Gail stopped in front of her locker and breathed. She closed her eyes as she exhaled, slow and steady trying to calm whatever it was she was feeling.

She rested her hand on the cool metal in front of her and somehow that helped, the coldness of it attaching itself to her and for the first time that morning she felt a little more like herself.

Gail pushed the rest of her breath out as she let the light back in; her lips slightly parted and she tried not to think about her friends that were still in hospital, or the gorgeous brunette she left in bed at 6am that morning. She thought if she didn't concentrate on any of it, then maybe she wouldn't have to deal with it, and then maybe for a few minutes she might find a bit of peace.

She had that feeling in her chest again and she didn't know what to do with it. It was exactly how she felt when she woke up and realised where she was, and ultimately the reason why she had run – because Gail Peck didn't know how to have those reactions. She didn't know how to function in the presence of someone who provoked such a strong response from her and so she felt like she had to leave.

So that was what she did; even when she knew she was making a huge mistake Gail had gently closed the door to Holly's apartment behind her and headed straight for the station to begin her day. She threw herself into her no shit taking, bold and brash officer Peck persona that she had crafted so meticulously during her 26 years and she hadn't let a single thing touch her.

Gail Peck knew how to deflect, it was an asset she perfected through being the daughter of her mother and Gail knew better than anyone how to focus on whatever was needed in order to get the job done. In this case that was not to dwell on Chloe and Sam laying in hospital in critical condition with gunshot wounds; not to think about Oliver's abduction that made her relive her own with snapshot imagery and which in turn lead her onto Jerry's death.

She knew how not to talk about it in therapy so she certainly knew how to avoid the thoughts during the day. She would leave that for her dreams.

Gail felt the coolness of her locker again as she leaned her forehead against it. Even though nothing particularly eventful had happened during her shift it was still difficult. It was difficult to just keep going, to patrol the streets and keep the serve and protect image alive but someone had to do it, and Andy needed to be at the hospital and Dov wasn't in a good place so Gail came through for them. She always would, even for Andy.

"Hey," came a cheery voice behind her.

Gail spun from her locker and her mind felt a little slow to catch up with her body. It made her dizzy for a moment. She had to squint to focus on Traci walk towards her. "Oh, hey," Gail replied.

"You okay?"

"Yeah." It was an automatic response that came out without thinking. Gail wasn't okay, but it wasn't like she was about to admit it.

Traci looked at her as if she was aware of it all. She of course knew the pain of loss and Gail always felt like she had absolutely no place to even try and feel any worse than Traci. If Traci was able to carry on then so should she, and she would. She was a Peck, after all.

"Are you?" Gail asked in continuation.

Traci shrugged. "Yeah you know.." she trailed off, not being about to find a suitable word and just shrugged by way of an answer. "You free to go over to the morgue? I want a rush on some evidence and I figure you're the best person to get some quick results over there."

"What?" Gail responded, not being able to stop how quickly it came out. Her brow furrowed as she looked at her friend.

Traci nodded, not noting the bite in Gail's tone even if she did pick up on it. But then bite wasn't unusual for Gail. "Holly," she stated matter-of-factly, "is she not at work today or something?"

Gail held Traci's gaze for a few moments trying to gauge what she was getting at, unsure really if Traci was actually getting at anything. She was over analyzing it but then to be fair, what was Gail trying to protect? It's not as if most of the unit hadn't seen her holding hands with Holly in the hospital waiting room last night.

Gail decided to drop any pretence, people's lives were in danger for God's sake. There were more important things going on than Gail's personal life and it's not as if she didn't know exactly where Holly was at that very moment. She sighed, her shoulders slumping forwards slightly. "Yeah, yeah she is," she answered quietly.

"Sooo, any chance of calling a favour in?" Traci stepped forward as she eyed Gail carefully. She knew something was wrong, she had been in the locker room for at least five minutes and Gail hadn't come out with a single sarcastic retort. It had to be some kind of record.

Gail uneasily grasped the back of her neck; she was feeling stressed again and she could definitely do with Holly rubbing her shoulders like she did last night, just before Gail fell asleep soothing away her aches and the pain. Holly's body all casually pressed up against her side like it magically fit there, the feeling of her warming Gail right the way through to her toes.

