Work Text:
Booker and Joe stopped when they heard noises behind a door.
Booker: "How many?"
Joe: "According to Nicky, less than fifty, so we should be done in less than five minutes."
Booker: "Good. It gives us the time to find a screen so we can watch the match."
Joe: "What I was thinking. On my signal."
Booker nodded, and both men drew their guns. After a deep breath, Joe counted down from three, and they entered the room.
Booker: "What the hell? Did you mistake the doors?"
Joe and Booker hadn't expected to find a group of musicians dressed up in Victorian clothing.
Joe: "No, Nicky told me the grey door and we went through the grey door."
A woman came over to them with a big smile.
Joe: "Hide your gun so she won't see it."
Both men did just as the woman started to shake their hands.
Hannah: "Hi, I'm Hannah. Are you Joe and Baz?"
Joe: "Yeah, that's us."
Hannah: "Fantastic. We have been expecting you. Come, let me introduce you to the rest."
Joe: "Sorry. What are we talking about again?"
Hannah: "Audition for Christmas Caroling."
Joe and Booker looked at each other because something had dawned on them.
Joe: "Could we have a moment? We need to call someone first."
Hannah: "Of course. Find me when you're ready, and we'll do the audition."
Joe and Booker found a corner where they hoped no one would listen to their conversation.
Booker: "By the laughter in the earpiece, something tells me Nicky has pulled yet a prank on us."
Booker punched Joe on the shoulder.
Booker: "And just so you know it, there is no way in hell I'm dressing up as they did in the Victorian times again."
Joe found his phone and called Nicky. When Nicky answered, Joe put it on the speakers.
Nicky: "Yes, Dear? I'm kinda busy right now."
Booker: "Hopefully with running away because when I get my hands on you..."
Joe looked at Booker.
Booker: "You're thinking the same things."
For as long as Joe and the others had known Nicky, Nicky had loved his pranks. And the worst part was that Andy always seemed to encourage Nicky as long she wasn't on the receiving end of his pranks.
Joe: "About the mission you sent us on. How do we find our target?"
Nicky: "Oh, her. Andy and Nile caught her yesterday. Didn't we tell you that?"
Joe facepalmed himself.
Joe: "So, what are we doing here?"
Nicky: "Audition for Christmas Caroling. Didn't Hannah tell you that?"
Joe placed his hands on Booker's mouth to prevent him from shouting at Nicky. Booker pushed Joe's hand away.
Nicky: "Nile saw the poster and showed it to me and since you both sang Christmas songs so lovely last week..."
Last week, they all got drunk in Saké and went to a karaoke bar.
Nicky: "I thought you would love to have fun with some Christmas Caroling."
Booker: "NICKY!!"
Nicky: "Yes? Just a moment."
Joe and Booker could tell that Nicky was talking with Andy.
Andy: "How goes the mission?"
Joe: "We're having the time of our lives."
Booker punched Joe on the shoulder.
Andy: "Good. Call us when you're done."
Andy ended the call.
Booker: "I'm not doing it."
Joe: "I know what you mean, but we can't leave."
Booker: "Why? The door is right there."
Booker looked at Joe, who looked at Hannah.
Booker: "That is the problem with dating a priest."
Joe: "Former priest, but what do you mean?"
Booker: "Forget it. Fine, but if you don't deal with Nicky and his pranks, then..."
Joe: "Yes, yes, come."
Twenty minutes later, Joe and Booker stood on the street again after Hannah very kindly told them that they had interesting voices, but it wasn't what she was searching for. Joe noticed Booker looked up at the rooftops.
Joe: "What are you doing?"
Booker: "Searching for Nile. Remember Andy asked her to be our backup?"
Joe nodded.
Booker: "Something tells me she has taken photos of us and is well on her way back to the others."
Joe: "Let them have their fun. What do you say we find a pub and watch the match? And then we can come up with some sort of revenge."
Booker: "That is a great idea. If we combine our brains, we can come up with a great revenge."
Joe resisted saying anything about the size of Booker's brain, so they found a pub. Because of the outcome of the match, it took them longer than planned to come up with a revenge, but that is a story for another time.