Same Time Next Year
Disclaimer: I don't own The New Avengers, nor the characters of Mike Gambit, Purdey, and John Steed. Sadly. They're the property of The Avengers (Film and TV) Enterprises. This story is for entertainment purposes only. No copyright infringement intended
Timeline: Ninth in a series. Takes place in November, 1977, a few months after the conclusion of the series in the Canadian episodes. It is strongly recommended, but not essential, that you go back and read the previous stories in the arc: Lost Boys, Anew, Aftermath, Dance With Me, The Anniversary, Merry Christmas, Mr. Gambit, Brazil, Life on Mars, and 'Til Death.
For more information about the series, please see my profile.
Later, as they lay entwined, Purdey propped her chin up on Gambit's chest. "We could run," she suggested, almost dreamily. "The two of us. If they don't want to clear you, and they don't trust me, then we're finished at the Ministry. So why don't we go somewhere where they won't find us?"
Gambit quirked an inquisitive eyebrow at her. "Where?"
Purdey shrugged cheerfully. "I don't know. Somewhere warm, maybe. On the sea."
"And do what?"
"I don't know," Purdey repeated, still cheerfully unconcerned about the possible ramifications of her plan. "Whatever we want."
Gambit tilted his head to better regard her from his vantage point on the pillow. "And what do you want?"
"To be with you," Purdey said honestly, suddenly serious. "And I can't do that if you're dead or in a prison cell having your mind turned inside out for an answer to a question that you can't give."
Gambit smiled slightly. "I appreciate the sentiment, but what happens when you start to miss your mother? Or your uncle, or stepfather? You couldn't tell them where you were going, you couldn't contact them when we got there without giving away our location. Not to mention we'd be leaving Steed in the lurch."
"Steed would understand," Purdey declared. "They all would."
"Are you saying you wouldn't miss them?" Gambit asked sceptically
"Of course, I would," Purdey acknowledged. "But I'd miss you, too." She reached out to touch his cheek. "Too much."
Gambit covered her hand with his. "Purdey, you have no idea what that means to me. But think about it. What kind of life would you have with me on the run? We'd never be able to stay anywhere too long. No home, no steady job, never letting anyone get too close because they might give us away. It wouldn't be much of a life, and definitely not one for kids."
It was Purdey's turn to raise an eyebrow. "Who said anything about having kids while we were on the run?"
"You're the one who brought it up the first time around," Gambit pointed out. "Would you want to bring up kids with me in any situation, let alone one like that?"
"I could ask you the same thing."
"I asked first."
"Who's to say that that decision hasn't already been made for us," Purdey said coyly.
Gambit looked at her uncomprehendingly for a moment. Then his eyes widened. "You're not."
Purdey slung one of her legs over him and propped herself up with her elbows. "What if I was? Would you run away with me then?"
Gambit was looking up at her with something approaching awe. "Purdey…" Then a light dawned in his eyes, and he smiled ruefully. "You're not, are you?"
"How do you know?" Purdey said indignantly.
"Because I know enough about biology." He eyed her meaningfully. "You thought if you appealed to my honour, I'd run. Nice try."
Purdey sighed. "It was worth a try," she said resignedly. "But you still haven't answered your own question."
"I guess I don't have an answer myself," Gambit confessed, as Purdey slumped on top of him. "I'll have to let you know some other time."
"Maybe," Purdey agreed. "But it's whether there will be another time that worries me."
Gambit didn't have an answer to that, much to Purdey's dissatisfaction. "I don't like the idea of us having to be apart any longer," she grumbled. "Anymore than I like the fact that you hid those off-the-record assignments from me."
Gambit sighed dramatically. "I wondered when you'd give me hell about those."
"I'm not giving you hell," Purdey qualified. "But I thought that, now that we're together, we'd tell each other things."
"And we are," Gambit said gently. "I mean, I am. I told you about Africa. That's a start. But we've both lived a lot, Purdey-girl. Or I've lived a lot. And I've been on my own for most of it. I've had to keep my cards close to my chest to survive. I'm trying to open up, but it'll take time. And there are some things that it's not my right to tell." He took her hand from where it was resting on his chest in his and gave it a kiss. "If it makes you feel any better, I couldn't do that sort of thing now, not without giving you some idea about what I was doing. But this is now, and I lived a whole life before you, Purdey. Even when we became friends, I couldn't just make decisions based on what you wanted. We weren't in a relationship. You didn't have the right to tell me what I could or couldn't do any more than I could you."
Purdey nestled her head into his chest and sighed, the anger and tension leaving her shoulders. "You're right," she said finally, then brought her gaze up to meet his. "Infuriatingly. But you promise you'll tell me if something like this comes up again? At the very least, I'd like to know what's happening so I know what I'm dealing with."