Gail's expression glazed over as she remembered the way Holly's breath lightly tickled her neck as she spooned Gail from behind. Holly's body pressing against her as her arm circled Gail's waist, her fingers relaxing gently over her stomach and Gail was pretty certain of, as she drifted off into the most peaceful sleep she had experienced in a long time the gentle dance of Holly's lips across her shoulder…

"Gail?"

"Huh?"

"The morgue?"

Gail stiffened and prayed she hadn't blushed from the memory. She shifted a little awkwardly where she stood. It was the perfect opportunity to go and see her. It would mean that she wasn't desperate or anything, not at all like she was absolutely aching to being within a foot of wherever Holly was at that very moment. It would be a work thing. Mandatory.

So why couldn't she make herself go?

"Oh I have social services."

Traci quirked a brow.

Gail nodded her head, as if trying to make herself believe it. "My report needs to submitted by six."

Traci didn't believe her for a second. "Right well, better get on it." She smiled, heading for the door. "Not like you to swerve some paperwork so you can spend time in forensics."

"It's called work Traci," Gail bit back, "remember that, before you made detective? Having to fetch your own reports and chase your own evidence?"

Traci laughed. "That's more like it, wondered what happened to the real Gail there for a second."

Gail smirked. "I'm never hiding for very long." She paused, the irony not lost on her so she quickly shook the thought out of her head. She joined Traci at the door and they headed into the corridor together.

"So, you want to tell me why you're really dodging the morgue?"

Gail rolled her eyes. "I'm not dodging the morgue."

"Yes you are."

Gail stopped dead and gestured a little too furiously out in front of her. "Will you let it go?"

She was getting frustrated. Gail didn't want this to be a big deal. It wasn't a big deal. It was just Holly, and that annoying longing sensation she felt in her chest whenever she thought about her. The overwhelming urge she had to call her, or text her and tell her how much she missed her and how much she really wanted to see her again tonight. Maybe even fall asleep wrapped up in each other again in Holly's big comfy bed. And maybe even some other stuff beforehand…

"Nope."

"Fine," Gail glared at her. "Buy me a drink later and maybe."

"I'll give you half an hour," Traci smiled tapping Gail on the arm as she backed away. "I'm meeting your brother."

"Uh. Perfect."

Gail sat twiddling her phone in her hands, the familiar sounds of the Penny drowning out behind her. She had been half expecting text messages in the double figures from Holly seeing as how she hadn't messaged her once all day. Or called her, either, for that matter.

You're an idiot.

She knew it was true. She was doing the exact opposite of what she wanted to do because of some defiant need not to be weak. To not give in, to not become a fool over her feelings or desires. To not get her heart broken, really. Not again, and she couldn't even remember feeling this way about Nick, not this soon after meeting. So if what she felt for Holly was stronger, then the amount of heartbreak after would be worse, right? So why the hell would she want to walk blindly into that?

She downed the last of her drink. It was sensible not to enter into it.

But you want to.

"Make it a double," she told the bartender, pushing her glass towards him. The phone vibrated in her hand and she opened the message immediately expecting it to be Traci who was now eight minutes late.

You may be a cop, but you're still blond. If you've fallen down any holes I want to know about it. I would be very okay with rescuing you, because I'm suave like that. Hx.

Just like that her restraint dissipated and Gail laughed, a proper throaty laugh as she thought about how much this girl was getting to her. Suave. Holly was a nerd and the two didn't really mix.

Gail absently ran her thumb down the side of her screen as she stared into it fondly. Holly had been there for her last night, had opened up her home and her bed and by all accounts her life, taking care of her when she really needed someone and Gail was treating her like crap. Holly deserved better, she absolutely deserved a whole world of better.

Gail re-read the message. Somehow Holly could find it within herself to be sarcastic and funny even when she had every reason to be completely pissed off with her. There was no doubt about it, Holly was amazing and there was no point in trying to deny it, Gail came over all fuzzy every time she thought about her. Her pulse raced that little bit harder when she saw her, and her crooked grin sent a shiver down Gail's spine. The interrogation room had sealed it, without question. The nervousness in Holly's demeanor and the worry on her face and then the softness of her lips pressed against her own. Gail wanted Holly's hands on her again more than she dared to admit but luckily, her three double Jack and Coke's were making it a whole lot easier to confess to what she really wanted.

It really made her heart ache.

