Title: When the mighty fall
Author: Loz
E-Mail: loz06(at)yahoo(dot)com
Rating: T
Category: Neil/Andrea…all Neil/Andrea
Series: Sequel to "After he's at her door." More to come after this.
Spoilers: None to extremely general, everyone should be safe.
Archive (if applicable): Fanfiction(dot)net
Feedback: The good, the bad and the very ugly it's all appreciated.
Summary: Neil stumbles getting back up with Andrea's help but after bumping into Philippa, Andrea's the one in need of help. Could an extended weekend away be their solution?
Author's Notes: Sequel to "After he's at her door."
Disclaimers: So I don't become one of the mighty who falls on a lawsuit, I don't own.
Amber who looks as though she's literally dragged herself to work breaks Andrea's focus.
"Good morning." Andrea greets bemused.
"Nothing good about it." Amber mumbles as she inspects her reflection in the mirror, a groan precedes a grab for cover up make-up.
"Ladies night at the pub was it?" Andrea asks trying not to snigger.
"No I overslept." Amber covers; Andrea knows it doesn't have to be ladies night for Amber to have a big night. Someone should check her blood alcohol level before she's subjected to the public Andrea thinks.
"Have you heard about the DI?" Suddenly Andrea is interested in Amber.
"What about him?"
"Hasn't shown up to work, no one knows where he is, they've called the hospitals and everything."
Andrea's stomach drops and begins to churn, tension returns to her frame. No amount of telling herself this is nothing will ease her mind that is racing through scenarios. Is he telling Philippa right now?
"Oi." The Inspectors voice makes her jump; she hadn't heard the door open. "Come on, I've leant you to CID today, don't want to keep them waiting…get yourself up to the DCI's office."
The possibility of being close to the action regarding Neil spurs Andrea on, changing quickly from her street clothes.
Checking one last time she's presentable, Andrea knocks on the DCI's door.
"Yeah." The voice travels from inside the office.
As she opens the door, the DCI and Super's faces are revealed to her, they look concerned to say the least. "Andrea, come in."
"What are we going to do?" Adam Okaro asks Jack Meadows.
"Nothing we can do at this point, we've tried every number we know of and left messages all over town, his wife said she left early this morning so she knows nothing, let's just hope he turns up before it gets to the point where a missing persons report has to be filed."
"Try his phone again." Adam instructs. As Jack dials Andrea watches, committing the number to memory.
"Voice mail again." Jack informs Adam putting the phone back down.
"O.k. keep me updated." Adam Okaro says seemingly satisfied they've done all they can for the moment; he leaves the office nodding to Andrea.
"PC Dunbar, you'll be assisting Gary and Ken today. You should be familiar with the case, the assault and robbery you responded to last week. Gary'll bring you up-to-date with the recent developments.
"Thank you Sir." Andrea says before exiting…thank you for putting her close to the action and thank you for allowing her to have Neil's number. Outside the DCI's office Andrea ducks around the corner into a quiet corridor and punches the number from memory into her phone.
"Come on, come on, come on." She says as the phone connects. A quick glance around the corner confirms no action around the doors to CID; no one is looking for her yet.
"Leave a message please." Neil's recorded voice reaches her ear.
"Neil, call me please." Andrea finishes her message by leaving her number. She avoids leaving her name; she knows her having his number let alone someone else hearing her message will ruffle him.
Andrea feels a loss of confidence as she pushes through the CID doors; usually she'd be riding high because Neil would be close by or her ultimate destination. The current situation has left her feeling vulnerable; she imagines the judging eyes of the CID offices on her, questioning why she's here. She scans the room looking for Gary who's hunched over his desk.
"Gary." Andrea says to get his attention. He stands posing for a camera somewhere.
"Hey Andrea." He smiles a little too much and it makes Andrea feel uncomfortable. "You hear about the DI?"
"Everyone's talking about it." Andrea informs him her eyes wandering past him first then her mind tunes out of the conversation which is three quarters Gary promoting himself. Something far more important has made itself known to her consciousness.
"Gary I need your help." Andrea returns her focus. "Can you cover me for an hour?"
"Andrea!"
"One hour Gary… Thanks." Before he can answer she's pushing through swinging doors.
Andrea pushes her car a little faster, scanning the cars behind her for marked police officers. It's just a hunch but she feels confident. He hadn't been explicit; something just told her this is where he'd be.
Her silver car slips into a small space and she sets the alarm as she jogs across the street. At the iron gates she scans looking for Neil; on a bench in the middle of the garden she can see the back of a head of dark hair.
"Please let it be Neil." She says to herself as she scales the gate.
The grass is wet underfoot making the slightest squeak under her shoes as she heads towards the bench. Inside her head she searches frantically for a reason to explain her presence if this isn't Neil.
"How'd you know I'd be here?" The familiar voice says, she's a mere three steps away from him.
"Took on a hunch, how'd you know it was me?" Andrea returns with another question.
"I know your walk." He replies matter-of-factly. "How'd you get in?"
"Climbed over the gate." She replies and Neil combines a smile with a short exhale of breath.
"So…" Andrea doesn't know where to begin.
"So…" Neil echoes as she sits next to him.
"Everyone's worried about you at work; they've been calling and calling." Andrea waits a beat wondering if she should alert him, he's bound to find the message sooner or later. "I called you too, left a message."
"You have my number?" There's less concern in his voice than she expected.
"I watched the DCI as he dialled it earlier, don't worry it's not stored in my phone and I cleared it from my outgoing calls record. I didn't even leave my name on the message."
