APRIL 1st

April 1st…also known as April Fool's Day. 'How appropriate,' Face thought, as he sat leaning heavily against the wall nursing various bruises and what he assumed was a broken right hand.

The day had started out the same as any other. He was aware of the date, but the significance had slipped his mind. Slipped his mind until the others decided to remind him.

B.A. stopped the van at the gas station pump and Hannibal handed him a list of supplies to get from the small convenience store. Twenty minutes later Face exited the shop only to find the van gone. In its place they had left behind a small toy van.

"Son of a…," Face muttered.

"April Fool's…looks like they got you good, sonny," the elderly attendant smiled.

Face groaned. "How could I have forgotten? I would have never let them out of my sight if…" His voice trailed off as he noticed a sudden look of fear in the older man's eyes. He turned to see a red sports car come peeling down the road in their direction. "Trouble?" Face asked, already knowing the answer.

"Those hoodlums come here once a week…sometimes twice…to collect what they call their "gas money'."

"Thugs with a sense of humor...wonderful," Face sighed. "Look…um, Jack," he said reading the name off of his companion's uniform. "In the spirit of April Fool's day, what do you say we play a little joke of our own?"

The plan went off without a hitch. Or at least it would have if Face had the rest of the team there to back him. But, they weren't, and he had to take on four large bad guys on his own.

It had taken him a while to get the upper hand, but in the end they went limping back toward their vehicle and speeding away in the other direction. Face stood their grinning victoriously until they were out of sight, at which time he collapsed to the ground in a battered heap.

Jack helped Face off the ground and over to a bench that had been drilled into the concrete store front. He went off to get some ice for Face's hand when the familiar black van pulled up.

"April Fool's!" Murdock exclaimed, leaping out the open sliding door.

Hannibal and B.A. followed closely behind. The smiles on their faces quickly disappeared and their footsteps quickened as they took note of the bloody and disheveled appearance of their teammate.

It was a quiet ride to Maggie's; Face was in too much pain to talk and the others were feeling too guilty. Upon arrival they all but collided trying to get to Face first in order to help him into the house. B.A. took one side while Murdock claimed the other.

Hannibal walked ahead a few steps before turning around and saying, "we're really sorry, kid. It was just a joke."

"Yeah, man," B.A. added, "we never thought you'd get hurt."

Face smiled weakly. "I know."

"It looks like this time the joke was on us," Murdock said.

"Yeah…Happy April Fool's Day," Face joked. "But next year, I hope it's a lot happier and that one of you can be the fool."

The End