Tracey/Zoe/Rachel

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Thanks so much Rabs, Emma, Andy, Shan and Shen for your comments!

Here's the next chapter. I hope you guys like it:

Meanwhile, at the cafeteria:

“What do you feel like?”

“I…er… Nothing. Don’t feel like anything at all.”

“Come on Pete. You’re going to have to eat something. You heard what the Dr. said. Tracey is going to be fine. You can’t starve yourself to death, you know.”

“I’ll feel much better after talking to her and seeing with my own eyes that she was alright.”

“How about a cup of coffee? You look like you need one.”

“Yeah, sure. Thanks.”

“No worries. I’ll go order it for you.” And with that Clare zoomed off to get the coffees. She hated seeing Peter like this. She hated not being able to do anything for him. deep down, a part of her was scared. Scared because Peter had said those words.

“You don’t understand, Clare. It’s… complicated.”

She had brushed it aside when he first said it as a moment of heat. But, now that it was confirmed that Tracey was fine, those six words came chasing after her like a leech. She was worried. She knew that she loved him and that he loved her. But, those words were so ingrained in to her mind that it made her all the more worried. After what had happened between them the last time and then finally getting their second chance, she didn’t want anything to ruin it. She decided to not let it bother her. For the sake of her sanity. As well as his.

Peter Baker sat down at the table relieved. Relieved that this whole ordeal was over. First Zoë and now Tracey. ‘What is it with all these women trying to make my life more miserable than it already is?’ He knew he wasn’t being fair on Clare. She had been there for him in more ways than one these past few months and he felt like he had let her down. He was mortified when he told her that things between him and Tracey were complicated. Peter knew he loved Clare. There was no one in this world that he wanted to be with than her. ‘Well, apart from Leah, but that’s a completely different story’ Peter sighed to himself. ‘Yup, life is definitely going to get interesting.’ He knew that Tracey and him were just mates. They’ve been mates since joining the police academy together. They both worked their way up the ranks and got to where they were through hard work. Yet, all this while, he had never known a lot about Tracey. As far as Peter knew, she pretty much kept to herself. ‘Who knows? Maybe I’ll get more information out of her after this whole mess.’ He could only hope.

Clare came back with the coffee and they both drunk it in companiable silence. Both of them lost in their own thoughts and afraid of breaking the silence. Unbeknownst to Clare, Peter had been staring at her the moment she got back with their coffees. He knew that she was taken aback by what he said earlier. What she didn’t know was that he had seen the change in her countenance the instant he had said those words. He knew that her mind was preoccupied as she her fingers were twirling a strand of hair- an old habit that she would do whenever there was something important on her mind.

Clare looked at Peter as he sipped his coffee. ‘He looks so tired.’ But, when she looked at him, her thoughts jumped back to earlier. She knew that Peter and Tracey were really good friends. She understood why he was worried. Yet, a part of her was scared that today’s incident might have changed Peter’s feelings. She knew that Peter had at one time or other had fancied Tracey. She knew that they had tried going out once or twice before but it didn’t work out and they decided to remain as friends. It was after that that Peter and Clare had got together. She was so deep in thought that she didn’t even realize that she had been twirling her hair for the last five minutes or so. When she did, before she could even stop herself, a sigh managed to escape.

The moment that Clare had sighed, Peter knew. ‘I was right. She’s been thinking about it.’ He didn’t know how to tell her just how sorry he was for what he had said. He knew that sorry was not what Clare wanted to hear. She wanted reassurance. She wanted him to tell her that they were fine. Thus, he reached for her hand and wrapped it up in his and gave is a tight squeeze. And that was when Clare finally looked him in the eye and smiled. He knew then that everything was alright. That she understood why he had said what he said. ‘I still owe her an explanation. Looks like I’ll be up late tonight’ Peter thought to himself.

The moment Peter had reached out to her and squeezed her hand was the first time that she had smiled this afternoon. She knew that when the time was right, peter would tell her. And that was fine by her. She had the time and the patience to wait. She knew that Peter hated being bugged and bossed around yet he had allowed her to do so. That’s when she knew. ‘He really loves me.’

“I think it’s alright now to go and pay Tracey a visit, don’t you?”

“Yeah. Can we stop by the florist and get her some flowers, first?”

“Definitely. We don’t want you to look like a bad friend, now would we?” Clare teased.

“Haha. No.”

As Peter helped Clare up from her chair, he enveloped her in a big hug and uttered, “Thank you. For everything. For being you.”

[swfc]

I did more than post more of the teaser. Here's the next chapter. Hope you guys like it!

And with that, Eve Jacobsen was gone and Tracey Thompson opened her eyes.

“Welcome back to the land of the living.”

“Rach?”

“So you’re finally talking to me, now, are you?”

“I….”

“Only joking, silly! How’re you feeling? You gave us all a fright, you know?”

“Us?”

“Me, Detective Baker and his companion. Didn’t catch her name but she was blonde.”

“Clare. His fiancée. How did I get here?”

“Peter. I don’t know how but all I know was that he saved your life. You were unconscious at home and then you regained consciousness and then you lost consciousness when you arrived here. Trace, don’t ever do that ever again. You scared the **** out of me. You nearly died.”

“I’m really sorry. I-I didn’t know what I was thinking.”

“Well, promise me you’re not going to be this stupid ever again, okay?”

“Promise.”

And for the first time that day, both Dr. Rachel Armstrong and Detective Tracey Thompson smiled. However, their small talk with each other was soon short lived with a knock on the door.

“Hello? Can we come in?”

“Detective Baker. talk about perfect timing. Our patient just woke up.”

