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discoveredinaljOnly twenty days to go - sorry I didn't do this right, but here it is again.
Title: Snow Had Fallen
Author: lbc
Pain overwhelmed Bodie as he drew in a breath. He couldn’t quite remember why he was in so much pain because his brain seemed to be sloshing back and forth in his head. Trying to focus on what he had forgot, Bodie sat on the cold ground not really remembering what had happened to him. His gritty, tired eyes tried to focus on something fixed so that his eyesight could become steady and that is when he noticed a set of footprints - - footprints in the snow.
He remembered that snow had fallen early that morning, a few hours before he and Doyle had been assigned to check out an anonymous tip that Charles Babbitt had been seen near Tarleton House. Suddenly his confused brain remembered a most important piece of information - - Doyle!
Doyle and he had just driven into the parking area for Tarleton House, thankful that someone had been thoughtful enough to scoop away the snow that had fallen the night before. Suddenly, as Bodie left the car, he heard a shot and felt pain near his right temple. He fell to the ground but had not lost consciousness.
Doyle was quickly by his side, but Bodie had managed to tell his concerned partner that he was all right, and that he should check out the woods located nearby while Bodie called it in. Doyle quickly stood up, and ran towards the snow covered path in search of the unknown shooter. Unfortunately, blackness overtook Bodie before he could call in what had happened.
When he awoke a few minutes later, he noticed that the snow was coming down harder and Doyle’s footprints were barely visible. Forcing himself to concentrate, Bodie called into CI5 letting them know that Doyle was in pursuit alone, but that Bodie would follow as soon as he called in the message. He neglected to mention his own injury.
Ripping a piece of cloth that he carried in the car, he wrapped his head tightly so that the pressure would slow down the bleeding, drew his gun from his holster, and followed Doyle’s fading footsteps.
The snow was definitely getting stronger, almost obliterating anything in the distance, but knowing that Doyle was out there all alone chasing who knew what, Bodie refused to quit. For several minutes he followed the barely visible path with Doyle’s fainter and fainter footsteps. Bodie was afraid to risk calling out to his partner for fear that the shooter was closer than Doyle was.
Wishing now that he had worn warmer clothes, Bodie rechecked his gun by feel, knowing that any light would be a dead giveaway to the shooter if he was still hanging around. Suddenly, Bodie heard a combination of shots being fired from two different guns. One was clearly Doyle’s PPK and the other sounded like the gun that had tagged Bodie a few minutes before.
Concerned for Doyle’s safety, Bodie plowed on ahead, the noise of his feet being muffled by the ever rising snow. Suddenly, Bodie came to a full stop; he had heard something that sounded like a groan. Fearing that it was a trap, Bodie dropped to the ground and inched carefully towards the sound. Unfortunately, the blowing snow obliterated almost everything in front of Bodie so his pursuit slowed down to a crawl. It was now so dark that he could see almost nothing and was forced to feel ahead for what he hoped he would not find - - the dead body of Ray Doyle.
Not knowing how long he had been chasing what seemed like phantoms, Bodie’s determination was beginning to weaken when all of a sudden, he tripped over something covered in snow. Bodie’s heart flipped-flopped when he heard the well-known voice yell out, “Watch where you’re goin’ you clod foot. You just stepped on me.”
“Sorry, I couldn’t see you. Are you okay?”
“No, of course, I’m not okay; I’ve been hit in the shoulder and I’m bleeding pretty good. Why do you think I was groanin’?”
“Stop talkin’ so loud the shooter could be around here anywhere.”
“No, he ain’t. You’ll find him about 20 yards away over in that direction. At least, ONE of us can shoot straight.”
“Is it Babbitt?”
“Yeah, I checked him then started back to get you when I tripped over some root or something so now I’ve broke me ankle and got a bullet hole in me, Happy Christmas to Me!”
“Oh, you’re not so bad. I called in back-up, and they’ll be here soon. We just have to head towards the parking area.”
“And just now where would that be?”
Bodie looked around at the howling, swirling snow. It was like a blizzard and even the friendly pathway that Bodie had used to find Doyle could no longer be located. The temperature was also getting colder and Bodie knew that with Doyle’s injuries, they couldn’t afford to stay right here and hunker down.
“I can hardly see you; hold out your arm and I’ll pick you up and carry you in a fireman’s carry. We need to get you inside before you get hypothermia.”
Bodie had Doyle up and in his arms when Doyle asked, “What’s that on your head?”
“You can actually see my bandage?”
“Only cause it’s white. What you got a bandage on for?”
“I got a booboo, and my brain is sloshing around too much to answer any more of your dumb questions so shut up and let me use my breath to find the parking area and not answer dumb questions.”
“Well, I was only asking.”
Bodie began to walk back to the area that he thought he had just come from. Under normal conditions, he had an excellent sense of direction, but his head injury and the blizzard-like conditions caused a great of disorientation. He continued to carry Doyle, mumbling all the time that for such a scrawny individual, Doyle sure weighed enough. Expecting Doyle to respond to that remark, he was surprised when there was only silence.
“Afraid I’ll drop you, if you say anything, is that it, Doyle?”
Doyle still didn’t answer him, but Bodie was afraid to put his partner down since his own strength was leaving him in great gallops. He had marched all over Africa, and many other places, but this was a whole new world of cold which was seeping into his bones. Suddenly, Bodie stopped and looked around trying to see something he recognized, but there was only a mass of white, blowing snow blasting him in the face and a chilling numbness seeping into his light-weight coat. “Maybe it’s a good thing you’re out for a while, sunshine, ‘cause I’m pretty sure we’re lost.”
Feeling very tired, Bodie found himself fighting to put one snow clogged foot in front of another until he was suddenly falling over something that blocked his way. Whatever it was, it stopped him from dropping Doyle completely, but the thin body fell against something wooden which proved to be a small gate. Readjusting his hold on Doyle, he carefully opened it and entered an area where there seemed less blowing snow. Blinking his eyes several times, Bodie saw the shape of a small shack or cabin in front of him just before another massive blast of snow hit him in the face.
Walking very carefully he approached the small building, but quickly realized the doorway was blocked by drifted snow. He had to put Ray down if he wanted to clear the snow. Making quick work of it with the broken board he found, he found the shack locked, but his gun took care of the lock quickly. Pushing in the door, he found a small room which was obviously a storage area for some farm in the vicinity. Apparently, it was also used for workers to stay while working out in this area because it had a fireplace, some food, and some bedding. He knew he had to get the wet clothes off of Doyle right away, but he had to build a fire first. Luckily someone had left a pile of small logs to burn, so Bodie immediately started looking for some kindling. Within minutes he had a fire started and Doyle moved within range of the fire.
If the situation hadn’t been so dire, Bodie’s activities would have been a dream come true. For the last 8 years, he had imagined taking Ray Doyle’s clothes off of him, but this was definitely not the way he had imagined exposing that glorious body. Of course, when Ray had been shot, Bodie had seen Doyle’s body many times since Bodie had become his nurse, his slave driver, and his number 1 enemy during those months of therapy and rehabilitation. There were many times that he thought he would lose Doyle, first to death, and then to giving up and quitting before he could return to CI5. But his Angelfish had done it and now they faced another fight for Doyle’s life.
“Bodie?”
Bodie broke free of his thoughts and rushed over to his partner who he covered in the thin blankets that had been left in the cabin. “Ray, you okay?”
“You keep asking me that, and it’s still the same answer. What is this place?”
“Looks like some farmer keeps some of his supplies here; you know like sacks of seeds or something. Since I’m strictly a city boy, I don’t know nothing about farmin’.”
Doyle’s green eyes focused on Bodie as the ex-copper said, “You look like hell.”
“I could say the same to you. How’d you let Babbitt get you?”
“Yeah, stupid wasn’t it, but I heard someone comin’ up behind me, and I thought maybe he had an accomplice or somethin’, and I looked around and he nailed me, but I fired at his flash and I got him. Really lucky shot.”
“Are you sure there isn’t anybody else?”
“I checked him out and that’s when I caught my leg. My ankle’s really killing me.”
“Yeah, it’s swollen all right, but I don’t think it’s broken.”
“Hey, what happened to my clothes? You pervert, give me back my clothes, how am I going to get warm?”
“I took off your clothes ‘cause they are soakin’ wet and if you don’t get warm, you could get pneumonia.”
“Did you take a good view while you were undressin’ me?”
“Nah, there wasn’t much to see.”
Bodie immediately moved back out of the range of Doyle’s right hook. “Come back here you coward and say that to my face.”
“I just did, didn’t you hear me? Now I want you to drink some of this liquid. It will make you feel better.”
Doyle took a sip of the liquid in the cup and whispered hoarsely, “That’s whiskey. Where’d you get that?”
“Whoever stocked this place left it behind.”
“You better take a drink of it too, and then get your clothes off ‘cause you’re just as wet as I am.”
“What a silver tongue you got, Doyle. Couldn’t you at least find a bit more subtle way of getting my clothes off me?”
“Why should I be subtle? After all, I’ve seen you in the shower and . . . well, I guess all your birds were right, but you do need to get off those wet clothes so you won’t get a cold.”
“I never catch a cold, and one of us has to stay sober so I’ll just drink some melted snow, and what did you mean by that phrase, ‘all my birds must be right?’
“Well, you know how birds gossip? I couldn’t help hearin’ some of the things that was being said when a few of your leftovers were comparing their experiences with you.”
“Now I understand; you wanted to hear what a real man did during his extracurricular activities with those birds who are crazy about me.”
“Yeah, you wish.”
“Now I’m going to look around and see what we got that we can use as food. You lay back and try and get some rest.”
