Disclaimer: I do not own Rookie Blue or any of the characters….

So this fic belongs to the Breaking Through universe. I decided to do a Valentine's Day fic, even though I'm fairly cynical about the day. It's only late December in Breaking Through so we're just jumping ahead in this one-off chapter. And you can read it without having read Breaking Through.

Thanks to snarcasm318 for suggesting Holly's father's surname. In Breaking Through Stewart is Holly's mother's surname.

Hope you enjoy. Apologies for typos etc. As always, I so love to hear what you think.

Enjoy!

…

'So what are have you got planned for Holly for Valentine's Day?' Chloe asked.

She and Gail were on their way back from chasing a fruitless lead for Traci. Gail was already feeling irritated about the time they'd wasted. A witness had suddenly changed her story. Gail and Chloe suspected she'd been leaned on. Either that or paid off.

'Nothing,' Gail said.

'Nothing,' Chloe exclaimed, her eyes wide with disbelief. Her mouth agape.

'Careful Price, the wind might change,' Gail snarked. Chloe snapped her mouth shut.

'Nothing?' she repeated.

'Nothing. Holly isn't the sort of person to celebrate Valentine's Day. It's just a commercial con. Anyway, she knows how I feel about her.'

'And how is that?'

'Nu-uh. You're not getting me to go there, Price,' Gail said, flicking the indicator on, and peering at the road intently as if it demanded her absolute focus. Which was bullshit, and Chloe knew it. Gail had aced the driving course at the Academy and was one of the best drivers on the force. In fact, Gail knew the streets so well, if it weren't for other cars, she could practically drive around Toronto blindfolded.

'Go where, Gail? You love Holly. Holly loves you. It's as plain as day. You should celebrate it.'

Gail scowled and gripped the steering wheel tighter. 'I guess you and Dov will be doing something really mushy and gross.'

'We're going out to dinner,' Chloe grinned, 'it's a surprise but Dov said to dress fancy.'

'And?'

'And what?'

'What's special about that? You can go out to dinner any night of the week.'

'Oh Gail,' Chloe blew out a breath in frustration, 'you don't really mean that. Valentine's Day is tomorrow. You should do something. Most places will be booked out by now.'

'Commercialized crap,' Gail said as she pulled into the lot at 15, 'you're not going to convince me otherwise.'

'Well, I just hope Holly is understanding. I mean, I guess she always is with your shortcomings.'

'Ouch that hurt Price,' Gail said sarcastically and rolled her eyes, 'that was a low blow.'

'Well, don't come to me all upset on the fifteenth of February,' Chloe said as she opened the car door to get out.

'Like that is ever going to happen.' Gail rolled her eyes again for good measure but Chloe didn't notice because she was already stomping off towards the station. 'Princess not everyone can live a Disney fairy tale like you,' Gail called after her.

By the time Gail reached the detective's pen, Chloe's head was bowed over her computer and she was tapping away furiously at the keys. She didn't look up when Gail entered.

'What you do to get Price so upset, Peck? Kick a puppy?' Frankie asked. She had come in just behind Gail with a cardboard box under her arm. It looked like it came from a dress shop.

'Worse it seems. I'm not celebrating Valentine's Day.'

'Yeah. Why?'

'It's commercialized crap, you know that Frankie,' Gail shrugged.

'Yeah, so is Christmas and you celebrated that.'

'You're not doing Valentine's Day, are you?' Gail screwed up her face in disgust.

'Absolutely. And what's the perfect gift to get your girlfriend on Valentine's Day,' Frankie held out the box and Gail saw it came from a lingerie shop.

'You bought Alannah lingerie. One word. Oversharing,' Gail held up her hands in mock horror

'Technically that might be two words,' Chloe piped up.

'When did you become such a prude Peck,' Frankie said, 'anyway the lingerie is just one part of the gift. The real gift is me wearing the lace teddy.' Frankie patted the box and smiled, 'as I said, perfect Valentine's gift. What more could a girl want.'

'Oh god, that is an image I will never be able to unsee,' Gail whined, overlooking the fact that she herself had once upon a time enjoyed seeing Frankie in various states of undress.

'Do you have some childhood trauma around Valentine's Day?' Chloe asked, desperately fishing for an explanation for Gail's lack of enthusiasm.

