The squad were mostly whooping over their success. Too tired to be angry, Doyle felt sick as he watched them. All he could see were the faces of the innocents they hadn’t saved. He instinctively sought out Bodie, who looked exhausted too; dark shadows and bruises stood out in stark relief on his pale skin.

Overwhelmed by the need to feel something solid and alive, Doyle made to walk towards Bodie, but stopped when he realised, with a tiny thrill of pleasure, that Bodie was walking quickly towards him.

“Let’s get you home, sunshine,” he said softly, and slung a friendly arm over Doyle’s shoulder in a touch that expressed so much more than either of them could ever say. As they walked to Bodie’s car, Bodie making off colour jokes, but with his arm still over Doyle’s shoulder, the feeling that he didn’t fit into this world began to fade.

-- THE END --

July 2006