Gambit treated her to a cheery salute. "Aye, aye, ma'am. I promise. Now, anything else you're angry about that I can put right while I'm here?"
Purdey looked at him from under her eyelashes, not bothering to deny that she was still a little annoyed about what had been going on behind her back, an emotion she hadn't been able to express properly while she was worried about Gambit's well-being. She would have preferred to have these conversations in more relaxed circumstances, hated to be angry when she was so happy to see Gambit and they had so little time together. But keeping things bottled up was no different than keeping a secret, and she'd only just reprimanded Gambit for doing that. Besides, he seemed to understand that she needed to get things off her chest. But that was just like Gambit—he always seemed to know what she needed, even when she didn't herself. "I understand that Steed had you doing assignments that he didn't want to spread far and wide for security reasons. I understand Sara needing help from someone else in another department, and not wanting to go through official channels. I even understand Spence." She broke off when Gambit looked away quickly at the mention of the man's name, carried on when he seemed to recover himself. "But I still don't quite understand what you could possibly be doing with Emma that you had to be so secretive about."
Gambit raised a sceptical eyebrow. "You mean, so secretive that I didn't tell you?"
"Well, I understand why she didn't want to tell Steed," she replied, sidestepping the question. "Whatever his history with Emma, it must have been very complicated. They hadn't spoken properly for the better part of a decade before Brazil. But why couldn't you have at least told me that you knew her? I wouldn't have told Steed."
Gambit's mouth quirked up on one side. "Wouldn't you?"
"I don't talk about Emma Peel," Purdey reminded, a touch too defensively.
"And there's a reason for that," Gambit pointed out. "But do you think you would have been able to resist asking Steed about her, even in a roundabout way? Or me?" Purdey didn't answer, but Gambit didn't need her to. "It doesn't matter, because she made me promise not to say anything, and I always keep my word. If she goes on the record about what went on, you'll know. Until then, it wouldn't be fair for me to say anything."
Purdey pursed her lips. "So it's a secret."
"It's a promise," Gambit qualified. "Just the way I've promised you to keep a lot of things quiet. I've always kept your secrets, Purdey. And you have to admit you've kept quite a few of your own." He regarded her with a touch of irony. "Haven't you?"
Purdey rotated her shoulders back in a telltale sign of discomfort. "I have done. But you know a lot of them now. And anyway, they were personal."
"So were Emma's," Gambit pointed out gently. "Some of them, at least. Some were—let's just say she was being a good citizen. Apparently even when you leave Steed, you can't quite switch off the agent in you."
"Ah, so you've been freelancing?" Purdey teased, with a hint of spikiness. "With Emma Peel. You'd think you didn't get enough excitement in your life."
"She asked for help," Gambit said simply. "And she's good company. I wasn't going to turn her down."
Purdey scowled. "So you enjoyed yourself?"
"Yes," Gambit said flatly. "Like I said, she's good company. But you should know that I missed you every time I was out doing something, with or without her. I'm so used to having you by my side that it doesn't feel quite right to be out there investigating things without you. And while we're at it, you should know that, whatever secrets I've had, they've never affected how I felt about you, or our relationship."
"That is nice to know," Purdey said wryly, making an active effort to let go of the lingering pent-up jealousy. "I suppose I'll just have to wait for her memoirs to find out just what went on."
"I'd like a copy of those myself," Gambit quipped.
"I'm sure you would."
"After I got a copy of yours, of course."
"I see your sense of self-preservation is still intact," Purdey said wryly.
"Luckily. I have to go back out there and start jumping at shadows again, remember?" He cast a forlorn look out the cabin's tiny window, where the darkness was ever-so-slightly starting to give way to dawn. "Let's hope I still have enough left in the tank for round two."
Purdey clung to him a little tighter. "You don't have to go now, do you?" she asked plaintively, any annoyance about Emma Peel fading away in the face of being separated from him again.
Gambit smiled sadly down at her. "It'll be light soon, love," he said softly, stroking her hair. "We've had our moment, but I have to get a move on if I don't want to wind up behind bars."
"Just five more minutes," Purdey pleaded, burying her nose in the space where his neck met his jaw and inhaling deeply of his scent. "Please, Mike."
"Okay. Five more minutes," Gambit relented, and in anticipation of several more long nights alone, set about committing the sensation of having Purdey in his arms to memory.
vvv
They dressed in silence, unwilling to admit to themselves that their time together was reaching its end. Purdey shrugged on her leather jacket and hoped that Gambit believed she was as stoic as she looked. Apparently he didn't, if the way he rested a hand on her shoulder was any indication.