Within a few minutes Bodie had found some cans of beans and meat and prepared a meal for the two of them. Bodie noticed that Doyle ate very little, but, at least, he tried to eat a small amount and consume a bit more whiskey. After cleaning up the area, Bodie sat down near to Doyle and stared at the man who had become his whole world.
“Did you get through to headquarters?”
“Yeah, we’ll just have to wait ‘til it’s light out and they’ll come looking for us.”
There was silence for a moment and then Doyle asked, “Have I got broccoli stuck in my teeth?”
“Broccoli? What are you talkin’ about; we didn’t have any broccoli.”
“Well, you’ve been starin’ at me for so long, I thought I might have had some of the stuff stuck in my teeth.”
“You must be delirious already if you are thinkin’ thatta way.”
“You’d be surprised at what I’m thinkin’ right now.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
“I’m cold; why don’t you take off your clothes ‘cause I don’t want to get any wetter, and then get under these blankets with me, and that way we can increase our amount of body heat. You know 98.6 and 98. 6 will make it 196.12 or something.”
“Doyle, a science genius you are not, but I like your thinking so close your eyes.”
“Why?”
“Are you dumb or what? ‘Cause I am a very modest fellow and I don’t want those green peepers ogling my beautiful body.”
“Pull the other one. I’ve seen you lots of times, in the shower at CI5 and with those bimbos of yours that you bring on dates. Remember your activities when we’d come back to one of our flats? You definitely weren’t modest then.”
“Well, if you had a bird with you, why weren’t you paying attention to her and not to my little antics?”
“It was hard to ignore those moans, groans, and heavy breathing.”
“Stretchin’ the truth again, are we Doyle?”
“No, we aren’t. Remember the last time you brought Sheila to my flat?”
“Are you talkin’ about Starla and what’s so wrong with playin’ MAHJONG?”
“Oh, is that what they’re calling it now days? Those Chinese sure have a lot of words for things.”
“Clean up your mind, Doyle. It’s so slimy and grimy in there that it rivals the London sewer system. “
“Ha! Ha!”
“Well, tell me this then, why are you on duty on Christmas Eve? You told me that you had the 24th and 25th off work. You’ve been boasting for weeks that you and Fanny were going to do it up right, and now you’re here with me. She dump you?”
“No, she did not DUMP ME. It almost broke her heart when I had to cancel the date. And her name is Franny, you ignoramus.”
“Bodie, I’m tellin’ you right now; get those clothes off ‘cause I am not going to hold your head if you get the flu and stink up this joint.”
“Doyle, don’t you ever listen to me? I DO NOT GET SICK, but you don’t look so good so I want you to know that the only reason I am taking off my clothes is so I can wrap myself around you and keep you warm until Father Christmas or Cowley comes rescue us - - whichever one comes first.”
As Doyle watched the striptease, he felt like he was swallowing his Adam’s apple as he asked, “How the hell do you think the big guy in red could get down the chimney or come through that door with all the snow piled up?”
At this point, Bodie had totally disrobed so he quickly got under the thin blankets and grabbed Doyle holding him near to his own body. “I guess you’re right; we got a much better chance with Cowley, if he isn’t running amok with that single malt that we gave him for Christmas.”
All at once, Doyle’s face turned even whiter than it had been previously. He almost seemed to whimper when Bodie put his arm around Doyle’s slender shoulders.
“What’s the matter, sunshine? Let me see that shoulder; it might be worse than a scratch.”
It was indeed worse, and since it had oozed enough blood that it had soaked through the primitive bandage that Bodie had managed to tie around the wound, Bodie knew that he was going to have to do something to stop the bleeding.
Heating some snow, Bodie carefully washed the wound and then put a new bandage on it from some linen bags he found in the cabin. Even Doyle’s knuckles were white as Bodie completed the routine of cleaning and dressing the wound. “I sure wish I had some painkiller for you, but, at least, I have some whiskey to clean the wound and dampen the pain a bit.”
“Don’t need no painkillers . . . ‘M tough!”
As Doyle seemed to be sliding into sleep, Bodie adjusted the beloved body into a more comfortable position and smiled affectionately at the man who meant so much to him. The two men sat on the floor of the small storage shed with Bodie’s arms wrapped around the now sleeping Doyle for several hours. Suddenly Doyle was awake, “I got to pee, where’s the loo?”
Bodie sighed loudly and noticeably; then he said, “I keep forgetting you’re an ‘old un’. I don’t see no diaper though. What’s that word for what you got . . . inept – no; impotent – maybe; incontinent – that’s it.”
“I AM NOT INCONTINENT. It’s just been a long time between loo visits; now where is it?”
Bodie reached over and grabbed one of the empty bean cans and smiling sweetly said, “Here it is.”
For a moment Doyle stared at him with his green orbs then he said, “Don’t you have a bigger can?”
“Well, I’m sorry, but that’s about the size of all the cans. You want to stick it out the door and let fly, might dissolve some of the snow that’s been building up.”
“Do you sit at home nights and think up this totally unfunny banter? I wish now I had said I would partner up with Pedersen, instead of feeling sorry for you.”
“What are you talking about and what has this got to do with Pedersen?”
“You’re going to have to wait a while until I visit the little darkness in the corner and relieve myself.”
“You need some help?”
For a second Doyle’s eyes turned frosty as he stared at Bodie and then he said, “For your information, I have been doing this sort of thing since I was just a wee fella.”
“In what way did you mean that ‘wee’, big fella?”
“If you weren’t standing so close to me, I’d let fly and show you up close and personal. Just give me a hand up, and then I’ll take care of the job.”
Bodie noticed that Doyle needed to lean on him much more than he had expected. Doyle looked totally drained, but he made it to the corner and returned without collapsing so Bodie said very little. He knew that Doyle’s body build made him look more fragile than he really was, but the cold, the absence of the mod cons, a sprained ankle, and a bullet hole in his shoulder were not helping anything so Bodie was extremely glad when his friend got back under the blankets.
Bodie had almost forgot his aching head while he was worrying about Doyle, but now that Doyle seemed to be relaxing, it was obvious that the pain in his head was returning as a roar through his head. For a moment, he thought he was going to vomit, but after swallowing several times, sheer willpower forced the bile back down.
Although Doyle looked asleep, he was not. He had seen Bodie’s fight to not lose the beans that he had eaten a few hours earlier. “Your head hurt?”
“Yeah, it usually does when it’s got metal shot into it.”
“It’s just a scratch, isn’t it? You’ll get Sheila or some other bim . . . bird to nurse you back to health.”
“I thought you said that she dumped me?”
“You mean - - she did?”
“Well, she wasn’t actually thrilled that I had to return to work, after I had told her that I had three days off.”
“Yeah, I’ve been meanin’ to ask you about that. When Cowley told me that you were to be my partner instead of Pedersen, I was really amazed. You had it all set up, you said. What happened?”
“Well, don’t flatter yourself, but when I heard that you were going to work, and that you were going to work with that idiot, Pedersen, I figured I didn’t want you gettin’ yourself killed because Pedersen had done something wrong. I have no desire to break in a new partner or to teach him how to be as good an agent as myself.”
“Now, just a second. On our trials for various skills, I score more than you ever do.”
“I’d prefer not to discuss your ability to ‘score’ Doyle, but speaking of that, what happened to Scherezade or whatever she’s called? I thought you two were going to go hot and heavy at some small out-of-the-way little nook during these three days?”
“Well, to tell the truth, she changed her mind when she found out that her best friend from school days was going to be in London for a short stay, so out goes Doyle and in comes - - Vagina.”
“What? What? What’d you say her name was?”
“Well, maybe it’s Virginia – not quite sure.”
“How long you known this bird?”
“A couple of weeks, but how long do you have to know a female form before you go on vacation with her?”
“Doyle, you are a letch. You must really be embarrassed that she prefers an old friend rather than you.”
“She hasn’t seen her friend in years so I did the gentlemanly thing, and sacrificed myself for her. After all, I can always go out with her any time after the friend leaves.”
“Well, how come you’re working? Couldn’t find another sucker to take with you?”
“Nah, I heard that Jefferson was going to have to work, and he told me that his whole family was going to get together up in Manchester, but he had to work so I volunteered so he could go.”
“How come you didn’t tell me?”
“’Cause I knew you and Sheila wanted to be alone.”
“You’re an idiot, you know that?”
“How’s that?”
“Risking your life being Pedersen’s partner for three whole days? Don’t you know they call him, PEDERSEN, THE PLAGUE?”
“Well, I haven’t seen a rat around here, and IT WAS WITH YOU that I got shot and injured my ankle, so what do you say to that?”
“Boy, what gratitude. I give up my fabulous vacation to protect you and the family jewels from Babbitt, and you hint around that I’m the jinx in the crowd.”
“Well, why did you volunteer to work this holiday, you still could have stayed home and enjoyed not having to report.
“I told you . . . but you weren’t listenin’.”
“Bodie, my shoulder is hurtin’, my ankle is achin’, and I’m gettin’ older by the second; why did you give up your Christmas leave, and come out and work with me?”
“Well, I could say that it was because the two of you together are so dumb that you don’t even know when to come in out of the rain, or I could say that I didn’t want Pedersen to be hangin’ around with you because he’s got the hots for you, or I could say that I didn’t want to share you with anyone, or it could be all three. Take your pick.”
“Whatta ya mean, Pedersen has the hots for me?”
“Oh come on, Doyle, don’t tell me that you haven’t noticed how he practically drools over that scrawny body of yours.”
Gritting his teeth, Doyle said very pointedly, “I-do-not-have-a-scrawny-body, and I have never noticed him drooling over me. Perhaps you got the drool mixed up with your own, sunshine?”
