A/N: another anthology style fic that's more a drabble collection then anything else. If you follow me on tumblr then you've probably read some of the backstory to this au, but If not, then consider it something of an alt timeline where Blake never left the army, and Lawson brought Jean's farm. Warnings: death mentions (very light)

Major Lucien Blake had always hated Ballarat. He trudged up the walkway towards the battered farm house, taking note of the worn down weatherboard, and the red dust that seemed to have settled into everything and anything. This farm, from what he understood, was owned by Matthew Lawson. Matthew had served in the war, before retiring from the army to come home, and brought the farm off of Jean Beazley, who, from what he knew, still worked on the property.

Matthew had been involved in a poorly reported accident almost a year ago, and lost one of his legs, so from what he understood, the finances were mostly done by a Charlie Davis, and Beazley looked over most of the actual farm work. An interesting lifestyle, he supposed. There was almost no information available on the Davis boy. His father had been killed in the war, his mother killed herself, and his brothers were all wards of the state. After asking around, he'd found that Charlie mostly stayed on the farm, and on the rare occasions he did come to town, he kept to himself. Someone thought he was from Melbourne originally. Someone else said that he came here looking for work as a teenager. He had no verification on either source, and frankly, no desire to.

He knocked twice on the weather beaten door, and heard a shuffling of footsteps from the inside. After a moment, the door opened, and it revealed a man younger then he'd expected. Tall and pale, despite his work, Charlie Davis was dressed in a worn shirt, and pants that had been repaired perhaps one too many times. His brow creased slightly when he noticed the uniform.

"Can I help you, Sir?" He asked, politely.
"I'm looking for Matthew Lawson."
"He doesn't want anything to do with you army types." Charlie replied, his accent charmingly country.
"He doesn't have a choice. I'm here on official business." Though still wary, Charlie seemed to relent.
"Can I take a name for you, then? He'll want to know."
"Major Lucien Blake with the Australian Army."
"You best come in then." Charlie relented, before turning on his heel, and heading for another room.

Straining his ears, he listened to the soft conversation being held in the other room, while he took the sitting room in. The sitting room had a single couch, well worn and done up with a sheet perhaps to add a little colour to the otherwise grey room. He noticed on farms things were always grey. There was a small vase with flowers in it sitting on the table, and a half drunk cup of tea still steaming. Charlie's, probably.

After a moment, he hears Charlie's soft footsteps again, followed by a set that had a significant limp, and was walking with a cane. Matthew entered the room first, and stood in the doorway, leaning heavily on his cane.
"You've done alright for yourself." If Charlie is surprised Matthew knows him, his face doesn't show it.
"I could say the same for you." He replied, even If it wasn't strictly true. Matthew turns his head left, but doesn't look away from Lucien.
"Charlie, why don't you help Jean with the hay?"
"I think he should stay." Lucien replied, turning his eyes to address the younger, who had parted his lips slightly, just about to reply. He shrugged.
"If that's what you think it best, Major." He replied.
"Go make some tea, I think." Matthew said, moving to sit.
"If that's what you think is best, Boss." Charlie replied. He looked at the doctor. "We don't have any milk. Do you take sugar?"
"No, I'll take it black, thanks." Charlie nodded, and vanished into the kitchen. Matthew took a seat on the floral patterned couch, resting his cane on the couch next to him. Lucien chose to remain standing.

"How did Charlie come to work here?"
"I took him on as a ward of the state."
"You did?"
"It was a hard time for the farm. He was free help. When he came of age he just stayed on. Wasn't like he had anywhere to go."
"Never took you for a family man."
"I'm not. He's just cheap." Blake nodded, and despite his dislike for it, small talk was a good way to gain someone's trust and learn about them with little effort. "Still in the army, I assume?"
"A major."
"Well done."
"You could be a major, if you'd stayed on." Matthew looked at him with a raised eyebrow, as Charlie delivered cups of tea. Matthew, he noticed, took his with a lot of sugar. Charlie had put the sugar cubes next to his cup rather then in the tea. Charlie resumed drinking the one he'd been drinking, opting to sit next to Matthew, and folding one leg over the other.

"What do you want, Blake?" Matthew asked, and he looks tired and grey. As most people out in these parts do.
"I'm looking for a deserter." Charlie raises one eyebrow.
"Are there any new hands on the farm? Someone who might try and hide someone here?" Matthew shakes his head no.
"Everyone working at the moment has been here at least ten years." He said, taking a sip of his tea.
"Even…" He nods at Charlie.
"I've been here for nearly fifteen." Charlie replies, dryly. Matthew smiles into his teacup. There's a certain domesticity to the look, and it's one he finds himself wanting. But he puts that aside for now. He takes another sip of tea.

"I supposed that since I was in the area, I could take the time to visit an old friend." Matthew looks up at him, and studied is face with those eyes. Those blue eyes.
"We aren't friends." He replies, and knocks back whatever was left in a single mouthful. Charlie looks to him, his irises are pale against the cornea. Lawson was very tan in comparison to him. He'd expect a farm hand to be a bit less pale and more tan. Odd. He nods, and decided fine. He'd play this Matthew Lawson's way, since that was what he seemed to want. He smiles icily. Charlie looks unsettled at the change, and Lucien supposes he's been rather sheltered here at this farm.

