The Long Awaited Truth

[allibaz91]

Type of story: Long fic, I think

Rating: T

Main Characters: Peter and Clare, shockingly

Genre: Drama/Romance

Warnings: Some sexual content, but mild. If anything comes up as I write it I'll put a warning at the start of the chapter

Is Story being proof read: No

Summary: A different theory on how the Clete love story could have gone, if Clare had never been drafted into the Stalker investigation

Chapter One

Peter was sitting in his office on the phone to Superintendent Murphy.

“This is ridiculous,” he said firmly. “I do not need an assessment by a superior officer!”

“I disagree,” said the Superintendent. “Everyone has to go through it, Peter, it’s a routine evaluation of your work. And you shouldn’t be so nervous anyway – it’s not like you have anything to worry about, is it? Or is there something I ought to know about?

“Ha, ha,” Peter snapped, not in the mood for joking around. “Look, if I’ve really got nothing to worry about as you’re telling me, then why do I need this evaluation?”

“Because everyone does, that’s why!” Murphy was getting equally irritated now. “And I don’t want to hear another word about it, all right? The assigned examiner should be arriving there any time now, so I’ll let you get on with it. Speak to you soon.”

Before Peter could reply, the Superintendent hung up the phone, and Peter sighed heavily as he replaced his own receiver. Just what he needed, he thought to himself. As if he didn’t have enough going on right now …

Flashback to two days previously …

Peter was standing on the beach arguing with Dan, and Amanda was making her way over.

“For the last time, Dan, I never touched Leah!” Peter shouted. “I don’t know what she’s said, but it’s a load of bull, because I’m not in love with her!”

“Then why would she say that? She loves me – why would she try to ruin my relationship with you?” Dan shouted even louder. “And why should I trust you? She’s never lied to me, not about something this important – and we both know I can’t trust you!”

“Dan!” Amanda cried, reaching the pair of them. “Would you keep your voice down? If Peter says nothing happened, then you should believe him. He’s your brother!”

“I don’t have a brother,” Dan said coldly, and walked away from Peter angrily.

Peter sat down on the sand, looking out to sea miserably. This time he really hadn’t done anything wrong, and he was going to lose his brother again. Amanda sat beside him.

“Sorry,” she said, seeming sincere for once. “Really. I believe you – I know you wouldn’t do that to Dan, not after what happened last time. He’ll see it eventually.”

“Why would Leah say something like that?” Peter said aloud, speaking partly to himself.

“Isn’t it obvious?” Amanda asked him. He just looked at her, and she sighed. “She doesn’t want you around any more, Peter,” she told him. “She’s in love with you.”

“What?” Peter looked up at Amanda, stunned. She shrugged, trying not to smile.

“It’s obvious. I’ve seen how she looks at you. And she knows how hurt Dan would be if she were to do anything about it, because of what happened with you and me, so she’s trying to make sure you won’t be around to make her feel uncomfortable. She loves you.”

“You’re out of your mind.” Peter turned away, but Amanda just shook her head knowingly.

“I’m telling you, Pete. She is, she’s in love with you. And who can blame her?”

Peter turned around to look at Amanda, stunned. She leaned over to try and kiss him, but he jerked away, shocked, and jumped to his feet. She also stood up, concerned.

“What’s the matter?” she asked, reaching for him again. “Don’t you want this?”

“No, Amanda, I don’t!” he told her angrily. “I can’t believe I even listened to a word you said. You’re never going to change. And I never wanted you.” He turned and stormed away from her angrily, and she watched him leave, looking upset …

………

Peter leaned back in his desk chair, looking exhausted. He had been sat there for almost an hour since he hung up with the Superintendent, and had spent most of that time thinking about what had gone on with Amanda, Dan and Leah. He just couldn’t seem to get his head around it. Why would Leah make up something like that? What could she possibly hope to gain from it? Amanda was lying about Leah having feelings for him, he was sure of that much. She had only said that to try and get him to open up to her … hadn’t she? He didn’t even know what to believe any more. Dan wouldn’t listen to a word he said, and he’d been avoiding Leah and Amanda at all costs. And there was another thing – Amanda. Surely she didn’t mean what she had said? She couldn’t be in love with him. That was even less likely than Leah loving him, he thought to himself. He buried his head in his hands and groaned loudly. Nothing made sense these days.

