Tom/McCann (Spooks)
Dec. 12th, 2004 10:43 pm![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
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ship_manifestoTitle: Trust in Your Enemy is a Fine Art
Author:![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
brightbear
Fandom: Spooks (MI-5 in the U.S.)
Spoilers: Mostly for the start of season two, small hints for later in the second season. No spoilers whatsoever for the third season which I haven't seen yet. (Please don't include any season three spoilers in the comments).
Two characters with great chemistry, some ambiguous comments from the Website BritSlash about slash potential, a claim that the pairing was impossible... how could any writer resist such a challenge?
Why I'm a Tom/Patrick Shipper
When I first saw Spooks (MI-5 in the U.S.), I fell in love with the driven Tom Quinn (played by Matthew MacFayden). The early episodes featured strong guest stars that interacted directly with Tom and were a pleasure to watch. Lorcan Cranitch, playing the character of Patrick McCann, was one that immediately caught my attention. I loved their scenes together - they had enough similarities to work well together on screen and enough differences to have fantastic chemistry between them. Anybody who hasn't seen them, go and see Lesser of Two Evils (Season 1, ep 6) and Legitimate Targets (Season 2, ep 1) now!
I went to the net, looking for slash pairings in general. The Spooks fandom is still fairly new and hence relatively small; while the volume of fic isn’t huge, there are some brilliant pieces out there. There was, however, no mention of Patrick. My next stop was the Website Britslash, which gave a run-down of several episodes and idly mentioned that there was slash potential for one of Patrick's episodes. Although it was never directly said who they meant it was enough to get me thinking. I mentioned my vague idea of a Tom/Patrick pairing to my sister, Jellybean, who promptly told me it was impossible. Rather than taking that at face value, I took it as a challenge and responded accordingly (and enthusiastically) by promptly starting a plot outline.
The story I wrote is the only on of this pairing that I have found to date but I hope that others will be inspired to go back and revisit this wonderful relationship. If anyone has one, please link to it in the comments but please avoid including Season Three spoilers.
The Characters
Tom Quinn is a professional spy in his early thirties who works for the British Security Service MI5. He’s a talented “spook” - smart, perceptive and aggressive but slightly aloof from his colleagues. One of Tom's greatest assets is his ability to judge other characters and determine whether or not they can be trusted.
In many ways, Tom is distanced from his co-workers, his friends and even the woman he loves. This distance is not only due to his personality, but also due to his position in MI5; as second in command in his team, his conduct must be professional at all times. His two closest friends are also junior to him at work. As he’s their boss he must be able to yell at them when necessary or give them advice about difficult situations. This power imbalance can leave Tom in a difficult position when he is the one who needs help. He can't talk to his civilian girlfriend or his junior colleagues, not because he personally doesn’t trust them but because they don't have high enough security clearance.
The number of friendly characters who outrank Tom in the series are few and far between. A couple of episodes prior to the appearance of Patrick McCann, Tom’s long term mentor Peter Salter (played by Anthony Stewart Head) turns traitor and commits suicide while a helpless Tom watches. During this episode, Tom turns to his direct superior, Harry Pearce, for guidance. In that episode Harry is Tom’s back up when things go wrong, but it leaves the viewer wondering what would happen if Harry were to become unreliable. This is exactly what is happening when Patrick McCann arrives on the scene.
Patrick McCann only appears in two back-to-back episodes before he is killed. He is a terrorist, a former IRA commander and currently a member of an IRA splinter group.
“I need an urgent credit card check [background check] on a Mr Patrick McCann...” -Jodie
“...McCann, Patrick. Section Commander in splinter Republic group. Active service unit leader for many years. Personally responsible for the torture and murder of over twenty IUC policemen and two security service operatives in the late 70s. Why?” -
MI5 officer
“Ah... he’s ringing the doorbell.” - Jodie
Patrick is established from the very beginning as a violent terrorist. We hear a list of his crimes and watch him walk into the house with the housekeeper Jodie, carrying a live grenade. He is a dangerous and mysterious character. Like Tom, he holds a high rank with the organization he belongs to. This is not a character we see relaxing or among friends. We very briefly see him as in charge of a small number of faceless Irish terrorists who do nothing but follow his orders. For the most part, we see him as a professional terrorist dealing one-to-one with the security organisation that he considers his enemy.
