The Long Awaited Truth

[allibaz91]

Thanks loads Azza and Emma

Chapter Four

“Why?” Clare looked into Peter’s eyes, willing him with her mind to say something – anything. Anything, she thought, would be better than silence. Her head was spinning.

“Peter, come on. You can’t ignore me,” she said, almost begging him to answer now.

“Look, I don’t know, okay?” he said finally. “I just know that … being at the Academy was one of the few times growing up that I was actually happy, because my life at home was always so screwed up. And you guys were more than my best mates; you were like family to me. Most of my best memories from back then were with you guys. I suppose I kept it because I enjoyed having something positive to look back on. It made a nice change.”

Clare’s heart sank. So all it meant to him was an escape from his family. Nothing more.

“Well, it was a great time for all of us,” she said, trying her absolute best to smile, even though inside all she felt was miserable. She loved him so much. “A really great time.”

“Seems like it meant as much to you as it did to me,” Peter said. She didn’t know why he seemed so surprised at this – surely he’d known how much she’d loved being with him?

“Yeah, it did,” she said quietly. “I miss all that stuff. Everything was so simple then.”

“Well, listen, you … you keep that,” said Peter. “Really. I mean, I don’t even know why I kept it all these years, but … it’s important to you, I want you to have it.”

“Oh, Pete, I couldn’t,” Clare insisted, although secretly she did want to keep the photo.

“No arguments,” he told her firmly. “I don’t need it – I can remember just fine what we all got up to back then without a reminder. And you obviously think it’s special, so … I don’t want to hear another word about it, all right? It’s yours now. End of discussion.”

Clare half-laughed, feeling tears welling up in her eyes. She smiled at Peter gratefully.

“Thank you.”

Leah came out of the kitchen just then, having taken just about all she could handle of watching Peter laugh and – she thought – flirt with this other woman. She walked right over to the table where Peter and Clare were sitting and stood over them. Clare looked up.

“Can we help you?” she asked politely, slipping the photo away into her bag. Leah shook her head and looked at Peter, but Clare saw he was avoiding meeting her eye.

“Peter,” Leah said in a voice that was almost steady, “can I have a quick word with you?”

“We’re actually in the middle of something right now,” Peter replied coolly.

“Well, sorry to disturb your, um, meal, but this really is important. If you don’t mind.”

“I do mind,” he informed her simply. “And I don’t care what you have to say any more.” Clare raised her eyebrows – she was used to the cold shoulder treatment from Peter, and knew it wasn’t a pleasant experience. She couldn’t help but wonder what this woman could have done to deserve it – she knew she did, but he was already beginning to thaw out towards her after only three days. Why was he being so cruel to this other woman?

“Listen, I can leave you to it –” she began nervously, but Peter shook his head.

“Don’t go,” he said, and she thought she caught an almost pleading look in his eye. “I’d much rather stay here and finish our conversation anyway. Yeah?”

“Uh, all right …” She didn’t know what was for the best any more. But she was saved the trouble of thinking it through too much by the entrance of Dan.

He came in with Scott, chatting away pleasantly, and stopped short at the sight of Leah standing there beside Peter and Clare. Leah looked away, upset, Clare thought, and went straight back over to the kitchen. Peter sighed heavily, but before Clare could ask him what was going on, Dan had come over to their table and was standing over them.

“All right?” he said, glancing interestedly at Clare, but looking especially at Peter.

“Okay,” said Peter shortly. “What’s up?” Dan cleared his throat, and Clare took this as her signal to leave, but as she made to move Peter stopped her with just a look. How did he always manage to show exactly what he felt with just one look? she wondered.

“Look, Pete, I … Leah told me the truth. The whole truth,” Dan said, hesitating a bit over getting to the point. “And I just … I’m sorry, mate. I should’ve believed you.”

“Yeah, you should’ve,” said Peter. “I would never have done that to you again, mate.”

“I know. I mean, I should’ve known from the start, but … I didn’t want to believe it, that’s all, because it meant accepting the real truth, and I didn’t want to face it. I’m sorry.”

