The Professionals Circuit Archive - Family Traits	  Family Traits

 

by Jatona P Walker 

 
 *The reason behind that expressively raised eyebrow: "I sometimes think
that left eyebrow of his has a will of its own." 
 - quoted from A NECESSARY EVIL *


 "Wakey, wake, love!" came Bodie's excited whisper into my left ear.
"Today's the day!" he added, gleefully.

 "'M not deaf," I mumbled in mock exasperation. Truth is, I'd actually
been awake for hours, barely able to contain the anticipation running
rampant through me own being.

 Today was indeed special and one I had long wished for since I'd first
met Bodie. Shrouded in mystery, he was. 'S what drew me to him. I was
determined to open as many doors as I could. And I have, too. In these ten
years since we first became partners, then took that big step and accepted
our relationship for what it truly was (settled in right nicely, we are,
and most content), I've learned much about my lifemate. Yet--there's
always a 'yet'--the one door I could truly never breach was that of his
family. Elusive as a moray eel, he was, on that subject. Loved to either
whet me appetite, dropping just enough to get me really going, or give me
a look that brooked no further questions; whatever suited his fancy. Began
to think he *had* no family, until the day The Letter arrived. Though it
looked very official, it bore those definite marks of 'family'. (Although
it sported a raised crest, the address was hand-written. We ex-coppers
notice things like that.)

 The next 30 days after its arrival were very busy ones; no last minute
lick-and-a-promise dusting for us when family was coming. Every nook and
cranny of our flat--a sort of 'wedding present' from Cowley: one of the
best flats CIS owned--was cleaned from top to bottom, employing our
legendary teamwork. ('S what a relationship is all about, innit?) In no
time at all, Queen E. herself could've given us the white glove treatment.

 I turned over to face him now, letting my excitement come through in the
smile I gave him. "Can't wait, Bodie." My reply, though sincere, held just
a hint of patience. "What time do they arrive?"

 Doesn't miss a thing, does my Bodie. He sneered lovingly--only Bodie can
sneer lovingly--down at me. "Whatsa matter, Ray? Nervous?"

 Gave him me best injured-pride look. "Who, me? Nah. Cool as a cucumber, I
am. Just asking, wasn't I?"

 I expected a session of unmerciful teasing. Liked better what I got
instead. His perfect features softened and his large, capable hands took
my skull in a gentle grasp, while long, skilled fingers played though me
curls. His midnight blue eyes regarded me with such love...always keep a
permanent lump in me throat, they do.

 "'S okay, love," he murmured. "Not to worry. They know all about us and
are very pleased that I'm finally content."

 While the calmness in his voice reassured me, that last statement got to
me. Curious as the perverbial cat, I am...and you know the rest of that.
"Bodie?"

 "Hmmm?" he answered dreamily, his lips busy doing the sweetest things to
my face, neck, eyes...

 Determined to finally get at least my foot in this particular door, I
swallowed hard, clamped down on me concentration and continued. "If
they're so pleased and all, why haven't they come to visit before? I mean,
letters are fine, but, well..."

 Suddenly, his touch was gone and I panicked, fearful that to satisfy one
moment of curiosity, I'd gone and mucked it up right royally. Not one to
be pushed, is Bodie. I waited, eyes lowered, not daring to breathe, for
the explosion I knew would come. When it didn't, I stole a tentative
glance his way. Those sapphire eyes were fixed on me with loving
amusement, obviously having anticipated my reactions.

 "Bastard!" I hissed, suddenly weak with relief. "If you ever...!" I
raised my fist threateningly to demonstrate my intent.

 He took my fist in his hands, setting his lips to each knuckle. "'M a
lover, not a fighter," he whispered, then all thought fled as he proved
just that, taking with a gentle hunger, driving us over the pleasure
barrier time and time again.

 By the time the real world intruded once more, we had only 90 minutes
before "beam in," as Bodie affectionately called their arrival. At the
time, I laughed at him. Make a cute alien, he would, what with those
exotic features, so flawless, those soul-piercing eyes and that haircut...