"It’s the same for us, you know. I don’t like breathing the same air as you, either.” - Patrick McCann
He comes to deal with MI5 but any kind of deal requires a certain amount of trust and nobody is quite sure just how far Patrick can be trusted. Tom's ability to judge character is stretched to its limit.
The Episodes (Lesser of Two Evils and Legitimate Targets)
The last episode of the 1st season, Lesser of Two Evils (Do or Die in the U.S.) ends in a cliff-hanger. The first episode of the 2nd season, Legitimate Targets, ties off the loose ends of the cliff-hanger but also brings in many new unrelated subplots. Most of the Tom/Patrick scenes happen in Lesser of Two Evils so this essay is going to focus on this, only dealing with Legitimate Targets whenever it becomes especially relevant. All quotes are from Lesser of Two Evils unless stated otherwise.
Lesser of Two Evils features an IRA splinter group, which has declared war on Britain because of the occupation of Northern Ireland. Due to financial problems, the group does a “bit of management consultancy”(Patrick McCann). While dealing with an Al-Qaeda cell known as Asabiyah, the group discovers a plot to strike at one of Britain’s nuclear power stations. Since this would leave most of Ireland uninhabitable, it is in their best interests to stop the attack. Due to bad decisions, they miss their opportunity and are forced to turn to MI5 for help. As a result, two representatives - Tom Quinn and Patrick McCann - meet in a field and the fun begins.
'That' Scene in a Farmer's Field
Patrick’s offer to make a deal with MI5 causes some friction in the MI5 office, which is only to be expected. However, Harry in particular seems strangely unwilling to deal. Despite Harry’s reluctance, Tom is eventually sent out to make contact. Patrick dubs Tom “Davey Crockett” and continues to call him this for the rest of the episode.
“Dress for the country, Davey Crockett.” - Patrick McCann
Every fandom seems to have its ultimate slash scene. In Spooks, the first meeting of Tom and McCann is that scene. We have two men who have no reason to trust each other standing in the middle of a field. In order to demonstrate that neither of them is wearing a wire nor carrying arms, they remove their clothing piece by piece before exchanging a single word. I've done my best to recreate the scene below...
It's a very cold day and there are no clouds in the sky. There is nothing around but grassy hills and a lake. Patrick is waiting in the middle of a field wearing a suit and gumboots. It's a tweed suit, with a sweater and a tie. It makes Patrick look older and non-threatening. He's waiting, hands in his pockets and in no particular hurry. Then Tom comes over the crest of the hill, wearing black. It's not the usual, long black coat that flies behind him and intimidates people. Nor is it a business suit. He's wearing a black polo shirt, black trousers, a padded black jacket and gumboots.
The two of them are not trying to intimidate or scare, they are trying to appear conciliatory and willing to compromise. Tom approaches cautiously, holding his arms out to prove that he’s unarmed. As he comes up, Patrick also holds out his arms. Tom stops a couple of metres in front of Patrick.
They begin to strip off their clothes, showing each piece of clothing to the other person to prove that there are no bugs or hidden wires inside. Once Tom has finished taking off his shirt he waits for Patrick to catch up before they both take off their trousers. They stand there in their underwear, looking at each other before they both pull that down as well. Then they scramble to pull their clothes back on, shivering from the cold and they talk to each other for the first time.
This scene establishes the odd contradiction of trust and distrust that will exist in the relationship between these two men. They have both very different backgrounds but there are certain parallels. One is young British security officer, one is a middle-aged Irish terrorist but both are professionals working in the intelligence business. On their very first meeting they expose their bodies, something very private and a direct display of trust, and yet they spend the rest of the episode trying to keep secrets from each other. Tom doesn’t even trust Patrick enough to give him his real name.
Although a real trust between them may never be achieved, but there are moments of connection between them that doesn’t prevent them from sharing moments of connection. Patrick is even willing to admit to the connection, though Tom turns him down. One can’t help but feel that under different circumstances or given more time, that connection might have been allowed to grow and develop into a friendship or something more.
“We have a date?” - Patrick McCann
Tom nods.
I would argue that this scene is full of sexual tension - canon nudity! Even those who aren't in the habit of looking for slash subtext have got to admit that such a bizarre and amusing scene must affect any relationship between these to men, whether that relationship becomes sexual or remains platonic.
The Development
The only main character who Patrick comes into direct contact with during the episode is Tom, although he apparently tortured and murdered one of Harry’s best friends almost thirty years ago. The effect of having Patrick interacting solely with Tom means that all of Patrick’s ‘charm’ is directed deliberately at Tom.
