Title: When they're stuck together
Author: Loz
E-Mail: loz06(at)yahoo(dot)com
Rating: T
Category: Neil/Andrea…All Neil/Andrea
Series: Story number ten (wow!), what follows are titles and story ID numbers. (1) After he's at her door – 2486705. (2) When the mighty all – 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.
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: Andrea's keen to solve a case she's working and Neil who seemingly can never say no to her gets swept up in her enthusiasm. The outcome isn't good for either of them, especially Andrea who doesn't get the answer she wants for the question she's been burning to ask Neil.
Author's Notes: Ahh back to work, don't you just hate it, lots of lovely reviews might make the transition easier...hint…hint:0)
Thanks: Thank you, thank you, thank you to all the lovely people who have left reviews, if I had all your emails I'd send some virtual chocolate. Special shout out to Fabio, whose last review had a certain cheerleader ring to it, encouraging people to leave reviews and double reviewing some! Your words were most appreciated along with everyone else's. A review in my inbox always brightens even the brightest day.
Disclaimers: As I don't want to be stuck in jail cell with someone somewhere I say I don't own anyone featured below.
"We've got a shout." Honey comes up behind Andrea who's staring at the social pages of the paper. There are six snaps of the Law Council dinner, all locals; at the bottom Neil smiles with Philippa, his arm around her.
"What is it?" Andrea asks tossing the paper in.
"Disturbance a woman, man and their three year old child," Honey explains.
"This one's going to end in tears." Andrea comments dryly.
"You've been looking sad lately." Honey comments when they're in the privacy of the car. Andrea says nothing, giving Honey a polite look that says in no uncertain terms she doesn't want to talk about it. There's silence between the two women until they turn into the street of the complaint.
"That's got to be it." Andrea notices a large man banging his fists against the front door of number sixty-four.
"Great." Honey grumbles pulling the car up.
"Sir," Andrea calls as she steps out of the car securing her hat. The man ignores or doesn't hear her as he continues to roar for a Tracey to come out.
"Sir, could you step away from the door please." Andrea stands at the bottom of the stairs joined by Honey. He continues to pound his fists above his head on the door.
"Sir," Andrea tries again stepping up to the top step. She looks back at Honey who tries herself, Honey's tired of the man having to be asked and there's an edge to her voice.
"Sir, if you don't step away we'll have no choice but to arrest you." The pounding stops but his fists remain pressed against the door.
"I just want to talk to my wife." There's a frightening amount of aggression in his voice.
"Well she called us because she's scared, do you think this is the right way to go about it?" Honey's voice changes to calm and soothing.
"Well she won't answer my emails or my phone calls." His hands bang on the door with each of his words.
"Why don't you come down and talk to us and we'll sort something out." Honey compromises, it's as far as she's willing to go.
"I don't want to talk to you; I want to talk to my wife." The frustration that characterised his last words is replaced with rage. He spits the words out while turning to look at Honey for the first time, as he turns his arms come down from above his head, his elbow connecting with Andrea's cheek. She grabs for the handrail next to the steps but it doesn't stop her fall. Her legs still buckle underneath her, leaving her on her side at the bottom of the three small steps.
She doesn't notice Honey slam the man against the front door; the noise is louder than anything his fists generated. Andrea doesn't hear the cuffs snap on, her whole right side is tingling and she's sure her hands and elbow are grazed. The pain in her cheek radiates to her head, she doesn't hear Honey utter the words arrest, assault and police.
"Are you o.k.?" Honey asks with urgency.
"Yeah," Andrea says picking herself up carefully hoping the world doesn't spin and bring her crashing down again. She hears their heavy footsteps go down the path and the car door open and slam closed again.
"Let me look." Honey winces when she sees Andrea's face.
"I guess I won't make the cover of Cosmopolitan this month." Andrea jokes unconvincingly.
"Do you want to go and see if his wife's alright? I'll stay with him, her name's Tracey Willows." Honey looks back to the car; Mr. Willows has finally been silenced.
