ATF Universe
Disclaimer: Hard, but we can do it, mate... Here we go: don't own them, just dream about it. They belong to... Sorry, mate, can't do it, you're on your own...
Authors' Notes: Okay... this was started first because I, Thalia, wanted to write a X-Mas story. Then, my friend (totally Aussie-lover! No, really, Erielf, had to explain the 'mate' thing, didn't want them to get the wrong idea about us!) and I got into a conversation about pros and cons of slash m/m... namely, about all you guys pairing Chris and Vin together or with anybody else of the same gender! Some stories are just so outrageously funny sometimes... of all of the seven, those are the two she just won't see together! So, we wrote this, me being the good guy, she being the bad guy. I, Erielf, am outraged: the exact words should be "I being the lil' angel, she being the lil' devil" cos first of all, no way I'll ever accept being called a guy! Mate is alright, but not 'guy'! Secondly, I love being devilish sometimes (relieves some of the pressure and stress brought on us by them morons surrounding us!), but I ain't 'bad'! Now that you know all that, although we have but one e-mail address, please separate the compliments and the flames. I'll keep the firsts and forward the seconds to her, I promise!!!
Thanks: Thalia thanks Erielf for playing along with her and trying in this first story to let her win (yeah, but we made a deal and she is to win the next round! Sorry, guys...). Never said 'it's a deal!', mate! Never said your winning would be an easy and sure thing! (devilish smile on my face!). And we both would like to thank Judy for being such a good beta and not trying to send an assassin after my best friend for her 'less than understandable position on the matter' (pun no intended, Erielf, you know me!) (Yeah, Thalia: sure do know you! That's why I'll deal with you later, when you come to my place for Christmas!). Now, I, Erielf, would like to thank Thalia, for dragging me into this, and being supportive through it all for so many years, for stirring my brain cells up begging for more... Thanks also to Judy, whom I've never met, or wrote to directly, but heard so much about through Thalia's mails. And last, but not least: thanx to all of you who will find the strength to go through our little Christmas "happy ending" story (Don't you hate it when it's so predictable ?).
Comments: Yes, please and lots of them if you want an encore!
Part 1 - The Mission
The young angel was sitting on the fluffy cloud, before St Peter, waiting for him to draw his attention to her... somewhere deep inside, she wasn't sure if she should worry or not. After all, though her manners were quite "expeditious" to say the least, she still always manage to accomplish her mission. Maybe the Powers That Be had finally relented and were about to let her become a Guardian Angel, she mused... then sighed. Wishful thinking never had gotten her anywhere, why should it now? Finally, St Peter brought his attention back to the young angel before him, looking straight into her eyes that were an open window to her heart.He sighed, looking at the unruly strawberry curls surrounding the joyous round face. Her eyes were her most striking features, a deep chocolate brown, mixing mischief and gentleness, boldness and hesitancy. A perfect example of what was in her heart: always on the side of tears for the helpless or on the side of laughs to teach a lesson to those who took so much for granted. Because of her gentleness and childish generosity, she had always been assigned to children. Now had come the time for her to play in the major league.
"Thalia, I have a special assignment for you," St Peter said in his gruffy but soft voice.
"Special?" Thalia inquired in a squeaky voice. 'My, Are they finally seeing how much good I could do?' She thought.
"Yes," St Peter voiced, "We know how much good you can do... We were just waiting for the right occasion for you to be able to use your very own brand of magic. Christmas is the occasion and we have a very special couple in mind..." He smiled.
"Christmas? But it's four weeks away!" She exclaimed.
"Yes, I know, that doesn't leave you very much time, mostly since the couple in question is very stubborn... But I trust you will find the right 'magic' to act upon. You see, this couple has suffered, each one of them in their own life, before they finally found each other. The only problem we have, you see, is that they love each other, but they are so afraid of rejection, they don't even dare thinking about being together... we have tried again and again, through circumstances in their lives, through their friends, any means we have deemed necessary, to bring them together. Nothing has worked so far. So we decided to try your own brand of magic..."
Thalia was looking at the great St Peter, dumbfounded.
"You mean, I'm like your last resource?" She asked.
"No, Thalia, not 'ours', 'theirs'!" St Peter softly intoned. "If nothing comes out of your magic, they are doomed in this life and will have to wait for the next one to finally find happiness. And after all they went through in this life, they truly deserve that dose of happiness, now!" Then, after a pregnant pause, "I know it is quite a burden to carry, but I also know you will be up to the task, I have, We have every confidence in you," He smiled.
Thalia gulped. Wow, that really was a first. They were usually calling her to reprimand her on her behaviour and her less than usual ways to get her job done... not to congratulate and emancipate her!
"I will do my best," She smiled to St Peter, trying to look confident.
"We ask for nothing more," He gently chastised her. "Now, would you like to have a look at them?" He teased.
