Never again (one shot to "One more time")

Disclaimer: I guess I have to say it again, because it is sooo implausible, that people who write FAN fiction don't own the things they write about: I DON'T own The A-Team, not yet, not now, not ever :'( Everything you might recognise is definitely not mine.

Warnings: Spoiler for "One more time" (Season 1), if you haven't watched it you might not understand the story.

This little chapter features Amy and Murdock (Happy Birthday, Dwight Schultz!) and their feelings during "One more time".

Enjoy!

It was a perfectly normal day on the VA. Murdock was really bored, even though the new animal-therapy was quite nice. He just couldn't help it there hadn't been a word from his team in months. Even annoying the poor nurse with his monkey talk and singing didn't provide the diversion he needed so much. It was a real relief, when he heard the phone ring, maybe his team needed him once more, maybe they got a client.

He picked up the phone: "I'm sorry, but you've reached a disconnected number. Now if you feel you've reached this recording in error, how do you think I feel?"

"Hey Murdock!", he was greeted, but it wasn't one of his guys, it was Amy. Something was up. The whole time since Amy began to work with the team she had only once called him. The last time she called him BA had been shot.

His reply was cheery, but on the inside he fell apart.

And than she said it: "The guys have just been caught by Lynch!"

Slowly the words filtered through. It couldn't be true, it just couldn't.

"What?", he asked. "What happened?"

And didn't want to believe it, yet he knew it was true. The guys, his team, his family, had been caught. There would be no more outbreaks, no more flying. He had to get them free.

He would get them out, even if the security was lifted, like Amy said and he would have to get them out all on his own. After all he was the self-proclaimed "King of Crazy"!

The next minutes went by in a blur, giving Amy instructions, providing distraction, breaking out of the VA.

Luck was on his side for he straight away found a bakery truck and used it to escape.

"You gotta stay with your unit."

Like a mantra he kept repeating it on the whole way towards Amy.

When he reached Amy he was singing, just to keep his mind from analysing everything that could go wrong. Singing always helped him, as did pretending to be someone else. He could slip into his role completely and forget all his trouble.

This time he would really have to put on a hell of an act, after all he had to be Face, talking his way in the military station, where his buddies were kept, coming up with a plan, like Hannibal would and protecting Amy like only BA could. He wasn't sure if he could do it, but as he reached Amy he put on a confident smile nevertheless.

Getting in proved to be easy, but they stood there quite a while with their truck for any sign of the A-team.

Every second someone could come their way, could question their presence, but luck was on their side. Nothing happened.

Finally Murdock saw them, his guys, they seemed to be all right, only BA was unconscious,. They were going to fly. Murdock was confused, why the hell were they flying, where were they going?

He followed their car with his truck all the way to a little airport. Determined not to let them out of sight.

Amy noticed that something was wrong with Murdock. Even though he chattered away like always, making jokes, acting crazy, she knew something was wrong. Of course it was, his team was in danger after all.

He was however hiding his concerns really good, if it hadn't been for all the little signs she might never have noticed. But if he was joking, he somehow didn't seem to be in it wholeheartedly. He kept drumming on his steering wheel, whenever the car they were following disappeared behind a bend. And when they held on the airport he just couldn't sit still, he was wringing his hands, yearning to do something.

He sprang into action as soon as he knew they had to leave by plane.

Only seconds later Murdock got out of the barn in a flight suit, he had knocked the other pilot out in BA style.

As soon as she saw him, Amy could tell, that he didn't want her to come with him. He was anxious that he would do something wrong, that she would get hurt. Still there was no way that Amy would let the fragile pilot alone now, so she all but forced her way in.

It wasn't like Murdock could do anything about it, if he didn't want to lose his team.

With a sarcastic "I love it when you're angry", he resigned into his fate.

At that moment Murdock almost seemed normal, but being on the plane with him reminded Amy how worried her friend really was.

Flying with Murdock normally was quite an adventure, he would make his "jibber-jabber" commentaries, like BA would say, if he ever was conscious at take-off.

Flying, the crazy pilot did always seem so carefree, flying seemed so easy with him at the controls. But not this time, this time there was no whooping. Her pilot was completely focused.

That didn't mean that the flight had been silent. Murdock kept making his nonsense comments, if to distract her or himself she couldn't tell.

Murdock really hadn't wanted to take Amy with him. If something happened to her because he wasn't good enough, after all he was no Hannibal, he would never forgive himself.

During the flight he noticed how Amy gazed at him in concern. She knew he wasn't al right. Still he had to keep on the act, pretend to be in control. He had to look after her.

That was easier said than done. His thoughts kept going in circles.

What if he was to late? What if he failed his team? What if something happened to Amy? Where were they going? What did they want with his team? Would he be on time?...

It was driving him crazy. There was nothing he could do, other than following the plane.

In front of the camp:

When he saw them jump out of that plane, the Captain knew he had to follow immediately. Without wasting any time he made Amy jump and followed her down. After quite some time searching the woods here they were, staring at the enemy camp.

They hadn't been there for long when they learned that the team was being held prisoner.

Murdock was on his own once more.

Coming up with a plan was hard for him. Sitting outside the camp in the bushes, with no contact to either of his team mates. Heck, he didn't even know what was happening in there.

Murdock had finally come up with a plan when it happened.

The camp had been quiet for a while, but suddenly there was movement. They got Face out of the hut, they placed him in front of the buildings, they were going to...

"No", was the only thing Murdock could think. "They can't do that!"

Like in trance he watched as the enemy attempted to execute his best buddy. He watched as Face was tied, watched as he tried to scam his way out, it all seemed so unreal. He could only sit there and watch, caught up in a living nightmare.

It was only when Face asked for cigarettes that Murdock snapped out of trance, his buddy rarely ever smoked, it destroyed the whiteness of his teeth.

That could only mean, that Hannibal had a plan.

Murdock watched tensely every movement on the place, ready to spring in whenever needed. He watched as the soldiers took aim at the Lieutenant, desperately wanting to help, but it wasn't time yet. He didn't even know what he was waiting for, but he trusted in his CO.

He saw the big screw fly, that made the oil barrels leak. Murdock sighed with relief, now that he now their plan he would just have to wait for the right moment to interfere. As soon as Face made the barrels explode with the cigarette he had to be ready.

But then the unthinkable happened. Instead of making a nice, big explosion the fire of the cigarette just drowned in the oil.

Murdock knew he had to do something now or it would be to late. He told Amy to shoot the barrels, causing an explosion like Hannibal intended.

The next minutes went by quick. He kept throwing dynamite as the team fought its way out and got on the chopper, BA with a bit persuasion in the form of a well aimed hit on the back of his head. Now Murdock only had to get them out of there.

Again Murdock wasn't whooping at the take-off, but this time he just couldn't. He felt faint with relief and was shaking slightly. If one of his passengers noticed nobody mentioned it. They didn't even look surprised to see him there. They knew he would always come for them, he had always been there when they needed him, like they were always there for him. They were a unit.

Suddenly Murdock felt Hannibal's steady hand on his shoulder.

"Well done kid", the Colonel grinned, one of his trademark cigars in the corner in his mouth.

Murdock shrugged: "You gotta stay with your unit."

But silently he hoped, he would never have to do this again.

I wasn't quite sure if I should post this, after I wrote this...

I originally planned to make this a series of one shots and to update whenever one of the episodes inspire me to do so, but somehow the idea seemed better in my head and now that I wrote it down I'm not that confident about it any more. I am not really happy with how this came out to be, so please review, I really need to know what you think. And if you have any ideas how to make this better please tell me!

I may delete this...