Babes in the Woods (Professionals story)

Fanfiction
Title:	Babes in the Woods
Author(s):	Meg Lewtan
Date(s):
Length:	78kb
Genre(s):	slash, Bodie/Doyle
Fandom(s):	The Professionals
Relationship(s):	Bodie/Doyle
External Links:	Proslib-CD
Click here for related articles on Fanlore.

"Babes in the Woods" by Meg Lewtan is a The Professionals slash Bodie/Doyle story.

It has a sequel called Preconceived Notions.

Summaries

"From Lucas & McCabe's point of view. They are just recruited into CI5 and get to know their fellow agents - a helpful Murphy and a savagely cold and bad B. After a week, it turns out B had been wild because D was away - as soon as D is back, B grows civilized again. As B&D leave, Lucas sees them kissing and understands everything."

Reactions and Reviews

1989

The situation itself was so believable. Doyle, for his absence, was a major presence which demonstrates the skill with which Meg's stories are written. Bodie's thoughts and actions were so right for this sort of situation.

2007

It's a story from an outside POV; there's two new partners, working with Murphy (I'm almost sure) and Bodie on a case. Doyle is off working on his own and Bodie is just being a royal pain in the ass and scaring the hell out of the new guys--then the case is over and they're all having a drink at a pub and Doyle walks in and to the narrator's disbelief, Bodie turns into a pussycat. He follows them out and sees them kissing next to the car.

Sorry to cut in but just had to say that's my favorite Meg Lewtan story, too. There is a sequel as well, but I didn't care for that as much. "Babes in the Wood", though, ahhh. *g*

2008

This is one of my my favourite first-person POV stories (someone who knows these things better than me says that it’s technically first person past imperfect, and who am I to argue *g*). The narrator is Lucas who, with McCabe (Mac), has just passed CI5 training. (A nice side note is that Lucas says he came to CI5 via the Flying Squad, aka The Sweeney). Lucas and ‘Mac’ end up partnered and are sent off to their first mission – a surveillance job with Murphy and Bodie. They meet Murphy, who seems entirely likeable, and Bodie, who seems… not so much.

The other man didn't move. His eyes ranged over us and the hair on the back of my neck stood on end. I've seen cold eyes in my time and his had to be the coldest. Menacing just wasn't in it. This one was a bastard, pure and simple.

The easy friendship and communication between Lucas and Mac is a great contrast with the hostile and downright bad tempered sod that Bodie is for most of the story.

They are blooded early; get into a firefight; make mistakes and survive them. Gradually they become a team and earn respect. And the ending is lovely, because we find out the reason for Bodie’s black mood and all is well, although Lucas is left with some food for thought.

Gen readers would probably like this one as well. They just need to glide quickly over a couple of paragraphs.

Even though I don't remember many details I do remember enjoying it a lot and found it a satisfying, well-written read. I quite like B & D stories written from a third point of view - I think they can often provide a refreshing look at their relationship and, dare I say, might also appeal to non-slashers.

Ah, yes! I love this story. I'm a sucker for outside observers anyway, and especially like it when they get things a little wrong because they don't know the whole story. This is one of my comfort reads!

I am a sucker for stories that see the lads through a third person’s eyes, and this story ticks all the boxes for me as it’s told from Lucas’s POV. Meg Lewtan gives both Lucas and McCabe some backstory and fleshes out the characters somewhat, although Lucas, as narrator, gets more attention than McCabe. They’re the new kids on the block, recently accepted onto the A squad, and they’re teamed with Murphy and Bodie for their first few assignments. The Bodie that they meet is not the usual Bodie of fanfiction – he’s cold, emotionless, almost robotic in the way he performs his job.... Meg wrote a sequel to this story, Preconceived Notions, but Babes In The Wood is by far the better tale in my opinion. I hope I’ve whetted your appetite for this story rather than spoiling it for you. Go, read, enjoy!

I didn't care as much for the sequel, but the original...yeah, it's a keeper.

I've not re-read the sequel because I remember being less than impressed with it, although Lucas and McCabe fans might enjoy. But the original - ... A keeper. That pub scene - I love it.

You've reminded me of a story I've long admired. so thanks for that! And if you like third person's point of view have you read the short classic, A Safe Bet by Deborah Ramsey, which is also on the CD and one of the best of its kind, I'd say. And Rimy's Handy Pandy, Out Goes the Rat which is online at the Archive and Hatstand.

I've spent a lot of time trying to work out why, exactly, I like this POV but for the life of me I can't articulate it. Any clues?

For me, I think part of it is that it's a validation of sorts. You know how you see their relationship, but, by getting to hear another character's thoughts about them, a character that's part of their world in a way the reader can never be, it makes it more real. That's not quite right, either, but it's about as close as I can come to putting it into words.