Mag7 Drabbles
An assortment of drabbles written for the weekly challenge sent out by Phyllis.
ATF - Loyalty
Word count: 100
The choice was impossible, cruel and heart-rending. Not that the evil bastard
watching from the doorway cared about his anguish. "Choose," he ordered, tired
of watching JD agonize.
JD ignored him and focused on the conundrum forced upon him. Either choice
betrayed a precious loyalty. He could turn his back on his history; or the life
he'd forged in Denver. Deciding between the two gutted him.
"C'mon, kid," Buck called over his shoulder, headed for the front door. "The
Avalanche play the Bruins once a year. I'm not missing the game just 'cos you
can't decide which jersey to wear."
ATF - Complement
Word count: 100
Challenge: compliment/complement
Chris Larabee glared at the resume as if the stiff linen paper could solve
his conundrum.
Dunne's technical skills would compliment the specialties he'd already
assembled for his team; but Chris couldn't help studying the photo in the
background
packet. The listed accomplishments seemed incongruent with the young
features. Dunne had largely played supporting roles in the sited cases; but the
letters of recommendation spoke of such glowing potential that Chris would be
crazy to ignore his application. If only he didn't look so damned young.
Chris closed the file. Dunne made seven. A full complement. He had his
team.
ATF - Flying
Word count: 100
Challenge: flying
JD was flying. That was the only word for it.
His feet hadn't touched the ground since Judge Travis read his speech.
Flying.
Oblivious to everyone else in the hotel ballroom, JD reread the words. He
traced the ornate letters through the glass -- his name in embellished script.
Buck clapped him soundly on the back, giddy on champagne and pride. "Certified
hero," he boomed, laughing. One arm draped affectionately across JD's
shoulders. When he spoke again his voice was lowered, sobered just for the kid.
"Scare me like that again, and I'll kill you myself."
JD laughed, still flying.
ATF - Homecoming
Word count: 100
Challenge: homecoming
The rap was indecisive and Buck hesitated before answering. Hot words still
burned his ears, though anger had faded to remorse. He opened the door,
bodily blocking the threshold.
JD was soaked through; hair plastered to his head, shivering slightly. They
stared at each other silently. Finally Buck abandoned the doorway for the
kitchen.
"I'm not apologizing," JD said, petulant.
Buck shook his head. "Didn't ask you to."
"It's just..." JD's voice sounded young, "This is home. There's nowhere
else."
That small admission broke Buck's heart. He cuffed JD gently. "Course this
is home. No dumb fight's gonna change that."
OW LB - Mistake
Word Count: 100
Challenge: use the phrase "taking the children was a mistake"
Taking the children was a mistake, every survival instinct Oro possessed
hummed with the wrongness of it. It was a mistake, and a fatal one at that.
Albert thought they had pulled the peacekeepers' teeth by snatching the two
boys. He hadn't seen the look on Larabee's face when he'd read the note.
Oro had and there was nothing toothless about it.
The blond kid glowered at Oro and hugged the younger boy tight to his side.
His furious glare was nearly as unnerving as Larabee's.
"Keep yer head down, kid," Oro advised and quietly let himself out the back.
ATF - Rain Check
Word count: 100
Challenge: postponed plans
Rain check. He'd said it flippantly -- "How 'bout a rain check, kid."
JD had agreed, smirking at his mentor playing the mooncalf for once.
It was just a movie. One of those silly blockbusters -- chock full of car
chases that ended in improbable explosions.
Buck squeezed his eyes tight; the sight of JD's smoldering car made him ill.
He couldn't block out the smell.
Cars didn't explode in real life. They burned.
"We'll find him, Buck," Chris promised.
"The bastards who did this better pray he's alright," Buck answered, his
heart drafting a new and dark rain check.
ATF - Alternate Arrangements
Word count: 100
Challenge: use the phrase "just between you and me"
JD slumped against the brick wall, defeated. "This stays just between you
an' me? You'll leave the others out of it?"
"Of course," Spencer promised, oozing snake-oil. "Do this one little thing
and there'll be no need to involve them."
His shoulders sagged further. "How do I know you won't kill them anyway?"
Exasperated, Spencer snapped, "You don't. But if Morgan lives to testify,
you're all dead. Wilmington was just a warning. Call me when it's done."
The attorney turned and left the alley with a flourish.
JD stopped the recording with a grim smile of victory. "Gotcha, you
bastard."
Word Count: 100 x2
Challenge: finish the phrase "what would you do if..."
OW - Bothersome Question No.1
"Vin?"
"Yeah, JD?"
"What would you do if this all ended?"
"What all ended?"
"This..." JD cast about for the proper word. "Town's getting big.
There's talk of electing a sheriff."
"You worried folks won't vote for ya?"
"Nah, figured Chris might run or something." There was an awfully
big 'or something' he left unspoken.
"Don't expect Chris wants to be sheriff," Vin said, thinking on the
matter for a piece.
"Yeah," JD agreed thoughtfully. He was silent for a minute. "Do you
think everyone will go their own way?"
"Hope not, kid," Vin said.
JD sighed. "Me too."
ATF - Bothersome Question No.2
"What would you do if something happened to me?" JD's question
sparked a tremor in Buck's soul.
He harrumphed. "What kind of a question is that?"
"A fairly straightforward one." JD was tenacious. "What would you
do if something happened to me?"
"Nothin's gonna happen, so don't worry about it."
"Buck, the job comes with body armor and a gun," JD chided. "We've
all had more close calls 'n I can count. Luck's bound to run out
sometime."
"We'll cross that bridge when we get there."
"What if we're there?"
