Pros fic - Snowdrops on the River Bank by Slantedlight

[byslantedlight]

For loxleyprince, who dashed me a prompt when I asked for one - the lads in a Capri in the middle of that river in Newport Pagnell park! Thank you!

Snowdrops on the River Bank
by Slantedlight

There were snowdrops, Doyle thought inconsequentially, in front of him on the riverbank. Delicate white against dark green, and spring must be on its way. He shivered, knew that didn't feel right. It couldn't be spring, he was cold. He took a breath, blinked again, and could suddenly hear as well as see, the world rushing back at him, Bodie's voice loud in his ear, Bodie's hand warm and heavy on his shoulder, shaking him.

The river water, flooding in through the broken windscreen in front of him, brown and wet and fucking freezing.

"Yeah!" he managed, shrugging at Bodie's hand, and reaching up to rub his aching head. He was fine, they were on a job, he had to be fine. And if the water was getting in, then they could get out that way as well. "I'm alright - le's go!"

Even as he said it Bodie was grinning at him, turning the butt of his gun on the remaining glass, and bashing it out in front of them. The water streamed in, but the Capri seemed to be about as submerged as it was going to get, settled solidly onto the sludgy river bottom, and they crawled out through the space, stood ankle-deep in water on the bonnet and surveyed their position. A woman with a kid in a stroller was standing on the path by the snowdrops, staring at them in horror, and further along, on the bridge they'd raced over earlier, in hot pursuit of Alimad's kidnappers, a small crowd was gathering.

Worse still he could hear Cowley's voice on the other bank behind them.

"You'd think he'd be pleased," Bodie said. "Alimad'd be halfway back to Bulanel if we hadn't sacrificed our all to block 'em off like that."

"Nah, he had to get his shoes damp in that mud," Doyle tried, but he was feeling dizzy now that he was standing still, in fact he was swaying, and...

Bodie's hands caught his shoulders, kept him upright, a warm, solid support.

"...and there's duckweed in the motor," he finished, met Bodie's eyes, and suddenly they were both giggling, standing there in the middle of the river, determinedly not looking back to where Cowley was directing the local back-up in the fine art of arresting people who'd pissed him off.

Bodie didn't let go of him this time, either, and he rested his own hand on Bodie's shoulder in turn, just until the dizziness left him, another bloody concussion, no other reason. And if the touch steadied him, and warmed them both in every other way, then it was no one's business but their own.

"Come on then," he said at last. "Thinkin' about it's worse than doing it."

"Yeah." Bodie turned to look from one bank to the other. "You know the first rule of crossing a river though, don't you?"

Doyle looked at him, meaning it to be cynical, suspected it was something else from the way Bodie looked back. "No, what's the first rule of crossing a river?"

"Always, my son, but always cross to the nearest bank." And with another of those looks, Bodie steered him to step down into the cold - the fucking freezing - river water, and together they pushed through the mud and the muck towards the woman and the stroller, there among the snowdrops.




It ain't great, but it matches the pictures, right? *g*

Comments

[siskiou.livejournal.com]

Oh, you did it!
Very nice slice of action (or *after* the action).
It all fits, and you are there, too! :)
I liked the subtle h/c, and Doyle waking up to find himself right in your pictures, snowdrops and all.
Hopefully Cowley will offer them something to warm up with later!

This job is going to work out just fine! *g*

[byslantedlight.livejournal.com]

I actually wrote Pros fic! *g* And yeay, I',m glad you liked it - thank you! I reckon if Cowley leaves them alone they'll find a way to warm up just nicely.... *g*

Crossing my fingers about the job - until the very end, today was quite nice again! Course that was with one of them at school... *g*

[firlefanzine.livejournal.com]

Good that Bodie knows how to cross a huge river!
And this is you, staring at them in horror? ;-)
A very nice night fic! Thank you!

[byslantedlight.livejournal.com]

That was me and A. staring at them in horror (we'd gone back in time, too *g*) Thank you - I'm glad you liked it! *g*

[milomaus.livejournal.com]

Heeeee!!! What a lovely, lovely story to wake up to!!
With snowdrops and h/c and laughing!!
So great that your new job already works along with writing!!

[byslantedlight.livejournal.com]

Oh yeay, thank you! *g* It gives me hope that I may yet be awake enough for writing after work! *g*

[loxleyprince.livejournal.com]

It's FABULOUS!!!
He was fine, they were on a job, he had to be fine.
Awww! Bless! *g*
And thenn you give us:-
looking back to where Cowley was directing the local back-up in the fine art of arresting people who'd pissed him off.
That is sooo what Doyle would be thinking. :-)
And the lady with the stroller!!! *vbg*
WONDERFUL!
I think you've done BRILLIANTLY with the prompt!

[byslantedlight.livejournal.com]

Aw, thank you! I'm glad you liked it. *vbg*

[gilda-elise.livejournal.com]

I was wondering about them standing in the middle of a river. I kept thinking it was the River Thames, which, of course, would make no sense at all. *g* But this fits the pictures nicely. Well done!

[byslantedlight.livejournal.com]

Lol - it's the River Ouse (pronounced ooze!) down here! And thank you! *g* It was a clever prompt from loxleyprince!

[solosundance.livejournal.com]

Ah, I love it - and great to have pitchers! Excellent final line (hee! to Bodie's first rule for crossing a river). Poor Capri though...

[byslantedlight.livejournal.com]

I know, poor soggy Capri. Bet they work miracles every day in the car pool though... *g* Yeay that you like it - thank you! *g*

[snailbones.livejournal.com]

Yay! Fabulous - not only giggly and wonderful, but illustrated too. And I love how calm you are the lady with the stroller is... *g*

[byslantedlight.livejournal.com]

Hee - I guess A. and I were just shocked by not only going back in time, but seeing our lads flying into the river in their Capri... *g* I'm glad you liked it - thank you! *g*

[macklingirl.livejournal.com]

Oh, they killed the Capri again. *g*

It is good to see that you are writing again. And the pictures fit perfect into the little story. :-)

[byslantedlight.livejournal.com]

Heeeee! I bet the car pool can do great things with CI5 vehicles! *g*

And yeay for writing - it gives me hope for this job! Thank you!