Title: Life under pressure
Author: Loz
E-Mail: loz06(at)yahoo(dot)com
Rating: T
Category: Neil/Andrea…All Neil/Andrea
Series: Story number thirteen. What follows are titles and story ID numbers:
(1) After he's at her door – 2486705
(2) When the mighty fall – 2506192
(3) While his wife's away – 2525486
(4) While they're away – 2543010
(5) When love's not working – 2543013
(6) Boundaries when broken up - 2562611
(7) What happens on the train – 2579012
(8) When they work together – 2595808
(9) When she wants him back – 2598312
(10) When they're stuck together – 2611364
(11) When they're back together – 2619492
(12) Life almost in balance – 2630121
(13) Life under pressure - 2666280
Spoilers: So minor it shouldn't ruffle any feathers.
Archive (if applicable): www(dot)fanfiction(dot)net.
Feedback: The good, the bad and the very ugly it's all appreciated.
Summary: Life with Neil is good, but Bruce is starting to apply pressure and he suspects Andrea is seeing someone.
Authors' notes: Oh man it's been a while since I've been and posted, so sorry if you've been waiting, I had total computer failure in mid-October and I still haven't recovered from it. I have to wait till mid-December to get broadband, so I'm still not back online. Very frustrating especially since I have heaps to post. I'm still pen and paper writing and boy is the backlog big! Thanks for the person responsible for me being able to post this story. So totally excited to see new Neil/Andrea stories have been posted, thanks so much I've been going through withdrawals as well!
Thanks: To my dear friend Jo, for her computer so I could post this story!
Disclaimers: Talent, skill, creativity. Not featured here so obviously I'm not a writer on The Bill.
Neil takes the time to form a first impression as he sits in the car outside of the McPhee's house. He knows how it's going to look, a father on a fact finding mission about the activities of his son. Somehow it implies he doesn't care although his actions speak of the opposite.
It's just an average family home from the outside, overly welcoming on the inside he soon discovers. Mrs. McPhee is dressed conservatively, there's a simplicity and wholesomeness about her…nothing flashy. She smiles warmly and ushers Neil inside offering tea which he accepts, he can tell she's done the decorating. The warm and inviting décor is as honest and open as she is, after years of being a copper he can't help but analyse when he steps into someone's home.
"Colin is a wonderful boy." She gushes and Neil believes it but hasn't seen it lately. He smiles politely taking a sip of his strong tea. "We're so grateful you allow him to spend so much time with Bradley."
Neil plays along but isn't exactly sure what she's talking about. "My wife and I trust him, he's very responsible."
Mrs. McPhee laughs heartily and Neil wonders if maybe he said the wrong thing. "He certainly is; he's helped Bradley improve his Science and Math marks enormously."
Finally the insight Neil craves. "Those are his best subjects."
"He certainly has had an incredible effect on Bradley's confidence. We're so grateful you allow him to come over so often, some weeks it's every night," More insight.
"I hope you don't mind having him." Neil smiles warmly feeling a little better already.
"Oh my goodness no, he always compliments my cooking even when it's boring meat and veg, he helps with the cleaning up and he watches sport with my husband David on the television."
It suddenly becomes clear to Neil why Colin comes here, it has all the elements of a family that he doesn't have at home. Home cooked meals, conversation and togetherness. It's a sobering moment for Neil who takes another mouthful of his tea.
"I'm sorry, I've been blabbering on and you must have come here for a reason." In another room a clock chimes marking the hour.
"I just wanted to make sure Colin wasn't overstaying his welcome and I thought it was time we met." Neil lies.
"Oh no not at all, my husband and I consider ourselves lucky, there are so many drugs and so many ways teenage boys can get into trouble today. Bradley just seems to be not interested in any of it, he talks about what his other friends are doing and Colin is a good friend to him. They were telling David the other night about their football match last weekend, one of their team mates was taken to hospital the night before with alcohol poisoning, they talked about how they felt sorry for him, he's had a rotten trot in life and had no parental guidance at all."
There's another body blow for Neil, he can't count the years since his son opened up to him. As he looks at Mrs. McPhee who would be horrified by the crimes of those that come through Sun Hill custody, a shake of her head and responsibility put onto lack of parenting just isn't enough. He is grateful at least that Colin feels he can talk to her and hasn't taken the path most travelled by many teenage boys.