That is not to say that ‘charm’ necessarily has any romantic or sexual meaning attached to it (although I certainly support that interpretation in fanfic). In the episode, Patrick wants something from MI5 (a guarantee of no surveillance for thirty hours) and he has to persuade Tom to agree to exchange this guarantee for information about Asabiyah’s attack.
In their first meeting, Patrick uses every trick in the book to persuade Tom. He uses his sense of humour, emphasises the fact that he considers Tom a peer, reminds Tom that he’s also taking risks, keeps to his word about back-up and presents himself as a man of experience that ought to be respected and believed.
Tom is not a passive player, however. He does not respond in kind to Patrick’s friendly banter. He spends most of the conversation frowning and being sceptical, even when the other man is smiling. Patrick does most of the talking and Tom, most of the listening. Their last exchange before the first meeting ends sums up their conversation nicely:
“Bit unfair really. You know my name and I know yours ain’t David bloody Crockett.” - Patrick
“Call me Dave.” - Tom
Patrick is trying to present himself as a friend, in the hope of scoring inside information about MI5. Tom rebuffs his efforts, knowing from the file on McCann how dangerous he can be and it is imperative that Tom gives no indication on whether or not McCann’s efforts at persuasion are effective.
The very next scene involves Tom on the phone to the office, talking to his colleagues about the previous meeting. It becomes apparent that Patrick’s persuasion was more effective than Tom let on in the previous scene. Tom believes that MI5 should make the deal, despite the risk that Patrick’s group may bomb British civilians.
Harry disagrees with Tom, and reveals that he has gone behind Tom’s back and broken the agreement not to bring back up to the meeting. Two agents followed Tom and then tailed Patrick back to his hideout. To go behind Tom’s back is an extremely unusual move for Harry and it is later revealed to be a part of his personal issues with Patrick.
This is the scene in which Tom realises that Harry is unreliable in this situation; he is letting his personal feelings about McCann influence his thinking far more than he should. Faced with the chance of losing a fairly sizeable portion of Britain to nuclear fallout, Tom takes the decision to go over Harry’s head. Up until now, Harry and Tom have always had a very strong relationship but Tom’s actions and the consequences put a distance between them for the rest of the episode.
Tom’s falling out with Harry is important because the support that Tom has always been able to rely upon is no longer there. He enlists the support of his junior officers but they make it clear that they aren’t happy with going behind Harry’s back and Tom’s only attempt to stray from the professional to the personal is rebuffed.
“Just for the record, I hate this as much as you do.” - Tom
“Is that the real record, is it?” - Zoe
Although Tom would never do such a thing consciously, Patrick becomes a possible replacement for Harry. Why? Patrick is older, has more experience than Tom and comes from Harry’s generation. When Harry is presenting himself professionally but actually becoming emotional and taking things personally, Patrick is the reverse of Harry – he appears emotional while in fact remaining professional in his behaviour.
Patrick says that he was forced to deal with MI5 because his branch-chief made a stupid mistake; like Tom, Patrick is being forced to deal with the consequences of the bad decisions of a superior.
“You could... dis-incentivise them [the terrorists].” - Tom
“Kill them, you mean? Great minds think alike, Davey. Sadly, my branch chief had other ideas. Wanted his money upfront but by the time he realised he was an idiot, they were already on their way. And so I had to come crying to youse. For help.”
- Patrick
Later on in the episode, Tom is forced to admit to Patrick that he’s also having trouble with one of his superiors. Patrick definitely sounds amused and Tom changes the subject quickly.
“I told you, Davey. No contact.” - Patrick
“There hasn’t been.” - Tom
“So why’d you put a tail on me, heh? Took me a bloody hour to shake them.” - Patrick
“I didn’t want it. Sadly, my branch chief had other ideas.” - Tom
“Problems upstairs, Davey?” - Patrick
“You said, no acts of terror...” - Tom
As the episode progresses, the Asabiyah bombing threat begins to look more and more real, vindicating Tom’s determination to deal with Patrick and his terrorist group. However, it also begins to look more and more likely that Patrick is breaking his word and planning to bomb Broadstreet Train Station. Patrick is both telling the truth and lying at the same time.
Harry admits to his history with Patrick, and confesses that he “is a bit emotional about Irish matters”. He asks for the team’s forgiveness and Tom can’t give it fast enough. Tom wants to have things back to normal and he wants to be able to trust Harry again. He wants the good guys to be good and the bad guys to be bad.
