An Advent Calendar of Stories - 17th December 2012

[milomaus.livejournal.com]

All right, this was supposed to be posted on Saturday. But while putting it together on said morning, I started to think that Sunday would be great for posting, because I had so much to do on Saturday, that I started to think "Yeah, I´ll post it tomorrow, I´ll just finish writing it now and then I can cut and paste ....." and from then on it all went down the drain and I suppressed the fact that Saturday was the day I was on. Sorry!

Thanks to byslantedlight there was something to read anyways! And such nice pictures to stare look at!

So here is the original post for the15th:


Today there will be no link.
Because this story is MINE! And it´s totally NEW and SHINY!!!
I received it due to the Fandom Card exchange, over at the_safehouse, it came all the way from Australia, liriel1810 sent me this fantastic piece of wonderful fluff, and since it´s MINE (HA!) I´m allowed to do with as I wish.

Bodie, the Red-Nosed Agent

  by Liriel

"Achoo!"

"Shhh," Murphy said. "I can't hear what's going on with you sneezing, Bodie. Go outside if

you need to do that again."

"I'm fine," Bodie insisted, hunching deeper into his jacket. "Just a bit of dust in my hooter. "

"You sneeze again and I'll gut you," Murphy threatened, adjusting the dials on the machine

in an attempt to pick up any sort of noise from the house they had under surveillance.

"Fine. I can tell when I'm not wanted," Bodie grumbled. He left Murphy at his listening post

and headed over to where Anson was crouched in the bushes, watching the house.

"Any sign?" Bodie asked quietly so they wouldn't be heard by anyone passing by.

"Nah," Anson replied just as quietly. "Think Cowley's got the wrong place this time. Murph

hear anything?"

"He couldn't possibly with the amount of bitching he was doing about one little sneeze."

"He's worse than an old lady sometimes," Anson commiserated.

Bodie sniffled, searching in his pocket for a hanky.

"Thought you were over your cold." Anson glanced over at him with a frown.

"I am, it's just from the sneeze—and that was from dust," Bodie insisted.

"You'd better not give your germs to me."

"I suppose you're going to tell me to bugger off now too, are you?"

"Do what you like." Anson shrugged. "You give my position away and you'll be in the shit.

Even if it's the wrong address, Cowley won't take kindly to having the operation buggered up

by an agent too dozy to know when he's unwell."

Bodie muffled his face in his jacket sleeve as another sneeze tore through him.

Anson looked at Bodie's sleeve and grimaced in distaste.

"It's dust!"

"Today's the first day it hasn't rained in a solid week. There is no dust around for miles."

"Is too," Bodie grumbled, but he left Anson to his bushes and headed over to the shop where

Lucas and McCabe were keeping watch.

"Don't even think about it, Bodie," Lucas said when Bodie was barely inside the door.

"Murph's been bitching for the past ten minutes about how you've filled the buggy-boo with

your germs. You spread your germs in here and Mrs Kamil will kick us all out!"

"It's dust," Bodie protested.

"Sure it is," McCabe replied, unconvinced.

"5.8, is 3.7 with you?" McCabe's RT sounded loud in the quiet shop.

"5.8 here," McCabe responded. "Yeah, he is, you want him?"

"Keep him there. The gatekeeper is on his way. Alpha one out."

"Joy," Lucas muttered under his breath. "Come on, old son." He took Bodie's arm and tried

to steer him towards a box of cans they'd been using as a seat.

"I'm fine," Bodie insisted stubbornly. "And who the hell is this gatekeeper? I'm not going with

anyone." He pulled free of Lucas's hand and leaned forward, peering out the window at the

house under surveillance.

"Jesus, Bodie!" McCabe yanked him back. "Why not just waltz up and knock on the sodding

front door and ask what they're up to?"

"Good idea," Bodie replied and turned to leave, intent on doing just that.

The door of the shop opened and Doyle walked in.

"Where the hell have you been?" Bodie demanded. "Cowley said all hands on deck for this!"

"Had a prior commitment, didn't I?" Doyle said with a shrug.

"You done now?" Bodie asked hopefully. He didn't like being on an op without Doyle, it

always made him feel like half of him was missing.

"Not quite," Doyle said. "Need a bit of help."

