Author note: This story is part of the Magical Flashpoint Side Story series. It follows "At the Intersection of Magic and Technology" and comes before "Nobody Said Anything About Magic". This story is set after "Scorpio" (Flashpoint Pilot).
Although all original characters belong to me, I do not own Flashpoint, Harry Potter, Narnia, or Merlin.
Sam Braddock repressed a sigh; it was only his first week on his new team and he already felt overwhelmed and unwelcome. In a way, he actually did understand; he'd been thrust on the team with no warning, no opportunity for them to scope him out and see if they liked him, but he didn't regret asking his godfather for the open Team One spot…not yet anyway. He finished changing back into his civilian clothes and pushed the locker doors closed before meandering out, glancing around for the pretty Jules. No sign of her, but then, he was also one of the first out; the other men weren't shunning him, but they weren't laying out a welcome mat either. He strolled towards the doors, trying to look as if he didn't have a care in the world, as if nothing Team One did could phase him.
"Got a minute, Sam?" came the sudden question from his new boss, the man himself peeking out from the briefing room.
Sam hiked a brow at the older man, but shrugged. "Sure, Boss," he agreed.
His boss tossed him a grateful smile. "Could you watch mio nipotes for a few minutes? Commander Holleran asked to talk to me before I go off duty."
"Yeah, I can do that," Sam reassured the man, peeking past him at the two teenagers in the briefing room. With another 'thanks' look, Parker was gone, leaving Sam with the two kids. Sam looked at them closer, surprised at how different they were from their uncle…no family resemblance at all, until, that is, the brown-haired boy looked up with an arched brow and a cocked head that immediately brought Sam's new boss to mind. The question in the teen's sapphire eyes was clear and Sam tilted his head in reply before saying, "I'm Sam Braddock, the new member of Team One."
"Nice to meet you, Mister Braddock," the redheaded girl replied, looking a bit shy and uncertain despite her words.
Sam chuckled, he couldn't help it. "It's just Sam," he told her, smiling at her polite and shy demeanor. Her violet eyes widened just a touch, then she smiled back at him.
The boy's eyes turned mischievous. "Hi 'Just Sam'," he piped, a smirk reminiscent of Spike's on his face.
Sam couldn't help it, he laughed, his laugh rusty with ill-use. "That sounds like something my friend Ma…my friend would say," he remarked, burying his still-fresh grief with the ease of long practice.
Though he didn't realize it, both kids recognized his sorrow and the girl deftly changed the subject. "You like being on Team One?" she asked.
"So far," Sam replied. "It's been a little bumpy, but I hope it'll get better." He cocked his head farther to the side. "So what are your names?"
"She's 'Lanna."
"He's Lancelot."
They spoke over each other, clearly trying to score points in an unspoken one-upmanship game with each other. Sam rolled his eyes at the oh-so-familiar sibling rivalry, his heart aching a bit for his sisters. How many times had he gotten into a near identical one-upmanship squabble with them?
"Since they can't introduce themselves," Wordy remarked from behind the blond sniper; Sam jumped as he spoke. "I'll do it." Wordy stepped up to Sam's right and added, "He's Lance, she's Alanna." The teens pouted at the brunet, who just shook his head at them, a twinkle of mischief and amusement in his eyes.
Sam grinned at the older man, humor sparking in his eyes. "Anything else I should know about them?" he queried. Laughter lurked right behind his words, more than he'd had in weeks.
Wordy grinned right back. "They get into more mischief than my girls and Ed's son combined."
"Hey!"
"That is so not true."
Wordy hiked a brow at them, his grin undimmed. "Who was it that snuck a whipped cream bomb into Ed's locker this morning?"
Sam struggled to keep from laughing; Ed had ended up with whipped cream all over his shirt when he'd opened his locker door and let the whipped cream 'bomb' loose. "That was you two?" he managed, struggling fruitlessly to keep from snickering.
The redhead, Alanna, smirked right back at Wordy. In a mock sweet tone, she asked, "Remind me…who was it that suggested whipped cream in the first place?" Just to drive the point home, she gave Sam a conspiratorial look and whispered loudly, "Uncle Wordy let us in too."
Sam gave in and roared with laughter at the look on his teammate's face. By the time the rest of Team One straggled out of the locker room, Sam was almost on the floor, he was laughing so hard. The teens looked rather smug and Wordy just shrugged at the new arrivals, pretending he had no idea what was so funny.
Years later, Sam would mark that meeting as the first time he'd felt like Team One could be his new home…he would never find out that Wordy had prompted the teens to prank Ed because of Ed's attitude toward the former military sniper. He would also never find out that the kids had suggested that their uncle leave them alone with Sam; they'd wanted to meet him alone at first, just like they'd met the rest of Team One without their uncle there.
But for now, the ice was broken and Sam Braddock found himself with just a bit more companionship than he'd started the day with – something new and different that just might replace what he'd lost a scant month before. And if that involved an inevitable prank war, the results of which made SRU legend, well, he could live with that.
~ Fin
Author note: Happy Easter, one and all from the year 2017 (for those of you in the future cruising through old stories).
Thought I'd give everyone a little Easter treat, to add to the egg hunts and family gatherings and so on.
As a final note, on this Blessed Easter Sunday:
Christ is Risen!