A-Team Imagines

It's a Wonderful Life : Murdock

WARNING: mentions and demonstration of effects of PTSD

"Murdock, are you alright?"

"I'm fine."

"You just don't seem..."

"I'm fine, okay? I'm fine!" His voice rose, and you backed up a little bit. You held back a sob that still had the audacity to shake your body. His demeanor softened, and looked around the room.

Face had taken to trying to find you to comfort you - as he had been your friend the longest and the one to set the two of you up - Hannibal rose from his armchair and watched Face exit the room, and BA was just outside, probably bringing in the Christmas tree.

Murdock ran his hand through his hair and walked out the door past BA, who didn't see him at first because of the tree that Murdock had accurately predicted.

The snow crunched under his feet as he walked down the street. Why couldn't he just pull himself together?

Feeling another gust of wind, Murdock zipped up his jacket a little farther. Maybe it would have been better if he hadn't...

All of it moved so fast, his legs gave out underneath him as they slipped, arms flailing as he attempted to balance and someone caught him.

"Hey friend, I'm glad I happened upon you when I did, it could have been disastrous if I hadn't."

Murdock stood up, turning around to take a good look at who it was.

He had never seen this man before, although there was a strange familiarity in his eyes that Murdock just couldn't put a finger on.

"Thanks for helping me. I should probably be on my way now..." Murdock felt uncomfortable under the man's gaze, attempting to walk away.

"Where are you going? That's not the direction (Y/N) is."

Halted by the unsettling knowledge that the stranger had, he turned around again.

"What?"

"You almost made a wish earlier - do you remember what it was?"

Murdock reflected on his thoughts, then replying "That I hadn't met the A-Team or that I hadn't met (Y/N) at all. I haven't been much of a help and there's no use for me there."

"You don't think so?"

"I know so."

The stranger looked up at a flickering street lamp, and sighed. "Alright then, you have your wish."

Murdock shook his head. This guy was weird.

"You know what, this is a little too weird, even for my taste. I'm going home."

"They aren't there, H.M."

Ignoring the statement and the footsteps that followed him, he walked down the street, retracing his steps.

The house - left to you in your grandfather's will - was still there, but the lights were out, and it looked like nobody had touched it in several decades.

Murdock panicked, rubbing his eyes to see if it was just a trick of his mind.

"I told you, they aren't here."

"Where did you take them?" Murdock stepped towards the man, beginning to shake as he asked it. "Where are they? Are they okay?" His voice shook and he attempted to steady himself by holding onto the porch railing that he was certain would give him a splinter.

"Murdock, you were never a part of their lives. Hannibal died in an air raid down by the coast, Face didn't even make it to the front - his plane was shot down into the ocean before they got there. BA was falsely accused of desertion when the mission your team would have gone into went haywire, and he was the only surviving member after his other men were shot down. He was executed in military prison."