Sooooooo - Here it is at last...the final Chapter...truths and lies are out and all revealed ( well I hope I didn't miss anything lol)
Now - for the sake of the secret of the story, in the flashbacks, I have had Sammie use the name Cal, but...in actual fact she would have been sayin something else...got that?...yeah...Good.
If there re any other glaring erors in the story line and continuity let me know...I don't have a beta and normally write about 2 or 3 am (like now) and have other stories running at the same time, so I can get a little confused sometimes...or is that my age...
Disclaimer as norm….
PETER MASON
For a while time was taken up with the trivialities of drink making.
When they were all settled Gillian gave Cal 'the look'.
"Gill, really there is nuffin to tell. It's all just a bloody stupid…."
"Ok – It's like this Dr. Foster"
Cal rolled his eyes at the interruption and his hands curled into half fists.
"Have you never learnt to keep your mouth shut!"
"Cal- Be Quiet!"
He looked a bit stunned when Gill silenced him, he covered it quickly and scrunched further back into the settee with his arms crossed and a sullen look in his face.
'Defensive' Gill thought briefly before turning her attention to Sammie and giving her an invitational look to continue.
"Well, to try and put it as simply as I can…..Cal and I were childhood friends and then teenage lovers. He asked me to marry him. I wasn't ready but I knew he wouldn't take no for an answer – as I'm sure you're aware Dr. Foster Cal can be ….very persistent. So – I disappeared one night, just after he had given me an engagement ring. I packed, stole what money and sellable items I could from my parents and left. Recently I have been…feeling bad about it all, and I knew the ring was a family hand down. I wanted to explain but knew he wouldn't let me…that he would still be sulking even after all these years. So I had to find a way to ..make him be around me long enough to listen, and to return the ring.
I engineered this little 'Charade' of sleeping around with various agency info men, and then made it known that they had disclosed things they shouldn't have – they didn't you know, just for the record, most of them don't even remember cos I ruthied them and then just convinced them we slept together and indulged in pillow talk.
I then let them know that I was an expert in …well your trade really, and, back in the day I had known Cal on a very….personal level.
The English couldn't control me, couldn't get me to tell them anything – they couldn't even keep hold of me the idiots, I mean…how many times did I have to let them catch me after I got away….morons….Anyway, I knew it was only a matter of time before they decided that Cal would be the best bet to deal with me ….and….well here I am. I've said my piece, returned the ring…end of"
Gillian sneaked a quick glance at Cal who was still slouching at the other end of the settee to Sammie.
His face was blanked.
"Well despite the lack of input from Dr. Lightman, I have to tell you Samantha that I KNOW there is a lot more to it than that! Now you can confirm this with little boy sulking over there if you can get him to talk that is, but let me assure you that when it comes to getting what I want I can be just as persistent and stubborn as he can be. Right now, I want the whole story not some watered down, edited version of it – and I'm prepared to sit here and wait for as long as it takes to get it!"
Despite himself Cal couldn't stop the fractional grin appearing.
Yes, he was a control freak and normally took the lead and ran everything, but on the rare occasion that Gillian decided she was going to run the show something inside made him start feeling like a naughty schoolboy – a feeling he greatly enjoyed!
"SHE" he briefly glares at Sammie who just rolls her eyes and shakes her head. "Took my ring, took….everything, and then just FUCKED off with it! Not a word – not a bloody word"
"Is that when you really started to go off the rails Cal?"
Gill's voice was soft but firm.
"Yeah…yeah I guess – I mean I hadn't been a choir boy before that exactly but….I just didn't seem to give a shit after that. Teamed up with Terry again. Got involved in all sorts of crap, most of which you know about now Gill, so the real explanations – the real truths here need to come from her"
Sammie found herself now firmly in the spotlight as the two of them turned their eyes to her.
As they both watched they saw her expression change from one of confident defiance to almost childlike fear and shame.
"I couldn't stay Cal, I couldn't"
Neither spoke straight away but Gillian moved her chair nearer and put her hand over Sammies.
"Why? You have to tell me why Sam"
Cal's voice was also softer now, more encouraging and supportive.
"When I got in, he was up, waiting for me - my dad" she clarified to Gill.
"I can remember thinking, oh well, just another bashing, whatever, but he grabbed me by the arm and dragged me up to my bedroom. So then I thought, OK, my birthday spent locked in my room, I can deal with that – I needed some sleep anyway"
she turned her head and gave Cal a somewhat watery smile reminding him that they had both had very little sleep the previous night.
"Well he did lock the door, but he was still in there with me, and the look – I'd never seen that look on his face before Cal never"
She was starting to breathe too quickly and her fists had become clenched.
Cal slid up the settee next to her. Sliding an arm round her waist he almost whispered – "Takes some deep breaths luv, slow it down and take yer time"
"He didn't yell – and that was almost worse – that…deep, controlled voice. He said he knew I'd been with you all night and that I was certainly just a slut now, like all the rest. As my father, he said, he thought I should be shown what a proper fuck should be like, not some teenagers attempt at it…and then….well then…I couldn't stay after that. I knew he would do it again and….I couldn't come to you, I didn't think you would be able to stop him, and I couldn't…I just couldn't…."