"I should get back to work." Neil smiles politely pushing his half empty cup away only far enough to indicate he's finished.
"You should bring your wife over sometime, I promise I'll extend my culinary abilities."
"That would be nice." Neil says though he knows Philippa would never find the time and he knows the McPhee family is Colin's escape from his own and a blending of the two would be the last thing he wants to happen.
"Do they ever go out?" Neil asks not so much as an afterthought.
"No, not alone, David insists on dropping them off and picking them up and being able to contact them at all times. I think they've been to the movies, the shops and the games place a few times…there was one party but within a couple of hours they were bored and rang to be picked up. We don't let Bradley loiter around the streets and he doesn't ask to. Bradley's friend Allan, we know his parents well, so they sometimes stay the night over there."
"Thanks for the tea." Neil turns on the top step.
"Nice to meet you," Neil can imagine as a small child Bradley McPhee running into his mothers arms to have all his problems hugged away.
He runs the car for a few minutes before pulling away from the curb. In that time he realises his anxiety about Colin disappearing of a night is gone.
When her phone beeps it's no stretch for Andrea to assume its Bruce. She ignores the phone pulling a string of spaghetti from the bubbling water, the top of the thread burns her mouth and she spits it quickly back into the water realising the taste test is over and once again she muses over her lack of cooking skills.
She carries the can of tomatoes to the door when she hears Neil let himself in. "I wasn't expecting you." Her tone is pleasantly surprised, kissing him hello.
"I sent you a message." He seems confused as to why she didn't receive it, following her into the kitchen.
"I'm ignoring my phone…sorry." Andrea can see he wants to ask why but she has something more pressing. "You look like something's lifted…oh the Colin thing." She remembers but doesn't press for more information.
"He's been spending his time with the family of his best friend…because he's basically an orphan."
Andrea's smile says 'it's not true' but it doesn't appease Neil. "I can't blame him, the house is welcoming, the mother warm and kind and she even cooks. They talk as a family, do things together, I'm sure she'd adopt Colin if it were necessary."
"Have you talked to him?" Andrea leaves the food, sympathy awash on her face.
"Not yet." Neil sighs willingly accepting her open arms. "He's been tutoring his friend, but I can't figure out why his grades have slipped."
"We should go out." Andrea says over his shoulder only half believing it herself.
"You're cooking." Neil releases himself from her embrace and steps over to inspect the boiling water.
"I'm trying to cook; I can burn it another time." Andrea switches off the cook top.
"Something simple – the movies?" Neil asks taking off his jacket. "I need to change first." Andrea kisses him slowly preventing him from leaving her presence; she puts the ingredients back into the fridge as he disappears to shed the day's work clothes.
"You can't usually make it tonight." Andrea stands in the bathroom doorway watching him pull a shirt over his head.
"Philippa's home and I'm working late." He throws a knowing smile across the room to Andrea. Back in the bedroom he hangs up the suit he'll need to wear home tomorrow.
"Let's go to that one with the couples seats." Her look softens, there's no denying she's thinking about being together in the darkness with him.
"You didn't want anything to eat?" Neil asks but doesn't realise Andrea isn't next to him anymore. When he turns he can see she's worried about someone seeing them.
"You go first; sit in one of the couples seats on the left." She's not sure but she thinks maybe there's a hint of annoyance in his look.
Their plans go out the window as Andrea's phone interrupts, as she silences Bruce and then bars him entirely by turning off her phone she looks up to see Neil's gone. 'Here we go again' she thinks to herself about Bruce, scanning the rows of chairs for Neil.
"You don't need to be nervous, there's no one here we know." Neil observes when Andrea sits down, the lights dim so she doesn't have to see the look on his face.
"The girls wanted to know if I want to go out tonight – to the movies." Andrea lies easily and no one hushes them as they talk through the advertisements and previews.
"Why would they come here?" Neil's arm stretches around her and Andrea shrinks next to him and into his hold, she pushes the thoughts out of her head knowing he's right.
The surround sound gunshot makes her jump and immediately she feels Neil pull her in closer. She's been hanging on since the beginning but now her back teeth are floating so she pulls out of his hold and makes her way carefully down the stairs, unwilling to take a tumble.