'She's just a cynic,' Frankie said, 'I pity poor Holly.'

'Wait,' Gail suddenly looked worried, 'you don't think Holly expects me to do something do you?'

'I guess you'll find out tomorrow,' Frankie teased.

'Yeah, well she could organize something if it's so important. I don't have to be the one to come with a plan,' Gail grumbled.

'As if she would,' Chloe said, 'when you're being all Detective Grumpy about it.'

'That is not how Holly and I work.'

'Uh huh. So did you ask her about Valentine's Day?'

'I may have said something about it being crap and she said I suppose so.'

'Uh huh. She supposed so,' Chloe exchanged a look with Frankie, 'uh huh.'

'Uh huh. Uh huh. What do you even mean?' Gail exploded.

'She supposed. Holly didn't exactly agree with you,' Frankie explained.

'Oh,' Gail said, 'oh.'

…

'It's actually a Pagan festival,' Celery said, 'it was appropriated by Christians.'

Gail was sitting in a booth at the Penny with Celery, Oliver and Chris. Holly was working late on Traci's case. Another gangbanger had turned up dead at a quarter to five. 'They really need to murder during business hours,' Gail joked when Holly called her. Holly had laughed. 'Well, he was shot at 4pm so technically business hours.' If Holly was that precise about time of death, it meant there must be an eyewitness. 'Oh quite a few,' Holly confirmed, 'but strangely none seem able to give Traci a description of the perp.'

When Oliver had suggested a drink at the Penny, Gail thought why not. Holly wouldn't be home for hours. It was Chris who had brought up Valentine's Day, complaining he couldn't spend it with his girlfriend because he had to work.

'You never did anything for Valentine's Day when we were together,' Gail said, her tone unintentionally accusatory. Valentine's Day was a crock but it didn't mean everyone had to conspire to exclude her from it. At least she could have been given the option of sneering about it.

Chris, who was seated next to Gail, shifted away from her as if expecting he might be punched in the arm at any moment. 'Um, I didn't think it was your sort of thing,' he said, giving a very good impression of walking on eggshells.

'Whatever,' Gail twisted her mouth petulantly. 'I wouldn't have wanted to celebrate Valentine's Day with you anyway.'

'Yeah, but Holly's a different story, right,' Chris said, believing he was being helpful only to become even more nervous when Gail's expression morphed into a full-blown scowl.

'Come on my man,' Oliver said to Chris, 'the dart board beckons.'

After they left, Gail turned back to Celery. 'Appropriated. How?' she said abruptly.

'Valentine's Day was originally a Roman fertility festival called Lupercalia, which was actually celebrated on 15th February. In the late 5th century, some Pope replaced it with Valentine's Day and changed the date to the 14th.'

'So when did it get the romantic association.'

'Somewhere along the line,' Celery said, 'there is a story Saint Valentine was a priest who was put to death by the Emperor Claudius. The Emperor believed single men made better soldiers so forbade them from getting married. Apparently Valentine kept secretly performing marriages for them.'

Gail took a swig of her beer. 'Hmm,' she said, 'do you and Oliver celebrate it?'

'You know with Oliver it feels like every day is Valentine's Day,' Celery smiled.

'Yeah that's exactly what Holly said to me,' Gail exclaimed excitedly, 'I mean about me, not Oliver.' She colored slightly. Relationship talks were really not her thing.

'But you know, we still do something nice on the day if Oliver's not working. Dinner out, even dancing one year,' Celery continued.

'Oh,' Gail said, a little deflated. It seemed even witches celebrated Valentine's Day. 'But you're marking Lupercalia, right? Not Valentine's Day.'

Celery shook her head. 'Ah, no. A Roman fertility festival doesn't mean anything to me,' she said, sounding puzzled by Gail's question.

'So what you're saying is I should do something for Holly on Valentine's Day.'

'No, I can't tell you that. You need to do what feels right. What Holly would want.'

'The thing is, I don't know,' Gail said miserably, 'I thought I did but now I'm not so sure.'

'It doesn't have to be grand. It could be something low-key. Take her lunch tomorrow,' Celery suggested.

'I do that all the time,' Gail said, 'it's not really special.'

'Dinner out? Take out?'

'We do that quite a bit too,' Gail said.

'Dancing?'

'Mmm. Not on a weeknight when Holly has a big case.'