“Let me take a look at your head, you dumb crud, you must be havin’ hallucinations.”
“Oh and am I havin’ hallucinations every time you grope my bum and ‘help’ me climb stairs.”
“How dare you impugn and malign my sterling character. Your bum is sacrosanct to me, and I will not allow any little snot-nosed creeping crud to make friendly with my partner’s body.”
“I would like to continue this discussion, but I’m kind of tired right now. It must be near midnight. You think the rescuing horde will be here in the morning what with all the white stuff coming down?”
“Sure, not a thing to worry about. Come over here and cuddle up with me, and get some shut eye, and then we’ll eat a big breakfast, and everything will look better.”
Doyle quickly followed Bodie’s instructions and tried to pull himself as close as he could next to Bodie’s naked body. Within minutes both men were asleep; their exhaustion was so complete that they scarcely moved until daylight.
Finally, feeling the call of nature, Bodie opened his deep blue eyes and looked down at the skinny urchin who lay cuddled in his arms. Bodie smiled and gently kissed the curls lying next to his mouth. He would have liked to have stayed there forever, but his bladder couldn’t wait so he gently moved Doyle so he wouldn’t hurt his wound and got up to use their impromptu loo.
When he returned to the blankets, he noticed two big green orbs following every move of his naked body. Turning so that Doyle could see every feature, he posed himself like a life model would and said, “You like what you see?”
Doyle’s eyes were still full of sleep, but Bodie could definitely tell that he had Doyle’s total interest - - or at least he thought he had until Doyle asked, “Where’s this big breakfast that you promised me?”
“Boy, that’s gratitude, you know that I don’t show this perfection to just anyone, don’t ya?”
“Pull the other one, Bodie. You show those rickety old bones to just about every female in and out of London. Remember when you tried to make time with that nurse while pulling that grenade out of her brassiere? We had just been partnered then and I still noticed how lascivious you were to a woman you hardly knew.”
“ Duh . . .”so what’s your point?”
“Well, why should I believe that you actually want to spend time with me, when you got a stable of beauties that you’re always rotating to keep ‘wee Willie’ happy.”
“I wish you’d stop using that word wee, you know that that phrase is an oxymoron, don’t you?”
“Did you say that your cock was a moron? Now how could you know that?”
“YOU’RE the moron, Angelfish. Here I am chasing the bad guys with you when I could be participating in extracurricular activities with Starla or Sheila or Renee or . . . .”
“Yeah, yeah, I get the idea. By the way what did you mean when you said that you didn’t want to share me with anyone?”
Bodie looked confused for a moment then he said with hesitancy, “But I said that last night, didn’t I? Just put it down to being overcome by that aftershave you’re wearin’. I got a face full of it, and it sent me into dreamland.”
“That does it, you lyin’ sod. I’m not wearin’ any aftershave - - that’s all me and since I’ve been running, getting shot, and forced to cuddle up with an eight-armed octopus to keep warm, I couldn’t be smellin’ too great, so I want the truth.”
“And what truth would that be?”
“BODIE, IF I WASN’T INJURED, I’d get up and smack you, but as I am not in my best shape, I want the truth - - why did you give up a three day vacation with a luscious bird, just to do duty with me?”
Bodie grabbed a piece of cloth that he had found earlier and wrapped it around his waist so that he was less exposed to those penetrating eyes. He walked over and built up the fire so that the room was at least livable, and then he turned back to face Doyle. He looked at the gorgeous face and said in a whisper, “I would rather be with you than any other person in the world. When I heard that you were going to be on duty with Pedersen, I couldn’t stand the idea that you’d be out on the streets without me to back you up. Pedersen is such a moron; he’d probably get you killed so I told Cowley that I wanted to work with you.”
There was silence in the small shack for several seconds and then Doyle’s ears picked up a familiar sound, “It sounds like a helicopter, doesn’t it?
Bodie tried to get the door open, but it wouldn’t budge due to the piled up snow and ice on the outside. He quickly rushed over to the fireplace and built up the fire so that more smoke would come out of the chimney. Soon, however, the sound of the helicopter faded away, leaving the two men alone with their thoughts and each other.
“Well, at least, it does show that people are up and about on this Christmas Day.”
“Yeah, but how long is it going to take for them to figure out that we’re buried here in this hut?”
Bodie came back over and stood by Doyle, looking down at the man who had entirely changed his life. “How’s your wound, sunshine?”
“You’re a good doctor, why don’t you see if our clothes are dry. I think we’re going to have to help ourselves, don’t you?”
“You can’t stand very long on that ankle; let me wrap it again, and I’ll see if we can find something to eat, and then maybe I can get out that one small window and see if I can clear some of the snow so we can get out.”
“Yeah, I’ll bet even Father Christmas couldn’t find us in this hut.”
Finding some tea bags and some more cans of food, Bodie made a hurried meal which left much to be desired and then he began to look around for something he could use as a shovel. Wandering over to the window, he studied the opening very carefully. “I don’t know about this, Ray, if I break the seal on this window and we don’t get out; it’s going to be very cold in here. I can’t really tell how much snow is piled up in front of it.”
By this time Doyle was dressed and hopped over to the window area, perusing the situation for himself. “You’re right, but as the man says, ‘You pays your ha-penny and takes your chances.”
“Who says that?”
“Anson’s said it numerous times.”
“Sounds like something that idiot would say. Well, I’m going to unseal the window and if an avalanche doesn’t come barreling through the open space, we know we got a chance.”
Bodie began to carefully clear away the sealant when he heard something. “Hey, listen.”
Doyle did exactly that and then he heard some scraping and it sounded very close. Both men listened carefully and then they stared at each other with very puzzled faces as they both heard a sound that sounded like, “Ho! Ho! Ho”, which sounded faintly human and another sound that didn’t sound so human.
“What is that?”
“It sounds like the grunting or honking from a reindeer, or maybe it’s just Anson passing gas.”
“Now how would you know that, Bodie?” Bodie looked very puzzled so Doyle further clarified, “I mean what reindeer sound like.”
“I’m an intelligent fellow, I am; sides I saw it on one of the little trailer things they have on at the cinema.”
“The only trailer I’ve seen at a cinema is one like a NAAFI canteen truck.”
“Very funny, ha! ha! I’m tellin’ ya that I hear some reindeer; you don’t suppose it’s Father Christmas?”
At the very moment that Bodie asked that question, the ice-sealed door gave way and blasted open sending minute particles of snowflakes into the shack, and there standing in all his glory was . . . Colin Murphy! The only red that he was wearing was his face from the exertion that he had had to use to clear away a path way to get to the shack’s door. As he moved slowly into the shack, finding no breath to continue his Ho! Ho! Ho, another figure behind him moved forward as well. Although he looked somewhat like an elf, it was clearly Chris Anson dressed in something that faintly resembled a green jacket that had seen much better days.
The four agents stood staring at each other; then Bodie found his voice and asked, “Where the hell did you come from?”
“Well, I could say the North Pole, but it really looked more like London.”
Doyle, looking totally mystified asked, “How did you find us?”
“My reindeer led us here. Didn’t you hear them grunting, and honking?”
Both Bodie and Doyle moved to the open door and looked out. Sure enough several yards away were a sleigh and six reindeer attached to it, with another individual sitting in the sleigh all huddled up, waiting for them. He was definitely bundled up but Bodie and Doyle could definitely see his long white hair, and a formidable white beard.
Murphy smiled and proclaimed, “That’s Mr. Nicholas. This is his shack that you’ve decimated, and those are his reindeer. He uses the sleigh to get around in when the snow gets this deep.”
“But, how did you find us?”
“You ought to know; we’ve been looking for you for several hours. Thank goodness you called in before the snow got to be a blizzard. We brought the helicopter to this vicinity and stayed overnight nearby and then started looking this morning. Didn’t you hear us earlier?”
“We did, but when you went away we figured it wasn’t us you were lookin’ for.”
“Well, once we spotted the smoke coming from the cabin, we chased down the owner of the shack and it was Mr. Nicholas. He volunteered to use his sleigh to get us here, and loaned us some shovels, and here we are.”
“Well, we owe Mr. Nicholas for the stuff we ate and the fuel we used, but Doyle’s injured so let’s be careful getting him out to the sleigh.”
While Anson and Murphy were helping Doyle get out to the sleigh, Bodie tidied up and emptied the bean can and tried to make the cabin look a bit better as well as dampening down the fire. As he moved toward the door to close it as best he could, he turned around and looked fondly at the small room, his face, taking on a smile of fond remembrance for the night he had spent there with Doyle, cuddled in his arms. What a great pressie for Christmas!
Within minutes the sleigh had taken them to the site of the helicopter. It was obvious that Doyle was still in pain, but he wasn’t complaining quite as much. Thanking Mr. Nicholas for his help, both Bodie and Doyle shook his hand and gave him £20 to compensate him for the mess they had made and the food they had eaten.
Mr. Nicholas dropped Bodie off at their car so he could drive it to London while the helicopter took to the air and was quickly in London, where Cowley awaited them at a hospital that was quite well-acquainted with CI5 agents. Doyle was quickly whisked into the A&E, while Bodie was questioned by the Controller about what happened as soon as he arrived. Since Murphy had already radioed in the location of Babbitt’s body, Cowley had sent a team to find Babbitt. “What’s this about you getting shot in the head?”
“How did you hear about that, sir?”
“I find that I can trust 6.2 to relay all messages to me, and 4.5 wanted to make sure that this news was passed along. Why didn’t you relay your injury to headquarters when you first called in the attack by Babbitt?”
