The Rakes' Progress

Bodie/Doyle Fanfiction
Title:	The Rakes' Progress
Author(s):	Jane of Australia
Date(s):	March 1986
Length:	35kb
Genre:	slash
Fandom:	The Professionals
External Links:	online here
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The Rakes' Progress (Or, SOME Things May Be Inevitable In The Long Run....) is a Bodie/Doyle story by Jane of Australia.

Author's notes: "This is a gentle story with a reference to AIDS before The Happy Ending--guaranteed no grief."

According to Jane's letter to The Hatstand Express #10, this story was written in response to another fan's comments about writing a Professionals story, OR about a Professionals story she'd read, one with the topic of AIDS.

The novel Sword of Damocles has a lengthy author's acknowledgments, one with includes "To Jane for 'The Rake's Progress' which showed me that an AIDS story could be done, and done well..."

Summaries

"B&D have been sexual partners for a couple of years, but the relationship is casual and non exclusive -- there are other women and men for both. One day, D gets an AIDS scare, because his othe male partner might have it. Fear, reticence and refusal to have sex, and then confession: D is not only scared, he also realizes that promiscuity doesnt pay, and that he has always been in love with B but thought B wasnt and therefore kept it light. B realizes he is in love too, and he agrees to become exclusive. They both get tested, are luckily negative, and live happily married ever after."

The Comments Which Inspired Jane to Write "The Rakes' Progress"

[O Y] wrote:

... to the lady(?) who brought up the idea of Bodie suffering AIDS - I defend to the last her right to write what she likes. I only say that if any one is mistaken enough to give me the story to read without warning me first I shall write my definitive story of "Bodie has piles" (a hazard of gay sex that up to now everyone has happily ignored), send free copies of it to everyone I know in the hatstand world and never write another word of fan fiction. I got out of K/S because I was sickened by some of the topics that were beginning to emerge in that fandom.

The Author's Responds

It was [O Y's] remarks about the question of AIDS in stories that took my attention; I haven't read the item you noted, but I'm assuming Bodie has the dreaded disease...?! Hmmm. Not a story I'd like to read, but there's the old, old saying in which there's still a lot of truth: 'I may not agree with what you say —' and we all know the other half of it. I'm not too sure that making any subject a taboo is a good idea; there was a time when sexuality, let alone homosexuality, was a terrific taboo, one we overcame. Is it wise to make 'this' or 'that' out of bounds of discussion? Okay — it all comes down to how the discussion is conducted, on this I think we'd have to agree at once. You can talk about anything (and we frequently do) if it's done with taste, style, a bit of finesse. I don't at all object to AIDS being a topic handled in a B/D story, so long as the way in which it's handled is objective; realistic within the bounds of good taste. AIDS is the boil on the rump of the gay and bi community, and if B and D, despite loving each other, insist on promiscuity, sooner or later they're going to run smack dab into the problem. With crossed fingers, we shall hope that they get the life frightened out of them without coming to any harm.... Reading about them having is not on my list of things-to-do-this-weekend. But, reading about them coming to the end of their promiscuity by getting sensible and waking up to REALITY? And coming to no real harm in the process? So thinking, I wrote the short, "The Rakes' Progress." Yes, their poor widdle hearts are aching because of the worry that so-and-so slept with such-and-such and then with Raymond, who slept with Bodie, and now so-and-so's got blood in the lab being gone over with a Geiger counter held in welding tongs by a doctor in a space suit. But — just in case you'd like to trust me and sample the story, I'll blow the nice, happy ending for you: they're lucky. And they're not promiscuous anymore. I don't like stories dealing with 'yucky' subjects any more than anyone else does, but forget about it again. Look, read "Rakes'" and make your own mind up: I promise , cross my heart, there's not one yucky word in it, and no one gets it, and the ending is...nice. Says she, with a giggle-cum-sigh. If you want to thump me after you've read it, clobber mo through the medium of THE. Like so many writers, I always welcome comments, even if they do come through my windows wrapped around bricks. But I don't think taboos are wise, not even about AIDS; and, oddly enough, if someone with flair employed enough of a gentle touch, a situation comedy with some fond hilarity could be got out of the 'Bodie has piles' scenario... 4 pp of dramatics without a word letting the reader in on what the HELL the problem is until the end. Don't ask anyone to write it, but it reinforces the point I'm making: it doesn't matter what you're talking about, so long as it's done affectionately, with taste, and what that means is, knowing when to stop writing!

Reactions and Reviews

...my pen and I do our evil best. However, I retract my comments about an aids story having been gently led by a friend (who knows me and my circumstances all too well) towards "The Rake's Progress" by 'Jane', I heartily recommend. But I hope hers will be the definitive story... Please: I wasn't trying to create a taboo, only to let people know I didn't want to read anything in the way of a wallow in illness, however beautifully crafted.

Bodie and Doyle have been lovers for 2 years but not exclusively so. They both sleep with 2 women and a man each, tho' Bodie was Doyle's first man. Doyle has been away on a job and on his return he at first refuses Bodie's invitations, then gives in. Bodie has missed Doyle very much and there are indications that they both resent the others' lovers. They are definitely hungry for each other, tho' Doyle at first refuses sex and then only allows certain acts. Bodie eventually gets Ray to admit what's wrong - his other male lover is being tested for AIDS, and Doyle has recently slept with him 'cos Bodie was with one of his women. Ray states that of course a full relationship with Bodie is over, but he still wants to come to Bodie occasionally for relief if Bodie is willing. Bodie is quite calm about the fact that he himself might already have it, whether from Doyle or one of his own lovers. Bodie tells Ray he loves him, and will no longer be sleeping around, and suggests they get tested and from then on sleep only with each other, and Doyle is only too willing as he has loved Bodie for years but thought he wouldn't want commitment. When the tests prove clear, they celebrate by making love and deciding to live together, as they now consider themselves 'pair-bonded', and having saved up leave go off to Hong Kong for a honeymoon,which they spend almost entirely in bed.

I know this story tackles AIDS shallowly, but if it has to be touched on that’s how I want it. It was a pity that, through not talking things out, they put themselves at risk and missed out on so much time together when all they wanted was an exclusive relationship. Still, the ending was happy.