Characters: Murdock, Face, B.A., and Hannibal
Rating: T
Warnings/Spoilers: some scenes of torture
Author's Note: I own nothing of the A-Team and am writing this for fun. The story was written for an A-Team Big Bang Challenge.
Summary: Christmas is here again, and no one is more excited to spread the cheer than Murdock! But when acts of cruelty traps Murdock within his nightmares, it's going to take the entire A-Team to pull their friend through the storm and defeat the one who put him there in the first place.


Face slowly moved into the living room, leaving the duffle bag by the door. He could hardly believe his eyes. The one who had been awake since that awful Friday morning was fast asleep on his couch. A smile crept along Face's lips as he took a seat in the recliner adjacent to the couch. He gazed at his sleeping friend and sighed happily.

"Sorry, Hannibal, I just found Murdock sleeping on my couch. No, no… he's all right, just asleep." Face got up and retrieved a blanket from his room. He gently pulled it over Murdock, continuing his conversation on the phone, "I think things are going to get better, now that he's here. It's as I said all along, Hannibal, all Murdock needed was to get away from there. Yes, I'll bring him over to the orphanage tomorrow morning if he's feeling up to it. You too, Hannibal. Night!"

When Face hung up his phone, he was completely confident in the fact that Murdock was on the mend. After all, if he could get Murdock to clutch his arm and to fall asleep on the couch, who knows what surprises were instore for tomorrow!

The next morning, Face woke up from a restless sleep. He was glad that it was nearing his wake-up time of eight o'clock as he wasn't going to be getting much more rest. All night he had tossed and turned, his subconscious unwilling to yield to the rest he wanted. What didn't help was that the throbbing in his head had worsened, but instead of awaking fully to take something for it, Face tried his best to ignore it. When he finally awoke though, Face made sure that the first thing he did was take some pain killer.

"How's the good Captain feeling this morning?" Face asked cheerfully as he went by the couch.

He didn't receive a reply. Curiously, Face peered over the couch and saw that Murdock was fast asleep. This didn't bother Face too much though, as he knew that Murdock had been lacking sleep that whole weekend. Smiling, Face went about his normal morning routine.

"Sleep all you want, Murdock. You're safe here and well, it's your holiday. So just relax, okay?"

Still confident that his friend was all right, Face left the apartment to meet up with one of his business associates.

It wasn't until sometime shortly after noon that he returned. Cheerful as ever, Face made his way to the kitchen first without really taking notice of anything.

"Murdock, are you awake, buddy?" he called from the refrigerator. Only silence answered him.

Slightly puzzled, Face went to the living room where he saw Murdock still on the couch, sound asleep. If it hadn't been for the shoes now sitting perfectly on the floor, Face would have assumed that Murdock hadn't moved at all.

"You must really need that sleep," said Face understandingly as he tucked the blanket around Murdock's chest. He couldn't help but worry though, for Murdock was unusually quiet and even more alarming was the fact that he held a most pained expression on his face that was heightened by his shivering. It wasn't even that cold in his apartment, Face knew. In fact, it was rather warm.

Once more Face found himself rummaging through his closet, trying to find a more suitable blanket. He brought it out and placed that one over his friend. The shivering subsided but Murdock still looked as though something was forcing him dwell in his agony. Face had no doubt that he was, that is, if he had been trying to move. It would have been easy for him to put pressure on his ribs and made them throb.

"It'll be all right, Murdock," Face whispered reassuringly as he gave Murdock's arm a gentle squeeze.

Just then his phone rang and Face disappeared inside his room to not disturb Murdock. A few minutes later he came out, looking slightly unhappy. He knelt by the couch and ruffled Murdock's hair gently.

"Hey, I've got this other meeting that I have to go to. If you should wake up, there is plenty of food in the fridge and in the cupboards, so have at it. If you need me for anything, my cellphone is on, so just give me a shout, okay?"

When Murdock made no attempt to reply, Face rose, feeling a bit more discouraged, and left the apartment.

Darkness had fallen for a couple of hours when Face finally returned, but to his delight, he saw that Murdock was up and about. This brought an immediate smile to his lips as Face moved further into the apartment.

"I'm glad you're awake! Sorry I was gone for so long, but you know how meetings are." He looked at Murdock and saw him standing in front of one of the paintings, just staring at it. There wasn't anything spectacular about the artwork, and the distant gaze of Murdock's suggested that he wasn't even looking at it. Curious, Face went to him and asked, "Are you okay there, buddy?"

Murdock said nothing and just stared, seemingly uncaring about anything going on around him.

"Take your time," sighed Face as he patted Murdock's shoulder. Apparently this was going to be harder than he thought. But didn't all Murdock need was time?

As Face got ready for bed later that night, he saw that Murdock was still in the same silent state as before. Thankfully though, Murdock had found himself back on the couch and was now staring at a blank television screen. Face went over and turned it on, and quickly found the sports channel for him. When he saw that it was soccer, his face brightened.

"Ah, there you go! You're favorite sport, right?" He looked back at Murdock, expecting a reaction, but Murdock didn't seem remotely interested. His eyes were still distant and very sad. Sighing, Face put the remote on the couch and said, "Change it to whatever you want. Tomorrow will be a new day and perhaps then, things will be better for you."

