic encounters followed that same formula. "It's extremely satisfying bodyslamming some lowlife loser to the ground and slapping on the cuffs." Her grin turned wicked. "Especially when they squeal. It kind of does things to me on a weird sort of level."

Alex smirked. "Wow," she drawled. "With all that macho bluster, sex between you two must be explosive."

There was a long, drawn out pause. Gail stiffened, shooting a look to Holly that was mirrored when Holly dropped her pen, the pathologist's jolt of surprise causing the wheels of her desk chair to squeak. Two throats cleared simultaneously before each woman looked away.

"Huh." Alex flicked a finger between them. "I can smell the awkward from here." Her head fell to one side. "Are you two telling me you haven't actually had sex yet?" When no answer was forthcoming, Alex's eyes widened, and she blurted out the first thing that flashed in her mind.

"What's wrong with you?"

Holly spluttered out a response, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear, nudging her glasses higher on her nose. "Well, you know, we've done…" Her hands waved in a feeble attempt at communicating their activities.

"Stuff," Gail supplied, her cheeks bright red as she shifted nervously.

"Right," Holly agreed. "We've done stuff."

"Stuff," Alex echoed. She shook her head, gaze flicking from Holly to Gail. "No, no, no, c'mon." She stood from her seat. "What the hell are you two waiting for?"

Holly looked over to Gail. The blonde shrugged, unsure of the answer herself. Holly's gaze plummeted down to her paperwork, and she offered her own sheepish shrug.

Alex's face dropped into a blank stare at the ineffectual response. "I weep for you both," she deadpanned. Her eyes shifted down to her bag as a ringtone echoed from the depths. Extracting her phone, Alex took a look at the screen, reading the text message. Sending a quick response back, she turned to Holly. "Alright, kiddies. And on that intensely awkward note, that would be my own curmudgeon." She rounded over to Holly's side, pressing a kiss to the pathologist's burning cheek. "Bye, honey. Dinner one day, yeah?"

Holly nodded, standing to usher Alex out. "Text me." She brightened. "I actually would like to see Gail and Beth meet."

"Sounds good." Alex grinned cheekily as she backed out of the door. "Hope by that time, you two have broken those chastity belts." She waved, winking over at Gail. "Nice to meet you, Gail!"

"You too," Gail answered absently as Alex turned the corner. She looked to Holly as the brunette nervously ran a hand through her hair.

"So," Holly drew out the word, perching herself at the edge of her desk. "That was Alex."

Gail joined her, crossing her arms over her chest. She gave a slow, deliberate nod. "Yeeeep."

An awkward, prolonged silence commenced as Holly fidgeted, unsure of how to proceed in the conversation. Gail had an unreadable look on her face, lips pursed to the side as she looked everywhere but in Holly's direction.

"She's like that," Holly offered, breaking the silence. "I don't believe she has a filter."

Gail hummed her response; it was a curt, noncommittal noise. Gail frowned, her head tilting as she considered the notion. "You know, Alex has a point though," the blonde mused. "We haven't had sex. Why is that?"

Holly smirked, nudging Gail with a shoulder. "Well, it certainly wasn't for a lack of trying," she teased. She sobered, pondering her answer for a moment. Sighing, Holly slid her glasses off her face, placing them off to the side. "I guess I wanted to let you take the lead," she explained. "I wanted to make sure you were ready with the reality of sleeping with a woman, I guess."

Gail rolled her eyes. "Hol, I don't know about you, but I pretty sure I felt ready when your hand was on my clit," she drawled shamelessly.

"It's one thing to be okay with receiving," Holly countered. A corner of her mouth tilted upward in that trademark Holly manner. "Reciprocating tends to be where the problems lie."

"Holly…" Gail's head lolled back as she was forced to gather her thoughts. "It's not that I'm afraid about being with a woman." She shifted, her gaze fixated on her fingers as she wrung her hands. "I mean, yeah…the unknown aspect is a little terrifying, but it's not that." Gail bit her lip. "I just…I want to make it good for you," she mumbled. "I don't want to be bad at lesbian sex because, you know…you deserve better."

Holly's eyes softened, and her heart throbbed with nothing but pure, unadulterated affection for this wonderful woman. She slid a hand over to Gail's, intertwining her fingers. "Baby, you won't be bad," Holly promised. "There's no way you could be." Holly reached over with her free hand, brushing her favorite cowlick from Gail's forehead. "With how hot things have been between us, it's going to be nothing but spectacular."

Gail smirked, remembering the backseat of Holly's car. "You do have a point there," she conceded.

"So, just to clarify," Holly reiterated with a smile. "You're saying you would like to have sex."

"Duh." Gail's expression turned incredulous. "Even if I was completely petrified, have you seen yourself, Hol? You're a sexy piece of nerdy, lab coat-wearing ass, and we've already established I dig your awesome rack. Besides, I'd be crazy to not want to have sex with you."

Holly laughed. "Oh, baby, not my fault you underestimated my lesbian powers," she chided with a smile. Holly nodded once in concession. "Okay then." She leaned in, brushing her lips against Gail's. "It'll happen when it happens."

"Maybe I can take you out on a date?" Gail offered. "You know, candlelit dinner, romantic ambiance, food way too expensive for the portions?"