“Hey stranger. How’re you doing? You gave us a scare today.”

“Well, I’ll leave you guys to talk. I have to go finish off some rounds. I’ll catch up with you later, Trace!”

“Okay. I’ll see you. Oh, and Rach? I’m really sorry and thank you.”

“I’m not the one you should be thanking. He’s the one who brought you in here.”

“Yeah, I know that. But, thanks anyway!”

“It was nothing. See ya!” And with that, Rachel Armstrong walked out of the room, pleased and determined. Pleased that Tracey was alright and was talking to her. Determined to finish off her rounds and finish for the day so that she could catch up with Tracey. ‘It’s going to be a long night.’

Tracey was happy to see Rachel. There were so many things that she wanted to say to her. However, she knew that now wasn’t the time. They would talk later anyway and seeing as that she was stuck here, she couldn’t escape and thus awaited the inevitable. To make matters even worse, Peter was here. She was grateful to him for saving her life but she wasn’t looking forward to explaining her actions. She knew that he’d ask. ‘How am I going to tell him that I did this because my best friend in the entire world died in the explosion at the tyre factory? How am I supposed to tell him that my best friend was the Summer Bay Stalker’ Tracey knew then that she had to lie in order to protect herself. She hated lying to him. Heck, Tracey hated lying to anybody for that matter. What made it even worse was that she had to lie to a friend. She had no choice. She didn’t know how Peter would react to the news that she knew Eve Jacobsen. That she and Eve and Rachel were childhood friends. ‘Urgh, why the hell did you have to come now? Why couldn’t you visit me tomorrow when I’ve had the time to think of an excuse?’ Tracey sighed.

“Hey Pete, Clare.”

“How’re you feeling?” Clare asked.

“I’m alright. Just feeling a little light headed but it’s normal according to the doctors.”

“That’s good news. Oh, here. Got you some flowers. Hope you like them.”

“You guys shouldn’t have. Thank you.”

“It was nothing. At least you have something to look at than to stare at the ceiling or the walls.”

“Hahaha. You are a real crack up, Pete.”

“A-ha! At least I made you laugh!”

“Yes, you did. Thank you.”

“Not a problem. Happy to be of service.”

“I know. Really, thank you. I owe you one for what you did. I’m sorry I got you all worried.”

“Hey, don’t worry about it. What are friends for? Just, promise me you won’t do it again, okay?”

“Don’t worry. There won’t be another time. when I get home I am going to throw all those bloody pills away!”

“Uhm, about your house. I- er- had to break down your door in order to… ehrm… you know…”

“It’s fine. Although, Blake might not be happy about it.”

“He’ll get over it.”

“Ehrm, I think I’ll go look for a vase to put these flowers in.” Clare knew that Peter wanted to talk to Clare about what had happened so she volunteered to do the flowers so that they’d get the chance to talk. She knew that Peter would tell her about it later, anyway. [A/N: Or won’t he?]

“Thanks, Clare.” Tracey and Peter said at the same time.

Peter was relieved that Clare was leaving him and Tracey alone to talk. ‘That’s one of the reasons why I love you, Clare. You know what to do in situations like these.’

“So, you want to tell me what’s up?”

“Not really.”

“Tracey. I know you. You’d never do anything as silly as this unless something serious has happened.”

“I, erhm, I….”

Will Tracey tell Peter why she overdosed? Will Peter tell Clare what happened?

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Okay, here's the nexy update. It isn't really that great but I hope you like it:

Tracey was annoyed. Annoyed at Rachel for leaving. Annoyed at Peter for asking that questions. And furious that Clare had chosen that time to leave. ‘Damn you Clare Brody for leaving me alone with Peter.’ Tracey sighed to herself. She knew that Peter would never let it go. He would want to know why she did what she did. She wanted so badly to tell Peter. After all, they were good friends and she knew about his life more than his family. To say the least, Peter Baker was the only man in her life that Tracey trusted the most. She knew that telling Peter would ruin everything. ‘Maybe if I tell him, he might understand. Understand why I did what I did.’ Tracey couldn’t help but think about the emails he had sent her when he was working on the ‘Stalker Case.’ She knew that it had taken a toll on him and when it was finally over, he had felt relieved. Thus, she hesitated. She didn’t know how he was going to take it.

Peter Baker knew that Tracey was trying to tell him something. and whatever it was, was really important. ‘If it’s so important, why are you hesitating, Trace?’ From the moment she hesitated, he knew it was something serious. A part of him was glad that Clare had left them alone and another part of him wished that she hadn’t as there was now an awkward silence between Tracey and him. Peter sighed. He didn’t want to press Tracey. He knew that she would tell him eventually.

“I, erhm, I…. I don’t want to talk about it, Pete. Not just yet.”

“Okay, then. You know that I’m always here for you if you need me, right?”

“Yes… mom….” Tracey said while trying to keep a straight face.

“That’s good…. Wait a minute, I’m not your mother!”

“Yeah, I know. But the look on your face was priceless!” By this time, Tracey was bursting out with laughter.

“Well, I’m glad that at least someone found that funny.” Peter said while trying to act hurt but failing desperately. Tracey had something about her that always made him feel relaxed.

“I bet Clare will find that funny when she hears about it.”

“Yeah. I’ll never hear the end of it now.”

“Serves you right.”

“Hey, that is the wrong thing to say to someone who has just saved your life.”

“So true. I am sorry. And thank you for saving my life.” Tracey had turned all serious.

“I wasn’t being serious, you know?”

“I know. Nevertheless, you did save my life and I am grateful for that. Thank you. I will never forget what you did.”

