A Week With Mama B (H/F) (parts 6-9 of 9)
Originally written for panda77777 at ATeam_Prompts over here http://ateam-prompts.livejournal.com/19117.html?thread=15136685#t15136685
What happened when B.A.’s mum first meet the team especially Face. Maybe B.A. invites them for the holidays or she visits them when they first become a unit. Would like to see how Face would react to her because of his childhood, maybe confused how she treats him, wary because nobody’s every mothered him before and women only want one thing from him. How she finally wins him round I will leave that to the writer. Can be her POV about him and the rest of the team or anything I don't mind. I can imagine Murdock would be driving B.A. crazy with excitement and Hannibal happy to have another adult around.
I think this fits either movie or t.v. verse especially because Face would have been a bit younger in the t.v. verse. Can be gen or pairings H/F and BA/M I don’t mind.
Part Six
The next few days pass in a happy blur of activity and laughter, and she tries hard not to think about the day when her son and his team will have to leave her and return to their dangerous jobs. Her tiny house hasn’t been this busy for years, not since Scooter was a young boy and used to have his gang of friends running in and out all day long. The team have done all the obvious tourist attractions, from the planetarium and the museums to Navy Pier, as well as the Magnificent Mile - she couldn’t hold in her laughter at the sight of Hannibal loaded with heavy shopping bags, Face having indulged his designer tastes while he was able to.
Most of the time it has been all four of them, the team clearly enjoying spending their down time together. Scooter has obviously loved taking them around his old home city, while she has been invited along almost everywhere and has happily accompanied them where and when she could - sadly, some days she has had to go in to work, and some of her volunteer work she hasn’t wanted to stop. The boys are all more than capable of amusing themselves after all.
But she has also had ample time to see them in smaller groups, two or three at a time, and it amuses her how differently they act with each other, different yet still the same. Scooter and Murdock together are a bizarre double act, the pilot acting up and her son acting as if it bothers him, while Scooter and Face together are far calmer, each a grounding influence on the other, each clearly respecting the other. Murdock and Face, on the other hand… They bounce off each other in the most impossible ways, Face obviously understanding his friend’s more insane ideas and happy to go along with them, although she also sees how the lieutenant manages to rein his friend in a little, never letting things get too out of hand.
Hannibal with any two or all three of his boys is always the strict but indulgent colonel, but on his own with Murdock or Scooter, he seems more carefree, more on an equal footing with the younger men, while with Face he is, to her knowing eyes, the attentive partner. Now she knows about their relationship, she can’t imagine why she didn’t see it sooner, but her heart aches a little to see the care they are clearly used to taking to conceal their feelings for each other. Of course, if either of them were outed at work it would be the end of their careers, and when she thinks about that she has to find something to take out her anger on. Baking usually calms her nicely, and none of the team have complained about the amount of cakes she has been providing.
“What you thinkin’ about, Mama?” Her son’s voice pulls her out of her thoughts, and she turns slightly on the sofa to look at him. He has a plate balanced on his knee, a large slice of chocolate chilli cake half eaten, and he is watching her with a small smile on his face. Her handsome boy.
She smiles back, full of love and pride. “Just thinkin’ about my brave son. And this crazy team of his.”
“Crazy’s the right word.” Scooter laughs a little, taking another bite of cake, attention drifting back to the television. It’s just the two of them tonight, like old times, eating and talking a little, just being together. Hannibal has taken Face and Murdock to some Jazz club he’s heard about, giving her some precious time alone with her boy. “Mad, the whole lot of ‘em. Don’t know what it says about me that I fit in so well!”
“Just says you’re in the right place right now, baby.” And maybe that her son’s a little crazy too, but that’s just fine by her. Normal is overrated. “You’re really happy with them? This is really working out for you this time?”
“Yeah, Mama.” Scooter’s voice is softer now, and he puts his fork down, focus drifting somewhere internal for a moment. She watches him, sees the little boy he was in the way that tiny frown appears when he concentrates. “Yeah, I’m happy. And this is where I’m meant to be, with the Colonel and them other two crazy fools.” He won’t offer details. He knows she doesn’t want to know about the missions they have been on, the rare ones he is able to talk about. She isn’t asking about the times he’s been shot at, the times they’ve saved each other’s lives. She just wants to know he’s okay. His dark eyes seem to focus again, and he looks at her curiously. “What do you make of them, Mama? Are they like you imagined?”
She doesn’t even know where to start. “I don’t know that anyone could imagine anyone like Hannibal, Murdock and Face! But I like them all, a lot. They seem like good boys.”
Scooter laughs out loud at that, having to scramble a little to prevent his cake falling to the floor. “Don’t know many people who could get away with calling Colonel John ‘Hannibal’ Smith a ‘boy’!” he explains, laughter easing to giggles.
She laughs along with him, though in her eyes the colonel really is still just a boy. But from Scooter’s point of view he is his commanding officer, although they seem to place a little less emphasis on rank than she had expected. There is no doubt that Hannibal is in charge, though, and Face is his second, even though Murdock technically outranks the Lieutenant. “I’ve missed this,” she says, her laughter fading a little. “It’s good having you home.”
“Good to be home, Mama.” Scooter leans closer to kiss her cheek quickly, before turning his attention back to his dessert. She’ll have to make him a whole cake to take back to base with him, just like she’ll have to make Hannibal a batch of those dark chocolate brownies he couldn’t get enough of. She isn’t quite sure what Murdock’s favourite is, as the pilot just seems to love anything covered in chocolate, while Face has less of a sweet tooth than his teammates - understandable, she thinks, given the shape he’s in - although he seemed to go into raptures over her cheese biscuits yesterday. More of a savoury tooth, she thinks.
After hearing Face and Hannibal talk the other night, she’s made a conscious effort with Face, trying not to make him uncomfortable. The colonel hit the nail on the head, she realises - she’s been mothering them all, and she doesn’t think there should be anything wrong with that. She lets Hannibal sit quietly with a book, feeding him brownies, taking charge of the three younger men in order to give him a break. Murdock just loves her attention, and loves her hugs - sometimes she can hardly turn around without finding a pair of skinny arms wrapping around her waist. And she loves it all - she hadn’t realised just how much she missed having people to take care of, someone to fuss over.
She hasn’t changed much with Face, just enough so she doesn’t surprise him. She doesn’t see anything wrong with remembering he takes skimmed milk and no sugar in his coffee, certainly doesn’t feel bad about pulling him into a hug when the occasion calls for it - though she’s been careful to make eye contact first, letting him know what she has planned - but she has backed right off him when she asks questions of the team, trying to find out a little more about these fascinating men.
Murdock has happily told her tale after tale of his childhood in Texas, growing up on his Grandparents’ ranch. She once made the mistake of asking what he was doing immediately before joining Hannibal’s team, knowing only that he had joined at the same time as her Scooter, but the captain had shut down a little, withdrawing into himself. Face and Scooter had coaxed him back to life, both obviously used to such moments, while Hannibal filled the gap in conversation by sharing some of his own childhood in the Midwest. Scooter entertains his teammates with stories from the ‘hood, some of them a little different than she remembers, but she stays silent, listening, taking everything in.