"Buck." Josiah shook his shoulder gently. "JD's out of surgery."
ATF - Loyalty
Word count: 100
The choice was impossible, cruel and heart-rending. Not that the evil bastard
watching from the doorway cared about his anguish. "Choose," he ordered, tired
of watching JD agonize.
JD ignored him and focused on the conundrum forced upon him. Either choice
betrayed a precious loyalty. He could turn his back on his history; or the life
he'd forged in Denver. Deciding between the two gutted him.
"C'mon, kid," Buck called over his shoulder, headed for the front door. "The
Avalanche play the Bruins once a year. I'm not missing the game just 'cos you
can't decide which jersey to wear."
ATF - Complement
Word count: 100
Challenge: compliment/complement
Chris Larabee glared at the resume as if the stiff linen paper could solve
his conundrum.
Dunne's technical skills would compliment the specialties he'd already
assembled for his team; but Chris couldn't help studying the photo in the
background
packet. The listed accomplishments seemed incongruent with the young
features. Dunne had largely played supporting roles in the sited cases; but the
letters of recommendation spoke of such glowing potential that Chris would be
crazy to ignore his application. If only he didn't look so damned young.
Chris closed the file. Dunne made seven. A full complement. He had his
team.
ATF - Flying
Word count: 100
Challenge: flying
JD was flying. That was the only word for it.
His feet hadn't touched the ground since Judge Travis read his speech.
Flying.
Oblivious to everyone else in the hotel ballroom, JD reread the words. He
traced the ornate letters through the glass -- his name in embellished script.
Buck clapped him soundly on the back, giddy on champagne and pride. "Certified
hero," he boomed, laughing. One arm draped affectionately across JD's
shoulders. When he spoke again his voice was lowered, sobered just for the kid.
"Scare me like that again, and I'll kill you myself."
JD laughed, still flying.
ATF - Homecoming
Word count: 100
Challenge: homecoming
The rap was indecisive and Buck hesitated before answering. Hot words still
burned his ears, though anger had faded to remorse. He opened the door,
bodily blocking the threshold.
JD was soaked through; hair plastered to his head, shivering slightly. They
stared at each other silently. Finally Buck abandoned the doorway for the
kitchen.
"I'm not apologizing," JD said, petulant.
Buck shook his head. "Didn't ask you to."
"It's just..." JD's voice sounded young, "This is home. There's nowhere
else."
That small admission broke Buck's heart. He cuffed JD gently. "Course this
is home. No dumb fight's gonna change that."
OW LB - Mistake
Word Count: 100
Challenge: use the phrase "taking the children was a mistake"
Taking the children was a mistake, every survival instinct Oro possessed
hummed with the wrongness of it. It was a mistake, and a fatal one at that.
Albert thought they had pulled the peacekeepers' teeth by snatching the two
boys. He hadn't seen the look on Larabee's face when he'd read the note.
Oro had and there was nothing toothless about it.
The blond kid glowered at Oro and hugged the younger boy tight to his side.
His furious glare was nearly as unnerving as Larabee's.
"Keep yer head down, kid," Oro advised and quietly let himself out the back.
ATF - Rain Check
Word count: 100
Challenge: postponed plans
Rain check. He'd said it flippantly -- "How 'bout a rain check, kid."
JD had agreed, smirking at his mentor playing the mooncalf for once.
It was just a movie. One of those silly blockbusters -- chock full of car
chases that ended in improbable explosions.
Buck squeezed his eyes tight; the sight of JD's smoldering car made him ill.
He couldn't block out the smell.
Cars didn't explode in real life. They burned.
"We'll find him, Buck," Chris promised.
"The bastards who did this better pray he's alright," Buck answered, his
heart drafting a new and dark rain check.
ATF - Alternate Arrangements
Word count: 100
Challenge: use the phrase "just between you and me"
JD slumped against the brick wall, defeated. "This stays just between you
an' me? You'll leave the others out of it?"
"Of course," Spencer promised, oozing snake-oil. "Do this one little thing
and there'll be no need to involve them."
His shoulders sagged further. "How do I know you won't kill them anyway?"
Exasperated, Spencer snapped, "You don't. But if Morgan lives to testify,
you're all dead. Wilmington was just a warning. Call me when it's done."
The attorney turned and left the alley with a flourish.
JD stopped the recording with a grim smile of victory. "Gotcha, you
bastard."
Word Count: 100 x2
Challenge: finish the phrase "what would you do if..."
OW - Bothersome Question No.1
"Vin?"
"Yeah, JD?"
"What would you do if this all ended?"
"What all ended?"
"This..." JD cast about for the proper word. "Town's getting big.
There's talk of electing a sheriff."
"You worried folks won't vote for ya?"
"Nah, figured Chris might run or something." There was an awfully
big 'or something' he left unspoken.
"Don't expect Chris wants to be sheriff," Vin said, thinking on the
matter for a piece.
"Yeah," JD agreed thoughtfully. He was silent for a minute. "Do you
think everyone will go their own way?"
"Hope not, kid," Vin said.
JD sighed. "Me too."
ATF - Bothersome Question No.2
"What would you do if something happened to me?" JD's question
sparked a tremor in Buck's soul.
He harrumphed. "What kind of a question is that?"
"A fairly straightforward one." JD was tenacious. "What would you
do if something happened to me?"
"Nothin's gonna happen, so don't worry about it."
"Buck, the job comes with body armor and a gun," JD chided. "We've
all had more close calls 'n I can count. Luck's bound to run out
sometime."
"We'll cross that bridge when we get there."
"What if we're there?"
"Buck." Josiah shook his shoulder gently. "JD's out of surgery."