Claire hovered over Charlotte's crib; she had had a fever most of the day, but she seemed to slowly drift into a sleep. Peter behind her his arms tightly around her waist. He couldn't express the overall joy of having Claire back, having Charlotte. It just felt right,
"She'll be fine Claire," Peter whispered in her ear as she fretted over the poor baby. Claire turned to him smiling. She sighed deeply looking into his eye's trying to read them almost,
"You do love me, don't you Peter?" she asked looking at him with a questioning frown. He smiled at her shaking his head in disbelief she actually asked that,
"Claire you mean everything to me," he whispered in her lips before assaulting them. Claire kissed him hungrily, eager for more. There breathing already deep with passion, there body's already in sync as they kissed and touched their way out to the landing. It felt right; it felt like they had done this all there lives. Every motion was in tune, every breath in time with both there heaving chests,
"Claire! Are you having tea?" Meg asked making her way up the stairs, where Claire rather violently pushed Peter away, trying her best to act as though nothing was happening, but that was a difficult feet, her breathing shallow and the burn of desire within her making it difficult to mask her voice,
"No, I'll stay here with Charlotte, thanks Meg," she replied shakily, as Meg stood at the top of the stair's. Peter watched on, he too finding it hard to mask the pure ecstasy Claire gave him every time they kissed. Meg studied the two, she frowned to herself. They were acting as though they were hiding something, avoiding eye contact, not to mention the tension you could have cut with a knife,
"Oh, Alright then," she replied, dismissing it for a fight they could have had. It would have to be hard living in the same house as your ex-lover, the father of your child and the person who almost ruined your life completely Meg thought, as she made her way down the stairs. Claire exchanged a smile containing her laughter before they were at it again, finally making it into Claire's bedroom. Where they began the tedious actions of removing the layering of clothing. Claire edger her way further up the bed, they kissed yet again and again. Until Peter trailed kisses down her neck and further, both there breathing deep and shallow. The ache for each other nearly too much as Claire roughly wrapper her legs around Peter's waist, as he sat above her on all fours. He was more than ready to comply with Claire's needs, thrusting into her. The shallow breathing, turning into simultaneous sighs. Like them outside of the relationship Peter was the one to take most orders from Claire in the bedroom, but lately there intimate love making had turned out to be an equal thing, a thing of love and cherishing, not lust and power. Claire's chest heaved for air as she felt herself and Peter tighten with ecstasy. He thrust again and again, every muffled sound Claire made, made him closer and closer to his release and for the first time they finally released together. Both sighing with the upmost satisfaction Peter fell on Claire as their bodies still bucked against each other, reeling over there love. Claire was covered in sweat, Peter sighed as he rolled off her gently to lay next to her looking into her eyes, clouded with passion. She muffled a yawned,
"Tied?" he asked placing a hand on her cheek; she nodded wriggling into him, her forehead again his chest. There was a silence as there breathing began to go back to normal, "I wanna wake up next to you tomorrow Claire," Peter sighed, in reference to the previous night were Claire had forced him back to the spare bedroom in the early morning, so no one would find out what happened. Claire pulled away and looked up at him with a worried expression,
"What is we get caught? She asked looking towards the door, which had thankfully been shut and locked,
"Are you gonna keep this a secret forever?" he asked slightly hurt he couldn't freely express his undying love for Claire. Claire thought for a while, yawning again it was a strain to think that deeply, especially when your head was flooded with passion still,
"no," she sighed, that answer would have to do, the truth was that she did want to keep it a secret, cause she knew too well what the woman at Drovers, Alex, Nick and the whole town would say. Peter smiled before kissing her once more time; she rolled over to sleep in Peters arms, to wake up next to him for the first time in over a year.