"I know I'm late but you've got twenty minutes." Traci sat herself on the stool next to Gail's. "Steve's picking me up-" She caught herself when she noticed Gail's expression, somewhere stuck between panic and, confusion? She put her hand on Gail's shoulder. "Gail what is it?"

Gail dropped her phone to the bar and put her head in her hands. "She deserves better than me."

Okay, maybe not confusion. "What?" Traci asked, her tone soft as she tried to look into Gail's face. She was having none of it though and Gail dramatically dropped her arm to the bar and rested her forehead against it.

"This about Holly?" Traci knew that it was, she just needed to try and get Gail to open up. Easier said than done with a Peck, though.

Gail sat up abruptly, frowning for all she was worth. "I don't know what to do."

Traci sighed. Trust Gail to tell her absolutely nothing at all but at the same time expect her to understand what was going on. Luckily, and it didn't happen often, but when Gail wanted someone to see, all her emotions could easily be read cross her face. Traci smiled and gently squeezed Gail's shoulder. "You like her."

Gail took in a heavy breath and her frown seemed to triple. She had to look away from Traci for fear of spilling her soul right there and then. She couldn't do that, and that was the whole problem.

It was all Traci needed to know. "You need to go see her. Tell her and just…" Traci shook her head, "let yourself be happy."

"What if it all goes wrong?"

Traci grinned. "What if it doesn't?"

For the briefest of moments Gail's frown disappeared. She picked up her phone but then stopped, staring once more into the black screen. "But I could lose a really good friend."

"C'mon, has she ever just been a friend?"

"Yes!" Gail gave Traci an offended look. "She's just a friend now."

Traci scoffed. "I was at the hospital you know." Gail went to protest but Traci cut her off. "Are you afraid of what people will think?"

"No," Gail said very quickly. "I don't care what anyone thinks."

It took a moment before Traci could voice her next question. "Not even your mother?"

Gail smirked. "I could marry Prince Charming and she wouldn't approve." A sad silence passed between them until Gail needed to gloss over it. That was something else she didn't particularly want to think about. She picked up her drink that had sat untouched since Traci arrived and she downed half of it, the sharpness of the liquor burning the back of her throat. "No, I don't care about that."

"Then, Gail do yourself a favour and take a chance. This could be exactly what you need." She got off her stool. "I have to go now but promise me you'll call her."

Gail's frown was back as she polished off the rest of her drink and in one last ditch effort to be defiant she said nothing, and simply looked out across the bar.

Traci laughed, "You'll regret it," she said as she passed behind Gail, "and I thought you Peck's didn't back down to fear."

That one hurt and she turned just in time to see Traci head out the door. "I'm not afraid," she mumbled to herself, turning back again to look for the bartender. "Hey! Another double."

Holly was caught up in a dozen reports. All of them laid out across her coffee table as she sat cross legged in front of it. Her hand was lost in her hair as she leaned on her elbow, her glasses slightly forward on her nose, lost in thought on a new testing method she could become involved in. It was exciting, but try as she might she just couldn't focus. She dropped the file to the table and pushed her glasses to the top of her head.

She looked at her phone on the sofa next to her and it reminded her of Gail's call last night. She chuckled as the memory came back and she picked up the phone, holding it tight against her chin. Yesterday Holly went all day without a single message from Gail; she had woken up alone then spent the rest of the day worried that Gail had freaked out and done a runner. That was of course until Gail called her, drunk after a night at the Penny.

"Holly, I'm sorry."

Holly immediately knew she was drunk because Gail was never apologetic. Not without some kind of double meaning anyway. "Okay," she replied. "What for?"

"You know what for."

But even when drunk she was still annoying. Holly prayed for the day Gail was just openly honest. "Okay," Holly replied when it was apparent Gail wasn't going to elaborate.

"You see, I'm like a Trojan horse."

Everything that had built up inside of Holly since that morning spontaneously spilled out when she laughed out loud. She couldn't help it, all her pent up anguish just vented and she felt relieved. For a moment there she suspected she might have scared off the only person she had cared for in a very long time. "A Trojan horse?"

"Yeah." Holly could hear the gravel in Gail's tone. "Are you laughing at me?"

Holly tried to even out her voice. "No of course not. Is this like the cat and the tree?"

"No, it's different."