"Good." Neil answers with no measure of meaning put into the word.
"Were you wearing these clothes when you dropped me off last night?" Neil's eyes join Andreas surveying the crinkled clothes that cover the body she knows so well.
"I guess I can't remember." Neil brushes the question off.
"You were, Neil what's going on…did you go home last night." Andrea's voice is laced with concern. Neil is a leader, always in charge.
"Yes and when I couldn't face it, I went to the pub and I drank a few with a fellow whose been divorced twice, had one heart attack and was sacked suddenly from a top managerial position at the age of 40. When I came home Philippa was unimpressed I'd missed parent/teacher night and she picked a fight with me and locked me out."
"You've been sitting here all night?"
"No, I went back to the pub until they kicked me out and then I wandered around till I found myself here."
"What have you been doing here exactly?"
"Wondering what the hell I've done with my life and what I'm currently doing with it."
Andrea's never seen Neil like this before, quite the opposite actually and something tells her not too many other people have seen this either. She believes this is the first time he's had an affair and despite protesting to the contrary she knows he feels some guilt. She blames the conversation they had in this very garden for this apparent slide and from the first time he stood hesitantly outside her door, needing Andrea to encourage him inside, she realised a certain percentage of Neil's tough exterior doesn't come naturally. He's vulnerable on some points just like the rest, but never let it be known.
There's only one way Andrea can think to handle this.
"Neil, look at me." Her voice is confident and steady, but not enough to get him to look at her. It takes a gently coaxing from her hand on his cheek. "You had a rough night, you had a fight with your wife – there are probably more couples who fight on any given night than make love. You'll go buy some flowers for her and apologise when you get home. You met a guy who probably abused his wives that's why they left him. He's drank, smoked and eaten greasy food all his life so something was bound to happen – he should be grateful he's alive. As for his job, a drinking, smoking, wife abuser is hardly an image a company wants to project, nor does it make a productive worker. As for your life – you have none of these qualities. You've worked hard, achieved a top education, moved quickly through the MET ranks putting a criminal or two away behind bars along the way, making society safe and oh you've managed to raise a son."
Neil takes a moment to absorb what she's said but Andrea knows she's reached him when he squeezes her hand.
"You're worrying me Neil, you're usually so confident and in control." Andrea searches his eyes for any sign of the Neil she knows.
"I don't put this side of me on display at work."
"I need you to call Superintendent Okaro, tell him you're sorry you caused so much panic but you overslept because you haven't been feeling well. You didn't hear the phone because of the cold and flu medication you're taking and you'll be into work in an hour." Andrea instructs to Neil's bowed head.
He doesn't reach for his phone instead pulling Andrea into an embrace. Over his shoulder she says. "I love you Neil and I'll always be here for you, call me next time, don't drink yourself into depression."
Over her shoulder he nods. "I needed to think about some things."
They walk arm in arm to the gate while Neil calls into work. This time Andrea doesn't have to climb over the gate.
Inside Andrea's car Neil puts his hand on her arm pausing her from starting the car.
"Thank you." He follows up the sentiment with a kiss that barely brushes her lips at first; Andrea demands more of the kiss.
"You scared me today." She confesses; face centimetres from his, fingers dancing lightly over his facial features. "You also smell like whiskey so you'll have to go home and change first." One last open lipped kiss and Andrea starts the car.
"I can't go home; all the messages will be there. Philippa probably knows by now and she'll be asking me what's going on."
"You can't go into work either; everyone will know you aren't sick." Neither of them says anything as the car heads in the direction of Andrea's flat.
"You're not coming up?" Neil asks as Andrea hands him a key from her set.
"Gary is covering me for an hour and my time's almost up." Neil looks at the key and up at the block of flats. "Just wash your clothes on a short cycle and put them in the dryer. You know where the bathroom is." Neil closes in much of the gap between them; breathing in her scent, Andrea meets him the rest of the way. Their kiss is hot and open mouthed, arms wrapped around one another.
"I'd better go." Andrea says regretfully, nose to nose with Neil.
She watches as he disappears up the steps to her flat before heading back to work.
"Andrea!" Gary calls after her, taking two steps at a time.
"What Gary?" Andrea replies strongly continuing up the stairs.
"What do you know about the DI?" Gary whispers conspiratorially, backing her into the wall.
"Nothing Gary what are you talking about?" Andrea covers sliding a hint of annoyance into her voice.
"He turned up while you were out." Gary says in an accusing tone.
"Gary I was paying the rent." Andrea lies stepping closer to the young detective. He backs up, smug look draining from his face.
"Well o.k." Gary's cockiness slides away.
"You need my help today or what?" Andrea calls as she enters CID.
"Yeah we…" He starts but Andrea has left him in her wake.
"Can you check out these guys for us?" Ken requests handing Andrea a number of files. Outside the window a taxi pulls up, forsaking Ken's voice Andrea watches as Neil slides out and strides confidently to the front door of the station.
"Consider it done." Andrea smiles leaving CID. At the top of the stairs she hears his voice and makes the decision then to take the long way around.
Her heart beats faster as he comes closer; his clothes are clean and unwrinkled though a little casual. She has faith he came up with a suitable excuse. His eyes meet with hers as he explains to the DCI the reason he came in a cab is the heavy medication he's on, their eyes don't unlock until they've passed each other. There's nothing now that can stop the smile spreading over her face. She feels balanced now everything is seemingly back to normal.