hi, this is a bit dodgy, um, i don't own anything, except lily, the old lady and a few other assorted characters... feedback is good... as long as it's nice! (jess, i was brave!) PAST, PRESENT, FUTURE *PRESENT* Angie glanced around nervously as she entered the small country supermarket. She checked all of the visible aisles, before deciding it was safe to enter. She clutched the hand of the little girl next to her tightly. The small girl smiled. "Can we get some chips for tea?" she asked, skipping along next to Angie. Angie nodded, and smiled back. "If your quiet, and you stay next to me the whole time. Remember, don't -" "Don't let go of your hand," sighed the girl, falling back into place next to Angie. "I won't, promise." They walked quickly around the supermarket, picking up odds and ends, all the time Angie keeping a close watch on the door. If anyone entered, she stayed well hidden until she was sure of who it was. Or more, sure of who it wasn't. They piled up all of their items on the counter, and waited for the cahier to scan them through. He was taking a long time, far too long for Angie's liking. She didn't like being in the one place for so long. Not anymore, anyway. "Can I have some chewy?" Angie's thoughts were broken by the small voice beside her. Angie shook her head. "No Lil. We're already having chips for dinner. And anyway, you don't like chewy." Lily frowned. "Yeah I like it. Please mum?" Angie shook her head again, ignoring her daughter's pleas. They had already spent far too long in the supermarket; they didn't want to be found… "This bag's heavy," complained Lily as she struggled to lift it into the car. Angie took the bag of her, and placed it in the boot. "You shouldn't have taken it then, should you?" she asked. She glanced around nervously, and unlocked the car doors. "Get in quick, and put your seatbelt on," she ordered, as she shut the boot. Lily did as she was told, and firmly locked the door as soon as she got in. She grinned at Angie, who laughed, in spite of her fear. "Good girl," she said, as she climbed in the other side, locking her own door also. "Where are we going to tonight?" asked Lily, watching her mother intently. Angie shrugged. "I don't know Lil. Wherever we can find a room" Lily nodded, content with Angie's vague answer. She was a good kid, thought Angie, as they drove quickly to edge of town. In the past few months, she had never once questioned what they were doing, or where they were going. At first Angie had made out like it was all a game, but Lily had soon realised that what they were doing was not a game. It was serious. Angie smiled down at her daughter, who was already nearly asleep. Even though she was only five, Angie knew she was going to be gorgeous. She had the same blonde hair and blue eyes as Angie, and the same quiet personality, although she had her father's sense on adventure. Angie shivered as she thought about Lily's father. Her husband. The reason they were running away. * Runaway with my heart Runaway with my hope Runaway with my love * *PAST – FIVE MONTHS EARLIER* Angie closed her eyes, as she felt the closed fist hit her on the lip yet again. She resisted the urge to cry out, knowing that any noise from her would only provoke him further. Jake turned, to see Lily standing in the corner of the kitchen, her pyjamas crushed from sleep. "What are you doing up?" he asked, moving away from Angie quickly. "I was thirsty," she said quietly. "I wanted some water." Jake took a plastic cup from next to the sink, and filled it up with water from the tap. He handed it to Lily, and kissed her gently on the top of her head. "Go back to sleep now." Lily nodded, not moving away. "Why is mummy crying?" she asked. Angie plastered a fake smiled on her face, through her tears. "It's ok, I just cut myself with a knife." She brushed away some tears. "Go back to bed. I'll come to tuck you in soon." Lily nodded, and slowly walked back towards her room. She knew something was wrong, but she also knew there was nothing she could do. Jake turned back to Angie, and glared at her. "What were you crying for? Now Lily thinks I was hurting you." "I couldn't -" protested Angie, but Jake wasn't listening. He pushed her up against the wall, and held her neck tightly. "Do you know what I got given at work today?" Angie shook her head. She wasn't sure she wanted to know. She didn't know exactly what Jake did, but in the past few months, she had come to realise it probably wasn't honest. "Some files…" Angie shrugged. "What files?" she asked quietly, not liking where the conversation was heading. "Oh just some files about some coppers a mate of mine ran into once." Angie nodded. "Why are you telling me?" she asked. "Because you starred in one of them. You were a copper, weren't you Angie?" he said threateningly. Angie froze as soon as she heard her old name. She hadn't used it for years. As soon as she left undercover, she had changed her name to Emily Clarke, the cover name she had accidentally used when she had first met Jake. "Wha- what are you saying?" she said nervously. Jake shook his head. "Don't be a smart arse with me Emily. Or should I say, Angie. I know you were one of the coppers who dobbed Kyle in. You remember Kyle?" Angie nodded. Kyle was one of Jake's mates, who had been in prison for nearly seven years. She hadn't actually met him, but Jake had talked about him on numerous occasions. "Kyle was released yesterday. First thing this morning, he hands me this file that he found on the streets, telling me to find some copper named Angie Piper, and to get rid of her. I looked at the picture, and who do I see smiling back at me, in full pig uniform, but my wife?" Jake smiled at Angie, who backed away quickly. "Imagine my surprise, to find out you are not who you say you are…" Angie nodded. There was no way she was getting out of this one. "I'm sorry," she whispered. "What was that?" asked Jake. "I'm sorry," repeated Angie, slightly louder. Jake nodded. "Say it again, like you mean it…" Before Angie could respond, Jake hit her again, and again. "I'm sorry!" she finally screamed, before pushing Jake out of the way. She ran towards their bedroom, not knowing what she was going to do next. Jake fell back, surprised. Emily had never fought back before. He looked at the clock on the wall, and decided he still had time to visit Kyle. That way they could work out what they were going to do with Emily together. He knew his allegiances lay with Kyle, rather than his wife. He picked up his keys, and jangled them slightly as he walked out the door, paused as he saw a photo of Emily and Lily together. They were so alike, so perfect. He shook the thought from his head, as he left for the pub where he was meeting Kyle. Angie jumped as she heard the front door slam. She knew that Jake had gone out, most likely for a few hours, more if he was with his mates. She looked around cautiously, realising what she had to do. She knew this was her only chance to escape. She crawled off her bed, and began stuffing clothes and documents into bags, before she crept out to wake Lily… * I wanna run away Never say goodbye I wanna know the truth Instead of wondering why * *PRESENT* Angie shook herself, as she tried to rid herself of her memories. She had left that night, after packing everything into her small car. She didn't know what Jake's reaction had been when he arrived home to find her gone, but she imagined he wouldn't have been happy. She sighed, and looked at a signpost as she sped past it. `Melbourne 50' it read. Angie bit her lip, as she continued along the road. She hadn't been to Melbourne in nearly six years, since she had met Jake. They had met in a bar one night, after Angie had had a particularly rough day. A case she had been working on had fallen apart, after her cover had been blown. Shots had been fired, and Angie considered herself lucky to be alive. Oscar hadn't been so lucky. Several of the bullets had hit him, and as far as she knew, he had ended up in intensive care. She hadn't been able to bring herself to visit him. She knew it was her fault he had been shot… * Holy mother earth Crying into space Tears on her pretty face * *PAST - SIX YEARS AGO* "I'm Jake," introduced the sexy guy that Angie had been eyeing all night. Angie smiled. "I'm Emily," she replied, not thinking. Emily Clarke had been her cover name for the last month, and it had become second nature now to use that name. `Shit,' she thought to herself. If this goes anywhere, then I'm going to have some serious explaining to do. Jake patted he chair beside him. "Can I offer you a drink?" he asked. Angie nodded. "Love one," she replied, slumping down into the bar chair. "What's up?" asked Jake, concerned. Angie shook her head, as she sipped her beer. "Nothing, just problems at work." Jake nodded, and touched her lightly on the back. "Anything I can help you with?" Angie smiled, before she found tears creeping down her cheeks. "I'm sorry," she whispered, before breaking down completely. Jake stood up, and hugged Angie loosely, allowing her to cry. She looked up. "Sorry about that," she said sheepishly. Jake brushed her comment away with his hand. "Do you want to talk about it?" he asked, settling in for a long night. He waited while Angie composed herself, and glanced at the bartender, who grinned back at him. Jake looked away, embarrassed. As soon as he had noticed Angie walk into the bar, he had pointed her out to the bartender. "I'm going to marry her," he had said. He turned back to Angie as she began to explain what had happened. Not telling him all the details of course, but the general idea. All without mentioning the fact that she was a