Genre: General
Warnings: None
"Stop the car!" Captain HM Murdock suddenly called out, startling the inhabitants of the van from their stupor-like state. BA reacted immediately and the van came to a screeching halt, throwing both Face and Hannibal forwards.
"Captain?" Hannibal inquired sharply, obviously ready to attack. He turned to face Murdock who adopted his English lord-expression.
"It's tea time", he drawled. The others stared at him for a moment before reacting. Hannibal raised his eyebrows questioningly, Face rolled his eyes and BA turned in his seat to glare at the pilot.
"Crazy fool!" he yelled, "I'ma pound ya if my van's hurt!"
"Now, BA", Murdock continued in the same haughty British drawl, "Tea time is a most important aspect of a civilized gentleman's life."
"He's right, you know", Face agreed with a smirk. BA transferred his glare to the con-man and growled menacingly.
"BA, cool it", Hannibal ordered off-handedly before directing a stern look at Murdock. Face immediately wiped the smirk of his face and looked out the window. Their pilot was in trouble and he had no desire to join him. "Captain, I believe I've told you the story about the boy who cried wolf?"
The pilot looked down at his feet and nodded glumly, obviously getting the unspoken message. Hannibal had indeed told him the story, several times, and he knew its meaning quite clearly. It was just that sitting in a car all day was, well… boring. And then his imagination started reeling and somehow knitting entered his mind, which led to old ladies, whish led to old English ladies, which led to tea. And even though he knew it was childish and stupid and careless he called out.
"You have, Colonel", he admitted.
"And you remember it?"
Murdock nodded again, looking and feeling like a child who had just received a scolding. Their Colonel rarely needed to do more than direct a stern gaze at him and he would immediately cease his affronting behavior. Hannibal nodded and then turned away again, with a simple gesture ordering BA to drive on. Murdock kept gazing at his feet, looking subdued and fidgeting slowly with the zipper of his jacket.
"Colonel?" he ventured quietly after a moment of silence and was answered by a grunt, "I'm sorry."
Hannibal turned again and steadily regarded the pilot for a brief moment before nodding.
"Apology accepted, Captain", he confirmed with a quick smile. His grin widened as he turned around once again and spotted a diner down the road. "Pull over, BA", he ordered cheerfully, "Murdock's right. It is tea time."