Title: When love's not working
Author: Loz
E-Mail: loz06(at)yahoo(dot)com
Rating: T
Category: Neil/Andrea…all Neil/Andrea.
Series: First came 'At her door' then 'When the mighty fall' thirdly 'While his wife's away.' and number four was 'While they're away'
Spoilers: None or so general you're unlikely to notice.
Archive (if applicable): www(dot)fanfiction(dot)net, I'm not sure of anywhere else relevant.
Feedback: The good, the bad and the very ugly it's all appreciated.
Summary: Time away together gave Andrea a taste of what she could have with Neil. When she decides she wants it, will Neil be willing to give her what she wants from their relationship.
Author's Notes: The end of this story marks the end of seventy one pages of my hand writing, I've got another fifty already with no sight in end - Are you game?
Disclaimers: I only borrow them when they're not working, returned in an only slight emotional mess.
The cool rush of air caresses Andrea's skin causing her to shiver. The open door to the corridor is the source of the air but Andrea doesn't register this until the wolf whistle pierces through the room. She looks up to see Lance, Steve and Gary filling the doorway.
"Oi," Honey objects doing up the last of her shirt buttons. The three don't have to be told twice, disappearing as silently as they arrived.
"What was that all about?" Andrea questions tying her last shoelace.
"Something to do with your secret lover," Honey replies grumpily.
"I keep telling everyone it's not true, I went to visit my family." Andrea seethes.
"Whatever, I've got enough troubles in my love life without worrying if you've got one." Honey says shortly slamming her locker door and putting an end to the conversation.
Andrea sighs, what a barrel of laughs she's going to be to be partnered with today. She's not sure what would be worse, an irate Honey or a pestering Yvonne.
Andrea's heart skips as beat as she joins the queue for refs. Buried in the corner of the canteen with a stack of paperwork Neil sits with Ken. She manoeuvres herself with a loaded tray through the patchwork of tables, selecting a seat two tables over from Neil.
"What are we doing all the way over here?" Yvonne's loud voice stretches to each corner of the room. On the inside Andrea cringes, trying to avoid you she thinks of her friend.
"Change is as good as a holiday." Andrea lies lamely. She glances at Neil who's still engrossed in his work.
"So," Yvonne prompts before her tray touches the table.
"So what?" Andrea replies dully pushing her food around the plate.
"The dirty weekend I want all the details."
"The only dirt during my weekend came home on my shoes from my parents land." Andrea says feigning disinterest.
"Andrea." Yvonne whines and in the corner of her eye Andrea sees Neil look in her direction for the first time. "Just give up and tell me who this guy is." Neil's attention stays.
"I keep telling you there's no one." Andrea replies assigning annoyance to her tone. "The DI is staring at you."
"Come on you know I live vicariously through others." Yvonne says not bothering to lower her voice or turn her head to see Neil listening in.
"Well you won't be doing much living if you stick with me." Andrea says steadily, Neil's concentration is divided between Ken and Andrea's conversation.
"You're breaking the girlfriends' code." Yvonne accuses.
"What code?" Andrea snorts.
"You know the one where you confide in your friends about the new man in your life."
"Enough Yvonne!" Andrea glares at her friend. "You're embarrassing me, there is no one and I can't believe you think I wouldn't tell you if I was seeing someone new."
Silence falls between the two as they finish their food.
"Is he hot?" Yvonne whispers leaning in close to Andrea. Slowly a smile spreads over Andrea's face and the two giggle together.
Later that night Andrea silently moves through CID. Samantha Nixon is hunched over her computer with her back to Andrea. So engrossed in what she's doing she doesn't notice or at least doesn't bother with Andrea's presence. She knocks twice softly on Neil's door, opening it before he's given permission. His tie is off; a glass that once probably held alcohol rests on his desk. When he sees his visitor is Andrea the pen in his hand drops onto what he was working on, pushing back he sits wholly in his chair.
"Hi." Andrea says feeling apprehensive about being here given Neil's lukewarm response.
"Yvonne certainly had a lot to say today." Neil stands and stares onto the street outside.
"Yvonne, she..." Andrea begins but is cut off by Neil.
"How much does she know?"
"Nothing, she knows nothing, what she thinks she knows is another amount all together." Andrea watches Neil's reaction in the reflection of the glass. His silence encourages the growth of her concern. "I didn't tell her if that's what you're thinking…" There's an edge in Andrea's voice.
"I can't see you this week." Neil says turning to face Andrea. The statement stabs at Andrea not once but as many times as she replays the conversation in her mind. "Philippa and this case, this guy she extradited, she's in court of a day and she has all her work at home, it's everywhere, taken over the house and…" His voice fades knowing Andrea doesn't want to hear this.
Biting her lip and looking up in an effort to blink away her tears, Andrea says what she needs to. "Before we went away I told you I feared it was just compensation because you were taking your wife away after."
"That's not what's happening here." Neil says forcefully.
"It's the same as taking her away." Andrea replies becoming upset.