copper. She'd found the fastest way to turn a guy off was to tell him she was in the force. Several hours later, Jake took her hand. "Let's get away from it all then." Ange looked at him, shocked. "Wha-?" she began, unable to continue. Here was this guy, who she had only met a few hours earlier, asking her to leave with him. Jake grinned. "We can leave, tonight. Get away from all your troubles." Angie shook her head. "I, I can't just…" she trailed off, thinking. Maybe she could leave?" "Sure you can Em, it'd be awesome, just you and me," said Jake, clutching her hand tighter. Angie bit her lip, and started to catch Jake's excitement. "I guess," She said slowly. Jake jumped up, and hugged her tightly. `Yes, I knew it!" he said excitedly. Angie looked at him, eyebrows raised. "You knew what?" she asked, curious. Jake looked into the bottom of his beer glass. "Oh nothing…" "Nothing?" asked Angie. "If I'm going to leave with you, you better tell me. Jake nodded, and ignored the knowing looks from the bartender. "As soon as I saw you walk in here tonight, I decided I was going to marry you," he said. Angie laughed, not realising Jake was serious. She stopped suddenly, realising Jake wasn't laughing. "You're serious," she whispered. Jake nodded. "What do you say?" Angie leant back in her chair slightly. She knew that she shouldn't say yes, that she should go back to the unit, and continue as if nothing had happened. But she couldn't, she knew she couldn't go back. It wouldn't be the same. She grinned. "Yes," she whispered. "Let's do it." Jake grabbed her hands again, and kissed her deeply. "I love you Emily," he whispered. * If I could, then I would I'll go wherever you will go Way up high or down low I'll go wherever you will go * *PRESENT* Angie cringed, remembering that night. She had packed up all of her belongings, and left a note for Mac, or whoever else happened to find it. She had been given two days off after the shooting, so she had a head start on everyone else. They had left for Cairns the next morning, after Angie had quickly resigned from the force, and changed her name. It had been quick; she had just said that her life was in danger and that she needed to move fast. No one had questioned her. They arrived in Cairns, and had had a small but beautiful wedding on the beach. Even now Angie couldn't believe she had done it, Danni had always been the compulsive one, not like two steps forward, one step back Angie. She had begun to miss her friends after a few months, and Jake had suggested a trip around Australia. They originally wanted to go overseas, but Angie knew that she couldn't apply for a passport in her new name, that Mac and the others would have someone spying in that department. So instead she had agreed on a trip around Australia, so long as they avoided Melbourne. She couldn't risk running into her old friends. They travelled for several months, visiting all of the states, when they had arrived in the Northern Territory and Angie realised that she was pregnant. Jake had been excited as Angie, and had insisted that they rented in Alice Springs, at least until the baby was born. Angie didn't argue. For the next four years they lived in Alice Springs; Jake working as a builder, and Angie as a part time teacher. She had qualifications for it since before joining the unit, and working part time meant she was able to spend time with Lily. It was soon after Lily's fourth birthday that the troubles began. Jake lost his job, and began drinking. He began to be abusive, so Angie decided that it was time for a change. They packed up and moved to Sydney. Here Jake appeared to be very well connected, and got work almost immediately, although Angie didn't know exactly what he did. He still drank, and started beating Angie, once or twice a month at first, building up to nearly every day just before she left. When they had first moved to Sydney, Angie began to wonder where her old friends were. She wanted to see them, she wanted them to meet Lily, but Jake didn't want her to contact them. They fought about it nearly every night… * I wanna know the answers No more lies I wanna shut the door And open up my mind * *PAST – EIGHT MONTHS AGO* "Why can't I just ring them?" screamed Angie, glaring at Jake. "Because I don't want you to," yelled back Jake, holding onto the cordless phone, holding it threateningly at Angie. "Why?" she asked, tears coming to her eyes. She hated the fact that she cried so easily. It had once been a bonus, when she was working in undercover, but now it just made her look weak. "Why do you need to call them?" he asked, taking a step forward. "You don't need them. You've got me. Lily. Our life." "I need more than two people in my life," screamed Angie, wiping away tears. "I need friends too." Jake rolled his eyes. "You're pathetic Emily," he said, throwing down the phone, onto the nearby table. "I've got a pathetic woman for a wife, haven't I?" Angie looked away, knowing what was coming. "Say it!" stormed Jake, moving closer. "I'm pathetic, you're right," said Angie dully. Jake smiled. "That's right Em, you're pathetic. You know, you're lucky you've got me, no other man would want someone like you." Angie nodded, trying to stop the tears. "I'm sorry," she whispered, but not fast enough. Jake's fist had already made contact with her lip. Angie gasped. Jake had never hit her before. Yelled, and emotionally abused yes, but never physically. She looked at him, shocked. He too, didn't move. "Em, I'm so sorry, I promise I'll never do it again." Angie didn't answer, instead she picked up her car keys. "I'm going to get Lily." Jake nodded silently, and watched as she left coldly. * I know the truth now I know who you are And I don't love you anymore * *PRESENT* Angie touched her lip unconsciously, feeling the scars. She thought back, and realised that she should have known then, what was going to happen. From then the fights just got worse. "Bastard," she said, pushing hair back from her face. Lily turned to face her. "Who's a bastard?" she asked sleepily. Angie smiled. "I thought you were asleep." Lily shrugged, although Angie couldn't see it in the darkness. "Where are we?" she asked, realising that she wasn't going to get an answer about her previous question. Angie checked the clock, and then looked at the bright lights in the distance. "Lilydale," she guessed, thinking it was close enough. Lily giggled. "Like my name." Angie laughed. She hadn't realised. "Yeah, you're so special you get a whole suburb named after you." Lily brushed some hair out of her eyes, exactly as Angie had done moments earlier. "Where are we going tonight?" Angie looked at her daughter, and then straight ahead at the road again. "We're going to visit one of my friends." "One of Daddy's friends?" asked Lily. Angie glanced at her sharply. Lily hadn't mentioned her father in months, she seemed to have realised that Angie got upset whenever he was talked about. Angie shook her head. "No, Daddy doesn't know these people. I used to work with them, before I met your Dad." Lily nodded seriously. "Will they remember you?" she asked innocently. Angie smiled tightly. "I hope so." She said brightly, but inside, she wasn't so sure. It had been a long time, nearly six years. And what if they didn't want to know her? They continued to drive towards the city, Angie keeping an eye on the clock the whole time. It was nearly 11PM, and she wanted to be able to book into a motel if she couldn't find the right address. Angie turned into a street, and drove slowly down it, looking for street numbers. The street looked vaguely familiar, she knew she was in the right place, she could only hope that he hadn't sold up. Angie pulled to a stop, and turned the ignition off, slowly letting her head fall onto her hands, which were resting on the steering wheel. She could feel all of her nerve leaving; she didn't want to go through with this. She jumped slightly, as Lily stirred next to her. "Mummy?" she asked uncertainly, worried by her mother's silence. Angie looked up, "You awake Lil?" she said. Lily nodded. "Is this your friend's house?" "I hope so," said Angie, undoing her seatbelt. She smiled at Lily, who began to do the same thing. They climbed out of the car, and walked through the old gate together. As they got closer to the house, Lily grabbed Angie's hand, holding it tightly. "Mum?" she asked quietly. "Yeah Lil?" "Your friends won't hit you like daddy did, will they? She asked. Angie closed her eyes, and bit her lip to keep from crying. "No," she whispered back, taking Lily's hand tighter. They reached the front door, and Angie knocked quietly. She knew, if Lily hadn't been with her, she would have run away. But she couldn't now. They had been running for too long. It was time to end it. Moments later, there was still no answer at the door. Angie knocked again, realising that he must have moved house. Probably left Melbourne altogether, she thought. "I don't think he lives here anymore," she said to Lily, and began to walk back down the path. But Lily held her hand still, stopping her from moving "No, I think someone's coming," she said quietly. Angie instinctly moved in front of Lily, to protect her if anything bad were to happen. She had a feeling nothing would, but Angie had learnt that she could never be too careful. She had had several close encounters with Jake's contacts in the past few months, but had always luckily managed to escape. The door swung open, and Angie smiled nervously as a sleepy looking man stuck his head out. "Jesus, do you know what time it-" he began, before realising who was standing on his doorstep. "Ange," he whispered. Angie looked down at her