Authors' Notes: Drowsy has the New Year's one shot fic up so go check that out, it's pretty good stuff. :) Now one with our next chapter.
"Scooter?" Murdock shot a glance at Face.
"Scooter." Face confirmed with a nod, then glanced sideways to avoid one of B.A.'s retaliatory punches, but nothing came. Possibly because of where they were, but also because he was suddenly posessed by a violent sneezing fit.
"Murdock, make sure the van's off and safe, then come back and join us." Hannibal nodded.
The pilot saluted and hurried to move the large vehicle off the main road.
Charissa fought hard to keep a look of amusement off her face… Scooter? Really? Hilarious and adorable. She regarded B.A. with a different sort of look, it was hard to picture the big black man as someone's little boy, but he was. Hazel eyes inspected the quaint apartment, it was a home even if it wasn't a house she decided as she traveled towards the various framed pictures. B.A.'s Mom loved him very much, there were pictures all over of him as a child mostly, riding a new bike, playing super-hero with a sheet tied around his neck. A cast on his arm, with a group of friends, she felt an odd swell of pride at seeing the picture of him in full uniform probably having just graduated the academy. He looked dedicated to the cause, one they all shared.
"Don't even start." B.A. barked a little at Face and Murdock as his Mother came up behind him and tugged his ear.
"Don't talk to your friends like that." In her hands, Mrs. Baracus held a tray that had a large bowl of chicken noodle soup on it and some odd smelling tea, "You sit down right there on the sofa and eat up." She ordered Face as she placed the tray down on the coffee table and watched him to make sure he did as told.
Face nodded gratefully once he was able to, slunk to the sofa and plunked himself down. He removed the old blanket and took one of the afghans off the back of her couch, wrapping himself in that while B.A. presumably went to find him something to wear. It would probably be about seven sizes too big - the man was built like a football player and all the fashion sense of a turnip - but it would be warm and dry at the very least.
After a few moments, B.A. reappeared after having gone down the hallway and handed Face a pile of clothes, "Tried t'find some of my stuff from when I was younger so they'd be more your size."
"How did you break your arm, B.A.?" Charissa was still looking at the pictures, now of ones with him in the field, before the A-Team. He looked different, but maybe because he was a bit younger then.
"I didn't break it…" He glanced to his Mother; B.A. knew she didn't like this story, "I got shot. Bullet went into the bone." He rubbed his arm at the memory of how painful it had been.
"Sit down. Make yourselves at home. Go on. I'll bring out some coffee and fresh gingerbread cookies." Mrs. Baracus spoke up and bustled off to the kitchen with a frown on her face.
"Momma doesn't like that story; she left so I can tell you." B.A. explained, "It was a year or so before I enlisted. It was my wake-up call that if I wanted to use guns and beat people up I needed a better cause than jus' someone lookin' at me wrong." He said no more on the subject, he really wasn't proud of the kid he had been either anymore.
"Gingerbread!" Murdock had re-appeared and was following his nose into the kitchen, not caring if she wanted to shoo him out. It smelled amazing in there.
Hannibal took it all in silence, resting on an overstuffed arm chair opposite the main couch that Face had sat down on. The con-man was helping himself to more soup, not really waiting for it to cool off. He was, after all, hungry.
By now Charissa had moved away from the photographs which had stopped shortly after a picture of him and the other guys, probably not long after they had first met and Hannibal had gotten B.A. reinstated. That was another story she wanted to hear, however now wasn't the time. She moved over and settled on the sofa by Face, "Careful, don't burn your tongue." She warned him.
"Murdock, Yes?" Mrs. Baracus asked as the strange man came into her kitchen, "You wanna help me, child?" She smiled at him and didn't wait for an answer, if he was in her kitchen he was going to help, "In that cupboard there to your right, "She pointed near his head, "there's some coffee mugs get some down and pour coffee into them." She instructed kindly.
"Yes'm!" Murdock made himself useful; this involved juggling mugs because there were too many for his hands. Once he'd gotten enough out of the cupboards, he began pouring drinks. Deciding not to juggle them now, he carried them carefully out to the others.
Face by now had eaten about half, and was much warmer. He regarded the clothing B.A. had brought out and nodded. They looked as though they would fit, and he'd change in a few minutes once he had a little more.
"So do you have a first name? Or are you like some of them famous folk, just one name?" Mrs. Baracus asked curiously, trying to get to know her son's friends a little more, "In his letters, Bosco only mentions you by Murdock or Crazy Man. Are you really crazy?" She was busy making sure there was enough cookies for everyone on the platter before placing it on a second tray and heading out into the living room again and eying Face, "You doing better?"