"You be good for you gorgeous mummy," Peter cooed to Charlotte as he stroked her face. Charlotte lay peacefully in Claire's arms. Claire smiled; this was how it was meant to be. She'd woken up to Peter, they started the day of with a moment of passion; a great way to start the day and now finally they had the space from the other's to truly act as a happy family, "I'll get back as soon as I can," Peter sighed looking into the glint of Claire's eyes,
"Yep," she smiled staring dreamily into Peter's eyes. Alex walked to the round yard with Vince Lavise's horse, yet another person he had to compete with! The prize being Claire McLeod herself. First there was Nick, now there was Peter and Vince, he shook his head, he wanted Claire all to himself. To stare lost in her eyes, to caress her with his strong hands, he was shaken from his thoughts as the horse shook its head roughly, that's when something caught his eye, and it was Claire, Peter and Charlotte. He studied them for a while; Claire looked different in a way. He quickly tied the horse up, before getting a better vantage point. Alex watched as Claire looked behind her quickly, he furrowed his brow until he witnessed the kiss the two shared. A deep passionate kiss not a friendly kiss. He felt the rage run deep through him, the idiot had taken Peter back! He couldn't take it, watching as they parted he began to storm towards the two. Peter drove off just as Alex's met Claire, he was ropeable,
"When did you get here?" Claire asked chirpy, but the look of Alex's face scared her as he came closer,
"Rack Off!" He yelled storming past her too his Ute, the flames of rage ignited in his eyes,
"Alex?" She shrieked, with a gut feeling something was wrong,
"You took him back didn't you?" Alex asked opening the door of his Ute. Claire almost had tears in her eyes, he must have seen them and she was lost for words as she watched him shake his head in disgust,
"Alex!" She barked eager to set him straight, but he was off. She sighed angrily, before running to the Ute where Becky was, she handed Charlotte over who had begun to grizzle due to the commotion. Becky watched as Claire drove off in hot pursuit of Alex, who was already half way up to catching Peter. The whole drive into Gungellan was the most stressful one yet; she sounded the horn numerous times, watched Alex tried his best to lose her, to catch Peter, run him off the road…. Claire breathed a sigh of relief as they reached the Gungellan pub. Where Peter got out of his car, confused as Alex came up behind him slamming on the brakes, Claire doing the same thing,
"You bastard!" Alex yelled at the top of his lungs, the patrons of the pub turning full circle. Peter was taken by surprise when Alex's fist hit him square in the jaw. Falling to the ground Alex kicked him,
"Alex!" Claire yelled trying her best to stop him, trying to hold him back by his shirt but as he and Peter began to punch each other, she lost her grip. She watched as Alex roughly pulled Peter up by the scruff of the neck, before punching him in his stomach. Peter doubled over as Alex pushed Claire free from him. "Cut it out!" Claire growled as Peter punched Alex back getting the upper hand as he head butted Alex fair on the chin. Alex pushed him back forcefully, both of them falling hard on the ground. An audience surrounding the two as they fought. Alex put a firm grip on Peter's neck; he wanted to kill the bastard. For everything he did to Claire, he broke her heart; it killed Alex to see Claire like that, but he could have done the same to Claire, for taking him back, why was she such an idiot when it came to this knob? Alex elbowed Claire in the stomach as she went to break them up, she fell hard on the ground before Terry and Vince came along. Terry breaking the two jostling men up, while Vince ran to Claire's side,
"Claire?" Vince called as he knelt beside her, she was shell shocked. She looked up with a look of hurt and confusion heavy on her face; she stared directly at Alex as he wiped his mouth free of blood. Vince offered a hand for Claire to get up, but she was too busy trying to read Alex,
"Get your hands off her!" he barked pointing towards Vince. Claire frowned even more, what the hell was Alex playing at?