feet, avoiding his eyes. "Hey Pete." * I see your shadow on the street now I hear you push through the rusty gate Click of your heels on the concrete Waiting for a knock coming way too late * *PAST – SIX YEARS AGO* Mac walked into the factory, looking like she hadn't slept in days, or else she had a really bad hangover. Pete figured it was most likely the first option, as he had never known Mac as one to drink much. He guessed that she had spent the night with Oscar at the hospital. "Morning Mac," he said, smiling as he finished making his coffee. Mac looked at him blankly, before focussing on the coffee in his hand. She walked over and took it, before smiling back. "Morning Peter," she replied, watching amusedly as Pete walked away in shock. "What are we doing today?" called Danni from her desk, where she was reading the days newspaper. Mac shook her head. "Not much. Angie's due back today, so we might start a new case, I haven't decided yet." Danni nodded, and Mac glanced at her watch "Actually, she should be here by now. I asked her to arrive slightly early, I wanted to have a chat to her." Danni shrugged, and went back to reading her paper. "Maybe she got caught up in traffic?" Mac nodded, and picked up her phone, quickly dialling Angie's home phone. When there was no answer, she dialled Angie's mobile. "Off..." she mumbled, more to herself than anyone else. "What was that?" asked Pete as he walked past, a fresh cup of coffee in his hand. "Oh, Angie's mobile's off, that's all." Pete raised his eyebrows. "It's never off…" Mac nodded. "I'm going around to her place, just to check it out. Call me if she turns up here will you?" Pete shook his head, and put down his coffee. "I'm coming with you." Mac nodded, and quickly filled Danni on what was happening. They quickly left the factory, and Pete began to speed towards Angie's place. "You know, if someone pulls us over for speeding, it'll just take longer to get there," said Mac, her hand gently touching Pete's on the steering wheel. Pete grunted, but slowed down slightly so that he was just above the limit. Mac smiled and patted his arm. "She'll be right," she said. Pete nodded, concentrating on his driving. "She'll be with Stoney, she hasn't been to see him yet." "Yeah, I think she feels guilty for what happened," said Mac. "She shouldn't though, there was nothing she could've done." Pete didn't reply, instead he was pulling up in front of Angie's house. They walked up to the front porch together, neither of them talking. Mac knocked lightly, and waited. They looked at each other, _expressionless. Pete glanced towards the door, and Mac nodded, before suddenly holding up her hand. "Wait, I know where a key is," she said. Pete raised his eyebrows. He'd been ready to knock the door down, so to speak, but it appeared Mac had thought of a less invasive way of entering Angie's house. She disappeared for a moment or two, before reappearing, slightly out of breath. "Found it." Pete nodded, and took the key off Mac, slowly opening the door. They moved quickly through the house, watching for signs of life. "Everything's gone," noted Mac, looking into all the rooms, which were empty of any personal items. Pete nodded in agreement. "She must have just packed up and left," he said, walking through from the lounge room to the kitchen. "Mac!" he called urgently, after catching sight of a small envelope left on the bench. Mac's head snapped up, and she ran towards the kitchen. "What is it?" she called desperately. Pete held out the envelope, and looked down sadly. Mac took it, and read Angie's neat handwriting on the front: `Mac'. She opened it carefully, and read the first few lines, before breaking down. She handed the note to Pete, who began to read it out loud. `Mac,' it read. `By the time you have received this, I will be far away, where you can't reach me. But I want you to know that I am safe.' Pete paused and looked at Mac. "She's really gone," he said. Mac nodded, picking up her phone to call Danni. Pete held her hand, and took the phone away, before continuing to read. He wanted Mac to hear the whole thing, just in case… `I wish I could have said goodbye to you, and thanked you for everything that you've ever done for me. But I knew that if I saw you, then I wouldn't be able to go through with this. And I need to, more than anything. I can't stay with the unit anymore.' There was a small gap, where Angie had obviously thought about what to write. `I know you probably won't listen to this, but I'll write it anyway. Please don't try to track me down. I don't want to be found, ever. One day, I might come back, when I'm ready, but not now. I've met this really great guy, Jake, and we're going away from here. Away from everything that ever went wrong… Just remember, I love you guys so much, Mac, and tell Stoney I'm sorry about the case-' "I knew she felt guilty," cut in Mac. `It was my fault, I know. Say goodbye to everyone for me – I'll never forget you guys. Love forever, Ange.' Pete neatly folded the note, and tucked it inside the envelope. "We have to find her," said Mac, tears running down her cheeks. Pete shook his head. "She doesn't want to be found. Even if we did find her, she'll probably just run again." Mac bit her lip. Pete was right. But she couldn't face loosing her best friend. "We can't tell Oscar yet," she said, taking the note and tucking it in her bag. "It'll crush him." Pete nodded in agreement. "Let's go tell Danni," he said, taking Mac's hand and gently guiding her back to the car. * Lie to me I promise I'll believe Lie to me But please don't leave * *PRESENT* "What the fuck are you doing here?" asked Pete, as he opened the door wider to see Angie properly. He couldn't see Lily however, as she was hidden by Angie. Angie continued looking at her feet. She knew it had been a bad idea to come. "I'm sorry," she whispered, turning suddenly and moving quickly towards her car. But Lily, who wasn't as fast, remained on the porch. Pete's eyes grew as he saw the small girl standing there. "Who's this?" he asked, motioning towards Lily. Angie turned, and saw that Lily was left standing alone. "This is Lily," she said though tears. "My daughter." Angie held out her hand to Lily, expecting her to take it. But Lily shook her head. "I don't want to go," she said quietly. "I'm tired of running away." She turned to Pete. "My mum's in trouble," she said seriously. "And she said you can help." All of Pete's anger faded immediately, as he listened to Lily. She was so much like Angie, not only in looks. He smiled, and stepped outside. "Do you wanna stay the night?" he asked, looking directly at Angie, who wouldn't meet his eyes. She nodded briefly, and glanced up, expecting to see Pete glaring at her, eyes full of hate. But instead she saw Pete smiling, just like he always used to. She smiled back slightly. "I've missed you," she whispered, as Pete pulled her into a tight hug. * Early the next morning, Angie woke to the smell of breakfast cooking, wafting from the kitchen. She sat up, and realised that the bed was empty, apart from herself obviously, and began to search the room frantically, before realising that she could hear laughter coming from the kitchen, from Pete and from Lily. Angie relaxed, and lay back down in bed. She thought back to the night before. Pete had asked a few questions, but she had brushed him off, telling him that she would fill him in on the details later. But she knew that she had to tell him soon, rather than later, after all, she was staying in his house. Pete had offered her the spare room for as long as she needed it, and they had gone to sleep without much other talking. Angie had told herself that she would explain everything to Pete the next day, but as she lay in bed, she was rapidly changing her mind. "Mummy!" came Lily's voice up the corridor, as she ran towards the spare room. Angie could hear two sets of footsteps, and figured that Pete was chasing Lily. The door burst open, and Lily jumped on the bed and dove under the covers, where she hid, giggling, from Pete, who was pretending to look for her, although it was obvious to all three where she was. Angie smiled and joined in the game, until Lily suddenly remembered their `secret' breakfast. A look of horror crossed Pete's face. "I knew I forgot something," he said, chasing Lily back down the hall. Angie laughed, and followed them a few minutes later into the kitchen, where she could see a few blackened pancakes lying next to the stove. "I can see your cooking's improved," she said, as Pete turned around, noticing her entrance. He nodded. "I reckon I'll dump these, and then cook the rest, yeah?" Angie smiled. She knew he was purposely avoiding any `real' conversation with her, instead just making small talk. "Pete," she started, before she lost her nerve. "Mmm?" replied Pete, not looking up from the stove. "Can I talk to you later, about, you know, stuff?" she asked nervously. Pete nodded, smiling to himself. "Yeah, we'll eat these, and then I've got a few videos Lily can watch." Angie nodded, and began pulling out jam and honey for breakfast, using her memory as much as she could. It wasn't too hard; Pete hadn't changed anything around since she'd last eaten breakfast there. They ate their pancakes, and Pete pulled out a few videos for Lily to choose from. "Ok, we've got Hi-5, Bob the builder, and The Wiggles," he said, proudly displaying his collection. Angie looked at him, eyebrows raised. He caught the look, and mouthed back that he'd tell her later. Angie nodded, not convinced. "Hi-5 please," said Lily, pointing at the video. Pete grinned and stuck it in the machine, and then led Angie into the kitchen, where