Charissa smiled to the woman warmly, "Thank you for taking us in."
"Not a problem honey, and now I have an excuse to break out my tree and decorations. Normally I don't bother with just me, but now I've got help." Mrs. Baracus said with a smile, "Go find our decorations son and take Murdock with you." She instructed, "He's a good help."
Murdock gave her a rare, calm smile - one he reserved for more serious moments - and winked his eye. "Now ma'am, that would be telling."
"Excuse me." Face went to go change in the bathroom, taking a moment to run hot water though his hair and towel it dry. He felt a little better now, sweat gone and dry warmth replacing it. He headed back out to help Hannibal ready space for the tree.
"Oh, a man of mystery." Mrs. Baracus gave Murdock an amused wink before sitting down next to Charissa, "We'll tell them just where we want things." She assured the younger woman and offered her a cookie.
"Thank you." She wondered if B.A.'s Mother knew she felt out of place currently and was trying to make her comfortable. She took a decent bite of the cookie and smiled at how good it truly was, "These are excellent." Charissa exclaimed.
"You're welcome, Charissa."
Charissa blinked, "How do you?"
"Know your name? Scooter writes still, tells me a lot of things." The older woman said with a knowing smile that made Charissa sheepishly look away from her and take a drink of coffee.
After escorting Murdock with him down the hall, B.A. paused in the middle and reached up and pulled down a trap door and let down a wooden ladder, "Go on up." B.A. gestured to the ladder, " I don't fit up there."
"Aww, crammin' ol' Murdock into the attic, huh?" the pilot pouted at the burly man, putting his hands on the railings and sighing. "I suppose it's where I belong...battier'n'the bats in the belfry, or is that got bats in the belfry or - " he scooted up before B.A. could retaliate.
Crazy fool, B.A. thought to himself as he waited to be handed things, "Be careful with that stuff, some of those decorations are older than you or me."
"Face… are you sure you feel up to what you're doing?" Sosa was trying not to be overly concerned or worried, but he was sick still after all.
"He'll be alright, look he's not quite as pale as he was when you all first got here, not that it was easy to tell." Mrs. Baracus looked the Lieutenant over, "Do you live on the beach?" She questioned with some amusement and some seriousness.
"I wish." Face grumbled a bit, settling back down onto the couch and helping himself to some cookies. They really were very good. "I don't get too much time to relax nowadays..."
Murdock emerged carefully with box after box, treating them with the same delicate care one would normally reserve for tiny infants or glass. As it so happened, Murdock figured that many of the objects would be glass - or equally light - so he kept to his best.
"Poor dear." Mrs. Baracus patted his knee, "Maybe one day they'll clear your names-"She looked at Charissa, "Can't you do anything, don't you work for the government?"
It was a bit shocking this hadn't come up sooner or at least to Charissa, "It's not that easy and it's the CIA that is chasing them, though I know for a fact they've been working in tandem with my department as far as intel goes." She said nothing else on that subject, "As it is, because of my…" she searched for the proper term, "involvement, "It wasn't the right word exactly but it worked none the less, "I have to keep a low profile concerning these guys."
"Your lives are way too complicated." Mrs. Baracus shook her head and helped herself to a cookie.
"You get lost up there, fool?" Came B.A.'s impatient tone from the hallway when finally Murdock emerged and he took some of the boxes from the Captain, "There's a few more." He stated and then took the boxes in hand into the living room.
"Gotcha." Murdock scrounged for the remaining boxes and returned with them, gently unpacking and handing various things out.
Hannibal managed to get the tinsel going without having to stand on a chair - being tall really did come in handy for the strangest things.
Face eventually got off the couch as well and began to put baubles and lights on.
"I think I'll help… I miss decorating the tree and so on." Charissa decided that helping meant less talking and she felt more comfortable that way, doing something. She helped put ornaments on the tree, being very careful with them. Some of them looked to be very homemade or handed down.
A few moments later, B.A. after fiddling with the stereo had Christmas music filling the air, "This is nice." He commented and grabbed the old and worn star for the top of the tree and got it situated, careful not to get in anyone else's way.
Once she was certain they wouldn't break anything or cause a problem, Mrs. Baracus stole away into the kitchen and began finishing preparations on some things for the dinner tomorrow, especially now that she had extra people. Normally she invited her neighbors over, but now she had family present which was a much welcome and nice change.
The guys and Charissa are getting an honest break for once! A nice change for them and Drowsy and mine's gift to the lot.
:) Hope everyone had a safe and fun New Year!
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