discoveredinalj | Day 26 - Fic: Beyond Light

With apologies to you all for posting up so late in the day, myself and my (hastily drafted in) co-writer bring you a terrifying tale of monsters and showers and surprising juxtapositions of the two.

Beyond Light by Andromeda and Cuvalwen.

"It was Christmas Eve, in CI5. The Old Man said to us, you're on stake-out..." Bodie paused in his recitation, letting Doyle squeeze in front of him to open the door. "Bloody Cowley. We were supposed to be off duty."

Doyle finally got the door to his flat open and pushed it wide to let Bodie through. "Well, it's over now. We've got a whole twenty-six hours before we're due back, so we better use it wisely."

Bodie walked down the hall into the living room and flung himself onto Doyle's sofa. "I don't know what you're going to do, but I'm going to spend it sleeping. I was supposed to be having Christmas dinner with Janine."

"You could still make it, if you get a move on." Doyle poured two generous measures of whisky and handed one to Bodie.

"Nah, I'll only fall asleep in the soup if I turn up like this. Bloody Cowley. Ten hours on eyeball, only to find out the target had left London for the holidays. Waste of bloody time." He took a large gulp of whisky. "You doing anything today?"

Doyle sank in to an armchair and shook his head. "Nah. Just the same as you, I suppose. I really can't face the drive up to Derby and back today."

"Your mum expecting you?"

"Not really. She's used to me calling at the last minute to cancel."

"Bloody Cowley," both men chorused together.

Bodie polished off his whisky. "Well, I better get a move on or I'm going to fall asleep here."

"You don't have to go," Doyle said quickly. "I mean, if you've got nothing to do and no one to do it with and I've got nothing to do and no one to do it with, it makes sense that we do it together."

"You what?"

"You're knackered. You can crash here."

Bodie eyed the lumpy sofa dubiously. "I don't know."

"Oh, you can use the bed. I'm not very tired. I'll probably veg out in front of the afternoon film. And I've got some grub in. Could do a spot to eat, once you've had a sleep."

"Beers?"

"That as well." Doyle smiled. "What do you reckon?"

"Okay, you're on." He glanced at the closed door to Doyle's bedroom and then down at his empty glass. "I'm still a little wound up. One for the road, as it were?"

"Help yourself, I'm going to make the room fit for human habitation. Back in a sec."

Doyle vanished and Bodie poured himself another drink. While he was very grateful that thanks to Doyle's generosity, he wouldn't have to venture back out into the freezing cold that was London on Christmas Day, he couldn't help but wonder what exactly Doyle was doing to make his bedroom 'inhabitable'. After all, he had caught a glimpse of the strange man leaving the flat very early that morning.

Doyle reappeared, carrying a brightly wrapped object. "I've remade the bed, so it should be comfy enough. And here, I got a pressie for you."

"You shouldn't have." Bodie took the proffered gift. "Really. I didn't get you anything." He tore the paper off. "It's a Doctor Who Annual. Hey, it's not even this year's. 1978. Huh."

"Was at the back of the wardrobe. I meant to give you it ages ago."

Bodie flicked through it. "Half the puzzles are already filled in."

Doyle shrugged.

"That's not how you spell 'Dalek'," Bodie muttered, distracted. "And what on earth's an 'Ood'?"

"Well, the bed is yours, when you want it. I'm off to see what exactly I can do with the nosh in the kitchen."

Bodie looked up at Doyle, distracted for a moment by how dark his eyes looked in the wintery light. "Actually, I wanted a quick word with you."

"Oh?"

"Yeah, er." He sat back down on the sofa, desperately trying to work out where to begin. Doyle carefully sat back down opposite, body turned towards Bodie, an inquisitive quirk to his eyebrow.

"Traffic was light this morning. Being Christmas Day and all. I made good time on the roads."

"Oh?" Doyle's expression didn't change.

"So I, er, was quicker than usual getting here."

"And?"

"I don't remember the Doctor having ears that big... Well, I saw your house guest leaving."

"House guest? Oh. Edward."

"And who or what is an Edward?"

"He's just a friend."

"A friend? How many friends do you usually have coming out of your flat at three in the morning?"

