Title: Wounds Healed
Author: Lisa
Main Plot Idea Supplied by: Monika
Emails: lisacheerio_85@yahoo.com &
mon_khanna@yahoo.com.au
Disclaimer: Don’t own stingers, etc. etc. 

Pete paused, his hand on the doorknob to his and
Mac’s room. It had been many hours since he had
watched himself pierce her flesh with the knife. He
froze at the memory of her holding his gaze,
determined not to show any emotions, that single
moment when he knew he’d finally cut deep enough for
the red line of blood to surface. Pete had kept his
hand as steady as possible, and the cut had been
precise, shallow and small.
Straight afterwards, he and Mac had been immediately
separated, Mac being led away by the other women, and
Pete been taken over to Norman’s quarters to
“celebrate.” 
He had wanted so much to see Mac, talk to her
properly, but there had been no way to escape those
guys, no way in the world. 
Now he turned the door handle slowly, aware that Mac
must’ve been back for awhile now, and not wanting to
disturb her.
He entered swiftly, silently pushing the door back in
its place. Mac was asleep on the bed, one of her hands
resting over her stomach. Pete moved forward and took
a seat beside her. 
“Hey Mac,” he whispered, although he knew she
wouldn’t be able to hear him. He took a closer look at
the wound, mostly covered by her hand. The
five-centimetre incision from her navel up hadn’t
needed any stitches, and by the looks of things, was
simply being held together with butterfly tape. 
Pete climbed into bed, tired. He could feel Mac sink
in beside him, and for the first time in a very long
while, remembered what it felt like to go to sleep
with another beside him. He closed his eyes as he
reached over and took Mac’s hand, which was lying
beside her. Almost straight away her fingers curled
around his, and Pete smiled, holding back the tears,
which wanted so much to come. He hoped more than
anything that he hadn’t hurt her, and that she could
forgive him for what he did. Pete knew Mac had agreed
willingly, but still...he’d actually cut into her
skin; he couldn’t believe it. He’d felt sick when he’d
seen the blood surface and spread across her
abdomen...
Pete paused in his thoughts as Mac began lightly
brushing his hand with her fingers. 
“You awake?” he asked into the darkness. Mac’s figure
shifted slightly in the bed. 
“Yep,” she answered, barely audible. She looked back
up at the ceiling. “Well, that was a fun night.” She
laughed slightly, but there was no underlying humour
or enjoyment. Pete propped himself up on his elbow and
turned to her.
“Did I really hurt you?” he asked. Mac didn’t voice
her reply, simply nodding. 
“Mac...I...” But Mac didn’t let him continue. 
“Pete, if you’re going to attempt to apologise at
this point, save it okay? It was nothing. It didn’t
mean anything; it was for the job. The last thing I
need to hear is you going on about how sorry you are
for something you couldn’t have helped!” Pete’s vision
wasn’t so good, but he saw Mac turn her head away from
him. He gripped her hand, however, in his.
“Mac, listen to me, all right? I know you’re not
enjoying this. Neither am I. I just wanted to make
sure you were okay. All night all I wanted to do was
to see you, Mac, that’s all. I’m sorry that I feel I
need to say sorry to you, but I do. Please, Mac, let
me.” There was a long pause as Mac thought. Finally,
she whispered her response. 
“If I could roll onto my side, Pete, without being in
pain, I would hug you in a second, you know?” Pete
smiled, moving closer and putting a hand to Mac’s
face. He wiped away the tears he hadn’t known were
there as he leant in and kissed her on the forehead.
His lips lingered, but he pulled back quickly, moving
again to hug her, his hand staying on her cheek. 
“We’ll get through this case before you know it,
Mac,” he whispered to her. 
“The next task will only be harder.”
“Yes, but we’ll work it out when we get to it. All I
care about now is that you’re okay...Are you?” Mac
nodded.
“I’ll heal, I guess.” Mac’s arm went to Pete’s, which
was still holding his hand to her face. She gripped it
supportively. Pete lowered his head so their foreheads
were touching and they smiled, millimetres apart.
“Good,” Pete mumbled. “That takes care of the
physical wounds. What about emotionally?” Mac smiled.
“These last few minutes it’s grown considerably less,
thankyou very much...I mean it Pete, thanks.” Pete put
a finger to her lips, before lying back down beside
her.
“None of that, hey?” But he took her hand in his
again, this time the sense of contentment consuming
Pete entirely. He leant his head into Mac’s shoulder
as he closed his eyes again, drifting into sleep. 