“Well, well, well, Detective Peter Baker. Things have certainly changed.” Peter looked up, jolted back to reality by the sound of an all too familiar voice. Sure enough, there she was, leaning against the doorway and smiling at him, looking as though butter wouldn’t melt.

“Well, if it isn’t Senior Detective Clare Brody,” he said cynically, as he leaned back in his chair. “What brings you to this part of the world? Don’t tell me you asked for a transfer.”

“Oh, no, I’m afraid not,” Clare said, watching him as if he were a mildly interesting TV show. “Nothing so flattering. Sam asked me to come down here. Apparently, you’re due an evaluation, and he seems to think I’m the right person for the job.”

“You are kidding?” Peter asked her, sitting up straighter. She raised one eyebrow.

“Unfortunately, no, I’m not,” she informed him. “I’ll be here for two weeks to work with you and evaluate your performance, and report back to Sam at the end of it.”

“I can hardly contain my joy.” Peter was extremely unhappy with this arrangement. He hadn’t seen Clare in over five years, and the last time he had seen her was when he walked out on their relationship because she had chosen her precious career over him. Clare seemed to pick up on his annoyance, because the smile faded from her face.

“All right, look, I know that you probably don’t want me here –” she began.

“Oh, no kidding!” he snapped angrily. “Of course I don’t want you here – have you forgotten what happened the last time you and I worked together, Clare?”

“Of course I haven’t! And if you‘d let me finish my sentence, then you would know that I’m sorry for the way things ended between us. I never thought we’d end up this way.”

“Well neither did I, but here we are,” Peter said, not letting himself feel any sympathy for her. It was, after all, he reminded himself, her fault that things hadn’t worked out. “So let’s just get through these next two weeks with as little pain as we can, and then after that’s over we’ll never have to see one another again. Deal?” Clare blinked a few times.

“That’s really what you want?” she said, sounding hurt. “After everything? I know I haven’t seen you for a while, but don’t you at least want to try and get on while I’m here?”

“Not particularly, no. I just want this dealt with as quickly and painlessly as possible.”

“Fine then,” she said coolly, not looking at him. “It’s your choice. Let’s get to work.”

“Fine.”

Enjoy!

[Jess]

Yay! You posted! That was so good! I'm rather in love with Clete.

More soooooooon!

[aejdude]

Great start!

I thought it was a really good idea - the flashback. I'm confused though, does it mean that both Amanda and Leah are after him and why has Amanda told him about Leah has she done it so he doesn't like Leah and likes her more?

Also, you seem to have a thing about introducing Clare at the end of your first chapters which is good i think. Can't wait for more.

Update soon.

[allibaz91]

Thanks Jess and Azza!

Azza, you're too easily confused for me Just read on and see if you can follow it, if not I'll try and explain it more fully

Chapter Two

Three days after Clare had arrived in the Bay, Peter was still treating her as coldly as ever. She kept trying to talk to him and soften him up a bit, but it seemed like whatever she did was the wrong thing. If she was nice he got angry that she was ‘pretending nothing had happened,’ but if she was harsh he would accuse her of ‘still only caring about her job;’ and she was sick of it. Things weren’t made any easier for her by the constant pressure Sam (Superintendent Murphy) was putting her under to find fault with Peter’s work. He told her Peter had been ‘unhinged’ ever since the Stalker business, and he would secretly be glad of an excuse to lay him off. But Clare couldn’t see any evidence that Peter was behaving any differently than she knew him to normally, other than that he was angry with her – which, she kept reminding herself, was really nothing to do with being crazy, but more to do with the fact that she was the one working with him. This, she thought, was what upset her more than anything – that Peter could barely stand to be in the same room as her, when all she wanted was to go back to the way things were between them.

She was sitting at her desk in her office, not even concentrating on what she was doing any more, when there was a knock at the door. She looked up, surprised. Most of the people in the station avoided her, as Peter had obviously made it very clear to them that there was a history there. That was just like him, she thought – so stubborn.

“Come in,” she called. The door opened slowly, and Lara Fitzgerald stuck her head in.

“Senior Detective Brody?” she asked nervously, glancing around her. Clare smiled warmly.