“Anytime. You know I’m always here for you, right, Trace?”

“Yeah. I do.” Tracey smiled, as she grabbed his hand and gave it a squeeze.It was then that a bond was forged between Tracey and Peter that would later on come back to haunt them.

And it was at that particular moment that Clare Brody chose to return to the room with the flowers in a jug.

Next time: Will Tracey tell Peter? How will Clare react? Will this spell the end for our favourite couple?

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Thanks guys! Here's the next update! It's short but hope you like it!

Rachel Armstrong was sitting on the couch at the doctor’s lounge and didn’t realize that she had nodded off. The last thing she remembered was coming in here after saving Tracey. She was exhausted physically, mentally and emotionally. ‘If only you knew what you did to me, Trace. Trust me when I say that you won’t hear the end of it when you awake,’ thought Rachel. She knew that she could never stay mad at Tracey for long. No matter how mad she was at Tracey for putting her through this situation, she would always forgive her. This was Rachel’s fatal flaw. She cared too much about people and she forgave easily. Especially when it involved the people that she cared about…

When she awoke from her short nap, she decided to go check on Tracey and find out how she was doing. ‘If I’m lucky maybe she’ll have woken up and at least I’ll get to see with my own eyes that she is doing fine.’ And so Rachel dragged herself off from the comfy couch and dragged her legs to Ward 5 in the 5th floor. She reached Room 508 in less than ten minutes and found Tracey still asleep. ‘She looks so peaceful and angelic when she sleeps’ Rachel thought and decided to sit by the bedside. “Well, it looks like you’re not going to be waking up any time soon, so I guess you’ll forgive me if I check my eyelids for a bit…. Sweet dreams, Tracey. Wake up soon, okay? We have to catch up.” Rachel said as she shut her eyes for the second time today. However, that was not to happen. Ten minutes later, Rachel heard a groggy moan and instantly shot up from her seat.

“Tracey?” she called. But there was no response. She checked Tracey for vitals and made sure that she was alright. Tracey was muttering something and Rachel struggled to listen. All she could make out was, ‘Please. Don’t go. Stay.’ And then, Tracey opened her eyes.

“Welcome back to the land of the living.”

Clare Brody was happy. She was in love and the man she loved was madly in love with her. That was all she ever needed. Clare had met several men, been on dates with them but there was never anyone who could truly make her happy. Whenever her relationships failed, she was always resigned to the fact that she was going to be a spinster for life. That is, until she met Peter Baker. They had their ups and downs but she was happy that fate had given them a second chance. Sure, she had doubts about her man, just like every woman does but she knew in her heart that Peter was hers and she was his. She had felt a slight tinge of jealousy over how much Peter cared for Tracey. She knew there was nothing ever between them but there was always this ‘thing’ lingering at the back of her mind that Peter and Tracey had this connection that couldn’t be denied. Everyone at work had commented about it and every time, the both of them had denied it. Clare knew that if there was one woman that Peter would remain faithful to, it would be her. Little did she know that she would be completely off course with that thought.

As she walked back to Tracey’s room, she hoped that Peter had managed to find out what happened to Tracey. As she approached the room carrying the flowers in the vase and with a slight smile gracing her lips with thoughts of Peter and herself, she caught something in the corner of her eyes. Clare went rigid at that very spot as she beheld the scene before her very eyes. A woman was squeezing her fiancée’s hands and his look betrayed his feelings. She couldn’t believe this was happening. Just when everything was so perfect. And to make matters worst, that woman was her friend as well as her fiancée’s ex. Clare was seething. Before she even realized it, the vase had slipped off her hands and landed with a ‘CRASH’ on the floor. it was then that the two other occupants in the room took their eyes of each other to find Clare standing at the door with a shocked expression on her face and staring.

“Clare?” they both asked together.

“I, err, uhm, sorry, butter fingers. I’ll go get someone to come clean this up.” Clare said and immediately bailed from the room.

She couldn’t believe what she had just witnessed. She felt that her whole world had suddenly come crashing down. All she wanted to do was to get out of there as soon as possible. She found a cleaner and ran outside as tears streamed down her face.

Is this the end for Peter and Clare? Will Tracey tell Peter the truth? Will Rachel and Tracey be able to heal their friendship?

[swfc]

Thanks guys! Here's the next part:

Meanwhile, back at Tracey’s room:

“So, erhm, ahem…” Peter broke the awkward silence that hung around since Clare’s exit to look for a cleaner.

“Uhm, yeah. I…. Oh, here comes the cleaner.” Tracey said smiling and relieved to have something to take away the tension. “Thanks for cleaning up the mess.”

“Uh, yeah, thanks! I think maybe I should get going now. Due back ages ago. The boss ain’t going to like it if I’m late again. So, erhm, you take care now. And get well soon and make sure you take your medication and listen to your doctor.”

“Yes, mum! Now, will you get going? Thanks for coming! I’ll see you some other time.”

And with that, Peter Baker exited the room and left to look for his fiancée. He had sensed that something was wrong when Clare had just run off abruptly. He wondered what was up seeing as that he and Tracey were only just talking. ‘Women. Go figure!’ Peter sighed.

