(Sequel to Intermezzo)


"Mnnhh."

"Bodie?"

Bodie groaned into the receiver. "Bloody hell, Doyle." He rested his head back against the pillow with a soft thud and closed his eyes. "Do you know what time it is?"

"Uh," a slight pause at the other end, then, "no. Wake you, did I?"

"Of course not," Bodie said irritably. "I don't make a habit of sleeping at four bloody a.m." Suddenly wondering if Doyle was in trouble, he added, "you okay, Ray?"

A hollow laugh, followed by, "depends, doesn't it."

"Ah," Bodie gave a non-committal grunt. "In that case--g'night, mate." He made to put the receiver down.

Before he did, he caught: "S'about Ann."

Shit. Doyle had called him because of Ann? Bodie suddenly felt very awake, indeed. "Ann?" he asked neutrally. God, he hated the name.

"Bodie," the warning clear in Doyle's voice. "Don't tempt me, okay?"

Don't worry, mate. "What about her?"

A moment of silence. "You never told me why you told her."

Bodie's heart was kicking violently against his ribs. "I didn't mean to," he lied. "It slipped."

He waited for Doyle's reaction, but didn't get any.

Swallowing then, knowing he'd sounded shallow. "I thought you told her, Ray. You were with her all the time...reckoned she knew, that's all."

"It's not exactly something you'd be telling your future wife, is it?"

Christ. He'd really wanted to marry the cow? Bodie felt sweat trickle down his temples. "No," he said, finally. "Guess not. Sorry, Ray." He was very much aware suddenly that he hadn't apologised to Doyle, at all. It hadn't occurred to him that he'd maybe destroyed the very thing his friend was after all along.

Having someone to come home to.

Doyle was a sensual creature, he needed love, if only for one night. But what if that had changed? And he needed something constant now? Change was something Bodie understood well. He alone had never stayed long in one place, had always been on the move, always looking for that new challenge. And then he met Doyle and all thoughts of jumping ship fled. He'd been Ray's partner for five years. Five years when the longest time he'd stayed in one place ranged from eight to eighteen months. Why, why now?

The answer was suddenly terrifyingly clear.

"...Bodie? You there?"

He snapped back to reality. "Yeah, sorry, sunshine. Just...thinking." God help me.

"Yeah, well, you know what they say." The tone was teasing. "Don't hurt yourself."

Bodie would've noticed the humour in Doyle's voice if he weren't so desperately trying to justify himself. "I'm really sorry, you know? You've got to believe me, Ray. I don't know how I could tell her that and--"

"Don't be," Doyle's voice broke in, softly. "I think I know now why you did."

-- THE END --

April 2005