*

Pete woke to the sound of Mac’s voice.
“Yeah, Ange, I know but we’re going to go through
with it. Okay, so the connection’s finalised? Great.
Bye.” She hung up, turning. Pete stood to meet her.
“How you feeling?” he asked, hands resting lightly on
her bared waist.
“I’ll be fine. A little stiff and sore, but
bearable.” They smiled, looking into each other’s
eyes. 
“What was the connection that’s been finalised?” Mac
had managed to smuggle her mobile phone into her bag,
so she could communicate with the others. 
“My necklace.” Pete’s eyes moved to the gold chain
around Mac’s neck. There was a small diamond in the
centre. “It’s a wire,” she explained.
“Oh. Is it on now?” Mac shook her head. 
“Soon, though, and it’s continual, so it’ll just keep
on recording.”
“But now-“ 
“Not on for another few minutes apparently,” Mac
reassured him. Pete paused for just a moment. 
“I’ll have to make this quick, then.” His hands still
around her waist, Pete kissed Mac deeply, pulling her
to him. He felt a hundred emotions run through him as
he ran a hand around her neck, caressing her gently.
Mac had immediately relaxed in the embrace, not
needing much to remember how things worked between
them. They pulled away slowly, neither really wanting
to.
They smiled, eyes aglow as Pete cupped her face in
his hand. He still couldn’t’ bring himself to say what
he wanted, but Mac knew. She nodded slightly as they
hugged, eventually parted by the bell for morning
meeting ringing in their ears.

*

Mac sat, trying to listen to the conclusion of
Norman’s speech. It had been going for a couple of
hours already. It was persuasive; all about how
W.A.S.P. (White Australia are the Supreme Proprietors)
were going to be continually prepared for the day the
Aboriginals rise up and claim the land as their own.
Mac had tried to listen, she really had, but her
thoughts kept wandering. She glanced once again at
Pete, sitting beside her. As always, he’d been
listening intensely, trying to get inside Norman’s way
of thinking. His brow was creased and his hands balled
into tight fists, restraining his outrage at the
racial slander Norman continued with. 
Mac reached out and took Pete’s hand closest to her.
He held it in his warmly, smiling sideways, glad for
the sense of Mac’s agreement concerning Norman Edwards
and his “theories.” 
Mac didn’t know what was happening between her and
Pete. There was no doubt in her mind that feelings she
thought she’d put to rest long ago were resurfacing,
ten times faster and twenty times greater. But this
was Pete, her colleague. Bernie had been right,
business and pleasure do not mix, she couldn’t
convince herself otherwise. But was it wrong, then, to
follow what you knew in your heart was right? That
couldn’t be so, yet that’s what it meant. Mac would
have to make a choice, very soon, and she wasn’t sure
if she could.
The meeting ended and amidst the scuffle Mac was
approached by Flora Edwards, Norman’s wife. She led
Mac around the corner and whispered.
“Just thought you should know, Norman’s got a bit of
a block, so tonight, the second task, he’s going to
get you to do the same to Marcus, only over his
heart.” Mac nodded, concealing her shock and immediate
concern.
“Why are you telling me this?” she asked. Flora
smiled.
“Oh Laura, I agree with these tasks. They’re
absolutely necessary. I just think people should be
told beforehand. I knew you were a little apprehensive
last night, so I thought I’d give you time to
prepare?” Mac smiled.
“Thanks Flora,” she said as she turned and discreetly
walked away.
“Call me Flo,” Flora called after her.

*

“Okay, this’ll be fine.” Pete and Mac were sitting
facing each other on their bed. Mac sighed.
“Pete, I’ve never cut anybody! The closest I’ve come
was when I was ten and dad tried to get me to help
skin our catch of fish.”
“And?”
“And it clicked that I’d been the one to make this
fish bleed all over me, and I promptly turned around
and threw up over the side of the boat.” Pete
chuckled.
“What about in cooking?”
“That’s okay, but I still can barely stand it. I get
through that though, not much meat in a meal for one.”
“And one of your meals at that!” He laughed.
“Pete, come on! Be serious! What if my hand slips?
It’ll be your heart I hit.” Pete took both her hands.
“No, it won’t. There won’t be enough pressure on the
knife.” He put one of Mac’s hands over his heart and
held it there.
“You feel that?” He asked. Mac nodded. “Okay well
that heart is encased in protective tissues, ribs
even. You’d have to stab me to get to my heart.” Mac
nodded again. Pete picked up a pen and Mac took it
from him. He held her hand as he guided it over where
he wanted her to cut.
“Okay,” Mac said shakily. “I can do this.” Pete
smiled.
“Sure you can. Just stay calm, hold my gaze and try
to keep it straight. I don’t want a crooked scar!”
They laughed, Mac trying to relax.

