A few months ago I discovered fan fiction. After spending months reading here and getting absolutely hooked on some of the stories, I finally had inspiration strike.
While I don't own the A-Team and would appreciate you not suing me, I wouldn't mind if they stopped by for a visit.
As B.A. pulled the van out of the driveway of the client they had just helped, the van was quiet. Face was in his usual spot, notebook open, comparing expenses accrued to payment received from the case. It was a rarity, but today they managed to actually come out ahead. Hannibal sat in the front passenger seat, lit cigar in hand, missing the fact that this time they weren't being chased by Decker as they left town. It had been a while since they had the privilege of leading Decker on a goose chase. He contemplated phoning in an anonymous tip to him just for kicks. It was looking to be a quiet ride back to the city.
Briefly, B.A.'s eyes glanced in the rearview mirror at Murdock, who sat staring out the window with a stare that saw more than the passing miles. "Fool," B.A. muttered to himself. "Probably hoping he remembered to feed Billy before we left."
Hannibal and Face both heard B.A.'s mutterings, but Murdock seemed lost in his own world. Granted, they were used to Murdock's world by now, a world that included Billy, Bogey Bear, Captain Cab, the Golf Ball Liberation Army, and a laundry list of other personas and characters.
"Captain?" Hannibal turned to face his Captain. His voice was the first to speak in the van since they left.
"Yeah, Colonel. I'm alright." Murdock's words did little to convince the others.
Hannibal glanced at Face, who had set down the financial notebook upon hearing Murdock's sullen words. Their eyes exchanged a brief conversation and Face gave an almost imperceivable nod. He'd find out what was bothering Murdock. Over the next few hours of their return trip back to Face's latest scammed condo, Face tried engaging Murdock in conversation with no luck. He tried asking about Billy, about the brand new chopper he had managed to get for Murdock to fly, but before long he was grasping at straws just trying to get Murdock to say something. He eventually gave up, went back to the financial notebook, and let Murdock think he had him fooled pretending to be asleep.
It wasn't until later when all four of them sat in the living room of the condo disassembling, cleaning, and reassembling the weapons stash that Murdock's thoughts finally found the way from his mind to his tongue. Among the general chit chat about Face's latest date-gone-awry, the lack of plot in the new Aquamanic movie, and hearing about the latest update about B.A.'s mama, Murdock's voice broke through the general noise.
"Did you guys get a look at those boys?"
Hannibal stopped, mid assembly of a gun, and locked eyes with his Captain. "Boys, Murdock?"
"Yes sir. Those little boys of Clark's. When we left, they were sitting there, side by side, both going to town on popsicles. Didn't have a care in the world, just sittin' there on the porch swing, just enjoying being brothers sharing summer popsicles."
B.A. just shook his head silently. Face looked first at Murdock, then at Hannibal. They knew where this was going. It was something that came up every so often for both Face and Murdock, but had become more and more infrequent in the passing years.
"Fool can't see what's right in front of that crazy head of his," B.A. growled.
"Murdock," Face asked him, "How old were those boys? What, about 3 and 6 years old?"
"A little too young to be cleaning automatic weapons, I think," Hannibal's eyes twinkled and he smirked over his cigar at Face and B.A.
"Strange how you can miss someone you never had," Murdock had set down his gun and was now just playing idly with a cleaning rag.
"Or talk to imaginary dogs," B.A. muttered.
Murdock's brown eyes shot B.A. a hurt look. "Billy's as real as any brother I've every had. Besides, just cause you can't see him doesn't mean he's not there. Maybe you're just not looking with the right set of eyes."
"Murdock..." Face's voice was almost annoyed by now. "Who put all of us together?"
"Hannibal."
"And who managed to get an ice cream birthday cake for your birthday in the middle of the jungle?" Face reminded him.
"You did."
"Who pulled countless half-brained stunts to get us out of impossible places and made me refuse to ever fly again?" B.A. growled at Murdock. He still didn't appreciate the fact that somehow, he still managed to wake up on a plane frequently.
"And who," Hannibal piped up, "has stitched you up so many time I've seen more of you than your mother ever did?"
Murdock both chuckled and grimaced at the memory of the last place Hannibal had to stitch him up. That was not something he wanted to experience again. "You did," he said sheepishly. Murdock suddenly was aware of what they were doing and jumped up off the couch and started pointing his finger at Face.
"And who has covered for you more times than you can count when it comes to a woman?" Murdock grinned and wagged in finger at Face.
"And who," he spun around to stare at B.A., "Is your always and forever blood brother?"
B.A. responded by raising a clenched fist at Murdock, but couldn't stop the grin that was behind it. "Crazy fool, don't make me sick our mama on you!"
All was quiet for a split second, then Murdock grabbed his hat and headed out the door, calling after him, "Be back in a few, gotta take Billy out for a run!"
The remaining three just shook their heads at each other and went back to assembling the weapon stash. Murdock returned a few minutes later, grinning from ear to ear, and proudly ripped into the box he brought back from the corner gas station.
"Popsicles, anybody?"