"I know you don't like this," he began, and Purdey looked up at him, eyes flashing.
"Of course I don't like it! You shouldn't have to run. And I shouldn't have to sneak around to see you. This entire situation is ridiculous." She zipped up her coat with such feeling that Gambit swore he saw sparks. "And anyway, I don't see why I can't come with you. I could help you find Vanessa. I can only do so much when they have people watching me every minute."
"But you are helping," Gambit argued. "By keeping your eyes and ears open, fighting my corner and making sure McKay doesn't just hear Larry's side of things all the time. And you're trying to poke holes in Larry's theory. That all helps. You're my woman on the inside."
Purdey smiled wryly. "And the fact that it keeps me away from Vanessa Thyme and any potential danger is just a convenient side-effect?"
Gambit sighed. "Look, I can't pretend I don't want you out of it. It's not your mess, it's mine, and it's been a long time coming for me to pay the piper. Why should you be dragged down with me?"
"Because, for some incomprehensible reason, I love you, Mike Gambit," Purdey reminded, reaching out to touch his cheek. "And I can't let you sacrifice yourself without at least trying to help, no more than you could do the same for me."
Gambit covered her hand with his. "How can I persuade you if you keep making good points?"
Purdey laughed. "You can't. What you can do is come back, alive and in one piece, with all of this cleared up. But until then, I'm afraid you're stuck with me."
"Nice place to be stuck," Gambit said with a smile, expression soft. "Take care of yourself, Purdey, and I'll do all I can to come back to you."
"You have a deal," Purdey vowed, and leaned in to kiss him. He kissed back, hard and with feeling, like a man about to go away to war with no way of knowing when he'd see his love again. Which, in a way, he was. When they parted, he held her eyes for a long time.
"Tell Steed thanks," he instructed.
"I will."
"And Purdey? Give them hell."
Purdey grinned broadly. "Mike Gambit, don't you know me at all?"
Gambit grinned back. "That's why I love you."
And then he was gone.
Purdey waited five minutes, steeled herself, and ascended into the night. Gambit was long gone, melted into the shadows without a trace. She made for her hidden motorcycle and gauged how quickly she would have to drive to beat the break of dawn.
vvv
Purdey rode her bike to her Uncle Elly's house, keeping a watchful eye open for any potential tails, but she felt fairly confident that she'd evaded her watchers. Her uncle had owned his house in town for many years, but didn't stay there very often, preferring instead to reside on the base with the rest of his men. He was in London on business, however, which made his presence in the city unremarkable, and therefore perfect for Purdey's purposes.
As per her uncle's instructions, she stashed the bike in a small shed at the outskirts of his property, then vaulted a fence and dashed across the patch of green and pleasant land behind the house and in through the back door, which had been conveniently left unlocked. Safe inside, she removed her helmet and brushed some hair from her eyes, surveying the dim outlines of the furniture in her uncle's study. She padded across the carpet, past the stuffed lion, and out into the corridor, where a light beckoned her to the living room. She followed it and found her uncle seated next to the fire, a file in his lap and a cup of coffee in his hand. He spoke without looking up.
"I've poured you one already, my dear. It's on the sideboard."
Purdey smiled at her uncle's perceptiveness and seeming nonchalance. He was an army man through and through, but she thought he was rather enjoying his little foray into the cloak and dagger world. She moved to the sideboard and set her helmet on it, trading it for the steaming cup and saucer resting there. Normally she wasn't a fan of coffee, as she often told Gambit when she teased him about needing his caffeine fix in the morning. But given current events, it somehow seemed fitting to drink the same thing that Gambit normally did in the morning. She wondered if he was going to be able to afford the luxury of drinking something warming that morning, and felt her heart ache in sympathy. "Thank you, Uncle Elly," she replied, settling into the armchair opposite him and trying to banish the melancholic pall that had settled over her. "You didn't have to wait up, you know."
"Oh, I was never going to sleep," Foster dismissed, finally looking up from his file. "Too many things going on in the old brain, especially after a day of meeting with the others. They go on for so long that you think you'll nod off out of sheer boredom, but somehow it leaves you more riled up than anything. Besides, two visits with my niece in one day was too good an opportunity to pass up."
"It's not in one day, though," Purdey pointed out, sipping her coffee. It warmed her in a way that only Gambit had since the whole business got started. "It's after midnight. We met yesterday."
Foster harrumphed. "It's yesterday in America. Time zones, Purdey. Never did like them."
Purdey smirked into her cup. "No, Uncle Elly."
"Anyway, why are we talking about this rot? We should be talking about your adventure. Did it work out all right?"
