"The world looks better through your eyes"

"Gail," Holly whispered as she ran tan hands up and down a porcelain back, "Gail, I have to get up."

Gail didn't open her eyes but she tightened the hold her arm had on Holly's waist, "what? Noooo," she grumbled as she tangled her leg even more with Holly's.

"I have to go to work," Holly chuckled.

"Work is lame," Gail mumbled as she nuzzled further into the crook of Holly's neck.

"Actually, it's my patients who are lame," Holly joked with a smile.

Gail finally opened her eyes, "gross," she deadpanned.

Holly gave Gail's butt a couple pats, "I have to get up."

"Fine," Gail groaned and closed her eyes but made no effort to move off of Holly.

"Gail," Holly said sternly.

"Yeah?" Gail asked, keeping her eyes closed.

"Do you want me to throw you onto the floor or were you just going to hang on tight while I went to the bathroom?"

"Oh right," Gail smiled and rolled off of Holly and onto her back. "Hey wait," Gail reached blindly for Holly and pulled her back down as she felt the bed shift. Gail placed a kiss on her lips before looping her arm's around Holly's neck. "You should, ah, probably throw something on before you run down the hall. Wouldn't want to make Dov faint or drool everywhere."

Holly smirked, "that's real thoughtful of you," and dropped a kiss onto Gail's lips before throwing on Gail's bathrobe and padding out of the room.

Gail blinked her eyes open and stared at her alarm clock, "Jesus Christ," she exclaimed to the empty room.

Holly pattered back into the room and Gail rolled over onto her back. "Holly?" Gail's voice was serious and inquisitive.

"Yesss?" Holly asked with a hint of mischief as she hopped into her underwear.

"It's barely six o'clock," Gail reported through closed eyes.

"Your point?" Holly asked through a laugh as she threw the bathrobe on the bed and put her bra on.

"My point is that you, and I, should be asleep, or at the very least still naked."

"You're still naked," Holly quipped as she threw her shirt over her head.

Gail started tracing patterns onto the sheet with her index finger, "are you...running away?" Gail looked up at Holly from the corner of her eye.

"What?!" Holly whipped her head around, "no. Why would you-"

"Well I don't know," Gail rolled her head and eyes back.

Holly stalked over to Gail's bed and hovered over the blonde on all fours. She ducked and weaved her head until she finally met with ice blue eyes with a smile, "you're insane. You know that right?" Holly dropped a kiss her lips before Gail could respond. "I just took like a week and half off. I need to play a little catch up before everyone comes in and needs a piece of me. And I have to go back to my place to change and get my stuff first."

"Hey, only I'm allowed to get a piece of you," Gail looped her arms around Holly's neck, pulling her down for another kiss. "I guess," Gail groaned dramatically, "since, thanks to you, I'm awake at this ungodly hour I'll drive you," she added a cheeky grin.

"Oh, you don't have to," Holly pushed herself off the bed and began to search for her jeans.

"Holly, how else are you going to get home? Summer dropped you off here," Gail said matter-of-factly.

"Well, I guess by 'you don't have to drive me' I meant that you could just give me your keys and get a ride to work with Dov," Holly grinned as she hopped into her jeans.

"Nice try 'Grand Theft Auto' but it's my day off and Dov's car smells. I'll drive you," Gail rubbed her eyes as she moved up to sitting and swung her legs over to the floor.

"Shit," Holly slammed her head back into the headrest and clamped her eyes shut.

"What?" Gail put the car in park as she pulled into a spot in the morgue's parking lot.

Holly opened her eyes but kept her head resting firmly, "my squirrelly intern's car is already here. I'm going to have a headache before my day is even supposed to start."

"It's barely seven thirty. Someone's a little overeager," Gail added some exasperation to her voice for Holly's sake.

"You have no idea," Holly unplugged her phone from the car charger and started double checking her bag to make sure she had everything she'd need for the day.

"Well, you can always call me. I'll come and slap the cuffs on you, put you under arrest, drag you out of here early," Gail wagged her eyebrows.

"Oh yeah?" Holly smirked, "how would that go?"

"Only one way to find out," Gail shifted her torso in the seat so she was leaning up against the door.

"I'll keep that in mind then," the smirk on Holly's face drooped as she glanced over to the morgue, "gosh, I feel like I haven't been to work in years." It was definitely the most consecutive time off she'd had since she entered her residency. Holly negotiated her way out of the car, "thanks for the lift, officer."

"Anything for a pretty girl like you," Gail winked as Holly rolled her eyes and shut the door.

"What?" Gail spat as she toed off her shoes at the door.

Dov dropped his fork back onto the plate and raised up his hands in defense, "nothing. Did you uh- want any french toast?" Dov pointed over to the stove.

"There's bacon too," Chloe tried to keep her smile in check.