“Forget about it,” Peter said, nodding. “It’s over now, all right? Let’s just move on.”

“Deal,” said Dan. Clare looked between them, lost. Obviously she’d missed something here, but she felt it would be more than a little bit rude to ask what. Luckily for her, Peter seemed happy enough to let it go at that, and he indicated her to Dan.

“Uh, Clare, this is my brother, Dan,” he said. “Dan, this is Clare Brody.”

“Ah, the Clare Brody – well, glad to finally put a face to the name,” said Dan, smiling.

“Likewise,” Clare told him, but she was really quite surprised. He looked nothing like she’d imagined – and not at all like Peter, come to that. She found herself wondering how it was that she’d never met his brother before …

Just then, her cell phone started ringing, and she snatched it off the table before Peter could see who was calling. What would she say if it was Sam? How could she explain that to him? But it wasn’t Sam – in fact, much worse, in her opinion.

“Oh, God …” she groaned, putting her phone back down on the table. “I can’t be doing with this right now!” Peter looked concerned, and picked up the phone, then laughed.

“Clare, it’s only Grace,” he said, holding the phone out to her. She shook her head.

“That’s easy for you to say – she loves you! But I just know that she’s calling to ask me some stupid pointless question about the girls, and I am sick to death of it.”

“Hold on – you left Grace to watch your sisters?” Peter sounded shocked. “Are you mad?”

“Hey, babysitters are hard to find,” she said defensively. “Just let it ring out, would you?” Peter laughed again, then pressed the ‘Answer’ key on her phone, despite the fact that she was shaking her head violently and motioning for him not to do it.

“Grace? Hey, it’s Peter Baker,” he said into the phone, still looking amused at the look on Clare’s face. “Yeah, I’m good, thanks – and you? Good … oh, no, she’s just nipped out to grab some lunch for us actually, she’s not here. Yeah, I’m at work. Of course I’m really working! I resent that. Anything I can help with? Oh, I’m sure that’s okay. Yeah, I’m pretty sure she won’t mind – and if she does then I’ll take the fall, okay? Yeah, I guess so. Okay, speak to you later. Bye.” He hung up, chuckling. Clare grabbed her phone, nervous.

“What did she want?” she demanded, her heart pounding. What if this was the one time that Grace had needed her for something serious, and she’d blown her off?

“Oh, she wanted to know if it was okay to give Amy an ice cream,” he laughed. Clare felt her heart rate slow right down, and she rolled her eyes. Typical Grace, she thought.

“See what I mean?” she said, now half-laughing herself. “She’s forever calling these days.”

“Hey, here’s a crazy thought – maybe she wants to prove to you that she can do this.”

“If she really wanted to prove she could do it alone, she wouldn’t call every five minutes!”

“You are so down on her,” Peter reprimanded her. She scoffed – as if he had a clue!

“Well, excuse me for being realistic,” she retorted. “You know Grace as well as I do – she is in no way responsible enough to be a mother yet, which, by the way, is her latest harebrained idea! And I only left the girls with her because I was desperate.”

“Your faith in your cousin is overwhelming,” he said sarcastically. “Give her a chance!”

“How about we leave her to watch Drew and see what you reckon after that experience?”

“Who’s Drew?” asked Dan. Peter looked away, and Clare felt herself turning bright red. If only there were a prize for putting your foot in it, she thought!

“Sorry, I …” she started, but trailed off. There was nothing she could say to fix this.

“Don’t worry about it,” Peter said, and she was surprised to see that he didn’t seem angry with her, for once. “It was an honest mistake – how were you to know?”

“Well I’m still sorry,” she said, her heart leaping in her chest. He was acting so differently!

“Pete?” Dan said, clearing his throat. “Who, uh, who’s Drew?”

“Nobody for you to worry about,” Peter replied smoothly. “Come on, we’d better get back.”

“Oh, of course,” Clare said, and reached into her bag for her purse, but Peter stopped her.

“No, don’t you dare,” he said firmly. “This one’s on me.” Clare was confused.

