Title: New Years Eve...Ending Six
Author: Loz & Meegan Boulton
E-Mail: loz06(at)yahoo(dot)com
Rating: T
Category: Neil.Andrea...Who else? Oh and the supporting cast, can't forget them.
Series: Stand alone, not related to anything else I've done. See also 'How this works'
Spoilers: So minor it shouldn't ruffle any feathers.
Archive (if applicable): www(dot)fanfiction(dot)net(slash)loz06
Feedback: The good, the bad and the very ugly it's all appreciated. I'd love to hear which of the endings was your favourite.
Summary: A NYE party at Okaro's can have so many different endings for Neil and Andrea.
How this works: Ok so you used to be able to get those books where you could 'choose your own adventure' and this is kind like that. You read the first part and the rest are alternative endings to the first part with different sets of circumstances and outcomes for Neil and Andrea.
Note: This is actually a co-effort with Meegan Boulton so all compliments/criticisms etc should also be sent in her direction even though I'm the one posting this story.
Future: This story is not finished and I anticipate there will be as many as 9 or 10 alternative endings.
Disclaimers: It's a new year and I still can't claim ownership of The Bill.
Before anything can pass between them, not even a look Andrea's attention is taken by the hand on her back.
"You have to come and see this," Honey barely gets out through her giggles.
"You scared me, where did you come from?" He heart racing Andrea's not sure if it's because of Honey or Neil who was approaching.
"This PC from somewhere is..." Honey gets no further before her laughter takes over again and Andrea frowns. "She's doing imitations."
"PC Dunbar," Neil says, his is the second hand on her shoulder in minutes. Once her attention was with Honey, Andrea had assumed Neil would keep a discreet distance. "Would you like to dance?"
Pulling a questioning look at him, Andrea turns back to her friend and simply says 'later'. She can already feel Neil's hand hovering on the small of her back.
"Excuse us, PC Harmon," Neil says in a gentlemanly manner and makes Andrea feel as though she's being whisked away with the speed in which he moves them to a spot on the dance floor.
"That was bold," Andrea comments, their stance gives away no clues, it's almost rigid and formal.
"So is this."
"You can tell nothing from this and you know as well as I do that she's not going to remember a thing in the morning," Andrea frowns at him, feeling there was some judgement in his words. She takes her eyes from his and stares into the crowd not focusing on anyone or anything.
"Where's Philippa while we're dancing?" Andrea has a little dig of her own.
"She's with Jake," He replies without a tone and Andrea immediately assumes Neil's alone.
"She's not here tonight?" Andrea confirms none the less and all is forgotten with a warm smile.
Though she has an incredible desire to do so herself, she warns Neil off with a look when he tries to bring them closer.
"Hang on, Philippa's at home with Jake?" Puzzle pieces have slotted together, Andrea stops dead and drops her arms from Neil.
"Actually it's further than that, she's with Jake visiting her parents in Spain for New Year," Andrea is stunned.
"How long have you known you'd be alone tonight for?"
"They left not long after Christmas Day," Neil says matter-of-factly.
Shaking her head Andrea looks away from him again.
"What?" His inability to see her point accelerates the irritation in her.
"Had I known, I'd have made alternative arrangements for tonight," Andrea replies pointedly.
"Why, I'm here now?" She doesn't for a moment believe he hasn't clued in yet.
Still irritated at a missed opportunity she slides her hand back into his and across his shoulder. As she leans in to whisper to him, her left foot slightly depresses onto his right. "I would have organised a private party for tow, I can't kiss you here."
"Says who?" Neil rebuts and successfully tightens his hold around her waist. Andrea studies him trying to work out what brought on the change in him.
"Another year," He doesn't bother to look around to check before brushing an imaginary piece of hair from her forehead.
"Yes, another year of sneaking around," Andrea provides the reality check.
"You love it," Neil teases.
"Yes, I love saying goodbye to you at midnight from the bed we've just shared," It silences him.
"So Philippa's in Spain with Jake," Neil picks up during the next song. He leans in, hovering around her left ear. "It's New Years let's go back to my place for that private party you would have planned."
"What and have a shag in your marital bed...no thank you," Andrea's feet stop but Neil doesn't react to her distaste for his suggestion.