they could have some privacy. Angie sat down at the table, and Pete handed her a mug of coffee, and positioned a chair next to her. He waited for Angie to begin, and when she didn't, he decided to ask his own questions. "I'm not going to pretend I'm not angry," he began, sipping his own coffee, "Because I am. You left us, with no explanation." He held up a hand to stop Angie's protests. "But I know you Ange, or at least I thought I did. And you don't do stuff like that without a bloody good reason. Something must have really gone wrong, and you can tell me about it, I promise I won't tell anyone" Angie nodded; she knew she could trust Pete. Pete's voice softened. "I just want to know why you left us. You hurt us Ange," he said, taking Angie's shaking hand, and holding it still. "It's ok." Ange took a deep breath, and bit her lip. She knew there were scars there, and all over her cheek, and upper forehead. Most of them were invisible, but not to her. And not to Pete either. "What happened there?" he asked gently, touching a healed cut near Angie's jaw. Angie opened to mouth, to explain, but instead of words, she began to cry. "I'm so sorry, for everything," she managed, allowing herself to be hugged gently by Pete. She only flinched slightly, which didn't go unnoticed by Pete, but he didn't mention it, and Angie didn't think he'd noticed. "You remember the last case we were working on," she began, watching Pete intently. He nodded, showing that he was listening and interested. "Well, me and Stoney had a fight one night, at the safehouse. I didn't know if I wanted to be in the unit anymore. He was talking to me about it, and suddenly it turned into an argument. The next day, his cover got blown, because of me; I stuffed up when I was talking to Leis. Next thing, Lies pulls out his gun, and goes to shoot me, but he got Oscar instead. There was so much blood…" She trailed off, and Pete didn't need to know the details. He had seen it for himself, arriving on the scene only second after the shots had been fired. "That night," continued Angie, "I couldn't visit Oscar. So I went out instead, to some pub, and I met this guy, called-" "Jake," filled in Pete. Angie nodded. "At the time, I thought he was great. I was really upset about what had happened, and he cheered me up, and then asked me to go away with him, and marry him." Pete's eyes widened, although he didn't say anything. "It's stupid, I can see it now. But at the time, I had to get away. I knew that if I went back to work, the same thing would happen again, and all the bad stuff would get worse and worse, until someone ended up dead. And I couldn't handle that." Pete nodded, taking Angie's hand even tighter. She smiled, and kept talking. "So we left. I changed my name, and packed up all my stuff. I had two days off, so I had a headstart on you guys." "Did you do it through witness protection?" Pete asked suddenly. Angie nodded. "How did you know?" Pete shrugged. "We figured you must have. We couldn't find any records of you anywhere. No name changes, nothing. You'd completely disappeared." He paused, and looked at her sharply. "You weren't really in danger, were you?" Angie shook her head. "No, but they didn't question anything I said. I only had to mention my undercover background, and they processed everything on the spot. I resigned from the force that morning, and we arrived in Cairns that night. I was Mrs Williams two days later." Pete tried to hide his shock. Angie had never been so impulsive, he thought. Angie stole a look at Pete, not surprised at his shock. Even now, Angie couldn't believe what she had done. "We decided to travel for a bit, but I couldn't apply for a new passport under my name, because I figured you lot would be watching that." Pete nodded, smiling. They had carefully gone through all new passport applications, checking out anyone who even remotely resembled Angie in appearance. Needless to say, they hadn't had any luck. "What did you do instead? You couldn't have stayed in Cairns too long, you would've been too scared." Angie grinned. "Yeah, I was for awhile. But no, we decided to go around Australia. I've got photos…" she added, smiling. Pete laughed. "Get on with the story," he said. "Yeah, well after about six, seven months, we reached Alice Springs, and I realised I was pregnant." "With Lily?" asked Pete. Angie nodded, rolling her eyes. "We decided to stay there for a few months." She grinned. "We stayed there for four and a half years." "Why'd you leave?" asked Pete. Angie looked down, biting her lip. "C'mon Ange," urged Pete. "I won't judge you, you know that." "Jake lost his job," said Angie quietly. "He started drinking, and getting abusive. I decided it was time for a change, and we moved to Sydney. Jake got a job really quickly but I, I don't know what he did," she said, almost apologetically. "That's ok, it was a good idea to leave. Damn brave really." Angie smiled, and fiddled with a strand of hair that had fallen across her cheek. "In Sydney, it just got worse. He, he hit me Pete," said Angie, as she began to cry, placing her head in her hands. Pete moved towards her, and hugged her close. "I'm going to kill the bastard," he muttered, more to himself than to Angie. But she heard him, and smiled slightly. "The one night, he came home and shoved a bunch of files in my face, telling me to read them. I didn't realise what they were, until he told me." Angie looked up. "They were police files Pete, my files. Jake found out that I was a cop." Pete pulled away slightly. "What do you mean, he found out you were a cop?" Angie shrugged. "When we first met, I didn't tell him what I did. It's the quickest was to turn a guy off, trust me. I guess I never told him." Pete laughed, shaking his head. "You're a clever girl Ange." "Not that clever, to marry someone who ends up trying to kill you." "Kill you?" asked Pete, shocked. "What do you mean?" "Those files Jake had, someone had given them to him so that he could knock me off." She paused. "Pete, Jake was a hitman." There was silence, as Pete let this sink in. "So this guy's after you?" he asked. Angie nodded. "Lil and I have been driving for nearly six months, never staying in one place more than a day. We've had a few close encounters, but mainly we've been ok." She paused. "I couldn't keep running Pete, I just had to stop. I'm so tired…" Pete nodded, and let Angie fall back into his arms. "You're safe here," he whispered, gently stroking her hair. * Later that afternoon, Angie wandered into the living room, where Pete was watching a video with Lily. He was good with her, she decided, sitting down on the couch next to Pete. "I forgot to ask you something before," said Angie, taking Pete's attention away from the TV. "Mmm?" asked Pete. "Why've you got kids videos?" she asked. Pete turned, and looked at her sadly. He pointed to the kitchen, and they both stood silently, not disturbing Lily. They were seated at the kitchen table, and Pete handed Angie a photo of a small girl, who looked about two. "My daughter," said Pete simply. Angie nodded, not having to ask. "She beautiful," she said. "What was her name?" Pete smiled slightly. "Angela," he replied, looking at the photo fondly. "Angie." Angie smiled, and took Pete's hand. "You and Mac?" she asked, but quickly backtracked, seeing the look on Pete's face. "Danni? Someone new?" "Dan," replied Pete, tucking the photo back into his pocket. "After you left, we were both upset. Mac found herself a new bloke, Stoney was gone-" "What about Oscar?" asked Angie sharply. Pete sighed. "He passed away Angie, from complications after surgery to remove the bullets." Angie pulled away, tears coming to her eyes. "It's my fault…" she whispered. Pete shook his head. "No Ange. Stoney said that he didn't blame you." He paused. "He was devastated when you left. But he said that he still loved you, and that you were his best friends. He knew you'd come back." * If a great wave should fall Fall upon us all I know there's someone out there Who can bring me back to you * *PAST – SIX YEARS AGO* Danni held Oscar's hand tightly, and looked desperately at Pete as he entered the room, not bothering to stop herself from crying. "Pete," said Oscar weakly, trying to smile from underneath the layers of tubes. "Yeah Mate," said Pete, making his way over to the side of the bed. Oscar held out his free hand to Pete, motioning for him to look at it. Pete took his hand, and found a worn friendship bracelet inside it. "Give this to Ange," he said as his eyes closed. "You know she's gone Mate," said Pete, as Danni elbowed him sharply. Oscar nodded. "She'll come back. You can find her for me. Just give this to her. I love her Mate." Pete nodded, and stuck the bracelet in his pocket, sitting down next to Danni. They were in for a rough night, he knew. Chances were that Oscar wouldn't make it. * Holding my last breath Safe inside myself All my thoughts of you Sweet raptured light It ends here tonight * *PRESENT* Pete stood, and took something from a drawer. "He wanted me to give this to you." He held out the bracelet, and Angie took it slowly. "This was mine," she said, putting it on. "I threw it out, he must have saved it," She said through tears. Pete nodded, and put his arm around Angie. "He loved you," he said, stroking her hair. "What happened with Danni?" asked Angie, several minutes later, after she had composed herself. Pete looked up. "After you left, we were lonely, and the unit was falling apart. We'd been out drinking one night, and one thing lead to another." Pete sighed. "Danni found out she was pregnant, just like last time I guess. We decided to try and be a family." Angie raised her eyebrows, but