Outside she switches on her phone and waits as one by one the messages from Bruce come through. He sounds decidedly annoyed, demanding a meeting and suitably annoyed at their line of communication being blocked.
Inside the toilet stall Andrea slips her phone back into her pocket and breathes, metres away a group of laughing women's voices echo off the walls. She takes her time emptying her bladder and turns the phone off again.
She sees Leela first, head bent over washing her hands, face reflected in the mirror. Andrea knows she can't duck back into the loo; her sudden movement would alert anyone. She's not foolish enough to think she can go unnoticed.
"Andrea." Leela's voice in no way hides her surprise. "Yvonne, Honey and I called you at home to see if you wanted to come with us…here."
"I must have been here already." Andrea says coolly.
"Honey and Yvonne are in the theatre it's about to start. Why don't you join us, we'll sneak you in." Leela reaches for some paper towel.
"I'm kinda enjoying the movie I'm in." Andrea says apologetically knowing it's more about the person she's with than the movie. It's not enough for Leela, "next time?"
"Sure." Leela says but wants to and does ask more, "you here with someone?"
"Just me," Andrea smiles friendlily and ends the conversation by putting herself in the other side of the door.
"Honey, Leela and Yvonne are here." She whispers to Neil trying to catch up on the story. Neil misinterprets scanning the dark theatre for familiar faces. "In another movie, I ran into Leela in the ladies loos."
"Does their movie get out at the same time as ours?" In the dark Andrea can see some concern.
"They're just going in now." It's clear he's not concerned, resting an arm around her again, and his attention now back to the movie.
A billow of steam in a rush to escape meets Andrea when she opens the bathroom door. Against the frosted glass she can see the outline of his body, the rush of water through the pipes is just louder than the pounding of the water.
She puts the toilet lid down realising this is not the best time or place to have this conversation and she knows he's unlikely to object strenuously when dripping wet and still soapy.
"I've been thinking about those photos you have of us." Andrea calls above the steady stream of water.
"Thought you were joining me in here."
"Maybe it's not such a good idea you have them." She bites her lower lip waiting for a reply.
"Why's that?" He asks switching off the water.
"If something were to…happen to you." Andrea says slowly. "Philippa would pack your things and find them."
Neil says nothing reaching for a towel, Andrea hopes he's thinking about the fact his being gone won't impact on him, only her left behind.
"You're just rattled from seeing Leela Kapoor." Neil reasons and its true Andrea hates the feeling she gets anytime they're out in public. "I'll move the one in my desk drawer somewhere else."
Neil steps out of the shower, hair clumped together, its thin nature evident, the towel wrapped securely around his waist. "How come it's you who tenses when we go out now, not me?"
"I don't know, I…" She fades and walks out of the room. Andrea can't say it but she wishes he'd just divorce Philippa and get it over with although it's better than before, being in constant limbo is getting to her. While he's dressing she makes a secret call to Bruce to organise a meeting time.
"Tell me about Rob Thatcher and the Radford's." There's no greeting as Andrea slips into Bruce's small red car. Having snuck away from her break she has only a little while and prefers it that way.
"And hello to you too Bruce."
"Rob Thatcher." It's clear he's not in the mood to play games.
"There's a history there, with Rob's father…" She begins.
"I know all this, was he allowed to work cases where the Radford's were involved?"
"Where's this going Bruce?" Andrea demands.
"I want to know if he was given permission to work these cases despite his personal agenda."
"He had some involvement but the DI reined him in after the arrest of David Radford that Kerry Young set up."
"So he was given a certain amount of leeway."
"Is this about his colour?" Andrea doesn't really need to ask.
"When he went underground, were there officers looking for him?"
"I don't know." She sighs.
"Andrea!" Her name is spat forcefully.
"He went to ground, what could the MET do?" Andrea defends.
"So the MET lets a rogue – armed officer stay out on the streets after years of tolerating him crossing the line."
"Is that going to be your headline?"
"Unless you tell me he's been suitably punished by Okaro." Andrea hates the smugness in his voice.
"He's dead Bruce." Andrea doesn't hide the fact she's astounded he didn't know. She exits the car slamming the door as hard as she can. "Is that punishment enough for you or do you want to run a front page expose and sully what's left of his reputation as a copper." She says it out loud but to herself, she doesn't recognise her slowly changing attitude to her primary job.