Holly barked out a laugh. "Gail, that's not us. You despise fancy food and you say candles are for people who look terrible in regular lighting."

"True," Gail conceded. "But shouldn't it be," she shrugged helplessly, "I don't know, more romantic?"

Holly cocked an eyebrow. "When exactly have things gone the way they were supposed to with us?"

Gail considered that for a long moment. She nodded shortly, a small smirk playing on her lips. "Good point," she answered.

Holly leaned in again for another kiss. "Don't sweat it, Peck," she reaffirmed. "It'll happen when it happens."

xxx-xxx-xxx

As it turned out, Holly was right.

Of course she was.

As a police officer, one aspect that was she could always count on was the unpredictability of the human condition. No one shift was the same as the previous one, and the sad truth to it all was that 15 Division seemed to attract the most peculiar of criminals. In this particular shift, Gail found the type of criminal she and Andy had to deal with primarily fell under the categories of dumb, stupid, and horribly inept. It resulted in a very long, very arduous day that made Gail want nothing more than to cuddle up in bed with pillows and a nerdy scientist. Shouldering her way through the door, Gail shuffled into Holly's townhouse and dropped her bag in the little nook by the door. She toed off her boots, kicking them haphazardly beside her bag. She knew Holly would probably gripe about her rather lax manners, but she really couldn't bring herself to care.

Gail trumped up the stairs, called up to the second floor. "Lunchbox!"

Holly's voice floated from the depths of the upper level. "In the bedroom."

Gail sighed, following the echoes to the bedroom. All of her muscles protested as she made her way down the hallway, grumbling half to herself, half to Holly. All she wanted was a hug. Maybe a few kisses. Preferably with tongue.

Ugh.

She was getting soft.

Another rumbling sigh preceded Gail's voice. "You will not believe the day I just had. I swear criminals are getting dumber and dumber…" Whatever was supposed to come next evaporated as Gail laid eyes on Holly. Her brain could only process the gorgeous sight before her.

Holly sat crosslegged in the middle of the bed, papers strewn around her, tapping out something on her computer. But it was what she was wearing that caught Gail's attention. A long, light blue dress shirt was draped over Holly's torso. The sleeves were rolled to her elbows and the lapels were held together by a mere two buttons in the center of her stomach. Gail's eyes trailed down the dips and hills of Holly's chiseled abdomen, peeking through the gap left from the undone placket. The button-down was the only thing adorning Holly's body besides a tiny pair of plum, lace panties.

It was effortlessly sexy; Holly was effortlessly sexy, almost unconsciously so, and Gail couldn't help but let her face relax into a smile as she leaned against the doorway.

Because that same effortlessly sexy woman drew the pen out from where she had tucked the writing implement behind her ear. Her eyes scanning the words on her laptop, she absently scrawled a couple of lines on the yellow legal pad resting beside her knee. One more glance at her screen, and Holly diverted the pen between her teeth. Gail watched as the pathologist's long, elegant fingers danced across her keyboard, her eyes flicking from her notes to the laptop and back to her notes again. Distractedly, her hand drifted up to her ear, expecting to find her pen there, only to be met with the strands of her hair. Gail stifled a snort of laughter as a puzzled sound erupted from deep in Holly's throat. Her head swiveled from left to right, her body craning to locate her absent pen, her brows drawn together in abject confusion and her mouth turned down in face an adorably bewildered frown. She paused when her mouth encountered an impediment to completing her frown, and she brought her fingers up to her lips, the tips bumping into the pen. She extracted the ballpoint from between her teeth, shooting a disgruntled look at the pen before replacing it behind her ear.

This time, Gail didn't muffle her laugh. The brunette head bobbed up at the sound, and Holly's face morphed into a sheepish, embarrassed expression as she realized Gail was standing there. The blonde smirked, sidling into the room. "Yeah, Lunchbox," she drawled, shedding her jacket and tossing it on the chair by the window. "I totally saw that."

Holly grinned as Gail crawled onto the bed, greeting her with a kiss. The blonde scooted down and tipped over to deposit her head on the brunette's thigh with a discontented grunt.

"How was your day?" Holly asked, maneuvering around Gail's head to keep working on her article.

Again, Gail grunted her displeasure. "Exhausting," she responded. "Stupid criminals stupidly breaking the law."

"Anything exciting?"

"A couple of 10-41's," Gail mumbled, rubbing her eyes and stretching slightly. "Both types."

Holly's eyes narrowed as she peered down at Gail. "This is payback for my science babble over dinner last night, isn't it?"

"I'm just saying," Gail retorted lightly. "You've got your multi-syllabic, dead language-based tongue twisters, I've got combinations of 10-Code that will make your head spin." Gail chuckled at the possibility, turning her face into Holly's thigh. "Break-ins," she clarified. "One was a residential property, the other was commercial property."

Holly hummed her comprehension, commenting appropriately. "Sounds pretty routine."

"The first one was," Gail agreed. "The second one sucked. Andy and I rolled up just as the perps were coming out. We caught them redhanded."

"That couldn't have ended well," Holly lamented.

"Nope," Gail affirmed. "It could have been way worse. They just dropped the merchandise and took off. They made me run, Holly," she whined. "Stupid local losers."

