Author's note: Thanks to everyone who has read and reviewed the fic so far-
I really appreciate it! Again, this chapter is completely unrelated to the
first two. I decided to write about Peter and Cleo, even though I was never
a big fan of either of them while they were on the show. Enjoy!
***
"Good work, Peter," the anesthesiologist said as Peter Benton pulled off his gloves and surgical cap.
"Thanks, Kara. You too."
Peter walked out of the OR and into the locker room. He had just completed a complicated appendectomy, and he was ready to go home. He took his scrub shirt off, and opened his locker to retrieve a sweatshirt. As he pulled the sweatshirt over his head, he couldn't help but looking at the pictures decorating his locker door.
There were a few of Reese, a few of Cleo with Reese, and a few of Peter with Reese. There were a few pictures of Cleo- sitting on the back porch laughing, waterskiing in Florida, playing baseball with Reese. There was a picture of Peter and Cleo in a restaurant in Miami, and another one of the three of them together at a barbeque at Jackie's house last summer.
Then there was a picture that had been taken several years before. Peter remembered the day perfectly. It was a rainy April evening, and many of his coworkers had gathered at the wedding of one of his closest friends. In the picture, Elizabeth Corday stood in the center, eight months pregnant but still beautiful in her silver wedding dress. John Carter stood on one side of her, and Peter stood on the other.
Carter and Elizabeth. His two best friends at County. He hadn't seen Elizabeth since Mark's funeral, and it had been several months since he'd talked to Carter. Sure, Peter loved working at a private hospital. The pay was good, and the hours were much more reasonable. Peter had plenty of time to spend with his fiancée and son. But sometimes he couldn't help but miss County.
'Snap out of it, man,' Peter said to himself. He put on his jacket and slammed the locker door shut, ready to finally go home.
***
Cleo Finch heard a key turn in the door. She walked into the living room, where Reese sat playing with some trucks. "Daddy's home, Reese," she signed. "Let's wash your hands for dinner."
Peter opened the door and dropped his bag in the hall. Taking off his jacket, he walked into the living room. There were trucks all over the floor, but no sign of Reese or Cleo. Walking down the hall, Peter could smell dinner. 'Lasagna,' he thought to himself. 'Cleo does have a lot of free time on her days off.'
Peter walked into the bathroom, where he found Reese washing his hands, supervised by Cleo. "Hey," he said to Cleo, kissing her. "Hi, Reese," he signed to his son, who smiled and dried his hands.
"Hi, daddy," he signed back. "Cleo made my favorite dinner."
Peter laughed. "I know, I can smell it!"
"Smells delicious," he added to his girlfriend. Cleo smiled.
"Let's go eat, okay Reese?" Cleo signed. Reese ran off down the hall. Peter and Cleo followed him to the kitchen.
"So, how was your day?"
"Oh, the usual," Peter said, sitting down at the table. Cleo gave Reese a plate piled with lasagna and green beans. "A bowel resection, a few appys- the last one gave us a bit of trouble, though. Appendix nearly burst, but we managed to get it out in time."
"Sounds fun," Cleo said, sitting down at the table.
"What did you two do today?" Peter asked.
"Reese, why don't you tell your dad?" Cleo signed.
"We played trucks, and Cleo took me to the park," Reese signed. "And she made me clean my room."
Peter laughed. "It's about time, Reese!"
The family ate in relative quiet for a few minutes. Just as Peter was about to get seconds, Cleo spoke.
"Oh, Peter, Elizabeth called earlier."
Peter was puzzled. "Elizabeth who?"
"Elizabeth Corday. She mentioned something about dinner- you might want to give her a call."
Peter stood up and walked to the stove. "Yeah, I will."
***
"Good night, Reese," Peter signed to his son. He gave him a kiss on the forehead and turned out the light. Shutting the door to the bedroom behind him, he walked out to the living room. Cleo sat on the couch doing chart reviews. She looked up when Peter entered.
"I see the work never stops," Peter said, sitting down beside her.
"Never. I've only got two more to do, though, and then I'll be caught up for tomorrow."
Peter nodded, and looked at the clock. 8:10. He was suddenly reminded of something he had to do.
"Do you think it's too late to call Elizabeth?"
Cleo looked at her watch. "Ella's probably asleep by now- I'm sure it's safe."
Peter nodded and picked up the phone. He dialed the number and waited for someone to pick up on the other end. The phone rang four times, and then the answering machine picked up.
"You've reached Elizabeth Corday. I'm not available at the moment, but leave a message and I'll call you back."
The machine beeped.
"Hi Elizabeth, it's Peter Benton. Cleo mentioned that you called earlier. I'll be in all night, so--" Peter was suddenly cut off.
