Hey guys, heres my next story: I decided to have some fun mixing story lines and molding them into one big story so i hope i did the following shows: McLeods Daughters, Stingers, Crossbow and Coffin Rock justice. I DONT OWN ANY THING PEOPLE, i just wanted to write it to widen my writing style, IM NOT MAKING ANY MONEY FROM THIS WHAT SO EVER.
hope you enjoy and please review :)
Rating:MA +15 (Strong sexual references, Drug References, Adult Themes, Medium Level Violence and Course Language.)
Claire breathed deeply, glancing to her right she saw the Gungellan pub, her watering hole. Glancing back in front of her, listening to her gliding footsteps, she sighed deep in thought. Alex Ryan the love of her life, her soul mate, she didn't know what she would have done without him, during this hard time with Tess's breast cancer scare. Claire hoped to god, her sister was okay, she couldn't bare it if she lost her sister, after just getting her back. Then there was BOM, her little bundle of joy, her flesh and blood. Claire looked up mentally shaking herself from her thoughts as she saw Frank walk up to her,
"G'day Frank," she smiled broadly, he smiled a restricted smile before stopping her in her tracks,
"Hi Claire, um you need to come to the station with me," he exclaimed quietly, slightly upset at the news he was about to give to this youthful, happy go lucky woman,
"Why, what's happened?" Claire asked frowning from confusion, she mentally went through the last couple of days,
"I thinks it's best if you come with me….now," He answered looking around secretly, Claire was speechless, watching Franks behavior, it worried her,
"Uh, okay," she answered creasing her forehead in confusion as Frank walked her to the station in silence.
An eerie silence came over the office as Claire made her way through to Frank's office, all the time watching as the light cast shadows over the walls, floor, just like it was laying a shadow over her life. Claire sat down nervously, still frowning at the situation as the door opened behind her, she swiveled around sharply, swallowing hard at the tall man that entered,
"What's going on?" Claire asked following the middle aged man with her eyes as he stood next to Frank. Both men took a deep breath unable to look at the desperate expression on Claire's face, "Frank, what going on?" Claire asked with more force,
"Claire, Your relationship with Peter Johnson," Franks started, still cautious of the way he was saying every word, Claire's body tightened at the mention of Peter Johnson, "We have been informed by the Queensland police that he's hired a hit men to kill either you or your loved ones," Frank continued, but Claire didn't hear another word. 'Kill' echoed in her head. Peter Johnson wanted to kill her, her sister, her lover and his child. Frank stared at Claire who was still lost in thought her frown increasing by the minute,
"Claire?" he exclaimed watching her intently till she looked up startled,
"He wants to kill me?" she asked bewildered. How could he want to kill her, even his daughter, did he have a heart at all!
"Yes, you have to be put into witness protection," Frank answered shifting nervously, bracing himself for the storm that was inevitable from Claire,
"Witness Protection?" she asked looking up from Frank to the tall mysterious man,
"Witness protection, for you safely Miss McLeod, to stop anyone innocent from being hurt," the tall man said in a deep alluring voice, giving Claire more reason to worry, she looked back at Frank,
"So I have to leave Drovers? Leave my sister, Alex and my daughter?" Claire asked the anger rising in her throat,
"Yes, for their safety and,"
"No, I'm not leaving," Claire cut Frank off mid-sentence, standing up abruptly,
"You don't understand Miss McLeod, they will kill you," the now obvious witness protection officer said stepping forward. Claire stood going over how her life went so wrong in her head, staring at the carpet below her feet. Sighing she lifted her head running her hand through her brown wavy hair,
"When?" Claire asked quietly, barely audience to Frank and the officer,
"Well as soon as possible, next week," the officer went on and on, his voice a muffled murmur in Claire's ears, she was lost in thought again. She would have to leave Drover's Run, her sister at her weakest, her lover and her daughter, she stopped looking up wide eyed,
"I can take Charlotte with me and Alex?" she asked stepping up the chair resting her worn hands on the back of it, Frank looked up at the witness protection officer who took deep breath in,
"I'm sorry we can't allow that, it would look to suspicious," he answered shaking his head. Claire's hand immediately came to her mouth, stopping the sobs that were threating to overpower her,
"Why would it look suspicious, your just taking me somewhere aren't you? Charlottes my daughter, she needs a mother!" she asked loudly, a sob freeing itself from her throat echoed in the small room, sweeping a piece of stray hair from her face Frank went on,
"Well, we are planning your death,"
"My what?" Claire shrieked abruptly, her hand resting back onto the chair which she gripped hard, with rage,
"We'll fake your death giving you an easier time staying under cover," The officer said in a tone, Claire couldn't get a hold on,
"So your saying in a week I'll be dead to my friends and to my family?" Claire asked, biting her bottom lip with anger and to hold the rising sobs and tears,
"Yes, to everyone you'll be dead, " The officer said in a matter of fact tone, it unsettled Claire, how could he be so calm about taking people from their home, from their loved ones. There was a silence as both Frank and the officer stood overlooking the ever so scared and confused Claire, never had Frank seen her like this,
"Where will I go?" she asked trying to sound just a little bit excited but it was no use, the fear over run her voice,
"Sydney, your job status and character is not settled yet, but we will let you know in the next couple of days," Frank read from the page he had in front of him, Claire looked out the window catching another glimpse of the Gungellan pub, Gungellan was her home. How could that bastard Peter take that away from her? she shook herself from her thoughts as a person walked past the window obstructing her view and her thoughts, her hand nervously resting near her chin as she thought hard, turning to the two men she stepped closer to them,
"I will be able to come home one day yeah?" she asked quietly taking her hand from her chin to rest on the table,
"Yes of course, when we have caught the hit men, you see we have Peter in custody but he has insider's, they'll keep sending them out until the jobs done," the officer answered still in a matter of fact tone, Claire stopped, she couldn't believe she was about to leave Drovers, she was going to die there, and apparently to everyone she was going to in a week,
"Fine, I can't believe I was an idiot to fall for Peter, Alex was right he is knob," she answered shaking her head and rolling her eyes simultaneously,
"So you agreeing to go on witness protection?" Frank asked surprised Claire didn't take up more of a fight, he picked up the pen he had handy,
"Yes," Claire breathed, shaking her head in disbelief as she watched Frank sign her life away to a man she had just met, and didn't like one bit.
