Bodie still didn't like Christmas. He liked Doyle, though, and that worthy man loved this bloody holiday. So Bodie bit his tongue, swallowed his pride, and pretended. Hell, he even put a ridiculous red and green wreath over the fireplace in his apartment. A true eyesore, it made him grimace everytime his eye fell upon it, but the smile it brought to Doyle's sharp- boned face made it - almost - worth the agony.

This wouldn't last much longer, for it was the day before Christmas Eve. He could last it out that long, truly he could. After all, Bodie had managed much worse in his lifetime. Much, much, much.....well, maybe not quite that much worse. Listening to McCabe and Lucas sing "Rudolph" in off-tune disharmony for the fifteenth time definitely rated up there with the most horrible moments in Africa.

Well, perhaps that was an exaggeration, but...

Oh no...

No, it wasn't an exaggeration.

"Get that...that... away from me."

Bodie couldn't even name it. The idea was preposterous, ridiculous, definitely not funny, and totally beyond the pale.

There was absolutely, utterly, and certainly, no way on God's Green Earth that anyone would ever get him in that!

Then Doyle turned wide bright green eyes on him, and the corners of that lush mouth drooped. A suspicious brightness gleamed in that emerald gaze. The broad shoulders slumped. Bodie felt as though he'd just punched the golly in the stomach.

"Ah, come on, Ray? Why can't you do it? Or one of them?" He pointed broadly at the rec room full of half-drunk agents.

"Nah, I wann you to do it, Bodie! You'll look so sexy in all that red!"

Sexy? Try ridiculous. Stupid. Obscene. A laughingstock. Unh uh, no way. Not now, not ever, not even for Doyle. No way...

"I look stupid!" Bodie grumbled.

"No you don't!" Doyle crowed. He tugged at the heavy woolen jacket, positioning it over his partner's wide shoulders. He brushed down the white fur lining the collar, then picked up the big floppy hat.

Bodie backed away, staring at the objectionable object with a transfixed look of utter horror.

"Oh no, Ray...no!"

"Yes!" Doyle grinned, moving faster than the speed of light to plop it down on Bodie's close-cropped dark hair. Then standing back, he placed his hands on his hips and studied his masterpiece with careful scrutiny. Then solemnly, he nodded, ignoring the deadly blue glare that shone out within a field of red velvet.

"Good, all set."

Grabbing Bodie by the arm, he propelled his very unhappy partner towards the noisy rec room. Stomach clenched tighter than a fist in his belly, Bodie let himself be moved. But oh, oh, was Doyle gonna pay for this later.

The things you do for love notwithstanding, this deserved revenge, and revenge Bodie was going to get.

-- End Part One --