Reading Room - On the Side of the Angels by AnythingButPink

[byslantedlight.livejournal.com]

(Posting on behalf of this week's host, jessebee, who will be around for comments/chat etc.!)


Hello there! I am pleased – or crazy enough – to have volunteered to be first out of the box for this round of the Reading Room, and the story for this week is “On the side of the angels” by AnythingButPink, and can be found here on AO3.

Author's summary:
"Demons and angels. Different sides of the same coin in my book," he said.
"Indeed, Doyle. So, what do you say? Fancy joining the A Squad?"
Doyle smiled. "Where do I sign?"

This is a slash story, with the pairing being our lovely lads Bodie and Doyle. It is also a crossover, or perhaps fusion would be a better term, with Eternal Law. The author states up front that the “story DNA is 95% Professionals – no previous knowledge of Eternal Law required,” and I'd say that's accurate, as I don't know beans about Eternal Law but had no trouble navigating the plot.

The tale opens in Bodie's POV as he crouches behind a car to reload, cursing a hostage situation gone bad and the unknown copper who, in Bodie's mind, “clearly had an enormous talent for being in the wrong place at the wrong time.” The copper, it becomes apparent to the reader, is Doyle, but a Doyle who clearly has a little something extra about him.

The story seems to be the author's first in this fandom, and other than some POV confusion here and there, is nicely written. The author has some lovely turns of phrase and good pacing, and I recognize the lads portrayed here as pretty much the ones I know. Doyle's motivations and reactions are dead-on; I have no trouble matching him up with my perception of canon-Doyle. I find this Bodie a good match as well, although not as completely, but the author does a nice job of portraying Bodie's dangerous menace without tipping him over into out-of-control mean, which is a problem I find in a lot of fic. The intimacy (okay, porn (grin)) is both well written and fairly realistic and better still, actually moves the story along and has bearing on the outcome.

Personally, I enjoy a good story with a touch of the extra-ordinary or the supernatural – I adore “Legacy of Temptation” by Ellis Ward - and as there are not so many of this type in Pros I was delighted to come across this one. I think it to be one of this author's best, although her story “Unexpected” runs a close second, and remains one of my go-to's when I'm in a Prosy rereading sorta mood.

Title: On The Side Of The Angels
Author: AnythingButPink
Pairing: B/D
Link: A03
Other Notes: Published 10.3.13. Crossed with Eternal Law

Comments

[sc-fossil.livejournal.com]

Thanks so much for doing this!

I wanted to read the story but in the first few paragraphs I had to reread sentences three or four times to figure out who was doing what. It head-hopped within paragraphs and the lack of punctuation was confusing. I'm sure it's me, because in my old age, it's hard to read without commas in the proper places and I couldn't follow all the "he" and "his" pronouns when the POV jumped. When reading becomes a chore the pleasure is gone so I just stopped. :) I freely admit that incorrect POV is something that always sends me out of any story, even my own early stories before I understood what it was!

So I do apologise for not reading your kind recommendation and I appreciate your taking the time to do the review.

[jessebee.livejournal.com]

Oh my goodness, no apologies!! It's all good :-) Actually, yes, the story certainly has some POV issues, no question. And it's funny, because normally bad POV throws me out of a story - unless the subject of it is very interesting, and this case I think that is what saves it for me. Additionally, I have the bad? habit that, once I've read through and decided that I like a story, my eye tends to skip some of the problems.

[macklingirl.livejournal.com]

Oh, that is the joy of being a non-nativ-reader, because I really don't know where in an english sentence the comma must be. It makes it all easier for me. :-)

[moth2fic.livejournal.com]

I was totally thrown by the idiosyncratic punctuation but perservered... Nice concept, with, as our reviewer says, recognisable lads, but the writer could have done with a good beta! The first time sex was delightful but for me moved too fast into the realms of 'I love you' - I felt it was a bit rushed. Interesting to note that it might have been her first story for the fandom.

[heliophile-oxon.livejournal.com]

Oh, cool new Reading Room :-) ::admires décor::

I'm the opposite when it comes to supernatural elements in Pros - other things being equal I generally tend to feel it's not a good fit, so when I do like a story that uses or depends on something supernatural it's because the story has grabbed me in spite of that rather than because of it. And thanks to its very nice, very well-fitting characterisation, plus a sense of affection, just the right amount of action and a judicious modicum of sex, this story works just fine for me! I too don't know beans about Eternal Law and at a guess it wouldn't be my cup of tea - but this Doyle strikes me as too real to be stuck on an etherial plane; good for him for doing the right thing against orders *g*

I'm always very partial to seeing either one of them through the other's eyes when they don't yet know who they're looking at, so Bodie's first sight of Doyle was something I enjoyed - but perhaps my favourite moment of all is Bodie's reaction to seeing the scars on Doyle's back: very vivid, moving, and perfectly him.