Face and Hannibal always sit close together during these conversations, whether they take place in a diner or the park or her living room, the colonel’s hand sometimes straying onto his boy’s knee for a moment before they pull apart a little. She wants to tell them to just relax, that she doesn’t mind in the slightest, but they haven’t told her and she has to respect that. They are still getting to know her, after all.
“I was thinking,” she starts, waiting until Scooter turns back to her. “Maybe tomorrow night, you, me and Murdock should go catch a show? I’m sure there’s something on that will keep the three of us entertained. Maybe eat out, too. That pizza place you love?”
“Sounds good, Mama. Just us three?”
“Think maybe Hannibal could use a break from being the responsible adult.” She keeps her voice casual, though she can see the wheels turning in her son’s clever mind. “Thought maybe he and Face could have a quiet night in.”
“Mama, you’re amazin’.”Scooter shakes his head slowly, a small smile hovering on his lips. “How…?”
“I’m your Mother, Bosco. I’m not blind.”
Leaning forward, her son rests his now-empty plate on the coffee table before pulling her into his strong arms, burying his face in her shoulder like he used to do when he was a little boy. “Love you, Mama. You know that, right?”
“Of course I know, baby.” She kisses his hair where it tickles her chin, wondering when he will ever get rid of his faintly ridiculous Mohawk. “And you know I love you too. More than anything.”
She doesn’t ask why no one told her, because it doesn’t matter. Sitting there, holding her not-so-little boy in her arms, nothing really matters except just having him there. She thinks she really is the luckiest woman in the world.
Part Seven
It’s raining so hard that none of them feel like venturing out of the house, and so a day of games is declared by Murdock, enthusiastically seconded by her Scooter, much to her amusement. Of course she has none of the computer games they apparently usually play, but she has a stash of board games from over the years; Scooter finds her old scrabble set and the team settle in for a marathon session. She plays along for a while but quickly finds herself outmatched, more than a little surprised at some of the words the men conjure up - anyone who thought Army men were stupid should’ve been sat in her living room that afternoon, watching them all.
Deciding she is far better off observing, she takes charge of the dictionary, assuming the role of umpire as she flits in and out between the living room and kitchen, taking the opportunity to bake some of the boys’ favourites before they head back to base tomorrow. It’s come too quickly, this last day, but she’s glad they are spending it all together, and she tries not to think about her son’s next deployment - Iraq, probably, he’d said last night at dinner, but she’d hushed him quickly. There will be time enough for details like that. Not today, she thinks.
Not last night either. As she’d suggested, they had indeed found a show that the three of them could enjoy - Disney on Ice, as it turned out, and for all Scooter’s grumbles she knew he had enjoyed it every bit as much as the child-like pilot, who had spent the rest of the evening singing the songs at the top of his voice. Just because she could, and just because she loved seeing her son all embarrassed, she joined in as much as possible. Everyone loves Disney, right?
It had been funny watching Scooter trying to decide whether or not to shout at his friend and risk his Mother’s wrath, but when they reached the restaurant she had managed to calm Murdock down with the promise of the best pizza ever.
“You’re gonna love this, man,” Scooter had enthused. “Trust me, you ain’t never had a pizza like this in your life!”
“I don’t know, Bosco. I’ve had a lot of pizza in my life.” Murdock had struck a thoughtful pose, chin in hand, baseball cap slightly askew. “Many, many forms of pizza. In many different countries.” She had just smiled, waiting until the Chicago pizza pie had arrived at their table.
After a long moment in which the pilot had clearly been struck dumb, while Scooter had immediately helped himself to an enormous slice, she had asked, “What do you think then, baby?” The pilot’s wild eyes had been as round as saucers, and he’d opened and closed his mouth a few times as he twisted his head side to side, observing the pizza from all angles. “Murdock?”
“Oh. My. Gosh.” At that, Scooter had seemed to notice his friend’s shock. Whether or not Murdock was putting it on just for show, she wasn’t entirely sure. But her son had put his pizza down before nudging his friend with surprising gentleness, though his words were tougher.
“’S just pizza, crazy, c’mon.”
“But… But…” Another little nudge from her son and Murdock had seemed to snap back into life, bouncing in his seat a little and waving his hands in the air. “It’s like the best pizza ever! It’s all inside out and upside down, and it’s like it isn’t really pizza but it is pizza at the same time - ”
Catching one of the pilot’s hands as it swung in front of her face, she couldn’t help but laugh as she had suggested, “Maybe you better eat the pizza before it gets cold?”
“Yes, Mama!” the men had chorused in unison, both seeming to calm at her words and tucking into their food with gusto. For a moment she had just sat, watching the pair of them side by side, her son and his crazy friend, both of them clearly so close. And she had wondered…
“Mama? Need a dictionary moment!” Scooter’s voice breaks into her thoughts, and she almost dreads to think what strange word Murdock has laid down this time. But, to her surprise, it’s Hannibal’s word that her son wants checking.
“I don’t know, big guy.” Face leans back into the sofa, both hands behind his head, flexing his own impressive arms and chest as he sits close by Hannibal’s side. “I think that’s legit.”
“Our colonel is most certainly a sesquipedalianist,” Murdock chirps up from his seat cross-legged on the floor as she searches through her battered dictionary for yet another word she’s never heard of.
“A what?” Face again, confused now.
Hannibal speaks up now as she continues to search, gesturing with his unlit cigar. He always seems to be either waving one around or chewing thoughtfully on the end of it, always making her smile a little. “A person who tends to use sesquipedalian words, kid. And I don’t, not all the time at least. But this is scrabble. And I like to win.”
“Not helpful, Boss!” But then all eyes are on her as she finally tracks down the word, and Face is right, it is indeed legitimate.
“Empanopoly,” she pronounces it slowly and carefully. “To clothe in full armour.”
Scooter thumps his fist on the table in obvious frustration, but with one warning look from her he soon settles again, Face watching him curiously. “Sorry, Mama,” he murmurs a little sheepishly, before turning to his CO. “Typical, Hannibal! Anything to do with war…” And they are off again, into another debate punctuated with wild gestures and casual touches which speak to her of so many hours spent comfortably in each other’s company.
Pausing to check they all have drinks and snacks, with a warm smile she slips away back into the kitchen. She drops an easy kiss on Scooter’s forehead as she passes, not missing the way Face’s eyes track her movements, as she goes to bake and think until she is called on to check the dictionary once more.
Face and Hannibal had seemed surprised at first when she told them the plans for last night, but neither had complained at all. She hadn’t missed the pleased little look Face had thrown at his colonel as she had turned to get her coat, nor the entirely unsubtle way in which Scooter had elbowed them both in the ribs as they left. She had made sure they knew about the casserole she had in the oven for them, and told them they would all be back by ten.
“Don’t do anything we wouldn’t do!” Murdock had called back as the door shut, and then they were off and gone. By the time they returned, at ten o’clock on the dot, her house was in darkness, the kitchen spotless, a half empty bottle of wine and two glasses abandoned in the living room, and the guest room door firmly closed to the world.
