(A/N: my own head canon, slightly AU as it stands, just words that wanted out of my brain. I have a vague idea where I'm going with it. Un-beta'd So all mistakes are my own. I hope you enjoy!)
Joe opened the front door to Home Farm, his ancestral home, and felt the tension in his muscles step up a notch. Something didn't feel right, but since buying this godforsaken Manor House, nothing had truly felt right.
It was disconcerting to him, he had truly thought that taking back his family home would end the perpetual feeling of loneliness and anchor him in a way he hadn't experienced since he had been orphaned. Instead, he had felt the loneliness increase and felt his grip on his life begin to slip further from his grasp.
Today was different though as he entered the hauntingly large hallway. Something really did feel off. As if another presence was in the house. Shaking off this feeling, Joe headed into the kitchen and stopped dead.
"Hello, Joe," said a soft American voice.
Joe gazed back at the face of the woman he hadn't seen in almost 3 years. He took in her appearance. The dark brown hair, styled into a perfect chignon at the back of her elegant neck. Her piercing blue eyes, the flawless complexion of her face, the hint of blush upon her cheeks, the elegant fit of her dark blue dress, showing a respectable, yet pleasing amount of cleavage and emphasising her tiny waist perfectly. Her long legs were crossed elegantly as she perched on one of his breakfast bar stools, her feet adorned with high heeled shiny blue shoes. Everything about her oozed class, yet, danger.
"Laura," Joe grimaced. "What are you doing here?"
"I could ask the same of you," she retorted, raising an elegant eyebrow.
"It's my home," Joe replied defensively.
They stared at each other for a long moment before a clattering noise disturbed the moment for them both.
"So that's everything cleaned, Mr Tate. I'll be back..." Lydia began, stopping short as she laid eyes upon his guest. "Oh, I'm sorry, I didn't realise you had a guest..."
"Laura Foster," the woman greeted, as if asked to divulge her name, but then that had always been Laura all over. Always muscling in on things that never truly involved her.
"Thank you, Lydia," Joe cut in, not wanting his nosy cleaner to spend any time near this woman. "See you tomorrow."
Lydia looked between Joe and Laura and seeing her employer's expression, nodded. "Indeed you will." She gathered her things and made a quick exit.
As the door closed behind her, Joe turned back to Laura, infuriated by the amused look upon her face.
"So, you're still using his surname," he noted.
Laura shrugged nonchalantly, "It was easier," she stated.
"And, you're still his wife." It was unclear whether this was a statement or a question.
"I am," Laura replied with a sly smile, and Joe couldn't help noting the gold band that still adorned her wedding ring finger.
"What do you want?" Joe demanded, his frustration threatening to bubble over.
"Where is he?" Laura replied, sliding off the stool to stand before him, her petite frame much smaller than his, yet her persona no match for him. This was not a woman to be trifled with, she had always frightened Joe.
Taking a step back, "I don't know," Joe admitted, though it pained him to do so for more reasons than he cared to admit.
Laura's expression faltered slightly as she searched his face, "Don't mess with me," she hissed.
"I swear, Laura," Joe said quickly. "I haven't heard from him in days."
Laura held her stance for a moment before stepping back, she folded her arms, "I don't believe you."
"It's true. We...argued, he hasn't been back and I can't get hold of him," Joe said, desperately wishing his right hand man was here to help him out.
Laura stared at him, making him sweat. She'd always had that effect upon him, as if she could see right inside him and see every mistake, every thought. She suddenly laughed, "So, the Bromance is dead? What did you do? Or, what did he do?"
Joe felt his irritation grow, "Nothing. It was a...misunderstanding."
Laura laughed, a hollow, frightening sound.
"Why are you here, Laura?" Joe asked. "It's been 3 years."
"As you said, I'm still his wife," Laura replied, unfolding her arms and running a manicured finger across the marble surface of his breakfast bar.
"But, why now?" Joe pressed.
Laura spun round and hit him with a fierce glare, "I want answers, Joe. I want to know why you are here, in this God-awful place and why you are keeping him from me."
"I'm doing no such thing!" Joe responded, his voice betraying the discomfort he felt.
Laura stared at him for an uncomfortable amount of time, making a blush begin across his neck. She sighed loudly and picked up her handbag from the kitchen unit behind her.
"You tell him to call me," she said firmly, before stalking elegantly from the kitchen, her heels clicking menacingly as she went.
Joe waited until he heard the front door click shut before he released the breath he'd been holding. He fumbled for his phone and dialled.
-x-
Joe sat beside the roaring fire in his drawing room, a tumbler of fine malt in his left hand. He heard the door click shut and felt a presence enter the room.
"You came," he noted sullenly.
"When you ask, I'll always come," said the soft voice of his long-term right hand man.
"I thought you'd abandoned me for good this time," Joe said, swirling the amber liquid in his glass.
He heard Graham move behind him, heard the clink of glass and the soft glug as orange juice was poured into fine crystal.
"I very nearly did." Graham admitted softly, "But, you know I couldn't do that. I owe you too much."
Joe closed his eyes softly, a grateful prayer uttered in silence in his mind. To lose Graham now would be catastrophic to his plans. Regardless of it all, he needed him.
He waited until Graham sat opposite him, watched him take a drink from the fine crystal tumbler and grimace at the sour liquid that never hit the spot like a fine malt always could. But, that was the old Graham.
"I had a visitor today," Joe began, not looking across at Graham, but focussing upon the rug on the floor at his feet.
Graham didn't respond, instead gazing at him with his signature unwavering look.
"Laura," Joe clarified, looking up now to meet his friend's gaze.
He had known Graham long enough to spot the subtle changes in the older man's face. He saw now the tense twitch of the muscle in Graham's left cheek. Watched as Graham placed the tumbler carefully upon the table in front him and sat back. He said nothing and Joe knew Graham was trying hard to control his reactions.
"What did she want?" he finally asked, his gaze focussed upon the back of the chair behind Joe's head.
"To find you," Joe explained. "Why, I don't know. She didn't stay long enough, she just said to tell you to call her."
"And, what did you tell her?" Graham asked, his tone hard and Joe knew one wrong word and his friend would completely lose his cool. He'd seen Laura do that to him too many times to count.
"Nothing. You know I wouldn't say anything to her. I said I hadn't seen you."
"And she bought that?" Graham asked, his tone displaying belief that his wife could be so easily fooled.
"I don't think she believed me entirely, but she left without fuss," Joe replied.
"She will be back," Graham stated.
"What will you tell her?" Joe asked, his tone betraying the fear he felt.
Graham's head snapped up and he fixed Joe with a glare, "I won't betray you, if that's what you're afraid of."
"She can't know. She must never find out," Joe said, his eyes pleading, his voice wavering.
Graham grimaced visibly and stood up, draining his glass as he did so, as if it was fine malt, and not mere orange juice. "You have my loyalty and my word," Graham said, his voice menacingly quiet. "I'll sort it."
Graham moved towards the door, "Graham," Joe said, stopping the older man, though he didn't look his way, "Be careful...I don't want to see you in that place again."
Graham didn't speak for some time, instead he stood facing the door, but Joe watched his right hand clench and unclench a few times and could sense the turmoil swirling inside his friend, could feel the anger rolling from him.
"You have my word," Graham finally replied, his voice controlled, before leaving the room and leaving Joe to his thoughts that weren't entirely welcome.