But the next morning as Face sat curled up in the recliner next to the couch, he wished things had improved. During the night Murdock had been locked in a nightmare so terrible that not even forceful shakes could rouse him. It hadn't been until Face had turned on the lamp and just stayed by him, talking him through it that Murdock finally calmed down. Worried about repeat nightmare, Face had simply elected to stay out in the living room. It was an uncomfortable way to sleep, but at least he was no longer restless, and apparently, neither was Murdock.

However, the day proved to be much like the one before it. Face's concern for Murdock continued to grow when Murdock spent more time awake, just staring off into nothing, than sleeping. Whenever he was offered food, Murdock turned away and shuffled off to some other part of the apartment. There had been brief moments where Face thought that he had gotten through to Murdock, like when he started telling him some hilarious jokes he recalled, but this didn't last long and soon the sad gaze returned.

"What's causing this, Murdock?" Face wondered quietly as he watched his friend later that night. Murdock stared absently at the ceiling and took no notice of Face as he sat beside him on the couch. Face continued, "Was there anything that I could have done that would have prevented this? Maybe if I had let you talk to me when you needed me, or actually kept my promise and gotten you out that day… could any of that have kept you from this state?"

The more Face wanted to believe that Murdock could be brought out of it, the more he realized that he blamed himself for it. After all, he could have not cared so much about his own injuries and inquired more to what happened to his friend. To the best that he could remember, no one had even asked Murdock what had happened; it was all just assumed.

Face took Murdock into a hug and whispered, "I'm so sorry Murdock, I'm so sorry."


By the following early evening, Face wasn't so sure that Murdock could be brought back. The distance in his eyes seemed so far away that they'd never be able to get him and save him. Face stood in the kitchen, leaning against the counter with his head bowed in defeat. Murdock was sitting on the opposite side on a stool, staring at the paper towel holder underneath the cupboard. Face tried a few jokes just to see that momentary glimpse of hope, but unlike yesterday, it didn't seem like Murdock was even paying attention.

There was nothing, absolutely nothing.

A knock on his door brought Face out of his thoughts and he nearly bounded over to the door, eager for company. He grinned thankfully, "Ah, Hannibal! B.A.! I'm really glad you're here!"

"How's Murdock doing?" Hannibal inquired as he came into the apartment.

"Still the same," replied Face with a tired sigh. "I spent all afternoon trying to get him excited about Christmas. He just wasn't interested though. I even told him some of my jokes and he didn't react at all."

B.A. smirked, "If I was him, I wouldn't have reacted either. Your jokes are terrible!"

"Easy for you to say, but Murdock used to enjoy them!"

During this time, Hannibal had wandered over to Murdock and was staring at him with concern. "Murdock, what's wrong? Why are you shaking?"

This drew looks from both Face and B.A. Sitting still, Murdock was shivering, his eyes were closed and he was fiercely rubbing his left arm. Hannibal held Murdock steady in his arms. "That's where Herod was trying to inject you with that poison, wasn't it?"

Murdock just shivered.

Hannibal put his hand over Murdock's and held it in place. "Captain, I'm your commander, Colonel Hannibal. Herod isn't here, and I won't let him hurt you again. You're safe with us. We're watching out for you."

Murdock ceased rubbing his arm and allowed Hannibal to guide him over to the couch where they both sat down. Murdock's shivering had subsided, but only a little, and his eyes were still locked with fear, though it seemed lessened somehow. Face sat down on the other side of Murdock and sighed quietly.

"This has to stop, Colonel," he said. "We have to find Herod and put him in jail or something. We just have to get him off the streets. Maybe that's all this is about. Murdock can't come back to us until Herod and Stachel are dealt with."

Hannibal glanced over at Face, but didn't say anything. He instead pulled Murdock gently against him and held him in his safe embrace. Hannibal put his hand gently against Murdock's hair, still holding him close. Then, in a voice barely audible, he whispered, "Please, Murdock, you are a son, my son."

Face looked to his television and turned it on. The joyful songs of Bebo Norman greeted him, but it only caused Face to shake his head. "It's the twenty-third of December. Tomorrow is Christmas Eve and Murdock isn't even interested."

"Herod wants me to meet him at the factory," said Hannibal suddenly.

"What?" Face looked at him, slightly shocked at the news. "How did you get in contact with him?"

"He contacted us at the orphanage. He had Stachel with him to deliver a message." Hannibal gently released Murdock from his hold and let him rest against the couch. Murdock's gaze was now on the television, but still distant. Hannibal made his way to the kitchen where B.A. was standing, continuing, "I would have gotten him then, but we couldn't do anything, not with the children in the way."

Face looked over at him, worry evident in his eyes. "You're not seriously considering going there, are you?"

"I dropped Bates an anonymous tip about Herod and Stachel being at the factory, but I changed the time so it would be a few minutes later."

"Few minutes later, for what? Let Bates get his own bad guys for a change!" Face looked desperately from B.A. to Hannibal, "Colonel, you can't go out there to meet Herod and not expect to get picked up by Bates as well, or worse, killed in the process!"

B.A. nodded his head enthusiastically. "I told Hannibal that this was a bad plan, but he wouldn't listen."

"Listen to B.A.!"

Hannibal shook his head, his gaze going right to Murdock. "I can't leave this to Bates anymore. I have to be sure that Herod isn't going to get away. Look at Murdock, this thing isn't going to stop until we end it."