Holly could hear the strength of Gail's pout down the phone line. She smiled affectionately, this woman was so cute. Holly settled into the cushions of her sofa and curled her legs up underneath her. "Why are you like a Trojan horse, Gail?"

There was a pause before she began, as if she was unsure but then flung herself into an explanation like it made every inch of sense. "Because I'm strong willed and I have to win. Even when I don't. But I try, I always want to win so I try harder than anyone else and I won't give up until I know I can do it. That I can do anything. I'm stubborn, but I won't fail. I'll fight. I'm a fighter, a big strong fighter but l hurt people I care about, I'll trample feelings. But I don't want to. But I will because, I'm like a Trojan horse."

Holly frowned. Maybe Gail was trying for cryptic. "Are you also hollow on the inside?"

"Huh?"

"You know, with a dozen or so Greeks in your belly?"

Gail swallowed. "You, you think I'm hollow inside?" Her voice sounded upset, maybe even hurt and in all the time Holly had known her she'd never really known Gail to get upset. Not visibly anyhow, and never so obvious it could be heard down the phone.

Holly immediately tried to backtrack on hearing the panic in Gail's voice. "No, no, I really don't. I just thought you know, big impenetrable Trojan horse… ?"

The line went silent for a second. "I am impenetrable. I'm very, impenetrable. The most impenetrable Trojan there is."

Holly bit her lip. "And therefore you have to win."

"Yeah. Always. I always have to win."

"Gail, the Trojan's lost the war, you know that right?"

"Whatever." Gail breathed out heavily, seemingly leaving the Trojan horses to rest with the cats in the trees. "Holly?"

"Yes, Gail?"

"I like your arms."

Holly laughed again but tried to conceal it. "I like your arms too." She was too cute. "Gail, are you going to remember this conversation in the morning?"

"Maybe."

"Are you at home?"

"Yeah. You want to come over?" Her tone became more optimistic.

Holly smirked. "How about you come over here tomorrow? Talk more about this Trojan horse."

There was silence while Gail pretended to consider it. "Okay. Holly?"

"Yes?"

"I'm sorry I left you in bed."

The smile lit up Holly's face. "It's okay. But if you do it again you won't be invited back."

"I definitely want to be invited back."

Even though they were slurred the words made Holly's heart swell and although she wanted to hear more, she wanted to make sure Gail would remember what she was saying. "Well if you're very lucky maybe you will. Now go to bed, Gail."

Hearing from Gail was a huge relief, but clearly there was a lot on her mind that she needed to discuss. Holly also needed to remind Gail never to speak in metaphors again as she was shocking at it, but it just made Holly giggle to herself all the more. She couldn't wait to wind Gail up about it when she showed up. It was Sunday so Holly decided to work from home as there was no real reason to be at the lab on Sunday's, well when there was nothing pressing to attend to anyway. She knew Gail would be off shift at about 7.

Underneath it all though, Holly was concerned about how Gail was taking what had happened to her friends. She was worried about her as a friend first and foremost, a very good friend and that was before she even considered what all her other feelings were telling her.

They were driving her crazy, that's what they were doing.

Holly smiled, remembering the night before last curled up in bed around Gail. It was the most amazing night she'd had in a long time without there being any sex involved. It just felt right. Until she woke up alone with no sign that Gail had even been there, maybe she had pushed things too far, even though it was Gail who asked her to stay when they were standing toe to toe in her bedroom, that painstakingly cute look of vulnerability ghosting over her face as she dared to meet Holly's gaze.

Oh who was she kidding? Holly was in deep.

An abrupt knock on the door startled Holly and with slightly too quick a movement she was on her feet and at the door. If it was Gail she was early. It wasn't even 4pm. Holly leaned against the door. "Who's there?"

"It's me."

Holly opened the door and leaned against the jam, crossing her arms across her chest. She looked Gail up and down, she was still in her uniform. She looked a little nervous and apprehensive as she stood there like she was trying to look casual but was failing miserably at it. Regardless, she looked absolutely amazing just as she always did. Her hair pulled back and her eyes that stoic blue.

"Good afternoon, Officer," Holly grinned, her lips falling into that playful smirk like they did when she was trying to invoke a reaction.

