Chapter 13 Hate

Odessa, Texas

Claire did not want to leave Peter and Pete. They both had fallen asleep on her bed. Pete had snuggled into his father and Peter had put his hand on his son. Looking at them Claire wished that she didn't have to go to work. The sound of quiet knocking disturbed her daydream.

'Claire?' it was her mother.

'Yes?' Claire said quietly and Sandra entered in the room.

'I thought that you had to work today…' she whispered.

'I do…' Claire answered still looking at the bed. Her two men were there, sleeping. Sandra followed her gaze.

'I see…' she said and had to admit that Peter and Pete were really quite the touching picture. 'You can't get enough, can you?' Sandra asked her quietly.

Claire crossed arms in front of her chest and cocked her head to one side.

'I can't get enough of them… You know that Pete already recognizes him?' she said quietly and Sandra froze. 'He calls him 'dada'… Not all the time, but… ' She shrugged.

'That's dangerous, Claire! If your father finds out…' Her mother started, but Claire interrupted her.

'I know, but… Look at them! They deserve each other… You should see Peter! He held his son today… He talked to him, mom… I think that Pete is the cure for him! He can reach him!'

'Claire…'

'I know! My dad! I'll think about it!' She said and with one final look, left the room. Sandra closed the door behind them.

Claire was late again. Andy noticed and guessed why she was so late. There was no way he'd ask of course. He just knew. It was because of that guy! The guy, Claire was hiding in her house! He still did not know his name. However, he did not need to know his name to hate his guts.

'Late again?' he said and Claire shot him a cold look.

'I'm sorry! I'm only five minutes late. Check your watch!' She snapped and tied her apron. 'Barb isn't here?'

'Barb is on the next shift! Today it's just us …'

'Me and You …' Claire said icily.

'What?'

'I said me and you, Andy!' She snapped once again and went to her first customer. Andy followed her with his eyes. There was something different about her. It was something in her eyes that was making her different. Some new confidence and strength. However, she looked so fragile at the same time. It was some strange mix of these feelings and Andy was surprised. He could not understand her. She was mystery to him…

Odessa, Texas

Bennet House

Peter knew her. He knew her well. He had felt her pain when she had told him about the abortion attempt. Peter knew how scared she had probably felt . Now, he was scared. His eyes opened and he saw his son, sleeping beside him. Pete was so perfect. So beautiful that sometimes Peter could not believe that it was true. That he was real. However, he was and he was sleeping peacefully beside him.

'Peter?' he heard Sandra's voice and turned around to see her, standing in the door. 'Can I come in?' she asked.

'Sure…' Peter stood up slowly and sat on the bed. He covered Pete with a blanket and looked at Sandra. She sat down on the chair close to him.

'How are you?' she asked and Peter smiled bitterly. Strange question.

'I am… a little better than before…' he said and ran his fingers through his hair.

'You know… Claire fought for him… your son?' Sandra sounded honest. 'She fought for him to be born…'

'I know.' Peter said and looked back at Pete. 'She told me about it…'

'Everything?' Sandra looked surprised.

'There are just a few things that are still left unspoken…' Peter shrugged. 'We talked about… a lot.'

'You are very close, aren't you?'

'Sometimes we don't need words, you know?' Peter looked back at Sandra. 'Do you know that feeling?'

Sandra shook her head. She loved Noah and he loved her, but they never were as close as Peter and Claire were.

'It's…' Peter searched the right words.

'Love?' Sandra said quietly, but saw him shake his head.

'It is more than love… I don't know… Destiny?' Peter shrugged. 'I don't know… I really don't know, but I felt her since the moment I saw her!'

'You love her and that is obvious, Peter!'

'Who says anything different?' Peter smiled bitterly. 'I always loved her and I always will… Sometimes I wonder if I deserve her…' he said simply and that was all Sandra needed to know.

She nodded and stood up.

'Okay… I can see that you're still tired. I'll leave you two boys alone. I'm going to make dinner.' She said and left the room. Peter was surprised. He thought that Sandra was going to be a little confused by his words. She looked the opposite.

Peter lay back and put his hand back on Pete. He sighed quietly and continued to sleep. His father did the same…

Odessa, Texas

Burnt Toast Diner

The next shift arrived and Claire sighed with relief. She finally could go home and be with Peter and their son. She had thought about them the whole day and now, she was eager to see them. Claire walked into the kitchen and pulled off her apron. Then went to take her money from the cash-box and took her jacket.

'Leaving?' Andy asked.

Claire turned around and shot him a dirty look.

'Yeah. Problem?'

'Why have we stopped talking, Claire?' he asked and she raised her eyebrows. 'We used to talk.'

'Why? Why do you think? You kissed me. That's why!' she snapped and walked out of the diner. Andy followed her.

