Undercover

"You can sleep in here..." Austin opened the door to a spare bedroom and nodded for Andy to go in after they'd eaten their dinner that evening. He did so, easing a suitcase that had been pre-packed for him without his knowledge on the floor.

"I don't care about you you know...eating the food or using the machine or dryer and stuff. Use it like it's yours, as long as you pull your weight and help out - I won't care." Andy nodded.

"I will. I won't get in your way, either."

"That I believe." Andy frowned and walked after him, discarding his suit jacket on the bed.

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"Oh come on. Look at you in your fancy suit with your expensive shoes and phone, doused up in Cologne...you're a real city boy. And I've been around enough cops to know the types. And I can tell you're just the kind that does everything by the book. Being around an ex-con like me must make you feel nauseated." Andy gritted his teeth and swallowed his anger.

"Yeah, I take pride in my badge. I worked hard to get here. And yes - a part of me wished we'd come here to arrest you for killing that guy. But seeing how you cut ties with everyone you used to know - I'm glad we didn't. And for your information - just because I like to look smart at work, it doesn't mean I'm 'a real city boy.' I know some stuff." Austin, who had been walking as Andy spoke, pretending not to listen, turned and leant against the door frame, folding his arms.

"Oh really? What like, you went on a field trip when you were a kid and they showed you where eggs come from?" Andy glared at him.

"If you wanna be like that - fine. Now, I'm gonna go get changed, and set up communication with the guys at the office - then I'll come help you. I might even surprise you." Austin rolled his eyes and walked back outside.

"Yeah, that'll be the day."

"How's it going?" Gerard asked through the phone, Andy watched Carlile walk back up the hill towards where he'd been when they arrived.

"I'm dreading this. He's a total asshole."

"But he's honest. That's one good thing. At least you'll know where you stand." Andy nodded.

"I guess. Anyway, I gotta set up the laptop, I'll talk to you later." Andy set up the communication lines - as part of the protocol Gerard had been forced to take his personal laptop and cell phone away in case his cover was blown. He engaged in a brief conversation with Mikey and Oli Sykes before concentrating on the other tasks at hand. Andy shrugged out of his suit and looked through the clothes that had been packed for him, moving aside the file on the top that contained the information on his...character, for the next few weeks. Or months. The thought scared Andy and filled him with dread but he pushed it aside.

The clothes were a hilarious attempt at looking like old farm hands clothes. There were far too many check shirts that all looked brand new. Andy rolled his eyes. He could've done a better job himself. He'd have to go shopping, he could just imagine the mocking he'd receive from Austin over the outfits. He pulled on shorts, a plain white t-shirt and walking boots before heading out to the wooded area where he could still hear Austin chopping away at something. Rocky burst through the undergrowth again, and Andy forced himself to completely ignore the vast creature snarling at him, heading straight for Austin. He paused for a moment when he saw the other man. He hacked away at a huge tree with the axe, sweat poured off his nose and hair, muscles clenched and relaxed as he wielded the heavy-looking axe with ease. Andy swallowed and shook his head before walking forwards. Austin paused and looked at him.

"How come you're using an axe for a job like this?" He asked, gesturing to the huge tree.

"Chainsaw's broken. Won't have the money to get a new one until the end of the month...so, this is how it's gonna go for a few weeks." He started hacking away at the wood again.

"Can I take a look at the chainsaw?" Austin stopped what he was doing with irritation thick in his movements.

"You think you can fix it?" Andy shrugged.

"Done similar things before."

"It's out back, in the first shed." Andy walked away, grateful when Austin called the Rottweiler back as it started to follow him.

He found the chainsaw and a toolbox, and sat down to start dismantling the device.

Austin returned two hours later, dogs at his side, axe over one shoulder, and frowned at Andy as he crouched over the machine, screwing the final pieces back in place.
"You took it all apart?"

"Every last bit." Andy screwed the guard cap to the engine back on and stood, pulling the cord, they were both surprised to see it jump back to life and the saw start spinning round again. Andy shut it off and put it on the table, wiping his greasy hands on a rag he'd found. Austin shook his head in disbelief.

"What was wrong with it?"

"The crankshaft that turns the gears had come loose, so one of the gears stopped working. Tightened it all up again - good as new." Austin nodded.

"Well, thanks." Andy nodded and returned the toolbox to the shed, locking it back up again as Austin fetched a drink from the kitchen. Andy was surprised when he threw a bottle of water at him too. Austin rolled his eyes.

"I'm not a complete asshole all the time." Andy laughed quietly and sighed as the husky began sniffing around him again. He knelt down and rubbed her coat. She was happy. Austin watched him.

"She likes you."

"He doesn't." Andy said, nodding towards Rocky.

"Yeah well...he doesn't adjust well to new people - he's never had to. Besides, that's his job. He'll get used to you eventually. Luna can be nasty if you ask her to be, but she's an angel at heart."

"And what about the old timer?" Andy asked, genuinely fond of the old golden retriever that stood at Austin's side.

"This is Jack. I rescued him from a rehoming place. He's gonna be eleven this year." Andy raised his eyebrows in surprise.

"Eleven? He looks good for eleven. I guess it's living here." Austin nodded.

"Anyway, I'm gonna go carry on. Thanks." Austin said, picking up the chainsaw.

"Don't you ever take a break?"

"Not time, too much to do...besides, I prefer to work until it gets dark. I sleep then." Andy was mildly surprised and nodded.

"Anything you need me to do?" He called. Austin turned, thinking.

"You know how to fix things, how are you with repairs?" Andy shrugged.

"Pretty good, generally."

"Ok. Come on then." Austin set the saw down again and showed Andy round to two vast barns.

"I need to get this barn up and running before the end of the month. I'm having five new horses delivered, and the barn needs to be secure in case of hurricanes - that's what roughed them up last time. There's damage to the water pipes and electricity lines, so we need to fix them. Basic construction issues - as you can see there's scaffolding up in this one where it's so damaged. And there's damage to the roof."

"Where do you want me to start?"

"Uh..just repairing the corrugated iron panels and the wooden and steel frames. Can you do that?" Andy nodded confidently and Austin left him to it.

It was oddly therapeutic for Andy to do some real DIY work, he hadn't done the kind of errands for so long, and he hadn't realised that he'd actually missed it.

When Austin returned from felling the rotting tree, he was surprised to see Andy had completed a large lower section of the barn walls alone.

"Looks good..." He mumbled begrudgingly, pulling the panels slightly to see if they'd budge - which they didn't....much to Andy's relief.

"Heard the tree fall."

"Yeah, that's down now. I can cut it up whenever - I just needed to get it down before it rotted completely or else it could've fallen on its own." Andy nodded understandingly.

Austin joined him in fixing the barn, and when it turned nine o'clock he put his things down, told Andy to do the same, and headed back inside. Andy sat outside in a chair, watching the vast landscape - Luna at his side. Once Austin had had a shower he joined him.
"It's beautiful out here." Austin chuckled at him, but nodded in agreement.

"Yeah, it is."

"How have you managed taking care of three-hundred acres of land all by yourself all this time?" Austin shook his head.

"I haven't. There's areas I still haven't gotten round to fixing up. I'm just trying to maintain the things I have done now." Any nodded.

"Well, I'm gonna go take a shower." He washed off the events of the day, and headed straight to bed, seeing Austin still sitting outside from the window.