Gail rolled her eyes and barged past her into the apartment. She hated feeling weak and this sort of helplessness she couldn't at all shake was doing her head in. Gail didn't like not having control and the rollercoaster of emotions she was on had to end. She had to do something about it.

Gail stopped in the middle of the room and Holly followed. "Come in," Holly continued.

It was the first time Gail took in what Holly was wearing. A pair of sweats that sat very low on her hips and a tight grey tee that barely covered her abs. Gail unabashedly raked her eyes up Holly's body making her swallow involuntarily. She suddenly felt hot.

Holly cleared her throat, loving the effect she seemed to have on this otherwise icy police officer when in actual fact it was Gail's uniform that was doing all kinds of things to her. Or more specifically the way that Gail wore it. She did that very, very well.

Gail tried not to blush but knew this was one Holly would have over her. The best of it was though, she didn't even care. She could have it. Holly's hair was loose around her shoulders and her glasses pushed high on her head. Gail loved her hair like that. She licked her lips and then shook her head, remembering quite quickly why she was there and not being able to afford to get distracted by thoughts of Holly's body. She would leave that for her dreams, too. Gail frowned and said the first thing that came into her head. "You're not dressed."

That wasn't what Holly was expecting. "You're three hours early."

Gail held Holly's gaze for just a moment too long and then threw her hands in the air. "I'm not this person."

There was a pause. "What?"

Gail sighed and looked to the ceiling. "This isn't me." And then she looked at the floor, anywhere but straight ahead.

Holly had no idea what was going on but for the umpteenth time in the last few weeks, she decided to give Gail a chance. She tried not to sound annoyed. "Then what is you, Gail?"

Her voice went small. "I'm mean, I'm angry, I'm difficult."

Holly nodded. "I know that."

Gail bit her words back and fidgeted where she stood. "I'm not good with words. I don't know what this, is. I don't know what's going to happen…"

The vulnerability was almost too much for Holly and she was over to her in an instant, reaching out for the side of Gail's face. "Hey…"

Gail immediately pulled out of the touch as soon as she felt it. She was panicking. "Don't." She swallowed heavily. "I'm not this person who.." she shook her head, praying for once she could find what she wanted to say. "..doesn't have control, who doesn't know what she's feeling. I don't know how to deal with it. I've never been here before."

Holly was taken aback; Gail was being honest. She thought maybe she should be careful what she wished for. She could see that Gail was really struggling, her chest was hitching erratically and her face displayed lines of worry. Holly needed to say something that would calm her down, perhaps rationalise Gail's thought process but she didn't want to crowd her. Of all the things Gail wasn't she certainly wasn't a good communicator, especially when it came to her own feelings so Holly took a few steps over to sit on one of the stools at her breakfast bar putting some distance between them. "And where is here, Gail?" Her heart felt like it was in her mouth.

"Here," Gail replied in a voice so tiny it barely came out. She gestured to the floor at her feet as if it was obvious. "Here, with you. It's different, with you, than with anyone else I've been with."

Holly's brow furrowed slightly. "Different how?"

Gail fidgeted some more. Her eyes stung and her chest felt deflated. She had never felt so anxious in her life; anxious to hold on to this, whatever it was without knowing how to. Anxious to not fuck it up like she had so many times before. Anxious to not let Holly down no matter what because the amount she cared about her was crazy but at the same time, this is exactly what she wanted to avoid.

She never wanted to have this conversation; she knew she would suck at it. She knew Holly would look at her all hurt and confused and like every word out of Gail's mouth was a blow to her gut. She didn't want to hurt Holly, that wasn't what she was trying to do. She was trying to explain how fragile she felt, so at a loss and drowning in the intensity of her own emotions but instead she was sounding like an idiot, and once again she had rejected the very woman she was falling for. Pushed her away so that now she was sitting across the room, slumped on a stool with her shoulders forwards, her beautiful face scrunched up in confusion. Or at least Gail thought it was confusion, but she didn't know. She even sucked at that. She had no idea what Holly was feeling and couldn't for the life of her gauge what was going on in that smart brain of hers.

She was probably upset though. So was Gail, but then that was totally all her own doing. Gail sighed heavily and rubbed her forehead with the side of her thumb. She cared about her, she wanted her, she didn't want to lose her. But how was she supposed to put all that into words? How did people even start to have these kinds of serious conversations? There was a voice in the back of her head telling her to run, to hit eject because this was all way too intense but she wasn't going to. Maybe she finally was growing up but as much as she was scared Gail Peck wanted this, more than she had wanted anything in a long time and there was one thing she kept coming back to.

