Title: Sun Hill Christmas
Author: Jen (aka Storm)
Rating: PG-13
Pairings: Andrea/Neil.
Summary: [Family Trilogy Part 2] A kiss under the mistletoe, a drunken Santa, Christmas carol singing and Reg collecting money for charity; it all adds up to a typical Christmas at Sun Hill.
Archive: Anywhere else that wants it, just let me know first.
Spoilers: None. Reference to my story Deception.
Disclaimer: The Bill and its characters don't belong to me. They never have and never will. I'm just playing with them for a bit. Can I please have John and Claire? They're not in the show anymore after all.
Author's Notes: I started this way back in 2005 or 2006 I think, but due to my intense dislike of the holiday in question, and the memories it stirs up, I kept going back to it, then leaving it, which is why you've had to wait until now to get it. I'll apologise in advance for any offence that this story may cause, and I realise that in some places throughout I may have impacted some of my views on the characters. That was never my intention. If I haven't put you off too much, already then please read and send me your comments. They are very much appreciated. Also one last thing. This story is a sequel to Deception and references some events within. These stories were originally gonna form part of a trilogy and conclude with a story titled The New PC, but because I finished The New PC (on paper anyway) well before I'd even got halfway through this, and it differs completely from what I had planned, I have decided to post it as a stand-alone and instead add some of the relevant bits as a final epilogue to this story. Thus reading The New PC before this, may give away some of the ending.
All comments, questions and complaints in a review please. Pretty please?
Sun Hill Christmas
"Deck the halls with bows of holly,
Fa, la, la, la, la … la, la, la, la."
It's that time of year again; the time young children and adults look forward to all year but dread at the same time. A time where everywhere you go is carefully decorated in red and gold, with twinkling lights. Trees adorn doorways and windows and everybody seems to be in a rush. Shops stay open late into the night allowing frantic parents time to buy all the presents they desire. Men dressed in red suits with long white beards sit inside cardboard structures in supermarkets and shopping centres asking young children if they've been naughty or nice. Christmas, hated by some, loved by many.
I walk through the corridors of Sun Hill police station, deliberately ignoring the gold tinsel and red and green streamers surrounding me, courtesy of Reg Hollis. I push open the door in front of me and walk into the locker room where I find my friends complaining that they've got to work Christmas Eve. Little do they know that their predicament is partially down to me having booked the time off a while ago with the intention of flying up North to Scotland to spend the holiday with my family. My plans have changed now though, I've left it too late to book plane tickets and the roads will be icy and slippery to drive on, especially in the hilly areas further North; so I guess this year I'll just stay here. I think I subconsciously wanted to stay here anyway, that way I'll be closer to my 'Mystery Boyfriend', as the others put it.
I am broken from my thoughts when Yvonne asks me a question. "I'm sorry, what did you say?" I ask her, "I was lost in thought."
"Obviously," Yvonne grumbles, "I said, … are you working Christmas Eve?"
"No, I've been lucky this year and have got it off."
"Lucky you," joins in Honey, "You don't want my shift do you?"
"No thanks," I say with a small laugh, "I plan on enjoying myself."
"Good for you, c'mon, we best get to the briefing room."
10 Minutes Later
We are all in the briefing room chatting between ourselves, whilst we wait for Inspector Gold to show. She enters the room with Smithy and coughs loudly to get everyone's attention.
"Good morning everyone, just a few things before I hand out your assignments, first of all, if anyone is interested in any overtime over the holidays let me know, Second we all know that crime rates seem to go up at this time of year, especially when the alcohol is flowing, so please be extra vigilant, and lastly, I'd like to remind you all that the Christmas party is being held at 7pm tomorrow night over in the Canley Arms, tickets are £3 and can be bought on the door on production of your warrant card. All money raised will be given to a children's charity. Any questions? … Good."
With that we are dismissed and everybody begins to leave the room, I follow closely behind Yvonne, pleased that I'm to be paired with her today.
A Few Hours Later
We are driving around the borough waiting for our first call. "So," Yvonne starts breaking the silence that has settled between us, "are you gonna spend the holiday's with this mystery boyfriend of yours? Who is he anyway? Is it anyone I know?"
"Don't you ever give up? You don't know him," I lie, "and I don't know what he's doing over the holiday's yet, so can't answer that other question."
"How long have you been together now?"
"About ten or eleven months now, on and off; why?"
"Just wondering; I still don't know why you won't tell me who he is, I mean if I don't know him, what's the harm?"
"I'd tell you who he is Yvonne but I can't risk anyone else finding out, he's married."
"Ooh, the plot thickens."
The radio crackles to life putting an end to our conversation.
12 noon, the Canteen
I am sitting eating my lunch with Yvonne, Honey, Kerry, Tony and a few others.
"Come on then Andy, what else can you tell us about this mystery boyfriend of yours?" asks Yvonne with a gleam in her eye.
I wish she would stop bringing it up, I've told her more than I've told the others, things I would prefer not to get out. "How many times do I have to tell you?" I say to her, "I can't say anymore than I already have, there's too much at stake here."
"But you're happy with him yes?"
"Yes!"
The DI comes storming into the canteen in a thunderous mood. I try to pay no attention to him, but that's kind of difficult when he's heading in our direction.
"PC DUNBAR … CAN I HAVE A WORD, NOW PLEASE?" he bellows.
"Someone's in trouble," Yvonne sings in my ear, "good luck, it looks like you might need it."
"Yeah," I whisper back, "I wonder what I've done to upset him now?" I say before getting out of my seat and following the DI out of the canteen.
I follow him down a corridor and into an empty interview room. I spend the whole of the short walk trying to determine how mad he really is and what I might have done to provoke such a reaction. He slams the interview room door behind us, the force making the entire room shake. I've never seen him like this before and it's kind of scary.