"Actually I was thinking in front of the fire," Not even the sexy huskiness of his voice can't stop her wondering what's going on with him.
"Tempting but too uncomfortable," Andrea's feet shuffle again.
"What a crackling warm fire, red wine and a deep comfortable sofa," Neil creates an image in her mind.
"I wasn't referring to that," Andrea says with an edge and they both fall silent.
"I've missed you," Neil tells her, taking advantage when she surveys those around her. She slides deeper into his hold, in part for her own selfish desires and in part to test how far he's willing to go in public.
"You only saw me last night," Andrea laughs gently.
"I know," The brilliant smile is a dead giveaway to what he's remembering.
"You've been over six nights out of the last ten, I was hoping we wouldn't see each other tonight."
Neil pulls back from her, his face screwed up tightly in an are-you-crazy look.
"There's such thing as too much of a good thing," He doesn't need to be reminded.
"We should have gone back to that restaurant tonight, the meal was beautiful," Her round about way of thanking him for the meal that she knows was expensive.
"So are you," The blush spreads quickly across her face and she buries her head in the side of his neck to hide it. "Now it's a party."
"Where have you been all night, I've been looking for you since I got here?" Neil asks as the song dies, there's an unprofessional pause from the DJ and Andrea leaves him hanging until the orchestral strains of the next song begin.
"You told me you'd been looking for me your whole life," He'd said that to her only a few nights ago.
"I'm only sorry it took me this long to find you," His lips brush softly on her cheek as the words pass by them. The song is slow and emotional and without a care Andrea slips comfortably back into his arms.
"You left things in my bathroom," Andrea smiles picturing the razor and shaving cream.
"I know, I was in a rush, sorry," He apologises putting them face to face.
"No I love it."
"God, you smell good," Lips to her temple, Andrea sighs contentedly, the next songs slip by, caught in a memory that's a haze.
"Let's get out of here," Neil tries again, the fast dance song giving him an opportunity.
"Neil, I'm not sneaking out of this party with you," Andrea reaffirms, she listens in part to his reply about going into a private room and also wonders if he has a surprise or something in store for her, it's one explanation for his near insistence they leave.
"That's just as bad," Despite her new suspicions she knocks him back again. "If we did leave the only place we could go would be my place and I'm sick of changing the sheets on my bed."
"So we'll get a motel room," The reply comes quickly, further fueling her curiosity as to what has gotten into him tonight.
"Oh yeah, you're paying are you?" She laughs his enthusiasm off and bends her head back over his shoulder again.
What he says next stops her head.
"Marry me."
A million pennies drop and pieces of puzzles fit together, even if it's only in her mind.
Her feet have stopped moving but she can't look at him at least not until the adrenalin in her system stops pumping, her heart slows and she feels she can breathe properly again.
"Neil, you're drunk," Andrea says softly, only to have him gently coax her face to look at him.
"No, I'm completely sober," She's in no doubt about that.
"Neil tell me honestly, did you plan to ask me what you just have somewhere else tonight be because I refused to leave this became Plan B?"
"What would you say if I said yes?" He waits for a reply she doesn't have. "Just marry me for 5 minutes, right here right now. I Neil Manson take you Andrea Dunbar to be my unlawfully wedded wife for 5 minutes tonight, do you Andrea take me to be your husband?"
"I'd say yes to a lifetime if it were possible," Andrea interrupts, the loving gaze that passes between them makes the rest of the world irrelevant. "You said last night you loved me."
"And you didn't say anything, did you think I said it in the heat of the moment or it's what I thought you wanted to hear?"
"The thought did cross my mind," Andrea admits.
"I meant every word," Neil emphasises each with the briefest pause and it comes across in a manner which makes her melt.
"I'm ready to leave now," Andrea says softly and without a moments hesitation takes his hand and guides him like a carriage through the jungle of people.
Neil's hand drops like a hot potato back to his side and he has enough time to see Yvonne before she sees them and to hang back.
The sight of the stumbling Honey stops Andrea.
"Are you still dancing with him?" Yvonne cranes her neck to see Neil but the dancing couples have since closed in around him.
"Yeah, I was, his wife and son are away, I think he's lonely, I couldn't get away from him. One more song and I'd have been asking for a promotion. Finally told him I was going to the ladies."