You're falling for her. This weird and totally smart, beautiful girl from forensics.

You want her.

She didn't want to, she had tried not to but it was hopeless. Maybe she should just take Traci's advice and let herself be happy. Gail closed her eyes and put her hands on her hips, biting on her lower lip as she was encompassed by this overwhelming feeling of warmth as she let this revelation come to her.

She moved closer to Holly and rested her hands on Holly's thighs. She couldn't look at her though when she spoke, she wasn't that brave. "It's different because you make me feel things I haven't felt before." She chanced a glance up at Holly before she lowered her eyes once more. Holly was looking at her with compassion and Gail couldn't really deal with it.

"It's usually on my terms, things happen when I make them. I don't let anyone in, not really. I don't like people that close."

"You don't want me close?"

This time Gail met her eye. "You're already close, and that's what's scary. You've seen pieces of me I don't let anyone see," she paused, looking back down to her fingers that were grabbing the material of Holly's sweats, "and it terrifies me because I don't do vulnerable, or needy, or just," she shook her head, "thinking about you all day so I can't think about anything else." Gail's face took on its more familiar defiant resistance. "It's pathetic."

Holly went to say something but stopped, not quite sure how to react. She waited a moment and then couldn't stop the massive grin that followed. She wanted to laugh in that completely inappropriate way she sometimes found herself in when she was with Gail but managed not to. One thing was certain; if she and Gail did progress further life certainly wouldn't be boring. Gail had somehow placed her own 'Gail spin' on baring her soul and still ended up being amazingly cute come the end of it. She covered Gail's hands with her own, "It's not pathetic."

Gail was incredulous. "No?" She scoffed. "Then what would you call it?"

"Erm, normal, really. When you find someone you like so much."

Gail rolled her eyes and then immediately softened when she felt Holly's fingers link with hers. She looked at them, her stomach doing that flipping thing it usually did when they were this close. Gail licked her lips as her mouth suddenly felt dry. "It's hard for me, all this, but I just really, really don't want to fuck it up."

Holly promoted her hands to Gail's waist, or as much of Gail's waist as she could find through the thickness of her uniform jacket and pulled her closer so Gail was stood just inside her knees. Gail didn't resist but let her hands drop to her sides.

Holly's grin turned into a smirk. "You won't fuck it up."

"How do you know?"

"Because you're having this conversation even though you don't want to. You're bothered-"

"-I want you to know the kind of person I am."

"I know the kind of person you are, Gail." She thought she'd be brave, seeing as how Gail was being nothing but. "And I really, really, really like you."

Gail felt something move through her, a shudder maybe, or like there had been a tremor somewhere and the aftershock was staying with her. It was intense, whatever it was.

"You're not going to scare me off," Holly continued, "I know how to handle you, I hope." Holly shrugged. "You know, I'm scared too."

Gail's ears pricked up at that.

Holly tried to squeeze Gail's hips through the thickness of her jacket. "I wasn't expecting this, I wasn't expecting to find you." She traced Gail's hairline with her fingertips. "But I'm glad I did."

Gail's hands were back in Holly's lap, now absently playing with the hem of Holly's t-shirt. Gail still had frown lines, her eyes ghosting over Holly's scantily clad torso. "Aren't you cold?"

Holly licked her lips and smiled. Gail was so good at deflecting. She wondered if Gail's brain really did splinter off at such tangents or if she had to search specifically for such random things to say. Holly raised her eyebrows as she ran her one hand up the front of Gail's jacket and rested it on the fur of her collar. "Aren't you warm?"

Gail just sort of pouted; the comfort she found in this sort of loose embrace with Holly continually surprised her. It reminded her of waking up in Holly's arms the other morning and then she remembered her drunken phone call. She wondered if she would have to ask before Holly let her into her bed like that again.

"I never thanked you, for how you looked after to me the other night." Gail met Holly's eyes. "Thank you."

Holly really didn't need thanking but welcomed it all the same. This soft side of Gail was amazing and she knew she was lucky to get to see it. "It was my pleasure."

