That was wonderful! Poor Bodie, you really put him through the emotional wringer. I particularly enjoyed your description of Bodie's armour, and also this sentence: And Bodie slackened his iron grip at last, every movement becoming fluid and assured, suddenly full of the warm, beautiful knowledge that Ray trusted him to find his way across unknown ground, to know where Ray was and meet him there.
Thirty years on, and the fandom is still attracting talented writers. Thank you for sharing this.