"We're going," Yvonne looks over her shoulder to Honey. "Someones got to get her home safely.
"My turn next time," Andrea promises and immediately read her friends expression. "I owe a dance to a few other people."
"Ok, catch you tomorrow at work?"
"Is Honey?" Andrea begins to ask.
"Yep, she's on with use so one of us is going to have to call in sick for her, much more tonight and she'd be comatose."
"Sure Amber wouldn't mind a double shift," Andrea jokes. "I'll take care of it."
"Thanks, that's one less thing I have to take care of," Behind them Honey rocks on her heels.
"Is this about..?"
"Yeah it is and I don't know about you but I wished she'd sort it out because I'm sick of dealing with the fallout," It's the first sign of resentment in Yvonne.
"You're a good friend and she appreciates it," But it's no compensation for having to help a good friend home safely once again.
"I'll see you in the morning," Yvonne wishes, turns and half carries, half drags Honey towards the front door.
Andrea looks at her watch, it's well and truly morning.
"Ready to go?" Neil asks, a hand slipping around her waist.
"They'll be out the front for a while, waiting for a cab," Andrea turns, unfazed Neil leads them towards the front of the house but not the front door.
A sense of deja vu strikes Andrea as she enters the front room but she can't remember if she's been at the front window once already tonight.
Yvonne stands on the footpath shivering, holding Honey upright and Andrea has a pang of guilt, she should be out there helping.
"I was hoping to do this when we were outside so you wouldn't really have the opportunity to say no but..." He now has her undivided attention. This is what he wanted to drag her away for.
Neil pulls and envelope from the breast pocket of his jacket, she'd wondered earlier what it was when it crinkled against her.
He hands it over and before opening it Andrea looks to him for some sort of clue, she gets nothing.
The Air France logo is the first thing she sees and her hand pauses for a second before the rest of the details slide into view.
Paris.
A long weekend.
Accommodation and meals.
No activities, just time for them.
There's just one small thing in the enormity of it all.
"We have to be there in 3 hours, that's not enough time to go home and pack," It takes a moment for Neil to answer, perhaps expecting a flat out no.
"I know, I planned it that way...I want you to run away with me to the most romantic city in the world and we'll buy what we need there."
Feet cold Andrea turns away from him and searches for her friends out the window again, they're gone. The shiny paper of the ticket glides underneath her fingers.
"I'm supposed to start work at the time we'll be touching down in Paris and I'm supposed to call in sick for Honey." The part of Andrea that wants to pull desperately against that which is tied to her responsibilities.
"I'm supposed to start work around the same time, I have a report due and an illegal goods bust happening at midday," Clearly Neil's more at home with leaving his duties behind than she is.
"There's just one thing I need to know," Andrea says handing the tickets back to him. "You said run away to the most romantic city in the world, what are we running from?"
A small look of defeat shows on Neil's face as he tucks the tickets away. "I have my car here, I'll give you a lift home."
It's no answer to her question but Andrea's satisfied the journey home will have one.
They check their coats quickly and Andrea follows his lead wordlessly. She falls a step behind, trying to work out why he's organised time away. She's been with him long enough to know that one a whim is something he just doesn't do.
"Do you need a lift?" Neil asks and Andrea opens her mouth to ask why he's asked the question again when Yvonne replies, her relief obvious.
Andrea takes some of Honey's weight from her friends shoulder and together they awkwardly maneuver her into Neil's car.
"Where can I drop Honey?" Neil asks, in the darkened vehicle he doesn't see Andrea mouth thank you to his reaction in the rear view mirror, Honey slumped moaning over her lap.
"She'll have to stay on my sofa tonight," Yvonne tells Neil and gives him her address.
Only the sound of Honey's mumbling and moaning fills the rest of the journey.
There's a light on at Yvonne's and when the car has stopped Andrea leans into the front and says she'll help Yvonne get Honey upstairs.
"Thanks for the lift, I can get a cab from here," Andrea tells Neil, partly to give him and out and partly so that to Yvonne nothing appears untoward.
"I can wait, I don't have to be anywhere important for a few hours," To Andrea it's an obvious code, to Yvonne it must sound strange.