That morning, when she asked innocently how their night had been, the matching smiles that crossed both faces as two sets of blue eyes locked said everything she could have wanted to know.
Part Eight
“Can I help with anything?”
She tries not to let her surprise show in her face as she turns from the oven to see Face leaning in the kitchen doorway, his tall frame a study in forced casualness. “It’s all under control, thank you, sweetie. But the kettle just boiled - I was about to make myself a cup of tea if you want - ”
“I got it.” Before she can say another word he moves quickly to start pulling out two mugs, dropping a tea bag into one and spooning instant coffee into the other. The fact that he is here at all is a surprise. While he certainly hasn’t been avoiding her company, he hasn’t sought her out the way Murdock has, the playful pilot frequently bounding into the kitchen when she’s been away from the men for a time. But now, here he is, all lean, handsome muscle, studiously not making eye contact as he makes drinks for them both.
“Thank you, Face,” she says with a smile, turning her attention back to the cheese biscuits baking in the oven. Another five minutes, she thinks, sliding the door closed quickly. “How’s the game going?”
A scream from the living room makes them each pause in their actions, waiting until Murdock shouts, “We’re fine!” before they start breathing again.
Face chuckles, an easy, comfortable sound that makes her smile too. “The game is getting a little competitive.”
“It wasn’t competitive before?” She takes the mug of tea he offers, and they move over to sit opposite each other at the kitchen table. She still half expects him to bolt back to his team - it’s a little like taming a wild cat.
“Believe me, no one can do competitive like those three. Hannibal absolutely can’t stand losing, and once you get Murdock and BA going…” He rolls his eyes, and she knows exactly what he means.
“Scooter never was much good at getting beaten,” she tells him. “Half the fights he used to get into at school were just because someone said they were better than him at something, usually something silly and pointless. The times I used to get dragged into the principal’s office only to hear he hit someone over a game of marbles!”
A flash of that bright white smile from Face, and she can almost see him start to shift into what she sees as his ‘con’ mode. All charm and politeness. She can believe all the stories her son has told her about the things he has managed to get for his team - with that smile and that golden way with words he has, people would give him anything and be happy to do it. “I can’t imagine he made that mistake too many times, not with your guidance!”
“Never the same thing twice, I’ll give you that much!” She sips from her tea slowly; Face has remembered she takes two sweeteners. “He was a good boy, really. Quick temper, though. I’m sure he’d admit as much himself.”
That flashy smile fades a little to something more gentle, and she watches as the young man in front of her drops his gaze, studying his own mug as he rolls it between his hands on the table. Face’s voice is almost a whisper when he speaks again, saying, “He’s really lucky to have you.”
How on earth to respond to that, she thinks. The rain drums against the kitchen window, filling the silence until eventually she decides to keep things as simple as she can. “Thank you, Face. I’m lucky to have him.”
“Watching you two together… It’s been…” One hand comes up to brush through those slightly unruly curls, and after a moment bright blue eyes lift to meet hers. “It’s been great seeing you together. He’s always telling us how great a Mother you are, and… Well, thank you for having us, and thank you for looking after us, and - ”
“Face,” she soothes, daring to stretch across and take his hand in hers.
He takes a deep breath and says, “I never had a Mom, or a Dad. I don’t think he would’ve told you that.” She can hardly admit that she overheard his conversation with Hannibal, so she simply shakes her head, waiting for him to continue. “I grew up in the Catholic care system, so the whole ‘family’ thing is a little alien for me.” He’s clearly more than a little uncomfortable talking about this, but he covers it with a nervous little laugh.
“Must’ve been hard,” she breathes, not wanting to break the spell.
He shrugs, still not shaking off her hand. “It was what it was. Not anywhere near as bad as the horror stories you hear about, but not… Y’know…”
“Not a family. Not a Mama of your own.” She really just wants to sweep him into her arms, this man who has clearly been through so much in his young life. But she restricts herself to squeezing his hand tightly, offering him a soft smile and some space as she gets up from the table. Those biscuits will be done by now. “You got a family now, Face, you know that right? You and Hannibal and Murdock and that crazy son of mine.”
“Yeah, I know.” Her back is to the room as she carefully lifts the baking trays from the oven, but she can still hear the smile in Face’s voice. “Hannibal’s been family for a long time.”
Figuring why the hell not, she dares to ask, “How long you two been together?”
A little choked gasp from behind her before Face manages to cover it. “We’ve, ah, we’ve been working together for three years now.”
“Face, sweetheart, I see how you are with each other, the way you look at him. And it doesn’t bother me at all.” She slides one tray of biscuits onto a cooling rack; the second tray she slides straight onto a plate and carries back to the table with her. “Careful, they’ll burn your tongue,” she warns.
Face is watching her with a carefully blank expression, but those incredibly blue eyes show his confusion. After a minute he shakes his head slowly, catching his lower lip between his teeth. He looks incredibly young in that moment, and she finds herself thinking ’what-if’ - what if he had had a different childhood, would he still be the man he is now? “We’ve been together for nearly that whole time,” he says slowly, and she can hear the love and awe in his voice. “He’s my life.”
“I’m glad you have each other,” she tells him honestly. “I’m glad you all found each other, in fact, especially my Scooter.”
“Your ‘Scooter’ is a great man,” Face seems glad for the change of subject, and still she can’t believe he is talking this easily with her; time alone with Hannibal must have helped put him at ease. “Did he ever tell you he saved my life the first time he met me?” At her nod he continues, “You must be very proud of him.”
“I am so very, very proud of my son.” And before the young man can get pulled back into some sadness about his own lack of proud parental figures, she pushes the plate of cooling biscuits towards him and tells him firmly, “And now I’ve got three more sons to be proud of.”
Cheese biscuit already halfway to his mouth, Face freezes for what seems to be minutes. Behind him, in the doorway, she suddenly spies the shadowy figure of Hannibal Smith, checking on his boy, but the colonel raises a finger to his lips. The way this team takes care of each other never ceases to amaze her. Dropping her gaze back to the young lieutenant, she watches as he swallows hard, not meeting her gaze, still frozen in place.
Draining the last of her tea, she stands slowly, placing the mug carefully back on the table before edging her way around to stand behind him. She has no desire to make him cry, but she can see her words have touched him deeply, and she dares to squeeze his shoulder tightly, pressing a firm kiss into those caramel curls of his. He lifts his free hand and places it over her own, long, elegant fingers holding on for a second.
“Eat those biscuits up, now,” she tells him softly, letting go of him after one last squeeze. “I’m gonna go check on those other boys. It’s all gone a little too quiet in there for my liking.”
As she passes Hannibal, the colonel catches her arm, pulling her to a stop. Without speaking he offers her a smile and a nod, and in return she stretches up on tiptoe to kiss his cheek. And at that moment the silence is broken by a loud cry of “Hannibal! He’s cheatin’!” from Murdock, closely followed by “You the one cheatin’, crazy!” from her son, and she rolls her eyes as they both turn to head back into the living room, and the ongoing scrabble war.
