Title:
Labours and Aspirations
Part:
2/?
Author:
bistokidsfan
Series:
The Professionals
Genre:? Action/Adventure, Romance
Pairing:? Bodie/Doyle
Type:? Slash
Status:? Unfinished
Date
Started:? October 18, 2005
Rating:? Fan-rated for Adults
Summary:? Triple-think & treachery, a puzzler for
the lads to solve, acts of derring-do, pure malt scotch, & examination of
the finest of fine print.? Did I mention
it?s a love story?
Disclaimer:
No lawyer?s gonna make a monkey outta me.?
The Professionals are owned by Brian Clemens et al, Doyle owns Bodie,
& I wouldn?t mind being owned by Tommy.
Feedback:
bistokidsfan@comcast.net
Posting:
The Circuit, The Safehouse, The Hatstand, ProsSlash, ProsLib, elsewhere just
let me know & keep my header attached, please.
***
Ah,
labor,?it is a divine institution, and conversation with many men and hens.
Henry
David Thoreau (1817?1862)
?
I
think I'll have a large order of prognosis negative.
Bette
Davis (1908-1989)
***
All
appropriate alerts had gone out.?
Everyone from the Met to old Home Guard members were advised to be on
the look out for a red-haired Caledonian guaranteed to be in a foul mood.? The word was to observe and report, but by
no means attempt to make contact or initiate rescue.? That was strictly CI-5's purvue.?
Bodie and Doyle knew better than to give up an iota of Cowley's
zealously guarded brief; moreover, they didn't trust anyone but their own to do
this right.
After
three hours of the partners working through files and dispatches from various
persons of Ministerial Importance, Doyle answered the phone that had been
practically ringing off the hook. The conversation consisted of listening for
ten seconds, shaking his head in exasperation, and responding, "Well, get
on with it then."? He pushed back
from Cowley's desk and groaned, rubbing his neck. "We don't have time for
all these interruptions."
"S'got
'em nervous, mate.? Want you to hold
their hands and let 'em know it'll be all right,"? Bodie drawled tiredly looking up from where
he sat slumped in a chair next to a table piled high with discarded files and
empty teacups.
"Not
me they're usually running stuff by before they put it past the Old Man."
Bodie
sniffed eloquently, but eventually nodded in agreement.? "You, however, are by the telephone,
and will insist on answering it."
"I know, totally irresponsible of me," he replied dryly.? "We need Murphy."
"Get
him riding herd on the others?" Bodie confirmed.
"Not
likely we'll have time to be doing it.?
Cowley's been gone for eight hours, and we've got exactly nothing,"
Doyle added sourly.? "We need to
get out of this bloody office."
"All right.? Murph's a good choice,
but we need Tommy, too."
"Put Tommy with Murphy?" Doyle's eyebrows rose slightly.
"All
hands and all that.? Need the best not
just the sanest," Bodie shot back.?
"Murph's good, but it's a two person job, yeah?"
"They're
not just chalk and cheese -," began Doyle.
"Yeah,
more like a match and gasoline," acknowledge Bodie.? "But, they're both really good, and
they'd be better together."
Doyle
looked at Bodie for a moment, his eyes crinkling, "Might work."? He tilted his head and grinned at Bodie,
"Been thinkin' about his for a bit, haven't you."
Bodie
shrugged and looked down, a small smile playing at his mouth, "Might have
been."
"Get
on with it then," Doyle gestured to the base station.? At Bodie's look, he said, "S'not my
idea, Sunshine.? You get to inform Our
Murphy how lucky he is."? He ended
with a short version of his most annoying laugh.
Bodie
shifted up from his chair and walked over to the base station, swiftly changed
the settings showing an easy competence with the equipment, and called back
over his shoulder, "I'm only doing this because I have a better radio
voice than you do."?
"You
tell yourself that if it helps you get the job done," Doyle said snidely,
then noticed Bodie had put his hand on the mic, but hadn't moved since.? There was tension riding in his partner's
shoulders.? He got up and walked over to
Bodie's side.? "Something
particular on your mind, mate?" he asked quietly.
Bodie
took a breath, then turned to look at Doyle.?