"Yeah?"

"Not sure if you're up to it, though." Doyle frowned doubtfully. "It calls for subtlety and

diplomacy as well as cunning and foresight."

"Well, then, I'm your man." Bodie grinned. "Let's go, you can fill me in on the way."

Doyle winked at Lucas and McCabe as he followed Bodie out of the shop.

"Masterful technique," Lucas said. "I wouldn't have thought of pretending to be on an op

instead of babysitting an off-his-head Bodie."

"Wouldn't like your chances trying to manhandle Bodie," McCabe said disparagingly.

"Wouldn't like Doyle's chances either, but he's apparently got his partner sussed and doesn't

need to manhandle him."

"So, what are the details?" Bodie asked once they were in the car and on their way.

"It's a babysitting job

"Doyle!" Bodie groaned. You dragged me away from the action for a babysitting job?"

"Ah, but it's not just any babysitting job," Doyle said. "It's looking after someone very

important to the safety of the country. This person has a lot of information that could be

used to attack the government and bring anarchy to the streets in the hands of the wrong

person."

"So just lock him up."

"It's not that easy. There's a problem in that he's not aware that he's in possession of that

information."

"You're not making sense," Bodie grumbled. "And everyone thinks I'm coming down with a

cold, but I haven't sneezed once since I left Anson's hiding place." As if his sinuses wanted

to mock him, Bodie released an explosive sneeze right after that statement.

Doyle grinned.

"Oh shut up," Bodie grumbled, searching for the hanky he hadn't been able to find yet. "I

never get sick."

"Except when you do." Doyle handed over his own hanky. He shook his head as Bodie blew

his nose loudly. "No, definitely not a cold."

"A good agent doesn't get sick on duty."

"You're not on duty."

"I should be "

"How did you know where the op was taking place?" Doyle asked, changing the subject.

"I was looking for you and heard Cowley giving the briefing." Bodie shrugged. "Where the

hell have you been hiding anyhow? Cowley got you tucked away in some posh safehouse?

And who's minding your charge while you're here?"

"Hmm," Doyle made a non-committal sound. "Not exactly posh. Was in the bog and my

charge slipped out on me. Thought he was sleeping, didn't I?"

"That's why you need me," Bodie said with a grin. "Can't be too careful about stuff like that. A person doesn't want to be held, they'll take any opportunity to get out."

"Tell me about it," Doyle sighed.

Bodie looked around, realizing Doyle had pulled up in front of his flat. "Here, what are we

doing here? Don't you have to get back to your babysitting?"

"I've got Christmas pudding and cold lager up in the flat," Doyle said, ignoring Bodie's

questions.

"Yeah, but..." Bodie got out of the car and chased up the footpath after Doyle. "Here, hang

about! You can't stop off for lager and pudding when you're on the job, Doyle. The Cow'll

skin you alive!"

"He's already singed my ears," Doyle said without turning around. "Come on then, sunshine,

let's get you inside and warmed up again. I'll make you a hot toddy for your cold."

"I haven't got a cold," Bodie protested. "With scotch?"

"Is there any other way to make a hot toddy?"

Doyle opened the flat door and gestured for Bodie to precede him inside. Bodie stopped at

the entrance to the lounge and frowned at the blanket tossed aside on the couch.

"You're keeping your babysitting job here?" Bodie asked.

"Where else would I keep you, sunshine?" Doyle said gently.

"Me?" Bodie asked in confusion. "You're babysitting me? I don't..." He trailed off when Doyle

shook his head.

"Yeah, I'm taking care of you," Doyle said, slipping his arm around Bodie's waist and guiding

him over to the couch. "There was an—incident. The doctor thinks the drugs they gave you

have blocked off your memories and they'll come back when the drugs clear your system

and you feel safe again. This is the safest place I could think of."

"I'm... I don't..." Bodie rubbed his forehead. "Maybe I am coming down with a cold."

"Maybe," Doyle agreed with a sad smile. "Why don't you sit here and I'll make you that

toddy." He got Bodie settled on the couch and turned to go to the kitchen but stopped when

Bodie grabbed his hand.

"How long?" Bodie asked softly.

"Three days since we got you back," Doyle said. "You weren't conscious when we found

you. They pumped your stomach and kept you in hospital until you woke up."