[byslantedlight.livejournal.com]

I nearly forgot the decor! *adds*

[jessebee.livejournal.com]

perhaps my favourite moment of all is Bodie's reaction to seeing the scars

Yes! Me too! I love that bit myself, it is, as you said, perfectly Bodie - I can completely see him reacting in just that way.

but this Doyle strikes me as too real to be stuck on an etherial plane;

Beautifully put; in fact I may steal that phrase when describing this story to other folks! Glad you enjoyed the story in spite of it being supernatural :-)

[macklingirl.livejournal.com]

Thank you for volunteering for the first story.

I never read it before and I have to thank you for this recommendation because it really is a very nice story. I love the idea of Doyle with wings and even if I had to start three times (because I always have a problem with stories written in a POV) I lost myself in this story.

And for a short time I had the idea that, when Doyle once was an angel, Bodie might be a purified demon. *g*

The porn was the icing on the cake. :-)

Oh, and I love the idea, that Doyle lives for more than thousand years and had seen many wars and battles. And that he feels like he is comming home and he had found what he was searching for all this time.

[byslantedlight.livejournal.com]

I love the idea, that Doyle lives for more than thousand years and had seen many wars and battles. And that he feels like he is coming home and he had found what he was searching for all this time
Yes! That! But I wanted to know more, and so much more about it! *g*

[jessebee.livejournal.com]

Thank you for volunteering for the first story.

Thank YOU! I'm just sorry to be late-ish replying to things, I had totally forgotten I had an off-site job today and it wasn't precisely internet-friendly.

Bodie might be a purified demon. *g*

You know, I had that same impression the first time I read this. After thinking about it a while, I have decided that I'm glad the author didn't go there, though - it might have been a little too, hmm, something. Not sure what. That being said, did the the author ever decide to try something like that in a sequel, I could probably go there....

[snailbones.livejournal.com]

It’s great to have the Reading Room back – thank you! And thank you for volunteering to go first, and in double-quick time too.

I almost didn’t make it past the first couple of paragraphs – it might be me, but I was struggling with POVs and having to track back to figure out who was doing what – and without your suggestion I’d have given up. In fact, I’m pretty sure I’ve given up on it previously.

I know absolutely nothing about Eternal Law, and for me, Pros doesn’t need any supernatural help – I love ‘em the way they are. But the story is nicely written and definitely them, in all their complex glory. There are some lovely descriptions, and the porn, um, sorry, relationship is gentle and believable, without being mushy. I especially enjoyed Cowley’s thoughts in pairing them up, and the edginess about both Bodie and Doyle – that feeling neither of them are tame. All in all, I could have done without the wings *g*, but it didn’t detract from a good read.

Thank you again!

[jessebee.livejournal.com]

Yeah, the POVs are off, no questions about it. Which is sad, because it does detract from a good story and probably has discouraged more folks than just our good sc_fossil from enjoying it.

edginess about both Bodie and Doyle

Oh, well put! They are neither of them quite tame, are they? ;-)

And yes, RELATIONSHIP. That is my word for that as well. For myself, I find that the quality of the relationship is absolutely necessary in order for me to enjoy, or even read, porn about it. If there is no emotion, it's just f*cking, which doesn't interest me at all.

[byslantedlight.livejournal.com]

Yeay, the first Reading Room post - thanks for being the one to dive in! *g* And apologies in advance for probably getting too into it with the details...*g*

I don't remember reading this story before, so thanks too for prompting me to do so. I might have been put off by the cross-over tag, to be honest, because I don't know Eternal Law - except I do, because I realise now that I watched the first couple of episodes before missing a couple and not catching up, and when I googled just now I saw it'd been axed after the first season, which is a shame - and about par for the course when there's a series I like... *sighs* I think it might well have helped if I'd looked up Eternal Law before I read it, because then I would have been coming in at the same place the author started from, if you see what I mean, and I think that with something like a cross-over that's half the fun - working out how two shows are going to cross over, especially with something a bit... different. *g*