"Sir," I say tentatively, biting my lip nervously.
He doesn't say anything at first. I watch him silently for a few minutes too scared to speak encase I say something to upset him further. Gradually his face softens into a small lopsided grin. "I'm sorry if I scared you?" he says, "I just wanted to speak to you alone."
"Neil," I say quietly to indicate that I'm listening.
"I've been thinking and …" he stops quickly changing his question halfway through, "…are you going to Scotland for the holidays?"
"I'd thought about it, but it's too late to book a plane ticket now and the roads will be too icy up North so I'll probably just stay here this year, why?"
"I was thinking that maybe we could spend a bit of time together," he says without hesitation.
"But what about …?"
"Already sorted, Phillipa's going to some big family thing in France, she won't be back until the new year, so …?"
"What about Jake? Is she taking him with her?"
"I don't know yet, but it doesn't matter, he's too young to understand, and besides, he'll be glad to have someone to play with."
"What if he says something to Phillipa?"
"He won't and even if he does, I'll think of something, don't worry about it."
"Ok, if your sure," I say, still a little wary of the idea.
"You better get back before Yvonne and the other's come looking for you," he suggests with a sigh, "If they ask, just say I was giving you grief over some paperwork or something."
"Ok," I say walking towards the door.
He stops me before I reach it and plants a kiss on my lips, which I return wholeheartedly.
"See you later," he says when we break apart for breath, before walking past me and disappearing in the direction of CID.
I follow him out of the door and walk back to the canteen to finish my lunch.
I approach my table of friend's watching their expressions closely for signs that they've noticed I'm back, silently preparing for their inquisition. I guess I should be used to lying by now, I've done enough of it, but I still fear that someone can see through my words and knows that I'm not telling the truth. It's especially hard with people I consider to be friends. I sit down beside Yvonne and dig in to what remains of my now cold lunch.
20 minutes later we return to the car for the remainder of our shift, praying that it's a quiet afternoon. We pass the time with random chatter, and I spend a lot of time staring out of the passenger window. I'm not feeling too good, I hope I'm not coming down with the flu.
"Are you ok?" Yvonne asks me, "your really quiet today?"
"Yeah I'm fine," I lie easily, "I was just lost in thought."
"Anything interesting?" she asks, "It's not about this mysterious boyfriend of yours is it? and while I think about it, you never told us what the DI was so mad at you about."
I panic slightly, hoping she hasn't figured out our little secret before saying, "Nothing you'd be interested in, he was just giving me grief over some paperwork, to be honest I think Phil Hunter said something to upset him."
"They not got over that argument yet then?" she asks referring to the incident in the canteen a few months back.
"No, I don't think they have, but can you blame him all things considered?"
"I guess not," Yvonne responds before changing the subject, "Are you going to the Christmas party tomorrow night?"
"I dunno, I haven't really decided yet, you?"
"Yeah, it'll be fun. Last year the DI and DCI were really drunk and they were singing very off-key Christmas carols."
"I'll have to remember that for possible blackmail material," I say only half joking.
The rest of the shift passes by steadily and it's not long before we both head back to the station to to get changed and return home.
We exit the locker room together, still chatting aimlessly, until we notice the DI hovering near the doorway.
"Sir?" Yvonne says, wondering why he's here.
"Have you had time to finish that report yet?" he asks, his question directed at me.
I stare at him quizzically for a few seconds, until it clicks what he's on about, "Not yet sir," I reply, "but I'll have it to you first thing tomorrow."
"Be sure you do," he says, before asking, "Your not going home are you?"
"Yes sir," I reply, not realizing what he's doing.
Yvonne cuts in and says that she'll "see me tomorrow" before wondering off, and it's only then that I figure out what he's up to.
Neil waits until he's sure she's gone and not spying on us from around the corner before continuing, "Phillipa left for the airport about an hour ago. She's just texted me and said she's boarding the plane. Jake's staying here, but he's gone to his mates house tonight."
"I'm not sure I understand," I say not knowing where this conversation is heading.
"So I've got tonight free if your up to it," he adds in a whisper.
"Sure," I say finally clicking on, "I'll see you later," I add before turning towards the exit.
A Few Hours Later
A loud knocking on my front door breaks through my thoughts and I get up to open it. Neil walks past me through the open door and over to sit on the sofa. I follow him silently. We've done this so many times that the need for words has become unnecessary. I settle down next to him on the sofa curling up into his arms. We sit like this for a long time, the telly blaring away in the background.
"Are you going to the Christmas party tomorrow night?" I ask him the same question Yvonne asked me earlier today.
"Are you?" he responds.
"I dunno yet, I guess I wanted to know what you was doing first," I admit.
"I'll go if you do," he states, "that's if it's ok for Jake to stay at his mates house for another night. I can't help but think that I rely on them a bit too much."
"You could bring him along to the party," I suggest.
"I guess, but how would I explain that one?"
"Simple, just tell the truth, it's hardly incriminating, and he hasn't met me yet so he can't say anything about us if that's what your worried about."
"Maybe," he say's trailing off.
Another comfortable silence settles over us. It's times like these that I allow my mind to wonder; to explore the 'what if's' of our relationship and reminisce on the events that have led us up to this point. I often wonder how things would be different if we'd met under different circumstances; if he wasn't married and I wasn't an undercover journalist. If we didn't have to keep things between us a secret.
Several hours pass with us siting silently cuddled up on the sofa, before we silently decide to migrate to bed, where we can curl up beneath the warm covers instead. We lie feeling warm, comfortable and safe in each others arms, before drifting slowly off to sleep, knowing tomorrow will be another long day.
To Be Continued ...