“It wasn’t anything, sir. Don’t even have a headache now. You know metal hittin’ me in the head isn’t going to bother me? Bodie tried to smile and laugh, but he could tell that Cowley didn’t think it was funny, so his laugh quickly soured into a frown.
“You’ll wait here and go see the doctor. I have already informed the rescue team that they can have an extra two days off since their holiday was “interrupted”; you may as well have the same. Good job getting Babbitt, however, I did want to talk to him.”
“It was Doyle, who got him, sir.”
“Yes, so I understand. Well, you go to see the doctor, and I’ll go see how Doyle is; I suspect he will have to go on medical leave again. Between the pair of you; I’m sure that the insurance company is going to cancel our insurance.”
“Yes,sir. Maybe you ought to ask Father Christmas to do something about that.”
The dirty look that Cowley gave 3.7 sent the ex-merc on his way, but Bodie showed that he wasn’t cowered yet as he yelled, “Running all the way, sir.”
An hour or so later, Bodie exited from the A&E and ran into Murphy. “Hey, Murph what are you still doin’ here? Don’t you know, it’s still Christmas?”
“Well, to tell you the truth, I’m waitin’ for Doyle.”
“They’re dismissing him?”
“Yeah, he threw such a fit that they decided they wanted him out of here, so I got the job. How’s your head?”
“You know my head, tough as a wood block. How come you told on me to the Cow?”
“Doyle insisted. I couldn’t get him to settle down in the copter until I promised to tell Cowley that you needed to see a doctor. He’s quite the little ‘mother hen’, isn’t he?”
“I wouldn’t want to let him hear you say that, if I were you?”
“Yeah, well I better get goin’; I’m sure my patient is ready to get out of here. Oh, by the way, it is just a sprain so they wrapped it up and are giving him some sticks. You did a great job cleaning the wound so it just needed a bandage, but he’s definitely tender there so he’ll need a ‘nurse’ for a day or so, do you know one of his birds who will volunteer to take care of him?”
Bodie tried to keep his face neutral, but Murphy could see the emotion that Bodie was fighting to hide, “Yeah, yeah, I’ll take care of it.”
“Thanks, Bodie, now I’ll go rescue Mr.-I’m-not-really-hurt, and call it a day.”
Bodie rushed on ahead to Doyle’s flat and stocked it up with food and everything that he would need for the first few days of medical leave. Knowing Doyle, he would do everything he could to sneak out on the rules for medical leave and get back on the streets as soon as possible.
Bodie was just getting done with stocking the flat when Murphy and Doyle arrived. Doyle looked around for his “nurse”, but said nothing when he didn’t see one. Murphy looked like he was going to hang around for a while, but when Bodie announced that the ‘nurse’ wouldn’t want to have to treat another victim who looked even worse than Doyle did, Murphy promptly exited the flat.
Doyle immediately threw his sticks down on the floor and hopped to the settee where he promptly collapsed. Lying sprawled on the old but still usable settee, Doyle asked, with half closed eyes, “Where’s my nurse?”
“She couldn’t make it. Her pet hamster was ill, and she had to stay and nurse him back to health.”
“Oh, that’s just great; I come in second to a hamster.”
“Well, actually I think you’re about fifth, ‘cause right after the hamster is a cat that needs spayed, a gila monster that wants to commit suicide, and some kind of bird who keeps trying to be part of a gaol break.”
“Great, just great, so who did you get for me?”
“Well, there was only one person who was willing to give up their Christmas and Boxing Day holidays and come and sit with miserly old, Mr. Scrooge.”
“I’m not miserly, and please don’t tell me it was Pedersen.”
“I wouldn’t do that to you and you are miserly. Are you hungry? Father Christmas stocked your cupboards for once with some goodies that aren’t related to that bird feed that you eat.”
“Well, I am kind of hungry so what kind of things did the old gentleman bring me?”
“Well, there’s about 15 Swiss rolls out there, and some cheese and ham, and various veggies, and a nice looking turkey, and just all kinds of things. The poor old gentleman must be broke after that tour de force.
Hmmm! Maybe we should have invited Mr. Nicholas to the festivities.
“Well, he did us a favour but why should we invite him?”
“Didn’t you notice his first initial?
“What are you nattering at?”
“He told me his first initial was ‘S’ so that would make him ‘S. Nicholas’, and with that white hair and beard, he could be a perfect replica of the old gentleman himself.”
“I’m not going to invite anybody else to this shindig ‘cause they might want to gobble my Swiss Rolls.”
“Oh, those Swiss Rolls are yours now, are they?”
“Well, I figured I deserved a little compensation if I hang around tonight and cook supper and help nurse you.”
“I . . . I thought you might be havin’ a cosy Christmas with some bim . . . bird?”
“Nah, those Swiss rolls got better shapes than some of the birds I’ve been datin’ lately. I am prepared to ‘babysit’ with you, in return for those Swiss rolls, and my Christmas pressie.”
“What makes you think that I got you a Christmas pressie?”
“Well, I’ve been a good boy all year, and I saved that scrawny carcass several times this year so you owe me something.”
“Well as a matter of fact, I did get you something. It’s in the refrigerator.”
Bodie practically ran to the frig and opened the door to find a wrapped gift inside. Quickly he picked it up but since it as fairly heavy, he ostentatiously groaned and said, “Oh boy, this must be really something; it’s so heavy.”
Doyle’s smile didn’t seem especially sincere, but Bodie ignored Doyle’s look and began ripping the paper off the unknown pressie. After a few seconds, he had the present exposed and it was something in a large casserole bowl.
“Uh, what is it?”
“Remove the lid, you ignoramus, unless you got x-ray vision.”
“Oh yeah, I kinda of forgot.”
Carefully removing the lid, Bodie looked at a huge bowl of what looked like dead lima beans, laying in the dish in captivity. “Uh, them look like lima beans.”
“Yeah, I spent a lot of time before we started trailing Babbitt on cooking that, and there’s a special little surprise at the bottom.”
“And what would that be?”
“Some liver sausage! Ummmmm, boy, what a feast, sunshine.”
“Uh, I just remembered, I can’t stay for supper. I’ve got some very important things to do since I got hung up babysittin’ you in that shack for the last 24 hours. I’ll come back later and put you to bed, how’s that?”
Doyle stuck out his lower lip and looked pathetic. “You don’t like my pressie.”
Bodie’s heart melted as he saw the sadness on Doyle’s face.”
“Well, maybe I could stay for a bite of casserole and two or three of those Swiss Rolls.”
“Boy, you sure make me feel good, rejecting my culinary efforts, but since it’s almost Boxing Day, I guess I’ll forgive you. How about we order Chinese and then settle down for a long winter’s nap?”
“Yeah, that sounds great. You need to rest. I’ll make up my bed out here on the settee, and then maybe tomorrow for breakfast I’ll make you a humongous, splendiferous English breakfast like I promised you in the shack.”
“I like the part about the breakfast, but I want to cuddle up to my baby sitter tonight, just like I did in the shack.”
“You sure about that?”
“Well, I know I haven’t had a bath in a couple of days, but I didn’t think I was that bad.”
“Your odoressence is magnifique, Angelfish and doesn’t bother me at all. Believe me when I say that you smell like a pasture full of poppies compared to some of the places I’ve been. How about I help you into the bathroom and we rig up some protection for that thing you’re wearin’ on your leg and then I’ll give you my special bath, tailor-made for agents of CI5 who had to work on Christmas Day.”
Doyle smiled dreamily into Bodie’s blue eyes and said, “Sounds terrific; you know when I would hurt meself when I was a wee one, me mum would clean it, bandage it, and then give me a kiss to make it feel better.”
“You want me to kiss your shoulder?”
“I think there are a few other places that would be more appropriate, but we could begin there.”
Bodie smiled and handed Doyle his sticks, “Here you go. I’ll get everything we need and meet you in the loo.”
Doyle turned and made his way towards the loo. Just before he entered its threshold, he yelled out, “Stay away from those Swiss Rolls and bring my pressie with you.”
An hour later, the two men were cuddled up together in Doyle’s large bed. The paper remains of two Swiss Rolls lay on the floor along with some empty drinking glasses. Bodie’s satisfaction was replete. Doyle had got him a new jumper which matched his eyes, and a subscription to his favourite magazine. Doyle was wearing the silver chain that Bodie had given him, and he was on his tenth read of the cookbook that had cost a small fortune.
It was well after midnight and both men were extremely sleepy, but this was their first night together as lovers and they wanted to hold on to each moment. Bodie had kept his promise and had kissed Doyle’s injuries which somehow kept accumulating as Bodie moved around the glorious body. Suddenly, they heard a great deal of clatter on the windows of the flat. It sounded like gravel being thrown at it. “I wonder if it’s Mr. Nicholas with his reindeer?”
Going to the window, Bodie looked out and then smiled, “No, it’s not Father Christmas, but some snow has fallen, so let’s hibernate until the Cow sends somebody to dig us out.” With those words Bodie rushed the bed, grabbing Doyle and pulling the duvet over both of them.
Several minutes later, there was definitely a creature stirring, but it wasn’t a mouse. There was no doubt of its total happiness as it burst forth from under the covers, in a rapturous voice, “Ho! Ho! Ho!”
The End
Title: Snow Had Fallen
Author: lbc
Pain overwhelmed Bodie as he drew in a breath. He couldn’t quite remember why he was in so much pain because his brain seemed to be sloshing back and forth in his head. Trying to focus on what he had forgot, Bodie sat on the cold ground not really remembering what had happened to him. His gritty, tired eyes tried to focus on something fixed so that his eyesight could become steady and that is when he noticed a set of footprints - - footprints in the snow.
