Fairground Attractions

Fanfiction
Title:	Fairground Attractions
Author(s):	Kitty Fisher
Date(s):	1993
Length:
Genre:	slash
Fandom:	The Professionals/Ladder of Swords
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Fairground Attractions is a Professionals/Ladder of Swords story by Kitty Fisher.

It was published in Unprofessional Conduct #2.

Reactions and Reviews

38 pages. Long: if another Unpro story of 35 pages and larger font is 22,000 words, then I would guess that this must be 25,000-ish. This one is set in England before both Pros and Ladder of Swords. Bodie is about to take up a job with CI5. Watching rides at a fairground, he notices the operator. "Shoulder-length dark hair that was trying to be straight was mostly pulled back into a ponytail. Tangled ends swept around a face that could almost have been called austere, but slanted eyes, full lips, and mismatched cheekbones betrayed a fascinating sensuality. Oh yes, he looked as if he could incite a lot of things, though violence would have been way down Bodie's list." One swift pick-up later, and we are off. Bodie and Eugene (it's set before the film, remember) spend a week finding out about each other before things come to an end. Copious sex, but lots of other things going on, too, which affect - and are affected by - what's going on in the bed. Gene's fear of being caged, Bodie's reactions to an England he has been away from for so long, Gene's comments on provocation and walking away, Bodie's reactions to that, all of this hit the mark for me. Yummy. Despite the lack of a bear.

Kitty Fisher is one of my favourite authors, and although this seems quite romantic and almost tentative compared to some of her later stories, I adore this fic too. The lads haven't yet met, and so Doyle is not in this story - it is Bodie/Don DeMarco (Martin Shaw's character in the film "Ladder of Swords"). Now, I'm a huge fan of "Ladder of Swords", I'd say it was practically the best thing MS has done - not counting Pros, of course - and so if there has to be a pre-Doyle story, then I'm glad it's set in a Pros/LoS universe! The author manages to create a lovely atmosphere - somewhat melancholy even at its happiest moments, perhaps because we know that Bodie's going to join CI5 and therefore meet Doyle - so his liaison with Don DeMarco/Eugene Sullivan really has to end in their separation. (Doesn't it? *g*) Fisher captures the spirit of the seaside, and of holidays on your own, and of waiting for the next thing to happen, she manages sex and romance and a particular kind of sweetness. What can I say? I love it!

Fairground Attraction by Kitty Fisher is set before events in the film Ladder of Swords where Martin Shaw plays DeMarcho, and just before Bodie joins CI5. Bodie and Gene meet in Dover where Gene is working on the fairground rides. It is lust at first sight for both of them and they start sleeping together. Lust turns to something more, and Bodie stays and helps when Gene is beaten up by a group of bikers, remaining with him for the rest of his holiday. Gene, however, is on the run, and events begin to overtake them. I found this a good read, Gene was sufficiently Doyle like to keep me interested, particularly as Kitty throws in some wonderfully sexy descriptions of both men, and the banter between them was fun. An interesting type of AU, but ultimately very sad.

Why this must be read: I'm not usually mad keen on Pros crossovers where either Bodie or Doyle isn't involved - I'm never sure how that's a Pros story to start with, because to me Pros is eternally both our lads. There are just a few authors who can lead me into a story anyway though, and it's probably no surprise that Kitty Fisher is one of them. Fairground Attractions takes place in the weeks between Bodie's return to England and his joining CI5. With time to kill, he takes himself on holiday to the seaside, and finds himself wandering through the funfair, pausing for a burger, idly watching the dodgems whilst he eats - and catches sight of...