The Photo

By Jullian Gray

 

Rating PG

Warning: Slash F/H Nothing graphic

Summary: Takes place during season 5 a few months after Face is shot the team decided to have a day at the beach.

Jes, thank you once again for all your help

 

zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

 

Hannibal watched from his seat as the football was snapped to the quarterback. The man quickly dropped back to pass the ball to the receiver, who was running to make it to the end zone.

He could see the defensive line heading toward the quarterback as he waited for the receiver to get into position, it was going to be close, Hannibal thought as the space between the players shortened.

 

"This is going to be ugly."  he muttered.

 

Just at the last the second, the quarterback passed the ball to the receiver. It sailed through the air to land perfectly into the receiver's hands. The receiver ran the last few yards and into the end zone.

 

"Touchdown" he yelled, a smile crossing his lips.

 

As he turned his attention back to the quarterback, he noticed him lying on the ground with the defensive lineman on top of him.

 

"Shit!" Hannibal ran across the beach toward the two downed men, however before he could reach them, BA was there pulling Frankie off of Face.  

 

"I should pond you in the ground for knocking him down sucker." BA growled as he shoved him back. "What the hell you trying to do fool?"

 

"Face, are you all right kid?" Hannibal knelt down beside Face, helping him to sit up.

 

"Hannibal, you may want to stop BA from killing Frankie," Face pointed over to the pair as BA dragged the smaller man across the beach by the front of his shirt.

 

The colonel glanced over at the pair to see that BA had now stopped dragging the smaller man and now had his hands around Frankie's neck.

 

"He deserves it for roughing the quarterback," Hannibal stated flatly as he checked Face over for any injuries, his main concern on his downed lover.

 

This was the first true outing the team had gone on since Face had been shot at the restaurant. It was suppose to be a quiet day at the beach. And though he had been leery when Face suggested a game of football, he had gone along with it, only with the understanding that it was to be touch only, no tackling.

 

He had been afraid something like this would happen and leave it to Santana to do it.

 

'Stupid kid, if he would just do as he was told,' Hannibal thought as he checked Face's stomach for any type of tearing or bruising that might have been caused by the impact or the fall.

 

"Hannibal, I'll be alright…"

 

Before Face could say anything else, Murdock dropped down on the other side of him.

 

"Oh God, colonel tell me he's not hurt. Do I need to call an ambulance? Where are you hurting Facey?"

 

"I'm not hurting anywhere, really. Though if you want to save someone from serious injury, you may want to help Frankie."

 

Murdock glanced over at BA and Frankie. The big man now had Santana on his knees begging for mercy. 

 

"He deserves what he gets, everyone knows you don't tackle the quarterback after the ball is released."

 

"Hannibal…"

 

"Can't argue with him Face those are the rules of the game."

 

"Yeah, that may be true but it's also a five yard penalty for roughing the quarterback, not a five knuckle face lift."

 

"Point taken kid. Murdock go save him, and as for you, lieutenant," Hannibal turned back to Face, "game over." 

"Yes sir." Face smiled as Hannibal helped him to his feet.

 

Hannibal wrapped his arm around Face's waist helping him back over the blanket where the team had eaten lunch earlier. Carefully, he lowered his young lover to the ground.

 

"You're not hurting are you," he asked as he sat down next to Face.

 

"I'm tired, and I think I may be sore in the morning, but I don't hurt." 

 

Accepting Face's answer Hannibal shifted so he was closer to the younger man.

 

"Stretch out kid, I've got a great pillow for you." Hannibal patted his thigh.

 

Knowing what was going to happen next from years of prior experience, Face smiled as he laid back on the blanket resting his head on his lover's thigh as requested.

 

As he looked across the beach he could see that Murdock had Frankie free of BA's grip. Although the pilot was now being chased across the beach by the big man.

 

"You know you're going to spoil me." Face turned his gaze up to his colonel.

 

"I thought I did that years ago." Hannibal laughed softly.

 

"You know I'd love to be back in LA right now, just you and me on a beach all alone."

 

"I know kid, but were stuck with the babysitters for a little while longer."

 

"They still there?"

 

Hannibal glanced over to the dune several hundred yards away where two Ables sat watching them.

 

"Yep."

 

"Just one lousy day alone, is that so damn much to ask." Face sighed as he continued to look out over the ocean.

 

Hannibal reached up and slid his fingers into Face's thick blonde hair. Slowly, he ran his fingers through the silky strands as he put his next words together in his mind.  He knew how Face could be when it came to this subject, so he chose his words carefully.

 

"I want to make sure you are healed, no more infections, no long term side affects, no relapses. Once I know you're back to 100 percent, we'll make further plans. Not until then, this does not mean lie to me or the doctors, is that understood lieutenant?"

 

Face looked up into the pair of bright blue eyes that were now looking back down at him.

 

"You mean that, John?" hope filled his voice.

 

"I promise Tem. Our stay on the east coast is about to come to an end," with that being said, Hannibal leaned over and kissed Face. At this point he no longer gave a damn who saw what. He was now making plans for the future, a future that did not include anyone except his team.

 

Feeling better than he had in a long time, Face closed his eyes as Hannibal's fingers slowly ran through his hair.

 

"Would you look at this shit?" Able 29 nudged his partner who was half asleep.

 

"What?"  Able 4 groaned as he was awaked from his light doze.

 

"Smith kissed Peck."

 

"You're full of shit."

 

"No seriously, Smith kissed Peck."

 

"Yeah, right."

 

"Bet you fifty bucks when I get the photos back from the lab, I have a photo of Smith kissing Peck." Able 29 smiled as he held up the camera with the high-powered lens.

 

"You're on, Smith kissing Peck, God you're an idiot."

 

It was just after sunset when the team decided to call it a day. Murdock and Frankie carried the beach gear, while Hannibal and BA helped a very tired Face back to the van. Once they were loaded, BA pulled the van into gear then drove over to where the Ables were parked.

 

As the two men walked over toward their car, the sergeant got out to approach them.

 

"Where's he going Johnny?" Frankie asked as he leaned forward.

 

"I've got no idea."

 

Hannibal could see the two men arguing with BA. He was about to get out of the van and investigate what was going on, when BA turned back to the van with a smile on his face.

 

"What's going on sergeant?" he asked as BA climbed back into the van.

 

"I thought we might like some photos of our day at the beach." BA's smile widened as he held up a roll of thirty-five millimeter film, and the camera it came out of.

 

"Nice, BA." Hannibal chuckled as he pulled out a cigar.

 

 

Two days later

 

"Hey Faceman, you awake?" BA knocked softly on Face's bedroom door. When he didn't get a response, he slowly pushed the door open.

 

As he stepped into the room he noticed Face curled up in his bed asleep.

 

Quietly, with a stealth that would surprise most people, BA made his way across the room to Face's bedside. Carefully he placed a framed photo on the nightstand where Face would see it when he woke up. When he had developed it late yesterday he knew that the print had to go to Face. 

 

Looking down at the sleeping man, BA smiled as he pulled the blankets up around Face's shoulders before he turning to leave. Stopping at the door, he looked at the photograph one last time before finally leaving the bedroom door.

 

The photo was simple, two men sitting on a beach blanket. A blonde with his head resting on the thigh of a silver haired man, while the silver haired man ran his fingers through the blonde's hair; both men seemingly lost in their own thoughts.

 

Who knew what they were thinking about, past events, that day's excitement, or even the future…

 

 

The end