crack_van | Firewalls and Firestorm by Elspeth Leigh (NC-17)

I've traded in Lex's Ferrari convertible for a Ford Capri and two very good-looking men in tight, tight pants. I'm still relatively new to The Pros fandom, so you'll get a look at how a newbie sorts out what she likes. Grab a pint and come along for the ride!

Fandom: THE PROFESSIONALS
Pairing: Bodie/Doyle
Author on LJ: unknown
Author Website: her stories can be found at The Hatstand Slash Archive
Why this must be read: Places like

crack_van are where I often start my search when entering a new fandom. When I find an author I like, I check to see what else he or she has written. This is how I came across Elspeth's work, and I really like what I've read so far. The Fire Series is two stories that feature an older Bodie and Doyle - something that almost stopped me from reading. I wanted them young and vital, right? But the characterization is so right, and the relationship between them is sweet without being sappy. The stories alternate between present events as Bodie and Doyle continue to work at CI5 - no longer field agents, but co-controllers - and cases they dealt with in the past. The two streams come together brilliantly and the stories give you insight into the boys when they were young and dangerous counter-balanced with men that are more comfortable with themselves and each other. There's angst and action and lots of plot, tender moments and good banter. Both stories are long and well-worth the read.

Susan stood in the doorway, leaning against the frame, arms crossed over her chest, hugging herself. She had been there a few moments, seemingly rooted to the spot. Bodie so rarely let go of his emotions; Doyle so rarely seemed this passionate. Yet there it was--all that they were laid out for the other, stark on their faces--what had brought them together, what kept them whole. She should have turned and left except she felt drawn there, as if seeing the passion made her a small part of it. Finally she blinked and found her voice.

"Ahem--should I come back?"

The pair separated instantly, but it didn't matter. Bodie's lips held the swell of Ray's kiss, and Ray's cheek was rough from Bodie's beard. Their jeans revealed the pleasure they had been sharing, and their breathing was laboured.

"Sorry," Susan apologized. "Door was open and...sorry."

The two men exchanged glances, up and down the other, and then Doyle started to chuckle, nervous energy from the injury and the cuddle working through him. After a moment he was laughing outright.

Bodie shook his head, rolling his eyes affectionately. "Crazy sod. Hurt his shoulder," he told Susan, as if that explained everything. And somehow it did--the heightened emotion, the open door....

Read the stories:
Firewalls
Firestorm

Don't forget to feedback the author.

Threaded | Top-Level Comments Only

Very good choice. I'm not particularly fond of Older Lads fic, but these two are a very enjoyable read, just the way I'd see them when they're older. Thanks for the rec.

Other good Pros authors (IMHO):
Russ, Meg Lewtan, The Hag, HG, EPS, Terence, Alexandra, Sebastian, PFL

And there are three Pros yahoo groups:
ProsStoryfinders - recs, lost stories
proslib - fic only, no discussion
Pros-Lit - discussion

Hatstand is a GREAT resource, many old stories that were only in zine form have been added there. And of course, the Pros Circuit Archive has been around forever and also is chock full of good fiction.

A fantastic start to the month! :) Lol, I've got some archives and rec pages bookmarked, but I can't believe what fan life would be like for me without

crack_van. It is a fantastic community, and I'm so glad I found it and joined. Especially with recs like this to look forward to in the future! :)

Thanks!! Looking forward to the rest of the month.

I'm the same way - I wasn't all that interested in reading about them when they're older, but this story convinced me. Maybe it's because I can picture an older Martin Shaw (having now seen Judge John Deed) and he's still sexy and difficult. *g*

Thanks for the additional suggestions. I've been checking out the stories and archives. I really like the people in the fandom as well.

I'm the same way - I really rely on

crack_van to help me narrow down my reading choices. Sometimes there's just too much stuff out there (which is good!), so it's nice to have somewhere to start from.

I found out the "Pros" fandom through "Crack Van" a few months ago and was hooked at once though I never watched the show; now I have bought the complete DVD box and avidly read a great lot of the stories from the Circuit Archives.
I especially admire the writings of Sebastian, Ellis Ward and Dana Austin Marsh; but there are so many other talented authors! My last discovery is a tandem: Jane Carnall and Ann Johnson, but beware the odd paring: it won't please everybody!

Thanks for the suggestions. You might want to take a turn at the

crack_van yourself. I know they're looking for more drivers.

Good to have you in the drivers seat. I read these a while ago but went back and re-read after the rec. Even more enjoyable second time around.

Thanks! I really like the way they blend the past and present events together.

Yes, I like these stories too. The relationship between the Lads is very heartwarming. It's how I like to picture them when they get older.

Thanks so much for driving the Capri. I know it's a labor of love. I missed not having a Pros driver last month.

I applied for "Man from UNCLE" recently (for september) and received no answer at all; that's not encouraging. And as I am very new to the fandom, I don't know what were the previous recs. Moreover I suddenly discovered a shameful (shameless to be true!) a kink for a weird pairing: Bodie/Cowley! It wouldn't be everybody's taste...Though there are three wonderful stories about this on line, I wonder how many readers would accept to even consider it.

I applied for "Man from UNCLE" recently (for september) and received no answer at all; that's not encouraging.

I wouldn't be too worried about that. Because there are so many communities, the mods only usually contact you when you're actually up for a month. I put my name down for Smallville, and it was over a year before I got a heads-up on it. You can always go check the page where you volunteered and make sure the comment is there.

As for checking the previous recs, that's not too hard. Every fandom has a list of the previous recs on this page. Just click on the fandom to see the
list: http://www.livejournal.com/tools/memories.bml?user=crack_van

I find it useful to do a Find search when I have a rec in mind - that way I know right away if the story or the author has already been rec'ced and how long ago it was, how many times.

I think it's great to rec things people don't usually read - I tend to be an OTP girl, but it's good to have a variety. The important thing here is that the stories are good quality, representative of the fandom. It's a very subjective thing and every rec'cer has his/her own style.

Hope that helps. Unsolicited advice, so take it for what it's worth. *g*

Thanks so much for driving the Capri. I know it's a labor of love. I missed not having a Pros driver last month.

You're welcome - and I know I rely on the recs here, so I figure it's kind of voluntary service to the fandom. I missed not having new Pros recs last month too.

Thanks for the link, I'll check it.

What's an OTP? I'm not an English native speaker; don't know most of the abrievations.

OTP simply means One True Pairing. The language around fandoms is pretty complicated sometimes. One of my first posts was on that, and the stuff that came up in the comments was really interesting:

http://www.livejournal.com/users/laceymcbain/31996.html

Firewalls and Firestorm by Elspeth Leigh (NC-17)

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older lads

thanks

crack van

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pros recs

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some info about rec'cing

pros

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