"Aw, poor baby," Holly teased, running a hand through Gail's hair. She leaned down to bestow a kiss on the small amount of skin peeking out through the fringe of Gail's hair. "Did you catch them?"

"Yep, eventually," Gail answered. "Andy had to scale a couple of fences and run a couple blocks, but yeah. We got them in the end."

Holly frowned, glancing "And you didn't follow her?"

"Of course not." Gail scoffed as though the very thought was ludicrous – which, frankly, it was. "I hopped in the cruiser and cut them off as they turned the corner out of an alleyway." Gail smirked in satisfaction as the memory of two bodies running one after the other into the door she swung open to impede further escape filtered through her memory. The thuds that followed were quite impressive considering how scrawny their two perps were. Gail chuckled to herself. "I've found doors are potent deterrents to forward movement."

"That sounds like an overused trope from a bad buddy-cop show," Holly remarked with a laugh.

Gail snorted, adopting a superior expression. "I'll have you know, that is a tactical maneuver to conserve as much energy as possible in order to last through a grueling shift," she returned. "McNally may be dumb enough waste the energy, but I prefer to use my superior intellect to outsmart and outwit them." She leveled a significant look up to the pathologist. "Besides, vertical movement is totally where I draw the line. That's all McNally."

Holly laughed, patting Gail's hip teasingly. "Ah, yes, my grumpy, lazy kitten…"

"It's not laziness," she countered. "It's finding a less strenuous alternative." At Holly's slowly lofting eyebrow, Gail rolled her eyes, conceding rather spectacularly. "Alright, so it could be laziness too."

"As long as you're honest with yourself," Holly reassured her, leaning down to press a kiss of consolation to the blonde's lips.

Gail let out a hum of contentment, squinting over to Holly's laptop. "So whatcha workin' on?" She read from the screen, stumbling over the words. "'Atropine Eyedrops: An Unusual Homicidal Weapon'. Great title," she snarked.

"Working title," Holly corrected with an admonishing poke to the blonde's side.

"So what's your paper about?"

"It's a case study," Holly corrected. "Basically, it's describing how the victim's tox screen helped determined that the amount of atropine in his system was the cause of his death."

Gail hummed her comprehension, her attention elsewhere; it was all over her head anyway. She shuffled around, rotating so she was curved towards Holly. She reached a finger out, tickling the brunette's exposed abdomen. "I like this look on you," she remarked. "It's like studious nerd leisure or something."

Holly hummed, propping her elbow on a knee, resting her head on her fist as she appraised her girlfriend. "You just like it because I'm not wearing a bra or pants."

Gail smirked, hooking a finger through the lapels and pulling the shirt away from Holly's body and sneaking a peek at her boobs. "I mean, yeah." Gail's smirk grew cheeky. "Makes the view from down here so much better."

Holly hummed. "Call me crazy, but I think you might like me, Officer Peck."

"Duh, you're hot, even if you're kinda weird, Lunchbox." Gail sat up, that wide, goofy smile stretching across her features. "I'd totally do you." She leaned in, her lips catching a corner of Holly's mouth in a whisper of a kiss. It was a shameless tease, but one that certainly did its job.

Holly inhaled sharply through her nose as her eyes fluttered shut. She parted her lips, her tongue tangling with Gail's as it ventured out to meet hers. Her hands drifted up, cradling Gail's face between her palms as their kiss deepened. Gail reared forward, urging Holly to recline back, her arms extending to push the notes and papers from the bed to allow them more room.

Feeling Gail reaching for her meticulously arranged research, Holly laughed, catching the pale hand before it could succeed in its mission. She broke their kiss, pushing Gail off her. The whine emanating from the blonde was equal parts comical and adorable.

"Wait a second," Holly entreated, sliding out from under Gail. Gathering all of her research materials and stacking them neatly into a pile, she moved to her dresser and placed them on top of the dark wood surface. Returning to the bed, she closed the lid of her laptop and unplugged it from the outlet beside her bed. Holly could hear Gail mumbling beneath her breath as she returned to the dresser, placing her computer beside the stack of papers.

Impatient, Gail rose from the bed, sneaking up to Holly from behind. Sliding her arms around the unsuspecting pathologist, she trailed one hand up Holly's abdomen, curving comfortably around a breast and squeezing gently. The other skimmed downward, a finger slipping beneath the waistband of Holly's panties. Her breath was hot on Holly's ear as she leaned in.

"Seriously, you are such a nerd, Lunchbox," she accused softly, fingertips tracing the outline of Holly's breast.

Holly sucked in a breath, her head falling back to the blonde's shoulder. "Gail…" she rebuked gently. Her teeth dug into her lip as Gail continued to tease her. "I'll have you know, I have those notes…oh…in a specific order."

Holly could feel the smirk curling Gail's lips as they started at the nook where neck met shoulder. She snaked a hand back, cradling Gail's head, fingers running through white-blonde strands.

"Nerd," Gail repeated, mumbling against Holly's lips as the pathologist lost her faux battle of annoyance, leaning in to deepen their kiss. Gail responded with a teasing nip.