"You bet!," She jumped... "I mean, of course, St Peter," She demurred, eyes blazing with joy.
"Look over here," He gestured toward a cotton cloud that little by little was clearing up to lead to a clear view to the scene below.
Thalia held her breath, looking at the scene. Down there, policemen seemed ready to make an arrest...
"What are they waiting for?" She asked.
"To hear the code word to make the arrest."
"And I suppose the couple is in the midst of that... Oh God! Is he being arrested?" She anxiously asked St Peter.
"No, Thalia, he is not being arrested. In fact, he is part of the police force. They both are. Want to see them?" He teased. Then at her eager nod, he indicated: "See the one perched there on the higher grounds? That's Vin Tanner. He is the sharpshooter of his team. And one half of the couple."
"He looks cute in that black outfit!" She blurted... then blushed under St Peter's amused gaze.
"The other one is this blond, here," Continued St Peter, "He's Chris Larabee, the team leader. They have quite an impressive record thanks to him. They have saved many souls and never once have they hesitated to risk their own lives in the bargain. They almost died, several times... and each and every one of them could occupy a Guardian Angel full time... but with the Season coming, we do not have the 'necessary manpower'..."
"Where do they work?" She asked, curious.
"For the ATF. That stands for Alcohol, Tabacco and Firearms. They form Team Seven, but they have been nicknamed 'The Magnificent Seven' by their coworkers," He smiled. "A nickname that truly fits them, I must say."
"Who came up with it?" She teased.
"I believe it was Gabriel... or was it Nathanael?" He thought out loud.
"Well, whoever chose it, chose right. They truly are magnificent!" She murmured, awed at the sight in the cloud.
Down on Earth, the bust was going down and everybody was jumping around, making a mess of things in her eyes, but still, after the bullets stopped, after the weapons quieted, after the teams answered the ok-call of their leaders, it looked as if everything had gone down according to plan. And the only wounded were the 'bad guys'...
"When..." Thalia started.
"Now would be a good idea," Smiled St Peter.
She smiled back and closing her eyes, she wisked herself down to Earth, down to her charges...
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Part 2 - A New Player in Town
The young woman let her gaze wander aimlessly around her. Her long blond curly hair was tied in a loose bun on her nape. She was dressed rather simply, wearing gray wool pants and a light blue, high necked sweater, the same blue as her eyes... a blue that attracted and captivated all onlookers. Everything in her spoke of sweetness and gentleness, and not a soul would have hesitate about calling her Angel, short for Angelina. She smiled slightly: if only her parents could have known what she was to become, they would have thought twice..."Hey, Angel..."
She turned around to face the young man that had appeared by her side and smiled. "Hey Darry... What's up?" Then her gaze suddenly focused on the restaurant room behind him and she frowned.
The young man was about to answer but decided to wait until she turned her attention back to him... He heard her swear: "What the hell...?" and smiled, amused.
Angel's face had lost the smile... and the sweetness. On the other side of the restaurant room, Chris Larabee stopped to take a deep breath then started purposefully towards Vin Tanner. It wasn't the fact that they were to meet, but more like the deep breath he'd just taken... Hell! He wouldn't dare make this decision now, would he?!! She had never failed in her missions before, and he wasn't going to be the one messing up her record and her career plan: just a few more weeks and she would be promoted and move on to something else. Then, Larabee could make his decision and jump his best friend's bones... Not now!!! A slight wave of her hand and the woman seated at the table between Chris and his goal suddenly stood up to rush to the ladies' room for a very pressing matter... so pressing in fact that when she backed her chair to stand up, she never noticed she sent it straight into Larabee's groin, stopping him dead in his tracks, cutting his air supply and making him clutch his abused body in a tentatively protecting grasp.
Another wave of the hand and Tanner's cell phone rang with a message on it ordering him back to the office for an emergency. And dutiful agent that he was, he walked out the restaurant, never noticing the presence of one Chris Larabee, now kneeling on the floor a few meters away, still waiting for the pain to subside.
Then, Angel's smile reappeared and she brought her attention back to the young man by her side. She daintily lifted a questioning eyebrow when she saw him on the verge of breaking down in guffaws.
"Angel, you truly are the best of all of us..." He laughed quietly, while his gaze roamed along her luscious body in a slow and heated sweep. 'If I weren't already, I'd damn myself to explore such a body behind a bush,' he thought.
"Thanks!" The young woman answered, a provocative gleam in her light blue eyes. "But you know, you don't have to damn yourself for that! You could just ask!"
The young man's laugh settled into a blush, while he was trying to regain his seriousness. That wasn't what he had come for...
"Too bad!" Laughed Angel. "Why did you come up here to visit, then?" She asked.