She doesn't seem to notice and Andrea makes sure Honey is settled on the sofa with a pillow and under a blanket and Yvonne has plans to go to bed herself before she leaves Yvonne's apartment.
Her friend is too tired to ask now, the questions about her night with Neil and the car ride home will come tomorrow. On her way downstairs Andrea uses her mobile to leave a message on Smithy's office machine, Honey won't be at work tomorrow.
Neil pulls away from the curb without a word and for the next few minutes Andrea says nothing as well.
A few streets from home she opens up, playing out the things that have been on her mind. "It's not about guilt for not spending time with me."
When Neil doesn't so much as look her way, Andrea goes on.
"The opposite is true, we've been spending more time together lately than we ever have."
This time Neil glances in her direction.
"If you thought we deserved it and needed it you'd have been more careful and subtle about it. I mean tonight we danced in the open and you've had the tickets in your pocket all night and its an expense likely to appear on your credit card statement."
Still nothing.
"So you've gone from being very careful about us to being overly casual," Andrea thinks she's figured it out but won't dare say anything while he's driving, if she's right her concentration will be shot as well.
When Neil pull his car up in front of her dark flat, Andrea makes not attempt to get out.
"Philippa's not coming back is she?" She's taken Jake and that's it. The next communication you'll
have with her will be through her divorce attorney," Andrea bores her eyes into the side of his head but she doesn't so much as flinch.
"She knows about us right?"
"Yes, she does, all of it," Neil answers, slowly turning to face Andrea.
"How?" She searches her memory for a time other than tonight when they took risks.
"She worked it out, suspicion, intuition, Philippa's a lot of thing but dumb isn't one of them."
All of her questions about where this urgency came from are answered. With one hand ready to open her door Andrea's thoughts track back to Yvonne who used the term fallout about Honey.
Tonight was just a small explosion compared to the catastrophic fallout Andrea is soon going to need help dealing with.
"If I'm not back in ten minutes go to Paris without me," Andrea tells Neil, the slam of his car door meeting his reply.
She runs to the building security door, her key already out and takes the stairs two at a time, catching her breath with her back against the inside of her locked front door.
Carefully guiding her was with her hands on the walls, Andrea goes to the window and looks down to the car that's still running. The exhaust is warm against the night air but that's the only sign of
life, inside the cabin is dark.
She's never thought of him as someone who's try and escape a looming unpleasantness but Andrea decides that's what she thinks he's doing.
Exactly eight minutes later Andrea turns off the last light in her flat and locks the door behind her, the small trolley suitcase thumps with each step it descends.
The dull interior light goes on as Andrea secures her things on the back seat, Neil watching her every move.
"Luggage, I thought you said..." Again she closes the door on his words.
"So this is our last pleasant time together before the unpleasantness begins," Andrea asks once in the front seat.
"I thought...yes, I don't know how amicable this will be and I might not ..."
"Be able to see much more of me if Sun Hill steps in and enforces 'the rules', if Philippa hands Jake back full time and if you have to spend most of your free time with a lawyer," Andrea finishes for him.
"Yes, so I thought we could have some time for ourselves."
For a few minutes Andrea is silent.
"I said I wouldn't have time to pack but there are some things that can't be bought, like me," She's blunt.
"I love you and you love me but we never had a conversation about commitment. That's not something you can buy with a weekend. I can't promise that if things get really hard at some point in the future that I won't want to take a break from you and I or that I won't ask you to affect your career in some way so you can be with me. So this is not about running away with you temporarily, from your or our soon to be problems. I want us to spend some time talking about what we want from each other and how we're going to deal with things when this all comes out and ultimately if we have a future."
Andrea expects him to pull the car away from the curb but something in her laying down the rules has set a twinkle in his eye. He leans towards her, elbow resting on the centre consul.
"I can promise you I love you, that the harder it gets the more I'll want you by my side and that I'd kill my career to be with you. If I have to spend these 3 days convincing you, I'll still enjoy this weekend." He kisses her sweetly and once he's done she pulls him back for more.
"Do you think you'd be able to convince me quickly, so there's enough time to climb the Eiffel Tower?" The promise of romance and carefree fun comes back to her and for the first time she feels like he has all night.
Now she knows why.
The End