Within minutes, however, not only has Harry disappointed him again by continuing to refuse any kind of deal but Tom contacts Patrick about the bombing only to have him put his foot down as well.
“This bomb does not go off.” - Harry Pearce
“...[If you] try and stop our operation, the deal is dead and damn the consequences for all of us.” - Patrick
Now, Tom is effectively isolated again but it is the country at stake here. So, Tom does the only thing he can do and deceives both of them. He’s taking sole responsibility and is still isolated. He has false reports written for Harry and he runs an operation to evacuate Broadstreet Station, without actually disarming Patrick’s bomb.
“But if we stop the blast, McCann will cut us off.” - Zoe
“We’re not going to stop the blast, we’re going to smother it. Accidentally-on-purpose. It can work. We’ve seen it done before.” - Tom
“McCann will never believe it.” - Danny
“I don’t need him to believe it, I just need enough doubt in the equation for a bare-faced denial.” - Tom
Both plans work. The bomb goes off and the station is damaged but nobody is killed. However, there are consequences for Tom’s drastic actions. When Harry realises he’s been lied to, he grills Tom and the rest of the team. Unable to change what’s already happened, Harry eventually gives in and focuses on the next mission - stopping the attack on the nuclear power station. Harry becomes professional once again but his faith in Tom has taken a battering.
There are other, far more frightening consequences for Tom’s actions. Tom goes alone to get the needed inside information from Patrick, information without which the attack on the power station cannot be stopped. As per the agreement, he has no back up and no way to call for help.
This second meeting is in an industrial complex and is far less open than the field where they met previously. Tom and Patrick have both deceived each other since then. Tom is dressed casually again, jeans and a different (but still black) jacket. He opens the door and sees Patrick standing inside, in the dark. Patrick is now dressed in a manner like Tom’s usual work wear. He’s wearing a blue shirt and a long, black coat. He’s not dressed casually and there’s an air of menace about him. He’s not smiling. Patrick is no longer presenting as harmless and conciliatory. Tom steps inside and is jumped by two of Patrick’s colleagues. He tries to appeal to Patrick but Patrick shuts him down.
“This is not what we agreed!” - Tom
“Keep your hands low.” - Patrick
Despite his protests, Tom’s hands are tied, a sack is thrown over his head and he is thrown into the boot of a car. Patrick and his associates get in and drive off. Patrick’s associates get in the front of the car and drive while Patrick sits in the back by himself. Patrick is very clearly just as much in charge of his juniors as Tom is in charge of his.
We can only imagine what Tom goes through while in the boot of the car as we don’t get to see it. It can’t be very pleasant since Harry has only recently explained that his former friend (the one who was tortured and murdered) was also thrown into a car boot by Patrick.
“It’s very hard to identify a body, most of which has been burnt away with a blowtorch.” - Harry
The car reaches its destination, a farmhouse, and Tom is dragged out of the boot. He’s still blindfolded but he’s struggling violently. Patrick leads the way but lets the other manhandle Tom into the house. There are at least five men working with Patrick and he makes a point to keep himself physically distant from both Tom and his own men. Once the others have set Tom down on a chair, Patrick steps up to deal with him personally and face-to-face. There is no doubt about who is in charge here.
Patrick pulls the sack off Tom’s head and points a gun at him. Tom is unmistakeably frightened and is pulling away from Patrick. Patrick is watching Tom carefully, watching for a reaction. He’s trying to judge Tom, trying to see if Tom will crack under the pressure. The second Patrick lowers the gun, Tom makes a run for it. Patrick laughs as the others tackle Tom and return him to the chair.
It’s very important that Tom doesn’t crack; if he cannot maintain his deceit, McCann will be forced to drop his end of the bargain and Ireland will suffer as much as Britain. Tom flatly denies interfering in the bomb blast and doesn’t change his story Patrick doesn’t quite believe him - he knows he’s been tricked but he also knows that it was done cleverly. He’s gaining even more respect for Tom.
“You’ve got balls, Davey Crockett, you know that?” - Patrick
McCann knows that Tom interfered with the bomb, but there is no direct evidence to support this. Tom has carried out the interference in such a way that McCann must keep his side of the deal. He quickly reassures Tom that he’s not intending to kill him and hands over a laptop with the necessary information.
