Brothers

Disclaimer: Surprise: I don't own the A-team...

You may notice, that this chapter differs from the others. It is shorter and the style is different. But in my opinion it fits the title of this story quite well and it was inspired by an A-team episode ('Steel'), like the rest of them. That's why I decided to put it here.

Set in and after the last few minutes of 'Steel'.

Hope you enjoy!

My father always said I was a beauty. All my life I had men stare at me, for my good looks. Now my father is long gone, but the stares continue.

It has always been my wish, to talk to a man, who wouldn't stare, who would look past my beauty and accept me as an equal.

Sure, I've got my uncle, but that's not the same. Our relation is a little strange and he still sees me as a little girl. And my brother I've known for all my live, so he hardly counts in that aspect.

When we got in trouble with Crazy Tommy T and hired the A-team, I met men, that just saw me as a client. Nothing more, nothing less. It was refreshing!

I really enjoyed to watch them work as a team, beating up the bad guys, but there was no chance to get to know them.

With their strong bond, there seemed to be no place for strangers. In danger, it was the four of them against the rest of the world. While they 'worked' together, each had the others back. They seemed like the best of friends. The more shocking it was, when it was time for them to leave and none of them seemed ready to take Murdock back home.

As I watched them argue I felt pity towards Murdock. Granted, he was a bit crazy, but he held his own against the bad guys. He had played a tremendous part in their victory and now he just stood there, silently. All the while his friends argued who got to take him home as if he was an unloved child or the dog he had pretended to be.

It seemed so wrong to me, I wanted to do something about it. Also I saw my chance to get to know one of these men.

So I volunteered.

Before I knew what happened, the words tumbled out of my mouth: "I can take him back!"

My offer was met by confused silence.

I was beginning to feel uncomfortable, when Murdock grinned. "That would be nice."

The team looked uncomfortable.

"No worry, kid. We can take Murdock. The VA is basically on our way", Hannibal said and BA nodded with his trademark scowl.

"No, no. I'll take him", Face chimed in. "Maybe this sweet nurse will give me her number this time!"

Murdock's smile only widened: "It's all right, guys. I shall be back, keep that dog biscuits for me, Face!"

Hannibal laughed as he climbed into the van, BA followed, murmuring something about fools.

Face gave Murdock one wave. "Give my greetings to that nurse", he said, than he was off too and Murdock jumped into my car energetically.

"Let's ride in the sunset together, darling!", he joked.

If I wrote a novel, I would have told you, that the first part of the ride was spent in thoughtful silence. That I was thinking of a nice way to ask Murdock about the behavior of his friends, while he was pondering, why his friends had betrayed him like that.

But that was not what happened.

Well, the first part was actually true, I was thinking about, how to ask the pilot about his friends.

Murdock however was everything but silent. He was singing along to happy tunes of the radio, giving voice imitations and at some point even tried to teach a card trick to someone called Billy...

The Captain seemed happy enough, so at some point I just bluntly asked him: "Aren't you hurt none of your friends wanted to get you back to the hospital?"

Murdock looked at me surprised, pausing his card games: "Why would I?"

"Well, they talked about taking you home, like it was some kind of burden, a punishment even. And they talked about you, as if you weren't there, like you were a dog!", I pointed out to him.

Murdock laughed, then he began to absentmindedly hum 'Country Roads', while he thought of a way to explain it to me. Or that is what I think he was doing, you can never be sure with Murdock...

"You ought to know, darling", he began after a while ",that my guys would never abandon me. They would give their live for me and I would give my live for them. That is all I need to know and it's the reason why nothing they do or say to me will ever truly hurt me. The only thing I need to be sure of is, that they care about me. Everything else is trivial."

Murdock thought about, what he said a moment, then he nodded.

"You could kind of compare it to siblings. The team and I, we are brothers. And I somehow got stuck with the role of the youngest brother, even though I am older than BA, at least in years", he laughed.

"You've got a brother yourself, you know siblings aren't always nice to each other. What older sibling wouldn't complain at having to look after his little brother? It's fine how they treat me, because it reassures me that we are brothers. People most times won't complain to bring their friend home, but if it is their sibling they will start a ruckus. Not because they mind so much, more because it is what siblings do. Friendship is a wonderful thing, but nothing can get as strong as the bond between siblings, between brothers!"

"I think, I understand", I replied after a few seconds.

And just like that the somber mood was gone again and Murdock singing alongside the radio. This time I joined him.

At the VA I decided to stay a while, because the pilot wanted to show me one of his video games. It was actually a fun evening. When I was about to go, a nurse entered with a phone.

"For you, Mister Murdock", she told him.

Murdock grinned brightly as he took the hearer. "Face", he mouthed.

Smiling, I left him to his call. It was time for me to go.

I never regret bringing Murdock home, as unnecessary as it had been. I found, I really enjoyed his company and went to visiting him from time to time after that.

Never again did I doubt that Hannibal, Face and BA were truly Murdock's friends. They were even more – they were brothers!

A cookie (::) for your thoughts! Please review ;)