'Was it that bad?' he said loudly and made her stop. She turned around slowly.

'It was bad! I didn't want to. You forced me to do it! I told you I don't love you! I told you that I like you, but not as…'

'As much as you like him?' Andy frowned.

'I don't like him. I love him!' Claire sighed putting emphasis on the word. 'It's more than love actually… It's something more powerful that ties us. Me and him…' Claire spoke so confident in her feelings that Andy wondered if that guy had put spell on her.

'You're blind, Claire…' he said quietly, but he narrowed his eyes.

Claire smiled bitterly.

'No! I finally opened my eyes!' she said and walked away.

Andy followed her from distance.

Odessa, Texas

Bennet's House

Peter had just watched it get dark outside. He took Pete and this time, they both went out to wait for Claire. Sandra noticed them as they walked out and just shook her head. Luckily, for them, Noah was on business trip and he would not see them. Peter and Pete were so similar that he should notice in the minute he saw them together. Sometimes Sandra wondered how he hadn't realized by now.

It was time for dinner, but Peter was not hungry. He had spent his whole day with Pete. He was captivated by him. He loved him so much now, that he did not know what he'd do without him. His son… Peter looked at the little boy, who had grabbed his leg, trying to stand still, but fell down. Pete did not cry… He just looked at his father and reached his hands for help. Peter took him back in his arms and Pete sat on his father's lap. He clapped hands and cooed.

Then Peter saw her. She stood by the other side of the street and looked at them. Peter could not see her face, but knew that she was crying. He did not know how he felt it, but he knew…

'Claire…' he formed the word with his mouth and saw her walking and then running to him.

Peter stood up with Pete in his arms and welcomed her. He embraced her with his free arm and Claire hid face on his chest next to Pete body. He was not mistaken. She was crying.

'Hi… Claire…' Peter stroked her hair. 'What's wrong?'

She sniffed instead and held his waist.

'I watched you for a while … You two are so perfect! I love to see my boys like that…' she said and Peter felt hint of a smile.

'Your boys?' he asked quietly.

'My two Peters.' Claire nodded and kissed her son's cheek.

'I wanted to ask you… Why did you name him Peter? Why you named him after me?' Peter said and she pulled back a bit.

'You're really asking me this?' She looked surprised.

'Yeah… I mean, you could've named him after your father…'

Claire glared at him and Peter coughed.

'I meant Noah… or you could've picked any name you wanted. Why Peter?'

'Because I love Peter and I love the name Peter.' Claire said simple.

'You love Peter? By the time you named your son, did you love him?' Peter asked her with strange voice and Claire looked his eyes. His beautiful hazel eyes… and answered.

'There wasn't a time when I didn't love Peter!' she lifted up a bit and pressed one soft kiss on his lips. This time, he answered her.

Sandra's voice interrupted their moment.

'Dinner!' she screamed from the inside and they pulled back.

'Damn! She really picks her moments!' Claire murmured and grabbed her bag, she had dropped it on the ground. 'Come on! I'm hungry!'

'I'm not…' Peter said, but saw her face. 'Okay, I'll try for you…'

'You're always trying for me… ' Claire said quietly and they went inside the house.

That was the moment when Andy could no longer see them. His eyes widened. So, that was Claire's biggest secret. She had a son. Not just son, he was his son! Now Andy felt the need to learn his name. His enemy has to have a name. The question was how he was going to learn that. Their son… That was the variable, Andy could not predict. He hated him even more…

New York

'Peter has caused me lot more trouble than I thought was possible!' Nathan threw his tie onto his bed.

Angela stood at the doorframe with crossed arms.

'What is it this time? Did you find him?' her voice was cold.

'I was in an interview with that… moron and he asked me about my brother. Where is he now? How is he? Is he still mentally unstable…? Why, the hell would he need to ask me about my brother? I am running for the Congress! Not Peter! That little bastard…'

'Oh no! Your brother is legitimate! You were the one, who…'

'Don't ma! Not this time! I'm not in the mood for your games!' Nathan grunted out and sat on the bed.

'It's Claire's fault!' Angela snapped and moved from the doorway and into the room.

'What? Are you going crazy? What they did traditionally you need two for it! And I'm positive about what I saw!' Nathan ran his fingers through his hair the mirror image of Peter

'I saw it too, but that's not my point!' Angela said and this time her eyes narrowed. 'I meant that their meeting was a mistake! It wasn't supposed to even happen! Ever!'

'But they met! Peter saved her and was mesmerized by her! I saw that too, Ma! He just told me that he saved a girl and his eyes… You should have seen them! They were glowing! How could I have failed to predict that?'

'You failed?' Angela looked furious. 'I should've dreamt about that! I should've known!'

'So you're telling me that this is… destiny?' Nathan spat the last word. He hated it.