"Perfectly. I really must thank you for your help. I don't know if I would have managed otherwise."
"Oh, it was nothing. Not where my favourite niece is concerned." Foster cocked his head and regarded her with interest. "But you did see your colleague?"
Purdey nodded. "Yes."
"Still surviving, is he?"
"Fortunately." Purdey took another pull of the brandy. "But I wish we could make some sort of breakthrough, and soon. He's out there all on his own, and I don't like it."
"We don't like everything life hands us, unfortunately," Foster commiserated. "But it's how we handle it that matters. And I would say you are doing very well at that indeed."
Purdey smiled gratefully. "Thank you, Uncle Elly."
"Not at all, my dear. Now, why don't you nip upstairs and sleep. You have a few hours until I take you back."
vvv
In spite of the coffee, Purdey surprised herself by managing to lapse into unconsciousness the second she hit the pillows, the trials of the day finally catching up to her. All the same, the few hours seemed more like a few minutes when Foster roused her from her slumber. She pulled her boots and jacket back on and shambled downstairs and into the garage and her uncle's car, where she promptly fell asleep concealed in the back seat, dreaming dreams where there were no pursuers, only bliss.
Foster wound up rousing her once more after he pulled into her mother's garage, and Purdey stifled a yawn as she trundled back inside her mother's home. Acacia was waiting for her over a cup of tea and the morning paper. She bustled over the instant she caught sight of Purdey.
"Oh, Purdey, you had me so worried. I was convinced that something terrible had happened and you weren't coming back."
"Don't worry, mum. It all went perfectly," Purdey tried to reassure around another yawn.
"I never doubted you for a moment," the bishop chimed in, peering around the wall of the breakfast nook. "I've seen you kick. I know you can take care of yourself."
"Elliot!" Acacia hushed, then turned back to Purdey. "It's not that I doubted you, Purdey. It's only that it's, well, it's very dangerous work, and your father…" She looked down as she trailed off, and took a moment to compose herself. "I know a lot of things can go wrong, that's all."
Purdey smiled sleepily in reassurance. "I know, mum, but nothing did go wrong, and I'm back now. Thank you for all your help. I couldn't have done it without you." She drew her mother into a hug, and felt the older woman hug back just a little too tightly. "Now I'm going to go upstairs and sleep some more. I feel as though I've been up for weeks."
"All right, yes, good," Acacia agreed, pulling away and squaring her shoulders. "That's a very good idea. I'll make you some breakfast whenever you wake up again."
"Thanks, mum," Purdey said genuinely, and turned to her uncle. "And thank you, Uncle Elly. Will you be here when I wake up?"
"I'll have to go back to London fairly soon, I'm afraid. But I've already been lucky enough to get as much quality time with you as I have." He kissed her on the temple. "See you soon, my girl."
"See you, Uncle Elly." She hugged him before dashing up the stairs.
Back in her room, Purdey stripped off the dusty clothes she'd spent the night in, gathered them into a laundry bag and lazily pondered whether having a shower was worth the delay of getting into bed and sleeping the day away. The bed was ever so tempting, but the grit of the day was going to prove too uncomfortable to allow for a decent sleep. So Purdey dragged herself to the shower, let the warm, soothing water rinse away the aches from her ride and dust from the road, although she had to lament the loss of Gambit's scent from her skin. By the time she re-emerged, she felt refreshed, scrubbed of some of her cares, and as she dried her hair she could feel her bed beckoning, the promise of a refreshing proper sleep tantalisingly close. But no sooner had she entered her bedroom, than the sounds of a sudden commotion emanated from up the stairs.
"No!" her mother exclaimed loudly. "I will not allow you in my home without a very good reason, and even then I'm not particularly inclined."
Purdey's ears pricked up in alarm, and she cast the towel aside, wrapping her favourite yellow kimono around her body in the absence of a dressing gown and tying it like a warrior going into battle before dashing down the stairs.
Her uncle and stepfather were huddled around the front door, but it was her mother who was standing her ground as she told her visitor, quite firmly, that he was, "Absolutely not coming in, not under any circumstances."
"Mum?" Purdey queried, pushing in-between Foster and the bishop. "What's going on? Who is it?"
Acacia turned, a stern look on her face. "This young man," she said, in a tone that suggested her opinion of him was less than positive, "insists on coming in. He says he's from your Ministry."
Purdey's eyes narrowed as the visitor came into view. "Larry," she identified.
"Oh, good, you know him," Acacia said flatly. "You can tell him to call at a more reasonable time, then."
"I'll take care of this," Purdey asserted, looking from one family member to another. "Why don't you make some tea in the kitchen? I'll join you in a moment."