“But …”

“No buts!” he insisted. She half-laughed as she put her purse away, as she knew how stubborn he could be when he put his mind to something. It was sweet really …

“Thank you,” was all she said, smiling warmly at him, and she felt a thrill when he smiled just as affectionately back. As he went to pay, she watched him leave, finding it very difficult to keep her eyes off of him …

[aejdude]

Another really good chapter.

That was nice that Clare insisted on Pete having the photo even though it was his anyway .

It's so obvious they both want to get together but they just won't admit it!

Oh, that's got me thinking now i wonder whether Grace was in trouble and just said that because it was Peter.

The truth about Drew is bound to come out soon.

Update soon.

[Mrs Bishop]

Fantastic Ali very good story

up date soon.

[~Charlotte~]

Alli, you know that I don't usually read fics.. but I had nothing else to do I read all four chapters right now and I think they were all fantastic!

I can't believe that I want to read more of this one, I thought I would never carry on reading a fic.. EVER!

Update soon

[allibaz91]

Thanks Azza, Angie and Janice

Charlotte, are you seriously trying to give me a heart attack?

Thank you!

Chapter Five

“You really didn’t have to do that, you know,” Clare said as they entered the station.

“How many times?” Peter laughed, taking off his jacket as they went into his office together. “It’s no big deal. Besides, a gentleman never lets the lady pay for a meal.”

“This isn’t the nineteen-twenties – I can pay my own way,” she said. “But thanks.”

“No problem,” he replied, smiling at her. In all honesty, he felt it was the least he could do for her – after all, he had spent the last three days practically ignoring her. Even if he had had a good reason for it, she still didn’t deserve that. Plus she seemed different, Peter thought, as he watched her lifting some files from a shelf. He couldn’t quite put his finger on it, but something in her had definitely changed … and all the old feelings he’d once had for her, all the emotions from five years ago … they didn’t seem so long ago any more.

“So,” Clare said, jolting him out of his reverie. “I’d better let you get on with it, then.”

“Uh, right, sure,” he said, shaking himself. “I’ll see you in a little while?”

“Sure,” she said, and she smiled at him before leaving the room. He slumped back in his desk chair and sighed heavily, but couldn’t prevent his own grin from spreading across his face as he watched her leave.

“Peter? Peter! Hello? Earth to Detective Baker!” Peter looked up almost three hours later to find Lara standing at the door, a slightly amused smile on her face. He had obviously been lost in a daydream – about Clare, when he knew fine well he shouldn’t be thinking about her as anything more than his boss, he chided himself. He smiled at Lara.

“What’s up, Lara?” he asked her, trying to banish all thoughts of Clare from his head.

“We just got a call out for another domestic disturbance at Constable Holden’s flat,” she said, smiling a little herself. “I thought it’d be a good one for you and Clare to handle.”

“Ah, good thinking,” Peter said, getting up and grabbing his jacket. “Thanks, Lara.”

“How’s the assessment going anyway? Are you wowing her with your super-policing?”

“I think it’d take more than handling a few of Jack’s recurring domestic disturbances to impress Senior Detective Brody,” he replied, as he headed out of the door.

“Come in,” Clare called, as he stood outside her office door. He – almost subconsciously – ran a hand through his hair before opening the door and sticking his head through. She glanced up as he came in, and smiled broadly for reasons he couldn’t begin to imagine.

“Hey,” she said, laying down her pen. “Looking for another coffee break already? Skiver.”

“Yeah, right,” he laughed. “Uh, I’ve got a domestic disturbance that I have to go deal with just now – I wondered if you felt like a drive?” She raised her eyebrows.

“Uh, I guess so … I didn’t think domestic disturbances were right up your alley.”

“Normally, they’re not,” he assured her quickly. “But it’s a special one. For one, it’s one of our new Constables, Jack Holden. And for another, you get to assess me on teamwork.”

“Well, when you put it like that, how can a girl refuse?”

“Can you try and be serious for, I don’t know, a second?” he challenged her.