He remembered that snow had fallen early that morning, a few hours before he and Doyle had been assigned to check out an anonymous tip that Charles Babbitt had been seen near Tarleton House. Suddenly his confused brain remembered a most important piece of information - - Doyle!
Doyle and he had just driven into the parking area for Tarleton House, thankful that someone had been thoughtful enough to scoop away the snow that had fallen the night before. Suddenly, as Bodie left the car, he heard a shot and felt pain near his right temple. He fell to the ground but had not lost consciousness.
Doyle was quickly by his side, but Bodie had managed to tell his concerned partner that he was all right, and that he should check out the woods located nearby while Bodie called it in. Doyle quickly stood up, and ran towards the snow covered path in search of the unknown shooter. Unfortunately, blackness overtook Bodie before he could call in what had happened.
When he awoke a few minutes later, he noticed that the snow was coming down harder and Doyle’s footprints were barely visible. Forcing himself to concentrate, Bodie called into CI5 letting them know that Doyle was in pursuit alone, but that Bodie would follow as soon as he called in the message. He neglected to mention his own injury.
Ripping a piece of cloth that he carried in the car, he wrapped his head tightly so that the pressure would slow down the bleeding, drew his gun from his holster, and followed Doyle’s fading footsteps.
The snow was definitely getting stronger, almost obliterating anything in the distance, but knowing that Doyle was out there all alone chasing who knew what, Bodie refused to quit. For several minutes he followed the barely visible path with Doyle’s fainter and fainter footsteps. Bodie was afraid to risk calling out to his partner for fear that the shooter was closer than Doyle was.
Wishing now that he had worn warmer clothes, Bodie rechecked his gun by feel, knowing that any light would be a dead giveaway to the shooter if he was still hanging around. Suddenly, Bodie heard a combination of shots being fired from two different guns. One was clearly Doyle’s PPK and the other sounded like the gun that had tagged Bodie a few minutes before.
Concerned for Doyle’s safety, Bodie plowed on ahead, the noise of his feet being muffled by the ever rising snow. Suddenly, Bodie came to a full stop; he had heard something that sounded like a groan. Fearing that it was a trap, Bodie dropped to the ground and inched carefully towards the sound. Unfortunately, the blowing snow obliterated almost everything in front of Bodie so his pursuit slowed down to a crawl. It was now so dark that he could see almost nothing and was forced to feel ahead for what he hoped he would not find - - the dead body of Ray Doyle.
Not knowing how long he had been chasing what seemed like phantoms, Bodie’s determination was beginning to weaken when all of a sudden, he tripped over something covered in snow. Bodie’s heart flipped-flopped when he heard the well-known voice yell out, “Watch where you’re goin’ you clod foot. You just stepped on me.”
“Sorry, I couldn’t see you. Are you okay?”
“No, of course, I’m not okay; I’ve been hit in the shoulder and I’m bleeding pretty good. Why do you think I was groanin’?”
“Stop talkin’ so loud the shooter could be around here anywhere.”
“No, he ain’t. You’ll find him about 20 yards away over in that direction. At least, ONE of us can shoot straight.”
“Is it Babbitt?”
“Yeah, I checked him then started back to get you when I tripped over some root or something so now I’ve broke me ankle and got a bullet hole in me, Happy Christmas to Me!”
“Oh, you’re not so bad. I called in back-up, and they’ll be here soon. We just have to head towards the parking area.”
“And just now where would that be?”
Bodie looked around at the howling, swirling snow. It was like a blizzard and even the friendly pathway that Bodie had used to find Doyle could no longer be located. The temperature was also getting colder and Bodie knew that with Doyle’s injuries, they couldn’t afford to stay right here and hunker down.
“I can hardly see you; hold out your arm and I’ll pick you up and carry you in a fireman’s carry. We need to get you inside before you get hypothermia.”
Bodie had Doyle up and in his arms when Doyle asked, “What’s that on your head?”
“You can actually see my bandage?”
“Only cause it’s white. What you got a bandage on for?”
“I got a booboo, and my brain is sloshing around too much to answer any more of your dumb questions so shut up and let me use my breath to find the parking area and not answer dumb questions.”
“Well, I was only asking.”
Bodie began to walk back to the area that he thought he had just come from. Under normal conditions, he had an excellent sense of direction, but his head injury and the blizzard-like conditions caused a great of disorientation. He continued to carry Doyle, mumbling all the time that for such a scrawny individual, Doyle sure weighed enough. Expecting Doyle to respond to that remark, he was surprised when there was only silence.
“Afraid I’ll drop you, if you say anything, is that it, Doyle?”
Doyle still didn’t answer him, but Bodie was afraid to put his partner down since his own strength was leaving him in great gallops. He had marched all over Africa, and many other places, but this was a whole new world of cold which was seeping into his bones. Suddenly, Bodie stopped and looked around trying to see something he recognized, but there was only a mass of white, blowing snow blasting him in the face and a chilling numbness seeping into his light-weight coat. “Maybe it’s a good thing you’re out for a while, sunshine, ‘cause I’m pretty sure we’re lost.”
Feeling very tired, Bodie found himself fighting to put one snow clogged foot in front of another until he was suddenly falling over something that blocked his way. Whatever it was, it stopped him from dropping Doyle completely, but the thin body fell against something wooden which proved to be a small gate. Readjusting his hold on Doyle, he carefully opened it and entered an area where there seemed less blowing snow. Blinking his eyes several times, Bodie saw the shape of a small shack or cabin in front of him just before another massive blast of snow hit him in the face.
Walking very carefully he approached the small building, but quickly realized the doorway was blocked by drifted snow. He had to put Ray down if he wanted to clear the snow. Making quick work of it with the broken board he found, he found the shack locked, but his gun took care of the lock quickly. Pushing in the door, he found a small room which was obviously a storage area for some farm in the vicinity. Apparently, it was also used for workers to stay while working out in this area because it had a fireplace, some food, and some bedding. He knew he had to get the wet clothes off of Doyle right away, but he had to build a fire first. Luckily someone had left a pile of small logs to burn, so Bodie immediately started looking for some kindling. Within minutes he had a fire started and Doyle moved within range of the fire.
If the situation hadn’t been so dire, Bodie’s activities would have been a dream come true. For the last 8 years, he had imagined taking Ray Doyle’s clothes off of him, but this was definitely not the way he had imagined exposing that glorious body. Of course, when Ray had been shot, Bodie had seen Doyle’s body many times since Bodie had become his nurse, his slave driver, and his number 1 enemy during those months of therapy and rehabilitation. There were many times that he thought he would lose Doyle, first to death, and then to giving up and quitting before he could return to CI5. But his Angelfish had done it and now they faced another fight for Doyle’s life.
“Bodie?”
Bodie broke free of his thoughts and rushed over to his partner who he covered in the thin blankets that had been left in the cabin. “Ray, you okay?”
“You keep asking me that, and it’s still the same answer. What is this place?”
“Looks like some farmer keeps some of his supplies here; you know like sacks of seeds or something. Since I’m strictly a city boy, I don’t know nothing about farmin’.”
Doyle’s green eyes focused on Bodie as the ex-copper said, “You look like hell.”
“I could say the same to you. How’d you let Babbitt get you?”
“Yeah, stupid wasn’t it, but I heard someone comin’ up behind me, and I thought maybe he had an accomplice or somethin’, and I looked around and he nailed me, but I fired at his flash and I got him. Really lucky shot.”
“Are you sure there isn’t anybody else?”
“I checked him out and that’s when I caught my leg. My ankle’s really killing me.”
“Yeah, it’s swollen all right, but I don’t think it’s broken.”
“Hey, what happened to my clothes? You pervert, give me back my clothes, how am I going to get warm?”
“I took off your clothes ‘cause they are soakin’ wet and if you don’t get warm, you could get pneumonia.”
“Did you take a good view while you were undressin’ me?”
“Nah, there wasn’t much to see.”
Bodie immediately moved back out of the range of Doyle’s right hook. “Come back here you coward and say that to my face.”
“I just did, didn’t you hear me? Now I want you to drink some of this liquid. It will make you feel better.”
Doyle took a sip of the liquid in the cup and whispered hoarsely, “That’s whiskey. Where’d you get that?”
“Whoever stocked this place left it behind.”
“You better take a drink of it too, and then get your clothes off ‘cause you’re just as wet as I am.”
“What a silver tongue you got, Doyle. Couldn’t you at least find a bit more subtle way of getting my clothes off me?”
“Why should I be subtle? After all, I’ve seen you in the shower and . . . well, I guess all your birds were right, but you do need to get off those wet clothes so you won’t get a cold.”
“I never catch a cold, and one of us has to stay sober so I’ll just drink some melted snow, and what did you mean by that phrase, ‘all my birds must be right?’
“Well, you know how birds gossip? I couldn’t help hearin’ some of the things that was being said when a few of your leftovers were comparing their experiences with you.”
“Now I understand; you wanted to hear what a real man did during his extracurricular activities with those birds who are crazy about me.”
“Yeah, you wish.”
“Now I’m going to look around and see what we got that we can use as food. You lay back and try and get some rest.”
Within a few minutes Bodie had found some cans of beans and meat and prepared a meal for the two of them. Bodie noticed that Doyle ate very little, but, at least, he tried to eat a small amount and consume a bit more whiskey. After cleaning up the area, Bodie sat down near to Doyle and stared at the man who had become his whole world.
“Did you get through to headquarters?”
“Yeah, we’ll just have to wait ‘til it’s light out and they’ll come looking for us.”
There was silence for a moment and then Doyle asked, “Have I got broccoli stuck in my teeth?”
“Broccoli? What are you talkin’ about; we didn’t have any broccoli.”