didn't say anything, knowing that it would sound kind of rich, coming from her. "Where's Danni now?" she asked, looking around, as if she expected Danni to appear at any moment. Pete shrugged. "She left?" "With Angie?" Pete shook his head. "Angie died, when she was nearly two." Angie opened her mouth, but Pete shook his head. "She died in her sleep, they don't know what it was. Maybe SIDS, but she was really too old." Angie reached out and took Pete's hand, which was trembling. "I'm so sorry Pete, if I'd known…" Pete shrugged. "After that, Danni and I split up. There was nothing to keep us together. She went up north, and I stayed here. I couldn't move you know…" he trailed off, looking at the table sadly. Angie nodded. "What about Mac?" she asked. Pete's face fell. "She's married." "Oh," said Angie. So much for cheering him up. "Do you still see her?" Pete nodded. "Yeah, we run into each other at HQ sometimes." "HQ?" "Yeah, after Mac left, we got some dickhead running the unit, he moved us to HQ." "Undercover?" "Yeah, if you can call it that," laughed Pete. "You the Boss yet?" she asked, jokingly. Pete rolled his eyes. "As if. I'm still a lowly senior constable." They were interrupted by a small figure, standing in the door to the kitchen. "Mummy?" asked Lily. Angie glanced at Pete. If she'd known about his past, what he'd been through, she would never have brought Lily here. But she found he was smiling, and so she smiled also. "Yeah Lil?" "The video finished." She glanced at Pete, who smiled at her. "You wanna go out somewhere?" he asked. Lily nodded, and Angie turned to him hesitantly. "Pete, what about…" Pete winked. "It'll be ok. I'll protect you both." He flexed his muscles, and Lily giggled. "Please Mum?" she said excitedly, and Angie nodded. "I guess," she said, and then smiled. "Haven't been out for a while, have we Lil?" * Little darling I feel the ice is slowly melting Little darling It feels like years since it's been clear Here comes the sun, here comes the sun And I say it's all right * *PAST – ONE MONTH AGO* Lily laughed as Angie chased her around the park, before finally catching her and holding her tightly so that she couldn't get away "My turn, my turn!" she cried, as Angie let her go, and began to jog away slowly. Lily closed her eyes, and counted to ten. She could count easily, all the way to one hundred, like she had been practising the night before with Angie. "Coming!" she yelled excitedly, uncovering her eyes. Lily looked around the small park, searching for her mother. "Mum?" she called uncertainly, when she couldn't see her anywhere. "Mummy?" Lily jumped as a hand covered her mouth from behind, before a familiar arm slipped around her shoulders. "Shh…" whispered Angie, uncovering Lily's mouth. "What's wrong Mummy?" whispered Lily, tightly holding her mother's hand as thy crept to their nearby car. "There's a bad man in the park," whispered Angie, quickly unlocking the car, and pushing Lily into the cavity between the back and front seats. "Stay there, and be very quiet," whispered Angie, locking the doors. Angie opened the front door, when she saw one of Jake's friends moving towards the car. "Shit," she whispered to herself. She quickly started the engine, before seeing the glint of metal in Paul's hand. There were guns. Angie changed her mind, and her hand slipped quickly down into the space next to the door. She pulled out her small handgun, and quickly took aim at Paul. She hit him in one shot, and then quickly took off before any more of Jake's mates could appear. Lily quietly stuck her head up from the backseat, hearing the shot. "Mummy?" she asked quietly, crying softly. Angie turned back to her little girl, and opened her arms. "Come here baby," she whispered, as Lily crawled through, and sat with Angie, as they sped away yet again. * Gentle, gentle Sing to your child Your companion for such a long, long time Beneath your heart Her heart beats strong Life of your life Is safe in your arms * *PRESENT* "You all right Ange?" asked Pete, glancing at her nervously. Angie looked up, and caught a glimpse of herself in the mirror. There were tears rolling down her cheeks, which she hadn't noticed were there. "I'm ok." She said, managing a smile. "Just some old memories." Pete nodded, and turned his attention back to the road. "It's ok that we stop off at the office on the way? I just gotta look something up." Angie nodded, knowing full well that `something' was in fact Jake's police records. "Yeah, but is it ok if we follow you in? I just-" she stopped, realising what she was about to say. Pete nodded. "I know." They reached the Police Headquarters, and Pete pared neatly into his designated spot, which Angie noticed was a considerable distance from the back entrance. "No one thinks we're that important," said Pete, noticing Angie's _expression. Angie laughed, and took hold of Lily's hand tightly. Lily smiled up at her, and held out her other hand for Pete to take. "Is this where you work?" she asked, as they entered the building. Pete nodded, and let go of Lily's hand to pull his i.d out from his pocket. He flashed them through to the restricted section where undercover was situated, and quickly passed into the main office, Angie trailing behind. She couldn't believe all the new equipment they had, especially compared to what they used to work with at the factory. She looked at a few things, and then spun around, suddenly aware that several people were starting at herself and Lily. She tried to find Pete, but couldn't see him. "Can I help you?" asked a young redhead, looking very unsure of Angie. Angie bit her lip, and gripped Lily's hand tighter. "I, I was um…" she stopped, unsure of what to say next. She hadn't spoken to anyone new for so long, the words stuck in her throat. "It's ok," said the woman, touching her arm lightly. Angie flinched away, and the woman backed off. "I'm Chris. I only want to know how you got in here. It's a restricted area…" Angie looked around, and was relieved when she saw Pete coming back into the main office. "Pete," she called desperately, and quickly walked over to him. Pete looked at her, surprised. He hadn't realised exactly how affected she was, until now. "It's ok," he said softly, hugging her lightly. He smiled at Chris, who began to walk away, before Pete held up a hand, signalling for her to stop. He was about to introduce Angie, when Luke and Leo walked in, back from a recent sting. Luke looked confused at the small girl, and the unfamiliar woman inside the office, and Leo was grinning at Chris, who were obviously thinking along the same lines as each other – Pete's past with women had finally caught up with him. Pete held Angie's hand, and gently turned her to face the three confused operatives. "Guys, this is Angie," he said. Angie tightened her grip on Pete's hand, but Pete gently squeezed back until she relaxed. "Ange was in undercover with me years ago, before we came to headquarters." Luke raised his eyebrows, but let them drop again after he noticed that Pete wasn't paying any attention. Leo and Chris glanced at each other. Neither of them had either met any ex-operatives, and if Angie was anything to go by, they knew why – most of them weren't exactly sane. Chris smiled brightly. "I didn't realise before. Sorry." She stuck out her hand, which Angie took. "I thought you were lost." Angie shook her hand, and pulled away quickly. "I should've introduced myself." Chris shrugged, and turned to Lily. "Who's this?" she asked. Angie smiled brightly. "This is Lily, my daughter. And no, she's not Pete's," she added, catching the look in Chris' eye. Pete smiled, hearing this remark. It was more like the Angie that he knew. Chris grinned, and shook her head slightly at Leo, who looked disappointed. She let go of Lily's hand, urging her forward. "This is Chris, she's a friend of Pete's." Lily nodded, and smiled at Chris. Chris grinned, and hugged her tightly. "She's gorgeous!" she exclaimed. Angie nodded, and glanced around to find Pete. She could see him, working on his computer. "Can you keep an eye on her for a bit?" she asked nervously. "I just need to check some stuff out with Pete." Chris nodded, and dragged Lily over to meet Leo. Angie rushed over to Pete, nervous to be away from Lily, but anxious to check out what he'd found. "Jake Williams, right?" Angie nodded. "Anything there?" Pete scrolled through the list. "Assault, break and enter, assault, assault, armed rob., take your pick," he said, reading out a few. "Hasn't done time though." Angie nodded. "I should've checked this," she sighed, taking over the mouse. She stopped suddenly, pausing on a particular line. "Shit," she whispered. Pete looked at what she had paused on. "Suspected murder," he said, nodding slightly. "Nice." Angie leant back into her chair, and closed her eyes. "What am I going to do Pete?" she asked. Pete shrugged. "I've got a fucking murderer after me!" She sat up, and opened her eyes. "Pete," she said quietly. "Mmm?" "If anything happens to me, can you look after Lily?" Pete raised his eyebrows. "I know it's a big ask, but I don't know who else there is. Mum and Dad, they're long gone, I can't ask Sam, she's too unreliable, and I just don't want her going with Jake. You're the closest thing to a family I've got." Pete nodded immediately, and smiled at Angie. "Anything to stop that bastard taking her." He smiled. "I'd be more than happy to take her," he said, hugging Angie. "But nothing's going to happen to you." Angie nodded, and Pete turned back to his computer, and printed out a few pages. "Let's go show these to the troops." "This is Jake Williams," said Pete, handing around a mug shot