A/N: Some of this may be a little off, but I wrote it up real quick. I'm sorry if Murdock doesn't QUITE seem like Murdock, but that's because he's upset.
The store was called Wal-Mart and they needed some food and supplies. Hannibal sent Face to do the job, as expected whenever the team needed to get something. B.A. refused to leave his van until it was perfectly fixed and Murdock was eager to get out.
So Face found himself sitting in the Corvette with H.M. Murdock as the hyper pilot slapped his hands down on his knees to the beat of the song playing on the radio.
But Face hardly minded, Murdock was his best friend. They were probably the closest of the four, Face having the patience with Murdock and listening to him. Murdock, in turn, was a great person to confess your problems to. He listened and Face would trust Murdock with his life. They clashed like salt and pepper, their relationship one that Hannibal and B.A. couldn't match with.
The Wal-Mart parking lot was full, it was a Thrusday afternoon. Face found a parking spot and the two men hopped out of the car, going towards the store enterance.
"Why do they call it 'Wal-Mart' ?" Murdock was wondering, reaching up to adjust his cap.
Face shrugged, stepping through the automatic doors. "I really don't know. Get me a cart."
Murdock trotted over to the cart area and grabbed the handle bar of the first cart, pulling back a little too sharply. The cart flew out and Murdock fell backwards onto his bottom, the cart rolling over his legs. "I'm okay!" He shouted out to no one in particular, shaking his head.
Everyone who was in the room, which was about ten people, snickered, pointing. Face glared around at them all, feeling both irritated and embaressed.
Irritated because naturally, Murdock was being made fun of.
Embaressed because...well...he just fell over.
Murdock jumped to his feet, rubbing his bottom, and giving Face the thumbs up. Many heads all turned in sync to look at Face, and when he realized most of the looks were pity, he got even more irritated.
Face walked briskly over to where Murdock was straightening his hat out and grabbed his upper arm, pulling him towards the other doors.
"Hey, don't we need the cart?" Murdock asked, reaching out for the cart as he was hauled off. The snickers continued.
"We'll get a basket inside. Come on." Face muttered through his teeth, dragging the pilot through the doors. The store was cool and the air was buzzing with conversation amongst the shoppers.
Someone came through the doors behind the two with his wife and young son. When he recognized Murdock, he paused an tapped him on the shoulder.
"Hey, buddy. Don't fall over that wet floor sign over there, alright?" He chuckled and moved off after his family.
Murdock shrugged, not getting the pun. "I'll try not to." Turning to Face, he said, "That was nice. I'm glad he warned me about that."
Face cringed a bit and patted Murdock's shoulder. "He was making fun of you."
Murdock went silent and Face led them down the enterance to the hair care products. Murdock stood still for exactly thirty seconds before squirming a little. Face picked up bottle after bottle of shampoo, reading the labels over carefully and Murdock was getting bored. "Can I go over to the toys? Pleeeease?" He nearly begged, grabbing up a bottle of shampoo and opening the lid to sniff it's contents.
Face sighed and reached for another bottle. "Yeah, just don't break anything."
Murdock grinned widely and chucked the bottle over his shoulder, scampering off down the narrow isle. Face shook his head and went to retrieve the bottle. Before he sat it back on the shelf, he happened to glance at the label and saw that this was exactly what he was looking for.
Thanks Murdock. He thought, amused.
After choosing another bottle just in case, Face left the asile to go find Murdock, reading the signs above to find the toys section. Then he wondered if Murdock had actually went the right way...
Face glanced down one asile, saw only a pair of boys browsing through some racecars, and went on down to the next asile.
He barely paid any attention when a tall figure rode by pretty quickly on a bike, being followed by two workers shouting at whoever to stop now. Face snorted on his laughter and looked up again at the chase only to gasp and then groan.
Great, just what he needed.
Getting annoyed, he hurried after the workers and Murdock. He caught up with the workers and the red headed one looked over at him. "Do you need something?"
Face shook his head. "That's my friend..."
The worker rolled her eyes. "And you didn't keep him at the 'Special Place' ?"
Face, confused, didn't asnwer right away before he figured out what this girl was talking about. They turned a corner into the frozen foods isle.
"He is NOT retarded!" Face spat, glaring at the girl.
She opened her mouth to reply, but they all stopped when Murdock rode right into that long cooler of frozen meats and suasages. The bike went over on its front wheel before falling over and Murdock was sent flying into the cooler.