'Well, is there a gift you know she'd like?'

Gail thought for a moment, an idea starting to formulate.

'You know what, Celery, you've been a great help. Thanks. But I need to go.'

…

On her way out of the Penny, Gail bumped into Andy. Now she was a romance tragic if ever there was one.

'Hey so McNally, what are you doing on Valentine's Day.'

'Oh, I've have a huge surprise for Sam,' Andy grinned happily.

'Yeah?'

'Look,' Andy pulled something out of her bag and thrust it under Gail's nose.

'A pee stick?' Gail couldn't keep the incredulity out of her voice.

'Take a proper look Gail. Two lines.'

'Oh, you're pregnant.'

Andy nodded enthusiastically. 'But you need to keep it a secret. You're the only person who knows besides Traci.'

Some secret, Gail thought as she regarded Andy who was now positively bursting with excitement. Come to think of it, she did have a kind of glow about her. Hopefully the baby would take after her and not Sam. Milo's baby was already looking alarmingly like him. Those droopy eyes and that long face and that pugnacious set of his jaw. 'Congratulations. I'd hug you but¬-'

'It's not the way you communicate,' Andy finished for Gail and then hugged her anyway.

Gail pulled back, her chin sort of turtling into neck, her expression pained. 'How long have you known?'

'Since last night.'

'You don't think Sam would want to know straight away? I mean I would if it was me. And I don't think I'd appreciate random people finding out before me.'

'You and Traci aren't random. You're my friends.' Andy assured her, 'Sam's taking me to dinner tomorrow. I'll tell him then. Believe me this is much more romantic.'

'Really?' Gail said, entirely unconvinced.

Well, that conversation was completely unhelpful, Gail mused as she got into her car. She wasn't going to be able to produce a baby for Holly overnight. Anyway if she were pregnant no way she'd keep it from Holly for two days. Andy really was quite stupid sometimes. She made a note to buy the baby something. Maybe a bear. She'd probably have to be nice to the baby if it had any chance of becoming a reasonable human being with those idiot parents.

….

'So what is the consensus about Valentine's Day in the Stewart Flower household?' Gail asked Becca and Kurt. She'd run into them in the organic grocer, where she'd stopped on the way home. It always amused Gail to call them the Stewart Flowers.

Holly had been quite reticent about her father's surname and when she finally and reluctantly revealed it was Flower, Gail had struggled to keep a straight face. 'So you could have been Holly Flower?' she said. 'Yes Gail,' Holly gave a long-suffering sigh, 'I know it's hilarious. My father is Professor Flower.' Clearly not the first time Holly had been teased about this, Gail surmised. 'So is that the real reason you were given your mother's surname?' she'd asked. Holly shook her head. 'It might have been part of it, but my mother was a strong feminist, and then when they decided to call me Holly it was, thankfully, a no brainer.'

'The Stewart Flower position on Valentine's Day,' Kurt now said, pretending to give the question due consideration, 'faint derision I think.'

'Yeah, I figured as much,' Gail said, 'that Holly's view too?'

'Oh Holly,' Becca said, exchanging a covert look with Kurt which to Gail had concern written all over it.

'Okay, what are you not telling me?'

'I thought we were being subtle, ' Becca sighed, 'sometimes I forget you know all about interrogation.'

'Well, I promise not to put the thumb screws on,' Gail deadpanned. If the nickname Stewart Flower provided Gail with a measure of amusement, for Becca and Kurt her occupation was the subject of much good-natured teasing. Since Gail found it quite easy to send-up both herself and the police force, these days she usually got in a dig before Becca and Kurt. The two of them laughed now, but then Becca turned serious.

'It was when she was six,' Becca said, 'Holly made a beautiful Valentine's Day card, with drawings of all kinds of insects on the border and a big red heart in the middle and she gave it to a girl called Mary Steedman, who it transpired she had a major crush on.'

'Uh huh,' Gail said, reminding herself not to be jealous of a six year old. Was there an embarrassing ending to this story, because Gail was hearing it for the first time. Holly certainly hadn't shared it.

'Mary Steedman showed the card to the whole class and they all ridiculed Holly. Called her a freak for crushing on a girl,' Kurt added.

'Jesus, even at six?' Gail said, 'is it wrong that I want to hunt this Mary Steedman down.'