Part Nine
The last evening passes much as the day did, with games and laughter and food and drink, and above all good company. As the night draws in, she sits between her Scooter and Face, Hannibal opposite them in the chair chewing a cigar, Murdock still cross-legged on the floor, and she can’t believe that this time tomorrow they will be gone. Her house will be so quiet without them all.
As if he senses her thoughts, Scooter wraps one heavy, muscled arm around her shoulders and pulls her close into his side, even as he continues laughing with Murdock about some trick they had pulled back on base. She lets her son hold her securely as the team’s laughter carries them through into the early hours of the morning.
Hannibal has planned for them to be gone before lunchtime the next day. It’s a long drive back for them after all, and she can only sympathise with him about his ‘babysitting’ all the way back to their base. As his team start to pack up their van, she manages to catch him alone for a moment, puffing on one of his ever-present cigars outside her kitchen door.
“We’ll leave you in peace soon, Mama.” He smiles down at her as she comes to his side. She still isn’t used to just how very tall he is, this imposing figure of a Colonel. “You’ll be glad to have your house back, I’m sure!”
“Gonna be awful quiet,” she admits, watches as Hannibal nods in agreement. “It’s been so good having you all to stay, getting to know you a little at last. Seeing Scooter so happy with you all.”
She knows even after just one week that the colonel, much like her son, doesn’t speak much unless there is something important to be said, so she is a little taken aback when he stubs out his cigar before turning to face her squarely. Those pale blue-grey eyes stare deeply into hers. “I’ll look after him, Mama. I’ll bring him home to you again soon.”
As close to a promise as he can make; she knows the risks of what they all do, and her heart clenches a little to think of it. “Look after them all, Colonel, and look after yourself too.” She pulls him into a hug, tucking her head under his chin as he wraps his arms around her in return. “And you all come home to me here whenever you want.”
Excited shrieks from the kitchen break them apart - it’s Murdock, of course, all hyped up about their road-trip, and without another word to each other they head straight inside to deal with whatever he has found now. She’ll miss Hannibal’s calm presence, the way nothing his boys do ever seems to surprise him, and she’s more glad of that that ever when they get inside to find the pilot wearing all his clothes inside out, a pair of shorts on his head.
Far too many hours later - and far too few at the same time - the boys are all packed up and ready to head out. They all gather by that gleaming black van, Murdock still far too excited although thankfully wearing his clothes correctly now. Face and Scooter hover near each other, both looking a little awkward now the time to leave is upon them.
She isn’t having any of that - these are all her boys now, there shouldn’t be any awkwardness between them - so she reaches out to catch Murdock by one arm as he bounds past, pulling Face closer with her free arm until she holds them both in front of her, side by side.
Their colonel watches silently from the other side of the van as she kisses each of them firmly on the cheek, Murdock giggling wildly, Face blushing so sweetly that her heart aches a little. Just boys, still, the pair of them, off to fight for their country once more.
“You take care now,” she tells them firmly, holding her emotions in check. “You hear me? You’re all my family now, and I don’t want to hear any nonsense about you not being safe. Look after each other.” She wishes she could think of something more profound to say to them, but they both nod solemnly, listening to her.
Murdock wraps his wiry arms around her, his wild eyes more serious than she has seen them all week. “We’ll be safe, Mama, promise.” Before she can do much more than close her arms around his skinny body in return, he is off and away, bouncing and hyperactive once more, a huge grin on his face as he turns to include Scooter and Hannibal in his next statement. “Besides, these guys are always safe when I’m flyin’!”
“You crazy fool! Told you there ain’t no way I’m gettin’ on a plane with you…” Scooter, of course, and she is vaguely aware of the team’s pilot dancing around just out of reach of her son’s powerful arms, though she keeps her focus on Face, still stood in front of her.
That blush still on his cheeks, the handsome Lieutenant offers her a small smile, more genuine than those bright white grins he flashes around so easily. “Thank you,” he says softly, and they move at the same time to meet in a tight embrace. He isn’t quite as tall as Hannibal, but she still has to stretch up to kiss him one more time, and she thrills to hear him whisper in her ear, “Thank you, Mama.”
That’s the first time he has said the word to her all week, always managing to avoid using it, jokingly using ‘Mrs B’ where he can’t stay silent, and she smiles widely at him as they separate, cupping his stubbly cheek briefly - why don’t these young men ever shave properly? “Remember what I said, Templeton. You’re all my boys now, okay?”
With one last smile and a nod, he ducks away from her, climbing into the van at the same time as Murdock pulls open his own door, still yammering away about how much fun they’re all going to have on the road back. She meets Hannibal’s gaze briefly before the colonel too climbs in, and he rolls his eyes at her before offering her a final salute. She nods back, smiling, appreciating the time he is giving her with her son, and then she turns to her Scooter, stood waiting with a smile of his own.
“You’re incredible, Mama, you know that?” He holds out one hand to her and she takes it, squeezing tight, feeling the tears burn behind her eyes finally. She fights them back - she’ll send them off with a smile.
For a long moment they just stand there, mother and son, hand in hand, then she tugs him closer, hugging him to her, her little boy. “You’re still my baby, Scooter,” she murmurs into his broad chest. “They’re all good boys; you got a good team there, you were right. But you’ll always be my baby boy.”
“Love you, Mama.” She can feel his deep voice vibrate through her, and squeezes him as tight as she can, until he yelps a little. She smiles, knowing he is putting it on - if he squeezed her as tight as he could, he would crush her, and for some reason that makes her incredibly proud. He’ll be safe out there, she knows it, especially with those three men by his side.
As much as she wants to keep him there, they each of them have lives they need to get back to, and she reaches up to seize his head between her tiny hands, pulling him down until she can press kiss after kiss onto his face. “I love you so much, Bosco,” she tells him. “And I’m so very proud of you. Your father would be too, I know it.” His stoic demeanour crumbles a little at that, and she didn’t mean for that to happen, so she quickly steps back, gesturing towards his van, his baby. “Now, get goin’, son. Drive safe and watch out for the idiots on the roads, you hear me?”
Scooter rolls his eyes at her, a smile back on his face. “Yes, Mama. I’ll call when we get back, okay?” And with one last kiss to her forehead, one last squeeze from his strong arms, he climbs up into the driver’s seat and starts the engine.
She steps back up onto her front step to watch as they drive away, Murdock hanging out the side window and singing opera at the top of his lungs. Laughing to herself, she waves until they are out of sight, picturing her son already growling at the pilot, Face probably singing along or encouraging his friend in some way, and poor Hannibal already counting down the hours until they are out of the van once more.
Closing the front door, she sighs a little. Already the house feels smaller and so much quieter without them. She moves through the rooms, picking up an empty cup, moving the scrabble set off the table, turning on the kettle to make tea. Finding the pair of shorts Murdock had been wearing as a hat abandoned in the fridge when she reaches in for milk, making her smile once again. They are a fascinating group of men, but one week living with them has been enough for now, and she has work in a couple of hours, then a shift at the soup kitchen that evening. Life goes on, and somehow she thinks it won’t be too long before her son and his wonderful, crazy, brilliant team come to visit her once again.