"Apart from you?"

"I'm your partner. That's different."

"Different? How?"

"Well, it might have escaped your notice, but we do work bloody funny hours."

"And, working funny hours, we don't get to entertain guests at normal times."

Bodie grabbed at Doyle's wrist, who started back, too late. "Bloody hell, you're freezing. Haven't you heard of central heating...? Look, sunshine. I don't care either way, really, but... is there anything I need to know?"

"Like what?"

"Don't be so bloody coy. Pretty boy coming out of your flat- is he even legal?-"

"You think he's pretty?" Doyle interrupted.

"If you like that kind of thing, sure... Don't change the subject! Coming out of your flat in the small hours of the morning, if it gets out in the wrong way it'll have security risk all over it."

"It's nothing like that."

"Yeah? So convince me!"

"Don't you trust me?"

"In a fight, sure. When there's jailbait rentboys swanning in and out of your place at all hours? I don't know!"

"Look, mate. Edward's not a rentboy."

"Still looks like jailbait. If it's not a professional" Bodie practically sneered that word, "relationship, what is it, then?"

"I know his dad. And he's having a bit of a rough time at the moment. We were simply talking, okay?" Doyle snapped. "Now, you're right, I am freezing. I'm going to have a shower, and then how about a beer?"

Bodie, deflated, nodded and sat back down on the sofa as Doyle headed through to the small bathroom at the end of the hall. He looked at the closed door and sighed. That hadn't gone too well. He hadn't meant to get so shirty with Doyle, but the little git was hiding something, he was sure of it.

He shifted uncomfortably as the several whiskies and thermos-full of coffee he had consumed earlier made their presence felt. He definitely needed to pee. He glanced at the bathroom door and sighed. Doyle's flat this time round only had one toilet and Doyle was currently occupying the room it was in. Neither man was one to stand on formality but, with the words just exchanged, Bodie was loathe to interrupt Doyle's privacy.

He shifted again. It was no good. He would have to venture into the lion's den. He got up cautiously, wandered over to the bathroom and pushed the door open. A cloud of steam poured out of the room. "Only me. Gotta use the loo."

"Don't!" Doyle shouted as Bodie stepped into the bathroom.

Bodie ignored him, instead setting his sights on his goal and quickly did the necessities. Doing up his trousers afterwards, he turned. "Don't worry, sunshine. I won't look."

But as he went to open the door again, there was a sudden light from behind the shower curtain- brilliant white and flashing. A quick impression leaped into Bodie's mind- the electric pump had short-circuited! He yanked the curtain aside to help his partner out of what surely must be a death-trap- but was stunned into immobility by what he saw instead. Ray was standing there in the spray, unhurt, with a look of shock and fear on his face. And- incredibly- impossibly, sparkling. The pale winter sun had emerged from behind a cloud, sending shafts of light through the small window at the end of the bath, and was now glinting off the man's impossibly white skin. And these glints of light were again reflecting off the water, breaking the light into a myriad bright rainbows, softened by the steam into a silver aura that surrounded the man.

But even this vision of light was not what had captured Bodie's attention and taken his breath away. The smooth white skin flowed closely over Ray's physique- the spare, wiry frame with the deceptively compact muscles, like iron under silk. The dark curly hair on his chest and body was slicked down by the water, emphasising the outlines of the biceps, the pectorals, the abdomen, the-

Blimey, even that sparkles....

Ray looked like a marble statue come alive, and Bodie had never seen anything more beautiful in his life.

He stared, gazing at the strange vision before him, drinking it all in- then realised what he was doing. And how the sight was affecting him- what the hell?!

Bodie staggered back a step, and half an exclamation tried to escape his lips. Then he gasped, turned, and ran, out into the hall, back to the living room. He stood there for a moment, shaking, then turned to the front door, meaning to get out, away, anywhere from this strange new knowledge. Only to see Doyle, now fully dressed in jeans and a turtle-neck (one of his, Bodie realised), leaning against the only exit from the flat.

"How the fuck- what....?"

"Bodie, please, listen to me. It's alright. I promise. It's still me."