She dissolved into heaving sobs.
Cal had never seen her cry like that – some little fits here and there- but not like this.
He abruptly jumped up and strode into the kitchen out of sight.
Gillian was torn between going after him and staying with the shattered woman who was now in her arms. She chose the latter.
"He didn't know Samantha, he really had no idea until you just told him- I could see that. He is in shock, that's why he left honey, not because of what happened to you so don't think that. He was just so much in love with you…"
"I know….I know Gillian, really. I can read as well remember, even through that waterfall I just produced. I didn't want to tell him, why hurt him if there was no need, might as well let him keep thinking I was just a bitch, but….I think, since I've been here, he needs to know. He 's caught up in this 'every woman I truly love leaves me' thing and….maybe now, now he knows I didn't want to…maybe he can get past it and…..be with you Gill. He loves you so much – you think I can't see that? But he's holding back. Maybe now he won't"
Gillian hugged her tighter realising, somewhat sadly, that they could have made a good match if only…
Cal hovered in the doorway.
"Do you want me to tell her…well tell you both the rest now?"
Samantha pulled away from Gill and sat up straight.
"Bout time Lightman…come on then….fess up"
"I got into a lot of trouble after you….well like I said, really went off the rails. First fing I did was go and beat the crap outta your dad, not because I knew wot he did – just that I knew he must have had some part to play in it. After that I just went from bad to worse until Terry…well even Terry decided I had gone too far….He took the rap for a lot of things the police were trying to pin on me but on the condition that I got myself out of there, started again, made a life. It was mainly his contacts that helped me with a new start – new name, clean history…clean start."
"Cal?...a name change…did you say a name change?"
Gill stared at him like she didn't even know him.
"Yeah luv, I was born Peter Mason, but he had too much of a not so good history to his name, an …If I was gonna start fresh…a new life…I had to completely become a new person" He suddenly broke into a grin "Do yer like it? ..The name I mean….Cal Lightman….I chose it meself yer know"
Gillian stood up and moved towards him.
"Do I know you at all? I mean really know you Cal..after all these years …"
"YES! Of course you know me Gillian – I am who I am, nuffin about that has changed. It's just that you didn't know Pete Mason that's all"
"But part of you is Pete Mason! You can't completely separate the two"
"Yes I can – and I have"
"No Cal you can't and you haven't! All this just proves that"
Gill had gone into fight mode and Cal was fast catching up with her.
"You know I would never, NEVER have got to where I am now if I had stayed Pete Mason! – British Intelligence, Pentagon, FBI….None of that would have worked if I hadn't left old Petey boy and his record behind"
"You could have - should have told me Cal!"
"Well you should have been able to work it out luv – not my fault you didn't"
"How the hell was I supposed to….."
"The film! You've seen that film many times"
"Film? What…Your mother?...that film? Why would…."
"Bloody hell even now you're not thinking are you? The beginning Gill…right at the start of the film….."
Gillian's eyes became circles.
"Oh my God!... Mason…Louise Mason! That's how they start the interview….I just never thought"
"Yeah well…like I said, the clues were there"
"Will you two just stop yelling for a minute!"
"I am not bloody yelling"
Gill was about to make a retort to that when Samantha grabbed her by the arm and pulled her back down onto the settee.
"It's not SO bad is it? I mean have a go at him sure, why not! Make up sex is soooo good after all…."
"Samantha!...Cal and I are not having…."
"And that is what is so wrong here! You should be…..So this could be a great way to start yeah….Like I said make up sex is always great, and sex with Cal is pretty damn fantastic most of the time anyway so…."
"Oi! What do yer mean 'most of the time'?"
"Shut up Cal, even you – Mr Perfect- wasn't completely on the ball every time"
"Oh – and when was I not…"
"When you were too pissed"
"I…..Spose you could 'ave a point there Sammie"
"Will you two please stop talking about sex! - Samantha, Cal and I are friends that's all, we are not gong to jump into bed together just because you think we should"
"Why not?"
"Why not?"
Cal and Sammie were completely in unison.
"Oh well now you two are just being deliberately irritating"
"Wot's the matter? Feelin ganged up on Foster?"
Samantha sat and watched as Cal advanced on Gillian.
"Well I think it's time I left…"
"Not so fast madam….Foster here gave agent Reynolds a promise and unlike you an me she tends to keep hers"
"I know I know…I'll go straight out and put myself in his law abiding hands like a good girl – I promise"
"And wot did I just say – bout promises?"
"I WILL! Actually I'm quite looking forward to it – he's a sexy guy that one"
"Go on then …off you go, hop it – Sammie, ring me yeah, before you go an disappear again"
"I will Pete, I really will and yes – that's the last time I will use that name, just did it …well for old times sake. See yer Gillian, don't take too much of his crap will you ….oh and one last word of advise….he's got a HUGE todger"
Cal rocked back on his heels and let out a throaty laugh as she disappeared out of the front door.
"Cal we can't just let her…."
"Yes we can – She'll go to Ben don't you worry bout that – I've seen that look on her face before…Poor bloke doesn't stand a chance really- and she will give him all the answers he wants…whether they'll be the truth or not is for him to work out. Now luv….Back to this make up sex and my huge todger…."
….THE END….