Title: While they're away.

Author: Loz

E-Mail: loz06(at)yahoo(dot)com

Rating: M

Category: Neil/Andrea…all Neil/Andrea.

Series: First came 'At her door' then 'When the mighty fall' and thirdly 'While his wife's 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: Neil decides some time away will be good them, but for Andrea will it just be sneaking around in a different place.

Author's Notes: Does anyone know what happened to the N/A MSN group?

Disclaimers: I only play while their owners are away, returned only slightly dishevelled.


Andrea is barely awake as she shuffles into the kitchen the next morning. "Coffee, coffee," she says to herself while making the hot drink. The sleep is rubbed from her eyes while standing next to her window watching the morning commuters below.

A while later Neil's hand comes to rest on the small of her back. He too has a hot mug in his hand, following her stare. "Good morning." He replies after a while, lifting the mug to his lips.

It takes a moment for Andrea's voice to work and when it does she steps back into Neil, leaning the back of her head on his shoulder. "You feeling better this morning?" He asks sliding the strap of her top back up her shoulder. When she doesn't reply he stretches for the table, leaving his coffee to cool. His arms wrap around her waist enticing a reply from her. "You've been so up and down lately, one minute sending me packing back home and then wanting to be within earshot of phone conversations with my family."

"Sorry…" Andrea says softly and turns to look at him. She aches, every single part of her wants to tell him. "It's just that…" Her brain is saying tell him, her heart this isn't the time. She looks him in the eyes unable to make a decision; it's just going to have to be whatever comes out of her mouth. "It's a confusing time and if I'm honest with myself I don't know what I want at all."

"Except me," Neil says confidently. Andrea confirms her answer with a light kiss on the lips as she maintains eye contact. It's no lie, there's no doubt about how much she wants him.

"Getting away will be good for us." Neil concludes pulling her further into his warm embrace.

"How long does it take to get to this place?" Andrea asks once Neil has secured their luggage in the back of his car.

"I was told its forty miles north west of London but given I haven't been there before I'm not sure how long it takes." Andrea wonders about his last words, was it a 'look I'm not just recycling holidays I've taken with my wife' comment added for her benefit. She lets it slide curling sideways in the chair and closing her eyes as the car moves away from her flat.

It's not long before they pull up again and she feels Neil close to her, his cologne surrounds her, breath warm on her neck. The seat slides backwards underneath her and then Neil's presence is no longer felt. She reaches for his hand when the car moves on, her fingers sliding along from his elbow that rests on the storage compartment between the seats...after that it takes no time for her to fade from consciousness.

Gradually the buildings and harshness of the urban landscape are replaced with green grass and tall trees. When Andrea next wakes the car crawls past the brick entry walls that read Hartwell House. Up ahead the seventeenth century architecture building looms, dominating the countryside. Not making her consciousness known she waits to see what Neil's move will be. She listens as the car pulls up and the engine dies, stirring for good measure her eyes open just enough to see through her eyelashes. His wedding ring comes off and is placed securely out of sight where it will remain for the next two days. As she rubs her eyes and stretches she questions the validity of the 'getting away will be good for us' statement. Different location, same lies.

"We're here." Neil informs her when her eyes open completely.


While their luggage is whisked to their room, Andrea watches Neil pay cash for their accommodation. They'd never discussed money for this weekend and fleetingly she considers the status of her own credit card. More thought goes into the cash payment, more sneaking around and for a minute she considers whether the shine is rubbing off.

"Have a nice stay Mr. and Mrs. Manson." The woman at the register wishes. The label doesn't sit well with Andrea, in part because you usually practice a new title in front of the mirror before having others use it and it's just another reminder she's not Mrs. Manson and she shouldn't be here.

Neil looks equally as uncomfortable as he takes her hand and they head upstairs.

The room is larger than Andrea's entire flat. It's furnished with antiques, paintings on the wall and a huge bed. The ceiling is twice her height easily and as she approaches the window the expansive grounds are revealed to her.

"What shall we do first?" Neil questions.

"Outside," is Andrea's only word as she remains fixed on the expansive grounds below.

Their luggage is left where it is, furniture untouched. They take the opportunity to be outside together, a rare luxury.

Hand in hand they head along the path that weaves through the grounds. Neither says anything, occupied with their thoughts. When Neil stops, Andrea continues walking, unlocking their connection.

"You know I love you Andrea." His voice makes her turn the words capture her attention.

"I love you too Neil." Her voice is cracked, steeped in emotion but she makes no movement to close the three paces gap between them.

"I know that." Neil replies and surprises her. "I mean, I know we've said it to each other before, I didn't know if you thought I was serious or…"

"How did you know…when?"

"When you came to the door that night without asking or saying why, when you came to the garden – You don't do those things if it's just sex."

"I had a feeling when you left one night." Neil finally closes the gap between them. "You left a note saying love you, love Neil." He sighs resting a hand on the back of her neck; it's she who kisses him first.

Back at the front desk after exploring the grounds Andrea picks up a postcard depicting the local area. She feels a little sad she can't send one to anyone; then again the man next to her can't either. Neil rejects the idea of a sightseeing taxi driven by a local, choosing a map of the area instead. They spend till the early hours of the evening exploring the manors, gardens, museums and the village. All the time together and displaying their affection for one another in public, it's the best day Andrea's had with Neil.