“Well, you’ve been starin’ at me for so long, I thought I might have had some of the stuff stuck in my teeth.”
“You must be delirious already if you are thinkin’ thatta way.”
“You’d be surprised at what I’m thinkin’ right now.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
“I’m cold; why don’t you take off your clothes ‘cause I don’t want to get any wetter, and then get under these blankets with me, and that way we can increase our amount of body heat. You know 98.6 and 98. 6 will make it 196.12 or something.”
“Doyle, a science genius you are not, but I like your thinking so close your eyes.”
“Why?”
“Are you dumb or what? ‘Cause I am a very modest fellow and I don’t want those green peepers ogling my beautiful body.”
“Pull the other one. I’ve seen you lots of times, in the shower at CI5 and with those bimbos of yours that you bring on dates. Remember your activities when we’d come back to one of our flats? You definitely weren’t modest then.”
“Well, if you had a bird with you, why weren’t you paying attention to her and not to my little antics?”
“It was hard to ignore those moans, groans, and heavy breathing.”
“Stretchin’ the truth again, are we Doyle?”
“No, we aren’t. Remember the last time you brought Sheila to my flat?”
“Are you talkin’ about Starla and what’s so wrong with playin’ MAHJONG?”
“Oh, is that what they’re calling it now days? Those Chinese sure have a lot of words for things.”
“Clean up your mind, Doyle. It’s so slimy and grimy in there that it rivals the London sewer system. “
“Ha! Ha!”
“Well, tell me this then, why are you on duty on Christmas Eve? You told me that you had the 24th and 25th off work. You’ve been boasting for weeks that you and Fanny were going to do it up right, and now you’re here with me. She dump you?”
“No, she did not DUMP ME. It almost broke her heart when I had to cancel the date. And her name is Franny, you ignoramus.”
“Bodie, I’m tellin’ you right now; get those clothes off ‘cause I am not going to hold your head if you get the flu and stink up this joint.”
“Doyle, don’t you ever listen to me? I DO NOT GET SICK, but you don’t look so good so I want you to know that the only reason I am taking off my clothes is so I can wrap myself around you and keep you warm until Father Christmas or Cowley comes rescue us - - whichever one comes first.”
As Doyle watched the striptease, he felt like he was swallowing his Adam’s apple as he asked, “How the hell do you think the big guy in red could get down the chimney or come through that door with all the snow piled up?”
At this point, Bodie had totally disrobed so he quickly got under the thin blankets and grabbed Doyle holding him near to his own body. “I guess you’re right; we got a much better chance with Cowley, if he isn’t running amok with that single malt that we gave him for Christmas.”
All at once, Doyle’s face turned even whiter than it had been previously. He almost seemed to whimper when Bodie put his arm around Doyle’s slender shoulders.
“What’s the matter, sunshine? Let me see that shoulder; it might be worse than a scratch.”
It was indeed worse, and since it had oozed enough blood that it had soaked through the primitive bandage that Bodie had managed to tie around the wound, Bodie knew that he was going to have to do something to stop the bleeding.
Heating some snow, Bodie carefully washed the wound and then put a new bandage on it from some linen bags he found in the cabin. Even Doyle’s knuckles were white as Bodie completed the routine of cleaning and dressing the wound. “I sure wish I had some painkiller for you, but, at least, I have some whiskey to clean the wound and dampen the pain a bit.”
“Don’t need no painkillers . . . ‘M tough!”
As Doyle seemed to be sliding into sleep, Bodie adjusted the beloved body into a more comfortable position and smiled affectionately at the man who meant so much to him. The two men sat on the floor of the small storage shed with Bodie’s arms wrapped around the now sleeping Doyle for several hours. Suddenly Doyle was awake, “I got to pee, where’s the loo?”
Bodie sighed loudly and noticeably; then he said, “I keep forgetting you’re an ‘old un’. I don’t see no diaper though. What’s that word for what you got . . . inept – no; impotent – maybe; incontinent – that’s it.”
“I AM NOT INCONTINENT. It’s just been a long time between loo visits; now where is it?”
Bodie reached over and grabbed one of the empty bean cans and smiling sweetly said, “Here it is.”
For a moment Doyle stared at him with his green orbs then he said, “Don’t you have a bigger can?”
“Well, I’m sorry, but that’s about the size of all the cans. You want to stick it out the door and let fly, might dissolve some of the snow that’s been building up.”
“Do you sit at home nights and think up this totally unfunny banter? I wish now I had said I would partner up with Pedersen, instead of feeling sorry for you.”
“What are you talking about and what has this got to do with Pedersen?”
“You’re going to have to wait a while until I visit the little darkness in the corner and relieve myself.”
“You need some help?”
For a second Doyle’s eyes turned frosty as he stared at Bodie and then he said, “For your information, I have been doing this sort of thing since I was just a wee fella.”
“In what way did you mean that ‘wee’, big fella?”
“If you weren’t standing so close to me, I’d let fly and show you up close and personal. Just give me a hand up, and then I’ll take care of the job.”
Bodie noticed that Doyle needed to lean on him much more than he had expected. Doyle looked totally drained, but he made it to the corner and returned without collapsing so Bodie said very little. He knew that Doyle’s body build made him look more fragile than he really was, but the cold, the absence of the mod cons, a sprained ankle, and a bullet hole in his shoulder were not helping anything so Bodie was extremely glad when his friend got back under the blankets.
Bodie had almost forgot his aching head while he was worrying about Doyle, but now that Doyle seemed to be relaxing, it was obvious that the pain in his head was returning as a roar through his head. For a moment, he thought he was going to vomit, but after swallowing several times, sheer willpower forced the bile back down.
Although Doyle looked asleep, he was not. He had seen Bodie’s fight to not lose the beans that he had eaten a few hours earlier. “Your head hurt?”
“Yeah, it usually does when it’s got metal shot into it.”
“It’s just a scratch, isn’t it? You’ll get Sheila or some other bim . . . bird to nurse you back to health.”
“I thought you said that she dumped me?”
“You mean - - she did?”
“Well, she wasn’t actually thrilled that I had to return to work, after I had told her that I had three days off.”
“Yeah, I’ve been meanin’ to ask you about that. When Cowley told me that you were to be my partner instead of Pedersen, I was really amazed. You had it all set up, you said. What happened?”
“Well, don’t flatter yourself, but when I heard that you were going to work, and that you were going to work with that idiot, Pedersen, I figured I didn’t want you gettin’ yourself killed because Pedersen had done something wrong. I have no desire to break in a new partner or to teach him how to be as good an agent as myself.”
“Now, just a second. On our trials for various skills, I score more than you ever do.”
“I’d prefer not to discuss your ability to ‘score’ Doyle, but speaking of that, what happened to Scherezade or whatever she’s called? I thought you two were going to go hot and heavy at some small out-of-the-way little nook during these three days?”
“Well, to tell the truth, she changed her mind when she found out that her best friend from school days was going to be in London for a short stay, so out goes Doyle and in comes - - Vagina.”
“What? What? What’d you say her name was?”
“Well, maybe it’s Virginia – not quite sure.”
“How long you known this bird?”
“A couple of weeks, but how long do you have to know a female form before you go on vacation with her?”
“Doyle, you are a letch. You must really be embarrassed that she prefers an old friend rather than you.”
“She hasn’t seen her friend in years so I did the gentlemanly thing, and sacrificed myself for her. After all, I can always go out with her any time after the friend leaves.”
“Well, how come you’re working? Couldn’t find another sucker to take with you?”
“Nah, I heard that Jefferson was going to have to work, and he told me that his whole family was going to get together up in Manchester, but he had to work so I volunteered so he could go.”
“How come you didn’t tell me?”
“’Cause I knew you and Sheila wanted to be alone.”
“You’re an idiot, you know that?”
“How’s that?”
“Risking your life being Pedersen’s partner for three whole days? Don’t you know they call him, PEDERSEN, THE PLAGUE?”
“Well, I haven’t seen a rat around here, and IT WAS WITH YOU that I got shot and injured my ankle, so what do you say to that?”
“Boy, what gratitude. I give up my fabulous vacation to protect you and the family jewels from Babbitt, and you hint around that I’m the jinx in the crowd.”
“Well, why did you volunteer to work this holiday, you still could have stayed home and enjoyed not having to report.
“I told you . . . but you weren’t listenin’.”
“Bodie, my shoulder is hurtin’, my ankle is achin’, and I’m gettin’ older by the second; why did you give up your Christmas leave, and come out and work with me?”
“Well, I could say that it was because the two of you together are so dumb that you don’t even know when to come in out of the rain, or I could say that I didn’t want Pedersen to be hangin’ around with you because he’s got the hots for you, or I could say that I didn’t want to share you with anyone, or it could be all three. Take your pick.”
“Whatta ya mean, Pedersen has the hots for me?”
“Oh come on, Doyle, don’t tell me that you haven’t noticed how he practically drools over that scrawny body of yours.”
Gritting his teeth, Doyle said very pointedly, “I-do-not-have-a-scrawny-body, and I have never noticed him drooling over me. Perhaps you got the drool mixed up with your own, sunshine?”
“Let me take a look at your head, you dumb crud, you must be havin’ hallucinations.”
“Oh and am I havin’ hallucinations every time you grope my bum and ‘help’ me climb stairs.”
“How dare you impugn and malign my sterling character. Your bum is sacrosanct to me, and I will not allow any little snot-nosed creeping crud to make friendly with my partner’s body.”
“I would like to continue this discussion, but I’m kind of tired right now. It must be near midnight. You think the rescuing horde will be here in the morning what with all the white stuff coming down?”