“Oh, okay, but just for a second. Oh no – over!” she said teasingly, picking up her coat and getting out from behind her desk. He rolled his eyes, and she laughed at his reaction.

“Oh, lighten up,” she said, tweaking his nose in a friendly way. “Let’s go.” She left the office with a smile on her face, and Peter closed the door as he followed her, smiling more than he had in a long time.

At the Bachelor Pad, the party was already in full swing, and it was barely seven o’clock. Jack and Martha were dancing, along with several other people, while Cassie, Macca, Ric, Belle, Matilda, Lucas, Tasha, Robbie, Kim, Rachel and Dan were all hanging out in the kitchen chatting loudly over the music. Peter and Clare pulled up in their car outside, and they could hear the music before they even opened the doors. Clare half-laughed as they both got out of the car, and Peter glanced at her confusedly. She caught his eye.

“Sorry,” she said, looking back at the house, “but … one of your officers lives there?”

“I know,” he replied, locking up the car. “And this is the fourth time since his family moved out two weeks ago that we’ve been called out about noise here – it’s gone beyond a joke.” Clare looked up at the house again, then burst out laughing. Peter looked at her, shocked.

“What do you find so funny?” he asked. She giggled more, holding onto him for support.

“Oh, I just think it’s hilarious that you’re getting all high and mighty about this,” she said, laughing, “considering the amount of stuff you and I pulled when we were new at this!”

“It’s not the same thing!” he protested, although he found it hard not to laugh. She just shot him a knowing look, before heading up the stairs without another word. He grinned and rolled his eyes, and then followed her up.

As they opened the door, they were hit with a wave of heat and loud music. Dan was the first one to spot them coming through the door, and he saw how friendly they seemed.

“All right, all right,” Peter called out over the music, “party’s over! Everybody out!”

“Come on, quickly, quickly,” Clare chimed in, ushering those nearest her towards the door.

“What?” Jack looked outraged as he turned off the music, but then he saw Peter standing there and bit his lip looking ashamed of himself. Everyone else also seemed embarrassed.

“Uh, g’day, Pete,” Jack said nervously, laying down his beer bottle. “Sorry I didn’t invite you tonight – I mean, I would’ve, but I knew you would be working, and, uh …”

“And you knew I’d stop the party before it got this far?” Peter watched everyone leave.

“Who called us in this time anyway?” Kim asked from the kitchen as he tidied up.

“Couldn’t tell you, mate,” Peter said honestly. “Not that it should matter. If anyone has any reason to call us in, then you’re being too loud, end of story – Jack knows that.”

“I know, and I’m sorry,” Jack said. “It won’t happen again. So can we forget about it?”

“Well it’s not really that simple, Jack. You’ve had your three warnings – this is the fourth time in a fortnight we’ve been out here, you know how things stand in this situation.”

“How do things stand in this situation?” asked Dan, looking nervous.

“Well, normally I’d have to bring you in and charge you with breach of the peace,” Peter said. Jack looked very worried, and Martha and everyone else seemed at a loss for words.

“Come on, Pete …” Jack said pleadingly. “I swear this will be the last time.”

“I wish there was something I could do, mate,” said Peter, “but rules are rules.”

“And, rules are made to be broken,” Clare intervened swiftly. “I’m sure we can settle this one off the record – don’t you think, Pete? One last chance and all that?” He looked at her, shocked. He had never known Clare to give anyone a second chance before.

“I’m sorry – who are you?” asked Jack, looking between them confusedly.

“Oh, uh – Jack Holden, this is Senior Detective Clare Brody, she’s going to be working down at the station with us for a couple of weeks,” Peter said, introducing them quickly.

“Nice to meet you,” Clare said. “So we’ll leave this one off the record – but this really will be your last warning. Even police officers do have limits. All right?”

“Yeah – thank you,” Jack said, relieved. Dan looked surprised, but that was nothing compared to what Peter was feeling. What on earth was she playing at?

“No problem,” Clare said, seemingly oblivious to Peter’s surprise. “Now, we had better get back – we still have to go over the PD reports Sam sent down for us, remember?”