Claire sat on her bed, the curtains dancing in the slight breeze that circled her room. The sun lighting it brightly, staring at the grains of wood in the floorboards, she sighed. Today would be her last day at Drovers Run, today would be her last day as Claire Louise McLeod. Since getting the phone call of Friday, she wished it was a dream, a fragment of her imagination, some slight anxiety about Peter but it wasn't, it was real. The plan was set and ready, she would find an excuse to go to Gungellan, with the help of the secret agents, she would crash the Ute, she would be transported to Sydney and become Megan Walsh a private officer in a police firm, but the thing that worried Claire was that Tess and Charlotte would be coming to Gungellan with her, she couldn't bare it if they got hurt. Straightening her shirt she walked out of her bedroom, breathing deeply the smell of the old oak floorboards, the musty smell she dreaded to leave,
"There you are," Alex smiled, shaking her from deep thoughts, she looked up braving a fake smile. Her heart bled though, these last moments would be her last with her lover and her friends,
"What's up?" Alex asked wrapping his arms around her, she fell eagerly into his arms,
"Nothing, just tired," she sighed closing her eyes, relishing ever last moment with the man she loved,
"Do you want me to tell Tess to forget about the party?" Alex asked stepping away from Claire looking into her eyes he loved so much. Claire shook her head, but inside she wanted to scream out to him to save her,
"Alright, but you know if we didn't have the party, we could stay in bed all afternoon," Alex exclaimed with a goofy grin, Claire let out a giggle as she looking into his eyes scanning his features as if taking mental pictures,
"Alex, if anything happens to me, just know that I love you," Claire exclaimed trying with all the energy she had not to burst into tears,
"Nothing's going to happen to you Claire, we've got the rest of our lives together," Alex stated wrapping his arm around her shoulder as they began to walk down the stairs to the Ute,
"Yeah, the rest of our lives," Claire said sarcastically as they passed the endless photo's that lines the halls, all now a distant memory. Tess met them out the back with Charlotte in her arms,
"There you are, we thought you and Alex got side tracked," Tess said with a huge smile, handing Charlotte to Claire, who sat her in the baby seat. Alex tightening the keg on the Ute, turning to Claire he smiled, he'd wasted his whole life being too proud to admit he loved his best mate,
"Now the pub will give you a full one right?" Alex stated as Claire turned to him,
"Yep," she said just audible over Charlottes cries,
"You sure you don't want me to take Charlotte?" Alex asked grasping Claire around the waist gently, she stopped, she'd be safer with him, but yet she wanted to be with her daughter as long as possible,
"No, I think she'll sleep all the way there and back," Claire answered turning in his arms. Meg and Jodi arrived next to Tess,
"Don't forget the corn chips," Meg exclaimed before walking into the house,
"Oh and the salsa!" Jodi piped in almost skipping behind her mother. Claire smiled acknowledging them, taking in the mother and daughter trio she grew up with, before turning to Tess, who sat in the Ute ready to go. Tess was so ecstatic her cancer results were clear, now she could plan her life, the way she wanted it, with her sister, her niece and hopefully Nick. Claire tried to walk as Alex playfully gasped her from behind, she relished these last moments with him. Getting into the car she kissed him on the cheek,
"Is that all I get?" he asked again with his goofy grin, which always melted Claire's heart, she smiled before kissing him on the lips, tasting him only made this decision harder. Closing the door with a 'thud' she smiled back up at him, making sure his last moments with her were happy ones,
"Don't be long," was heard over the engines motor, Claire turned to Alex, knowing he would never see her again,
"Can't live without me hey?" she asked as a reassurance that he would do anything for her,
"Something like that," he smiled, Claire shook her head amused before driving away, from her home never to return for a least a year, at least that's what she thought.