“Sure, not a thing to worry about. Come over here and cuddle up with me, and get some shut eye, and then we’ll eat a big breakfast, and everything will look better.”
Doyle quickly followed Bodie’s instructions and tried to pull himself as close as he could next to Bodie’s naked body. Within minutes both men were asleep; their exhaustion was so complete that they scarcely moved until daylight.
Finally, feeling the call of nature, Bodie opened his deep blue eyes and looked down at the skinny urchin who lay cuddled in his arms. Bodie smiled and gently kissed the curls lying next to his mouth. He would have liked to have stayed there forever, but his bladder couldn’t wait so he gently moved Doyle so he wouldn’t hurt his wound and got up to use their impromptu loo.
When he returned to the blankets, he noticed two big green orbs following every move of his naked body. Turning so that Doyle could see every feature, he posed himself like a life model would and said, “You like what you see?”
Doyle’s eyes were still full of sleep, but Bodie could definitely tell that he had Doyle’s total interest - - or at least he thought he had until Doyle asked, “Where’s this big breakfast that you promised me?”
“Boy, that’s gratitude, you know that I don’t show this perfection to just anyone, don’t ya?”
“Pull the other one, Bodie. You show those rickety old bones to just about every female in and out of London. Remember when you tried to make time with that nurse while pulling that grenade out of her brassiere? We had just been partnered then and I still noticed how lascivious you were to a woman you hardly knew.”
“ Duh . . .”so what’s your point?”
“Well, why should I believe that you actually want to spend time with me, when you got a stable of beauties that you’re always rotating to keep ‘wee Willie’ happy.”
“I wish you’d stop using that word wee, you know that that phrase is an oxymoron, don’t you?”
“Did you say that your cock was a moron? Now how could you know that?”
“YOU’RE the moron, Angelfish. Here I am chasing the bad guys with you when I could be participating in extracurricular activities with Starla or Sheila or Renee or . . . .”
“Yeah, yeah, I get the idea. By the way what did you mean when you said that you didn’t want to share me with anyone?”
Bodie looked confused for a moment then he said with hesitancy, “But I said that last night, didn’t I? Just put it down to being overcome by that aftershave you’re wearin’. I got a face full of it, and it sent me into dreamland.”
“That does it, you lyin’ sod. I’m not wearin’ any aftershave - - that’s all me and since I’ve been running, getting shot, and forced to cuddle up with an eight-armed octopus to keep warm, I couldn’t be smellin’ too great, so I want the truth.”
“And what truth would that be?”
“BODIE, IF I WASN’T INJURED, I’d get up and smack you, but as I am not in my best shape, I want the truth - - why did you give up a three day vacation with a luscious bird, just to do duty with me?”
Bodie grabbed a piece of cloth that he had found earlier and wrapped it around his waist so that he was less exposed to those penetrating eyes. He walked over and built up the fire so that the room was at least livable, and then he turned back to face Doyle. He looked at the gorgeous face and said in a whisper, “I would rather be with you than any other person in the world. When I heard that you were going to be on duty with Pedersen, I couldn’t stand the idea that you’d be out on the streets without me to back you up. Pedersen is such a moron; he’d probably get you killed so I told Cowley that I wanted to work with you.”
There was silence in the small shack for several seconds and then Doyle’s ears picked up a familiar sound, “It sounds like a helicopter, doesn’t it?
Bodie tried to get the door open, but it wouldn’t budge due to the piled up snow and ice on the outside. He quickly rushed over to the fireplace and built up the fire so that more smoke would come out of the chimney. Soon, however, the sound of the helicopter faded away, leaving the two men alone with their thoughts and each other.
“Well, at least, it does show that people are up and about on this Christmas Day.”
“Yeah, but how long is it going to take for them to figure out that we’re buried here in this hut?”
Bodie came back over and stood by Doyle, looking down at the man who had entirely changed his life. “How’s your wound, sunshine?”
“You’re a good doctor, why don’t you see if our clothes are dry. I think we’re going to have to help ourselves, don’t you?”
“You can’t stand very long on that ankle; let me wrap it again, and I’ll see if we can find something to eat, and then maybe I can get out that one small window and see if I can clear some of the snow so we can get out.”
“Yeah, I’ll bet even Father Christmas couldn’t find us in this hut.”
Finding some tea bags and some more cans of food, Bodie made a hurried meal which left much to be desired and then he began to look around for something he could use as a shovel. Wandering over to the window, he studied the opening very carefully. “I don’t know about this, Ray, if I break the seal on this window and we don’t get out; it’s going to be very cold in here. I can’t really tell how much snow is piled up in front of it.”
By this time Doyle was dressed and hopped over to the window area, perusing the situation for himself. “You’re right, but as the man says, ‘You pays your ha-penny and takes your chances.”
“Who says that?”
“Anson’s said it numerous times.”
“Sounds like something that idiot would say. Well, I’m going to unseal the window and if an avalanche doesn’t come barreling through the open space, we know we got a chance.”
Bodie began to carefully clear away the sealant when he heard something. “Hey, listen.”
Doyle did exactly that and then he heard some scraping and it sounded very close. Both men listened carefully and then they stared at each other with very puzzled faces as they both heard a sound that sounded like, “Ho! Ho! Ho”, which sounded faintly human and another sound that didn’t sound so human.
“What is that?”
“It sounds like the grunting or honking from a reindeer, or maybe it’s just Anson passing gas.”
“Now how would you know that, Bodie?” Bodie looked very puzzled so Doyle further clarified, “I mean what reindeer sound like.”
“I’m an intelligent fellow, I am; sides I saw it on one of the little trailer things they have on at the cinema.”
“The only trailer I’ve seen at a cinema is one like a NAAFI canteen truck.”
“Very funny, ha! ha! I’m tellin’ ya that I hear some reindeer; you don’t suppose it’s Father Christmas?”
At the very moment that Bodie asked that question, the ice-sealed door gave way and blasted open sending minute particles of snowflakes into the shack, and there standing in all his glory was . . . Colin Murphy! The only red that he was wearing was his face from the exertion that he had had to use to clear away a path way to get to the shack’s door. As he moved slowly into the shack, finding no breath to continue his Ho! Ho! Ho, another figure behind him moved forward as well. Although he looked somewhat like an elf, it was clearly Chris Anson dressed in something that faintly resembled a green jacket that had seen much better days.
The four agents stood staring at each other; then Bodie found his voice and asked, “Where the hell did you come from?”
“Well, I could say the North Pole, but it really looked more like London.”
Doyle, looking totally mystified asked, “How did you find us?”
“My reindeer led us here. Didn’t you hear them grunting, and honking?”
Both Bodie and Doyle moved to the open door and looked out. Sure enough several yards away were a sleigh and six reindeer attached to it, with another individual sitting in the sleigh all huddled up, waiting for them. He was definitely bundled up but Bodie and Doyle could definitely see his long white hair, and a formidable white beard.
Murphy smiled and proclaimed, “That’s Mr. Nicholas. This is his shack that you’ve decimated, and those are his reindeer. He uses the sleigh to get around in when the snow gets this deep.”
“But, how did you find us?”
“You ought to know; we’ve been looking for you for several hours. Thank goodness you called in before the snow got to be a blizzard. We brought the helicopter to this vicinity and stayed overnight nearby and then started looking this morning. Didn’t you hear us earlier?”
“We did, but when you went away we figured it wasn’t us you were lookin’ for.”
“Well, once we spotted the smoke coming from the cabin, we chased down the owner of the shack and it was Mr. Nicholas. He volunteered to use his sleigh to get us here, and loaned us some shovels, and here we are.”
“Well, we owe Mr. Nicholas for the stuff we ate and the fuel we used, but Doyle’s injured so let’s be careful getting him out to the sleigh.”
While Anson and Murphy were helping Doyle get out to the sleigh, Bodie tidied up and emptied the bean can and tried to make the cabin look a bit better as well as dampening down the fire. As he moved toward the door to close it as best he could, he turned around and looked fondly at the small room, his face, taking on a smile of fond remembrance for the night he had spent there with Doyle, cuddled in his arms. What a great pressie for Christmas!
Within minutes the sleigh had taken them to the site of the helicopter. It was obvious that Doyle was still in pain, but he wasn’t complaining quite as much. Thanking Mr. Nicholas for his help, both Bodie and Doyle shook his hand and gave him £20 to compensate him for the mess they had made and the food they had eaten.
Mr. Nicholas dropped Bodie off at their car so he could drive it to London while the helicopter took to the air and was quickly in London, where Cowley awaited them at a hospital that was quite well-acquainted with CI5 agents. Doyle was quickly whisked into the A&E, while Bodie was questioned by the Controller about what happened as soon as he arrived. Since Murphy had already radioed in the location of Babbitt’s body, Cowley had sent a team to find Babbitt. “What’s this about you getting shot in the head?”
“How did you hear about that, sir?”
“I find that I can trust 6.2 to relay all messages to me, and 4.5 wanted to make sure that this news was passed along. Why didn’t you relay your injury to headquarters when you first called in the attack by Babbitt?”
“It wasn’t anything, sir. Don’t even have a headache now. You know metal hittin’ me in the head isn’t going to bother me? Bodie tried to smile and laugh, but he could tell that Cowley didn’t think it was funny, so his laugh quickly soured into a frown.
“You’ll wait here and go see the doctor. I have already informed the rescue team that they can have an extra two days off since their holiday was “interrupted”; you may as well have the same. Good job getting Babbitt, however, I did want to talk to him.”
“It was Doyle, who got him, sir.”
“Yes, so I understand. Well, you go to see the doctor, and I’ll go see how Doyle is; I suspect he will have to go on medical leave again. Between the pair of you; I’m sure that the insurance company is going to cancel our insurance.”
