Title: Attending the Funeral
Fandom: Spooks (MI5)
Rating: G
Length: 656 words
Summary: Adam may not get on with his mother-in-law, but that won't stop him taking Wes to his grandfather's funeral

Adam's phone rang just as he and Lucas entered the house.  He answered and then said, “Yes, next Thursday.  What time?... We’ll be there.  Yes, all three of us.”  He rang off and turned to Lucas.  “Mother-in-law.  The funeral is next Thursday at 2 o’clock.  I’ve said we’ll be there.”

“If you’d prefer, I can stay away.  Or wait in the car.”

“No, I want you there.  And even more importantly, Wes will want you there.”  Adam stumbled slightly, and Lucas went to help him, but was waved away.  “I’m okay.”

“Well, go and sit down.  I’ll put the kettle on and get the dinner started.”

Having put the dinner in the oven, Lucas brought through two mugs of coffee, together with two glasses of red wine.  He sat down on the sofa next to Adam.  “Where will the funeral be?”

“Their parish church followed by internment in the graveyard.”

“When are we collecting Wes from school?”

“We can pick him up on the Thursday morning and drop him back after the funeral.”

“It would be better if we brought him back home with us and gave him the Friday off.  His grandfather’s death hit him badly, it was so sudden.”

Adam nodded.  “If you think that would be best, I’m not going to argue.  And it turns out it wasn’t quite as sudden, but no-one thought to tell me he’d been seriously ill for the last three weeks.”

Lucas snorted.

“All right, it’s not really any of my business.  But I would like to have been able to tell Wes how ill his grandfather was.”

Lucas nodded.  “He might have liked the opportunity to see him again.”  He wasn’t going to tell Adam how Wes had tearfully told him ‘I never got to say goodbye’.  They had been together in the kitchen late in the evening, Adam having gone to bed after taking painkillers for his leg.

Adam sighed.  “There’s no point in dwelling on it.  Some things will never change.  Anyway, dinner smells like it’s ready, so can you give me a hand up?”

“Of course, is your leg playing you up?”

“No,” Adam laughed.  “It’s just the perfect opportunity to get you into a hug.”

“Idiot!”

***

As Lucas drove towards the church the following Thursday, the sky turned black and heavy rain started.  They parked as close to the church as possible and followed other mourners inside.  Adam’s mother-in-law was already in the front pew, sitting all alone with her back ramrod straight.  Adam, Wes, and Lucas sat in the pew behind her.

As the service started the lights flickered, and there was a loud clap of thunder.  One of the cousins gave a slight scream, and the widow turned and glared at her.  Lucas felt as if her expression matched the weather.

When the service finished, the coffin was carried out, followed by the vicar and the widow.  Adam and Wes came next, with Lucas behind them.

At the church door, Lucas took Adam’s arm.  “Wait here.  I’ll go with Wes.  The ground’s far too slippery for you.”

“Is that okay with you?” Adam asked Wes.

“Yes, Dad.  I don’t want anything to happen to you as well.”

Lucas and Wes walked to the grave and stood on the opposite side from Wes’ grandmother.  Lucas caught her expression and was surprised at what he saw.  Yes, she still disliked him, but there was something else, something he recognised very clearly.  Inside her was a storm of emotions which she was forcing herself to keep under control. 

When the graveside service was over, Lucas told Wes to take his grandmother’s arm, while he held the umbrella over the two of them.  The three of them walked back to the church together.

At the church door, Mrs Dunwoody said, “You’ll be coming back to the house, won’t you, Mr North?”

“Yes, of course.”

Adam, who had heard the conversation, was surprised, but said nothing.