What happened when B.A.’s mum first meet the team especially Face. Maybe B.A. invites them for the holidays or she visits them when they first become a unit. Would like to see how Face would react to her because of his childhood, maybe confused how she treats him, wary because nobody’s every mothered him before and women only want one thing from him. How she finally wins him round I will leave that to the writer. Can be her POV about him and the rest of the team or anything I don't mind. I can imagine Murdock would be driving B.A. crazy with excitement and Hannibal happy to have another adult around.
I think this fits either movie or t.v. verse especially because Face would have been a bit younger in the t.v. verse. Can be gen or pairings H/F and BA/M I don’t mind.
Part Six
The next few days pass in a happy blur of activity and laughter, and she tries hard not to think about the day when her son and his team will have to leave her and return to their dangerous jobs. Her tiny house hasn’t been this busy for years, not since Scooter was a young boy and used to have his gang of friends running in and out all day long. The team have done all the obvious tourist attractions, from the planetarium and the museums to Navy Pier, as well as the Magnificent Mile - she couldn’t hold in her laughter at the sight of Hannibal loaded with heavy shopping bags, Face having indulged his designer tastes while he was able to.
Most of the time it has been all four of them, the team clearly enjoying spending their down time together. Scooter has obviously loved taking them around his old home city, while she has been invited along almost everywhere and has happily accompanied them where and when she could - sadly, some days she has had to go in to work, and some of her volunteer work she hasn’t wanted to stop. The boys are all more than capable of amusing themselves after all.
But she has also had ample time to see them in smaller groups, two or three at a time, and it amuses her how differently they act with each other, different yet still the same. Scooter and Murdock together are a bizarre double act, the pilot acting up and her son acting as if it bothers him, while Scooter and Face together are far calmer, each a grounding influence on the other, each clearly respecting the other. Murdock and Face, on the other hand… They bounce off each other in the most impossible ways, Face obviously understanding his friend’s more insane ideas and happy to go along with them, although she also sees how the lieutenant manages to rein his friend in a little, never letting things get too out of hand.
Hannibal with any two or all three of his boys is always the strict but indulgent colonel, but on his own with Murdock or Scooter, he seems more carefree, more on an equal footing with the younger men, while with Face he is, to her knowing eyes, the attentive partner. Now she knows about their relationship, she can’t imagine why she didn’t see it sooner, but her heart aches a little to see the care they are clearly used to taking to conceal their feelings for each other. Of course, if either of them were outed at work it would be the end of their careers, and when she thinks about that she has to find something to take out her anger on. Baking usually calms her nicely, and none of the team have complained about the amount of cakes she has been providing.
“What you thinkin’ about, Mama?” Her son’s voice pulls her out of her thoughts, and she turns slightly on the sofa to look at him. He has a plate balanced on his knee, a large slice of chocolate chilli cake half eaten, and he is watching her with a small smile on his face. Her handsome boy.
She smiles back, full of love and pride. “Just thinkin’ about my brave son. And this crazy team of his.”
“Crazy’s the right word.” Scooter laughs a little, taking another bite of cake, attention drifting back to the television. It’s just the two of them tonight, like old times, eating and talking a little, just being together. Hannibal has taken Face and Murdock to some Jazz club he’s heard about, giving her some precious time alone with her boy. “Mad, the whole lot of ‘em. Don’t know what it says about me that I fit in so well!”
“Just says you’re in the right place right now, baby.” And maybe that her son’s a little crazy too, but that’s just fine by her. Normal is overrated. “You’re really happy with them? This is really working out for you this time?”
“Yeah, Mama.” Scooter’s voice is softer now, and he puts his fork down, focus drifting somewhere internal for a moment. She watches him, sees the little boy he was in the way that tiny frown appears when he concentrates. “Yeah, I’m happy. And this is where I’m meant to be, with the Colonel and them other two crazy fools.” He won’t offer details. He knows she doesn’t want to know about the missions they have been on, the rare ones he is able to talk about. She isn’t asking about the times he’s been shot at, the times they’ve saved each other’s lives. She just wants to know he’s okay. His dark eyes seem to focus again, and he looks at her curiously. “What do you make of them, Mama? Are they like you imagined?”
She doesn’t even know where to start. “I don’t know that anyone could imagine anyone like Hannibal, Murdock and Face! But I like them all, a lot. They seem like good boys.”
Scooter laughs out loud at that, having to scramble a little to prevent his cake falling to the floor. “Don’t know many people who could get away with calling Colonel John ‘Hannibal’ Smith a ‘boy’!” he explains, laughter easing to giggles.
She laughs along with him, though in her eyes the colonel really is still just a boy. But from Scooter’s point of view he is his commanding officer, although they seem to place a little less emphasis on rank than she had expected. There is no doubt that Hannibal is in charge, though, and Face is his second, even though Murdock technically outranks the Lieutenant. “I’ve missed this,” she says, her laughter fading a little. “It’s good having you home.”
“Good to be home, Mama.” Scooter leans closer to kiss her cheek quickly, before turning his attention back to his dessert. She’ll have to make him a whole cake to take back to base with him, just like she’ll have to make Hannibal a batch of those dark chocolate brownies he couldn’t get enough of. She isn’t quite sure what Murdock’s favourite is, as the pilot just seems to love anything covered in chocolate, while Face has less of a sweet tooth than his teammates - understandable, she thinks, given the shape he’s in - although he seemed to go into raptures over her cheese biscuits yesterday. More of a savoury tooth, she thinks.
After hearing Face and Hannibal talk the other night, she’s made a conscious effort with Face, trying not to make him uncomfortable. The colonel hit the nail on the head, she realises - she’s been mothering them all, and she doesn’t think there should be anything wrong with that. She lets Hannibal sit quietly with a book, feeding him brownies, taking charge of the three younger men in order to give him a break. Murdock just loves her attention, and loves her hugs - sometimes she can hardly turn around without finding a pair of skinny arms wrapping around her waist. And she loves it all - she hadn’t realised just how much she missed having people to take care of, someone to fuss over.
She hasn’t changed much with Face, just enough so she doesn’t surprise him. She doesn’t see anything wrong with remembering he takes skimmed milk and no sugar in his coffee, certainly doesn’t feel bad about pulling him into a hug when the occasion calls for it - though she’s been careful to make eye contact first, letting him know what she has planned - but she has backed right off him when she asks questions of the team, trying to find out a little more about these fascinating men.
Murdock has happily told her tale after tale of his childhood in Texas, growing up on his Grandparents’ ranch. She once made the mistake of asking what he was doing immediately before joining Hannibal’s team, knowing only that he had joined at the same time as her Scooter, but the captain had shut down a little, withdrawing into himself. Face and Scooter had coaxed him back to life, both obviously used to such moments, while Hannibal filled the gap in conversation by sharing some of his own childhood in the Midwest. Scooter entertains his teammates with stories from the ‘hood, some of them a little different than she remembers, but she stays silent, listening, taking everything in.
