Two
Face had called the generator BA's baby and that summed up exactly how BA felt about it. Keeping it fed and making sure it was happy had become his obsession. He lay in his bed at night and watched the soft glow of lamp light from the rec room. Like a father watching his baby breathing, unable to look away.
And coming out to refuel it or check on it became his way to retreat from the others. A week now they had been restricted to living in the three interconnecting rooms, kitchen, dining room and rec room. They ventured into the rest of the station only to use the bathroom, get frozen food, or chop up furniture ready to feed into the incinerator. The furniture couldn't last forever.
And they couldn't last much longer living together. Murdock was very like his old self now and though part of BA was glad about that, it also meant being driven to distraction. Barber Murdock had made reappearance and everyone except Face had submitted to his ministrations. Murdock didn't try anything crazy with the scissors, but he insisted on talking in a dumb English accent and finished each man's cut with the words "something for the weekend?" Crazy fool.
As he came into the generator shack BA was surprised to hear voices. Face and Hannibal? He'd thought they were busy on axe duty. But they were in the fuel store, which now mostly held empty barrels of diesel. BA didn't want to interrupt them, it sounded like they were having an argument.
Obviously it was something private, or else they wouldn't have come out here. BA wondered if he should leave, but the generator needed his attention and that was the priority. He could tell just from the sound it was making that something wasn't quite right. He opened his tool box.
He could hear Face and Hannibal more clearly than he wanted to, even through the door that divided him from the store room.
"No!" That was Face. A shout of defiance.
Hannibal's reply wasn't loud enough for BA to make out.
"I don't care!" Face again. "I'm not doing it, I made a promise."
Again he couldn't hear Hannibal. He wasn't yelling like Face. That worried BA. When Hannibal got quiet that was a bad sign.
BA was going to have to take the generator down to work on it. He threw the switch that started up the portable back up generator.
"Screw you, Hannibal, do your-" BA threw the switch to swap out the generators and the lights browned out. Face stopped in mid sentence and silence descended in the store room. Then the door slammed back and Face stormed out, furious.
"BA," he ground out, and headed to the door. Hannibal emerged from the store room.
"Face!"
Face turned back. "I said no. I've done enough of your dirty work, Colonel. You can do the rest yourself." He slammed the door and was gone.
Hannibal stood, arms folded, chin jutting.
"Stubborn, insubordinate..."
"Always has been," BA said. "S'what makes him useful you always said." He took the access panel off the generator and started tinkering while Hannibal stood there fuming.
"I suppose you're wondering what that was all about." Hannibal asked, coming closer to BA after a few moments of silent fuming.
"Got more important things to do than wonder 'bout all your officer nonsense." BA restrained his smile. Sometimes he liked to play the 'I'm just a sergeant,' game and let the officers work it all out. They got paid to think after all. Of course in the end he'd be the one doing the hard work part of whatever plan they came up with
"Right," Hannibal said. "We're just trying to work things out, BA, there's not much time now."
"I know. You'll figure it out, man. Pass me the pliers." He held out his hand and Hannibal put the pliers into it. "You just let me know what you need me to do once you got it worked out. Meanwhile I got plenty to do."
"Okay, BA, thanks." Hannibal sounded happier. "I guess I'll let you work. Don't forget to come in for lunch." He left, slamming the door fast after himself as the cold wind swirled in at BA.
BA smiled again. Just a sergeant? Yeah.
~~~~
Decker and the team crowded into the radio room. Murdock sat in front of the radio, the others stood behind him. Face rested one hand on Murdock's chair.
"Gentlemen. I've got the long range weather forecast here." Baker announced.
The five men waited, as tense as Oscar nominees waiting for the words "And the winner is..."
"It looks as if we have several clear days ahead. If that holds, well, I think there's a chance we can pick you up by the end of next week."
A sigh went round the room.
"It's almost over," Murdock shook his head. "I can't quite believe it."
"Thanks, Baker," Hannibal said, grinning. "Thanks a lot." He turned and shook BA's hand and suddenly they were all shaking hands, smiling and laughing with relief. Even Decker was treated to a slap on the back from BA. Decker offered his hand to Face and saw a small hesitation there before Face took the hand and gave him a shake and a small nod.
"Now don't hold me to that." Baker's voice broke in on their celebrations. "And please keep up your rationing measures. The weather could always turn again. But I'm very hopeful. Very hopeful."
"Will do, Captain, will do," Hannibal said. He rubbed his hands together. "Okay, I'm going to make this a real celebration. Time to have that cigar I've been saving." He headed out of the room.
Face exchanged a wide eyed look with Decker, and then followed Hannibal out.
"Um, Colonel, can you hold on there a second?"
Decker smiled and shook his head. He wondered what story Face would come up with to explain that one. Then he sobered himself and spoke to Murdock who was still sitting in front of the radio.
"Captain, could I sit there please?"
"I guess you and the Mounties need to make some arrangements, huh?" Murdock said, looking up at him.