Stealthily, she leaned back and plucked Holly's glasses from her nose, folding them carefully and placing them beside Holly's laptop. Holly turned in the loose embrace, hands curved against Gail's hips as she backed Holly into the dresser. It was difficult to indulge in their intended kiss, the giggles between them impeding a full connection, but as soon as their mirth died down, Gail pinned Holly to the dresser, their bodies flush against one another.

One breath passed between them.

Then two.

Gail leaned in, her lips teasing, a mere whisper of a kiss. Her tongue licked Holly's top lip then the bottom one before engaging the luscious pair fully. Holly moaned deep in her throat, hands cradling Gail's head, fingers raking through the white blonde hair. Gail pressed her harder into the dresser, making the drawers rattle with the force of their embrace.

There was a shift in the atmosphere as Holly matched Gail's passion, becoming more serious, more intense. They were hovering over a precipice, leaning over the edge and waiting for one to fall so the other could follow. All that hinged on who would take the first step.

Whether or not she was actually conscious of the significance, Gail was the one who took them over, breaking their kiss and leaned back, shedding her shirt and throwing it to some arbitrary direction before leaning right back in to attach their lips again. She groaned her delight when Holly pulled away, letting her tongue wander across the porcelain column of Gail's neck while olive-toned fingers tripped and stumbled their way from Gail's waist to nimbly popped the bra open.

A mischievous glint to her chocolate brown eyes, Holly ducked her head down, palming one breast as her teeth scraped around the nipple of its twin. Gail grunted her approval, her back bowing to allow Holly more access, her hips grinding against the thigh Holly had conveniently situated between her legs. The sensations skipped and tumbled through her body, unlike anything she had ever felt before, and she voiced her approval, her whimpering grunt softening to a hissed moan. Holly chuckled low in her throat, delighting in the uninhibited sound.

Her hands drifted down to Gail's waist, slipping the button of her jeans from its hole and dragging the zipper down its track. Their lips still attached, Holly walked them back to the bed, sending Gail tumbling back with a gentle shove.

Gail fell ass-first onto the mattress with a muted thump, unable to stop the grin from blooming on her face as Holly immediately grabbed the waistband of her jeans and yanked them from her legs. Gail rose up on her elbows, as Holly tossed away the discarded denim pants, taking a step back to survey her handiwork. Smirking to herself, Holly turned her attention to a more pressing issue: getting herself undressed.

Gail watched with unadulterated fascination as a tan finger wound its way down the revealed breadth of Holly's chest, dipping into the cleavage on its way to the first fastened button. Nimble fingers slid the first then the second button free, leaving the lapels of the dress shirt fluttering to the side. A chocolate brown eye closed in a cheeky wink as Holly shrugged out of the garment, letting the fabric flutter to the ground.

Holly was an exquisite specimen of the female form, and Gail's eyes shamelessly took in every inch of the woman before her. She wasn't a stranger to striking females; Gail could shamelessly admit she worked with some highly attractive people, but Holly…

Holly's body was flawlessness personified.

Gail couldn't pinpoint exactly what about Holly's figure drove her to such wild distraction. Holly wasn't slender or lean the way someone like Traci or Andi was. Rather, she held a more athletic build that showcased a physical strength belying her nerdy reputation. Sturdy was the best way to describe Holly. The pathologist took care of her body, and it was very obvious in the toned lines of muscle currently being absorbed by Gail's eyes.

Lazily, Gail's ravenous stare feasted on the vision laid bare to her. She started at the top of Holly's head, tracing the long ebony strands of wavy hair as they fell gracefully over Holly's shoulders and down her back. She paused at the warm chocolate eyes, meeting them steadily in the rare instance where they were unfiltered by rectangular lenses. Aside from the more…obvious assets…Holly's eyes were her favorite body part. Gail loved how they could soften with mirth. She loved how they narrowed intently when raking over a dead body. She even loved how Holly's eyes could pull even the most veiled of half-truths from the deepest, darkest recesses of her subconscious with an intent stare and a slight tilt of the head. And when those eyes lowered seductively, causing long, feathery eyelashes to rest prettily over her cheekbones, they set Gail on fire.

Like they were currently doing right now.

It was unfair.

Gail took her time, mapping over the slope of a nose, the full, luscious lips, down a smooth column that was Holly's neck and throat. Her gaze descended, taking in the graceful incline of broad shoulders, tumbling over the dips of a collarbone, pausing at the pendant around Holly's neck before her eyes halted at Holly's breasts.

She had surmised very early on that she was a boob girl, but nothing had prepared her for the perfection of Holly's. Voluptuous and full, they were begging for the attention she was in no position to give.

The moment Holly was within reach though?

Fair game.

Gail continued her lazy perusal, eyes skimming down the toned abdomen, pausing at the navel ring before settling at the apex of Holly's thighs. Idly, the girl in her appreciated the plum, satin panties trimmed with black lace. They were cute and matched a bra she had seen Holly wear two days ago. More importantly, they hid Holly's sex. And curiosity washed over Gail with the potent force of a punch to the face.

She wanted to know Holly that intimately. Wanted to be privy to the eternal question: wax or shave…?

She knew her internal musings were slightly irreverent, but at the moment desire overruled sense, and as her eyes attempted to lazily scan down long, long legs, Gail could feel the pull of Holly's underwear bring her stare back.