“Come on in,” she said earnestly, sitting her pen down on the desk. Lara came into the room and pulled the door closed behind her, looking a little nervous as she sat down.

“Uh, I don’t know where to start … I was just wondering. You and Peter. Why is it that he’s so against you being here? He’s so moody these days, and I’ve noticed he goes out of his way to avoid you, and I wondered … why. It’s awkward for the rest of us, is all.”

“It’s not exactly a barrel of laughs for me either,” Clare sighed. “Pete and I just have a very complicated history together, that’s all. And he doesn’t like having me around.” Right then, her cell phone started ringing. Lara excused herself and left, and Clare lifted her phone to answer it. The screen said ‘Sam calling.’ She sighed heavily as she answered.

“Yes, Sam?” she said, sounding more irritated than she’d probably meant to.

“How are you getting on with Operation Get Baker Fired?” he asked her mockingly.

“I’ve already told you,” she hissed quietly, “I don’t want anything to do with this. I’ve known Peter forever – and he’s not acting any more mental than usual, if you ask me. I won’t falsify my report so you can lay him off, Sam. I’m taking no part in it.”

“Oh, you’ll take part in it,” Superintendent Murphy snapped, “or it’ll be your own career you’ll have to worry about, not his! You’re under orders, Brody, and don’t you forget it.”

“Well maybe I’m refusing to follow your orders this time. What of it? You can’t have me disbarred for refusing to get one of my colleagues fired for no reason!”

“Maybe not, but I can make life very difficult for you when you get back here. I would suggest you think long and hard about it, Clare. Time’s running out.” There was a click on the other end of the line, and then it went dead. Clare let out a frustrated sound as she threw her cell phone halfway across the room.

About an hour after this, she couldn’t take it any more. She grabbed her bag and jacket from over the back of her chair and locked her office up. She then took a deep breath and rapped hard with her knuckles on the door to Peter’s office. He shouted for her to come in. She opened the door and glanced inside, and found him sitting behind his desk hard at work. He looked up as she came in, and his face grew hard. She ignored this, and smiled.

“Hey,” she said nervously. He just looked at her. She cleared her throat. “Uh, I was just going to nip out and grab some lunch – I wondered if you wanted anything?”

“What, you mean you were going to bring me something?” Peter said, sounding surprised.

“Sure, if you want,” Clare replied, not sure why he was so astonished. “Do you?”

“Where were you going to go? In fact, do you even know anywhere around here to eat?”

“Well, no,” she confessed. “But you know I catch on quickly. I’ll find somewhere easily enough. So, do you want me to bring you anything back, or were you planning to starve?”

“Well why don’t I just go and collect it and bring yours back, at least I know where I’m going. Plus I know the people around here, so I can catch up with them.”

“That would be fine, except I don’t know what I want yet,” she said. He sighed and got up.

“Well then I guess I’ll be coming with you,” he said. Clare was amazed – had he actually just offered to do something nice for her? “Well?” he said, looking at her. “Who’s driving?”

They entered the Diner together about ten minutes later, after a somewhat awkward car journey. Leah was working the counter, and Amanda was there with Ryan. Clare noticed that Peter didn’t seem happy to see any of them there, but thought it might be pushing it a bit to comment on this. She felt that this progress was good, and didn’t want to ruin it.

“So, what are you having?” she asked him. “My treat, since I made you come out here.”

“Uh, just a burger and chips,” he said distractedly. “Listen, why don’t we stay?”

“Stay? As in, eat in? Don’t we have to get back to the station?” Clare asked, surprised. Maybe she was making more progress than she’d first realised, she thought.

“Well, I reckon we deserve a break: we’ve been working non-stop for days,” he shrugged.

“Uh, yeah, okay,” she said, trying to be offhanded about it, but really inside her stomach was doing cartwheels. All she’d wanted for five years was to have Peter back in her life, even if it was only as friends. And now it looked like she was closer to having that than she’d even dared to dream of when she agreed to come to the Bay and assess him.

“Listen, you grab a table, and I’ll get the food in,” offered Peter. Clare smiled shyly.

“Sure, that’d be great. Can you just order me the same as you’re having? And a coffee?”

“You still take it black with two sugars?” he asked her, smiling properly for the first time.

