Uncovering Secerets (Liz, Peter) Rating: PG-13

[father-peter.livejournal.com]

Liz had come home late on the night she'd spent out thinking. It had been almost 24 hours since then, and she still hadn't approached Peter. He hated it when she wasn't talking to him, and it didn't really help that Thomas and Robert kept running off together and giggling and Emma kept shooting him glances that made him nervous. Had Liz told Emma what Peter had said? Was she just mad at him for running Liz off for a day? He had no idea.

Finally, Peter made his way up the stairs to the back of the house. He entered the room they were going to turn into a music room. The room where all his sister Margaret's things were covered by yellowed sheets. He pulled one of them away from something, revealing a gorgeous wood wardrobe. Another one was covering a chair, and another covered the bed. He went around the room until everything was uncovered and he threw the sheets in a pile by the door. He looked around at the room that had become his mother's prison and he sunk into a chair. What would she have done if she had known the truth. Would it be any different? Would she still be here, knowing that Margaret was watching them all from somewhere?

Liz stuck her head in the door and as soon as Peter saw her, he stood up quickly. "Liz!"

"I thought I'd find you in here." She said, though she still sounded shaky.

"So you wanted to find me then?" Peter asked hopefully.

"Of course I did, Peter." Liz said, making her way to the bed so she could sit. Peter went to sit beside her, but he didn't say anything. He wanted to give her a chance to speak. She sighed and turned to him. "You know, I probably could have lived without knowing all of that stuff."

Peter smiled lightly. "I know, Liz. But it wasn't fair for me not to tell you. Especially if I keep coming home looking like I did the other day. Or you keep seeing 'ghosts' around. I didn't want to make up excuses anymore. Besides, I really drew a blank with Thomas."

"You could have said he had a twin." Liz said with a shrug.

"A twin who hasn't aged and will never age and who answers to the name Thomas?"

"Okay...bad plan."

"Elizabeth, I'm sorry. I'm sorry I told you at all. I'm sorry I didn't tell you sooner...I'm just sorry."

"And you're going to keep doing this? This...saving demons thing? Even though it could kill you?" Liz asked, turning to him with a stern look on her face.

"Right...about that. Uhm...you see I can't...exactly...die." He gave her a lame little smile but she just kept staring. "It's a thing angels can do. Not for everyone and it doesn't always work, but it did for me. And Lydia. So I can't...I mean I don't have to be here forever, I can choose to leave sometime. But I won't die. Or age. Though when She did it, She did it so we could be together forever and we know how that worked out. So I'm facing a rather long and lonely existence. Joke's on me."

Liz was completely gobsmacked. "So...your ex girlfriend the angel made you immortal or something and now you're going to live forever along with your daughters, one of whom is also immortal and the other of whom is an angel like the ex-girlfriend was? You know what? I couldn't WRITE this kind of stuff." Liz said dully. "But Peter...look you won't be lonely. I understand how it could feel that way. Kind of. But you won't be. I suppose it's unfortunate that you can't spend eternity with the person you intended to spend it with, but...yeah I have no idea what to say, this is all so weird."

"You don't have to say anything, Liz. You came to see me and that's enough. I just wanted to know that you weren't going to avoid me forever."

"I could never avoid you forever, Peter. It's just hard to believe, but you told me. And you're Peter. You'd never tell me if it wasn't true. Which sort of makes me glad it was you because I can't refute it and it also sort of makes me wish it had been someone else so I could convince myself it wasn't real."

Peter gave her a consoling look and he held his arms wide. Liz scooted over and leaned against him and Peter wrapped his arms around her, holding her close. "I know it's a lot to take in, but it's not all bad. Like seeing Thomas again." Liz just nodded against him and said nothing. "I love you, Elizabeth. It will be okay, I promise."

Liz took a deep breath. "I love you too, Peter. And I suppose I should send Her a thank you card for giving me one less thing to worry about really."

"You can if you want to." Peter said carefully, though he wasn't really sure She'd want to hear from any of them ever again.

"Maybe. I don't know. It was a nice thing to do, though she probably wasn't thinking of you only when she did it."

"I...I don't think she thought of me only...ever actually." Peter mumbled.

"Why do you say that?" Liz asked, reaching up to tame his hair to no avail.

"Just...hindsight is 20/20. You know she cheated on me right?"

"WHAT?!" Liz sat straight up and Peter gulped.

"Okay, so you didn't know. It was before I went there. It's why I felt I had to rush things and make grand gestures. To keep her from doing it again. Which was probably the worst thing I could have done. It's just...it was very messed up. I never felt like I was enough. She was an angel and I was...me-"

"Peter, I had no idea. Well, obviously...wow. If I had known she'd cheated on you, I would have broken several of her fingers! Whore."

Peter's mouth fell open and then he closed it again. "I'm trying hard not to snicker gleefully right now. Just so you're aware."

Liz grinned and she leaned back against Peter again. "It's good to know that no matter what kinds of crazy things are going on out there, there's always this. You and me. Me being me and you snickering or calling me offensive. Either or. I'm sorry about what happened in Cape Town then, Peter. I thought that everything was good. You don't deserve that. Not at all. I can't believe that woman!"

Peter just leaned his head against Liz's shoulder. "It doesn't matter. Not anymore. I'm here now. With the only women that really matter. You and Emma and my girls. I do have a date though. A kind of maybe sort of date. This weekend. Lovely woman named Aly. She has a son named Caleb and I'm bringing the girls over there for dinner."

Liz smiled. "That's good, Peter. Is she pretty?"

"She's a lovely woman inside and out." Peter said. "Though the male response to that question is, 'oh dear lord, she's got the most phenomenal arse' if you want to know."

Liz chuckled. "Well thank you for giving me the non-male response first, you perv. Though you should bring her around so I can appraise this arse."

"Elizabeth!" Peter said, trying to sound incredibly shocked. "I don't appraise Emma's arse!"

"And why not?! She's got a lovely one!"

Peter closed his eyes. "You terrify me."

Liz glanced around the room and she looked up at him. "You decided to uncover everything?"

Peter nodded and he kissed Liz's forehead. "I thought it was time. Time these things saw the light. No more hiding them."

Liz looked into his eyes and smiled. "You're right, Peter. It was time. No more hiding."