Holly smirked, enjoying the blatant examination. "Are you done looking?" she teased.

"Only if I can touch now," Gail countered.

At the challenge, Holly stalked forward. She braced one knee on the mattress, crawling forward to hover over Gail. Her body dipped down, slithering forward into a sensual roll until she settled between Gail's parted thighs.

Holly ducked her head down, her tongue flicking against Gail's lips as the cop reared up, desperate for the connection that would bring about the pleasure she was so urgently seeking.

"Hmmmm," Holly's smug hum resonated in the minute space between them. Gail's eyes flew open to find Holly staring down at her, a smirk playing at the corners of her mouth. Gail felt sneaky, nimble fingers playing at the waistband of her panties, drawing the plain cotton – a very pretty shade of black, thank you very much – down her legs. "Pupil dilation, increased heart rate, presumed vaginal transudation…further research might be needed to confirm."

Holly's tone had taken on the even, clinical timbre she utilized when conducting an autopsy tinged with a teasing lilt. "Preliminary observations indicate the subject is in a state of debilitating arousal." Holly dipped her head, hot breath rumbling through Gail's ear. "Fascinating."

Gail groaned, half in exasperation, half in bewildered arousal. The word, so undeniably nerdy, had never sounded so seductive when released from Holly's lips in that purr.

Nor should it ever.

But cheese puffs and donuts, it did.

"That's not fair," Gail accused, her indignation erasing the nervousness that she was now quite bare to Holly's gaze. "You're not supposed to 'science' sex, and it's definitely not supposed to sound as hot as it totally did just then."

Holly chuckled, nipping at Gail's jaw. "Baby, you do know that sex is all about science, right?"

"Thermodynamics." Holly began, her hand skimming over Gail's torso where her pale skin had taken on a deep flush over her chest, "heat and temperature and their relation to energy and work." She gathered her momentum and thrust forward, sending their bodies rocking in a sensual rhythm. "Kinetic energy, the energy an object possesses due to its motion." Holly's expression grew mischievous as Gail's breathing grew rougher with each teasing touch. "And, of course," her hand drifted down to rub at Gail's clit, moving conversely to Gail's thrusting hips. "Friction."

"You can call it whatever the fuck you want as long as you don't stop," Gail breathed out, her long exhale ending in a trilling groan.

Holly smirked at her triumph. It wasn't often she saw tough, strong, sassy Gail Peck reduced to a whimpering mess. Her fingers slid down further, the tips gliding through the arousal coating Gail's sex but not entering.

"Shit." Gail's head slammed back into her pillow. It was like she had touched a live wire; every nerve had suddenly jumped to life, sending her body buzzing at the sensation.

Holly's fingers hesitated as her eyes took in the sight beneath her. "Huh."

The pause nearly sent Gail howling her insanity. "What the fuck now?!"

Heedless to Gail's plight, Holly smirked. "I know what your real hair color is."

"Seriously, Holly?" Gail was a hair's breadth away from bursting into tears due to her utter frustration. "Can we have this conversation when I'm not about to combust?"

"Oh, honey." That purr was going to be the death of her, Gail decided. "You're not even close, I promise." Holly continued her perusal, moaning low in her throat when the extent of Gail's excitement greeted her touch. "Baby, you're so wet for me."

"Holly," her name was gritted out through clenched teeth. "Stop. Teasing."

"Tell me, Gail," she entreated, the timbre of her voice prompting a hissed from the woman at her mercy. "Tell me what you want me to do."

"Fuck." Gail's hips canted forward urgently, hoping the movement would grant her some sort of contact, some sort of relief, but Holly kept her fingers out of range.

"That's the idea," Holly quipped before nibbling enticingly at Gail's neck. Tell me," she repeated. "Tell me, and I'll get you there."

"Dammit." Gail's head slammed back against the mattress, her chest heaving with the exertion of her body's fruitless search for satisfaction. It was a challenge, and the stubborn, resolute side of her personality refused to submit. But with each tantalizing hint of a touch that barely tickled through her folds, she felt her resolve weaken.

"Fuck!" Gail growled her curse to the heavens. "Inside," she hissed. "I want you inside of me."

Holly's kiss was less of a triumphant boast and more of a calming reassurance as she obliged. The moment Holly's fingers entered her, so gently yet so assertively at the same time, Gail veritably felt the world stop, and much to her everlasting chagrin, a deep, throaty moan erupted from her throat.

It had never felt like this. Not with any of her previous partners. Whatever sensations she had experienced with her past lovers had never amounted to what was currently encompassing her, entrancing her so completely. Holly's touch delved into depths formerly unknown. Whatever semblance of pleasure she thought she had felt during her past experiences with sex was nothing compared to this volcanic heat that roared through her body. Every touch, every kiss, even every whisper of erotic intent was magnified to an indescribable level.

Then Holly's fingers began to move, and Gail tumbled into a haze filled with nothing but the pinnacle of pleasure. Her mouth opened and closed, her lips mumbling nonsensically, a cacophony of grunts and whimpers, interspersed with the random murmur of Holly's name and a rather creative string of curse words.

Their bodies rocked together, quickly finding the erotic rhythm aimed towards delivering paramount pleasure. Sweat-slicked skin moved against one another, olive-toned and alabaster limbs curled around one another in a striking entanglement.