"Peter? Are you there?" Elizabeth said, sounding out of breath.
"Yeah, hi Elizabeth."
"Hi! I just got in from work, sorry I didn't pick up right away."
"It's fine, don't worry about it. So, how are you?"
"Fine, thanks for asking. You?" Peter looked over at Cleo, who was working on the chart of an anemic six- year-old. "I'm doing great."
"Good, good. So, I called earlier to see if you wanted to get together sometime. I got your wedding invitation yesterday, and I realized it's been far too long since I saw you last. Congratulations, by the way."
Peter smiled. "Thanks. And I'd love to get together sometime soon."
"Great! Do you and Cleo want to come over for pizza next Saturday? You can bring Reese along, then I won't have to find a sitter for Ella. I was thinking about inviting Carter and Abby too."
"Sounds fantastic."
After finalizing the plans with Elizabeth, Peter hung up the phone. "We're going to go over to Elizabeth's for pizza next Saturday, if that's okay with you. Carter and Abby will be there too," he said to Cleo.
Cleo put the chart down on the table. "Sounds like fun! It's been a while since we saw all those County people."
Peter nodded. "Yeah, it has been."
"So, I guess Carter and Abby are still together?"
"Seems like it. I'm happy for them."
"Took them long enough, though," Cleo said. Peter laughed and wrapped his arms around her.
"I love you, Cleo. I don't tell you that enough."
Cleo looked up at Peter. He leaned in and kissed her.
"I should finish that chart," Cleo said, finally pulling away.
"Don't," Peter whispered. "Just stay here. This is good."
Cleo leaned back, slipping her hand into his. "You're right, Peter. This is good." Peter kissed the top of her head.
A door creaked, and Peter and Cleo looked up. Reese emerged from his bedroom and walked down the hall towards them.
"What's wrong, Reese?" Peter signed to his son. "You shouldn't be out of bed."
"I couldn't sleep," he signed back.
Peter sighed. He knew he should be strict and send Reese back to bed, but he couldn't do it.
"Climb up," he signed. Reese crossed the room and sat down in his father's lap. Cleo gave him a kiss.
"Close your eyes, Reese," she signed. Reese obeyed. Cleo rested her head against Peter's shoulder. The room was silent for a few seconds.
"Well, I was wrong," Peter said. Cleo looked at him, confused.
"About what?"
"I thought it was good before, when it was just you and me," he said. "That was good, but this is even better."
Cleo smiled, looking at Reese, who was already half-asleep. She looked back up at Peter.
"This is the best."
***
"Good work, Peter," the anesthesiologist said as Peter Benton pulled off his gloves and surgical cap.
"Thanks, Kara. You too."
Peter walked out of the OR and into the locker room. He had just completed a complicated appendectomy, and he was ready to go home. He took his scrub shirt off, and opened his locker to retrieve a sweatshirt. As he pulled the sweatshirt over his head, he couldn't help but looking at the pictures decorating his locker door.
There were a few of Reese, a few of Cleo with Reese, and a few of Peter with Reese. There were a few pictures of Cleo- sitting on the back porch laughing, waterskiing in Florida, playing baseball with Reese. There was a picture of Peter and Cleo in a restaurant in Miami, and another one of the three of them together at a barbeque at Jackie's house last summer.
Then there was a picture that had been taken several years before. Peter remembered the day perfectly. It was a rainy April evening, and many of his coworkers had gathered at the wedding of one of his closest friends. In the picture, Elizabeth Corday stood in the center, eight months pregnant but still beautiful in her silver wedding dress. John Carter stood on one side of her, and Peter stood on the other.
Carter and Elizabeth. His two best friends at County. He hadn't seen Elizabeth since Mark's funeral, and it had been several months since he'd talked to Carter. Sure, Peter loved working at a private hospital. The pay was good, and the hours were much more reasonable. Peter had plenty of time to spend with his fiancée and son. But sometimes he couldn't help but miss County.
'Snap out of it, man,' Peter said to himself. He put on his jacket and slammed the locker door shut, ready to finally go home.
***
Cleo Finch heard a key turn in the door. She walked into the living room, where Reese sat playing with some trucks. "Daddy's home, Reese," she signed. "Let's wash your hands for dinner."
Peter opened the door and dropped his bag in the hall. Taking off his jacket, he walked into the living room. There were trucks all over the floor, but no sign of Reese or Cleo. Walking down the hall, Peter could smell dinner. 'Lasagna,' he thought to himself. 'Cleo does have a lot of free time on her days off.'
Peter walked into the bathroom, where he found Reese washing his hands, supervised by Cleo. "Hey," he said to Cleo, kissing her. "Hi, Reese," he signed to his son, who smiled and dried his hands.