“Yeah.” Clare went over to a table to sit down, and her smile stretched wider and wider as she glanced back over at him standing there. She cared about him so much. And she was starting to think that maybe, just maybe, he still cared for her too.

[Sarah_Lewis]

Hee that was awesome Alli =]] update soon

[Jess]

Man, I hate Sam! He's so mean! He must have an ulterior motive 'cause Pete's amazing!

But yay - Clete had lunch together.

Great chapter, Ali.

[aejdude]

That chapter was pure comedy!

Except for Sam wanting to get Peter fired - why i don't know but there must be more to it i guess there has to be some drama sooner or later.

Update soon.

[allibaz91]

Thanks Emme, Jess and Azza

(Seriously, it wasn't THAT funny! )

Chapter Three

“Can I have two burgers with chips, and two coffees, Irene?” Peter asked her, deliberately avoiding Leah’s eye, as she was clearly trying to catch his attention from the kitchen.

“Sure thing, Dahl, “Irene said brightly. “What do you take in those coffees then?”

“Uh, one black with two and one just straight, “Peter told her, trying to smile. She nodded.

“Coming right up, love,” she told him. “Go sit down and I’ll bring it over for you.”

“Thanks Irene.” Peter turned away from Leah’s gaze and went and sat down opposite Clare, who smiled warmly as he sat down. God, she had the most beautiful smile, he thought to himself. Amanda glanced over from the booth she was sitting in, and she looked furious to see Peter with another woman, but he ignored her.

“So!” Clare grinned, seemingly oblivious to what was going on. “Come on, let’s hear it.”

“Hear what?” Peter replied, only half-listening. He couldn’t stop looking at her lips as she talked. He wondered if she was still such an incredible kisser – oh, he wanted to find out!

“Oh, come on,” she said teasingly. “There must be some gossip you can fill me in on! I haven’t seen you in about five years, and I know there’s no way you spent the whole time living in complete sainthood. So spill! I want to know everything I’ve missed out on.”

“Yeah, you wish,” he told her, unable to stop himself grinning. She smirked back.

“I’ll tell you mine if you tell me yours. A fair trade, I’d say. One of your ridiculously embarrassing moments in exchange for one of mine. I’ll even throw in a drink tonight.”

“Well, there’s an offer you know I can’t refuse,” he said, smiling. “But you first.”

“How do I know you won’t change your mind? Get me to spill then clam up on me?”

“I guess you’ll just have to trust me,” he shrugged. She half-laughed and leaned back.

“I do trust you,” she said seriously. “So, uh, where to start?”

“You did not do that!”

“Look, it’s not like I did it on purpose,” Peter tried to defend himself, but Clare wasn’t for listening to him, as she bent over her mug of coffee, practically cackling hysterically.

“Oh my God, you are such a case!” she laughed. Leah was watching the pair of them from the kitchen, looking extremely jealous and upset, but Peter had his back to her, and Clare was too busy laughing to notice. “That’s brilliant – that one’s going in the newsletter!”

“Don’t even think about it!” Peter warned her, also grinning. He had almost forgotten how much fun she was to be around. There was certainly never a dull moment with her.

“I’ll think about it,” Clare teased him, still giggling. “Depends how nice you are to me.”

“You wouldn’t really do that to me, would you? Not when I could say so much about you?”

“Oh, so you’re blackmailing me now?” she grinned. “I thought you were better than that!”

“Desperate times call for desperate measures,” he replied. “And there’s a lot I could use to blackmail you, too … I could always tell Finan about the night we camped out in the mall.”

“You wouldn’t dare! You’d only be implicating yourself too,” scoffed Clare. “Besides, I think he probably guessed it was us. I mean, who else in our year would’ve done that?”

“Apart from Eric and Jenny, you mean?” Peter reminded her. “Just us, I guess.”

“My point exactly. And considering they were there with us, there’s not much point putting the blame on them! They’d only land us both right in it too.”

“Can I get you anything else, Dahl?” Irene asked. Peter glanced up, and Clare looked away in an attempt to conceal the tears streaming down her face from her laughter.

“Uh, no, I think we’re good, thanks Irene,” said Peter. “Did you want dessert or anything?”

“Oh, no, I couldn’t eat another bite!” exclaimed Clare. “But it was delicious, thank you.”