Tracey Thompson was reclining on her hospital bed thinking about the events of the past day. Eve was dead. She overdosed on pills. Peter found her. Rachel saved her life. And that dream. Clare running out of the room. ‘Yup, it has indeed been a long and hectic day.’ Tracey thought to herself. While it may have been a long and hectic day for everyone else, Tracey knew hers was only just beginning. She had to face Rachel and explain what happened. ‘I owe her that, at the very least seeing as that she saved my life’ Tracey thought to herself. However, the most important issue at hand was Peter. She knew that Peter would not let this whole incident drop just like that without any explanation whatsoever. She knew that she would have to lie. But Tracey hated lying, especially to Peter. He had done so much for her and lying to him was not exactly a way to repay back what your good friend had done for you. Tracey knew that she had a decision to make and it had better be fast. Deep down, she was afraid of how Peter would react when he finds out that Eve was, no, still is, her best friend as well as Rachel’s. ‘Would he hate me? Would he be able to look at me and still treat me the same way? Should I even tell him? How would he react?’ All these thoughts were running through Tracey’s mind that she didn’t even realize that Rachel had come in.

“What’s on your mind?”

When the clock hit exactly 5pm sharp, Rachel Armstrong breathed a sigh of relief. ‘Finally! Now I can go and put my feet up and catch up with Tracey.’ Rachel was a bit skeptical. She wondered how Tracey would treat her now that she had had time to reflect on things. Rachel didn’t blame her if she did hate her. After all, she had never rung Tracey or anything until now. When Tracey had awakened, she had felt relief. Now, she dreaded going to see Tracey because of what might happen. ‘I have to face her no matter what. I am her doctor after all. Well, here goes’ Rachel thought to herself as she entered Tracey’s room and saw the restlessness and confusion that was betrayed by Tracey’s expression.

“What’s on your mind?”

“Rachel!” Tracey was jerked out of her reverie and practically jumped as she heard her name. “What are you doing here?”

“I’m done for the day so I came up here to see you.”

“Oh.”

“Is everything alright? Did I interrupt something? I can always come back later, if you want.”

“No, it’s fine. Please, stay. It’s really great to have a friend here.”

“You wanna talk about it, Trace?”

“I…. er…. I…. that is….. *sigh*”

“Does this have to do with Peter?”

“Yeah…. I don’t know what to do, Rach. Peter’s a really great friend but if I tell him about Eve, I don’t know how he’d react.”

“Wait a minute. Peter Baker. OMG! He was the detective that-“

“Yeah. He was. His fiancée, Clare Brody was also involved.” Tracey cut Rachel off before she could even finish.

“I don’t envy the position that you’re in, Trace.”

“Hey, come sit. You’ve practically been standing all day.” Tracey patted on the bed.

“Okay. Thanks!”

This was seen as a sign. ‘A very good one at that’ Rachel thought to herself as she sat down at the foot of Tracey’s bed.

Next time: Rachel and Tracey finally talk. Is this the end for Peter and Clare? Will Tracey work up the courage to tell Peter the truth?

[swfc]

Okay, I'm probably going to disappoint you guys with the first part of the next chapter. Here's the first part:

Clare Brody was at the hospital car park sobbing her eyes out when she saw her fiancée walking towards her. She quickly dried her eyes but knew that it wasn’t going to do much. Peter would definitely want to know what was wrong with her and she didn’t want to look like the jealous girlfriend so she knew she had to come up with an excuse. Yet, she couldn’t will her mind to think of one. In all of her life, Clare had never felt so pressurized as she was right now. She knew that in situations like these, the only possible form of action would be to just ‘get the hell out of here as soon as possible.’ And that was exactly what she did. She unlocked the car, got in and zoomed off, nearly knocking her fiancée down. ‘Thank goodness you have fast reflexes, Pete. I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean to do this to you but I just need time out. Time away from everything. From you. From Tracey. From us. I need time for me.’ Clare sighed to herself. She knew she was taking the cowards’ way out but she had to do this. For the sake of her relationship with the man she loved.

Peter Baker had searched high and low for his fiancée and finally, with the help of the sweet young thing at the hospital reception area, he found out that she had gone out of the building and was headed towards the car park. ‘Great, how the hell am I suppose to find her in such a big compound?’ Peter sighed; frustrated by the fact that Clare had been acting weird all day. ‘Well, ever since I opened my big mouth and said something that I shouldn’t’ve. Peter Baker, you are an idiot!’ he chided himself. Peter stood in the middle of the entrance and looked around. He saw a small, blonde figure standing by a car that looked like Clare’s. He squinted to try and see closely but to no avail. [A/N: You’d think that he’d recognize his fiancée’s own car by now! ]. As he inched closer towards the car, he recognized that figure as that of his fiancée and frowned. He saw that Clare was crying. She was crying so much so that her entire body shook violently. That was when Peter knew that things were going to go downhill. Before he could open his mouth and call out to her, she had gotten in to the car and drove off as though the devil was on her back. He immediately dived towards the side for cover as Clare nearly ran him down.

“DAMN IT!” Peter yelled and punched the thin air out of anger.

Is this the end for Peter and Clare?

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Glad you liked the teasers guys! Here's the full chapter:

This was seen as a sign. ‘A very good one at that’ Rachel thought to herself as she sat down at the foot of Tracey’s bed.

“Trace!”

“Rach!”

They both said at the same time and burst out laughing. It was Rachel who finally broke the laughter.

“Trace, I’m really sorry. I know I haven’t exactly been the friend that you wanted me to be. I know that saying that I was busy was no excuse at all after what you and Eve have both done for me. I swear, if I could turn back time, I’d never let this happen. I just-“

Tracey put a finger to Rachel’s lips to stop her from saying anything more. She would never let Rachel apologize for what she had done.

“No, Rach. This wasn’t your fault. All of this was never your fault. It was never any body’s fault. To be honest, [and here she took a deep breath], it was all Eve’s fault. If she had never moved away, we wouldn’t be sitting here, catching up. We’d probably all be at a bar sipping vodkas and martinis and dancing the night away.”