Face and Hannibal always sit close together during these conversations, whether they take place in a diner or the park or her living room, the colonel’s hand sometimes straying onto his boy’s knee for a moment before they pull apart a little. She wants to tell them to just relax, that she doesn’t mind in the slightest, but they haven’t told her and she has to respect that. They are still getting to know her, after all.
“I was thinking,” she starts, waiting until Scooter turns back to her. “Maybe tomorrow night, you, me and Murdock should go catch a show? I’m sure there’s something on that will keep the three of us entertained. Maybe eat out, too. That pizza place you love?”
“Sounds good, Mama. Just us three?”
“Think maybe Hannibal could use a break from being the responsible adult.” She keeps her voice casual, though she can see the wheels turning in her son’s clever mind. “Thought maybe he and Face could have a quiet night in.”
“Mama, you’re amazin’.”Scooter shakes his head slowly, a small smile hovering on his lips. “How…?”
“I’m your Mother, Bosco. I’m not blind.”
Leaning forward, her son rests his now-empty plate on the coffee table before pulling her into his strong arms, burying his face in her shoulder like he used to do when he was a little boy. “Love you, Mama. You know that, right?”
“Of course I know, baby.” She kisses his hair where it tickles her chin, wondering when he will ever get rid of his faintly ridiculous Mohawk. “And you know I love you too. More than anything.”
She doesn’t ask why no one told her, because it doesn’t matter. Sitting there, holding her not-so-little boy in her arms, nothing really matters except just having him there. She thinks she really is the luckiest woman in the world.
Part Seven
It’s raining so hard that none of them feel like venturing out of the house, and so a day of games is declared by Murdock, enthusiastically seconded by her Scooter, much to her amusement. Of course she has none of the computer games they apparently usually play, but she has a stash of board games from over the years; Scooter finds her old scrabble set and the team settle in for a marathon session. She plays along for a while but quickly finds herself outmatched, more than a little surprised at some of the words the men conjure up - anyone who thought Army men were stupid should’ve been sat in her living room that afternoon, watching them all.
Deciding she is far better off observing, she takes charge of the dictionary, assuming the role of umpire as she flits in and out between the living room and kitchen, taking the opportunity to bake some of the boys’ favourites before they head back to base tomorrow. It’s come too quickly, this last day, but she’s glad they are spending it all together, and she tries not to think about her son’s next deployment - Iraq, probably, he’d said last night at dinner, but she’d hushed him quickly. There will be time enough for details like that. Not today, she thinks.
Not last night either. As she’d suggested, they had indeed found a show that the three of them could enjoy - Disney on Ice, as it turned out, and for all Scooter’s grumbles she knew he had enjoyed it every bit as much as the child-like pilot, who had spent the rest of the evening singing the songs at the top of his voice. Just because she could, and just because she loved seeing her son all embarrassed, she joined in as much as possible. Everyone loves Disney, right?
It had been funny watching Scooter trying to decide whether or not to shout at his friend and risk his Mother’s wrath, but when they reached the restaurant she had managed to calm Murdock down with the promise of the best pizza ever.
“You’re gonna love this, man,” Scooter had enthused. “Trust me, you ain’t never had a pizza like this in your life!”
“I don’t know, Bosco. I’ve had a lot of pizza in my life.” Murdock had struck a thoughtful pose, chin in hand, baseball cap slightly askew. “Many, many forms of pizza. In many different countries.” She had just smiled, waiting until the Chicago pizza pie had arrived at their table.
After a long moment in which the pilot had clearly been struck dumb, while Scooter had immediately helped himself to an enormous slice, she had asked, “What do you think then, baby?” The pilot’s wild eyes had been as round as saucers, and he’d opened and closed his mouth a few times as he twisted his head side to side, observing the pizza from all angles. “Murdock?”
“Oh. My. Gosh.” At that, Scooter had seemed to notice his friend’s shock. Whether or not Murdock was putting it on just for show, she wasn’t entirely sure. But her son had put his pizza down before nudging his friend with surprising gentleness, though his words were tougher.
“’S just pizza, crazy, c’mon.”
“But… But…” Another little nudge from her son and Murdock had seemed to snap back into life, bouncing in his seat a little and waving his hands in the air. “It’s like the best pizza ever! It’s all inside out and upside down, and it’s like it isn’t really pizza but it is pizza at the same time - ”
Catching one of the pilot’s hands as it swung in front of her face, she couldn’t help but laugh as she had suggested, “Maybe you better eat the pizza before it gets cold?”
“Yes, Mama!” the men had chorused in unison, both seeming to calm at her words and tucking into their food with gusto. For a moment she had just sat, watching the pair of them side by side, her son and his crazy friend, both of them clearly so close. And she had wondered…
“Mama? Need a dictionary moment!” Scooter’s voice breaks into her thoughts, and she almost dreads to think what strange word Murdock has laid down this time. But, to her surprise, it’s Hannibal’s word that her son wants checking.
“I don’t know, big guy.” Face leans back into the sofa, both hands behind his head, flexing his own impressive arms and chest as he sits close by Hannibal’s side. “I think that’s legit.”
“Our colonel is most certainly a sesquipedalianist,” Murdock chirps up from his seat cross-legged on the floor as she searches through her battered dictionary for yet another word she’s never heard of.
“A what?” Face again, confused now.
Hannibal speaks up now as she continues to search, gesturing with his unlit cigar. He always seems to be either waving one around or chewing thoughtfully on the end of it, always making her smile a little. “A person who tends to use sesquipedalian words, kid. And I don’t, not all the time at least. But this is scrabble. And I like to win.”
“Not helpful, Boss!” But then all eyes are on her as she finally tracks down the word, and Face is right, it is indeed legitimate.
“Empanopoly,” she pronounces it slowly and carefully. “To clothe in full armour.”
Scooter thumps his fist on the table in obvious frustration, but with one warning look from her he soon settles again, Face watching him curiously. “Sorry, Mama,” he murmurs a little sheepishly, before turning to his CO. “Typical, Hannibal! Anything to do with war…” And they are off again, into another debate punctuated with wild gestures and casual touches which speak to her of so many hours spent comfortably in each other’s company.
Pausing to check they all have drinks and snacks, with a warm smile she slips away back into the kitchen. She drops an easy kiss on Scooter’s forehead as she passes, not missing the way Face’s eyes track her movements, as she goes to bake and think until she is called on to check the dictionary once more.
Face and Hannibal had seemed surprised at first when she told them the plans for last night, but neither had complained at all. She hadn’t missed the pleased little look Face had thrown at his colonel as she had turned to get her coat, nor the entirely unsubtle way in which Scooter had elbowed them both in the ribs as they left. She had made sure they knew about the casserole she had in the oven for them, and told them they would all be back by ten.
“Don’t do anything we wouldn’t do!” Murdock had called back as the door shut, and then they were off and gone. By the time they returned, at ten o’clock on the dot, her house was in darkness, the kitchen spotless, a half empty bottle of wine and two glasses abandoned in the living room, and the guest room door firmly closed to the world.