"Alex!" she shrieked in anger, "What's going on?" she added rising to her feet, so too did Vince. He back away from the unruly beast that was Alex. Claire felt the tears sting her eyes. All the people surrounding the commotion didn't help either. She looked to Peter who held his right hand in pain,
"You always pick the bastards don't chu!" He barked pointing at her. Claire had had enough of this. She looked directly into Alex's eyes,
"Last time I looked Alex, you didn't own me!" She growled harshly, never had anyone heard Claire use that tone. It was enough for the audience to back away slightly, but still keeping their eyes on the two of them, they couldn't look away. Alex paced slightly shaking his head, he hated to admit it but the only thing he could come up with was; I want you or I need you… something along those lines. So instead he huffed his way back and forth, "I only wanted a family for Charlotte," she snapped again, "And it may come to a surprise to you Alex, but I loved Peter!" Claire exclaimed looking at Peter who was another person who couldn't look away from the car crash, 10 other people had joint to spectate, "I wanted to try again!" she added. Alex shook his head again looking deep into Claire's eyes not breaking his rage,
"I could be your family, I'm charlotte's god father!" he hissed right into her face before walking off to his Ute, leaving in a puff of dust that danced through the thinning crowd. Claire was left shaken, she felt her self-quake with tears, as one after the other escaped from her eyes, that by far was her's and Alex's biggest fight! Peter wiped the blood from his nose before opening his arms to Claire, who hungrily pulled him into a hug, before she truly broke down, she couldn't take it anymore. Her body shook with sadness, her sobs loud and clear, and her tears never stopping. As the two stood in each other's embrace for all to see; it was out now they couldn't do a thing about it, but that was not what worried Claire the most, that was if she and Alex would ever talk again, she never imagined life without him.
Tess pottered around the kitchen, numbing her mind, well at least trying to after Becky had told her about the pantomime,
"You realise your idiot sister's taken that bastard back!" Alex yelled barrelling his way into the kitchen. Tess looked up in fright,
"Alex! What happened?" Tess asked rushing up to him, seeing his split lip, eyebrow and chin. He continued his rage of pacing,
"Why is she such an idiot!" He growled, the jars rattling on the table from the tone of Alex's voice,
"Who?" Tess asked really not paying attention until seeing his injuries and mood,
"Claire! She's taken Peter back!" he snapped running his fingers through his hair angrily,
"Oh... I thought so," was all Tess could say, she knew she wasn't seeing things!
"How can she be so fucking blind!" he growled slamming his clenched fist into the table, the jars jumped along with Tess, she knew Alex had a temper, but she had never heard him swear. That's when she saw the frail looking silhouette of Claire come through the door, looking rather worse for wear. Alex looked up and followed Tess' stare behind him. He frowned straight away, if looks could kill Claire would have been five foot under,
"You bitch!' he snarled, "I thought you were better than that," Claire frowned at him with her tear stained eyes,
"Alex quit it!" she yelled, Tess took a few steps back from the violent bubbling tempers, "Quit it!" she added as she began to sob again. Alex was shaking his head in disgust,
"I don't know how you can have sex with that slimy bastard!" Alex exclaimed taking a step towards Claire, who frowned even more,
"I wanted a family for Charlotte!" Claire said with the most furious tone Tess had ever seen and the rage that broke through her stare was one of complete hatred,
"Do you love him?" Alex asked with a snarl. Claire's eyes were full with tears as she held her sobs in. Did she love him? She didn't know…maybe she was just lonely or confused, it was all for Charlotte. Claire looked away from Alex to fight the tears that threatened to overrun her, she glanced back to him without an answer, "I could be Charlotte's father," he justified in a calmer voice surprisingly, Claire's tears always seemed to leave him speechless,
"We can't keep lying!" Claire said as the tears now overtook her, she sobbed loudly, "I can't!" she wimpered before covering her face and running up the stairs, she couldn't do a thing about it as her cries and sobs echoed in her room. Tess watched as Alex stood unable to move as if rooted to the ground,
"Cut her some slack Alex," Tess finally said regaining her faculties, "I mean, we all hate Peter, but that was a bit much. Don't chu think?" Tess added sitting down at the table. Alex still stood with a steady, bruised and battered hand on the table,
'I just don't want to see her get hurt," he answered, the anger seemed to be gone…for now,
"We all don't, but if she truly loves someone, don't you think we should leave her are?" Tess asked as Alex sat down on the chair exhausted, he was silent lost in thought.