"One of our snitches from 'up there' told us they put one of their best agents on your affair... it seems they want the case resolved at least for the 25th... you know: Happy Christmas Story and all that... bla, bla, bla... the usual sickening sutff..."
"Shit! Couldn't they just wait for me to go on to my next assignment?" She growled.
"Yep... just thought you'd like to know..." Darrel said slowly before a lengthy pause... then, in a low-keyed voice, he rasped: "I know it's not really the time, since you're on duty... but I was just thinking... What do you say we find us a bush... you know, to play out our most debased ideas?"
Angel's smile turned carnal: "As soon as this case is over, Darry, know that your case will be my Number One priority ..." She answered in a voice meant to melt his very bones. "Whether we find a bush or not..."
The young man laughed and nodded his assent, then turned around and started walking away. Angel let her eyes follow him and slide down his young muscled body to stop on his butt. As of its own volition, her tongue slowly wetted her lips while she was thinking that, maybe, for once, she could make an exception and forget her mission to focus on her lusty cravings... Sure, her Boss would understand THAT?!!
Darrel suddenly turned around just before walking out the door, threw a "Thanks!", flattered by her interest, and disappeared, leaving her to deal with her frustrations. She frowned and couldn't hold back an angry groan. She had no choice but to wait for the end of her mission! She damned them all 'up there' for sending somebody to interfere! And it was all that man's fault! That... That Chris Larabee! She almost sputtered, she was so angry...
A wave of her hand, and the waiter walking past the guilty man stuck his foot in the shoulder strap of the bag lying on the floor next to Chris... and up-ended his tray on the poor man who had barely managed to get his wind back, his hand still on his privates, trying to stand up and leave the place!
Chris Larabee threw a black look on his now dirty shirt, then on the waiter trying his best to apologize without being murdered, and finally on the woman who had left her bag on the floor, thus provoking the 'accident'! Well, that was one hell of a day! But there was nobody to blame but himself: frankly, what had gotten into him to follow Vin all the way to this place to suggest they get together tonight and talk about it? His face closed on his swirling thoughts and he left the place without a word.
Only then did Angel's smile found its way back on her luscious lips...
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Part 3- 'Hard' Times on the Job...
Chris Larabee was going out of his mind! There was no other explanation... He had known Vin for well over two years now and the ideas that were playing in his head had never ever crossed his mind before! His brain cells and imagination were working overtime. He was going nuts. He was plain loco. He was about... to retire! He was too old for this shit!!! How could he have such ideas about his teammate... he had never thought about a man in such a way before! He had been married to Sarah for years, for God's sake! And happily at that... Of course, at first, he had put it on the count of working at such close quarters with 'him'... and besides, this bond that they shared, well, it had been nice... but with the ideas crossing his mind lately, he found himself analyzing every single smile or look Tanner had sent his way. Was it an overture for something more special? Or was he just putting in the other man's mind the ideas that were driving him bonkers? Besides, Tanner had been looking at him in a strange way these last days... this bond between them... My God! Had he guessed?!!Chris's mind was a maelstrom of emotions, playing havoc with his heart, making him hear things, as if another Chris had taken residence within his mind, determined to drive him crazy with lust. Okay, he had nothing against being in lust... but with a man? Where in the Hell had that come from??? And the dreams he was having... God, they were not X-rated but rather XXX-rated!!!
"Thalia, you have to help him through this, not drive him crazy!" St Peter's voice resonated in the little angel's ear.
"I just don't understand! Two days ago, he was about to have a talk with Vin in that restaurant... but I guess it wasn't his day! He kept having accidents all day long until he went back home..." Replied a befuddled angel.
"You have to help him set things straight, Thalia! Or he will fight you every step of the way... maybe these accidents are because he does not feel really ready..." St Peter suggested.
'By the great St Michael,' Thalia thought, 'the man was so ready to jump into that relationship he was bursting at the seams!!!'
"I heard that, Thalia..." St Peter chastised. "Now, keep your head together and find another way..."
Thalia sighed. 'Great God', she thought, 'Have mercy on me...' Only St Peter's chuckle answered her prayer.
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Chris sighed. Exhaustion was taking quite a toll on the man. His nights were filled with erotic dreams of what he would do to Vin if he could just get his hands on the sharpshooter... and what he dreamed Vin would do to him... Night after night, his dreams would take him to that place where the two of them were lovers and sharing this intimacy he was so longing for. He would dream of his hands on him, tracing that familiar path from his neck, to his nipples, twitching and pinching them, down his washboard stomach, his tongue tickling his navel, then dropping to where he really wanted it to be, there, down on his throbbing erection... to release the ache... to finally reach that promised land of surrender.