"What do you want me to do Andrea I have to be careful, I can't make up five difference excuses for the week."
"Don't do me any favours," Andrea spits turning to go through the door, she pauses with one hand on the doorknob. "For someone who can only handle one woman at a time what the hell are you doing having an affair?" She slams the door behind her, thankful that Samantha Nixon is gone. For the rest of the week she makes sure their paths don't cross and Neil doesn't approach her.
Andrea is grateful for the busy Wednesday morning. It had been over a week since her last conversation with Neil and she'd lived most of the time in between then and now inside her head, thinking about it all. Last night she'd packed all the things he'd left at her place now the box stared at her from the dining table. A detoxification was what she needed and this morning it came in the form of domestics, drugs, disobedient daughters and an old lady who wanted to file a missing persons report for her dog. It was all the therapy Andrea needed, she didn't once think of Neil till she arrived back at the station with Tony that afternoon for refs.
He stands at the top of the ramp, eyes fixed on her as she exits the car. She slows her motions of shutting the door, digesting him in the navy suit he wears so well. Tony has gone ahead leaving Andrea to approach the ramp slowly.
"PC Dunbar."
"Sir," Andrea replies swallowing and allowing distance between them.
"Andrea." His voice softens reaching out an arm to direct her closer to the wall, as if it might make some difference to the privacy of their conversation. "You need to get out of that uniform."
"Sir I think that's what they call sexual harassment."
"You're coming with me; I cleared it with Inspector Gold." His tone is business like but lacks the bravado it has when louder.
"And that's police sanctioned kidnapping, what's this about Neil?" Irritation seeps into Andrea's voice.
"Please Andrea." His voice betrays the fact this conversation is Neil and Andrea as opposed to professional titles.
"Is it work related?"
"No." He sighs.
"I'm not going anywhere non-work related with you."
"Fine. It just became work related. I'll wait while you change." A force in his voice compels her to at least get in the car and hear him out.
Neither say anything in the car or as they enter the café on High Street, a very visible and public café. Already Andrea thinks she knows what this is about and what he'll say…she has suspicions as to why the conversation will happen here and not behind the door of his office.
"Coffee?" The whole excursion is a peace offering, a make up for.
"I'll by my own." Andrea says sturdily and sits across the table from Neil with equal confidence once their drinks are made. He stirs his coffee adding sugar and dragging out the silence between them.
"This was your idea Neil, say something." Andrea pushes.
"I couldn't see you last week, Philippa has been around, she's seen Phil Hunter in court, she knows there's nothing big on at the office at the moment and…" His voice falters. "And I know you don't want to hear this."
"Given the fact I wasn't really given a choice to come here or not, I didn't really expect to dictate the topic of conversation from either of us."
"I have to be careful Andrea; I have to maintain our affair as a secret. It takes work and some things and sometimes I can't cover up. You don't have to lie to anyone…maybe you want this out in the open."
"Don't be ridiculous, for you it might be keeping a secret but all I see at the moment is you hot and cold, back on and then backing off again. You can't juggle and it just seems like the balance of your time is falling in favour of your wife. Do you want me or am I some doll; a toy you pick up when you're bored or your wife's away." Andrea answers indignantly, stirring her coffee with vigour.
"You know that's not true." Neil replies after a sad pause. "I don't get it; you were the one who was happy for me not to leave Philippa."
"I accept in an affair we're using each other, but right now I feel like your using me more than I am you."
"What happened to sympathy and it must be tough on me having so many people demanding something of me."
"I'd feel sorry for you in that respect if I didn't think all you were doing at the moment is picking and choosing the best bits for yourself, weekend away with Andrea here, week at home with Philippa there…"
"You need to calm down and think about this, you're being unreasonable." There's a hard edge to Neil's voice.
"Look where we are Neil, an open public space where anyone can see us, tell me this isn't to make up for not being with me last week. You said yourself the weekend away was to make up for the car park dates." Silence prevails again and it's a moment before Neil replies.
"Maybe it would be best if…" Neil begins with a twinge of sadness in his voice.
"Neil Manson, long time!" The voice takes them both by surprise; their discussion had been so intense to the detriment of everything around them.
"Kevin Masters." Neil stands to shake the hand of the large sandy haired man who's now standing next to the table. He glances at Andrea in confusion. "You ordering?" Neil asks, when he gets an affirmative answer Neil steps to the counter placing Andrea out of earshot. As she downs the rest of her coffee she considers getting up and walking back to the station.
Neil slides back into his seat as Kevin Masters glances once more at Andrea without trying to be obvious; it's been ten minutes by Andrea's watch. "Let's go." Neil says watching his acquaintance through the front glass; he gets in his car and disappears down the street.
Andrea stares at Neil wondering what's going on. His coffee which he's lost interest in is untouched and now cold. He leaves Andrea no opportunity to debate, question or argue instead striding out of the café leaving Andrea still seated wondering when on earth they're going to discuss, scream and yell this out properly.
She's six steps behind him heading back to the car and doesn't have the inclination to break the silence on the drive back to the station.