Behind Closed Doors

[allibaz91]

^Thanks for the constructive criticism, Lil

[swfc]

To be frank, even I'm not happy.

First her not sure about baby Clete and then that cliffhanger.... I'd definitely be sulking.

Well, apart from that, it was fun to see Pete with the kids following him... It was so cute...

Apart from that, I really don't know what to say about this chapter, Alli.

[Jess]

Allllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllliiiiiiiiiiiiii!

That's all I have to say.

[allibaz91]

^I'm assuming these are good comments, Jess and Chrissie?

Cliffies are gooood, though!! For me, anyway

Besides, if I kept going I'd have rambled for ages, not have finished the chapter, and you'd all have been getting on my case for lack of update!!

Never happy, you lot

Thanks Angie - always pleased to have a new reader!

More up soon, ish, depending how studying goes ....

[Jess]

Well, Alli, it will be a good comment if you quit studying and update soon. Nah, this is such an awesome fic. - I just wanna keep reading and reading and reading.

Part of me wants to know what Natalie's up to, but the other part of me wants Clare and Pete to get out of witness protection so that she doesn't have to worry about terminating the baby.

Please update soon? Cookies?

[allibaz91]

^Lmao!! I'll see what I can get done - I'm finished studying for tonight, but my brother might want on, and I have some artwork to do and another fic that I really should update

But I'll do my best to update this weekend, cause after that it could be ages!

[Jess]

Pleassssssssssssse update! Although, do I sense another fic. update for something else?!

[allibaz91]

Lol!! I've had this other fic going on for ages now - I just haven't posted it on here yet

We're up to chapter eight, I think, on FreeYourSoul

I'll try, I'll try!

[Jess]

^^ Ah, okay.

Trrrrrrrrry!

[allibaz91]

Totally figures it would go up at stupid o'clock

Anyway, here's another one, shockingly! I mean, I was bullied into it, but here it is anyway

Chapter 34

“Peter, just calm down,” Sam said slowly, getting to his feet. Clare came up behind Peter, and he felt her bump into him as she too stopped from shock. He shook his head.

“What the hell is she doing here?!” he demanded furiously. Sam looked nervous.

“Oh, calm down, Detective,” Natalie said, rolling her eyes. “I’m here for the same reason as you are.” Peter put one arm out in front of Clare, almost instinctively.

“Funny, nobody mentioned you moving in to me,” he shot at Natalie. She sighed and reached into her jacket, and a moment later there was a police badge under his nose.

“Constable Natalie Robinson, at your service, sir,” she said, laying a delicate stress on the last word. “I’ve only just been re-assigned to the force after some … time out.”

“And I thought a relaxing case keeping you two safe in London would be a good way to break her into the routine,” Sam added. “Keep a lookout for Gillan’s men, and all.”

“And you didn’t think we’d want to know anything about this?” Peter shouted.

“You didn’t think I might want to know about you leaving the country more than three hours before you left?!” his boss yelled back. “I had a nightmare getting anybody to tail you in time! Damn lucky Natalie was available, too!”

“Not the word I’d use for it,” Peter muttered, and Clare scoffed.

Sam shot them both dirty looks and opened up his leather briefcase, making himself perfectly at home on their sofa. Not like it was polite to ask, or anything.

“Okay, Peter, there’s something else I’ll need your opinion on,” he said briskly. “Maybe Clare and Natalie can head into the kitchen for some girl chat?”

“I think I’ll go lie down, actually,” Clare said coolly. “See you later, yeah, Pete?”

“Absolutely,” he agreed and kissed her softly. She then walked right out of the room without so much as a glance at either Sam or his new friend. He just rolled his eyes, but Natalie at least had the good grace to look ashamed of herself for lying to them.

“Look, I am sorry, you know,” she said, when the silence dragged out. “I mean, I know you’ll probably not forgive me for lying and all, but I was just doing my job.”

“Yeah, well, I know that,” Peter conceded. “Clare will be harder to convince, mind.”

“Well I’m sorry, because, although most of the things I told you were lies … I never once lied about anything important. I do really like you guys; and I would never tell anybody any of the stuff you guys – Clare especially – shared with me in confidence.”

“Good,” he said, half-smiling. “I think I might like you better now I’ve figured out what your secret is. And I did tell Clare all along – I knew you were hiding something!”

“Don’t let being right for once go to your head now,” she joked.

Sam cleared his throat, sounding annoyed. Peter and Natalie both looked at him.

“We do have other matters at hand here, you know,” he said, irritated.

“Well I have a few questions that need answering, actually,” Peter snapped. “And considering all the stuff you’ve pulled on us, then you can wait!”

“Detective Baker, I am still your boss, and you cannot talk to me like that!”

“And what are you going to do about it?” Sam was silent. Peter laughed derisively.