Holly braced a hand on the mattress, her fingers buried deep within Gail propelled by her steadily thrusting hips. She looked down at the woman beneath her, mesmerized at the vision greeting her eyes. Gail's stare was firmly fixated on her, eyelids fluttering intermittently as a particularly potent shockwave pulsed through her body. Idly, Holly mused that she certainly wouldn't mind seeing this vision for the rest of her life.

Gail in the throes of pleasure was such a thrilling revelation. She was completely lost to the sensations, her sounds little breathy exhales that grew deeper and huskier the closer she approached orgasm. They only spurred Holly further, driving her to keep those same noises echoing in the air between them as Gail surrendered to her satisfaction.

Just as she had before, Holly knew the moment Gail hovered at the edge of her climax. Gail's hips grew uncoordinated, chasing her culmination rather than keeping their rhythm. Holly quickened her movements, eager to send Gail over the edge; her hips rocked more urgently, more intently, thrusting her fingers deeper. Gail voiced her approval, her little groans reaching a higher register. Gail clutched Holly's back, fingers digging into the olive skin as her body stiffened, using the pathologist as an anchor. Her climax shattered through her barriers, dousing Gail in a myriad of pleasure, radiating outward from the core of her belly to the tips of her fingers. Holly could only absorb the impact, smiling her satisfaction as she guided Gail through her climax. The sound emanating from the blonde was easily the single sexiest thing that had ever greeted Holly's ears.

Gail released the pathologist, letting her arms flop akimbo. Wide, unseeing eyes drifted to the ceiling. She gasped for air, desperately trying to return to some sort of equilibrium. Holly moved to Gail's side, gently extracting her fingers. She propped her head on her hand, watching Gail calm. Her hand slid over Gail's stomach, rubbing gently as the blonde's breath evened out.

Gail didn't speak for a long moment, letting oxygen return to her lungs, but when she did, it was a simple statement. "That was insane." Her head lolled to the side. "Is that how nerds get down?"

Holly laughed. The question was so very Gail that Holly knew the panic was completely absent from the blonde. "It's how this nerd gets down," she affirmed. "Don't have a big enough sample size to make a definitive conclusion, though."

Gail ignored the obvious bait dangled before her, content to let her mouth bloom into a lazy smile instead. "Solid."

Holly leaned in, lips brushing Gail's gently. She smiled as Gail dove in for another kiss when she pulled away. "You were amazing."

"That goes without saying," Gail quipped, her bolster and bravado not fooling Holly in the slightest. Before the pathologist could gather herself, Gail had surged up to throw Holly onto her back. An alabaster leg slid over an olive-toned abdomen as Gail shifted to straddle the pathologist. "So," Gail hedged. "About this reciprocation thing…"

Holly cocked an eyebrow in challenge. "Yeah?"

Gail nodded definitively. "Yeah." She loomed over her amazing, gorgeous, utterly irresistible girlfriend. Her brow was furrowed as she perused the expanse of skin ripe for conquering. Holly had to be aching for her own release, and Gail was eager to comply. She contemplated her options as she gathered herself, bracing her resolve for that first venture into unknown territory.

Her eyes dropped down to the plum satin and black lace still veiling Holly's most intimate parts from her gaze. She couldn't help but notice the darkened damp spot indicating Holly's own unsatisfied arousal.

Okay…

Seeing that was kind of hot.

Curiosity won out, and she dipped her head to Holly's skin. She started in familiar territory, pursing her lips to catch the edge of Holly's breast. She circled the nipple, tugging at the tip. Holly hissed out her approval, shifting anxiously as the ache generated from bringing Gail to climax intensified. Gail shifted, paying her respects to Holly's other breast, placing reverent kisses along their swells before snaking herself down the solid body.

She lowered herself to her elbows propped on either side of Holly's body. Holly bit her lip, her fingers sifting encouragingly through Gail's hair. One leg shifting, sliding tantalizingly up Gail's side, the other curving around Gail's hip, drawing the blonde as close as possible in a vice-like embrace. Naked skin snug against naked skin with just enough room to maneuver, Gail dipped her head down and let her tongue venture out. The tip traced the dips of Holly's abdomen, skipping over the individual muscles and taking a leisurely lap around a perfectly round belly button, pausing to flick at the charm dangling from the piercing decorating the indentation. She smirked, catching the charm in her teeth and pulling gently as her hands teasingly rolled rigid, swollen nipples through dexterous fingers.

Gail paused in her worship of Holly's body when she reached the apex of Holly's thighs. Tentatively, she reached a hand out, tracing the waistband of Holly's panties. Gail maneuvered herself to a kneeling position. Her hands curved around Holly's thighs, sweeping up and down the sides. Her thumbs smoothed out the dips in Holly's pelvic muscles, playing with the lace at the border of the plum satin. Taking a deep breath, Gail hooked her fingers into the hem and slid them down the long, lean legs.

Holly's sex greeted her inquisitive gaze. She was no stranger to a woman's most intimate parts, very familiar with her own, but seeing Holly's was a different experience all together. Holly's thighs parted again to embrace Gail's body, and Gail's eyes drifted down to the intimate area now bared to her ravenous gaze. Unconsciously, her hand drifted out, fingertips grazing smooth, olive-toned skin. She stroked over the small, soft triangle of hair meeting over Holly's clit. Curious fingers spiraled south, sweeping through lips glimmering with arousal.