“Uh, no, Sam sent the reports for you,” he reminded her. “I don’t have to do a thing.”

“But you wouldn’t be that mean to me. Come on, let’s go already. See you later.”

“Thanks again,” Jack said, smiling at them both. “I’ll see you tomorrow then, I guess.”

“As long as you remember this is the last warning,” Peter said, feeling he ought to reinforce the fact, as Clare had so smoothly skimmed over the problem.

“I swear, this is the last,” Jack promised him, and Clare laughed. Peter shot her a look.

“What do you find so funny?” he demanded, while Dan looked between them interestedly.

“Oh, come on!” she grinned. “Like we won’t be doing the exact same thing next week?”

“What’s next week?” asked Dan quickly, while Peter stifled a laugh and shook his head firmly. Clare continued to laugh and was about to answer, but Peter got in there first.

“No, next week is nothing,” he insisted. “And we won’t be doing a thing, I can assure you!”

“Excuse me?” Clare seemed insulted. “Speak for yourself! Next week is his birthday,” she told the rest of the room, smirking, and Dan nodded knowingly. “And we’ll be celebrating.”

“Yeah, well, you just try it – but remember it’s yours two days later!” Peter shot back.

“I’m terrified, I’m sure,” she said, rolling her eyes. “Come on – we have to go.”

“See you guys later,” Peter said, and they made a quick exit, with him watching Clare for any signs of why she was behaving so out-of-character.

“Ah, that is much better!” Clare sighed, taking a deep breath. “That place was like an oven! Weren’t you absolutely boiling?” He continued to watch her until she noticed.

“What’s the matter with you?” she asked him, looking puzzled. “Are you all right?”

“I’m fine,” he lied. “I just can’t help noticing you seem different. Since when was anything ever off the record with you? And if you believe in second chances, I’m a flying monkey.”

“Well, you’re not the only one who’s changed since you came here,” she retorted.

“And what exactly does that mean?” he asked, as he unlocked the car door for her.

“It means,” Clare said, sitting in the passenger’s seat as he got into the driver’s seat, “that you have done a total one-eighty since I knew you. Six years ago, there is no way you would have brought one of your colleagues in for a few domestic disturbances, even if they were as often as all that. You really need to remember what it was like to be young.”

“Oh, so now I’m old?” Peter started the engine and drove away as Clare laughed.

“No, you’re not allowed to be old – as you so kindly pointed out in front of all your friends in there, my birthday is only two days after yours! So seriously, what are we doing?”

“Seriously?” Peter asked, looking at her. She nodded. “Seriously, nothing.”

“Oh, come on! Every single year since we were about twenty-one, we’ve spent our birthdays together if we’ve been around each other. Don’t spoil it eleven years on!”

“The answer is no.”

[~Charlotte~]

Alli, i'm not trying to give you a heart attack at all But, another great chapter

[aejdude]

Great chapter.

I wonder why Pete is acting like a complete depressive man, he shouldn't have even considered charging Jack, Clare is right he has changed for the worse there were some nice Clete scenes in there though!

Update soon.

[allibaz91]

Thanks Charlotte (still on medication cause of you ) and Azza

Chapter Six

A whole week had passed since the incident at Jack’s party, and Clare still hadn’t managed to talk Peter round to the idea of a joint party – so she had gone ahead and organised one without telling him. It was his birthday today, she thought to herself. She would go visit him that afternoon to say happy birthday. But she would save his present until the party itself – more fun for her. She wasn’t working, so she decided to go to the Diner and grab lunch – but when she walked in, she saw Dan sitting there, and he signalled her over. She didn’t know what to do – she couldn’t very well ignore him, but from what Pete had told her, she couldn’t tell him about the party, because he couldn’t keep a secret. But he kept waving at her, so she really had no choice but to go and sit down at his table. He smiled.

“Hey, stranger,” he said. “I wondered if we were going to see you around again!”

“I’m sorry?” she asked him, puzzled. Where exactly did he think she would have gone?

