Blood Still Cries

Fanfiction
Title:	Blood Still Cries
Author(s):	Debra Hicks
Date(s):	1991, 2003
Length:	69K, approx. 12,600 words
Genre(s):	gen
Fandom(s):	The Professionals
Relationship(s):
External Links:	The Circuit Archive
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"Blood Still Cries" is a 12-page The Professionals story written by Debra Hicks.

It is a hurt/comfort story and was originally published in British Takeaway #5 in 1991. It was posted to The Circuit Archive on December 31, 2003.

Summaries

In 2000, two fans Cassie Ingaben and Dagger compiled an index of many of the circuit stories. They also wrote brief summaries:

• "Dagger: Bodie discovers that he's the last surviving member of his old unit and is torn between his duty to his old comrades and his current partnership with Doyle. Meanwhile, Doyle doesn't think it's a coincidence and the investigation leads them both into danger.
• Cassie: After "Wild Justice", Bodie is sent to a cottage to cool for a while, and Doyle clears up the case. Doyle finds out that the pattern of deaths in Bodie's battalion is not random and indeed the son of a dead SAS colleague is the killer (thinks his father died because of the battalion). Doyle rushes to warn Bodie, but Bodie has already been wounded and the killer waits in ambush, preventing Doyle from taking Bodie to hospital and wounding Doyle too. They almost die but are saved in extremis, understand mutual feelings and overcome resentments and misunderstandings from Wild Justice, and are happy ever after.

Reactions and Reviews

This story is set after Wild Justice. Bodie is sent on a three day leave, and he's in a CI5 cabin, in the wilds of Scotland. Meanwhile, Ray finds a disturbing fact: all old SAS Bodie's partners are dying.

This is thrilling story, with mysteries to be discovered, chasing in Scotland woods, and old good hurt/comfort, It's also a story about Bodie don't telling and Doyle not asking, and about how they'll mend the strands that the whole King Billy affair brought on them.

Let's have a little peek on the story: [note: link broken]

Oh, c'mon! You know you want to! Go to Blood Still Cries, and have a good time! And don't forget to let know the author what a great story she wrote :)

This is an h/c story, which hits all of my buttons. I love a rescue story and Doyle is the one to lead the charge this time. By the end, we have both lads down and out, so I'm a happy camper. Sorry!

It's listed as a slash story, but actually, there is nothing in it to indicate that the lads are in any sort of relationship. They're close partners and friends, through life and death if need be, so I didn't feel anything was lacking regarding a physical relationship. It would be out of place in this story anyway since it's a serious situation, and I feel Deb is a good enough writer to pull off a bit of ambiguity that might drive me barmy with another writer......The few negatives in the story, for me, are use of the dreaded descriptives: the smaller man, the bigger man. It's a personal thing with me, and I'd say back in 1991, it was a common thing to do. I've had the writers from back then tell me that a lot of editors didn't want the name used all the time. Also the story is not Brit checked at all, even for the easiest to fix words/phrases.

Still, I've read the darned thing four or five times (and a couple more for this review), so if h/c is your thing, and Doyle riding to the rescue, with a bit of snark between the lads, and a final understanding of Wild Justice, this story should work for you. (Thanks, Deb, in case you see this!)

Hicks is a better writer than I initially thought. The MUNCLE cross-overs really turned me off, and the Dangermouse stories...GIANT questionmark over my head. She's a bit sappy for my taste, but she does put in lots of realistic details, and she really thinks out her scenarios. Her plotting is simple but solid. I think this is one of her better efforts, although it's been a while since I read it.

This is one I've never got all the way through before - there were far too many non-Brit things in the first couple of paragraphs for me to persevere, I'm afraid... Green-carded? (Cowley was going to give Bodie a work-visa for the US?) A plane to north England from London? And describing the cottage as 50 miles from Hawick? If you're fifty miles from anywhere over here, then you're five miles from somewhere else, and a quick look at the map to make sure I'm not talking rubbish (*g*) shows me that 50 miles from Hawick could mean being in Carlisle (major town), or being about 10 miles from either Newcastle-upon-Tyne or Edinburgh - both rather major cities... *g* So... it was all sort of nonsensical to me to start off with... But I'm going to try again!

Except I really struggle with the idea of two grown men making such a big planned deal out of "needing to talk"... (very soap opera cliche, and not uncommon in fandom I know, but...yurch.) And Doyle needing to go to Kate Ross to know what to say to Bodie? I can't imagine that at all... And Bodie (or anyone!) needs army training before they'd make sure they've got candles etc in when there's a bad storm around? Especially when such a big deal's been made about how far from civilisation he is!?

And then, as mentioned above, a trillion plot and motivation holes...

And yes, by the end I suddenly realized that they hadn’t had any sex and yet it didn’t seem to matter, I felt nothing was missing and the writer had still managed to show that they were very close so it was a refreshing change...

This is a bit of an unusual choice for me, as it isn't overt slash (which is my preference in Pros, though I'll read gen on occasion). However, I certainly think you can read the story as pre-slash very easily. I'm including it as it has an "us against the world" vibe I enjoy, and should definitely scratch the itch of any h/c junkie. Someone is picking off members of Bodie's old SAS unit, so Cowley has him stashed away, under guard, in a remote safe house. Unfortunately, the baddie tracks him down just the same. So it's a frantic Doyle to the rescue. Unfortunately, things don't go according to plan and Ray is forced to take a wounded Bodie with him on the run. This story is beautifully tense, features wonderful interaction between the lads, and keeps the reader guessing as to what might happen next. This is a good one.

Set immediately after Wild Justice, this story dishes up an action plot and hurt/comfort. Originally published in British Takeaway--a series of zines that, while there was some slash particularly in the later issues, was heavier on the gen--this is a pre-slash story. While Bodie and Doyle haven't yet become lovers, their feelings are obvious and exert a compelling influence on the decisions they make and the courses they choose, as seen in this passage early in the story:

Bodie stared at the phone, completely bewildered by how the conversation had gone. It was not at all what he had planned. He had called Doyle to apologize for hitting him--and to say goodbye. The sound of Doyle's sleepy voice had melted his resolve in a wash of exasperated affection.

He had messed up no end the past few weeks; Doyle had every reason to request a new partner, especially after the fight with King Billy. He hadn't. Until this moment Bodie hadn't realized what that meant to him.

He glanced at the ticket in his hand, destination Cairo. With just a hint of a smile he headed for the ticket counter to exchange it.

I enjoy the intensity of the feelings between Bodie and Doyle throughout as well as the slam-bang action that never lets up. What makes the story work, though, is the heavy focus on the relationship.