Hi! So, I seemed to have the caught the bug from Wilsden and Sylvie Orp of experimenting with a scenario set in the earlier days of the lads' partnership - I picture this to be set about a month or so after they've been teamed together.

I don't own.

"Bodie! If I have to call you one more time - "

The whitewashed door was finally pulled open, with an almost unintelligible grumble of, "Keep your curls on, Doyle."

Unshaven, pyjama-clad, and hair sleep-mussed, Bodie blinked at him owlishly.

Doyle could've - and would've - throttled him right there, were it not for the fact that they were already late.

Stepping forward, Doyle shoved Bodie none-too-gently towards the bathroom. "You've got a minute, and then I'm going without you," he said firmly, and the expression of confusion on Bodie's face was all-encompassing.

"What's the hurry? It's barely even seven o'clock yet..."

"The briefing, remember? The one that started at half six?"

Dark blue eyes widened in remembrance, and Bodie hastily made for his bedroom, ransacked the wardrobe for clothes, and disappeared into the bathroom.

He was done in forty-five seconds.

They both clattered down the stairs and out of the apartment building with grim purpose, and the car soon zoomed out onto the main road with a squeal of burning rubber.

"It totally slipped my mind!" Bodie groaned in disbelief, grasping onto the seatbelt as Ray broke all known speed and traffic regulations, weaving the gold Capri in between other cars with wild abandon.

"Yeah, and it's not the first time you've been late this month either," Doyle shot back pointedly, swinging the car around a sharp corner, "and I bet that won't slip Cowley's mind."

Expertly bringing the Ford to a halt in the nearest bay, the ex-cop yanked the keys from the ignition, slid out, and locked the car, before both men broke into a run towards HQ.

As they came to a halt in front of the wooden briefing room door, Doyle nodded his head towards the handle, and stared expectantly at the reason for his tardiness.

Bodie gave him a pleading glance, but his partner was unyielding. Eyes half-screwed shut in anticipation, three-seven slowly eased the door open.

However, Cowley did not stop in his lecture, and not one of the agents turned to see who had come in. That was not to say there was no reaction; Bodie felt the keen gaze drill into them both as he and Doyle slipped in and took their seats.

The two men had never paid more attention to a briefing in their entire lives, but that did not change the fact that at the end of the meeting, there was a crisp demand of, "Three-seven, four-five, I would like to speak to you in my office," just as they were leaving.

Bodie tried to meet Ray's eyes in silent apology, but the curly-haired man stoically avoided his gaze as they made their way to the office.

The door clicked shut behind them, and then every agent within earshot winced in sympathy at the sound of the lecture delivered in a rapidly thickening burr.

Bodie did try to interject the fact that it had been his fault, but the basilisk-like glare that was turned upon him the instant he opened his mouth caused him to close it once more, with the distinct feeling that it would only exacerbate the situation.

The ex-cop was quietly sullen throughout the whole thing, and Cowley noticed. Subsequently, when he has finished giving them a piece of his mind, he snapped, "Is there a problem, four-five?"

Doyle pushed back his shoulders. "No sir," he said clearly, and the controller nodded.

"Well then, off with you both," he responded gruffly, before sitting down behind his desk and proceeding to ignore them completely.

Bodie wavered between Cowley and the curly-haired one, who was already halfway out of the office, then made a decision and spun around to go after his still new-ish partner.

"Doyle!" He yelled down the corridor after the retreating figure, uncaring of the strange glances he received from others going about their business.

To the ex-merc's surprise, Ray turned and surveyed him in a rather neutral manner, no vestige of his usually fiery temper visible.

"What?" He said finally. "Haven't we got a stakeout to get to?"

Bodie hurried to fall into step beside his partner as he turns towards the car park once more, and glanced at the inscrutable expression on the other man's face.

"You're not mad?" He questioned warily, and pulled back a little as Doyle whipped around.

"Since when does it make a difference to you?" He snapped, and then threw his arms into the air barely a second later. "It doesn't matter," He added curtly, lengthening his stride.

Then there was silence as they stepped out into the dreary autumn morning, but for the crunch of loose stones beneath their shoes, and the distant rumble of passing traffic.

"Why didn't you tell him?" Bodie's confusion was palpable as he stopped to stare at Ray over the roof of the car, and the latter paused in pulling open the driver's door with a much put-upon expression.

"He would've had your head if he knew you'd been late again," his partner stated matter-of-factly, before disappearing into the car, and leaving Bodie staring at the spot he had occupied.

The impatient beep of the horn jolted him from his reverie, and the ex-merc started, climbing hastily into the Capri.

Bodie cleared his throat nervously as Ray pulled out from the car park, the indicator ticking as he waited for a gap in the traffic passing on the main road.

Ray spared him a fleetingly curious look before returning his attention to the road. "What?"

"Just wanted to..." Bodie ducked his head a little, staring at the glove box, "...say thanks."

Doyle made a non-commital sound in response, gunning the engine and pulling out of the junction.

"You can thank me by taking the night shift on this stakeout."

The tone was deadpan, and Bodie glanced up to try and gauge its sincerity - and witnessed Ray's blinding, sun-bright grin for the first time.

A smirk danced on Bodie's lips as he settled back into the passenger seat comfortably.

"Fine, I will," he replied. After a moment's thought, he added, "Sunshine," and totally ignored the other's protests at the nickname - it fitted too well.

Leave your thoughts in a review please! =)

~ Qalam