Like a couple of others, I was a bit thrown in the beginning. I think the author was trying to misdirect us by making us think Doyle was the "partner" described with Bodie, and that definitely worked,to the point that I wondered why it was so Bodie-centric to the point of not naming Doyle. I didn't quite get a picture of who and where everyone was apart from that, though, either. For instance, the voice of the copper who clearly had an enormous talent for being in the wrong place at the wrong time had me flicking back to the beginning to see what else the copper had done that went wrong - but there was nothing, so I felt a bit lost. Why would Bodie say someone had an "enormous talent" if he hadn't seen it happen before? And then there was some confusion between Doyle's flank with the gun pushed into it, and Bodie killing "one of the flankers" - did he mean the person with Doyle, or did he mean one of the men to the side of O'Donnell, or...? And who was Bodie's partner then, if it wasn't Doyle?! Yes, this is how picky my subconscious is when I'm reading - and the poor thing is easily confuzzled... I'm an enquiring mind that wants to know (though I'm happy with just enough clues that I can work it out myself,I don't want to be explained to... *g*

I was rather thrown by the description of Bodie's approach to the op too - A flicker of movement caught his eye, he shifted slightly, pulled the trigger and watched a portly man in a cheap, ill-fighting suit fall to the floor. ... Bodie raised his gun, took aim, and killed the first of the flankers. I might (hope I am!) be missing something the author wanted to show us, which is that before Doyle came along Bodie was a cold-blooded killer who operated outside the law, even when he was with CI5, but I don't think we ever see the lads acting as assassins like that in the eps - unless they're entering in the middle of a gunfight, when someone shoots at them first, they don't just sneak up on people and shoot them dead - and in fact I'm not sure they even do during a gunfight, they always make sure the other person knows they're there, even if it puts them at risk for a split second before they fire. I'm pretty sure that we see them following the guidelines (rules? law?) in that situation, and giving the villains a chance to give themselves up - how many times do we hear them should "Freeze!" and then the villain doesn't and then there's a shoot-out?

[byslantedlight.livejournal.com]

The other thing that threw me was that I completely missed the hint that Doyle was an angel at the start - His wings blossomed as quickly as the explosion and covered all of the child. I was focussing on he threw himself over the girl's slender, unmoving body and protected her from the flames the only way he knew how., and just saw him doing it as an agent, as they do in the eps. (Ha - rather than an angel... agent...angel... *g*) So then Raphael didn't make sense to me, and then I tripped over 14 billion years, and it was then that I thought ohhhhhhh! Click! *g*

And I totally blame the fact that I was reading on my Kobo - if I'd had pages I'd've flicked back and probably spotted the sentence, by you can't do that on an ereader without losing your place and all, and it's not nearly as quick as the human eye...

But once we got past all that, things looked up! As you say, there are some lovely moments. I liked Doyle-on-the-roof, and that he missed his wings, very much. And heeee their drinks in the pub! And the beauty of The only light in the room came from the streetlights and it caught all of Doyle's sharp edges - lovely! Okay, I winced at some schmoop (*g*), and as you say I don't think Bodie was quite our Bodie (maybe a bit too much generic-hero-who-cares rather than our Bodie with all his actual flaws). I liked Cowley's couple of moments (though I'd've beta-d out laddie... *g*), and of course I liked very much that our lads got together in the end - as you say, you could see the story going from one end to the other. Actually you could see it doing that so clearly that I think it could easily have been 50,000 words longer, to do justice to all the fab themes that were introduced, and I wanted to know more about. Doyle acclimating to life as a mortal! Bodie knowing there was something off, and Doyle only feeding the mystery by not even making up a story! The lads as partners in their first few hours/days/months! Bodie fancying Doyle - did Doyle fancy Bodie from the start? When did it all happen for them?! The millions of lonely years banished by the warmth of Bodie's embrace - more of that please!