That morning, when she asked innocently how their night had been, the matching smiles that crossed both faces as two sets of blue eyes locked said everything she could have wanted to know.
Part Eight
“Can I help with anything?”
She tries not to let her surprise show in her face as she turns from the oven to see Face leaning in the kitchen doorway, his tall frame a study in forced casualness. “It’s all under control, thank you, sweetie. But the kettle just boiled - I was about to make myself a cup of tea if you want - ”
“I got it.” Before she can say another word he moves quickly to start pulling out two mugs, dropping a tea bag into one and spooning instant coffee into the other. The fact that he is here at all is a surprise. While he certainly hasn’t been avoiding her company, he hasn’t sought her out the way Murdock has, the playful pilot frequently bounding into the kitchen when she’s been away from the men for a time. But now, here he is, all lean, handsome muscle, studiously not making eye contact as he makes drinks for them both.
“Thank you, Face,” she says with a smile, turning her attention back to the cheese biscuits baking in the oven. Another five minutes, she thinks, sliding the door closed quickly. “How’s the game going?”
A scream from the living room makes them each pause in their actions, waiting until Murdock shouts, “We’re fine!” before they start breathing again.
Face chuckles, an easy, comfortable sound that makes her smile too. “The game is getting a little competitive.”
“It wasn’t competitive before?” She takes the mug of tea he offers, and they move over to sit opposite each other at the kitchen table. She still half expects him to bolt back to his team - it’s a little like taming a wild cat.
“Believe me, no one can do competitive like those three. Hannibal absolutely can’t stand losing, and once you get Murdock and BA going…” He rolls his eyes, and she knows exactly what he means.
“Scooter never was much good at getting beaten,” she tells him. “Half the fights he used to get into at school were just because someone said they were better than him at something, usually something silly and pointless. The times I used to get dragged into the principal’s office only to hear he hit someone over a game of marbles!”
A flash of that bright white smile from Face, and she can almost see him start to shift into what she sees as his ‘con’ mode. All charm and politeness. She can believe all the stories her son has told her about the things he has managed to get for his team - with that smile and that golden way with words he has, people would give him anything and be happy to do it. “I can’t imagine he made that mistake too many times, not with your guidance!”
“Never the same thing twice, I’ll give you that much!” She sips from her tea slowly; Face has remembered she takes two sweeteners. “He was a good boy, really. Quick temper, though. I’m sure he’d admit as much himself.”
That flashy smile fades a little to something more gentle, and she watches as the young man in front of her drops his gaze, studying his own mug as he rolls it between his hands on the table. Face’s voice is almost a whisper when he speaks again, saying, “He’s really lucky to have you.”
How on earth to respond to that, she thinks. The rain drums against the kitchen window, filling the silence until eventually she decides to keep things as simple as she can. “Thank you, Face. I’m lucky to have him.”
“Watching you two together… It’s been…” One hand comes up to brush through those slightly unruly curls, and after a moment bright blue eyes lift to meet hers. “It’s been great seeing you together. He’s always telling us how great a Mother you are, and… Well, thank you for having us, and thank you for looking after us, and - ”
“Face,” she soothes, daring to stretch across and take his hand in hers.
He takes a deep breath and says, “I never had a Mom, or a Dad. I don’t think he would’ve told you that.” She can hardly admit that she overheard his conversation with Hannibal, so she simply shakes her head, waiting for him to continue. “I grew up in the Catholic care system, so the whole ‘family’ thing is a little alien for me.” He’s clearly more than a little uncomfortable talking about this, but he covers it with a nervous little laugh.
“Must’ve been hard,” she breathes, not wanting to break the spell.
He shrugs, still not shaking off her hand. “It was what it was. Not anywhere near as bad as the horror stories you hear about, but not… Y’know…”
“Not a family. Not a Mama of your own.” She really just wants to sweep him into her arms, this man who has clearly been through so much in his young life. But she restricts herself to squeezing his hand tightly, offering him a soft smile and some space as she gets up from the table. Those biscuits will be done by now. “You got a family now, Face, you know that right? You and Hannibal and Murdock and that crazy son of mine.”
“Yeah, I know.” Her back is to the room as she carefully lifts the baking trays from the oven, but she can still hear the smile in Face’s voice. “Hannibal’s been family for a long time.”
Figuring why the hell not, she dares to ask, “How long you two been together?”
A little choked gasp from behind her before Face manages to cover it. “We’ve, ah, we’ve been working together for three years now.”
“Face, sweetheart, I see how you are with each other, the way you look at him. And it doesn’t bother me at all.” She slides one tray of biscuits onto a cooling rack; the second tray she slides straight onto a plate and carries back to the table with her. “Careful, they’ll burn your tongue,” she warns.
Face is watching her with a carefully blank expression, but those incredibly blue eyes show his confusion. After a minute he shakes his head slowly, catching his lower lip between his teeth. He looks incredibly young in that moment, and she finds herself thinking ’what-if’ - what if he had had a different childhood, would he still be the man he is now? “We’ve been together for nearly that whole time,” he says slowly, and she can hear the love and awe in his voice. “He’s my life.”
“I’m glad you have each other,” she tells him honestly. “I’m glad you all found each other, in fact, especially my Scooter.”
“Your ‘Scooter’ is a great man,” Face seems glad for the change of subject, and still she can’t believe he is talking this easily with her; time alone with Hannibal must have helped put him at ease. “Did he ever tell you he saved my life the first time he met me?” At her nod he continues, “You must be very proud of him.”
“I am so very, very proud of my son.” And before the young man can get pulled back into some sadness about his own lack of proud parental figures, she pushes the plate of cooling biscuits towards him and tells him firmly, “And now I’ve got three more sons to be proud of.”
Cheese biscuit already halfway to his mouth, Face freezes for what seems to be minutes. Behind him, in the doorway, she suddenly spies the shadowy figure of Hannibal Smith, checking on his boy, but the colonel raises a finger to his lips. The way this team takes care of each other never ceases to amaze her. Dropping her gaze back to the young lieutenant, she watches as he swallows hard, not meeting her gaze, still frozen in place.
Draining the last of her tea, she stands slowly, placing the mug carefully back on the table before edging her way around to stand behind him. She has no desire to make him cry, but she can see her words have touched him deeply, and she dares to squeeze his shoulder tightly, pressing a firm kiss into those caramel curls of his. He lifts his free hand and places it over her own, long, elegant fingers holding on for a second.
“Eat those biscuits up, now,” she tells him softly, letting go of him after one last squeeze. “I’m gonna go check on those other boys. It’s all gone a little too quiet in there for my liking.”
As she passes Hannibal, the colonel catches her arm, pulling her to a stop. Without speaking he offers her a smile and a nod, and in return she stretches up on tiptoe to kiss his cheek. And at that moment the silence is broken by a loud cry of “Hannibal! He’s cheatin’!” from Murdock, closely followed by “You the one cheatin’, crazy!” from her son, and she rolls her eyes as they both turn to head back into the living room, and the ongoing scrabble war.