"I ate," Gail responded flatly as she made her way over to the stove and shoved a piece of bacon into her mouth. Dov and Chloe motioned to each other vigorously with their eyes.

"What's with you?" Gail grabbed another slice of bacon.

"Oh, uh, just glad that you're, ya know," Dov made some vague motions with his hands, "safe, and uh-fed," he nodded, mostly trying to convince himself he'd been smooth.

Gail reached for a mug to pour herself a cup of coffee and Chloe decided while Gail's back was turned was the best time to make a move, "Holly have to go into work early this morning?"

"Not everyone can swing a couple months off in a row, Price," Gail shot back as she rummaged in the fridge for some milk.

Dov cut in, "we're going to the range with Chris before grabbing lunch at that Mexican place across the street, you should come."

Gail shrugged, "why would I pass up a chance to beat your asses?"

"I survived," Holly groaned triumphantly as she exited the side entrance of the morgue. Gail was perched against the front passenger side of her car taking a gulp of water.

"Yeah, but did 'Squirrelly'?" Gail nodded over to the intern's car Holly had pointed out that morning.

"Barely, but you better get me out of here before that changes," Holly gave Gail a quick poke to the ribs before grabbing at the handle on the passenger door.

Gail pushed herself up to standing, "Yes, ma'am."

"Hey," Holly called as Gail rounded the front of the car, "why are you in uniform? You said it was your day off." Holly followed Gail's movements with her eyes from inside of the car.

"I had to go into court this afternoon," Gail slid into her seat and looked over at Holly, a sly smirk playing on her face, "but I kept it on for you."

Holly felt a blush erupt on her cheeks and she swallowed hard as she reached around to put on her seatbelt.

A few moments had passed and Gail had yet to even start the car. "Gail?" Holly waved her hand in front of Gail's face and chuckled when the blonde blinked rapidly, "you were staring."

Gail squeaked out a "sorry," but didn't move.

Holly's tone turned more serious, "you okay?"

"What comes after 'I love you'?" Gail asked the question slowly and seemed to ponder it even as she said the words.

"What do you mean?" Holly smiled because Gail was just being introspective and curious as opposed to being upset.

"Like, I love you, I really do. I haven't said it as often as I should. I know. But it doesn't seem enough anyways, because I more than love you. Like, what do I say that's more than that?"

Holly forced herself not to laugh because this was the last thing she was expecting Gail to be ruminating about. "Were they playing 'More Than Words' in the bakery or something?"

"Stupid, it's stupid. Never mind," Gail rolled her eyes, turning back toward the steering wheel, and shoved the key in the ignition."

"Hey, wait," Holly placed her hand over the one Gail had wrapped around the key. She snuck her thumb under Gail's uniform cuff and stroked her wrist lightly until blue eyes peeked out again. "I didn't mean to make fun," Holly's smile was warm and reassuring. "You're right, you don't say it a lot with your words, but I know. You say it in other ways."

"What?" Gail sounded skeptical.

Holly's eyes floated up to help her recall, "like how you flew out to be with me even though we weren't really together," Holly smiled as she paused, "or when you take my glasses off when I fall asleep in front of the t.v., or when you made me eggs one morning even though they gross you out-"

Gail cut in with a whiney tone; "there were bits of shell in there."

Holly smiled and continued along, "or how sometimes you put my towel in the dryer while I'm showering when it's cold outside, or when we watch foreign films even though you hate them. Or how you stay in your itchy uniform because you know I think it's super hot."

"Oh," was all Gail could come up with. Her eyes were wide and her mouth was slightly agape.

Gail's response made Holly's smile go crooked and she leaned in to rest her forehead on Gail's and whispered "I more than love you too," before dropping the lightest but lingering kiss on her lips. "Can you at least turn the A/C on though? I'm burning up in this hot box," Holly smiled and started fanning herself with her shirt.

"The world looks better through your eyes"
- Ed Sheeran "Firefly"

A/N: First of all, I seriously cannot thank you all enough. This was my first fic and you all were so encouraging and constructive! So much love to you. The finest pearls is what you all are.

Secondly, I've decided to continue this story in another fic. I'm not done with it but the amount of chapters have kind of bogged me down and this also seems like a good place for a wee time jump (I haven't decide on this exactly but it will most likely be a few months, definitely less than six). While we're on the subject, if there's anything you do ordon't want to when we pick back up speak now! I love hearing what you guys think and I'll definitely take it into consideration. I've already got a little bit of that story written but it's definitely not the first chapter so it probably won't be up for a couple days at least, probably at the end of the weekend.

Thanks again guys! you're all superstars!

A/N 2: Just thought I'd throw it out on here that the sequel is called Forever Holding On, and you should be able to find it really easily by clicking on my author's profile :)