“Haha. Yeah, you’re so right. That is so true and typical of Eve though. That is so her.” Rachel reminisced.

“Listen, Rach, I owe you an apology and an explanation. Whatever you do, please don’t say anything until I finish. The day you rung my house, I was home. I wanted to pick up the phone but…” Tracey paused as she took another deep breath and reached out and took Rachel’s hands in hers. “But, I was in so much shock at the news of Eve’s death that I couldn’t bring myself up to answer the phone. I just felt so sick to the stomach. I don’t even know how to describe how I felt at that time. When I think about it now, I still can’t find the perfect word to describe it. I was feeling so many feelings at once that I was caught in a web of my feelings. And, here, I must be honest with you. When you rung me, I was mad. I was so mad because the reason why you rung me in over 6 years was because Eve had died. I was angry because you used Eve as a reason to finally talk to me. I felt that, if Eve had been alive, you’d never have rung me at all. I was so caught up in my rage and sadness that I wasn’t thinking straight. At that time, I blamed you. I blamed you for everything. I felt that every thing was your fault. And, I never once stopped to consider how you were feeling. I was so caught up with myself, thinking that I had no one left in this world now that Eve was gone. I didn’t stop to consider that I still had you. I had Peter, yes, but he would never understand or know me as much as you and Eve did. I just couldn’t cope so the only possible solution was to kill myself. That way, everyone would be happy. I would be happy because I’d be able to see Eve again.”

By now, tears were streaming down Tracey’s face as she looked Rachel in the eye and continued on. She knew that once she had started, she couldn’t stop until she told Rachel everything. “I didn’t realize just exactly how selfish I was. All I did was think about myself and how I was feeling and not care about the feelings of the people around me. And, for that, I am so, so very sorry, Rach. Please allow me to make it up to you. I’d do anything for you to earn your forgiveness….” It was here that Rachel stood up from the bed and walked towards the window and faced her back towards Tracey.

Of all the things, Rachel didn’t expect this. Tracey was apologizing for something that was out of her control. As Tracey went on, Rachel’s feelings went from nervous to upset to angry and back to upset. She was hurt because Tracey had blamed her for this mess. But, she knew that she didn’t mean to. Regardless, it still hurt. That hurt was what brought tears to her eyes. A part of her wanted to slap Tracey for what she had just said. Even though it was the truth, she just couldn’t help it. She couldn’t bring herself to look at Tracey.

“Rach…. Please…. Say something…. I know that you’re mad with me. Please, just look at me.” Tracey knew that Rachel was angry at her. She felt so bad but she knew that Rachel deserved the truth. “Please. Tell me that we’re going to be fine…” Tracey was practically begging through her sob. “Please, just look at me. I beg you.” By now, the tears were falling down Tracey’s face to her now empty hands that once held Rachel’s.

“WHAT DO YOU EXPECT ME TO SAY?!?!” Rachel practically yelled with tears now streaming fast, down her face. “How can you blame me for this?!??! It was YOU who took the pills. It was YOU who wanted to kill yourself. TRACEY THOMPSON! YOU ARE THE MOST SELFISH PERSON THAT I HAVE EVER MET! Do you think that you were the only one suffering? I was suffering as well. In case you have forgotten, Eve was also MY friend! She wasn’t only your friend! She was OUR friend! You said that I didn’t care? The first person I thought about after reading the news of Eve’s death was you, Tracey. I didn’t care about how I was feeling. All I could think about was how you were dealing with the news. That was why I rung you in the first place.”

“I’m so sorry Rachel. I really am. I-“

“Shut up. I’m not done yet. You know, when you didn’t pick up your phone, I was so worried. I actually wanted to go over to check up on you but I didn’t. You know why? Because I wanted to give you space. Space to calm down before you saw me. I knew you were going to be mad at me for calling you then, heck, even I would be mad if you did that. So, I gave you the space and time that you needed. I even made a pledge to myself to go and visit you at work the next day just to see how you were doing. Tracey, I don’t understand you. I really don’t. It’s like you’ve become someone else. The old Tracey I knew would not have blamed her friends. The only Tracey wouldn’t have done what you did. The old Tracey would’ve stuck through it and not give up at all. The old Tracey would have answered the damned phone when I rung and not make up excuses. You don’t know just how much I want to slap you right now, Tracey.” Rachel wouldn’t listen to reasoning. She was mad beyond boiling point. If someone would’ve stuffed a thermometer into her mouth at that time, it would’ve exploded.

“Why don’t you, if it makes you feel better?”

“What?” Rachel looked at Tracey in shock. She couldn’t believe her ears. Tracey was really giving up. She wasn’t even putting up a fight. “God, Trace, you really have changed…”

Tracey Thompson had never felt so ashamed in her entire life. If she had her gun she would’ve shot herself in the head with it just to make Rachel stop yelling. She couldn’t blame Rachel for being mad. ‘She has every right to be mad at me’ Tracey thought to herself.

“You’re right, Rachel. It’s my entire fault. It was never anyone’s fault but mine. I’ve been the selfish one. I didn’t stop to think about how my actions would affect the people I care about. Please, just don’t be mad at me. Please. I’ve already lost a best friend. I don’t want to lose another. I know that saying sorry will not fix anything at all. But, please, I beg you, please give me another chance. Please give me the chance to make it up to you. Please, Rach- Where are you going? Rachel! Come back!” Tracey pleaded and begged but her pleading fell on deaf ears because Rachel Armstrong had stormed out the door.

Next time: What will happen to Tracey and Rachel?

[swfc]

Thanks Rabs!