Part Nine
The last evening passes much as the day did, with games and laughter and food and drink, and above all good company. As the night draws in, she sits between her Scooter and Face, Hannibal opposite them in the chair chewing a cigar, Murdock still cross-legged on the floor, and she can’t believe that this time tomorrow they will be gone. Her house will be so quiet without them all.
As if he senses her thoughts, Scooter wraps one heavy, muscled arm around her shoulders and pulls her close into his side, even as he continues laughing with Murdock about some trick they had pulled back on base. She lets her son hold her securely as the team’s laughter carries them through into the early hours of the morning.
Hannibal has planned for them to be gone before lunchtime the next day. It’s a long drive back for them after all, and she can only sympathise with him about his ‘babysitting’ all the way back to their base. As his team start to pack up their van, she manages to catch him alone for a moment, puffing on one of his ever-present cigars outside her kitchen door.
“We’ll leave you in peace soon, Mama.” He smiles down at her as she comes to his side. She still isn’t used to just how very tall he is, this imposing figure of a Colonel. “You’ll be glad to have your house back, I’m sure!”
“Gonna be awful quiet,” she admits, watches as Hannibal nods in agreement. “It’s been so good having you all to stay, getting to know you a little at last. Seeing Scooter so happy with you all.”
She knows even after just one week that the colonel, much like her son, doesn’t speak much unless there is something important to be said, so she is a little taken aback when he stubs out his cigar before turning to face her squarely. Those pale blue-grey eyes stare deeply into hers. “I’ll look after him, Mama. I’ll bring him home to you again soon.”
As close to a promise as he can make; she knows the risks of what they all do, and her heart clenches a little to think of it. “Look after them all, Colonel, and look after yourself too.” She pulls him into a hug, tucking her head under his chin as he wraps his arms around her in return. “And you all come home to me here whenever you want.”
Excited shrieks from the kitchen break them apart - it’s Murdock, of course, all hyped up about their road-trip, and without another word to each other they head straight inside to deal with whatever he has found now. She’ll miss Hannibal’s calm presence, the way nothing his boys do ever seems to surprise him, and she’s more glad of that that ever when they get inside to find the pilot wearing all his clothes inside out, a pair of shorts on his head.
Far too many hours later - and far too few at the same time - the boys are all packed up and ready to head out. They all gather by that gleaming black van, Murdock still far too excited although thankfully wearing his clothes correctly now. Face and Scooter hover near each other, both looking a little awkward now the time to leave is upon them.
She isn’t having any of that - these are all her boys now, there shouldn’t be any awkwardness between them - so she reaches out to catch Murdock by one arm as he bounds past, pulling Face closer with her free arm until she holds them both in front of her, side by side.
Their colonel watches silently from the other side of the van as she kisses each of them firmly on the cheek, Murdock giggling wildly, Face blushing so sweetly that her heart aches a little. Just boys, still, the pair of them, off to fight for their country once more.
“You take care now,” she tells them firmly, holding her emotions in check. “You hear me? You’re all my family now, and I don’t want to hear any nonsense about you not being safe. Look after each other.” She wishes she could think of something more profound to say to them, but they both nod solemnly, listening to her.
Murdock wraps his wiry arms around her, his wild eyes more serious than she has seen them all week. “We’ll be safe, Mama, promise.” Before she can do much more than close her arms around his skinny body in return, he is off and away, bouncing and hyperactive once more, a huge grin on his face as he turns to include Scooter and Hannibal in his next statement. “Besides, these guys are always safe when I’m flyin’!”
“You crazy fool! Told you there ain’t no way I’m gettin’ on a plane with you…” Scooter, of course, and she is vaguely aware of the team’s pilot dancing around just out of reach of her son’s powerful arms, though she keeps her focus on Face, still stood in front of her.
That blush still on his cheeks, the handsome Lieutenant offers her a small smile, more genuine than those bright white grins he flashes around so easily. “Thank you,” he says softly, and they move at the same time to meet in a tight embrace. He isn’t quite as tall as Hannibal, but she still has to stretch up to kiss him one more time, and she thrills to hear him whisper in her ear, “Thank you, Mama.”
That’s the first time he has said the word to her all week, always managing to avoid using it, jokingly using ‘Mrs B’ where he can’t stay silent, and she smiles widely at him as they separate, cupping his stubbly cheek briefly - why don’t these young men ever shave properly? “Remember what I said, Templeton. You’re all my boys now, okay?”
With one last smile and a nod, he ducks away from her, climbing into the van at the same time as Murdock pulls open his own door, still yammering away about how much fun they’re all going to have on the road back. She meets Hannibal’s gaze briefly before the colonel too climbs in, and he rolls his eyes at her before offering her a final salute. She nods back, smiling, appreciating the time he is giving her with her son, and then she turns to her Scooter, stood waiting with a smile of his own.
“You’re incredible, Mama, you know that?” He holds out one hand to her and she takes it, squeezing tight, feeling the tears burn behind her eyes finally. She fights them back - she’ll send them off with a smile.
For a long moment they just stand there, mother and son, hand in hand, then she tugs him closer, hugging him to her, her little boy. “You’re still my baby, Scooter,” she murmurs into his broad chest. “They’re all good boys; you got a good team there, you were right. But you’ll always be my baby boy.”
“Love you, Mama.” She can feel his deep voice vibrate through her, and squeezes him as tight as she can, until he yelps a little. She smiles, knowing he is putting it on - if he squeezed her as tight as he could, he would crush her, and for some reason that makes her incredibly proud. He’ll be safe out there, she knows it, especially with those three men by his side.
As much as she wants to keep him there, they each of them have lives they need to get back to, and she reaches up to seize his head between her tiny hands, pulling him down until she can press kiss after kiss onto his face. “I love you so much, Bosco,” she tells him. “And I’m so very proud of you. Your father would be too, I know it.” His stoic demeanour crumbles a little at that, and she didn’t mean for that to happen, so she quickly steps back, gesturing towards his van, his baby. “Now, get goin’, son. Drive safe and watch out for the idiots on the roads, you hear me?”
Scooter rolls his eyes at her, a smile back on his face. “Yes, Mama. I’ll call when we get back, okay?” And with one last kiss to her forehead, one last squeeze from his strong arms, he climbs up into the driver’s seat and starts the engine.
She steps back up onto her front step to watch as they drive away, Murdock hanging out the side window and singing opera at the top of his lungs. Laughing to herself, she waves until they are out of sight, picturing her son already growling at the pilot, Face probably singing along or encouraging his friend in some way, and poor Hannibal already counting down the hours until they are out of the van once more.
Closing the front door, she sighs a little. Already the house feels smaller and so much quieter without them. She moves through the rooms, picking up an empty cup, moving the scrabble set off the table, turning on the kettle to make tea. Finding the pair of shorts Murdock had been wearing as a hat abandoned in the fridge when she reaches in for milk, making her smile once again. They are a fascinating group of men, but one week living with them has been enough for now, and she has work in a couple of hours, then a shift at the soup kitchen that evening. Life goes on, and somehow she thinks it won’t be too long before her son and his wonderful, crazy, brilliant team come to visit her once again.