Unexpectedly, I really likes supernatural Pros too - maybe it's the suburban house syndrome, you don't expect to find ghosts or anything scary there, because it's home and safe and ordinary, so it reverberates even more when it is there... I mean, ghosts in a house that already has bats in its belfry is really just of-course, but Doyle actually being an angel when he's his usual pragmatic, doubtful self in grey 1970s London - yes! *g* (And Legacy of Temptation - yes! To the point that I've already claimed it for a Reading Room *g*)

So... I'd give it a picky beta and make the author write another hundred pages or so - but I'm very glad to have read it! Thanks! *g*

[jessebee.livejournal.com]

I'm pretty sure that we see them following the guidelines (rules? law?) in that situation,

This is a very interesting observation! Without positing Bodie as having been a "cold-blooded" killer before the advent of Doyle, how much do we actually know about what he might or might not have done? What do we have to go on? We only truly know Bodie post-advent-Doyle. We have instances of Bodie alone in those situations, but they are still Bodie under the influence of having partnered with Doyle. And he was a mercenary, a species not known really for giving warnings.

[firlefanzine.livejournal.com]

It' so nice to have the reading room back! :-)

I enjoyed reading the story from the beginning. I like it to be thrown right into action without further details.
And I like some supernaturel elements in my stories.
Ok, I had to restart after some time, because of course I thought that right at the beginning this 'partner' of Bodie was Doyle.
But that doesn't matter. And I don't mind the time leap of six months, and the more than scarce explanations of the loss of the wings.
That's all enough for me.
But then I could have done with more of the interesting supernatural elements, instead of just another first time sex.
Sometimes I wonder, why all plot is forgotten, the moment they declare their love to each other...

Anyway, thank you for this nice read and your great discussion! :-)

[jessebee.livejournal.com]

Sometimes I wonder, why all plot is forgotten, the moment they declare their love to each other...

That does seem to be something of a trope, doesn't it? And not just in Pros. I would have loved and adored more exploration of the supernatural elements, too. One of these years I may have to write it just to satisfy my own curiosity! ;-)

[shooting2kill.livejournal.com]

Thanks so much for posting this review, an interesting choice! And apologies if I'm repeating things already said but I haven't had a chance to read *all* the other comments yet.

I don’t usually read supernatural stories but I did like this one with one or two tiny niggles e.g. in the opening scene, initially I was thrown a little by the presence of the 'copper', unsure if this was Doyle in his met days or not and then it turns out that it was. I think this kind of teasing of the reader is good - interesting - and keeps us on our toes and I think this writer just about got it right, but I think there is a potential to get it wrong if the teasing is too protracted or too dense. Then it runs the risk of just becoming irritating.

The author states up front that the “story DNA is 95% Professionals – no previous knowledge of Eternal Law required,”

I'm not sure about this as I found myself wondering and distracted by not knowing who Mr.Mountjoy and Zak were and the part they played in Ray's former life.

And I wasn’t sure if Cowley knew about Ray’s former life or not….he seemed to know something. So a few question marks for me but this isn't necessarily a bad thing as it shows I'm thinking about the story!

Those niggles aside, I did like this story, particularly the image of Ray as a lonely, millions year old former angel. I thought the action at the beginning was well done and drew me in (a tough Bodie always does!) . I loved the scene back in Ray’s flat when they decide to go for it, I thought that was beautifully written. But for some reason I was surprised that the story ended where and when it did, quickly. I thought there was scope for more, perhaps Bodie trying to reap revenge for Doyle’s wounds, something like that.

Anyway, thanks again for posting a story which I found interesting, thought-provoking and well written.

[jessebee.livejournal.com]

perhaps Bodie trying to reap revenge for Doyle’s wounds, something like that.

Oh, now THAT would be a story, wouldn't it? I'd love to see that! And Cowley as having some knowledge of Ray's previous life - I could go there. I have no trouble seeing Cowley as some type of an "earth" agent, as it were. Someone who has chosen to stay on this plane to do the jobs the more "purified" cannot...

[moth2fic.livejournal.com]

An actual comment rather than responses to other people's comments! Thanks for starting us off and for an interesting choice of story which has led to interesting discussion. I enjoy the Reading Room for the discussions - I can find recs and reviews if I'm wanting them (though with less regularity since the demise of crack_van) but here we actually get to talk about it all afterwards! I agree with the people who wanted more commas and with the ones who wanted a more intelligible beginning, a less rushed ending and/or more exploration of Doyle's past, present and future. But the concept was unusual and fascinating and I think the story will stay with me, despite its flaws so I'm glad I read it and I wouldn't have done without your prompting!

[jessebee.livejournal.com]

Thank YOU for reading and commenting and joining the fun! I am thrilled to pieces to have been able to spark such a great discussion, particularly about the thing with the commas, as that actually wasn't something that I noticed so much about it. Y'all have learned me something new about a story I thought I knew well - what fun!