“Yes,sir. Maybe you ought to ask Father Christmas to do something about that.”
The dirty look that Cowley gave 3.7 sent the ex-merc on his way, but Bodie showed that he wasn’t cowered yet as he yelled, “Running all the way, sir.”
An hour or so later, Bodie exited from the A&E and ran into Murphy. “Hey, Murph what are you still doin’ here? Don’t you know, it’s still Christmas?”
“Well, to tell you the truth, I’m waitin’ for Doyle.”
“They’re dismissing him?”
“Yeah, he threw such a fit that they decided they wanted him out of here, so I got the job. How’s your head?”
“You know my head, tough as a wood block. How come you told on me to the Cow?”
“Doyle insisted. I couldn’t get him to settle down in the copter until I promised to tell Cowley that you needed to see a doctor. He’s quite the little ‘mother hen’, isn’t he?”
“I wouldn’t want to let him hear you say that, if I were you?”
“Yeah, well I better get goin’; I’m sure my patient is ready to get out of here. Oh, by the way, it is just a sprain so they wrapped it up and are giving him some sticks. You did a great job cleaning the wound so it just needed a bandage, but he’s definitely tender there so he’ll need a ‘nurse’ for a day or so, do you know one of his birds who will volunteer to take care of him?”
Bodie tried to keep his face neutral, but Murphy could see the emotion that Bodie was fighting to hide, “Yeah, yeah, I’ll take care of it.”
“Thanks, Bodie, now I’ll go rescue Mr.-I’m-not-really-hurt, and call it a day.”
Bodie rushed on ahead to Doyle’s flat and stocked it up with food and everything that he would need for the first few days of medical leave. Knowing Doyle, he would do everything he could to sneak out on the rules for medical leave and get back on the streets as soon as possible.
Bodie was just getting done with stocking the flat when Murphy and Doyle arrived. Doyle looked around for his “nurse”, but said nothing when he didn’t see one. Murphy looked like he was going to hang around for a while, but when Bodie announced that the ‘nurse’ wouldn’t want to have to treat another victim who looked even worse than Doyle did, Murphy promptly exited the flat.
Doyle immediately threw his sticks down on the floor and hopped to the settee where he promptly collapsed. Lying sprawled on the old but still usable settee, Doyle asked, with half closed eyes, “Where’s my nurse?”
“She couldn’t make it. Her pet hamster was ill, and she had to stay and nurse him back to health.”
“Oh, that’s just great; I come in second to a hamster.”
“Well, actually I think you’re about fifth, ‘cause right after the hamster is a cat that needs spayed, a gila monster that wants to commit suicide, and some kind of bird who keeps trying to be part of a gaol break.”
“Great, just great, so who did you get for me?”
“Well, there was only one person who was willing to give up their Christmas and Boxing Day holidays and come and sit with miserly old, Mr. Scrooge.”
“I’m not miserly, and please don’t tell me it was Pedersen.”
“I wouldn’t do that to you and you are miserly. Are you hungry? Father Christmas stocked your cupboards for once with some goodies that aren’t related to that bird feed that you eat.”
“Well, I am kind of hungry so what kind of things did the old gentleman bring me?”
“Well, there’s about 15 Swiss rolls out there, and some cheese and ham, and various veggies, and a nice looking turkey, and just all kinds of things. The poor old gentleman must be broke after that tour de force.
Hmmm! Maybe we should have invited Mr. Nicholas to the festivities.
“Well, he did us a favour but why should we invite him?”
“Didn’t you notice his first initial?
“What are you nattering at?”
“He told me his first initial was ‘S’ so that would make him ‘S. Nicholas’, and with that white hair and beard, he could be a perfect replica of the old gentleman himself.”
“I’m not going to invite anybody else to this shindig ‘cause they might want to gobble my Swiss Rolls.”
“Oh, those Swiss Rolls are yours now, are they?”
“Well, I figured I deserved a little compensation if I hang around tonight and cook supper and help nurse you.”
“I . . . I thought you might be havin’ a cosy Christmas with some bim . . . bird?”
“Nah, those Swiss rolls got better shapes than some of the birds I’ve been datin’ lately. I am prepared to ‘babysit’ with you, in return for those Swiss rolls, and my Christmas pressie.”
“What makes you think that I got you a Christmas pressie?”
“Well, I’ve been a good boy all year, and I saved that scrawny carcass several times this year so you owe me something.”
“Well as a matter of fact, I did get you something. It’s in the refrigerator.”
Bodie practically ran to the frig and opened the door to find a wrapped gift inside. Quickly he picked it up but since it as fairly heavy, he ostentatiously groaned and said, “Oh boy, this must be really something; it’s so heavy.”
Doyle’s smile didn’t seem especially sincere, but Bodie ignored Doyle’s look and began ripping the paper off the unknown pressie. After a few seconds, he had the present exposed and it was something in a large casserole bowl.
“Uh, what is it?”
“Remove the lid, you ignoramus, unless you got x-ray vision.”
“Oh yeah, I kinda of forgot.”
Carefully removing the lid, Bodie looked at a huge bowl of what looked like dead lima beans, laying in the dish in captivity. “Uh, them look like lima beans.”
“Yeah, I spent a lot of time before we started trailing Babbitt on cooking that, and there’s a special little surprise at the bottom.”
“And what would that be?”
“Some liver sausage! Ummmmm, boy, what a feast, sunshine.”
“Uh, I just remembered, I can’t stay for supper. I’ve got some very important things to do since I got hung up babysittin’ you in that shack for the last 24 hours. I’ll come back later and put you to bed, how’s that?”
Doyle stuck out his lower lip and looked pathetic. “You don’t like my pressie.”
Bodie’s heart melted as he saw the sadness on Doyle’s face.”
“Well, maybe I could stay for a bite of casserole and two or three of those Swiss Rolls.”
“Boy, you sure make me feel good, rejecting my culinary efforts, but since it’s almost Boxing Day, I guess I’ll forgive you. How about we order Chinese and then settle down for a long winter’s nap?”
“Yeah, that sounds great. You need to rest. I’ll make up my bed out here on the settee, and then maybe tomorrow for breakfast I’ll make you a humongous, splendiferous English breakfast like I promised you in the shack.”
“I like the part about the breakfast, but I want to cuddle up to my baby sitter tonight, just like I did in the shack.”
“You sure about that?”
“Well, I know I haven’t had a bath in a couple of days, but I didn’t think I was that bad.”
“Your odoressence is magnifique, Angelfish and doesn’t bother me at all. Believe me when I say that you smell like a pasture full of poppies compared to some of the places I’ve been. How about I help you into the bathroom and we rig up some protection for that thing you’re wearin’ on your leg and then I’ll give you my special bath, tailor-made for agents of CI5 who had to work on Christmas Day.”
Doyle smiled dreamily into Bodie’s blue eyes and said, “Sounds terrific; you know when I would hurt meself when I was a wee one, me mum would clean it, bandage it, and then give me a kiss to make it feel better.”
“You want me to kiss your shoulder?”
“I think there are a few other places that would be more appropriate, but we could begin there.”
Bodie smiled and handed Doyle his sticks, “Here you go. I’ll get everything we need and meet you in the loo.”
Doyle turned and made his way towards the loo. Just before he entered its threshold, he yelled out, “Stay away from those Swiss Rolls and bring my pressie with you.”
An hour later, the two men were cuddled up together in Doyle’s large bed. The paper remains of two Swiss Rolls lay on the floor along with some empty drinking glasses. Bodie’s satisfaction was replete. Doyle had got him a new jumper which matched his eyes, and a subscription to his favourite magazine. Doyle was wearing the silver chain that Bodie had given him, and he was on his tenth read of the cookbook that had cost a small fortune.
It was well after midnight and both men were extremely sleepy, but this was their first night together as lovers and they wanted to hold on to each moment. Bodie had kept his promise and had kissed Doyle’s injuries which somehow kept accumulating as Bodie moved around the glorious body. Suddenly, they heard a great deal of clatter on the windows of the flat. It sounded like gravel being thrown at it. “I wonder if it’s Mr. Nicholas with his reindeer?”
Going to the window, Bodie looked out and then smiled, “No, it’s not Father Christmas, but some snow has fallen, so let’s hibernate until the Cow sends somebody to dig us out.” With those words Bodie rushed the bed, grabbing Doyle and pulling the duvet over both of them.
Several minutes later, there was definitely a creature stirring, but it wasn’t a mouse. There was no doubt of its total happiness as it burst forth from under the covers, in a rapturous voice, “Ho! Ho! Ho!”
The End
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no subject
Date: 2017-12-05 07:20 pm (UTC)Thank for the note
Date: 2017-12-09 06:45 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2017-12-05 08:07 pm (UTC)What a nice compliment.
Date: 2017-12-09 06:46 pm (UTC)lbc
no subject
Date: 2017-12-05 09:11 pm (UTC)We had our first snow today.
Date: 2017-12-09 06:49 pm (UTC)lbc
no subject
Date: 2017-12-06 04:23 am (UTC)Thanks so much
Date: 2017-12-09 06:52 pm (UTC)lbc
no subject
Date: 2017-12-07 06:50 am (UTC)The lads do winter so well
Date: 2017-12-09 06:53 pm (UTC)lbc
no subject
Date: 2017-12-09 09:39 am (UTC)Glad you liked the twist
Date: 2017-12-09 06:55 pm (UTC)lbc
RE: Glad you liked the twist
Date: 2017-12-12 12:10 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2017-12-14 01:34 pm (UTC)Would I love to be snowed in with Ray Doyle?
Date: 2017-12-14 02:32 pm (UTC)lbc