Nothing Left to Lose
You may be looking for the Stargate Atlantis story Freedom's Just Another Word for Nothing Left to Lose.
| Bodie/Doyle Fanfiction | |
|---|---|
| Title: | Nothing Left to Lose |
| Author(s): | Jane of Australia and Madelaine Ingram |
| Date(s): | 1993 |
| Length: | |
| Genre: | slash |
| Fandom: | The Professionals |
| External Links: | online here |
Click here for related articles on Fanlore. | |
Nothing Left to Lose is a Bodie/Doyle story by Jane of Australia and Madelaine Ingram. The online version notes it is from a story by Kathy Keegan.
It was published in Leather and Blue Jeans #1 and is online.
This story has a sequel called Bounty in Other Times and Places.
Summary
"An AU set in a not-too-distant future where society has broken down after a meteor strike has devastated the planet. Bodie is a sheriff in a small English settlement; Doyle is a gunfighter arrives in time to warn him of a marauding motorcycle gang. The two of them end up being the town's only defenders when the gang attacks." [1]
Reactions and Reviews
I've never been a huge fan of Jane's writing. I couldn't get past a chapter or two of The Hunting, and the Rainy Days universe bores me to tears with its overly domestic view of the lads. This story, however, has stuck with me for years and is one I regularly go back to re-read.From a purely shallow perspective, this story offers plenty of mind's eye candy. Both the lads are clad in riding leathers and jeans throughout the story, and much time is spent on their proficiency with a motorcycle. If the visuals of Wild Justice are to your taste, you should get a kick out of this story.
Part of the satisfaction of an AU, I think, is how it can show that Bodie and Doyle are fated to be together, no matter the place or time. And this story is no different. The characters here haven't gone through the same experiences of our lads canonically, but the connection between them is immediate and obvious. That connection does not mean that they immediately become a team and a couple, however, and the struggles they go through toward realizing the strength of their connection makes the whole story even more satisfying.
The world that Jane and Madeline Ingram have built contains a gratifying amount of detail. There is a large amount of time spent with this Bodie's history and how he came to be in his current position. That history not only provides a feast for those who like their Bodie angsty, but it gives a broad understanding of how different the world of the story is from the one we know.
And then there's the sex. I know some reader's prefer their slash with a large helping of sex. I'm not necessarily one of them. Not that I don't like sex scenes. A well-written sex scene can not only be enjoyable unto itself, but provide an opportunity for really interesting, rewarding character development. And sometimes they're just darn fun. But a mediocre description of sex leaves me as cold as poorly handled exposition, and can feel just as mechanical. Fortunately, I think this story has just the right amount of sex. The attraction between the lads is set up early on and provides a satisfying amount of heat throughout the whole story. (Much as I enjoy fulfillment of sexual attraction, I think I might actually enjoy the lead up to it better.) And the final sex scene is entirely satisfying, not too drawn out but hard and hot and with a nice sense of anticipation leading up to it.
If I don't always feel the need for sex in a slash story, I'm a huge fan of hurt/comfort. (Hurt/comfort was pretty much my gateway drug to slash.) And there is a very nice amount of h/c in Nothing Left to Lose. I've already mentioned that Bodie has an angst-ridden history, and Doyle has one to match, though since the story is told from Bodie's POV, we don't get as much detail about Doyle's past. In the months preceding the start of the story, Bodie has been recovering from a gunshot wound delivered by the same biker gang that's about to make a return visit to the town, giving him a nice amount of vulnerability mixed in with his obvious toughness and competence. And there is full-blown hurt/comfort at the end, the details of which I won't give away, but which made my h/c loving heart very glad indeed.[2]
This is one of my favourites too, which kind of surprises me cos it's not perfect, but like you I keep going back to it. (Of course I'm a sucker for post-apocalypse, biker-lads h/c... there's really not enough of it around. *g*) There's the odd line that makes me wince, but on the whole it's a good read, the lads are pretty much the lads, AU notwithstanding as you say, and there's a great atmosphere to the whole thing.[3]
... there can never be enough post-apocalyptic Bodie on a motorcycle.[4]
I get pulled up every now and again by one of "those" Jane-ish sentences that make me cringe, but overall I enjoyed it too.[5]
Jane is definitely not my favourite stylist, but I still adore this story.[6]
The opening paragraphs really set the scene. I was completely hooked by the time they met each other. I think that might be why I can cope when it wavers in the middle section a bit.[7]
I never read Jane’s story before, there aren’t many AUs I go for (except Courtney Gray’s Night Moves), but was moved to read this thanks to your reviews. It’s a well thought out universe, like Mad Max mixed with Tombstone stirred into Stephen King’s Running Man. Have to agree some of the wording made me wince though, had to read some parts really quickly to get them out of the way! But overall, not bad at all, thanks for pointing it out as would never have read it otherwise.[8]
I am a very easy to please person. By that I mean I'm possibly not the most discerning person around to critique anything - although I have my definate dislikes in a fic, and things that put me off. However this fic completely turns me off.I dont like where it's set, I dont like the characters she's written, purely because in my mind's eye I cannot see them there, which is, I think, a big part of enjoying a piece of fanfic.
I cannot *care* about her characters in this. Quite frankly, I dont give a toss what happens to them. So much so that when I finally and very happily reached the end, I was happy to consign the fic to my NEVER-READ-AGAIN file... it's not the sci-fi thing because I truly do like sci-fi. I just really dont like the way she portrays the boys. Maybe it IS because I do (mostly) prefer them in the CI5 situation, but then again, I do like certain AUs. I just don't like how she portrayed them here. I don't like the scenario. If it had been Wild Justice, I'd have been Cowley threatening to kill Bodie!!! LOL [9]
Personally, I really enjoy AU and I do like most of Jane's writings. However, she is an author that for me, I either really, really enjoy her story or not at all. There is no in between for me. 'Nothing left to loose' is a story that falls on the "I don't like side." It's been a long time since I read it and I'm trying to think why I didn't care for it. I think it was the hopelessness they found themselves in. Oh, I know they eked out a meager existance but it seemed a little futile and I found it somewhat depressing. I avaoid sad-ending stories and I suppose this story just wasn't 'feel-good' enough for me.[10]