“Oh, you know, you and Pete are such workaholics,” he joked. She half-laughed, but really she didn’t think it was very funny. But what to do about the party? Should she tell him?

“So, uh, are you going to hang around the Bay for a while longer, then?” Dan asked.

“Oh! I hadn’t really thought about it,” Clare said honestly. “I’m supposed to head back to the city in a few days, at the end of the week, but I could stay a bit longer, I guess.”

“But you will be here for your birthday?” he asked her anxiously. She was lost – why should Dan care if she was going to be here for her birthday? But now she had to tell him.

“Actually …”

“A surprise party?” Dan looked at her sceptically. “Are you sure he’ll go for that?”

“Well, no,” she laughed. Pete probably wouldn’t like the idea at all – but she figured if she didn’t sort something out, nothing would ever get done. “But he has to relax sometimes, and a whole bunch of our old mates from the city are coming down, so it should be fun.”

“Oh, well, that sounds good, then,” he said. “Can I do anything to help?”

“Yeah, actually, you could. Can you invite anyone from around here that he’d want to be there? I wouldn’t even know where to start,” Clare confessed. “But at least some of his mates from here ought to come along. But – you can’t tell him a thing about it, okay?”

“I am the soul of discretion,” Dan promised her. She tried to stop herself from laughing.

“Well, good,” she said, smiling widely in an effort to hide her laughter. “And you do think it’ll be okay to hold it in the local, without booking it or anything?”

“Oh, it should be,” he shrugged. “But I’ll say to Alf about it anyway, just in case.”

“Okay, great,” she smiled. “Well, I’d better head off, actually – I have a few last-minute details to organise. But it’ll be around eight o’clock tonight – drinks and everything are on tap, I’ll sort the bill at the end of the night. And everything’s basically sorted – just tell anybody who you think ought to be there to come along, okay?”

“Consider it done.”

Clare couldn’t help smiling to herself as she stood outside Peter’s place a few hours later. Despite everything Pete had told her about Dan, he was really a pretty good guy. It must run in the family, she thought, as she rang the doorbell. Peter answered only a few moments later, and to her extreme relief he smiled happily to see her there.

“Hey there,” he said, grinning. “I didn’t expect to see you today – day off and all that.”

“Well, I thought I would come by and wish you a happy birthday,” she said cheekily.

“Come on in, then,” said Peter. Clare felt a rush in her – she hadn’t been inside his place since she’d been in the Bay.

“Can I get you a drink or anything?” Peter asked her, showing her in. He motioned for her to have a seat in the living room, and he made for the kitchen to get drinks.

“Uh, sure, that’d be great,” she said, a little too enthusiastically. “So how’s the day been so far, anyway? No mad parties planned? You disappoint me, Baker!”

“Ha, ha,” he said sarcastically, handing her a drink. “No, I haven’t planned to do anything. I think I’ll just go for a drink with Dan later; nothing exciting.”

“When did you get so boring?” she teased him. Little did he know, she thought to herself.

“It’ll come to you soon enough, don’t worry! No, I just … I don’t know, I never really bother about my birthday any more. I’ve not stopped working in months, almost; and we all know I can’t organise anything to save myself!”

“Well that’s certainly true,” Clare agreed, raising her glass to him. “Happy birthday.”

“Thank you,” Peter said, and they both took a drink. “So, any plans for tonight?”

“Nothing that I can think of,” she lied through her teeth. “Why?”

“Well why don’t you join us for a drink then? I mean, I know you’d much rather have a wild party that lasts three days, but seeing as how that’s not going to happen …”

“No, that sounds lovely,” she said, meaning it. How sweet it was of him to invite her along to the birthday drinks. “I’d really like that – thanks.”

“Good,” said Peter, smiling, as he took another drink. Clare also smiled and drank, watching him over the top of her glass. Oh, she would enjoy this …

[~Charlotte~]

! Don't be on medication too long

Amazing chapter!

[Mrs Bishop]

Ali very good chapter.

up date soon,