A thrill pulsed through her; it was a potent and breathtaking realization that she was the source of that arousal, and it fortified her desire to reciprocate, to give Holly the same pleasure as she was given. It was an overwhelming feeling, spurring her to action, and taking a deep breath, Gail leaned in. Her tongue ventured out and took an experimental swipe between Holly's folds.

As the long, stuttering moan greeted her ears, perking them up at the sound, Gail paused.

She wanted to hear that again.

Gail repeated the motion, letting her tongue glide through the copious wetness. There was nothing uncomfortable reciprocating with such an intimate approach, not when Holly was voicing her appreciation in such an erotic, attractive manner. Gail wrapped her lips around Holly's clit, sucking gently. Holly moaned again, and Gail repeated the action, this time letting the tip of her tongue bat at the sensitive bud.

"Fuck."

The gasping curse made Gail pause, her eyes snapping up to Holly, and the sight that greeted her made her groan. The vibrations pulled another cry from Holly's throat as she slammed a hand against the headboard, bracing herself as her hips thrust forward, frenetic for more contact with Gail's mouth. Her other hand cupped her breast, pulling anxiously at a nipple.

Seeing Holly driven so wild with desire gave Gail a thrill of immeasurable pride. Normally, Holly was poised, unflappable, and levelheaded. Gail had seen her in court, staring down the opposing counsel unflinchingly as he peppered her with questions in an attempt to completely dismantle her findings. This Holly was almost incoherent, devolved to her baser instincts.

"Oh…Gail…yes…"

Every inch of that solid, sexy body was straining, inching towards release. Holly's body moved with more desperation, tensed and overwrought, chasing the pleasure that was just out of reach. A particularly guttural groan followed a sharp spasm that nearly bucked Gail skyward, and Holly rasped out a breathless curse.

"Shit, I'm almost there."

Holly's hips started to rotate, first in slow, taut circles that grew larger and sloppier as her orgasm built and intensified. Her eyes shut tight, the heat blooming, spiraling outward, and rising to the surface. Everything about Gail felt amazing, the rhythm of her tongue, the soft but assertive strokes, the wandering hands that seemed to touch her everywhere. Her shoulders flexed, her hands scrabbling to find any sort of anchor as the pleasure began to drive her to absolute euphoria. Blindly, she felt Gail's hand slip into her own, clenching tight as her climax crested, letting the beginnings of her orgasm rush over every inch of her body. Her back bowed from the bed, her free hand gripping Gail's hair as her head started to spin, the roar sounding in her ears. A sharp cry signaled the beginning of the culmination, her whimpers deepening and dropping in timbre, growing louder and louder. Her chest heaved, gulping for oxygen.

Gail could feel the moment Holly hit her point.

The brunette chanted her name in a delirious mantra, ending in a trilling wail.

And it was mesmerizing.

Holly's hips canted upward, holding as she vocalized her climax, expelling a warbling, prolonged moan that nearly made Gail come a second time. Gail could feel Holly's skin buzzing, the trembles spanning from head to toe.

Holly collapsed down, her body still thrumming with the aftershocks of pleasure, and she flopped spread eagle, panting for breath. Gail kissed her way back up Holly's body. She slid to the side, propping her head on her palm to watch the pathologist come back to herself. A self-satisfied smile bloomed on Gail's face as she saw Holly's chest heaving. The pathologist fought to catch her breath, her eyes hazy from the thorough assault to her senses, and it gave the Gail a quite the satisfaction. With a man, sex always had a sense of completion after orgasm but with Holly…

…With Holly, everything was different.

Better.

More intense.

She wanted to make Holly come again. She wanted to hear those sounds in her ears; she wanted her eyes to feast on that body that moved so unconsciously seductively as Holly sought her pleasure.

A touch to her cheek caught her attention, and Gail turned her gaze to warm brown eyes. Holly craned her neck upward, her lips finding Gail's in a deep kiss.

"Hi," Holly greeted when they parted.

"Hi," Gail returned. She slid an arm around Holly's stomach as the pathologist turned to face her, a brilliant smile stretching across her features.

"That was incredible," Holly purred.

Gail's voice was shy as she ventured her response. "Yeah?"

"Oh yeah."

Gail absorbed that for a moment. Cool, blue eyes swept over Holly's body. Holly was relaxed, reclined into the mattress, her face reflecting a glow of complete and utter satisfaction. Their lovemaking had been fierce and passionate, but seeing Holly sprawled out against the sheets, in a state of such fulfillment, gloriously naked gave her a surge of energy.

Once again, Holly found herself on her back as Gail rolled herself on top.

"I wanna go again," Gail asserted, the shyness gone from her voice. She paused, tilting her head in consideration. "How does that work?"

"Oh, babe," Holly let out a breathless laugh. "That's the beauty of being with a woman. We don't have to wait."

Gail blushed at the prospect. She let her eyes rake over Holly's body, wondering how she could possibly convey her thanks that this amazing, wonderful, sexy woman had stumbled into her life. She opened her mouth to speak, only to close it again.

