I don't own the A-Team and I don't make any profit with my writing. Shame though, cause I could do with a little profit.
And for anyone who hasn't guessed it from the summary: This is in Frankie's POV.
The story was beta-read, any mistake remaining is mine and mine alone. Don't you dare keep one of 'em, or I'll have to sic BA on you ...
And, especially for my favourite Kitten: There's some Murdock in here, and there'll be more of him ...
BA's here... tinkering with something that has an awful lot of wires sticking out of it. I'm far from unfamiliar with electronics – as a matter of fact, I've always prided myself on being pretty good at it, but... What that man's doing sometimes is just over my head. Then again, we're working in different fields. He's doing bugs and trackers. Me, I'm doing remotes for explosives, mostly. So there is a slight difference... Ah hell, who am I trying to kid? The man's better than I am. Period.
It stings to admit it, even just to myself. Sometimes I wonder what he thinks of me. But the longer I know him, the more I come to the conclusion, that he doesn't at all. I don't think that's the way his mind works. He's not stupid, far from it. But he doesn't think too much about things, least of all things he can't change. And as it is, I'm stuck with those guys, and they with me. He knows that, so... Oh, well I don't know for sure, but I don't think he wastes a trifle thought on me. He's too practical for that.
Johnny on the other hand... he's left for the kitchen a while ago. Going to cook up something. Now, I don't know who the hell gave the man the idea he's a good cook. He just isn't. He thinks "getting creative with ingredients" means experimenting wildly, and throwing lots of stuff, he has no idea of what it really is, into a bowl and then shove it all into the oven. Really, if he planned the way he cooks... hang on, he does. The only weird thing is, with the planning, it works. He's pulling the strangest ideas from out of thin air, smashes them together and the plan's ready. I mean, I've always known that man has a screw loose, claiming to base his Aquaman on Hamlet... I used to think it was pretence, one of those unhinged ticks actors develop over the years. I mean, really! Aquaman and Hamlet! But the crack is, Johnny really meant it. He was always saying it with a grin and a crazy glint in his eyes, but deep down, he always meant it. The man's just crazy. Crazier than even Murdock on a level.
Oh, they're all crazy in their own way. I don't think they could even stand each other if they weren't. Not to speak of being friends and working together the way they are. They are the bloody A-Team, after all!
Take Murdock, for example. The man... I don't know, he gives me the creeps. He's so crazy at one moment, talking about when he was eating shaving cream. – And he's not just talking about it, I have no doubt he actually did it. That and other things. He just is crazy. So he's giving me that the one moment, and the next he's about to blow your head off. Okay, not exactly mine, which I'm terribly thankful for. I mean, it's no big secret that he doesn't like me. I think he's got the stupid idea I want to snatch his friends from him. Like that was possible at all! They couldn't be any closer if they were welded together! No matter, I still get the shivers when I think back to that day in the courthouse. How he stressed that they were his friends, not ours. I swear, my heart plummeted into my pants and I had a hard time not ending up smelly... shit my pants, that means. I guess all four of them can become dangerous, I mean really dangerous, on a personal level. But I think only Murdock can become ruthless. I think he's a bit paranoid about me getting between him and the others. Okay, Murdock doesn't have anybody but them, but that goes for the rest of them as well.
BA is a riddle. Doesn't seem like anybody's close to him. Doesn't seem like he'd want anybody close to him. Except the team, maybe. But I'm not even sure about that. He likes them, no doubt, but I think he could do just as well without them. He's a self-sufficient man if I ever saw one.
With Johnny, I don't really know, he's always been a very private person, almost paranoidly private. – Is there a word like paranoidly? There should be. But of course I know now why. He's been in this business for fifteen years or something, on the run from the authorities and with the responsibility of being the team leader. No wonder he got a bit paranoid over the time.
And Face, he's an orphan, for heaven's sake! If he can get along with me, why not Murdock?
Maybe it's really because Face likes me. I really think he does. I don't quite see why, but he obviously does. We spend time together. It can't be because we both love to socialise with pretty ladies. That's not a basis to build any kind of relationship on. I'm not sure what Face and I have, but it's definitely some sort of a relationship. Not a friendship. That could never be, I'm not in his league. We both know that. And, while being brutally honest with myself, I can admit it: We never will be in the same league, not even remotely. So, probably not friends but close acquaintances... If there is a thing like that.
I know I lack their class, it's a small miracle they drag me along. It can't be Stockwell. He was the initiator, I'd never be where I am now if it hadn't been for him. But if they couldn't work with me, they would have gotten rid of me, one way or the other. So, I guess I can take some pride in myself. I'm good enough to tag along. (Grinning stupidly to myself... hoping BA doesn't see it and grunt at me.) He does a great job at intimidating people. And although I know him pretty well by now, and know that he won't hurt me – not seriously, anyway – I still feel a bit queasy around him, especially when he gets that look.
It's almost two months since that disastrous trial, and I still have problems seeing the guys for what they are, especially Johnny. My God, he's been Johnny Smith, impersonator of D-movie film-monsters. I've known him for about four years, he's always been fun to hang around with. And then suddenly – WHAM! – they tell me, he's the head of the infamous A-Team. For a while, there've been ambitions in the business to turn the A-Team story into a film. Get the irony? Johnny knew about those ambitions. He could have made a fortune, but... God, I remember, he even once took part in a conversation we had about that. I was saying something like I'd want to work on that film, because they'd need a good F/X-man for all the bullets and explosions. And now – more irony! – I work not for the film, but the actual Team. Isn't that total madness? Back then, Johnny, very calmly and casually, said something like: "You'd get bored. It's always the same all over. Bullet-holes in furniture. Where's the fun in that?" I swear, that man deserves himself an Oscar for outstanding acting. I never even suspected. – But, in my defence, who'd ever suspect such a thing?
TBC