THE NEW AVENGERS - "Fresh Wounds"
Written by
Chris Harvey
Fan Fiction based on THE NEW AVENGERS TV series and characters...
Disclaimer: Sadly, I do not own The New Avengers, nor the characters of Steed, Gambit and Purdey. They belong to The Avengers (Film and TV) Enterprises, and are used without permission for entertainment purposes only. No copyright infringement intended
Timeline: This story is set in the gap between OBSESSION and THE LION AND THE UNICORN (early July 1977 (actually starts Monday 4th July) based on the timeline established in Andrew Pixley's book THE AVENGERS FILES.
Cast: Purdey, Gambit, Steed (so far)
Summary: A few weeks after the traumatic events in OBSESSION, Purdey is still in emotional turmoil after Gambit's shooting of Larry Doomer, and Gambit is riddled with guilt and sleepless nights for being the one responsible for firing the fatal bullet. But Steed has decided - and persuaded Mother - to keep their counselling "in the family" - within the triumvirate - at least in the first instance. Now, on this hot summer's day in early July, Purdey awaits Gambit's arrival at her flat before the two are to head off on an assignment... Meanwhile Steed is off on a secret mission of his own...
Author's Notes: WORK IN PROGRESS. I should stress that I don't actually know where this story is going but I've decided to upload it - better to share than to keep locked away, I think. Besides, there's such a small amount of NEW Avengers FanFic out there, that every little extra is surely most welcome! It's my first attempt at TNA FanFic (though I'm hardly new to creative writing - I write, screenplays, short stories and have "started" several novels). By all means read, review and point out any canon/continuity/character errors, just keep it constructive is all I ask. I've been a fan of the show since 1976 and must have watched each episode scores of times, but even so I don't claim to know everything about the world of TNA (yes, I could have sent it out for beta reading, but decided to put it up in the first instance - if nothing else it gets my first piece up on here - and it's never set in stone!). Hope you enjoy!
"Because of Berlin... It was years ago - the first time I went over the wall. I picked up three bullets and a fractured thigh. Traumatic. I felt like jelly. As soon as I could walk, they made me go over it again. The best way to destroy a fear is to face it, you see..." John Steed to Purdey, "Obsession"
Purdey slid the fastener of the suspender belt through the fine mesh of her stocking top and adjusted it with strong but nimble fingers until it was just right. Happy with things, she pulled down the hem of her skirt, lifted her foot off the chair and lowered it to the floor.
Sitting on the edge of the bed, she started to pull on her boots. She snatched a glance at her watch then compared it to the bedside alarm clock. She would be decent before Gambit arrived. No foot up on a chair revealing sexy L-shaped curve of calf and thigh; no inviting stocking-top on offer; no suggestive zipping up of "kinky" boot. The guy was incorrigible!
A part of her - though she would never admit to it of course, being the lady she was - was always pleased to tease, especially where Mike Gambit was concerned, for, as certain as night followed day, he was certain to take the bait. She knew he would bed her given half the chance, but she never did give him the chance. Probably never would, although - again - a part of her wanted to, but she would never admit that either. Never say never though - Gambit was a handsome man. Sexy, yes. Tough, resilient - afterall, he was a trained killing machine. But then he could also be a soft puppy dog, charming in a playful way, and very funny. Yet it was exactly these extremes of his character - the lethal, hard, rugged trained killer at one end of the spectrum and the sensitive, soft-underbellied little boy at the other end - that was part of his appeal. Though, again, she went to great pains never to tell him all this. It wasn't difficult to inflate his already substantial ego.
All this and the fact that Mike Gambit would put himself between a bullet and she if ever it came to it. And he would kill for her, no question - as had been proved many times. And the one time - very recently when she had wished he hadn't killed for her, and he had done just that. But her emotions had been off the scale in the immediate aftermath - it was, without doubt, the single most traumatic incident in her life - and it had clouded her judgement. She had actually hated Gambit for, thankfully, a short period - when the red mist of trauma had clouded her vision, filled her head to bursting. Yet, emotions aside (exactly as she should be judging things, as a level-headed Department employee) it had been a simple choice: the other man's life, or hers. And in the blink of an eye, Gambit had made that choice. The right choice. The man had had a gun pointing right at her - was actually about to pull the trigger - But the extra honed, hair-trigger reflexes and speed of Mike Gambit had just beaten the other man's finger to the trigger.
But this wasn't any old enemy spy, villain, or rogue agent.
This had been the man she loved. Or at least had done; once...
The painful memories of Larry Doomer suddenly came as a wave from nowhere again, threatening to wash over and drown her, but she quickly pushed them away, focussing her thoughts back on the here and now. She could normally keep her feelings at bay, so long a she didn't spend too much time with her own thoughts. Which is exactly why she liked to keep busy, and her job with the Department working with Steed and Gambit provided just the distraction she needed to stop the thinking becoming too much.
Most of the time anyway...
Heaven forbid the day should come when she had too much spare time. She honestly didn't know how she'd cope. And right now, she didn't want to think about that either.
But the psychological wounds caused by the death of Larry Doomer were still fresh and painful wounds; so tender. Unsurprising as it wasn't even a couple of weeks since the incident. Oh, violence and death came with the job, and you quickly got used to that - had to get used to it - at least as much as any human being could get used to death. And killing. But if you couldn't handle such unpleasantries, and indeed downright personal danger, then a job with the Department wasn't for you. This had crossed Purdey's mind several times in the emotional turmoil that had engulfed her immediately after Mike Gambit had put a fatal bullet into Doomer's body, but it didn't last long, and now she wanted her job with the Department more than ever. Made her even more determined - and even more of a tough cookie than ever. Adversity could be a great strengthener, an effective character builder.
No, there was no danger of Purdey resigning. They'd have to fire her first. Or someone kill her.
She finished zipping up the second boot, blew out a sigh and stretched to her feet. With her fingers, she eased a gap between the beaded curtain that separated her bedroom from the main living quarters of her "purple-themed" (as Gambit had once referred to it) flat and stepped through. Standing before the mirror, she smoothed down the front of her blouse and appraised herself up and down. She looked good, even if she admitted it herself, and despite only being awake less than an hour, there was virtually no remnant of sleep-heaviness in her features. Her make-up was expertly applied and pristine as always (not too heavy) defining the perfectly defined bone structure of a beautiful face - a bone structure many women would kill for. Indeed, one could be forgiven for thinking this beautiful woman had not a care in the world...
She needed cheering up. And the sun was indeed now shining outside. There had been a summer storm just an hour or so ago and the heavy rumble of thunder had woken her - beating her alarm clock to the task by several minutes. The sudden and torrential downpour that followed had been heavy - the rain drumming relentlessly against the windows, sounding like an onslaught of dried peas... And then it ended as suddenly as it had begun. She had lain beneath the thin bed sheet, quite glad of the cloudburst - the last few days had been extremely hot and humid - almost unbearably so - and she hoped that the downpour would quench the hot earth; freshen things up a little at least.
Purdey walked over to the kitchen area to put on some coffee. Gambit would be here any minute and she would have a cup ready for him. Although, with the day turning warm already, she wondered if he might prefer juice. No matter; she'd ask him when he arrived.
She reached for the coffee, opened it and started to spoon it into the percolator.