and profile of Jake. "And his right hand man, Kyle Sullivan." He handed around Kyle's picture and profile. "I want you to find these two, and anyone associated with them. I don't care if you bring them in dead or alive, I just want them off the streets." Everyone glanced at each other, sticking the paper into various pockets. "What d'you want them for?" asked Leo. "I mean, who are they?" Pete glanced at Angie, waiting for her to explain. She sighed. "The blonde one is my husband, and the other guy is his best mate." She paused. "They've been hired to do a hit on me." Everyone nodded, and quickly dispersed. That explained why Angie was so edge before. Angie sighed, and picked up Lily, who protested loudly. Angie noticed that since meeting Pete, she had relaxed visibly. "Let's get out of here," said Pete, taking Angie's hand gently, and leading her out of the building, before they could run into anyone who might recognise Angie. The last thing they needed was to have to explain to Bryan, or to reg why Angie had suddenly reappeared. Angie nodded, and Pete held out his arms to take Lily, who was squirming in Angie's arms. Angie passed her over, and Pete promptly placed her on the ground again, but held onto her hand tightly. "I'm sorry about before," whispered Angie, playing with a strand of hair. Pete glanced at her, and kept walking. "It's ok Ange, you have a reason not to trust people." Angie nodded, and was about to reply, when Lily stopped her skipping game and looked up. "Why do you call me mum Angie? That's not her name." Pete creased his eyebrows at Angie, confused. "What do you mean, that's not her name?" he asked, his eyes questioning Angie. Lily rolled her eyes. "Her name's Emily, not Angie." Angie laughed. "I didn't mention it before, I guess I forgot." She said, patting Pete gently on the shoulder as he tried to process what was happening. "When I first met Jake, I used the name Emily by mistake," she said, waiting for Pete to click. "Emily…" he said softly. He looked at her. "Emily Clarke, that was your cover on your last case, wasn't it?" Angie nodded. "Bet you didn't think of that, did you?" Pete shook his head, laughing. "You're a smart one Ange." "Damn straight," replied Angie, laughing also, as they continued walking towards the car. Lily watched them both, confused. "What's so funny?" she asked. Angie held out her hand, and Lily took it. "Before I met your dad, my name was Angie. That's when I knew Pete. Then when I met your dad, I changed my name to Emily," explained Angie. "Why?" Angie looked over to Pete, silently asking him to finish explaining. "Because your mum didn't want anyone to know where she'd gone, after she left Melbourne." He smiled at Lily's confused _expression, pausing to unlock the car. He started up the engine, and drove towards the park, before continuing to explain. "Before you mum met you dad, she lived in Melbourne." "With you?" Angie and Pete laughed. "Would've been toasty," muttered Pete. "No," said Angie, glaring at Pete. "But we worked together." "Were you a policeman?" asked Lily. Angie nodded, smiling silently. "Yeah. But some bad stuff happened, and I had to leave. Then I met your dad, and we moved to Alice Springs. You remember that?" Lily nodded. "Well, I didn't want anyone to find me, so I changed my name to Emily." Lily nodded. "And then Daddy was mean to you, and made you cry." Angie didn't reply, and Pete let a hand rest on her thigh, calming her slightly. Angie shivered at his touch, but hen relaxed, and she felt his hand get comfortable. "Ready for the park?" asked Pete, changing the subject. * Later that night, Angie was sitting on the couch flicking channels, when Pete reappeared from the kitchen. "Wine?" he asked, holding up a bottle of red. Angie looked at it quickly, noting what it was. "You got my favourite," she whispered. "Never forget these things," he smiled. He placed the bottle on the coffee table, and sat next to Angie. "You've got no idea how much I've missed you," he whispered, taking her hand. Angie nodded, and turned to face him. "After Danni left, and Mac was gone, I felt so alone." He paused. "You know how I said I couldn't leave?" Angie nodded. "In case you came back. I knew you would, and I had to wait for you. All I wanted was you," he said, kissing her softly. Angie pulled back slightly, and Pete backed off immediately. "I'm sorry," he said, sitting up stiffly. Angie shook her head, and pulled him closer. "I missed you too," she said, as they slowly walked towards Pete's bedroom. * Did you know how scared I used to be? Scared for you, scared of me But taking down this barrier And touching you at last Has broken all that down… * *PAST – TWO YEARS AGO* "If you ever touch any other man, I'll kill the both of you," yelled Jake, before storming out to the car, leaving Angie standing alone at the bar, surrounded by a crowd of silent people. * Into dust Blown away Now there's us And we're real Did I tell you that I love you today? * * PRESENT * Angie woke with a start, and rolled over to find herself facing Pete. He groaned at the shift in weight, and opened an eye. Upon seeing Angie next to him, the other eye flew open. He smiled, and opened up his arms, to allow Angie to move next to him. But she remained where she was, hugging herself self- consciously. "What's up?" asked Pete, sitting up in bed. Angie bit her lip. "Jake said if I ever went near another man, he'd kill me." Pete sighed, and gently moved so that he was sitting next to Angie. "Jake's not here now Ange," he said gently, taking her hand. Angie nodded, and smiled tightly. "I guess," she said slowly. Pete nodded, and opened up her arms again. Angie allowed herself to be hugged, and she smiled. "I love you," she whispered, before kissing Pete gently on the cheek. He nodded, but before he could continue, Angie quickly sat up, and collected her clothes, which were strewn across the floor. "Jake's still Lily's father, and I don't want her to see us like this," she said, before quietly making her way out to the couch, so that she would wake Lily up. An hour or so later, Pete made his way into the lounge room, where Angie was fast asleep on the couch. He smiled, and gently shook her awake. "Wakey wakey sleepy Ange," he sang. Angie slowly opened one eye, and glared at Pete. "Why the fuck did you just wake me up?" she groaned. Pete shrugged. "Coz I thought we could do something today. What's the problem?" Angie groaned, and closed her eye again. "I feel like shit." She replied. Pete nodded, and quietly made his way into the kitchen, figuring it was probably safer in there. * He was reading the paper and drinking coffee, when a small figure appeared in the corner of the room. Pete glanced up, and smiled at Lily. "How are you this morning missy?" he asked. Lily grinned, holding out a tooth. "My tooth fell out," she said proudly. Pete laughed, and held out his hand to examine the tooth. "That's a mighty fine lookin' tooth there partner," he said with a western accent. Lily giggled, and then looked around the kitchen. "Where's mummy?" she asked. Pete pointed towards the lounge room. "Asleep. She's not feeling well." Pete looked at Lily nervously. "Are you feeling ok?" She nodded, and skipped into the lounge room to show Angie her tooth. Pete watched as Lily left the kitchen, and felt his eyes automatically drift towards the picture of his daughter, framed on the wall. `Stop it,' he told himself, sighing, as he slowly stood up and followed Lily in to see Angie. He found Lily sitting on Angie's lap, proudly showing off her missing tooth. Angie didn't look quite so enthusiastic, but was still trying to appear happy. "I showed mum my tooth," said Lily, patting the bed beside her, gesturing for Pete to sit next to her. Pete glanced at Angie, who shrugged in reply. He took a seat, and scooped Lily into his lap, and in effect too her weight off Angie's stomach. Angie smiled, and sat up slightly. "Feeling any better?" asked Pete. Angie shrugged. "A little." Pete nodded. "I thought today we could go to the zoo." He pointed out the window to the blue sky and sunshine. "It's a gorgeous day." Lily jumped off Pete's lap in excitement. "Cool! Mum, let's go to the zoo!" She started dancing around the room, still carefully holding her tooth. "Guess what I am!" she said excitedly. Angie groaned, and slumped back down under the sheets. Pete took her hand worriedly, but Angie brushed it away. "I'm ok, really." Pete raised his eyebrows, and Angie laughed. "Just a stomach ache," she said, raising her own eyebrows at Pete, until he got her message. He stared at her blankly, until he realised what was wrong. "Oh," he said loudly, "Oh." He turned away, embarrassed. "It's just…" "Yeah," grinned Angie, watching Pete squirm as she sat up again. "So I guess the zoo is out of the question then?" Angie rolled her eyes. "No, I guess we could go," she said, not very enthusiastically. Pete shook his head. "It's ok, we can stay at home. Watch some videos or something," he raised his eyebrows suggestively at Angie, who grinned and rolled her eyes. "Not right now thanks Pete," she replied. "Oh yeah," said Pete sheepishly. Angie glanced at Lily, who was still prancing around the room. "You could go with Lil," she suggested. Pete watched her evenly. "You sure about that?" he asked. Angie nodded. "Yeah, you'll be ok." She paused. "I trust you." Pete smiled. "Everything's going to be fine." Angie bit her lip, and held her arms open. "Hey monkey," she called. Lily turned around. "How'd you guess I was a monkey?" she asked, walking towards Angie. She jumped on the couch, and allowed herself to be hugged tightly. "Pete's going to take you to the zoo today." Lily