The area just literally errupted with laughter, something Face only thought possible on TV. Murdock lifted himself off his stomache, shifting to a sitting position on the meats and shaking his shaggy head. Face ground his teeth together and stalked ahead of the workers to the cooler, earning a half-smile from Murdock.
"That was awesome!" He whispered excitedly.
Face gave him a non-funny laugh and a disappointed expression. "Yeah. You're in trouble."
Murdock looked over Face's head as the workers approached, looking overly annoyed. "You are going to be paying for all of those." The male one ground out as the girl yanked the bike upright.
"Pay for what? The bike?" Face asked, reaching for his wallet.
The male pointed down under Murdock and Face leaned over to see what Murdock had really landed on. He had been wrong, it was eggs. There was egg yolk running out half of the cartons.
Face sighed. "How much?"
As they conversed, Murdock climbed out of the cooler, obvlious to the egg yolk splattered all over the back of his cargo pants. He stood, bouncing slightly on his heels, beside Face. People were still giggling and some had called over others from different isles to see the scene.
Once the eggs had all been paid for and the two workers were out of earshot, Face turned towards the crowd, glaring feircely. "Don't you all have something better to be doing?" He growled angerly.
"How'd a hansdome young fellow such as yourself pick up this nut?" Asked a fake-blond woman.
"It's ovbious, isn't it? Pretty boy over here is from a website. One where losers can order friends because no one else wants to be theirs." A round man added, getting another round of laughter from the gathering crowd.
Face's hands balled up into fists as he tried to calm himself. "You would know about that site, wouldn't you?"
A few people from the crowd "Oooohed" and Face smirked smugly.
Someone with a mullet stepped forwards and crossed his arms over his chest. "Seriously, where'd this looney come from?"
Face stepped closer as well, challenging this guy. "A mom. Just like me. Just like you. If you had been through everything we have been through, you'd probably be the same, maybe worse."
"And that is?" He asked.
"War?" Face stated, more like a question of asking.
The crowd all began to murmer something and the mullet dude rasied his eyebrows, nodding slowly. "And is this supposed to prove anything?"
Face shot him a look and turned to speak with Murdock when he realized the pilot was no where to be seen. Face turned back to the crowd that was now breaking apart. "Hey! Did anybody see him leave?"
An elderly woman passing by Face nodded, looking at him with pity. Face reared up again. "He just turned and headed off in that dirrection, looking upset. I'm sorry, people shouldn't act this way. I hope you don't have to go through anything like this again." She then smiled sincerely and went off down the way. Face watched her go then nearly ran off in the dirrection she had pointed out.
Everything began to blur by as Face began to panic, picking up his pace. He was halfway through the store when he realized he had left the basket and shampoo sitting back in the toys isle. But that wasn't the big issue right now. He felt the phone in his jeans pocket and automaticaly reached down for it, only to remember that Murdock was the only team member that didn't carry his on him, since he usually lost it all the time. Swearing under his breath, Face considered going to the front and asking for the worker to brodcast his message, like whenever a mother loses her child in the store. But that would only get more snickers and points.
He kept moving along, slower this time, not missing any isles and clothing racks. Then he had a thought, and began heading towards the back of the store to the restrooms. He flung the men's room door open and stepped in, immedeiatly going to the stalls. Each stall was empty and there was no other place to really hide in here. Frustrated, Face left the room and then noticed the family restroom. He curiously went over and grabbed the handle, turning, but it was locked.
He knocked once just to see, and a muffled voice shouted, "Occupied!"
"Right, I'm sorry." Face called through the door and turned to continue his search when he froze, thinking about that voice. It sounded fimilar, though a little cracky. He spun back to the door and knocked again.
"I said-"
"Murdock, open the door!" Face ordered, a small part of his mind telling him that if this really wasn't Murdock, he was giong to be really embaressed.
But he was lucky. "Go away, Face."
"I think other people need to use this restroom." Face bluffed.
"There's another one at the front. Just leave me alone."
Face sighed and walked a few feet away, then walking in place. Eventually, he stopped and waiting silently. It was a few minutes, but the door finally cracked open and Face sprung into the doorway, forcing the door open and letting himself in.
Murdock, taken by suprise, stumbled back into the small bathroom. "You tricked me!"
"I had to." Face locked the door and leaned against it. "Are you okay?"