"Hi, daddy," he signed back. "Cleo made my favorite dinner."
Peter laughed. "I know, I can smell it!"
"Smells delicious," he added to his girlfriend. Cleo smiled.
"Let's go eat, okay Reese?" Cleo signed. Reese ran off down the hall. Peter and Cleo followed him to the kitchen.
"So, how was your day?"
"Oh, the usual," Peter said, sitting down at the table. Cleo gave Reese a plate piled with lasagna and green beans. "A bowel resection, a few appys- the last one gave us a bit of trouble, though. Appendix nearly burst, but we managed to get it out in time."
"Sounds fun," Cleo said, sitting down at the table.
"What did you two do today?" Peter asked.
"Reese, why don't you tell your dad?" Cleo signed.
"We played trucks, and Cleo took me to the park," Reese signed. "And she made me clean my room."
Peter laughed. "It's about time, Reese!"
The family ate in relative quiet for a few minutes. Just as Peter was about to get seconds, Cleo spoke.
"Oh, Peter, Elizabeth called earlier."
Peter was puzzled. "Elizabeth who?"
"Elizabeth Corday. She mentioned something about dinner- you might want to give her a call."
Peter stood up and walked to the stove. "Yeah, I will."
***
"Good night, Reese," Peter signed to his son. He gave him a kiss on the forehead and turned out the light. Shutting the door to the bedroom behind him, he walked out to the living room. Cleo sat on the couch doing chart reviews. She looked up when Peter entered.
"I see the work never stops," Peter said, sitting down beside her.
"Never. I've only got two more to do, though, and then I'll be caught up for tomorrow."
Peter nodded, and looked at the clock. 8:10. He was suddenly reminded of something he had to do.
"Do you think it's too late to call Elizabeth?"
Cleo looked at her watch. "Ella's probably asleep by now- I'm sure it's safe."
Peter nodded and picked up the phone. He dialed the number and waited for someone to pick up on the other end. The phone rang four times, and then the answering machine picked up.
"You've reached Elizabeth Corday. I'm not available at the moment, but leave a message and I'll call you back."
The machine beeped.
"Hi Elizabeth, it's Peter Benton. Cleo mentioned that you called earlier. I'll be in all night, so--" Peter was suddenly cut off.
"Peter? Are you there?" Elizabeth said, sounding out of breath.
"Yeah, hi Elizabeth."
"Hi! I just got in from work, sorry I didn't pick up right away."
"It's fine, don't worry about it. So, how are you?"
"Fine, thanks for asking. You?" Peter looked over at Cleo, who was working on the chart of an anemic six- year-old. "I'm doing great."
"Good, good. So, I called earlier to see if you wanted to get together sometime. I got your wedding invitation yesterday, and I realized it's been far too long since I saw you last. Congratulations, by the way."
Peter smiled. "Thanks. And I'd love to get together sometime soon."
"Great! Do you and Cleo want to come over for pizza next Saturday? You can bring Reese along, then I won't have to find a sitter for Ella. I was thinking about inviting Carter and Abby too."
"Sounds fantastic."
After finalizing the plans with Elizabeth, Peter hung up the phone. "We're going to go over to Elizabeth's for pizza next Saturday, if that's okay with you. Carter and Abby will be there too," he said to Cleo.
Cleo put the chart down on the table. "Sounds like fun! It's been a while since we saw all those County people."
Peter nodded. "Yeah, it has been."
"So, I guess Carter and Abby are still together?"
"Seems like it. I'm happy for them."
"Took them long enough, though," Cleo said. Peter laughed and wrapped his arms around her.
"I love you, Cleo. I don't tell you that enough."
Cleo looked up at Peter. He leaned in and kissed her.
"I should finish that chart," Cleo said, finally pulling away.
"Don't," Peter whispered. "Just stay here. This is good."
Cleo leaned back, slipping her hand into his. "You're right, Peter. This is good." Peter kissed the top of her head.
A door creaked, and Peter and Cleo looked up. Reese emerged from his bedroom and walked down the hall towards them.
"What's wrong, Reese?" Peter signed to his son. "You shouldn't be out of bed."
"I couldn't sleep," he signed back.
Peter sighed. He knew he should be strict and send Reese back to bed, but he couldn't do it.
"Climb up," he signed. Reese crossed the room and sat down in his father's lap. Cleo gave him a kiss.
"Close your eyes, Reese," she signed. Reese obeyed. Cleo rested her head against Peter's shoulder. The room was silent for a few seconds.
"Well, I was wrong," Peter said. Cleo looked at him, confused.
"About what?"
"I thought it was good before, when it was just you and me," he said. "That was good, but this is even better."
Cleo smiled, looking at Reese, who was already half-asleep. She looked back up at Peter.
"This is the best."