 I stifled a threat of giggles as the images flooded my mind while I
showered. When I had done, he was just coming from making a final check of
downstairs. Our eyes met and I fell in love all over again, but before we
could get up to anything, I ducked into the bedroom to finish dressing and
did not come out until I heard the water running in the shower and his
voice raised in gurgly song. Quickly, I retreated to the safety of the
kitchen to make a final check on lunch. Bodie had set their arrival time
at noon: 'They're very punctual, Ray, and so's me stomach. Okay, love?' I
smiled at the memory. Was good to know I'd fallen in love with more than a
bottomless pit attached to hollow legs. For a while, I'd wondered. It
never occurred to me at the time to ask my meat-and-potatoes man why we
were suddenly all vegetarian.

 I had just taken the Ambrosia from the fridge when I thought I heard the
phone buzzer. Lovely security invention, that. It's saved us from many an
embarrassing situation. Then, there were voices: one was Bodie's. I hadn't
heard him come downstairs.

 "Ray, they're here!"

 I grinned. 'Tact' wasn't always Bodie's middle name. Therefore,
remember¬ing the significance of this occasion, I placed the salad on the
counter, took a deep breath, entered the parlour and stopped dead in me
tracks as I beheld our guests. What bloody game was Bodie up to now?!

 Before I could find me voice, he chose that moment to speak. Coming
forward from the group, he extended the first and second fingers of his
right hand to me. Of their own will, the corresponding fingers of my right
hand matched his gesture, overlapping Bodie's. He smiled, then, love and
pride clearly reflected in his beautiful face, then turned to address our
visitors.

 "Father, mother, my brothers," he intoned formally, "permit me to present
my bondmate, Raymond Doyle."

 The three men and one woman nodded to me.

 Then, he turned to address me. "Ray, may I present my father, Sarek of
Vulcan; she-who-is-his-wife, my mother, Amanda; and they who are my
brothers, Spock, son of Sarek and Amanda, and his bondmate, James T.
Kirk."

 *Right, Bodie. And I'm George Cowley/* I conveyed my thoughts in my
ex¬pression--a proper Doyle frown. What did he take me for? I knew Star
Trek fen when I see 'em. Had to admit, those costumes were really great,
though. Made a note to ask them where they'd had them done. And the
participants had the char¬acters to perfection. Thus, because I loved the
big kid, I decided to humour

 Bodie and dutifully raised my left hand, forminga sort of 'V' with the
third and fourth fingers.

 Remaining at Bodie's side, I addressed the one he had called Sarek.
"Peace and long life to you, father of my bondmate," I said solemnly,
matching the formality. "I welcome you and your family," I added,
including the others in a nod, "to our home."

 It was Sarek who answered for his companions, which seemed right as he
def¬initely had that aura of supreme authority.

 "Live long and prosper, bondmate of my son," he intoned, copying my
gesture perfectly, then asked, "Might I touch thee?", seemingly as a
polite afterthought. Puzzled, I nodded assent.

 He then approached me, hands stretched out before him. He stopped within
an inch of me and laid those hands on either side of my head. For a split
second, an electric shock of surprising magnitude rippled through my mind.
Then, I felt it...a gentle probing of great mental power. Realisation hit
like a phaser blast. The only race I knew of that could do that were the
Romulans and the Vulcans--and Sarek was no Romulan! Christ, these were no
fen, they were real!

 I looked from Bodie to Spock to Sarek to Kirk to Amanda, then back to
Bodie again, knowing my utter amazement and still mild-disbelief must be
registering all over my face.

 "Fascinating!" was all I could mutter, not trusting myself to say more.

 Immediately, three left eyebrows rose in perfect unison and I couldn't
re¬sist laughing in delight. Family traits, the mystery of the expressive
left eyebrow was solved, time for explanations later. I went forward, with
my bondmate--like the sound of that--to embrace our family.

 -- THE END --

 *Originally published in *Chalk and Cheese 2*, Whatever You Do, Don't
Press!, 1988*

   Archive Home