Days were no better. Every little move Vin made seem to echo in him... the worst was watching the man eat. The way he would open his mouth to nibble on a sandwich... or the way his tongue would snake out, ready to ensnare the red piece of candy cane, twirling around it, sucking it, then releasing it... to start all over again... the man was making him sex-crazed! The way he would lick his lips after a mouthful, the pleasure in his eyes as he tasted the sweet candy, the moans escaping his throat at the idea of more to come... Chris could do nothing but grind his teeth in frustration. Cold showers couldn't relieve his ache anymore. It seemed he was spending his days and night with a constant erection... to the point that he was dreaming to become impotent just to finally be able to have other thoughts in mind!
Thalia smiled. She had her work cut out for her. Except for his wife, Chris Larabee hadn't had any other lasting relationships and didn't seem the kind to indulge in one-night stands. Therefore, his level of frustration was pretty high... and getting higher by the day! A thought here, a dream there... It even looked like Vin was helping along with his luscious habits of eating. A true Epicurean indeed... she didn't even have to try and have him act this way: he was a natural! She had thought at first that she would start with him, but had notice that not even a little push would be needed. Vin truly was in love and in lust and was doing everything he could to send a message to Chris. But the dratted man was BLIND and DEAF. Vin had been hitting on him for over six months now and was getting desperate. Of the other five, only Buck and Ezra had seen what was going on and had debated on how they could help. And help they tried. Chris was just not getting it!
Except that lately, the team leader did seem to have trouble sleeping and most of the time, had this strange look on his face as if he were wondering just where he was and what he was doing... mostly when Vin was around! And Vin had noticed too... and was doing his best to find out what was working with Chris, what was driving him crazy or what was slowing him down... and they were now to the point where almost ANYTHING would work! Which was a balm on Vin's ego, since the restaurant had been a total fuck up! He knew Chris had been trying to talk to him and had managed to find a nice, cozy, romantic setting... and had waited for the man to appear. Fifteen minutes after the appointed time (he had seen Chris's car following him and had given him enough time to park!), Chris still wasn't there... and then he understood why when his beeper went off, calling him back to work. Something must have arisen to call Chris back too... Vin had sworn, but it was a call he couldn't ignore. And since that day, Chris had been retreating further within himself and at the same time had become even more bear-like, groaning instead of talking, biting his teammates' heads off to apologize a little later... a real standard grouch!
Some of the guys had put it down to X-Mas, another holiday without his wife and kid, but Ezra, Buck and Vin knew very well what was at stake... Chris' sanity and heart. But nobody could make the decision for him. It was his and his alone... 'Well', Thalia thought, 'of course, I'm glad to help along...' But X-Mas was nearing and it seemed it loomed bigger and bigger as the deadline set by St Peter came closer. Thalia had thought of having one of the two a little wounded, like a road accident or a stray bullet in a bust or whatever else would unfreeze the situation... but she was loath to hurt one of them, so she kept these ideas as the last recourse. If threatening one's life was what would work for any of them to move, then she would have to do it... but only if she had no other choice!
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Vin sighed. Nothing seemed to work. He had tried enticing him with food. He had tried innuendoes. He had even tried using this special bond they had... but the man would not move! And it wasn't that he wasn't interested. Hell, he had showed more than interest... just the way he was looking at him yesterday at the gym had almost made him jump his bones... And Vin was lucky he was training with Ezra, 'cause when he had to excuse himself to go take a cold shower, Ezra merely nodded and left the mat. No questions asked.
Vin was starting to foolproof schemes of ambush, just to try and make sure it would not go awry or nobody else would interfere. He had tried the Ranch twice and the first time, as he was about to jump the gun and talk to Chris, Josiah and Nathan had arrived with Josiah's chili to boost Chris' flagging moral... Well, Vin had been on the verge of killing them on the spot, he was so frustrated. But he had kept his calm, had endured the evening and had decided to try again at a later date... The second try was almost worse. He went to the Ranch needing to be with Chris, only to find him in a voracious embrace with none other than... Mary Travis! Without a word, he had turned and gone back to his jeep, his throat closing on him and his heart breaking. As he was about to leave the Ranch, he saw Chris almost bodily dump Mary into her convertible, his face red with anger, while she looked like the cat that had drunk the cream... Chris's expression was what had Vin stop his car and wait for Chris. He had come to his jeep and before Vin could apologize for the disturbance, he had been faced with an irate leader swearing high and low about a damn female who couldn't understand the word 'no' or the expression 'not interested'! Vin had been relieved and about to step out of the car for a much-needed intimate moment with Chris when his beeper had ungraciously broken the mood and sent them back to reality. The emergency message... they were needed in the office... Vin had almost broken down crying in a fit of rage. The way Chris had been looking at him and had started leaning towards him, Vin had been sure he was in for one hell of a kiss... He was starting to think that the Heavens were against their getting together! So many mishaps, so many lost occasions... there were no other way to explain it!!!
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