It made Gail think of something else and she stood firmer, gripping Holly's t-shirt a little harder. "You've been great with me. I know I'm not easy-"

Holly couldn't help but make a noise in the back of her throat. It was out before she could stop it. Understatement, much? "Sorry," she muttered.

Gail's eyes grew darker but she let it pass. Strangely, she didn't mind Holly mocking her. "..and I know you're being patient, even though you really want to take things further-"

"Oh I do?"

Gail stopped and scrunched up her brow. "Uh, yeh."

Holly couldn't stop her laugh, sometimes she envied Gail's ability to just come out with it like she was immune to any impending awkwardness. Or maybe she just didn't think that far ahead. Holly however, knew exactly how to respond. "Like I haven't seen you undress me with your eyes, Peck."

"Oh we've already done it."

Holly thought she was hearing things. Her eyes grew wider.

Gail was nodding. "In my head. Twice."

Holly laughed, deep in her gut. She leaned forward slightly making her hair follow suit and braced herself on Gail's forearms. Gail was happy she was able to lighten the mood, and she really loved making Holly laugh although why her last comment caused such a reaction she wasn't quite sure. She waited for Holly to have her moment and smiled brightly when Holly finally looked at her.

"And how did that work out for you?" Holly asked.

Gail thought about it. "You were great and I sucked."

Holly laughed again, her right hand coming up to rest on Gail's shoulder. This girl she thought, is absolutely amazing. She tried to curb it quicker this time and when she spoke her voice had a higher pitch, her stomach twitching a little as her mirth wore off. "Gail, I'm sure you won't suck." She wiped the corner of her eye with her thumb. "Besides, you strike me as a quick study."

Gail tilted her head. "I do pick things up pretty quickly." She pushed Holly's hair back behind her ears and let her fingers linger at the nape of Holly's neck. She moistened her lips involuntarily and traced the edge of Holly's t-shirt where it lay on her chest haphazardly. Holly was suddenly quiet, just the sound of her breaths as her chest rose and fell under Gail's hands. Gail dropped them back to Holly's waist and she clenched the material once more, pulling Holly closer to her.

Holly fell into the kiss, her neck craned upwards as her fingers bared down on Gail's shoulders, her one hand sliding around and up into Gail's hair. Holly massaged the back of Gail's neck, her lips moving rhythmically against Gail's as she tasted her, familiarity washing over them both. Gail parted her lips and she invited Holly inside, the electricity sparking between them as Holly's tongue flicked against hers.

Gail heard Holly moan, it was hypnotic. She stepped further into Holly so there was no space between them and her breaths became heavy, her lips more demanding as Holly's hands pulled a bit harder at her jacket. She felt Holly's thighs tighten on her hips and she felt an intense fluttering in her stomach that spread up into her chest, her desire heightening by the second.

Gail thought her heart might beat out of her chest she was so turned on. When their lips parted she could hear how out of breath Holly was and it was obvious she was experiencing the same high. Holly rested her forehead against Gail's and she tried to bring herself under control, she tingled all over and all she wanted was to take Gail to bed, to feel her body pressed against hers and to actually know what she tasted like.

"So," Holly exhaled, rubbing the palm of her hand slowly along Gail's collar. "Have you got to be somewhere, seeing as you're still in uniform?"

Gail's eyes had turned a very deep shade of blue. "I've got time," she whispered.

Holly pulled back a little and looked up at her, her eyes then falling to that ridiculously thick jacket.

Gail's lips fell into a satisfied smirk. "I know you've been thinking about stripping me out of this uniform."

Holly's throat went painfully dry and a shudder ran down her spine. "At least a hundred times," she husked.

Gail waited for Holly to look at her and then she pinned her with her eyes. "Show me."

Holly felt Gail's words thunder through her and the result settled between her legs. She couldn't remember the last time she was this turned on nor could she believe this moment was actually here; Gail stood in front of her telling her to undress her. Holly's hands started moving and they found the zipper of Gail's jacket, pulling it downwards until it came open, her hands then running back up to Gail's shoulders to rid her of the bulky item, it falling to the floor with a heavy thump.

Holly looked at Gail and a wicked glint featured in her expression. She took Gail's hand and lead her to the bedroom, set on making it a night Gail would never forget.

Okay, this is the first thing I've done in ages and certainly my first Rookie Blue fic. Feedback very welcome :) thanks.