You Were A Dream I Once Had

Chapter 4

1 Year 6 & A Half Months Later

It hadn't taken long for Oliver's murder to be solved and the man that had done it to be arrested. Gail had to identify him, she couldn't remember much about the event that took her friend, and it was as if her spectacular memory had decided to block that terrible event out. But as soon as she saw him she knew, in her gut she knew, that was the man that took her friend, that was the man that took someone's dad and someone's husband.

The funeral was held at the same place Jerry's was, it brought all the crushing recollections back. She regretted not attending Jerry's funeral, she regretted not being there for Traci when she needed her, but she couldn't have gone when the cuts and bruises of what Perick had done to her were just starting to clot and become purple.

Gail stood with Traci and Andy in full dress uniform, she thought she would be used to this by now, but the itchy material was irritating her. She tried not to cry, thinking about Oliver and how he would mock her if she did, but the more she thought about him the harder it became to hold it all inside.

The service was as nice as it could be for a funeral, Oliver would have laughed at some of the things that were said about him.

After the funeral came the worst part of the whole day, Oliver's last call. Gail hated them, she had heard only a few before, but she remembered her first one. She was only five, and it was her grandfather's. Her mom had held her through the entire ordeal, telling her that her grandfather would have wanted her to be there, to say goodbye to him.

She walked down the corridor with Andy, heading towards Oliver's old office. Sam was going to make the call and Gail was glad for that. Sam and Oliver were friends, what was the point of someone that didn't know him doing it?

"Gail." Gail froze. She knew that voice, she dreamt of that voice, but how was it possible for that voice to be here?

She turned around slowly, and there she was. The most beautiful woman that she had ever had the pleasure of meeting, that made her heart flutter, made her palms sweat.

Andy saw the look on Gail's face.

"I'll meet you in there okay? You have like..." She checked the watch on her wrist. "Ten minutes okay."

Gail wanted to reply but found herself just staring.

"I thought I would catch you before you went in. I was at the funeral, but I didn't want to speak to you then, you seemed miles away. Are you okay?"

Holly was there standing in front of her, Gail blinked. Holly was there, in person, doing that caring thing that Gail had always loved about the other woman.

"Yeah." That was all Gail could say.

Holly took a few steps closer to Gail.

"Are you sure?"

"Hols, what are you doing here?"

"I knew Oliver too, he was a loving man and he didn't deserve what happened to him. He loved you, Gail, he believed in you. That's why I'm here, because he meant so much to you, even though you would never admit it."

Holly was rambling and Gail so badly wanted to stop her the way that she always had done, even though it was so tempting, it wasn't the time or place to do so.

Gail didn't know what to say, Holly was standing in front of her after a year and a half, still looking as angelic as she always did.

"Umm, I have to go and sit through Oliver's last call, do you..." Gail cleared her throat. "Do you want to get something to eat after; I'm not on duty today so I could meet you straight after this. It won't take long."