CHRISTMAS 1991

 

 

He’d gotten used to Christmas just being the four of them.  Hannibal would cook a turkey.  Murdock would wake them at some ungodly hour in the morning.  Face would complain about the wrapping paper that ended up thrown every where.  It was good.  Fun, food, laughter, paper everywhere, just the four of them and not a female in sight.

 

Now though…

 

Somehow over the years, he had managed to get completely surrounded by women for the holidays.   He wasn’t sure just how that had happened and it unsettled him slightly.  After so many years of entirely male Christmases, it seemed odd that the females now out numbered the guys.  And every year they were multiplying.

 

BA looked down to find curious brown eyes staring back at him, head tipped slightly to one side as if in deep thought.  He recognised the look and it was a little unsettling, after so many years, to suddenly find it coming in a small female form.  Then came the giggle and the outstretched arms, fingers reaching for his nose.

 

Smiling, he kept his hands firmly around her and leaned back, just out of reach.  The stretching stopped and the brown eyes started to look a little confused.  For a moment he thought she was going to cry, but then, with another tip of the head, the hand stretched out again.  This time the whole body leaned over until she reached her goal and firmly gripped BA’s nose within her fist. 

 

Great, BA thought mildly as he gave into the inevitable.  A second generation of Murdocks to go out of their way to annoy him.

 

BA smiled, managing to extract his nose back by tickling the infant to distraction.  Debbie Murdock, or Dixie as she had become known despite Kelly’s objections, giggled, her hand moving to cover her mouth.  She was a delightful infant with big brown eyes and light brown hair, and apparently her father’s sense of humour.  She was also his goddaughter and at just nine months old already knew all the tricks of getting under his skin.  Just like her father really.

 

Murdock with kids?  Once, only in his worst nightmares had he thought that possible.  

 

It was odd thinking about Murdock as a father.  Fool usually had difficulty keeping himself in order, let along being responsible for a wife and family.  But like practically everything else in his life, Murdock had taken to it like a duck to water.  Especially since, in essence, the A-Team was now retired.   

 

It had been a while in coming, and none of them objected when Hannibal finally said enough was enough.  Hannibal was getting older and slower, Murdock had a family now, Face had whatever it was Face spent most his time doing, and he had the kids at his centre to think about, and his mother to see as much as he could.  They still did small jobs as a Team every so often, whenever the jazz got the better of them, but they were getting fewer and farther apart. 

 

Christmas was still the same though.  Regardless of what they were doing with their lives, Christmas was still Christmas, and that meant the four of them would be together for the holidays.   Although he still wasn’t sure how it was he had been left holding the baby while the other three had disappeared somewhere in the house.

 

“When are you going to make me a grandmother, Scooter?”

 

He looked up to find his mother standing watching him, the youngest Murdock, Tara, or Trixie as she was known, in her arms.  He didn’t reply, just returned to bouncing Dixie on his knee.

 

“You know, Dionne at your children’s centre is a really nice woman, and I think she really likes you.”

 

Ah, that was all he needed.  His mama was great at most things, but he wasn’t so sure about her matchmaking skills.

 

“Aww, Mama,” he sighed.  “Nothing’s as easy as that.”

 

“Sure it is, baby,” she smiled.  “Just look at these two.”  She motioned to the twins.  “If Murdock can manage a family, then I don’t know what you’re so afraid of.”

 

“I’m not afraid, Mama,” he replied a little defensively.

 

She just looked at him with one of those ‘don’t bothering trying to fool me, baby, I’m your mother, I know all your tricks’ kind of looks.  It was unsettling.  After so many years on the run and then working for Stockwell, he had accepted the high probability that children and a family were not possible for them.  It would be Murdock who had gone and proved them all wrong.  Fool never knew his limitations. 

 

He looked back down at the child in his arms.  Murdock’s big curious eyes stared back at him.  No, Murdock never knew his limitations.  And they could be so grateful for that.  Had Murdock known his limitations he would still be at the VA.  Heck, he probably would never have survived that prison camp, let alone recovered to have a family and a normal life. 

 

If there was one thing BA always remembered to be thankful for every Christmas, it was that they were alive and together.  After that, little else mattered.

 

So, if Murdock could do it, maybe he could too.

 

“You think Dionne likes me?” he asked shyly.

 

“Of course she does, baby,” his mama replied with a smile.  “Anyone but you can see that.  And you get on so well with her two little ones.”

 

That was true.  Charlene and Tyrone were sweet children.  They were so easy to love.  But…

 

No buts. 

 

Looking up, he smiled.

 

“Maybe you’re right, Mama.”

 

“Of course I’m right,” she scoffed.  “I’m you’re mother.  It’s my job to be right.”

 

He smiled at that.

 

“Merry Christmas, Mama,” he said softly.

 

She smiled.  “Merry Christmas, Scooter.”

 

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