Here's the next chapter. Hope you guys like it:

Meanwhile, at the hospital car park:

Peter Baker was annoyed. He was annoyed at Tracey. Annoyed at Clare. Most of all, he was annoyed at himself and his stupidity. Somehow, everyone, or more precisely, the women in his life were acting really crazy at the moment. First, Tracey nearly kills herself. Then, Clare runs away without a word and in the process, nearly knocks him down. ‘Why do I get the feeling that I would have a lot of explaining to do?’ Peter thought to himself as he walked towards his car and sped back to the station to finish off his report and explain to his boss as to why it took him nearly a whole day to drop by certain important documents over at Tracey’s.

As he drove along, he wondered if Clare would be there when he arrived. He knew that they would need to talk about what happened. For as long as he knew Clare, he had never seen her acting this weird before. This got him worried. He knew that he was to blame for this but he also knew that Clare wasn’t so petty as to have allowed what he had accidentally let slipped at the hospital. ‘If it had been a Cindy or a Joyce, they would’ve flipped and dumped him right there and then. No, Clare wasn’t like them. She was one in a million’ and that was one of the many reasons why Peter loved her. After all, he had sacrificed being with his family for her. If he had his way, they would both be living in Summer Bay happily ever after. But he had given up the opportunity to spend time with Dan for her. And they had promised each other that this time it was for real. Thus, he was going to do whatever it takes to make this relationship work. Thus, Peter resolved to talk to Clare when he saw her next.

When he arrived back at the station, Clare was still not there. ‘Strange. She did leave before me’ Peter mused to himself. He soon found out that she did not come back ever since she left this morning to work on a case. ‘I guess I’ll see her at home then’ he decided as he sat down at his table and pulled opened yet another case file marked CONFIDENTIAL. Little did Peter know what was in store for him when he arrived home.

Back at the hospital:

Rachel had had enough. She didn’t want to listen to Tracey feeling sorry for herself. All she wanted to do was to be left alone to absorb every single thing that Tracey had told her. She knew that there was no way that she could do it here, at her workplace so she headed home. It was her sanctuary. The one place where no one could bother her. Where nothing anyone said could affect her. The one place where there was no reminder of Tracey. The moment she arrived home, she turned on the stereo to fill the silence. She headed towards the kitchen and poured herself a glass of red wine. ‘Nothing like a glass of wine to cheer you up when you’re down.’ However, the glass of wine wasn’t exactly a miracle cure for what and how she was feeling at this very moment. ‘Maybe a bath might do me some good.’ And she headed off to the bathroom and drew herself a warm bubble bath.

“Well, that went well!” Tracey exclaimed,

The moment that Rachel walked out on her, Tracey collapsed on to the bed and bawled her eyes out. She knew that Rachel had every right to be mad at her but she had never expected Rachel to walk out on her. ‘Now I know exactly how it feels to have a lover walk out on you’ Tracey thought to herself. Only in this case it was not a lover but a best friend who had walked out on her. She didn’t know what to do. Rachel was mad at her. She was doing what Eve had told her to do. ‘Talk to Rachel.’

“Yeah. Like that did much help.” Tracey muttered to herself through the tears. She had tried to talk to Rachel and Rachel had stormed off. ‘Well, looks like I’ve officially lost both of my best friends now. Good one Tracey!’ she chided herself. “You know, this is your entire fault, Eve. If you hadn’t died, I wouldn’t be here and Rachel wouldn’t be mad at me.” ‘You and your stupid suggestion in asking me to talk to her. Well, I sure hope that you’re happy now! Well, I’m glad that you’re dead! If not I would’ve killed you myself!’ Tracey was now furious...

Back at Rachel’s apartment:

Once again, Rachel was glad for the wonders that a bubble bath could do for a person. She had never felt so relieved, relaxed and refreshed until now. As she made her way to the sofa, the radio was playing a very familiar song:

*Every now and then

We find a special friend

Who never lets us down

Who understands it all

Reaches out each time you fall

You're the best friend that I've found

I know you can't stay

A part of you will never ever go away

Your heart will stay

I'll make a wish for you

And hope it will come true

That life would just be kind

To such a gentle mind

If you lose your way

Think back on yesterday

Remember me this way

Remember me this way

Hmm……….. this way

I don't need eyes to see

The love you bring to me

No matter where I go

And I know that you'll be there

Forever more apart of time, you're everywhere

I'll always care

I'll make a wish for you

And hope it will come true

That life would just be kind

To such a gentle mind

If you lose your way

Think back on yesterday

Remember me this way

Remember me this way

Hmm……….. this way

And I'll be right behind your shoulder watching you

I'll be standing by your side and all you do

And I won't ever leave

As long as you believe

You just believe

As Rachel listened to it, tears streamed down her face. She thought about every thing that had happened. Images of the past and present came zipping round her as the song played on. This was their song. The song that spoke of their friendship. It was through this song that they had all survived on when Eve moved away; when they slowly went their separate ways. And now, when Tracey and Rachel were at odds with each other, this song came on. It was as though there was someone watching out for them. Someone who wanted to make sure that they were both doing fine. It was then that Rachel realized that no matter how much Tracey’s words had hurt her, it didn’t matter anymore. Nothing mattered anymore. She knew that Tracey was only telling her the truth. And no matter how hard it hurt, Rachel was happy that Tracey had told her the truth instead of hiding it from her.

I'll make a wish for you

And hope it will come true

That life would just be kind

To such a gentle mind

If you lose your way

Think back on yesterday

Remember me this way

Remember me this way

Hmm……….. This way. *

As the song inched closer to the end, Rachel jumped up and ran out of the house and drove back to the hospital. She knew that she would have to ask Tracey for forgiveness. Just as Tracey had asked her for forgiveness….