"My face will only frighten her more than she already is." Andrea sighs pressing her hand gently against her cheek.
"You sure you want to sit with him, this could take a while?"
'It was an accident." Andrea smiles barely and walks gingerly towards the car. She doesn't look at Mr. Willows; she rests her head on the headrest and closes her eyes – her head pounds.
"My name's Chris Willows, I'd shake your hand but…" Andrea listens but doesn't react. "I'm really sorry about what happened...it was an accident."
"Did PC Harmon advise you of your rights?" Andrea asks.
"You want me to remain silent." He sighs.
"My head is pounding; you'd be well advised…" It's all Andrea needs to say. Her face contorts when she sees the large swelling on her left cheek in the rear-view mirror. The contortion only causes more pain.
Inside custody Mr. Willows is checked in and they decide to let him cool off although the rage radiating from him a half an hour ago is gone.
"DS De Costa needs to know about Mrs. Willows' position." Andrea reminds Honey as they walk through the corridor, everyone stares at Andrea, some stop to ask but she brushes them off.
"You need to get that looked at." Honey says as they negotiate Andrea's new worst enemy – stairs.
"I'll take care of it, meet you for refs?" Andrea has no intention of seeking First Aid, she knows just the person who needs to know about Chris Willows and she secretly hopes he'll open up his protective side.
Through the doors she can see him in a circle, talking with Sam and Phil. She doesn't have to say his name or interrupt his conversation, out of the corner of his eye he sees her and when he looks properly and sees her cheek he drops the folder in his hand telling Phil and Sam 'good work' and to keep him updated. They can't help but watch as he's drawn to her.
"What happened?" Andrea revels in the concern in his voice. She ignores the question opting to press ahead with what she needs professionally from him. Professional not personal was their agreement, what might branch off from that would be a bonus.
"Chris Willows was beating down his wife's door this morning; you're probably going to need to get to know him." Neil knows nothing of Mr. Willows or the reason Andrea wants him to have knowledge of the case, still he presses on.
"Has someone checked you out?" He doesn't need her to reply, already knowing the answer; his arm directs her out of CID. She follows him downstairs into the First Aid room, blinking as the fluorescent light chases away the dark. "Don't go away." When he gets back he's carrying a small bag of ice, the door closes giving them privacy. As he places the ice gently next to her skin she allows herself enjoyment that comes from the tiny brush of his fingertips, she doesn't dare let her face reflect her thoughts.
"It was an accident." She tells him softly.
"I don't care, you have him charged." There's conviction in his voice as he takes her elbow rubbing antiseptic cream into it and placing a bandage over the scratches.
"You tell anyone in CID I did this…" There's a slight smile in his voice.
"Secret's safe." She swallows as he looks at the graze on her palm. He fixes one with cream allowing her to change that hand which holds the ice in place. She adds this to the things she misses about him, the mental list created the other night in the garden. She wants to ask him all the questions she has and the big one – has she lost him? She wants to know why he's doing this, love or something else and how did she know he would? She can't bring herself to ask.
"Who is this guy?" Covering her hand with his he lifts the ice away to inspect the swelling.
"Chris Willows...separated and about to be divorced, wife's going for full custody of their three year old child. Mrs. Willows is petrified her husband is going to hurt her and take the child and I'm inclined to believe her."
"You've experienced his handiwork." He gets up from the chair, opening cupboards looking for something. She lets the fact her face was an accident slide.
"He'll be bailed later this afternoon." Andrea watches him adjust the Polaroid camera. In a couple of days she'll be black and blue and more photographic evidence will be needed. He points the camera towards her for a little too long before the flash blinds her, she could swear he's looking at her like he wants to, safely hidden behind the lens.
"Keep me updated won't you." The photo becomes clearer on the paper, appearing from the carbon blackness. She thinks things are clearer now too, he still wants her but then again maybe she's deceiving herself for comfort, it's too hard to continue wanting someone who doesn't want her. Then again the indicators she's got are as artificial as the moment frozen in time on the paper.