"How did you do that?! You were behind me- you were....."

"I can explain it all, if you just listen for a moment. Please?"

Bodie was still shaking, his mind's eye still full of the glorious image from the bathroom, but now that Doyle was so completely covered up it was easier to concentrate, to think.

He nodded.

"Okay. But you've got to tell me everything."

Doyle nodded back, relieved.

"Come back through. You look as if you need a drink"

Doyle pushed Bodie down to sit on the sofa and put a glass of whisky into Bodie's shaking hand. He carefully moved round Bodie, not attempting to touch him again and sat down on the armchair, deliberately relaxing himself. "What do you want to know?"

"How... What..."

Doyle sighed. "You know when I was shot?"

"Of course I remember. You nearly died! Your heart actually stopped beating twice."

"Three times, actually. The third time was the killer. Edward's father was the surgeon."

"And... what?"

"Well, the third time, the damage was too great. So Carlisle, that's Edward's father, he... changed me."

"Changed you?"

Doyle took a deep breath. "Bodie, I'm a vampire."

Bodie automatically took a mouthful of whisky. It burned its way down his throat, making him cough. "Doyle, there's no such thing as vampires," he finally said, still spluttering. "They're mythical monsters."

"Monsters, may be. Mythical, no."

"But you go out in daylight and, unless you've changed your décor recently, you don't sleep in a coffin. Do you?"

"No coffins. And vampires only don't go out in daylight because of, well. You've seen. It'd upset people."

"That's another thing. I've never seen you sparkle before."

"Industrial amounts of stage make-up. I know a chap who can get it cheap. I've been using it for the best part of two years."

"And that's why you're always so cold?"

"Well, I've never had good circulation. I don't have any at all now."

"Vampire. Huh. Okay, I still don't believe you. But why didn't you tell me?"

"I thought you would freak out."

"Why would you think that? Do you think I'm the sort of person who would?"

"Well, yes, actually. You did freak out. When you saw me in the shower."

"Huh?"

"You looked at me, you looked stunned; then you looked horrified and then you ran."

"Ah."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"Well, truth is, I wasn't freaked by the sparkles. They look rather good, actually. No, er. I was, um. Er..." Bodie waved his hand at Doyle. "Um."

"Oh? Oh. Oh!"

"Yeah. Sorry. I understand if you want a new partner now."

"Why would I want that?"

"Well, it'll be a bit awkward, I guess. Working with... Well, you know what I mean."

"Yeah, I do, actually. Just I thought we'd be having this conversation the other way round."

"What do you mean?"

Doyle remained silent, a vague smile on his face.

"Oh? Oh. Oh! You mean...?"

"Yeah."

"How long?"

"Years, sunshine."

Bodie grinned sappily at Doyle. All his half-formed hopes had suddenly crystalised into this moment. He loved Doyle and Doyle loved him. There was nothing standing in the way of their happiness now. Except...

"Doyle. Ray. You're a vampire. And I'm... Well, whatever I am. This has to change things, doesn't it?"

"Why would it? It's been true for two years."

"But we weren't... You know."

"Bodie, you'll shag anything under forty, warm and comes across. Don't tell me you're squeamish now?"

"But you're not warm. And well..." Desperately he changed the subject. "You know, you can go out in the day and you don't sleep in a coffin strewn with the soil of your homeland. What about crosses?"

"What about them?"

"Well don't religious artifacts burn you?"

"No."

"And garlic? Does that repel you?"

"Only in the sense that all normal food does. There's nothing particularly special about garlic."

"Food. Er. Blood. What about blood?"

"Ah. Yes."

"You do drink blood?"

"Yes."

"You 'vant to drink my bloodt'?"

"Well." Doyle took a deep breath. "Yes, actually. But the Cullens, that's Edward and his family, have learned that we can live perfectly well on animal blood only. They taught me their own special brand of 'vegetarianism'."

"Vege... Oh, yes. And you've not had any slips since?"

"Well, one or two. New-born vampires are very blood-thirsty. It takes time to learn the control necessary to the stick to the strict diet. That's where I was when I was 'rehabiliating' after the shooting."

"So, what about the rest of it?"