[paris7am.livejournal.com]

I am so thankful that you brought this story to the Reading Room - it was completely new to me and I really enjoyed it. I am certainly going to read the author's other Pros stories. I haven't finished all the comments and I know I will end up being repetetive... apologies in advance! I am also typing one-fingered on my granny kindle...

I didn't have trouble with the pov in the beginning. I didn't know for sure who the copper was, but there were some hints in the way he was described and because he was the only other character whose actions were being described. I also didn't have trouble with punctuation - I sometimes do, so I am grateful. I enjoyed the play on names - Raphael to Ray - a lovely juxtaposition. The wings, I thought, were handled very well - not too much about them, but enough. The idea of Doyle being a rebellious fallen angel is delightful - it is a natural progression to think of him finding much better ways to handle things than "God" or Mr. M.... Which made his interaction with Cowley so interesting. "You'd better come in" ? Yes, exactly how much does C know?

Another part I appreciated was that Doyle cares deeply about other agents and not just Bodie. The jump in time and intro to the new relationship worked well for me. I thought it was very deft, how the author adds in the details we want... What is Bodie really thinking? "Bodie made his way up the ten floors, noting how much longer it seemed to take without Doyle's arse to follow"... ah hah! But it is evident that he cares pretty deeply about Doyle.

The cloudy orange drnk set-up was pretty good - I was waiting for it though... :) Another line I loved: " On a good day those eyes glittered like the Mediterranean Sea, today they were as cloudy and dark as the Atlantic in November. Always beautiful though, whatever the shipping forecast." The author certainly has the bug - her descriptions of Doyle are exquisite. But I also appreciated her descriptions of Bodie, especially since we imagine that Ray probably had firsthand experience with Michaelangelo...

I agree with the folk who wanted more! I would love more. It 's as though the author gave us the scaffold - just the barest amount of detail - to hold the story together... and the rest we fill in ourselves from our own understanding of B and D and the show. But it is easy (for me, at least, to see that the author shares in my understanding of who they are to each other... which seems to be what I crave the most! "You and me, Bodie. This. Something this right - it doesn't happen very often. It's a precious thing and I won't let anything or anyone fuck it up. I wish I could tell you about that bit of me life, but I can't. It's the only secret I'll ever keep from you though sunshine, okay?"

A lovely lovely start to this round of the reading room. Thank you!

[paris7am.livejournal.com]

Ok. I have been looking at that last quote from the story and I think I need to qualify it... I automatically added in my own understanding that before too long, there will be no secrets between them. Considering this, I am surprised that my "B and D are equals" alarms weren't deafening me. Maybe because Doyle has so clearly sacrificed all of that, thrown it off, and embraced being a mortal... Did anyone else have similar concerns?

[ci5mates.livejournal.com]

Sorry I'm coming in late (I've been a bit crook) but I will throw my own two bobs worth in even though I echo many other comments.

Firstly, I enjoyed the story even though I had no knowledge of Eternal Law. AU’s and cross overs aren’t necessarily my thing but that is the beauty of a reading room, it takes me out of my comfort zone and challenges me to read things I wouldn’t otherwise have. Despite having to re-read some lines to get my bearings I found the context of the story easy to pick up and in all honesty I can forgive the punctuation because I am probably guilty of this myself.

I loved the opening gun fight scene and while it didn't take me long to figure out the copper was Doyle, the author initially had me assuming Doyle was Bodie’s partner. I enjoy little twists like that in a story.

I’m a big fan of a good action scene where the urgency and tension can be conveyed with an economy of words which I felt like this one was.

My most favourite part of the story was the exchange between the lads when Bodie saw Ray’s scars, me being a h/c tragic and all, although I do struggle with the notion that Bodie would accept Doyle’s silence on the matter. Can secrets exist without eventually driving a wedge between them? I guess in an AU world anything is possible.

I love how succinct and brief the story is and that the ethereal aspects weren’t overpowering. I think if it had been longer or more detailed it would have lost something, and the reader’s imagination wouldn’t have been stretched. I love this line from Paris, it hit the nail on the head for me.

…just the barest amount of detail - to hold the story together... and the rest we fill in ourselves from our own understanding of B and D and the show.

[jessebee.livejournal.com]

My most favourite part of the story was the exchange between the lads when Bodie saw Ray’s scars, me being a h/c tragic and all, although I do struggle with the notion that Bodie would accept Doyle’s silence on the matter. Can secrets exist without eventually driving a wedge between them? I guess in an AU world anything is possible.