“I’m not going to shoot you. I’m just keeping our end of the bargain. It’s lucky for you both our countries are at risk... All the information you need about the attack is there on the hard-drive... This is one patriot to another.” - Patrick
Having successfully scared and judged Tom, Patrick is once more talking to Tom as if they are equals. He gets impatient when one of his companions tries to hand Tom the laptop while Tom’s hands are still tied. It looks unprofessional when Patrick is trying to maintain a professional relationship with Tom. He’s brusque with his own people, nowhere near as indulgent and chatty with them as he is with Tom. Tom holds onto the laptop tightly, recognising it as a sign that Patrick truly doesn’t intend to kill him.
Patrick makes sure that Tom has a firm grip on the laptop before he puts the bag back over his head. Tom is dragged back to the car but this time he isn’t in the boot. This time he’s sitting in the back seat next to Patrick himself. Patrick is trying to equalise them, trying to show Tom that he’s earned Patrick’s respect as a fellow professional.
Tom is walked out into the middle of another field and released. He’s standing there in the sun, blinking at the sudden light while Patrick watches him. It is then that Patrick offers Tom his hand - the ultimate sign of respect and equality. Tom is understandably less eager, given that he was kidnapped and threatened. He doesn’t shake Patrick’s hand.
“We could have been friends in another life.” - Patrick
“We’ll just have to wait til then.” - Tom
It’s a disappointing moment for Patrick but he only waits for a moment before running back to the car and disappearing. Tom stands there and watches him go, perhaps a little reluctantly. There are many good reasons for refusing to shake Patrick’s hand; he’s a terrorist, a murderer and a man of dubious honesty, but Tom’s actions have also been deceitful during this episode and he hardly has the moral high ground. The two men are more alike than they care to admit and it’s disappointing that they part on such terms since this is the last time that Tom and Patrick meet face-to-face in canon.
The nuclear disaster is narrowly averted and Tom returns home to his flat with the laptop Patrick gave him. The laptop, not only a device which saved the nation but also a tangible symbol of Patrick, is being held very tightly by Tom. As soon as he gets home, the laptop is safely locked away in Tom’s private office. Tom doesn’t return to the office and it’s unclear whether Tom has even told his colleagues about his kidnapping.
His reasons for this are never really explored in canon but three come to my mind. The first reason is that he never had time; events move fast during this episode. Tom is still alive and unharmed and the kidnapping is over and in the past. Normally there would be time to deal with it later.
The second is that talking about the kidnapping would produce several predictable reactions from his colleagues. His juniors would be concerned and horrified since they also know the stories of how Patrick tortured and murdered people. Harry’s reaction would be partly concerned but was more likely to be along the lines of ‘I told you so’ and would only encourage Harry to go after Patrick.
The other reason that occurs to me is that all Tom’s dealings with Patrick are very personal. From the moment they met and stripped together, it has been a one-on-one relationship. Even when others have been present or listening to their encounters, nobody else has gotten involved in the conversations. Tom’s juniors listen to their phone call but don’t speak and Patrick’s juniors may manhandle Tom but they never speak to him. It is very personal and Tom has never voluntarily discussed personal issues with his colleagues.
It already seems as if there will be no more contact between the two but there is one final twist which neither sees coming. It isn’t the fault of either of them but it effectively destroys any connection that had developed between the two.
Tom’s afternoon off with his family is interrupted by a hurried call from Patrick. The connection is bad and full of static, but Patrick manages to tell him that there is a bomb in the laptop. Patrick is worried and anxious to make sure Tom knows that it wasn’t his doing. It is similar to Patrick’s irritation that Tom’s hands weren’t untied fast enough earlier. He wants to make sure that his relationship with Tom is not affected by the actions of others. He wants all the deception and honesty to genuinely be his.
“Davey, it wasn’t me, all right? Look, it wasn’t...” - Patrick
“What? Is that Patrick?” - Tom
“They found... a few of the lads, they found out. My branch chief...” - Patrick
“Nah, you’re breaking up.” - Tom
“The laptop’s rigged. The bastards put a slab of C4 in it.” - Patrick
What follows is the cliffhanger to the first season. Tom’s girlfriend Ellie and her daughter are trapped inside the house, Tom is locked outside and the timer is counting down. It is a horrible and terrifying situation and one that ultimately destroys the last vestiges of his relationships with both Patrick and Ellie.
In the next episode, Legitimate Targets, Tom and his family survive the bomb. Patrick contacts him on his mobile and the damage to his relationship with Patrick is made quite clear. Tom doesn’t call him by his first name at all despite having done so, even in front of Harry, in the earlier episode. Whenever he mentions Patrick after this, he refers to him by only his last name, McCann.