Holly gazed up at her, the glimmer in those gorgeous brown orbs expectantly waiting. Holly bit her lip seductively, rising up to a sitting position. Gail took in their new spot, now perched in Holly's lap. She draped her arms around Holly's neck, shivering when Holly's fingertips trailed down her spine. Lips met, resuming the erotic dance, and Gail could feel Holly smile.

Holly's fingers danced across her breasts, curving up her neck to cradle her face. A gentle thumb caressed the corner of her lips, and Holly smiled as Gail teasingly nipped at the tip. Holly's warm, brown gaze had darkened with desire, and Gail debated where to start this time.

She wanted to tell Holly how amazing it all was, how the pathologist had made her feel…

Everything.

But no words seemed to come to mind that was accurate enough to convey the depths of her feelings.

Inwardly, Gail shrugged, leaning in to kiss Holly again.

Fuck it.

People always said actions spoke louder than words.

xxx-xxx-xxx

They lay together in the aftermath, skin glistening with the fruits of their exertion and radiating with the glow of ultimate satisfaction. The sheets were draped haphazardly over them, tucked and twisted in an artfully careless manner to provide warmth.

Gail propped her head on her hand, gaze intent as she traced delicate fingertips over the hills and valleys of Holly's body. She started at the slope of Holly's shoulder, skating down the upper arm, tickling the ribs before coming to rest at Holly's hip.

Holly didn't move, merely allowed the intent perusal as the thoughts whirled in Gail's mind. She could see the blonde working through something and was content in letting Gail piece together and settle whatever was going on in that brain of hers.

Holly looked into the cobalt gaze before her. Gail's eyes were soft, twinkling with an indiscernible emotion that seemed to waver between a myriad of different spectrums.

Gail blinked once as the warmth spread through her body when Holly smiled. The brunette was radiating contentment, content on just lying there and basking in their shared gratification.

She was feeling something.

Realization hit her with blunt, unrelenting force.

She loved Holly.

Gail's mouth opened.

Then closed.

The words spiraled in her mind; simple words, really. They lingered at the tip of her tongue, idling at the barrier of her lips.

Holly's mouth curved into that lopsided half smile that had captivated Gail since the first time it came out in the wake of a classic Peck insult. She leaned in, stealing the words from Gail's lips in the guise of a kiss that communicated everything better than a fumbling, stuttered confession ever would.

"I know," Holly murmured softly. "I love you too, Gail. You don't have to say it."

Gail relaxed. She could say it; she knew she could. But she didn't have to. Holly knew. Everything that led up to this point had indicated the sentiment was true and real. She conveyed that affection in every way beyond what could very well be hollow words.

Holly's hand reached up, brushing Gail's hair from her forehead with a gentle hand. They met once again, lips caressing, molding against one another. Gail could feel Holly's smirk before she saw it, and she readied herself for an epic eyeroll as she practically sensed the quip about to burst forth.

Sure enough, Holly didn't wait. "I don't blame you, you know. Dov told me how 'sexy librarian' is totally your thing."

Gail groaned, her head falling forward to plunk onto Holly's collarbone. She could feel Holly's shoulders shake in a laugh as the brunette folded her in an embrace.

"Don't worry," Holly assured her, choking the words out through her giggles. "I find it sexy you're totally susceptible to my nerdy wiles."

Gail whined her protest, shutting Holly up the only effective way she knew, and any further giggles were muffled by Gail's lips.

In the greater scheme of things, it made sense.

Holly was always the talker between them, anyway.

Gail doesn't communicate well. That's no secret. She's said it herself; at times, she behaves in a manner not unlike a petulant, adolescent child. She can be impetuous, she can be a brat.

But, like a child, she can also love so unconditionally and without pretense.

And, like a child, when Gail doesn't know how to communicate something, she will devolve to creative methods to effectively convey exactly what she wants you to know.

It won't be through words. Gail uses words to bite, to hurt, to push away.

It will be through her actions and in what she does.

She may not verbalize her emotions, but she will let you know.

And Gail, for all that she lacks in the communication department, is startlingly demonstrative when it comes to showing her love.

That is where she is the most stunning.

She loves intensely, completely, and without reservation, and she isn't afraid to show it.

It's in the way she kisses, so intently and so thoroughly.

It's in the way she embraces, holding tight as though letting go is physically painful.

And it's in the way she makes love, worshipping your body with the attention and care.

Gail may not be the most effective communicator. But if one is lucky enough to be a recipient of her affection?

How she feels will never be in doubt.

Alright, folks! Hope you guys liked it. Again, I apologize for the delay. It's been a weird couple of weeks for me and CJ. For some awkward reason, we have just been two ships passing in the night and haven't been able to really sit down and go through the chapter.

Anyway, I hope this was worth the wait! Thanks to everyone who has shown this story love. We always appreciate the feedback. As usual, feel free to tell us what you think on our various mediums. It's nice to I'm sorry I haven't been able to get to the responses the way I normally have, but I will be finishing the ones from last chapter and this one. Next chapter is kind of up in the air, but it might be a Peck siblings venture. We'll see…

Thanks as usual to Vanessa and Nikki who help us with the technical aspects!

Until next time,

*ISP