11. AUSSIES

AUTHOR: wolfern

As far as work-covered travel, London in winter was a pretty good deal. It was a relief to escape the sweltering humidity of summer at home. On the worst days, taking a shower or a dip in the ocean made no difference temperature- or wetness-wise.

Besides, many Australians considered working or studying or both in the UK as almost a rite-of-passage, one Texas had missed since he'd gone straight into uni and then training and then proper work in the army. Scooter, the oldest of them, had tended bars during his gap year, but – to no-one's surprise – he remembered little of that time. And so the four of them were heaps keen when the offer popped up, even if it was a bit unusual being ordered by the ASIS head to attend the party of a British teenager they'd only met once, on a mission that had left one of their members dead. Nevertheless, their families were simply relieved they wouldn't be facing landmines and bullets but diplomacy dilemmas instead.

Unfortunately, their first diplomatic dispute came before the mission had taken even its first breath – when they dressed for the party.

"Mate, you are not wearing that!"

Texas looked down self-consciously at his t-shirt, shorts and thongs. "What's wrong with it? There're no stains, no holes. I bought this shirt last Wednesday."

Scooter rolled his eyes. "Pete's sake, don't be ridiculous. Top Enders, I tell you." He gestured at himself and X-Ray, both wearing – in varying shades – dress pants. "At least tell me you have jeans…"

"Mum threw them all out two weeks ago. They'd faded. In the sun…"

"Fuckin' oath…"

"Alright, alright! Could I maybe wear one of your spares?"

They tried, but much like his namesake, Texas was too big.

"Right," said Scooter, eventually. "I can only see one solution to our conundrum. We'll all have to dress like Texas." He glanced at the X-Ray. "If we wear it like a uniform, it'll look better."

"Better?" X-Ray sniggered. "Might as well wear singlets and bring a goon sack. To complete the look."

Scooter pinned him with a stare.

"Just saying…"

And so they arrived in style, accompanying ASIS heads Marc Damon, who opted to stay silent on the matter, and Ethan Brooke, who was – for once, thankfully – blind.

Their first port of call once entering the room was of course the other group of four burly men: their allies, or 'try-hard Poms' as described by Texas upon espying their neatly buttoned shirts and trousers.

Scooter went first. "G'day. Nice weather we're having."

The biggest of the Brits grunted, while the skinniest, a Scotsman, answered with a laugh. "Yeah, a bit warmer this year than last, so you'll be right at home."

"Yeah, cold enough for ya?" said Texas.

"Yeah," said the smallest of the Brits.

The Scottish bloke stuck his hand out. "I'm Snake. This is Wolf, Eagle and Fox."

"Scooter. This is X-Ray and Texas. Got any grog here? I reckon a few cold ones will do us all some good."

"I'm sorry?"

"Have you got any grog? Fourex? Stubbies?"

"I'm dryer than a drover's dog," Texas chimed in, deadpan.

X-Ray rolled his eyes. "Booze, piss, beer?"

"Piss, eh?" chuckled Eagle. "I like it. I think there's some plonk being passed around, but I'm not too sure about beer – sorry, piss."

X-Ray's eyes lit up. "Can't go wrong with the old bubbly! I'll hunt it down."

"I'll go with him," said Texas. "On the off chance there's amber, how many are we having?"

Wolf growled at him – growled! – "None for me, thanks." Scooter hadn't ever thought he'd see a stare to rival that of his teammate's – there was a reason he was named 'X-Ray' – but maybe this could be the one.

"I'll have yours then, hey?" Scooter jumped in smoothly. "Just grab a few, Tex. We'll fight over them when you get back."

"Cheers," said Texas, leaving the oldest of the Australians to fend against his older counterparts. Perhaps it was for the better.

"So I assume you know Alex from his work?"

The soldier named Wolf shifted. Scooter wouldn't have noticed, but it was a familiar reaction.

"We trained with him," Snake explained.

"He's a good kid," said Scooter. "Brave." He hoped he was more subtle than Wolf, remembering how they'd led Alex to the minefield and shooting exercise.

Fox scoffed. "Suicidal, more like."

Scooter looked at him closely. The man was similarly muscled to the rest of his unit, but he stood apart, holding himself differently. He also looked very familiar. "How's your arm?" Scooter asked, taking a gamble.

Fox – Scooter now remembered he'd been introduced back then as Agent Daniels – smiled. "Not bad. A little stiff. But as I recall, your team lost a member."

Scooter stiffened.

"I was sorry to hear that." The sharp edge to his gaze seemed to soften.

"Thank you," said Scooter, not sure he meant it.

"What do you mean, suicidal?" said Eagle, staring at Fox.

"Scooter knows what I'm talking about."

Scooter refused to be baited.

Wolf spoke. "Remember the train?"

Snake and Eagle both seemed to shudder, and Scooter wondered what the story was there, but he didn't want to ask.

Just as the silence was growing a little long, X-Ray returned, with a bottle of sparkling and a handful of glasses. "As promised!"

"Thanks mate. Where's Texas?"

X-Ray shrugged. "Think I saw him dancing with some posh girl. I left him to her." He glanced around at the group. "Why the long faces?"

"We were discussing our idiotic governments," said Fox breezily, accepting a glass.

X-Ray groaned. "Tell me about it! The way Australian politics is going, we'll be lucky to –"

Scooter cut him off. "Why don't we go talk to Alex? He's the reason we came."

"That and the munchies!"

Firmly, Scooter herded his teammate away. "Good to talk to you," he said to the Brits, who nodded with varying degrees of authenticity.

Texas joined them as they moved away. "Strewth! Did you see that sheila? She's deadset gorgeous, ay!"

"Rack off," said X-Ray without feeling. The thing they'd learnt about working with Texas was that they needed to speak to him in his own language.

As always, Texas just giggled inappropriately.

They reached Alex as he was left by the most massive man Scooter had ever seen. "Hey," the teenager greeted them. "Good to see you could come."

"It was an effort," said X-Ray. "We managed it somehow, but. Here, we brought you a pressie. Couldn't get you a proper barbecue and prawns, but this is heaps better."

Alex took the gifts and it was difficult for Scooter not to grin at his dubious look. "Vegemite, thanks…"

"Have it with lots of butter or marge on the cheapest white toast you can find," said Texas helpfully.

"There's Tim Tams too, and Shapes," Scooter said. "You might find them a bit more palatable."

Alex thanked them again. "And, um, I'm sorry about Sparks. I –"

"Don't worry about it," said Scooter gently. He suddenly felt a surge of sympathy for Alex, who was even younger than Sparks had been. "Look, it was good to see you again." He held out his hand to Alex, who shook it. "If you ever come back to Australia, look us up."

"I'll do that."

Looking into Alex's too-serious eyes, Scooter hoped he would.