"I'm afraid so, Captain." Decker almost faltered as he said it.
"Well, we'll leave you to it," Murdock stood up. He grinned. "Remember to tell them, for breakfast I want poached eggs on rye bread."
"Get outta here, fool." BA growled. He gave Decker a glare and the two of them left.
Decker turned to the radio, switched on the microphone.
"Are you there, Captain Baker?"
~~~~
Face saw Hannibal come out of the radio room at five a.m. two days after Baker delivered the good news. He watched Hannibal make his way carefully down the corridor using his flashlight.
"Good morning, Colonel."
Hannibal gasped and swung the flashlight at Face, who leant against the closed door into the dining room, in darkness until the flashlight beam revealed him.
"Face! For god's sake, you scared the crap outta me! What the hell are you doing?"
"Just waiting for my next dance lesson." Face said, his voice so cold his breath should have misted in the chilly air.
Hannibal's face was nearly hidden in the darkness, but Face could see his eyes narrow.
"Okay, come on then, smart mouth."
"What?" Face said, before Hannibal grabbed his arm hustled him along the corridor and into the rec room. Hannibal shoved Face inside, closed the door and turned on a lamp. As Face watched him, baffled, Hannibal strode over to the stereo, found the LP they'd been using for the dancing lessons and put it on. He turned the volume down low, just enough to hear the rhythm. Then he strode over to Face and grabbed him around the waist, pulled him close.
"What the hell are you playing at?" Face demanded. Hannibal took Face's hand, held it up shoulder high.
"The tango. You remember the steps?"
"You wanna let go of me?" Face's voice was quiet.
"You want to impress your lady friend or not?" Hannibal asked. Face looked away, bit his lip then looked back.
"I'm assuming when I dance with her I'll be leading."
Hannibal didn't move his hand. It stayed in place on Face's back, fingers just touching his spine.
"If you want to lead then watch me and learn how to lead."
Face looked back at him, eyes dark and furious.
"What are your orders, Colonel?"
"Let's start with left foot walk, Lieutenant."
They moved, feeling the beat, feeling the welcome heat of each other's bodies in the chilly room.
"So, did you get the information?" Face asked. His voice still had that low and dangerous throb to it.
"No." Hannibal said. "Progressive link... left foot, left foot, dammit."
"You didn't ask her?" Face said, astonished. Hannibal had been so insistent before. They needed the information, it was essential. And he'd changed his mind?
"No. I didn't ask her. We'll get it another way."
"Good." Face said, his frown back after his astonishment wore off. "She doesn't deserve to be used, not by us, not by anyone."
They danced for a while. Besides the music the only sound was snapped out instructions from Hannibal and impatient grunts from Face.
"You like this woman." Hannibal said. Not a question.
"Yes."
"You don't even know what she looks like."
"That stopped mattering a long time ago."
Now it was Hannibal's turn to look astonished. He made a sudden, fast movement and dipped Face. Face gasped and gripped Hannibal's shirt, fearing Hannibal would drop him. Hannibal didn't. Face could feel Hannibal's arms trembling but he supported Face.
"Are you in love with her?"
"Oh wow!" Hannibal looked up at the sound from the doorway through to the dining room dormitory. Face, still leaning back, saw Murdock, staring and wild haired.
"Right..." Murdock said slowly. "I'm just going to, er, go away now and assume this is just a dream." He turned around and vanished back into the dining room, closing the door.
Hannibal and Face looked back at each other, as wide eyed as Murdock had been. Then carefully Hannibal pulled Face up straight again.
"You giving me an answer, Face?"
"No."
"Was that an answer?"
"Yes."
Hannibal frowned. "To which question?"
"Are we dancing or what?"
Hannibal shrugged. "Right foot walk."
They headed across the room again.
"You know it's hopeless, don't you?"
Face didn't answer. He kept his head turned away from Hannibal. Of course he knew that, he just didn't want to be told that.
"Face. I know you're mad at me. I know you don't like some of the things I've asked you to do."
Don't like? Face wanted to yell at him, but stayed silent. Don't like was the understatement of the winter.
"But you know why I've asked them. Look at me." Hannibal snapped out the last three words, in his command voice and Face instantly turned his head to look Hannibal in the eyes. "Everything I've done here, everything I've asked you to do has been for the team. And for Murdock. Especially for Murdock."
The team, Face thought. Here we go with the old refrain. We were talking about me and Shila, about my feelings, but I guess that's not as important as the damn team. Not that he would tell Hannibal anything about Shila but...
Face looked down. His hair flopped into his eyes. He faltered to a halt and stepped away out of Hannibal's grip. He looked up again and brushed his grown out bangs out of his eyes.
"What would you do for the team, Hannibal? What would you order me to do?" He paused, studying Hannibal. "Just how far would you go?"
Hannibal looked back at him.
"I'm going to go just as far as you let me go, Face."
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© Elizabeth Charles 2006