"We're virtually indestructible. Bullets no longer have the power to harm. And we're virtually immortal. Only another vampire can kill us. We don't sleep. We're immensely strong and fast. You noticed how I managed to dress so quickly and stop you leaving earlier. S' been bloody useful, keeping you alive since I turned. It's been remarkably difficult sometimes. You got a deathwish or something?"

"Oh, you've been keeping me alive, have you? What about that time when the guy had the drop on you and I took him out in the nick of time?"

"Which one?"

"Exactly."

Doyle looked away, and coughed slightly

"Yeah, well, that was before."

"Anyway, much as I appreciate it, you don't have to any more."

"What do you mean?"

"Well, you can turn me into the same as you. And then we'd be both be as strong and as indestructible."

"I'd be killing you! And I don't like killing people, remember?"

"You've done it before," Bodie reminded him.

Doyle winced. "Yeah, but it was either necessary or an accident. I'm not sure I could do this to you."

"Call it the ultimate in second chances. And you wouldn't have to worry about losing me any more."

"It's a big step, Bodie. You could never enjoy a swiss roll again."

"I'll cope. And think of all we could do. All those bad guys, the bombers and terrorists and corrupt policitians we'd be able to catch, once we're indestructable. Maniac with a knife? Boring. Hail of bullets? Walk in the park. Walk in the park and find some nutter holding up a canister of poison gas? Easy."

Doyle thought for a moment. "We'd have to go away for a while. Stay away from people. Somewhere where's there's lots of wild animals. Dartmoor, perhaps."

"You'll do it?"

"If you're really sure, then yes. But if you've any doubts at all, you better let me know now."

"Well, there is one thing. Do you have a swiss roll amongst the goodies in your kitchen? One last meal for the condemned man?"

"Don't even joke about it, Bodie. But yes, here." And without even appearing to move, Doyle suddenly had a cream-and-jam-filled cylindrical cake in his hand.

He handed it to Bodie, who promptly unwrapped the end and started eating it whole.

"You're disgusting, Bodie," Doyle said affectionately. "I'd better call Cowley."

"Oh, bloody hell. I'd forgotten about him. What are you going to tell him? What's he going to think about all this?"

Doyle squirmed slightly. "Well, I've a confession to make. He knows about me already. He's going to be quite pleased, actually. He's been on at me to turn you for months."

"Months!?"

"Well, a few months, at least."

"And why didn't you?"

"Didn't know how to. I mean I couldn't just come up behind you and start biting your neck. You'd've thought something dodgy was going on. And anyway, I told you. I'm vegetarian."

"Yeah, I know. You only eat meat."

"The Cow was quite excited when he found out what I could do. He could see some very 'special' assignments coming our way."

"Yeah, I just bet he did. Bloody hell, it's only going to get worse from here on."

"I don't doubt it. You having second thoughts?"

"No, not at all. Except, well, you know. What about sex?"

"Well, I wouldn't recommend it with humans. Being a lot stronger, we can do all sorts of damage if we get carried away."

"Oh."

"But, well. I'd be as strong as you. You'd be able to let go with me. If you wanted to, that is."

Bodie thought about that for a second: the prospect of pounding-hard, bed-breaking, setting-fire-to-the-sheets, bringing-the-building-down-around-their-ears, no-holds-barred sex with Doyle. "Oh, I want. I want very much."

Doyle smiled suddenly, and Bodie was struck anew about how beautiful Doyle was now.

"So, are you ready?"

"What? In these shoes?" Bodie grinned. "Let's do it."

fin

Title: Beyond Light
Author:

m31andy and

cuvalwen
Slash or Gen: Slash
Archive at ProsLib/Circuit: Yes, please.
Disclaimer: The Professionals are the property of Mark 1 Productions and London Weekend Television. The Cullens and the concept of sparkly vampires are property of Stephenie Meyer and Little, Brown and Company. All Rights Reserved. No copyright infringement is intended and no money is being made.
Notes: For the Discovered in a Christmas Stocking challenge on DIALJ. Possibly the first (and only) Twilight/Professionals crossover. Plz to be nao pasing teh brain bleech, kthxbye.