Acacia didn't look too certain. "Do you think that's wise, dear?"
"I'll be fine," Purdey assured. "Really. Uncle Elly, could you help her, please?"
Foster seemed to understand, touched his sister's arm. "Come on, Cacy. Let the girl do what she needs to."
Acacia allowed herself to be drawn away by her husband and brother, but not before shooting Larry one last look. Purdey watched her go, trying not to smile. It wouldn't do for Larry to think she was in a forgiving mood.
"What are you doing here?" she snapped, the second they were in the next room.
"What do you mean what am I doing here?" Larry shot back. "You're the one who left without a word."
"I'm practically on leave, don't you remember?" Purdey countered. "I'm not allowed anywhere near any assignments at the Ministry or anything else that might interfere with the investigation, so I came out here. I knew your watchers would follow me, so why bother calling in?"
"Why are you here?" Larry pressed. "Is it to do with Gambit?"
"I'm here to be with my family. Isn't it obvious?" Purdey's voice dripped with disdain. "We are still allowed to visit our mothers, aren't we?"
"Yes, but all of your relatives have intelligence connections."
"Oh, don't be ridiculous!" Purdey exclaimed. "In case you haven't noticed, it hasn't been exactly a brilliant few days. I want to be with the people who care about me. The ones who don't suspect me of trying to slide a knife between their ribs. Do you remember what that's like, Larry? Trust? Or are you suspicious of everyone now?"
Larry ignored the jab. "You visited your Uncle yesterday."
"Yes," Purdey confirmed. "For lunch. I told him I wanted to be with family in my time of need. He said he'd come and check on me today. To support me." She crossed her arms and added, "That is still allowed, isn't it?"
"Don't play innocent," Larry snapped. "You were hunkered down at your flat, waiting for updates. And then you picked up and left and came out here on the spur of the moment, and you expect me to believe there's nothing sinister going on?"
"I got restless," Purdey enunciated. "I knew Uncle Elly was in town, so I thought I'd go and see him and take my mind off things. I told him I wanted to come out here, and have a break from it all. I phoned mum and she said it was all right, so I came down. And here I am."
Larry cocked his head inquisitively. "And that's all?"
"Yes."
"And Gambit?"
Purdey narrowed her eyes. "What about him?"
"Do you know where he is?"
"No," Purdey said firmly. "But he's definitely not here. I checked under my bed this morning."
Larry pulled a face at the quip. "You wouldn't mind me asking your family to confirm that, would you?"
"I very much would," Purdey countered. "You can ask all the questions you like of me, but I draw the line at watching my family be interrogated like common criminals."
"It'll be your fault if they are," Larry pointed out. "You can prevent this—all of this. The suspension, the watchers, the questions, me bothering you here. All of it can be stopped. All you have to do is help us figure out what's going on here."
"You mean help you arrest Gambit for being a traitor?" Purdey said blithely.
"Come on, Purdey. If he really hasn't been in touch, then he's left you holding the bag and run off to save to his own skin. What sort of man does that? Can't you see he's using you? He doesn't deserve your loyalty, and you definitely don't deserve to be brought down with him."
"Gambit is a thousand times a better man than you!" Purdey shot back, pointing angrily at his chest. "And if you knew him even a fraction as well as you think you do, you'd know that the only reason he's staying away is to keep me safe, and the moment he's able to clear things up, he'll be back. You mark my words."
Larry shook his head in disbelief. "I can't believe you're being so naïve, putting your trust in a man like that. Face it, Purdey. You have a terrible track record when it comes to judging the quality of a man. Your ex-fiancé was a terrorist. So how do you know Gambit's any better?"
"Don't you dare compare Gambit to Larry Doomer!" Purdey spat, shaking with rage.
Larry was eyeing her with interest. "The way you say that makes it sound as though you've been…intimate enough with both of them to make that comparison. What is your relationship to Gambit, exactly?" He stepped in close, close enough that Purdey could feel his breath on her face. "Is there something more between you than what you're letting on?"
"What I am to Gambit doesn't matter!" Purdey shot back. "He's my partner and I'll defend him until the day I die, because that's what he'd do for me, and if you were even half the man he is, you'd do the same. Because even if he doesn't like you, he'd never let it stop him from doing the right thing by you. That's what makes him the better man."
"Purdey—"
"No!" Purdey exclaimed. "You've done enough to ruin my morning, Larry Carrington. If you really do want to question my family, then arrest us all and do it properly. Otherwise, shove off and leave me to have my breakfast in peace." With that, she slammed the door behind her, leaving Larry fuming on her mother's doorstep.