“Oh, well, not a problem, love,” Irene said, sounding pleased. “So, what’s all the hilarity about over here, then? Anything I can get in on? Lord knows I could use a good laugh!”

“Oh, well, I’m sure Peter doesn’t mind if I share,” Clare started to say, but Peter laughed.

“Don’t even think about it – and don’t you encourage her, either, Irene!”

“Ooh, what do you have to hide, eh Peter? Come on; let’s hear it then! I’m all ears.”

“We were just talking about the time –”

“Clare!” Peter said loudly, trying not to laugh. “What did I just say?”

“Well I’m pulling rank, Detective. Anyway, we were in our second year at the Academy, and we were meant to be going home to a friend’s for the weekend. But she forgot to tell her parents, and they were out, so we went back to school, but someone didn’t want us to go in. So we ended up going to the mall – I don’t even remember why any more! – and we somehow managed to get ourselves locked in there overnight!”

“Wow!” Irene laughed, leaning against a chair behind her. “I’m impressed, Peter!”

“Thanks, Irene. But it wasn’t my fault – she was a bad influence on me!”

“Oh, like you were such an angel!” Clare retorted. “Yeah, so we spent the whole night going around the mall and having a laugh – we roller-skated up and down the moving escalators, that was fun; we played hockey around the tables in the food court; we had a karaoke in the bar; we broke out onto the roof and threw things at the people below us …”

“Hey, I do have to live around here – could you try not to totally kill my reputation?”

“If I know you, your reputation could use all the help it can get,” Clare told him. He smiled for no apparent reason – he somehow couldn’t help feeling good around her, he noticed.

“Well, love, if you feel like sharing any more of these stories, you’ll be more than welcome around here any day, let me tell you that for nothing!” Irene joked. “Excuse me.”

“I’ll bear that in mind,” Clare said, as Irene walked away. Peter turned back to face Clare.

“You must think you’re so hilarious,” he teased her, but he didn’t really mean it.

“It’s only a bit of fun,” she told him. “Besides, she asked! And it’s a really funny story.”

“Yeah, well, it was a pretty fun time overall,” he agreed, trying to sound casual. What he really wanted to say was that it was the best time of his life, when he had been with her. But he knew that saying something like that was sure to cause problems between them professionally – besides which, there was no way she could love him again, he thought.

“Yeah, it was,” Clare smiled. “That night, it’s one of my favourite memories of going to the Academy with you. I wish I still had the pictures – remember we used that photo booth?”

“Of course I remember that – it was the last time I ever used one of those things in my life, they’re far too cramped for my liking,” Peter informed her, grinning.

“Oh, shut up!” she laughed. “No, don’t spoil it for me – I loved that night. And I used to have the photos somewhere around the house, but they went missing in the move.”

“You’re really that bothered about having seven-year-old photo booth snapshots?”

“Yes! I know it might seem sad, and pathetic, but I miss the good old days. And I really did love that night. Come on, don’t make fun of me,” she said. He shook his head.

“I wasn’t going to make fun of you,” he said seriously. “And I don’t think you’re pathetic.”

“You don’t?” Clare seemed surprised. “Why not?”

Peter didn’t answer straight away. Instead, he reached into his pocket, pulled out his wallet and opened it. Clare watched him confusedly, as he pulled out his driver’s license. Behind it there was a picture – one of the few photos from his youth he’d ever bothered to keep, because it had actually been of a time he’d enjoyed, for once. He took it out and laid it silently on the table, and turned it round to face Clare. She picked it up in her hand, puzzled, and then her eyes widened with shock. The picture was taken from a photo booth, and it showed Clare sitting on Peter’s knee, smiling. She looked up at him, seeming surprised. He had known she would be shocked, but he figured if he didn’t give it to her now, when the timing was so perfect, he might forget to do it later, or lose his nerve.

“Peter,” Clare said slowly. “I don’t understand. Why did you keep this?”

[aejdude]

Great chapter.

That was really good, had the right amount of Clete in it. And was good that Irene was there too makes you imagine it even better.

Lol that sounds like an eventful night they had and a really fun one.

Update soon or else.

[>>Emma<<]

Just read all the chapters so far; I love it!

Peter and Clare are just so I am already in love with this fic and we've only had 3 chapters. Sounded like they had alot of fun at the mall!

Can't wait to read more Please update soon!