Authors notes: Thanks for the reviews. This is the penultimate chapter, so I will hopefully get the next chapter up before christmas! Please read and review.
Chapter 20
Neil is standing in Jack Meadows' office, nervously shifting his feet. He's not sure why he's been called into the DCI's office but something tells him it's not for a good reason. And getting told off is the last thing Neil needs, he just wants to get on with work so he can get back to Andrea's and see how Bella is.
"Andrea Dunbar? Neil" Jack Meadows asks from across the room, bringing Neil out of his current trail of thoughts.
"Err…yeah. What about her?" Neil asks cautiously, in his head cursing Phil if he's gone and blurted out about himself and Andrea.
"I've had DS Nixon telling me that you've being seeing her."
"Seeing her?" Neil questions, not prepared to let anything slip yet. "What was DS Nixon trying to imply?"
"Don't mess around Neil. If you've been seeing Andrea Dunbar again, then just admit it!" Jack says slightly raising his voice.
"Again?" Neil asks, as far as he knew Phil was the only one who knew anything about himself and Andrea.
"Yes, again. I know all about what went on between you and Andrea Dunbar whilst she was working here."
Neil swallows, knowing that now he's going to have to tell the truth.
"She…she. She's had a baby." Neil manages to get out.
"Yours?" Jack Meadows asks, his tone becoming slightly more understanding.
"Yeah, mine. And that is why …"
"I see." Jack responds whilst starting to slowly pace the floor. "So have you been continuing to see her since she left the station then?"
"No. I got a letter, 3 months after the baby was born and then I got in touch. She wasn't bothered whether I got in touch or not, she understands that me seeing her could cause problems for me working here."
"So are you just going to have access to the child or are you Andrea getting together?"
"I don't know." Neil replies, surprised at how understanding the DCI was being, but then again the DCI had a son of his own, so maybe that was a reason for it. "I would like us to get together for the baby's sake but Andrea's not too keen; she's worried about it affecting my career."
Jack continues to pace the floor for a while, seeming to be thinking about what has been said. "Where's she living? Is she still in the Sunhill area?"
"No she's moved out of the area."
"Right. Well asyouvery wellknow if it comes out that you've got a child with Andrea Dunbar, either here at the station or through the press you could be saying goodbye to your job, not to mention your career."
Neil nods, turning his gaze to the ground. He knows the implications to his job all right, there the very reason why Andrea refused to think about moving in with him.
"Have you thought of transferring?" Jack now asks.
"No." Neil says slightly surprised by the question, he'd had visions of it being a choice between Andrea and the job.
"Well it's definitely an option to think about. At least nobody would be as worried about Andrea, it having been Sunhill where she was working. I can see if anywhere's looking for a DI, around her area."
"Yeah. Yeah thanks, I'd appreciated it." Neil says, at least if he could get a job nearer to Andrea he'd be able to see Annabelle more and maybe Andrea would come round to the idea of them making ago of things together.
"Right then, I think that's all for now. I'll let you now what I find out in regards to transferring."
"Right. Okay, thanks Guv." Neil responds before making a hasty exit.
It's not until the afternoon, that Neil finally manages to catch up with Phil.
"Phil?"
"Yep, Guv."
"DS Nixon?" Neil asks Phil giving him a questioning look.
Phil looks blank for a second before it dawns on him what Neil is getting at.
"Oh…look erm it kind of slipped out."
"Slipped out?"
"Yeah, but Sam's not going to tell anyone, Guv." Phil says quickly trying to make excuses.
"So it was you who told the DCI then, Phil?"
"Err…no Guv. But I thought Sam wouldn't tell anyone. She was pestering me Guv." Phil says continuing his line of excuses.
"Well obviously she did." Neil says, matter of factly.
"Yeah. So what the DCI say then?"
"I'm going to transfer to a station near Andrea."
"Ah right, well it could have been worse." Phil says attempting to make light of the subject, in an attempt to avert the blame from himself.
"Yeah. Its good thing it wasn't."
When Neil arrives at Andrea's that evening, there's definitely a change in atmosphere from the previous night. Annabelle seems to have calmed down completely, obviously starting to get better and Andrea seems to have definitely benefited from a good nights sleep.
"Good day at work?" Andrea asks, as she makes a cup of tea for them both.
"Yeah, okay." Neil replies, slightly preoccupied playing with Annabelle and her toys.
"She seems a lot better today." She comments as she brings the two mugs over.
"Yeah."
"You okay?" Andrea asks, concerned slightly by the lack of response.
"What?" Neil looks up. "Yeah I'm fine, just a lot on my mind that's all."
"Did something happen at work? Do you want to talk about it?"
"You've got a lot to say for yourself, today haven't you?" Neil snipes back.
"Sorry, I was just worried that's all." Andrea says slightly hurt, focusing her attention on the mug in her hands.
"I had the DCI asking about me and you today."
"Oh. Well you can't say I didn't warn you they'd find out in the end!" Andrea says with a hint of sarcasm.
"Oh, I should have known that'd be your response!" Neil says, shooting her a look.
"Well what were you expecting? Oh Neil I'm so so sorry you're going to lose your job! If only I'd kept away from you! It's all my fault!" Andrea snaps at him, sarcasm in full use now.
"I'm not losing my job." Neil says stiffly, choosing to ignore her outburst.
"Oh, good. What you do? Deny all knowledge of ever knowing me?"
"Will you stop it?"
"Well did you?"
"What?"
"Tell the DCI you were seeing me?"
"Well I'm not am I? I'm not seeing you, I'm seeing my daughter." Neil responds, mimicking her earlier sarcasm.
Andrea rolls her eyes, "So if you didn't get sacked, what did they say? Because you're not telling me, I'm being welcomed back with open arms to Sunhill."
"I'm transferring."
"You are, where?"
"I'm not sure yet but hopefully somewhere around here. I want to move in the area so I can be near you and Bella." Neil says softly.
Andrea sits thinking for a moment. "I'm glad you didn't lose your job." She says seemingly calmed down.
"Yeah?"
"Yeah."
"If I transfer, will you and Bella move in with me?" Neil asks carefully.
"I think you know the answer to that Neil."