*

Mac couldn’t believe she’d done it. Her hand had been
shaking so much, but she had done it, Pete had
actually smiled at her while she was making the
incision. She didn’t know how he’d kept that smile on
his face for such a long time. Really, it hadn’t been
that long, although to Mac it had seemed like a
decade.
Mac emerged from the bathroom, drying her hair with a
towel. She didn’t see Pete staring out the window, and
walked across the room to the dresser. Pete got up
from his chair, smiling as he moved across and slid
his arms around Mac’s waist. She leant back into him
comfortably.
“Didn’t see you there,” she mumbled. “How you
feeling?” Pete kissed her neck quietly; mindful of the
activated wire Mac had just refastened. 
“Just fine,” he told her in his normal tone.
“Couldn’t be,” he paused as he kissed her neck again.
Mac tilted her head to let him continue. “Better,” he
concluded. “How ‘bout you?” 
“Mmm...” she contemplated as she turned in her place,
her hand gently over the wound on his bare chest.
“Getting there.” Their lips met softly, Pete’s two
forefingers covering the back and front of the jewel
around Mac’s neck. The embrace lasted for several
moments, before they parted slowly.
“We shouldn’t,” Pete mouthed silently. Mac shook her
head in agreement. However that night, their second
night there, and for the third time in four days, Mac
and Pete fell asleep content in the knowledge they
were holding each other close by.

*

Danni came up behind Angie, both in their pyjamas in
the local town’s hotel. 
“Whatcha doin?” Danni asked as she munched on an
apple. Angie turned to her, her mobile to her ear.
“I’m on the phone!” she hissed as she turned back.
Danni raised her eyebrows as she moved around Ange,
picking up the papers she’d been working on.
Transcriptions of the wire Mac had on. Angie’s voice
disturbed Danni’s reading.
“Hi. How are you?...When? That’s great!...So...oh,
right, they’re coming to pick you up, then?...Us, up.
Sorry...Yeah...You told them? ...Oscar!...Please? I
don’t think I could do the Michelle thing again...”
She laughed slightly. “No, they’re fine. More than
fine, I think...You know, Oscar, what I mean...I just
know, that’s how...Yeah, I should let you get some
rest...Okay, take care and I’ll talk to you
later...Yeah, you too.” She turned around and looked
at Danni.
“So how is Stoney?” Danni asked. Angie didn’t know
where to look.
“Fine,” she said lightly. Danni smirked.
“Yep, I’m sure he’s much better after talking to you
though, right? Michelle!” Angie laughed.
“Whatever you reckon, Dan!” They looked at each other
and laughed, Angie preferring Danni to know as little
as possible at this point. But Danni had lost
interest, reading the transcripts.
“Oh, Danni, I’ll finish those...” Danni looked up and
showed her a few lines.
“What’s this mean, Ange?” Angie reread her writing.
Pete and Mac had been discussing the aboriginal
undercover operative, when Pete had asked, out of the
blue, for Mac to “come here.” Ange had assumed he
meant over to where he was sitting. There had been a
shifting of objects heard and then Angie could’ve
sworn she’d heard what she would categorise as
kissing; she was almost sure of it. There had been a
bit of a pause in the tape, and Angie knew she was
supposed to transcribe everything, so the copy looked
like:
MAC: Uh...Okay, we’re good to go, then? (Pause:
counting, 4secs)
PETE: Come here (Pause: counting, 3mins +
non-transcribable audio)
MAC: Pete...
PETE: I know, I know. We’ll discuss the...business
operations later...That okay?
MAC: That’s perfect.
Angie hadn’t been fooled by that little play they’d
performed. She’d almost burst out laughing. Now Danni
looked up questioningly. 
“Well? I don’t get it, Ange.”
“Uh...well Danni, you see...uh...” Danni sat down
beside Ange. She leant in close and whispered.
“Those two having some fun out of work, eh?” Angie
sighed, putting her head in her hands. 
“Danni! Your ways of putting things...” She looked
back up. “Not really. Sort of, but not really...”
Danni grinned.
“I knew it! Business Operations? That’s pathetic!”
She burst out laughing and pretty soon Angie was too.
“It’s a good thing, though, right?” Danni asked
suddenly. Angie thought a while.
“I reckon so, Dan, a very good thing.” 

