Title: Bed of Lies
Author: Krystal McDermott 
Email: little_miss_krystal@hotmail.com 
Disclaimer: Nope, Stingers is not mine.
Thanks: To Ally and to Diana for all your ideas.


Bed of Lies 1/?

1 month later......

"Any news on Church?" Danni asked as she walked into the briefing room.
"No, same old story, he's still getting some things in order" Angie replied sadly.
"I told him it's going to take us all a while to adjust too, but he and Mac were close you know, it's tough on him"
Danni nodded thoughtfully.
"What?" Angie asked warily.
"Huh? Oh nothing I was just thinking"
"Danni? Thinking? My wonders will never cease" Angie joked trying to lighten the mood.
"Oh you shut up" Danni replied playfully. "No I was just thinking about how close Mac and Pete were. Do you think there would've been any secrets between them? Like do you think Mac would ever keep something from him?"
Angie stopped reading the paper and looked up at Danni suspiciously.
"What do you mean, secrets?"
"Oh no, I don't mean it in a bad way. It's just that, well you know my track record with guys, last one I was with turned out to be as crooked as they come. I guess I was just wondering if the whole honest deal existed out there. Never mind, forget I asked. So what's on the cards for today, aren't we supposed to be preparing a warm welcome for our new supervisor?"



Pete sat alone in his darkened lounge room, gazing at a picture of he and Mac. The picture had been taken just a week before she died. They both looked so happy, Pete thought to himself and now look at him, he was a wreck. His eyes were red from lack of sleep, he was unshaven and could barely bring himself to get up in the mornings. It had been a month since Mac's funeral and Pete still didn't have the strength return to work. Oscar, Angie and Danni often came to visit him, try to encourage him to move on with his life, but he couldn't, he couldn't get her out of his mind. Tonight it seemed everywhere he looked he could see her face, hear her laugh, but each time he reached out to her she would vanish. After unsuccessfully trying to drown himself to sleep with alcohol, Pete decided to go for a walk in the park.

He plonked himself down on a park bench and sat there staring out into the darkness. He thought about how his life had been just a few short months ago and then how it had all suddenly taken a change for the worst. Everything had happened so fast...
"Come on Pete" He cursed himself, shaking his head. "You came here to get some fresh air not to relive the past." For a brief moment he was able to concentrate on a small group of people not far away and push all thoughts of his own life out of his head and then he saw her, just for a second. She was standing there beside the group, watching him sadly. He closed his eyes for a moment, but when he re-opened them, she was gone. Getting up hurriedly he rushed over to where she had been standing, but she was no where to be seen. Cursing himself once again for not accepting reality, he began to head back home, when something resting on the bench caught his eye. He cautiously walked back over to where he had been sitting and there sitting on the bench was the photo he had been staring at previously.

"I can't explain it Stoney, it just appeared out of nowhere"
"Are you sure you didn't just bring it with you and forgot all about it?" Oscar asked Pete in disbelief.
"For the hundredth time, no!" Pete yelled back frustrated. "I know what I saw, she was there, she was watching me. Now I need you to get me her hospital records. I want to know everything. Dates, times, medications. I want the name of every doctor, nurse, cleaner anyone at that hospital who had anything to do with Mac"
"Pete, come on mate, I know it's hard, but she's gone. You can't let it destroy you, she wouldn't want that."
"I'm not crazy Stone, I need you to do this for me, please" Pete asked desperately. Stone stood there in silence for a while, but he couldn't bare to refuse his mate. Perhaps once he'd proven to Pete that it was over, he would be able to move on with his life.
"Ok. I'll look into it, but you have to promise me you'll drop it after that. Take a holiday or something, get a change of scenery, it'll do you good."
"Yeah, sure, whatever. Thanks mate, you don't know how much this means to me." Pete said as he escorted Stone to the door.
"Pete" Stone turned just before leaving. "Remember what I said, get outta here, take a break." With that Pete nodded and closed the door.


Pete knelt down on the grass and placed a bouquet of of flowers at the foot of the grave stone. A single tear made it's way down his cheek as he spoke.
"I love you Mac. I know you were there last night, I didn't just see you I could feel you. I could smell your perfume in the air. I've tried so hard to carry on with my life like you asked me to, but I can't. I can't get you out of my mind and I don't want to. I'm scared of forgetting. I'm scared that I'll forget the times we spent together, that I'll forget your memory. Every time I close my eyes I see your face, so beautiful. I need you. You can't just leave me, I need you, without you I'm nothing, please, please, come back......I love you." Tears began to stream down his face as he placed his hand over her name, etched into the headstone. "Don't leave me, please, don't leave me"

Just as he was about to stand, he felt a hand being gently placed on his shoulder.
"I'm so sorry" Mac whispered in a voice barely audible. 
Turning around suddenly Pete just gazed at her in shock. Tears threatened to cut off her ability to speak, and she was trembling, but she rushed on.
"I'm sorry, Pete. I couldn't tell. I wanted to tell you so many times, I almost did that day in the hospital, but I couldn't, they wouldn't let me. Please understand, I never meant to hurt you, it was the only way. It was the only way we could be safe. I'll understand if you....."
Before she could finish, Pete pulled her towards him and just held her close. After what seemed like an eternity he reluctantly pulled away, but still allowed his arms to linger on her waste, not wanting to let her go in case she vanished once more.
"Pete I...."
"Shhhh. Don't tell me. I know this is all just a dream, that you'll be leaving soon, but please, just let me pretend?"
"It's not a dream" she began. "I'm here, to stay, I won't leave you again, I promise."
"Don't make promises you can't keep" Pete said sadly.
"I'm not. You have to listen to me, I'm not going anywhere without you. I never died, I never had a brain tumour, that was all part of the plan. I was investigating something I shouldn't have and before I realised, it was too late, there was a contract out on my life. I was approached by witness protection and that's when it was decided that I would have to find a new life, to fake my own death." Mac paused for a moment as Pete just stared back at her in shock.
"I wanted to tell you so many times, but I couldn't, I couldn't put you at risk. I didn't want to hurt you, please you have to understand. Please forgive me." Pete stood there, staring at her for a moment, allowing all the information to sink in. Then before she knew what was happening, he leaned in and kissed her gently.
"Welcome home"