frowned. "Why aren't you coming?" she asked. Angie brushed a strand of hair out of her eyes. "Because I have a bit of a tummy ache," she replied, glancing at Pete. Lily nodded. "I promise I'll be good, and I won't let go of his hand the whole time." Angie smiled, and hugged Lily again. "Love you princess," she said. "Love you too mum," replied Lily, sliding off the couch. She stopped, and turned before she ran off to get ready. She smiled, and kissed Angie on the cheek, before running into the kitchen excitedly. Pete waited until Lily was gone, before he went and sat next to Angie. "Last night," he said, "You didn't, you know, have-" Angie laughed softly, and shook her head. "No. Just this morning." ""That why you left?" Angie shrugged. "Sort of." She paused. "I do love you, you know that." "Love you too." Angie smiled, and kissed Pete softly. "I'll take good care of Lily, don't you worry," said Pete. Angie touched his arm gently. "I know," she said. "Just, be careful." "You too," replied Pete, before slowly standing up. "Have fun," called Angie as he left. He turned and waved, and Angie sank back into the couch, sighing. She'd get up later, for some coffee, but now she just needed sleep. From outside the window, a man watched the exchange between the woman and the little girl, and then between the woman and the man. He smiled, and took out his phone, before watching the woman and the man kiss. His delight quickly turned to rage, as he furiously kicked a rock nearby, and stalked off. * Pete smiled at Lily, as the walked through the zoo together, hand in hand. "This is fun," she said enthusiastically, licking her dripping ice cream. Pete laughed, and then watched as she nearly walked into an elderly lady, nearly wiping her ice cream all over the woman's back. "Look out Lil," he said, stopping her just in time. Lily looked up, eyes huge. "Sorry!" she whispered to the old lady, who smiled back. "It's ok dear," she replied, and winked at Pete. "Giving mummy a day to herself, are we?" Pete nodded, and smiled back at the woman, wondering what Angie was doing. His thoughts suddenly darkened, when he realised what he had seen earlier that day… * I've got a soul That cannot sleep At night when something Just ain't right * *PAST – 6AM THAT MORNING* Pete groaned, feeling the weight shift from under him. He opened an eye, and found himself lying next to Angie. His other eye flew open, and he smiled, sitting up slightly. He opened up his arms, to allow Angie to move next to him. But she remained where she was, hugging herself self-consciously. "What's up?" asked Pete, sitting up properly. Angie bit her lip. "Jake said if I ever went near another man, he'd kill me." Pete sighed, mentally planning exactly how he was going to kill Jake if he ever found him. "Jake's not here now Ange," he said gently, taking her hand. Angie nodded, and smiled tightly. "I guess," she said slowly. Pete hugged Angie softly, and smelt her hair as she leant back into him. "I love you," she whispered, before kissing Pete gently on the cheek. He nodded, and was about to kiss her back, when Angie suddenly climbed out of bd. Pete was about to open his mouth, but shut it again after seeing Angie's face. "Jake's still Lily's father, and I don't want her to see us like this," she said, as Pete slumped back into bed. He shook his head, and rolled over so that he was facing the window. He caught sight of a figure outside, who looked vaguely familiar, but he though it must just be one of his neighbours. He thought about going over to the window to have a look, but his bead was just too warm… * It's hard to believe There's nobody out there It's hard to believe I'm all alone * * PRESENT * Pete looked at Lily, horrified. It had been Kyle Sullivan outside his window that morning, he was sure of it. He grabbed Lily's hand, and started moving in the other direction without waiting for her to follow him. "Where are we going?" she asked, struggling to keep up. Pete scooped her up, and started running towards his car. "You know how you and your mum have been looking out for the bad men?" he asked. Lily nodded, confused. "Well, I think there might be a bad man at my house, with your mum." Lily's mouth flew open, and she started to cry softly. Pete mentally cursed himself, and plastered on a fake smiled. "But I bet your mum's going to be fine," he said, running a hand through Lily's soft blonde hair. Lily sniffed slightly, and then nodded. Pete smiled. "It'll be ok, princess," he said, unlocking the car doors, and placing Lily in the passenger seat. * Angie sat up stiffly, her heart beating wildly. She glanced around the room, to try and locate the source of the loud crash. When she couldn't see anything in the lounge, she crept into the kitchen, and grabbed a sharp knife. `Shit,' she thought to herself, looking around the kitchen. She knew that Pete kept his spare gun in there somewhere, she just wasn't sure exactly where. She continued into the hallway, and was about to enter a spare room when she was suddenly grabbed from behind. She screamed loudly, and flicked the knife around wildly, but to no avail. Whoever it was that was holding her was far too strong. "What do you want from me?" she asked, out of breath as the man slowly walked her towards Pete's room. The man pulled off his balaclava and grinned at Angie. "G'Day Em," said Jake, still holding Angie tightly. "Remember me?" Angie paled. "Jake…" she whispered. Jake nodded. "You left me, didn't even say goodbye." He said. Angie didn't reply, she wasn't sure what to say. Jake didn't seem angry, he was almost happy, somehow. "Not going to answer me?" he asked, as he threw her onto Pete's bed. Angie shook her head. "What are you doing Jake?" she asked quietly. Jake grinned. "Actually, I'm here to see you, believe it or not. Me and Kyle tracked you down last night." He paused, as he slowly traced Angie's jaw with his finger. "I missed you Em." Angie refused to look at him, instead watching the wall carefully. "Did you miss me?" he asked. Angie didn't reply. "Emily? Did you fucking miss me?" he asked again. Angie tried to push herself off the bed, but found he was holding her there. "Let. Me. Go," she demanded, trying to fight him off. Jake shook his head, and then nodded slightly. Angie was confusd, until she saw another man enter the room. "Kyle…" she whispered, beginning to cry softly. * Pete ignored the lights as he sped through yet another intersection. He didn't care if he caused an accident, so long as he reached Angie in time. He knew he shouldn't have left her alone, that something would have gone wrong. * Kyle grinned at Jake, watching as he slowly pulled Angie's shirt off. "Did Jake tell ya that I saw you and that other bloke this morning?" asked Kyle, leaning on the wall. Angie shook her head, and looked up at Jake, who was right on top of her. "Don't you remember what I told you?" he asked. "What?" Jake leaned even closer to Angie, so that she could smell the alcohol on his breath. "That if you ever touch another bloke, I'll kill you both," he whispered threateningly. Angie froze, and Jake laughed, "Calm down," he ordered, unbuttoning Angie's jeans. "First I'm going to have some fun." He looked at Kyle. "And Kyle here's been dry for a while. Only fair to give him a bit of action…" Angie shook her head crying. "No," she whispered. "Lily." Jake's face clouded. "My daughter, I know," he said. "And you took her away." * Pete grabbed his phone, and thrust it into Lily's hands. "Do you know how to use this?" he asked, still speeding towards his house. She shook her head. "Sorry." Pete shrugged. "Do you know your numbers?" Lily nodded. "Mum taught me." Pete smiled. He should've known. "Well, can you dial this number?" he asked, handing her a scrap of paper. Lily nodded seriously, and studied the paper. She dialled the number, and then started helplessly at Pete. "Now what?" Pete leant over and pushed the `call' button. "Is it ringing?" Lily nodded. "Say it's a friend of Pete's ant that you need to speak to Ellen. "Ok," said Lily quietly, as she waited for someone to answer. "Hello, detective Inspector Mackenzie's office, how can I help you?" came a young female voice. Lily bit her lip. "I, I need to speak to Ellen," she said nervously. She glanced at Pete, who smiled encouragingly. "Who's speaking?" came the reply. "Um, my name's Lily, I'm a friend of Pete's." The voice at the other end paused. "How old are you?" "Five," whispered Lily. "There are some bad people who are hurting my mum, and Pete said we need to talk to Ellen." The voice sighed. "Hold on." There was some shuffling, before a muffled voice could be heard. "I'm sorry Inspector, there's a girl on the phone, who appears desperate to talk to you." A woman sighed. "Give it here," she said, taking the phone of the secretary. "Hello?" came the second woman's voice down the phone. Lily bit her lip, and glanced at Pete, scared. She had Angie's shy nature, and didn't like speaking on phones. Pete smiled, as he turned onto the freeway. "Go on," he said. He would've taken the phone himself, except he figured that if he got pulled over then he wouldn't be able to talk himself out of being caught driving while on a mobile, as well as speeding. "Um, my name's Lily. I'm Pete's friend." Ellen Mackenzie paused. "Peter Church?" she asked tentatively. "I don't know," she Lily, as she started to cry. At the other end, the woman looked around frantically, trying to figure out what to do. She wasn't good with children… "It's ok," she said calmly. "Why do you need to talk to me?" "Because Pete said my mum's in trouble." The woman thought quickly. Who's daughter would Pete have with him, that he would