"Got a really bad feeling about this one, Ray.? If it was a political snatch, we'd have
heard something by now.? Same if it was
for money.? No news - s'not good."
"I
know," Ray replied, closing his eyes. There was an ache inside him that
wanted to reach out to his partner.? He
couldn't decide who he was trying to make feel better, Bodie or himself.? He was suprised by the touch of a hand on
his shoulder.? Not a toucher his
Bodie.? He opened his eyes to find his
partner's steady gaze fixed on him, their heads close together, breathing the
same air.
"Hey,
Angelfish," Bodie's low voice caressed him, and in one small phrase pulled
them together.? A small smile
crooked up a corner of his mouth and he rubbed Doyle's shoulder gently.
"Hey,
Sunshine," Doyle countered, contining to just look at Bodie and breathe.
God, he smelled good, which was just strange, because it'd been an age since
their last abreviated attempt at bathing.
Moments
passed, and gradually reality filtered back into their consciousness.? Neither had any idea how long they'd been
standing there, just looking at each other and breathing.
"What
is this?" asked Doyle in an almost absent voice.
"Dunno,
exactly," Bodie replied in a similar tone.? "S'nice though, don't you think?"
"Yeah,
but not exactly the time for it, yeah?"
"Yeah.? Later then?"
"Yeah,"
Doyle nodded, slowly smiling.
Bodie
turned to the radio to call Murphy and Tommy.?
Doyle walked over to the door and poked his head into Betty's sanctum.
"Still
here then?" Ray allowed the doorjamb to prop him up.
"It
doesn't feel right to leave. Not with Mr. Cowley out there," she replied
tiredly.?
"Do
no good to anyone if you wear yourself to a nub, luv," Ray gently tasked
her.
Betty
looked up at Agent 4.5, no, this was Ray Doyle she was looking at, she
realized.? Concern filled his eyes, even
as his posture proclaimed his utter fatigue.?
"I think the same could be said for you, 4.5," she replied
tartly, but a small smile graced her mouth
"Agreed,"
Ray nodded.? "Bodie and I'll be off
in a bit.? We've just working on getting
some more help organized, get ourselves out of the office for a bit, see what
we can shake out."
"Who are you going to use?" Betty asked.
"I
thought Murphy," Doyle began.
"Good
choice, if you want my opinion," Betty remarked as she gathered her
things.
"We'll
always want your opinion, luv," Bodie joined Doyle in the doorway, with a
decided lack of respect for personal space.
Doyle
turned slightly and leaned into Bodie, "All set?"
"Remarkably
agreeable, the two of them," his partner replied wryly.
"Calm
before the storm that," Doyle.
"This
is the part where I say I don't understand," Betty's ascerbic tone evoked
Cowley so strongly that both men just looked at her for a moment.
"We've
gotten Murphy in to help keep things running along," Bodie began in a tone
that marked no good things for Controller's secretaries.?
"But,"
Doyle picked up, "it's a big job.?
He'll need help."
"Lots
of help," Bodie nodded.
"What?"
Betty, exasperated, glared at the Bisto Kids.
"Wait
for it," Doyle drawled.
"Tommy'll
be helping him out," Bodie finished in an off-hand voice that didn't match
the glint in his eye.
Betty
just sat down in her chair with a slight thump, just staring at them.?
Bodie,
somewhat concerned at her response to their teasing, crossed over and took
Betty's arm.? "Come on, luv.? We'll take you home now."?
Helped
her out of her chair, she said in a faint voice, "I'd like to go home now
please.? Would you be so good as to take
me to the nearest Tube station?"?
Her voice wavered at the end, and her face started to crumple a
bit.? Bodie tugged her to him and
enfolded her into a hug that somehow didn't surprise Betty.? 3.7 could be difficult, but under it all was
a good man.
"No
Tube for you; we'll run you home directly," Doyle asserted, coming over to
the pair.
Betty
nodded her thanks, then as they exited the office, turning off lights and
closing doors, she bravely badgered them, "On your heads be it, when you
explain all this to Mr. Cowley."
"Looking
forward to it, actually," Doyle played along.
They
continued out, Betty still tucked under Bodie's arm as they made their way out
to the carpark.
End
Part 2
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