In an effort to ward off the early evening chill that has slinked its way into the room, Neil adjusts the heat. Picking up the phone he dials the internal number for the restaurant, securing a booking for the two of them later in the night. As he says thank you to the employee on the other end of the phone he senses Andrea's presence and puts the phone down hastily.

"Finished exploring?" He smiles, moving over to kiss her on the forehead. Forcing a smile onto her face she says nothing, unable to suppress the small niggling feeling that rests in the pit of her stomach, the phone went down too fast. When he disappears into the bathroom she picks up the phone and hits redial. Suspicion is immediately replaced with guilt when the restaurant answers on the other end. On the edge of the bed she chastises herself, reminded that he's given her no reason not to trust him.

In front of the floor length mirror Neil adjusts his tie as he hears the hairdryer click off. Patting his pockets he leaves his phone on the bedside. Buoyed by nervous energy he stares out the window into the darkness, clicking and fidgeting with his hands.

Andrea stands in a cherry red dress she adores but is of a style that cannot definitively be placed in the last three years of fashion. That aside, Neil can't take his eyes from her, much the same as it was at Jim and June's wedding.

"You look stunning." He says softy, clearly besotted, Andrea smiles deeply and Neil thinks maybe he can see a blush.

"A jacket?" she questions flattening his lapels and straightening his tie before taking his arm.

"House rules," Neil says letting the door close behind them.

The prices concern Andrea as she glances down at the menu. Neil misses her concern, selecting a wine for them that like the meal goes on their account. As Neil smiles affectionately across the table at her an annoying voice interrupts with the new information that it was probably like this for Philippa in the beginning. She suppresses the voice right through dinner, as Neil slides the straps of the dress over her shoulders in the soft light of their room, as they make love and while they fall asleep in a bed that's big enough for four. Despite whatever this is that continues to pop up at inconvenient times – doubt, fear or reality speaking – Andrea sleeps as well as she ever has.


The next morning Andrea awakens slowly, her comfortable surrounds and the reality of not having to get up for anything or anyone allows her to remain in a semi conscious haze, head floating on the soft pillow. Next to her Neil snores loudly just once, jolting Andrea to consciousness and then to a laugh. She heads to a warm shower lathering the expensive soap over her skin with care.

The bathrobes are fluffy and big enough to fit twice around her. When she opens the bathroom door the mist and heat from the shower flows into the bedroom, the sound of her padding feet on the carpet opens one of Neil's eyes then the other.

"I like you in that." He comments and Andrea does a little turn and pose.

"Well for two hundred pounds you can see me in it all the time." Andrea replies cheekily at the fact the robe is for sale.

"I'd rather pay two hundred to see you out of it." Neil says dropping his voice, soft but sexy.

"That can be arranged." Andrea replies dropping the robe and joining him in the bed to make love again.

When she next awakens her senses are assaulted by breakfast. The clock indicates she's been asleep for an hour. Neil is wearing the robe she dropped in a pile on the floor earlier and he's pushing a cart…a breakfast cart. Sitting on the bed she devourers croissants, toast, cereal and fruit washing it down with fresh juice, tea and coffee. She doesn't see Neil smile behind his newspaper at her voracious appetite.

"What are we going to do today?" Neil asks folding the newspaper and salvaging some toast.

"First I'm going to beat you at tennis." Andrea proclaims smiling.

"With what you've just eaten you'll be lucky to lift the racquet." Neil comes back; Andrea raises her eyebrows in a 'we'll see' statement.

Tennis runs smoothly but not professionally for a while till Neil starts to miss. The ribbing starts gently, thriving into comments about air swings and a hole in his racquet. As Andrea sails another serve past Neil he drops to the grass, flat on his back signalling surrender. As Andrea gives him a hand up he proposes a second round of competition on the croquet lawn.

Neither knows how to play and they end up hitting the balls around the lawn laughing. At one point it becomes billiards as they send the balls across the grass with the wrong end of the mallet.

"You know what we should do now?" Neil says gently tapping his mallet against hers.

"What's that?" Andrea asks with a tilt of her head. "Eat?"

Neil watches as she re-arranges her meal adding a sidepiece of bread that rests precariously on the edge of her full plate, a smiles spreads across his face.

"Decided on a light meal did you, sure you're eating enough." Andrea smiles wryly placing her fork down.

"It's your fault I have an appetite."

"Oh no, it was that red dress and the robe." Neil counters abandoning his meal.

"The robe was terry cloth, there's nothing sexy about terrycloth." Andrea laughs.

"I can't help it if I think you're beautiful in a paper bag." Andrea's face twists at the latest comment.

"So mushy," she smiles. "I love that dress."

"You wear it like you love it, confident…I love that you have a normal relationship with food." Neil picks up his fork again as Andrea pops a piece of bread into her mouth.

The afternoon is spent fishing an activity for Andrea that ceases to be interesting after a half hour, for Neil it holds many childhood memories. He knows Andrea has dark hair like her father and Andrea knows Neil got the long scar on his shoulder when he was ten playing football with his brothers. They delve deeper into one another as the afternoon wears on, Neil confesses the mistakes he's made in his job and Andrea tells him about life in Scotland but there comes a point where she has to lie.