Authors notes: Here's chapter 19, sorry for the delay in updating, haven't been too well. Thanks to those who reviewed. Please read and review. Shall update soon.
Chapter 19
Neil arrives at Andrea's to find a screaming Annabelle and Andrea close to tears. He'd left work straight after speaking to a stressed out Andrea, on the phone who rung to ask him to come round, apparently Annabelle had a cold and was playing up something dreadful.
He knocks and the door and doesn't have to wait long before it swings open to reveal Andrea fighting back the tears and Annabelle obviously in the flat can be heard screaming.
Neil seemingly forgetting events of their past few previous meetings, steps in and takes Andrea in his arms, who promptly bursts into tears from the utter exhaustion she's feeling after trying to cope with her ill daughter.
"Sshh. It's alright, I'm here now." He says softly, planting a gentle kiss against her head as she continues to sob in his arms, not caring about any possible reaction from her, just wanting to comfort and reassure her.
Annabelle's continuing screams, causes him to break off their embrace. Andrea goes to shut the door.
"Where's Bella?" Neil asks.
"She's in her cot." Andrea replies, tears still filling her eyes, "She just keeps crying and crying, and I can't cope with it anymore!" The tears now start to fall quick and heavy again.
"Hey." Neil says, reaching out a hand to her cheek. "I'll go see to Bella and you go and sit down."
"Kay." Andrea replies, tearfully and heads for the sofa.
Neil makes his way into Andrea's bedroom to find his crying daughter. Picking her up and cuddling instantly seems to calm Annabelle's screams, who seems to find some soothing comfort at being in her father's arms.
Neil then takes Bella into the living room and sits beside Andrea. "She stopped crying now." He says, gently.
"Yeh, well I'm not surprised. She'll do anything for her daddy."
"Aww, your not jealous are you?" Neil asks, smirking at her.
"No." Andrea responds, perhaps too quickly and looks the other way.
Neil, who'd only been joking, is quite surprised and interested by her reaction. "You okay?" He asks, cautiously.
"Yeh, I'm just tired. Bella had me up all night with her crying."
"Why don't you go to bed and I'll sit up with Annabelle for a bit."
"Okay." Andrea responds, smiling weakly. "Thanks for coming. I...just …I couldn't cope with…"
"It's alright; you go and have a sleep, yeh."
Andrea goes off to bed and Neil sits with Bella for a while, who quietens down for a bit before starting to cry again but Neil soon gets her to calm down again.
It's late when Annabelle finally drops off in Neil's arms. He carefully lifts her up and carries her through to Andrea's bedroom, placing her into her crib. He waits a moment before moving from the side of the crib, to make sure Annabelle doesn't wake up and start crying again and ended up disturbing Andrea.
He glances over at the bed, and can see she's fast asleep, curled up under the covers.
With Bella, now asleep there's nothing to stop him from leaving but he's worried that if she wakes up, Andrea will have to see to her and from earlier he could definitely see that Andrea could do with a good nights sleep.
Silently moving towards the bed, he reaches out and pulls the slipping covers over the curled up lump lying on the bed. He then walks round to the other side and after taking his shoes off, stretches out, on top of the covers next to Andrea.
There's still no sound from Annabelle, so Neil closes his eyes to go to sleep. At least sleeping on the bed instead of opting for the sofa, he can get to Annabelle quicker if she wakes up and save disturbing Andrea.
The next morning and Andrea wakes up to the sound of her alarm clock beeping, reaching out a hand she hits the silence button. And then, eyes still closed, tries to roll over to the other side of the bed but finds half of the bed blocked.
Opening her eyes, she finds Neil looking at her. "Good morning." Neil says gently.
"What…?" she says slightly confused.
"I thought if I slept here I could get Bella if she woke up." Neil explains quickly.
"Oh, okay." Andrea responds, still half a sleep. She sits up a bit and looks over to Bella's crib.
"She woke up once but I think she's okay." Neil says following her gaze.
"Thanks for staying." Andrea says, starting to get up out of bed.
"It's okay." Neil replies, "Will you be okay with her this morning, I've got to go to work but I'll come back later and see how she is."
"Yeah, I'll be okay. I just needed a break last night."
Neil smiles, "I know. A bit of drama queen I think our Bella is."
Andrea laughs, leaning into Annabelle's cot to pick her up. "Just a bit. Aren't you Bella?" She says cuddling her daughter in her arms.
"What time will you finish work?" She asks Neil, all sense and air of feelings of bitterness between her and Neil have seemed to completely disappeared.
"I'm not sure, depends, I'll give you a ring before I leave, if you'd like?"
"Yeh kay."
Neil arrives at Sunhill station and makes his way up into CID heading for his office. Walking through CID, DCI Jack Meadows comes up to him.
"Can I have a word, Neil my office?"
"Yeh, sure Guv. Just a minute." Neil replies continuing towards his office.
"Now Neil." Jack says firmly.
"Yeh, okay." Neil says following the DCI. Whilst wondering exactly what it is he's gone and done wrong.