Back at the hospital:

Tracey had cried her eyes out to sleep. Just as she was about to drop of to sleep, however, a familiar tune inched its way past her door and into her room. The radio from Room 510 was playing their song.

*Every now and then

We find a special friend

Who never lets us down

Who understands it all

Reaches out each time you fall

You're the best friend that I've found

I know you can't stay

A part of you will never ever go away

Your heart will stay

I'll make a wish for you

And hope it will come true

That life would just be kind

To such a gentle mind

If you lose your way

Think back on yesterday

Remember me this way

Remember me this way

Hmm……….. this way*

As she listened to it, Tracey started reminiscing. She thought about the past, when Eve was still alive and all three of them were close and nothing could ever come between then. She thought about the coining of their motto, ‘All For One and One For All.’ She thought about the day that Eve left and how she and Rachel had relied on each other for support. She thought about the day that Eve died. And she thought about Rachel. As the memories started zoom past her, Tracey realized just how lucky and stupid she was. how lucky she was to have such good friends and how stupid she was to have let them slip away. As the song ended, the door to Room 508 opened and Tracey spun round thinking that maybe it was the nurse coming to check up on her. But it wasn’t.

For there, at the door, stood Dr. Rachel Armstrong.

* 'Remember Me This Way by Jordan Hill*

[swfc]

It is indeed your lucky day, Andy!

Here's the next chapter! It's a pretty short one tho:

Clare Brody returned to an empty house and headed straight to the room that she shared with Peter. She grabbed a suitcase and immediately started packing her things for a few days visit up to her parents’ place. She needed time away from all this so she knew the best place to go to was home. ‘After all, home was where the heart is,’ Clare sadly thought to herself. She knew that her parents always had an open door policy for their kids and Clare had never imposed on it until now. She had always been independent and when she moved out, she moved out for real. Sure, she did go back for visits and family dinners and birthdays and Christmas but most of the time; she stayed at her own apartment. Her parents, Simon and Janine had sent Peter and Clare a house warming gift when they were told of the engagement. They had even come round for dinner one night just so that they could get to know Peter, because for Clare, their opinion was highly important. Especially when it came to choosing her partner for life. She remembered that day clearly as though it was yesterday. Everyone had had a good time and her parents liked what they saw in Peter. They were happy that their only daughter was happy and that was all that mattered to them.

After packing her bags, she sat down on the bed and rung Superintendent Murphy and told him she was taking a few days, possible a week or two off to spend time with her family. “And, can you please do me a favour? Don’t tell Peter. I’ll let him know myself. Thank you.” And with that she hung up and picked up her bags and walked out the door. Before closing the door behind her, she placed a note on the table and gave the apartment one last look round. ‘I’m definitely going to miss you. I'm so sorry Pete. This is for the best…’ And with that, Clare Brody shut the doors and did not look back.

Peter Baker was done for the day. He had managed, or at least tried to get some paperwork done but to no avail so he decided to bail early. He hoped that Clare was already home so that they could solve the tiny problem that they were experiencing at the moment. On the way home, he dropped by the florist and bought a bouquet of white lilies and red roses [Clare’s favourite flowers] as well as a bottle of red wine from the wine shop nearby. As he rounded the corner into the car park, he saw that Clare wasn’t home yet. He didn’t know whether it was a good thing or not. However, he decided to stay on the positive and let things unfold by themselves. It was not good to plan explanations like these. ‘Especially when you have no idea what is wrong with your fiancée.’ With that Peter Baker let himself in the house to get it readied for his fiancée’s return home from work. Little did he know that she was never going to.

Clare Brody rounded the bend and turned into a familiar driveway. “Yup, it’s good to be home!” Clare exclaimed to herself. She knew her parents would be surprised to see her because she had not rung them and told them she was coming. Let alone that she would be staying with them for a few days or weeks. Before she knew it, she was at the doorstep of her childhood home and knocking on the front door.

“Clare?!?”

“Mum.” Clare was so overjoyed at seeing her mother’s face and hearing her voice that she dropped the suitcase and just hugged her mother ever so tightly. She didn’t even realize that tears were free-falling down her cheeks.

“Hun, where’s Pete? Why didn’t you call?” Janine was happy to see her daughter but she was also a little astonished and intrigued as to why Clare would appear at the doorstep without a single word. And she was also fiancée-less.

“He’s not coming. He has work. I’m so happy to see you mom. Where’s dad? Is he home?” Clare changed the subject immediately, not wanting to talk about her situation.

“He is. He’s inside watching the news. Why don’t you come on in and settle down. Here, let me take that.”

“It’s okay, mom, I can take it myself. Thanks for letting me come home.”

“It’s your home too, darling. Come on. It’s good to have you here.”

“It’s good to be home, too, mom.” Clare said softly.

And with that, Janine Brody shut the door and led her daughter into the living room where they were to find out the real reason as to Clare’s sudden return home.

Back at Peter and Clare’s shared apartment:

Peter stepped into the dark house and shut the door. He groped around the walls for the light switch and flicked it up and the lights turned on and illuminated the entire house. They had both talked about getting a bigger house when they got married but for now, this would have to do. The apartment had two bedrooms and came completely furnished when they got it. ‘And for a pretty good deal, at that,’ Peter thought. ‘Yup, for now this will have to do for a home.’ He put the wine and flowers down on the counter top and went to have a shower. After all, he wanted to look presentable for Clare when she came home. As he grabbed his stuff and headed into the shower, he failed to notice that the closet door was ajar and that it was half empty.