'Perhaps for an officer of the law,' Kurt said dryly, 'don't worry, we had plenty of murderous thoughts. Eventually Holly had to move schools because the teasing got so out of hand.'

'Man, that's,' Gail shook her head, imagining six year old Holly arriving at school full of joy and anticipation, and eagerly handing over the card to this Mary Steedman, having no clue it would be anything but warmly received.

It made Gail's heart break for the vulnerable six-year old Holly who had no idea some people might think two girls falling in love was wrong, because of course Holly had tolerant parents who never held her back, never forced her to be anything other than her very best self. Gail wished she could travel back in time to Holly's classroom and do something. Maybe tell Holly to give her the card instead. Except Gail was one at the time. It actually would have been weird if Holly had crushed on a baby.

'It was awful,' Becca said putting an emphasis on the word was, 'but you know Holly. It hurt her deeply at the time but it didn't scar her for life.'

'She's lucky she'd had you two as parents,' Gail said, 'so no Valentines for Holly.'

'Actually as far as I know she's celebrated the odd Valentine's Day with various girlfriends.'

'Oh,' Gail said, tempted to ask for details of these Valentine Day dates. If she was going to do something for Holly tomorrow night it had to be better than any dates that may have come before.

'I'm sure Holly will love whatever you have planned, Gail,' Becca said kindly.

…

Holly didn't say anything about Valentine's Day when she arrived home late that night or before she left for work the following morning.

'Hey, I'll make dinner tonight,' Gail said as Holly was heading off.

'You are the best girlfriend,' Holly smiled, head on one side making Gail literally melt, 'I'll try not to be late.'

Best girlfriend. Gail felt a warm glow suffuse her as she savored Holly's words. Who needed stupid Valentine's Day anyway?

When Gail got to the station, Andy was in the detective's pen swapping Valentine's Day stories with Chloe and Frankie.

'Sam brought me breakfast in bed,' Andy gushed, 'it was huge. Bacon and eggs, and fruit and pastries, and freshly squeezed orange juice.'

'Maybe he guessed you were eating for,' Gail stopped as Andy glared at her. Oops, she'd forgotten that was a secret. 'That you like eating,' she finished lamely.

'What about you, Frankie?' Chloe asked.

'Well, I may have given Alannah a preview of her present,' Frankie waggled her eyebrows.

'Eww and eww,' Gail said, 'I'm getting coffee.'

'So Holly doesn't mind that you're boycotting Valentine's Day?' Chloe asked, 'or haven't you told her.'

'Holly is the coolest chick I know,' Gail said, 'she does not get hung up on things like this.'

…

When Holly got home, the most delicious aroma assailed her. She followed it to the kitchen, where she found Gail in a striped blue apron preparing green beans with slivered almonds and garlic, one of Holly's favorite side dishes.

'Is that your famous Moroccan lamb and lentil stew I can smell?' Holly asked.

Gail smiled bashfully and nodded. Holly came up and looped her arms around Gail's neck, leaning in to kiss her.

'Wow, you know how to spoil a girl,' she said, 'and this apron. That's new. I've never seen you cook with an apron before.'

'Do you like it?' Gail asked.

'Weirdly, it's kind of sexy on you,' Holly admitted.

'Only to a nerd,' Gail laughed, 'or do you like the idea of me as the good little homemaker.'

'Only if you wear the apron,' Holly joked, kissing Gail again but this time for a little longer, 'actually maybe just the apron and nothing else.'

'Okay that is weird and you smell like your lab,' Gail said pulling back, 'you need to go upstairs, have a shower and then dinner will be ready.'

'What did I do to deserve you?' Holly smiled, 'how did you know about today?'

'What do you mean? Everyone was talking about it.'

'Yeah? I suppose gossip does spread fast. God knows how it happened. Dr Carral has ordered a full review of procedure. Anyway, it's been an exhausting day.'

'Wait, what?' Gail asked, confused.

'Wasn't that what you were talking about. The gangbanger from yesterday? There was a mix-up and his body was mistakenly released to his family.'

'Oh, Gail said, and then 'ohh' as the significance of what Holly was saying dawned on her, 'were you involved?'

'No. Purely an admin screw-up. Luckily I stayed back late last night to complete the autopsy, but we're screwed if they ask for a second autopsy.'