'I don't know, but I still think that it's wrong!'

'You have to think that! He still is my brother and she still is my…' Nathan gulped painfully and frowned. 'Damn it! That little slut!'

'Like father like daughter…' Angela said ironically and that made Nathan furious.

'You know damn right that it is not the same! She slept with Peter! She is not supposed to want to sleep with him! It's too… unnatural!'

'That's why I'm saying that it's her fault! She's just like her mother!' Angela couldn't resist saying it.

'Yeah…' Nathan agreed.

'So… you're gonna hide her? You are going to hide that she is your daughter?' Angela asked carefully.

'If I say that she is my daughter, the journalists would start digging and soon they would find out the truth!' Nathan looked at his mother. 'How can I not going hide her! It's better that way!'

'It's your only option right now.' Angela said quietly.

Odessa, Texas

Claire put Pete to sleep and turned back to her bed. Peter stared at her and she blushed. She could not stop that reaction. Sometimes, she acted like a girl in front of him. Looking closely, she still was at that age. However, Claire thought of herself as a woman. After she gave birth to Peter's son… she was not a girl anymore… Actually, she stopped being a girl in the moment she had met him.

'You never thought about going to college?' His question caught her unprepared. She went and sat beside him.

'Actually, no! I didn't… I never was a good student… I barely finished my last year. My dad wanted me to have a diploma. He wanted me to go to college… That's why he sent me in New York in the first place. But they were his dreams… his goals… Not mine.'

'And what was your goal? Did you reach it?' he asked carefully.

Claire looked straight at him when she answered.

'I reached it and… it gave me something wonderful.' Claire looked at Pete's crib. 'Everybody thought that having a baby at my age was crazy. Even my dad… He was disappointed at first. He didn't tell me, just showed me…' Claire shrugged. 'I'm lucky to have Pete… He was my salvation then…'

Peter smiled and Claire looked at him.

'I also had my salvation, but you probably don't want to know…'

'I could've guessed…' she said frowning and rubbed his back. 'Why did you do it Peter? I never thought that you were capable of that.'

'I never thought so either, but I couldn't see any other way out...'

'You were really sick… and nobody knew that…' Her eyes shone.

'Actually…' Peter paused and he gazed at her face. 'Nathan knew…'

'Nathan knew?' Claire gasped and raised her eyebrows.

Las Vegas, 19 months earlier

Peter returned to his apartment after another hard night. He was drunk. Not as drunk as he wanted. That was why he held the paper bag in his hand. His fix for the night. It was new and dangerous, but Peter didn't care anymore. Any drug could numb his pain.

From the second he entered in his filthy apartment, Peter knew that he was not alone. Then he saw Nathan. His brother sat on the bed and glared at him darkly.

'What the hell are you doing here Peter?' Nathan asked him and Peter threw the paper bag on the table. His drugs had to wait.

'What are you doing here Nathan? I left didn't I? You wanted me gone so here I am! What else could you possibly want from me?' Peter pulled out a cigar from his pocket and lit it. He sucked an inhaled slowly.

'You're smoking?' Nathan looked at him strangely.

'What I do with my life is nothing to do with you anymore!' Peter snapped and inhaled deeply. Then he blew out the smoke.

'She destroyed you and you don't even care about that!' Nathan got off the bed and came closer.

'Don't talk to me!' Peter said with disturbed voice. 'Don't insult her in front of me! I love her and I want her to be happy! I want her to have a future! She is the only thing that matters to me…'

'Oh Peter!' Nathan patted him on his shoulder and walked to the door. He turned around to look at him. 'I thought that there was still a chance for you! I thought that you could be saved…'

Peter laughed bitterly.

'I don't want to be saved, Nathan! There is no point now! Live your life and let me live mine… as long as I have to.'

Nathan shook his head and opened the door.

'It's her fault…' then he closed it behind him.

'It's mine…' Peter whispered and picked up the paper bag.

Odessa, Texas, Present Day

'He knew! He knew!' Claire almost jumped up from the bed, but Peter stopped her. 'He knew where you were. He knew that I was pregnant! He kept quiet and let us both suffer! He is the reason for all this…' Claire trembled. 'Nathan! Angela! They can go to hell!'

'Claire…' Peter tried to comfort her, but it didn't work. Not this time.

'They can go to hell! Why did they do this to us, Peter? Why have they caused us all this pain?' She felt her tears rolling down.

'Claire they thought that they were right…' Peter said quietly.

'No! They wanted me to abort my child! Our child Peter! They forced you to threaten your life! They separated us! I hate them! I hate them!' Claire shouted the last word and Peter wrapped arms around her.

'Sh-sh… I'm here! I'm here!' he repeated constantly and held her in his arms. Claire needed him as he needed her. They just needed each other to be complete. They needed each other to be alive…