"I'll need to take a look around then." He said setting his tea down on the table. Matthew does the same, setting down his empty cup with a clatter and he's surprised to see it doesn't shatter. Charlie silently sets his down as well.

"Where do you want to look?"
"Your cellar, your shelter and your sheds." Matthew looks to Charlie.
"Go get the keys." He does, scurrying out. Matthew gets to his feet slowly, leaning heavily on the cane. The long suppressed doctor part of him wants to look and heal but he doesn't. Charlie is clutching the keys in both hands, and moves quickly to stand near to Matthew. It's slow going but Charlie seems to have nothing to say about it.

They made their way to the cellar slash shelter, and Charlie undid the padlock quickly. Matthew opts to stand out then go down the ladder, sending Charlie in his place. Charlie does so, with his quiet
"If that's what you think is best, Boss." Once they were down there, Charlie lit up a lantern. Blake decided to do a thorough search.

"If you know where he is, and you tell me, some kind of deal could be worked out for you. Maybe if you joined the army we could wave the charges altogether.

"You were asking people in town about me." He's surprised, that's for sure. He'd thought that Charlie may be dim or something like that, staying around on a farm like this. Apparently not. "Why?"
"Who told you?"
"I have contacts in town." Charlie replies, simply. "Why?"
"I wanted to know about you, what Matthew'd been doing with himself."
"You could have asked."
"Would you have told me?" He lifts a burlap sack aside. Only dust and spiders greet him.
"Probably not." He replies, "But if you hadn't come over here guns a blazin' then Matthew might have. You've gone and fucked that up now."
"Is that how you speak to all people above your rank?"
"Sorry. You've gone and fucked that up now, Major." Lucien rolls his eyes, but supposes if Charlie spent so much time on this farm with someone so anti military, it could only be expected. For now, he wouldn't hold it against him.

"Does Matthew treat you well?"
"As well as any other employer."
"And you like living here?"
"I wouldn't have stayed if I didn't." Charlie is a stubborn as his boss, Lucien sighed, as he headed for the stairs. Charlie blew out the lantern and went to stand with Matthew, who was leaning on the back of the farm house.

"Find anything?" Matthew asked, a tinge of humour in his voice. Charlie gave a tiny headshake, and offered his arm so Matthew could stand, something that he accepted. After a tiny bitter laugh, Matthew started making his way towards the equipment shed.

The building was a stain on the landscape, truly. A big ugly off white shed where it seemed machinery was stowed. Walking away from the building towards the homestead was a woman with brown hair styled into fashionable brown curls and parted on the right. She was wearing blue denim pants and a pink shirt, both of which were old and expertly patched.

"Good morning, Jean!" Charlie said, pleasantly, perhaps more enthusiastic than anything else he'd said all morning.
"Good morning Charlie." She said, with a smile. Charlie left Matthew's side to go take the basket of hand trowels from her. "Matthew." She smiled, before looking at Blake.
"Major Blake." He said, as Jean nodded her hello. Jean was a handsome woman, Lucien thought. Charlie seemed to have more respect for her then anyone else so far, even Matthew.

"He's here looking for desserters." Charlie said, "Thinks we might be keepin' in the shed." Jean scoffed, and hoisted the lettuce onto her hip.
"Good luck." She replied, "I'm going into town, Dorothy from Church is ill. I'm bringing her this lettuce." Charlie nods, and kissed her cheek in the way one would with his mother, before entering the shed. Lucien followed after him.

"Are you courting anyone?"
"Why do you ask?"
"Nice boy like you, I'm sure you could find a girl." Charlie rolled his eyes, and leant on the wall arms folded defensively.

"No."
"Really? Are you going to find a girl sometimes soon?"
"I had a girl. It didn't work out. You spoke to her in town, Matilda O'Brian."
"I did. She didn't mention you."
"No. I don't imagine she would." Charlie replied, "Have you looked in here yet? I have work to do yet today." Lucien finds himself amused by Charlie, and leaves, listening out for Charlie to follow him. Behind him, Charlie locked the shed door, and walked up (again) to Matthew, who accepted Charlie's arm to help him stand. Blake watched for several moments, as they stood, before nodding.

"I didn't see any traces of your farm harboring any deserters." Lawson gives him an icy smile.
"Then I'll see you out." He comments, releasing Charlie's arm to lean on his cane. Charlie followed next to them as they went to the front door. Seeing himself out, Blake paused.

"I hope to see you around, Matthew." He said, with a smile. "I'll stop in when I'm in the area" Matthew just closed the door in his face.

…

It was much later in the afternoon before Charlie spoke of their visitor. He'd spent most of the day working on the boxes of files under the house. He looks up from a bill of sale to him, as Matthew found himself taking a sip of tea to break eye contact.

"That man, Lucien Blake."
"What about him?"
"He said he knew you. Was that true?"
"Once. A very long time ago. Before you were even born." Charlie scoffed, and made a mark on his file with his pencil. He was far better with numbers then Matthew himself ever was. A peaceful silence settles over the farm house, and Matthew thinks that's all the better.