“Natalie, have a seat,” he added pleasantly. She shot him a nervous glance, but sat down. Sam made a disgusted noise and went through to the kitchen, slamming the door after him. Peter rolled his eyes.

“Let him sulk,” he said bitterly. “What’s the deal with the boys, Natalie?”

“Oh!” she laughed girlishly. “Well, the triplets’ mother was my first ever full-on case when I was out of the force for a while. Disciplinary problem,” she added in response to his questioning glance. “Don’t even ask! Anyway, it was the first time I’d ever had to split up a family, and I felt really bad afterwards, so I took to visiting them at the orphanage to make sure they were okay. And then when I found out I needed a cover, I figured, what mother of three could possibly come over as a suspicious character?”

“I reckon you’re the only one,” he laughed, and she rolled her eyes.

“Is it okay if I go check on Clare?” she asked unsurely. “I mean, she won’t hate me or anything, right? If she thinks I’m disturbing her? I just want to see if she’s okay.”

“Maybe you’ll have more luck with her than I have,” Peter sighed. “Upstairs, second door on your left. Knock first or she’ll scratch your eyes out. Good luck.”

“Thank you,” she said softly and left the room. Peter leaned back on the sofa and sighed heavily. But peace wasn’t for him today, apparently. The kitchen door swung open and Sam stormed in, looking around him.

“Natalie gone somewhere?” he asked gruffly. Peter looked up at him tiredly.

“Upstairs to check on Clare,” he replied. “What was it you wanted, then?”

“Peter, there’s really no easy way to say this …” Sam began uncertainly. He sat down on the opposite sofa and took his laptop computer from his briefcase. Peter sat up and watched him as he opened up some files, clearly stalling. Finally, it was too much.

“Sam, what the hell is going on here?” he demanded.

Sam turned the computer slowly to face him. Peter felt his jaw drop open. He was looking at Drew – but not just Drew; injured Drew. He looked up at his boss, feeling a fire ignite in his stomach. He knocked the computer across the room and grabbed Sam by the throat, pinning him up against the wall and watching him struggle for breath. He lowered his voice so as not to disturb Clare or Natalie, and instead of yelling, his voice was a hiss.

“Sam, if you don’t tell me what happened to my son, I won’t think twice about smashing your head through that glass coffee table here and now,” he said warningly.

“Look, Peter, he’s okay now – I mean, he’s been home for a few weeks, and –”

“How long has this been going on?!” he asked, shocked.

Sam gulped nervously, and Peter tightened his grip over the Superintendent’s neck.

“About five weeks, maybe,” he grunted eventually. “But I didn’t know ’til yesterday!”

“Who did this to him?” Peter hissed, not loosening his grasp one iota.

“Gillan’s men,” Sam spluttered. “There’s a leak in the Programme, Pete – somehow, they know you’re alive, and they’re using him to get to you – would you let go?!”

“Who’s the leak?” asked the fuming Detective, instead grabbing tighter.

“I don’t know yet, but I’ll find out.” Now his boss was gasping for breath. Good.

“And Drew?”

“Still with your brother and his wife,” Sam promised. “He’ll be okay, Peter, I trust me –”

“No!!” Peter threw Sam onto the floor, angrier than ever. “You put me in here to save my hide, and now my son’s paying the price?! Don’t you dare ask me to trust you again!”

“Look, I’m sorry, okay?! Something slipped, and I’m going to try and fix it! But I thought you’d at least want to know what was going on. I figured I owe you that much.”

Peter paced up and down the living room agitatedly. His thoughts were swimming … Drew was hurt; Gillan knew he was alive; Clare was pregnant; she might be getting a termination; Natalie was a cop … it was all so much. But then suddenly, he knew what he had to do. He grabbed an old jumper from over a chair – one of the few ones he hadn’t taken to London with him – and pulled it over his head.

“What are you doing?” Sam asked, seeming quite taken aback.

“If Gillan wants me, he can have me,” Peter said quietly. “But he can’t have my son.”

“Peter, what about Clare – what about everything here; your new life?”

“Drew will always be my son, no matter what my name is,” he insisted. “And none of this is his mess. I have to do this for him. Tell Clare I love her, would you?”

“Pete, mate, don’t do this …” Sam tried to reason, but Peter cut him off.

“Clare’s made her own choices,” he said, thinking of her abortion she wanted to have. “And this is mine. This is just something I need to do. Tell her … just tell her, this was never about us. She’ll understand. And I love her.”

Before Sam could say another word, Peter had left the house. He shot one last glance up at Clare’s bedroom window, and sighed heavily.

“I love you,” he whispered quietly. Then he pulled up his hood and left the woman he loved yet again, knowing this time, he definitely wouldn’t be coming back.