More good questions! *g* Yeah, for me, I don't believe that Bodie would let the mystery lie forever. I don't think it would drive a wedge, exactly; I suspect our Bodie has a number of secrets he's never confessed to Doyle, for one reason or another. But I do think that because he would be constantly reminded of it every time he sees and/or touches Doyle's back, that eventually he would start to do some discreet - very discreet - digging. With the idea of getting revenge for Doyle without Doyle ever finding out about it.

On The Side Of The Angels - AnythingButPink

[fiorenza-a.livejournal.com]

Eternal Law barely registered on my radar, but I think the author is quite right, no knowledge of it is required to 'get' this story.

Having read the other comments, I find myself agreeing that the unsignposted shifts in POV were hard to keep up with, but a bit of diligent re-reading made everything clear.

I have no problem with shifting POV's, but a word or two by way of a hint must always be a welcome aid to navigation.

Surprisingly, having outed myself as someone who's not that taken with wing-fic, the stand-out thing for me was Ray's relationship with his wings, the muscle memory left at the loss of them, that his wings have been clipped and that he has been grounded. The thought that he would have given one of them to 'Tucker' as a wedding gift speaking volumes:

He sighed sadly, remembering that he'd planned to stick one of those feathers on to Tucker's wedding card for luck.

The physical pain alluded to in having them amputated; which struck me as barbaric.

And finally the suffering Bodie sees in the scars of their removal, unmentioned by Ray and yet so obviously bearing witness to an unnamed depth of grief and injustice.

[gilda-elise.livejournal.com]

A little late to the party, but I still wanted to comment. I didn't have a problem reading it, even with the many punctuation marks missing. It could be that the story isn't just her first in the fandom, but perhaps her first, period. Seen that way, many mistakes can be overlooked, though, yes, she really needs a beta.

Since I've never seen Eternal Law, I thought some of what Doyle was about could have been better explained. Still, I found the story to be rather nice.

[jessebee.livejournal.com]

Thanks for popping in to join the party, and glad you enjoyed the story! I don't actually know if that was her first ever story or not, although I certainly don't recognize either the name or the style, so - maybe. In any case, yes: betas are good *g*.

ETA: Checking on AO3, there are some stories predating this one in terms of upload dates (different fandom), but that of course has little to nothing to do with when they were actually written.

[sc-fossil.livejournal.com]

Speaking of wings, these are some of my fav wps. They've been on my laptop as backgrounds for a long while. Darn, they aren't signed and I can't remember who did them! I do remember asking the artist if it was okay if I snagged her idea to do similar pieces in S&H and she said it was fine. I used stained glass on mine. :)

(http://ic.pics.livejournal.com/sc_fossil/12864391/282511/282511_original.jpg)

(http://ic.pics.livejournal.com/sc_fossil/12864391/282847/282847_original.jpg)

[jessebee.livejournal.com]

Very pretty!

[jaicen5.livejournal.com]

Hope no one minds if I add a bit to this one. I've not seen this story before, and like everyone was confused with the POV at the beginning. And the wings, I'm thinking what wings? I actually had no idea that Eternal Law was a crossover TV show... actually I don't know what I was thinking, but there you go. Makes more sense now. I like AU's and this one works with Doyle as a angel, because it really buys into the whole killing but hating killing thing that Doyle does. And that he would give up his wings for a just cause. Although I think I'd rather he have kept them, its heartbreaking and sad that he misses them and the scars will always remind him that he had them. Nice bit of writing to evoke such a response in me ;).

[jessebee.livejournal.com]

Never too late to party, in my book; come on in! *g*

because it really buys into the whole killing but hating killing thing that Doyle does.

YES, THIS. Beautifully put!

Although I think I'd rather he have kept them, its heartbreaking and sad that he misses them and the scars will always remind him that he had them.

Again, YES. Absolutely, that is my reading of it as well. He considers it a good bargain, his wings for an innocent life and the untrammeled chance to save more, if he can, but he will always miss them and what he was able to do with them, and what they meant. Which makes the sacrifice all the more meaningful and poignant, and very very Doyle.

[sc-fossil.livejournal.com]

So I thought I'd watch Eternal Law since I like angel stories and guess what? We have a Pros connection! In episode two Nick Brimble is the judge, and as we all know, he was in two Pros eps.