By the time, Holly came back downstairs, Gail had set the table with a starched white tablecloth and candles. She had a bottle of very expensive red wine breathing, had set the stew and various other dishes out, and dimmed the lights.

'Oh,' Holly said when she saw what Gail had done, 'this dinner isn't because I've had a rough day is it?'

Gail shook her head and bit her lip. 'It can be,' she offered hesitantly.

'Oh shit, it's Valentine's isn't it. I heard Natasha telling Rodney what she and Anna Robinson had planned. It just didn't occur to me that you'd want to do something,' Holly trailed off.

'I didn't. I mean I do. I mean I don't but I'm doing it for you. This is coming out wrong. Frankie and Chloe convinced me you wanted me to organize something for Valentine's Day but you weren't saying so.'

'Uh huh, since when did they become the experts on how I, actually how we work?' Holly arched an eyebrow, 'Gail we tell each other stuff. If it was important to me to celebrate Valentine's Day I would have told you.'

'They are idiots,' Gail said vehemently.

'That said, this is amazing. I can't believe you did all of this for me?' Holly said. She looked down at the sweat pants she had put on after her shower, 'I'm just going to pop back upstairs and change.'

'No,' Gail came to stand in front of Holly and took her hand, 'you're beautiful as you are. You are always beautiful. Even in that ridiculous green coat you were wearing when I met you in the woods.' Gail smiled and then cupped her hands around Holly's cheeks, bringing her face closer so she could kiss her softly, almost reverentially. 'Now, let's eat before it gets cold.'

Towards the end of dinner, Gail pulled an envelope out of her pocket. 'This is for you,' she said offhandedly as she passed the envelope to Holly. Gail felt bashful again, which was stupid because this was Holly, and she'd given her heart to Holly, and Holly treasured it and guarded it and held it close. Or so it seemed to Gail.

Holly looked at the envelope curiously and then opened it to find a handmade card. There was a big red heart in the middle and Gail had decorated the border with a bold pattern in purple and red. Holly gazed at it for a long moment, and Gail began to panic that she had done the wrong thing. What if the card brought up memories Holly would rather forget, had in fact forgotten until Gail blundered in and stirred them all up again. Then Holly looked up at Gail, her face still as if struck by wonder.

'You've been speaking to my parents.'

Gail nodded. 'I had to do the border as a pattern. I can't draw insects. Well, I can't really draw. I considered drawing body parts to go with your job but I figured that might be too macabre.'

'It's perfect, Gail. You are perfect,' Holly said, but then looked crestfallen. 'I don't have a present or anything for you.'

'It's okay Holly. You are my present. Getting to be with you, waking up with you every morning. Sometimes I feel like I need to pinch myself to check that this, that we are real. It's more than I ever expected and it's all I need.' Gail stopped and looked down. She wasn't in the habit of making these kinds of declarations. Before Holly, she'd never spoken so openly or honestly with anyone. It made Gail a little shy and vulnerable, even though she knew she had no need because Holly felt just as strongly about her.

'Oh Gail, that's so beautiful,' Holly breathed, and Gail could hear the love in her voice. 'And it's me who should be pinching myself. You don't know how lucky I feel to have you in my life,' Holly continued. There was the head tilt again and the smile, a somewhat mischievous smile this time. 'How about I clean up the dishes in the morning so we can go upstairs now because I can think of some presents I'd like to give you if you were very naked.'

Gail's eyes widened almost imperceptibly and then she nodded. 'Sounds like a plan,' she said.

…

Gail swaggered into work the next morning, an extra swing to her hips. Yep, true to her word, Holly had rewarded her with many gifts, she thought smiling to herself, and of course she'd made sure Holly didn't miss out. In fact the 'present' giving continued when they woke this morning, which was why she was now running late for her shift.

'Holly still speaking to you,' Frankie asked as Gail sat down at her desk.

'Yeah of course,' Gail screwed up her face.

'Hey Price, we have Scrooge at Christmas time, what's the name for someone who's anti-Valentine's Day?' Frankie said.

'A realist,' Gail supplied, smirking.

'Gail Peck is that a hickey on your neck,' Chloe shrieked, 'did you get lucky on Valentine's Day?'

'Wouldn't you like you like to know Princess,' Gail's smirk grew even wider.