think she would want to know about? It wouldn't be Danni; she knew that, as they had split up years ago. "What's your mum's name?" she asked. "Em-" started Lily, before remembering. "Angie," she corrected. The woman nodded. "Tell Pete I'm coming to his house right now." * Time stood still as Pete arrived at the house. The front window was broke, and the door slightly open. Pete felt a sense of dread before he even left the car. "Stay here," he told Lily, before shutting the door, and running towards the house. He pulled out his gun, as he ran, and checked the ammunition. He had two bullets. That's all he needed. Pete was totally oblivious to the car the screeched to a stop behind his car, unaware of the woman climbing out, and running after him. She called out to him, to stop, to wait, but he didn't hear. He didn't care. He ran straight to his bedroom, knowing that would be where he'd find her. He entered, and found Angie naked on his bed, with Kyle and Jake both on top of her, totally engrossed in her body. They didn't even see him shoot. Twice. He ran, and pulled them off, to reveal Angie underneath. She was bleeding heavily from several wounds on her head and chest, which Pete knew were serious. He checked her pulse. Only just. * Coz I'm free Freer than the wind blows Coz I'm free Faster than a shadow * *PAST – SIX YEARS AGO* Pete slowly loosened his tie, and threw it onto the couch sadly. He hated funerals, and it seemed in this job he was always attending them. But not as many for people as close to him as Oscar had been. He sat down slowly, and waited for Danni. She reappeared from her kitchen, and handed him his beer, as promised. She sat down next to him, and leant backwards; so that Pete was able t wrap an arm around her shoulder. "Pete?" asked Danni, turning slowly. "Mmm?" "Do you believe in life after death?" Pete thought carefully. What did he believe? He'd never been to church much, and religion had never made much sense to him. But he knew Danni was expecting an answer, so he tightened his arm, and pulled her around to face him. "I dunno, Dan," he said honestly. "I really don't." He paused, and took a sip from his beer as he thought. "I was never into all that religious stuff at Oscar, not like Ange was-" He stopped suddenly, realising what he'd said. "But I reckon maybe, if you believe there is, there's somewhere." Danni nodded, and placed her beer on the ground next to her. She had been thinking about life and death a lot in the past few days, trying to decide what she believed. She knew that deep inside, she wanted there to be a special place, but she couldn't see how it was physically possible. "I reckon if you want it enough there is somewhere," he said, pulling her closer to him. Danni smiled, as she started to cry softly. "Do you reckon that one day, we'll get to see Stoney again?" she asked. Pete nodded, knowing it was the answer that she wanted. "Yeah Mate," he whispered. "Good," said Danni. "And one day, Angie and Stoney'll be together again." Pete sighed, and for the first time in his life, he actually believe that maybe there was somewhere, a special place for people to go to live their next lives together. * Look into the distance Tell me what you see Can you see the future? Are you there with me? * * PRESENT * Give me consolation Let me walk out of the storm Don't want to live in darkness Oh, let me be transformed And let me find redemption Oh, please let there be peace Make the trouble go away Make the yearning cease Take the rain away, take the rain away Give me hope, give me love Make it sweet from above Take the rain away, take the rain away Give me grace, give me heart Take the rain away * "Let not your hearts be troubled; believe in God, believe also in me. In my father's house are many dwellings; if it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you (John 14:1-2)." The elderly priest slowly closed his worn bible, and looked towards the people that had filled the church. "We are here today to celebrate the life of Angela Katherine Piper…" As he spoke, a figure quietly slipped in through the back doors. From the front row, Pete turned, hearing the noise, and caught sight of a woman he never thought would come. "Mac," he whispered, surprised. She had arrived at Pete's house seconds after him, and had been too overcome to stay. She had only met Lily briefly, and then left, disappeared from Pete's life again. "I would like to invite one of Angela's closest friends, Peter Church, to share his memories," concluded the priest, taking a seat. Pete quickly untangled his hand from Lily's, and touched her hair briefly. Even looking at her was painful; she was so much like Angie. He stood up, and made his way towards the microphone, nervously touching his tie. It was the same one he'd worn to Oscar's funeral, he realised. "Ange was one of the most decent people I ever knew," he began, pulling out his sheet of notes. "She was funny, honest, caring, damn near perfect." He paused, and smiled at Lily, who was trying hard to sit still, but failing. Pete felt sorry for her. She'd lost both parents in the one day, and now had no one, except him. He'd arranged to take custody, as he'd promised Angie. So far no one had contested it, but if they did, Pete was planning to fight with everything he had, as Lily was the only link he had left with Angie. "We first met nearly ten years ago, when Ange was new to my unit. She was eager, gutsy, and ready to give everyone a second chance, no matter what they'd done. She had a real spunk to her, and she never really changed. Once she trusted you, once you were inside her circle, she was the best mate that anyone could have." Pete smiled, remembering as he told stories about his time with Angie, making everyone laugh, and cry together. He spoke about how Angie had saved his life on several occasions, and also about some of the more humorous cases she had worked on. `Screw security,' he had thought, when preparing the speech. Now though, he hardly dared to glance into the back row, where he knew several important figures from headquarters were seated. "We lost contact over time, and I saw Ange again for the first time in six years earlier this week. She'd been through some tough times, but she still managed to hold things together for her gorgeous daughter Lily, who is more and more like her everyday. I hope that as Lily grows, we can all work together to teach her about her mother." Pete smiled at Lily, who grinned back, for the first time since Angie had died. "I love you Ange, and I always will," said Pete, walking back towards his seat. "God bless ya." * Oh give me back the courage And give me back the faith To believe there's more like this Let me control my fate Take the rain away, take the rain away Give me hope, give me love Make it sweet from above Take the rain away, take the rain away Give me grace, give me heart Take the rain away Some things are eternal Some things pass away But the light which comes When the night is gone Is not just called the day Sometimes pain is useless And sometimes pain is brief But the fragile hope That allays the loss Is another word for peace Take the rain away, take the rain away Give me hope, give me love Make it sweet from above Take the rain away, take the rain away Give me grace, give me heart Take the rain away * And baby I promise That I will never leave That everything will be alright I promise these things to you Girl just believe I promise * *PAST – TWO DAYS EARLIER* "If anything happens to me, can you look after Lily?" Pete raised his eyebrows. "I know it's a big ask, but I don't know who else there is. Mum and Dad, they're long gone, I can't ask Sam, she's too unreliable, and I just don't want her going with Jake. You're the closest thing to a family I've got." Pete nodded immediately, and smiled at Angie. "Anything to stop that bastard taking her." He smiled. "I'd be more than happy to take her," he said, hugging Angie. "But nothing's going to happen to you." * She says: We've got to hold on to what we've got 'Cause it doesn't make a difference If we make it or not We've got each other and that's a lot * *FUTURE – TEN YEARS LATER* "I hate you! You're not my father, and you never will be, so stop pretending!" screamed Lily, as she stormed out the door. Pete flinched as the front door slammed, and then slowly he sunk into the couch. He sighed as he thought about the fight that had just occurred, one that was becoming more and more frequent recently. Fifteen years old and invincible, Lily wanted to go out to clubs and parties, which Pete didn't want. He wanted to keep Lily home all day, and protect her all day long, watching her, as she grew more and more like Angie every day. Her face, her hair, her mannerisms were Angie all over. Yet Lily couldn't see that all he was trying to do was protect her… * Later that night, Lily crept back through the front door, and smiled softly as she saw Pete asleep on the couch, TV quietly playing in the background. She walked over quietly, and kissed him goodnight, and was about to continue to her room when Pete's eyes opened. "Good night?" he asked. Lily shook her head, and grinned sheepishly. "No. I felt guilty all night." She paused. "I knew you didn't want me to go." Pete nodded. "You're right there. But I only wanted to look after you." "Thanks for caring Dad," whispered Lily, turning to leave. But Pete patted the couch next to him, smiling wistfully. "Your mother made me promise." Lily sat down next to Pete, and allowed herself to be hugged. "Tell me about Mum again," she said, settling back into Pete's arms. Pete smiled, and began telling Lily about Angie all over again, allowing to her live on.