*

“So you’ve been told I assume, about the third task?”
Mac and Pete shook their heads. They wanted to get the
whole thing on tape. It was nearly midday, and they
were about to leave for the third task, or trial, as
Pete and Mac had taken to calling them. Norman sighed.
“We’re going to go for a walk. When we get to a
designated spot, we’ll meet up with some, friends, and
then I’ll tell you where to go from there.” Mac and
Pete nodded. “You’ll actually have to be prepared to
go the whole distance with this one, okay? The other
tasks were piss easy. This is a little tougher.”
“I think I heard someone discussing it the other
day,” Mac began. “They said something about murdering
one of the local abbos?” Norman nodded.
“I don’t know who that was; they weren’t supposed to,
but they’re right on the money, Laura. You up to it?”
“Hang on, so we’re actually going to kill one of
those scummy abbos?” Pete asked. Norman nodded.
“Basically, although I’ve made it easy. Let’s just
say, hunting won’t be necessary.” Mac and Pete looked
at each other briefly, but they knew the message they
instantly conveyed to one another. They’d been
expecting being able to choose their own victim. That
was the Commissioner’s information, obviously wrong or
Norman had changed his rules. This meant that if
Norman and his “buddies” hadn’t chosen the undercover
operative they had in the area Mac and Pete would be
in a tight spot. 
“What happened to the hunting part? Why’d you change
it?” Pete asked. Mac looked at him, but things didn’t
click. Norman paused suddenly.
“Never said I’d changed them at all; that they were
any different in the past. Only said that hunting
wouldn’t be necessary...” Mac could tell Pete knew
he’d made an error, but he decided to look confused
instead of giving it away.
“Oh...right...”
“What gave you the impression we’d changed
something?” Pete shook his head.
“I don’t know. I don’t even know why I said it or
anything, I...” But Norman wasn’t so easy to fool.
They weren’t going to get away with this one. He
looked both of them up and down several times.
“Who are you two?” Mac cursed inwardly. If only
criminals weren’t so suspicious of everyone, it’d make
their job a whole lot easier.
“Laura and Marcus, Norman. What do you mean?” 
“No, you can’t be. You’re different, aren’t you?
You’re not who you say you are? I’ve got a thing for
people, guys, and you two...you’re different from
everyone else who’s joined this movement...” He
paused, thinking. “Could you follow me a sec?” They
nodded, Pete giving Mac a strange, almost worried
but-not-just-yet glance, as Norman took the lead and
walked them along.
He stopped, seemingly in the middle of nowhere,
except for the wooden door at his feet.
“It’s an underground chamber,” he explained,
nonchalantly taking out his beloved knife. “I think
you two would benefit from some time in there.”
“You’re just going to leave us here?” Mac asked. “For
how long?” Norman shrugged.
“Up to you. I’m going to look into the two of you a
little more, or of course, I’d let you out whenever
you tell me who you really are!” He laughed loudly.
“We told you. I’m Marcus and this is Laura. We’re not
lying.” Norman’s expression flattened. 
“Don’t make me force you in there, Mar-cus.” He
turned to Mac. “Wouldn’t want anything uh...tainted,
to happen upon your newlywed wife, now, would we?”
Pete slit his eyes and shook his head.
“Okay. But we are telling the truth.”
“We’ll see,” Norman sneered as Pete got into the
chamber. It was a long way from the floor to the
surface; there were no steps etc. Pete reached up and
helped Mac down with him. They looked up at Norman. He
seemed so far above them, not only in the physical
sense; but that was the reason the hole was so deep.
He enjoyed looking down upon his disobedient members.
He shut the door on Mac and Pete quietly; they heard
it lock quickly. They turned, looking around at the
small, dirty, constricted space they’d have to occupy
for that indefinite amount of time. Mac sighed,
carefully taking a seat on the dusty floor, as
straight as possible to avoid reopening her wound, and
began the long, long wait.

*