Murdock nodded, biting his lower lip. "I'm perfect. Happy as can be!"
Face eyed him suspicsouly, seeing past his lie. "Uh huh. Now how about you tell me what's really wrong."
Murdock was quiet and refused to meet Face's eyes. Face sighed and pushed himself away from the door. "I think I know."
Murdock looked up at him now, big brown eyes filling up. "How? You're normal, you're the one people stare at because they want to be you. Not because they think of you as a freakshow." Murdock's tone went up a few notches at the end of his sentence and he made a hiccuping noise, covering his face with his hands.
Face watched his friend sob into his hands and went over to his side, pulling Murdock into his arms. The pilot resisted at first, trying to pull away, but Face refused to let go and he eventually gave up, turning into Face's warm hug and crying into his fancy jacket. Face knew Murdock was tough and wonderd why it was this that just got him into tears. It could have been worse.
Murdock brought his arms out and slowly put them around Face, sniffing loudly. They stood like this until Murdock's sobs died down and his breathing slowly returned to normal.
"I need to sit down." He whispered hoarsely, already going downwards. Face followed him, both leaning against the wall while Murdock sat with his knees up to his chest and Face's warm arms still surrounding him. Face had never had any sibbilngs, having spent his childhood in an orphanage, but he had always wondered what it was like to have a younger brother to care for and be with. Ever since Murdock, he had figured it out and right now was one of those moments when Murdock seemed years younger than him. Face liked to think he'd make a good elder brother. If there was one thing Murdock was just like to him, it was a brother.
"I'm ready to listen, if you need to talk about it." Face muttered, stroking Murdock's light brown hair.
The pilot made a gasping noise as another sob rolled through him. "Why do they act like that?"
Face shrugged, staring at the wall across from them. He was glad Murdock had decided to hide in the private restroom. If this had been in the public one, that would have been a bit akward. "They don't understand. They reject the unfimilar. It's human nature, I hate to say. But there are just crude people out there, ones that we can't always avoid."
Murdock was in a thoughtful silence. "You shouldn't have said anything."
"I know. Maybe I shouldn't have...but it just came out of me. I lost my control." Face shook his head and reached up to rub his forehead, squeezing his eyes shut.
"Thanks then. For trying to stand up for me." Murdock looked up at Face until the burnette finally looked down at him. "I just couldn't take that. If you hadn't fallen on your butt..." Face chuckled to show he was just teasing and Murdock looked back to the wall, a teary grin on his face. But it wasn't his usual, all teeth smile. "That was funny."
Face nodded in agreement, noticing then that Murdock's red hat was nowhere to be seen. "Lost something there?" He rapped his knuckles softly on Murdock's head.
The pilot, confused, reached up and groped the place his hat should have been resting. "Face! It's gone!" He panicked, looking around wide-eyed at Face.
"I know where it is. Come on, let's go get it." Face got to his feet but Murdock didn't budge. "Don't be reduced to sitting here afraid of the world, buddy. I won't let anyone slam you again."
Murdock stared at him, thinking, then finally rose shakily to his feet. As they exited the bathroom, a tiny part of Face wished B.A. were here with them. All he'd have to do was give the guy his best glare and they'd back off in a second. But he could still be tough, if he really focused more on that than being handsome.
They came back to the cooler and Murdock, forgetting his problems for a moment, bounded towards it eagerly. He grabbed it up, kissing it once and snapping it back onto his head.
"Back to fall over again?" A man asked, smirking behind Face.
The two turned around and Murdock made to run when Face grabbed his arm tightly, keeping him in place. "If you've got a problem with me friend, then you've got a problem with me." He growled in a suprisingly threatening voice.
The man looked slightly taken back and he held his hands up. "Grief, take a joke much?"
"I don't think that was a very funny joke. Now if you'll excuse us..." Face pushed the man to the side and stormed down the store with Murdock in tow. Murdock noticed they were now going for the exit and he tried to stop. "We're supposed to be getting our supplies, Facey!"
Face didn't stop as he trooped back to the parking lot and hopped into the corvette. Murdock stood outside the door, still confused. "I'm not going back there. Hannibal and B.A. can go get whatever it is they need. They'll understand."
Face jammed the keys into the ignition and revved the engine, meaning Murdock needed to get in. And as the pilot went around the car to his door, he thought about how lucky he was to have a friend like Face.