As he finished his shower and headed towards the closet, with only a towel wrapped round his waist, he had a shock of his life.

“What the heck?!”

The closet was now half empty. The only clothes that were there were his. All of Clare’s were gone. Peter was confused. He tried to figure out why Clare’s clothes were missing but couldn’t. He was in too much shock to think. He ran out to the living room, clutching his towel so that it wouldn’t come crashing down from his waist. [A/N: I would’ve loved to see that happen, that’s for sure! ;p] to get his mobile to ring Clare. As he picked up his mobile, his eyes wandered towards the envelope on the table, with PETER written on it in bold. Peter felt sick to the stomach as he picked it up and opened the letter.

Dear Pete,

Next time:

What is in the letter? Is this really the end for Peter and Clare?

[swfc]

Thanks heaps guys!

The towel

Update soon

Okay, here's the next chapter. I personally think that this one is really, really crappy so yeah:

For there, at the door, stood Dr. Rachel Armstrong.

As Rachel stepped out of the escalator, the familiar tune of ‘Remember Me This Way’ made it’s way to her ears and she couldn’t help but hum along with it. This made her even more determined to talk to Tracey. As she arrived outside the door, which had been left ajar, Rachel could see the silhouette of Tracey in the dark and heard small, sniffling sobs. Rachel felt all the more guilty at having made Tracey feel this bad.

For Tracey Thompson, the moment that she saw Rachel Armstrong at the door was something that would be etched on to her memory for a lifetime. She was stunned into silence. She tried to open her mouth to say something but nothing came out. It was as though someone had taken her voice away from her. All she could do was look at Rachel. And look at her was what she did.

Rachel saw Tracey’s countenance change the moment she walked in. she was still in tears but the look of shock on her face betrayed everything she was feeling. Rachel didn’t know what to do. She knew that there was one thing that Tracey wanted. And that was what Rachel did- she ran straight to Tracey’s bed and enveloped her in a big hug and there, in the arms of each other, they burst into tears. Tears of sadness in losing a friend. And tears of happiness at having reconciled. And there, they remained for a full ten minutes.

Meanwhile, at Clare’s parents’ place:

Simon Brody was watching the news when he heard someone knocking on the door and rose up to answer it but his wife beat him to it. ‘It’s probably the neighbour wanting to borrow something again’ thought Simon so it was no wonder that he nearly had a heart attack when he saw his wife heading to the living room, arm-in-arm with his daughter.

“Clare!”

“Dad…” Clare immediately released herself from her mother’s grips and ran to her father’s waiting arms. In all her life, there were only 3 men whom Clare truly trusted. Her father, Simon; her brother, Louie; and her fiancée, Peter. So far, only one of them had hurt her. As she hugged her father, she knew that coming home was the best decision that she had ever made. Apart from getting engaged to Peter.

The moment that she saw Clare, Simon knew something was up. He knew that his daughter was very independent and the fact that she had turned up on the doorstep of her childhood home begged questioning. But he wasn’t going to pressure her into telling him. He knew that she would eventually tell them why she was here and what was troubling her.

Meanwhile, back at the apartment:

Dear Pete,

When you read this letter, I would have already left. I don’t want you to come after me. I know that you may think this is all strange, and frankly, I don’t blame you for it. I guess, what I’m trying to tell you, Pete, is that I need time out. Time out from you. Time out from us. I don’t know if this is the end of us because that’s really up to you to decide. What I need is space to clear my head and think things through.

I hope you will understand that this is for the best. Maybe this time apart will help us both to gain some perspective about things. It might also shed light into our relationship and might help you make up your mind.

I will not lie to you when I say that I know you still have feelings for Tracey. I saw how you looked at her and how much you care about her. It was evident at the hospital. I don’t want to sound like the jealous girlfriend but I can’t help myself. Every time I look at you and Tracey together and I see you and me, I can’t help but feel that you and me are a mistake. I love you, Peter. So much so that if I have to give you up, I will. I don’t want to make a commitment to someone who can’t reciprocate the amount of love as I have. I want a future with you, but if you are unwilling to give me that, I think it’s best that we go our own ways. As much as it pains me to say so, I think it is the only way.

I cannot bear it anymore to be the talk of the office. I know that everyone senses something between you and Tracey and how everyone thinks that you and Tracey are meant to be. I can’t stand to be known as ‘the woman who stole Peter Baker away from Tracey Thompson.’

I don’t want this to be goodbye. You said that this time it was going to be forever. I believed you for it. But, if I have to share you with someone else, I would give you up willingly. I just want you to be happy, Peter. I don’ want you to be committed to someone who you cannot love.

I am so sorry, Peter. This is for the best. Please, don’t come looking for me. I will contact you when the time is right. Take care of yourself. Don’t overwork and get the rest that you deserve.

Love always,

Clare

“Arrrgh!!! I don’t believe this!” Peter shot up from the chair and yelled in frustration. He couldn’t believe that Clare was gone. And it was all his doing. ‘If I had only kept my mouth shut, then none of this would have happened!’ Peter was devastated. he had lost the love of his life because of those six words. Those six words that had now come back to haunt him. He was so mad that he wanted to hit something. Anything. To take the pain away. As he looked around, he saw the photograph of him and Clare together sitting on the bookshelf. He grabbed it and smashed it on to the floor; the pieces of glass splattering everywhere. It was then that Peter finally broke down and cried his eyes out.

“Clare……”

Next time: Will Peter go looking for Clare? Will she want to see him? Tracey and Rachel's heart to heart