"Be careful out there." His voice is almost a whisper, before leaving her alone in the sanitised room.
"DS De Costa's gone to talk to Mrs Willows." Honey catches up with Andrea as she leaves the First Aid room; she's pleased to see the ice Andrea has pressed against her face. "I could use a cuppa."
"I'll catch up with you." Andrea wants to hear Chris Willows' story. She tells the custody officer whom she wants to see, leading him into an empty interview room; a custody officer stands next to the tape recorder that's not operating.
"I'm really sorry." He looks remorseful but for Andrea apologies escape people's lips too easily.
"I'll be fine." There's something in her voice that propels him to explain.
"We're separated Tracey and I." His voice is full of regret now. "She says I'm going nowhere and carrying her along for the ride, it's not my fault the business I worked for went broke, there's no work out there for a guy who has no formal qualifications." He seems to realise he's making excuses, airing laundry he doesn't need to. "Tracey, she's applying for full custody of our daughter Kim and she'll get it."
"Why do you say that?" Andrea says despite the fact the reasons are obvious, still she can feel they're sliding closer to the problem.
"I have a conviction for assault." Andrea's not surprised by the news. "Tracey was five months pregnant, we were having a meal at the pub and this guy was harassing her, so I hit him after he didn't take the message. Warned him off four times. He hit his head on the back of a table and spent months in hospital recovering, the judge said other than the fact I shouldn't have done it, I used excessive force and I spent two years in jail, missed the birth of my daughter and a whole tonne of her 'firsts'." Andrea says nothing about the fact she feels a little for him. "I'm a big guy of course I hit hard, I've had some military training, they took all of that into account, never once considered the fact I was protecting Tracey. No one wants to hire a guy with a criminal record, much less an assault record. I just wanted to talk to her and now I've gone and given you a real shiner."
"I can't condone what you've done but I understand why." He looks uncomfortable, like a small man in a body too big for him. Like this she'd never pick him for a violent man. "I don't think you're going about it the right way though." His head hangs.
"What's a guy to do? Huh? My parents beat on each other every second night, there was wife and husband bashing in my house when I was growing up, the cops would mutter it was only a matter of time before they killed each other and one night they did. I'd been raising my brother for seven years by then, I'd never lay hand on Tracey or Kim."
"You can see why Tracey called us though." Andrea steers him in another direction, dredging up family history could go on all night.
"I only know how to solve my problems one way, I was never taught any different…"
"There are people who can help you." Andrea treads carefully.
"I was going to sign up for one of those anger management classes next week. I was going to talk with Tracey about it but she wouldn't talk to me."
"So you went around to her place." Andrea finishes; she knows there's more. "You'll be bailed soon; you need to go back into holding." He complies without argument, looking smaller again in his skin. Andrea believes essentially he's not a bad guy, he's just only ever seen people use violence to get their way, he'd never been taught any different.
"Did they patch you up?" He asks before Andrea closes the cell door.
"I'm fine." She doesn't want to talk about it.
"Send me the medical bills." Andrea closes the door on the statement.
"Have you done the interview?" Honey stops Andrea before she's out of custody. "He's got a colourful but not extensive record."
"I know, I just had an off the record chat." Andrea smiles.
"DS De Costa has a statement from Mrs. Willows so we can interview him and get him out of here." Honey brings Andrea up to date on Mrs. Willow's story, for a refreshing change it matches her husbands.
"This is all going to start again when he gets bail." Andrea sighs.
"Yeah but it won't be our problem." Honey indicates upstairs will take over.
"Who do you think'll get the call out and the paperwork?" Andrea reminds her, there's not much they can do to stop Mr. Willows from going back to his wife's house.
Honey's radio crackles to life, interrupting refs. It's the same address and the same complaint. Honey sighs replying to the call. "Here we go again."