"How long until the drugs are all gone?"

Doyle shrugged. "It's difficult to tell. You've got a slow metabolism, Bodie. It could take

another couple of days before they're completely gone.'

"And my memories will come back after that? All that stuff you said about me having

information that could be used against the country."

"Moron," Doyle grinned affectionately. "That's all your memories about work."

"I wouldn't tell anyone anything about that!"

"Not when you're in your right mind," Doyle agreed "But you haven't been quite there since

you woke up."

"So what do we do now?"

"Enjoy the two weeks off we have to enjoy Christmas while the rest of the lads get to be on

stakeout," Doyle grinned.

"Christmas?" Bodie looked panicked.

"Come on, Bodie. You're not going to try and tell me you don't know it's almost Christmas."

"Pillock," Bodie said in exasperation. " 'You're the one who doesn't like Christmas. I need to

go home."

"What for?"

Bodie rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly. "Got your present tucked away in a safe

place, don't I?"

Doyle grinned and pulled his hand out of Bodie's grasp. He walked over to the cabinet

against the far wall and reached inside, pulling out a brightly wrapped parcel. "You mean

this?"

"What? How did you.. "

"Took you home to get some clothes, didn't I?" Doyle explained. "You kept insisting you had

to get angelfish's present, so I rummaged about and found this. Once I had it in the bag, you

settled down."

"Oh, right."

"Relax, Bodie." Doyle reached into the cabinet again and pulled another present out. "I've

got yours already too."

"That's all right then," Bodie grinned. "What about my hot toddy?"

Doyle tucked the presents away again and headed to the kitchen with a grin on his face.

"Wouldn't mind some Christmas pud too," Bodie called after him. "It'll help me recover

faster!"

"A ten mile run in the park would help you recover faster," Doyle said, ducking his head

around the doorframe to look at Bodie in mock seriousness.

"But I've got a cold—shouldn't be out in the cold," Bodie protested, giving a fake cough. A

loud sneeze took him by surprise and he sniffed as he looked plaintively at Doyle. "See, I'm

sick."

"After Christmas," Doyle threatened. "You'll have to run off all the Christmas pudding before

we face Macklin."

Bodie groaned and fell back against the couch. "You sure know how to ruin a bloke's

Christmas."

Doyle disappeared into the kitchen but his wicked laugh resounded through the flat.

Comments

[snailbones.livejournal.com]

That was fabulous, thank you both! And so worth hanging on a day for, plus we got extra goodies too - complete win!

[milomaus.livejournal.com]

Heeee! Isn´t that true!!
Glad you enjoyed it!

[heliophile-oxon.livejournal.com]

Oh, huge thanks to liriel1810 and to you for sharing, milomaus! This is lovely - and I really liked the way we are only gradually let in on the fact that Bodie is actually (temporarily) off his head, so that we can gradually realise what is going on more or less at the same time as he does.

And it's sweet and loving, too - what more could we ask for!

[milomaus.livejournal.com]

You´re welcome! And isn´t it just a fabulous story!
Thank you for your wonderful comment!

[hagsrus.livejournal.com]

Would it be ok for Proslib, do you think?

[milomaus.livejournal.com]

Well, I will ask Lir, because that´s another step up the sharing ladder, and I don´t wanna decide that one.
But I´ll let you know!!

[lillianorchid.livejournal.com]

That was a wonderful story! :D Thanks to liriel1810 and to you for sharing it with us.

[milomaus.livejournal.com]

You´re welcome!
Love and beauty have to be shared to multiply!
Thank you for your nice comment!

[firlefanzine.livejournal.com]

A lovely story and a lovely present from you.

So thank you both! :-)

[milomaus.livejournal.com]

You´re very welcome, it´s so much fun!!

[moth2fic.livejournal.com]

That was fun! It must have been great to get it through the post and know it was all yours!! Thanks for sharing!

[milomaus.livejournal.com]

It is fabulous to get stories on real paper! And such wonderful ones, in red and green ink!!

You´re welcome!

[etain-antrim.livejournal.com]

Great pressie for you and now for us, too! Thanks for sharing.

[milomaus.livejournal.com]

It is great, no question! You´re welcome, thank you for your nice comment!