“Mr Crockett?... Davey?” - Patrick
“[long pause] I’m here.” - Tom
“So you are. Side-stepped over our little surprise. Glad to hear it.” - Patrick
“Where are you?” - Tom
“Ah, to tell you the truth, I’m in a spot of bother right now. I wondered if you could help me out.” - Patrick
“You want me, to do you a favour?” - Tom
“I want to come and work for you.” - Patrick
“Is this a defection?” - Tom
“You could say that.” - Patrick
“I don’t believe you.” - Tom
[Legitimate Targets]
Tom’s trust in Patrick is completely shot to hell and it’s not because of the kidnapping. Patrick’s phone call to Tom directly after the kidnapping is cordial and polite. The problem is caused by the actions of Patrick’s anonymous colleagues, who acted like Harry, interfering in their relationship. Patrick is clearly worried and frightened because his colleagues have decided that the phone call that warned Tom was a betrayal. Patrick is desperate and he turns to Tom, one of his own enemies, for aid. Tom reluctantly agrees but it is too late. The MI5 officers that are dispatched to bring Patrick in instead find his dead body. Around his toe is a toe-tag that says ‘Property of MI5’.
“There’s people who’d fry me balls in batter if they knew what I was doing.” - Patrick
While Harry is rather smug about Patrick’s death, Tom is one of the last to find out about it. He is surprised and not quite sure how to react, especially since his reaction is watched by one of his juniors. For the rest of the episode Tom is depressed and miserable. His girlfriend leaves him, he attacks a suspect in custody and Patrick dies. Much is made of the fact that Tom’s relationship with his girlfriend was sacrificed to his job and professional life but exactly the same can be said of his relationship with Patrick.
The Hurdles for Potential Writers
There is an age difference in this episode but with personal lives that are this screwed up and dangerous, I don’t consider it as important as the making of a connection. Also, neither of the characters are children who are too young to know what they are doing. Tom is already in his thirties and Patrick’s age is unspecified but probably in his forties or fifties. While Patrick is not as attractive as Tom, he makes up for it in his cheerful excess of personality.
When you’re writing a fic that deals with characters that are usually enemies, there needs to be some extra push to get them together. One standard method is to have someone confess that it was really suppressed sexual tension all along. Since Tom and Patrick haven’t known each other very long and are both professional liars, this is difficult to do.
Another option is to have the characters temporarily vulnerable. Tom is certainly isolated during this episode and Patrick shows signs of being dissatisfied with his branch chief as well. They are both out of their comfort zone and that makes them unpredictable. Anything can happen.
Another problem is the canon fact of Patrick’s death. However, the constant deception and trickery involved in their line of work should make this a relatively easy obstacle to overcome, especially since none of the main characters, including Tom, actually got to see the body. We don’t get to see the actual murder either. Alternatively, missing or extended scenes have a great potential because of their one-on-one nature.
“One patriot to another.” - Patrick
In conclusion
I’m not sure I consider this a “one true pairing”, not in the sense that they are destined to spend their lives together. Their lives are complicated and they would both have to make massive compromises with their life’s work and their personal codes of conduct in order to be together. Hope lives in the fact that Patrick wants out by the end of the episode and that towards the end of the second season Tom becomes progressively more and more unhappy with the demands of his job and with Harry’s attitude.
Their relationship represents a freedom from obligation and a decision that only they can make for themselves. Nobody said it would be easy but then, nothing worthwhile ever is.
“Tom handles McCann, you know that.” - Harry to Tessa
Tom/McCann fic
A Satisfying End by Brightbear NC-17
Recommended Tom Fic
Random Acts by spiketherat and rupertfatcat, Tom/Malcolm NC-17
Debriefing Tom Quinn by spiketherat, Tom/Malcolm NC-17
Crossing A Line by rupertfatcat, Tom/Harry NC-17
Hospital Chatter by Perpetual Motion, Tom/Danny PG
A Little Relaxation by Perpetual Motion, Tom/Danny PG
Drabble 1 by thelondonprofessional, Danny/Zoe/Tom PG
Perspective by spiketherat, Tom/Peter? sort of PG-13 (not necessarily slash)
Crossovers with Alias (I enjoyed these despite never having seen Alias)
Getting Harder to Breathe by Elishavah, Tom/Sark (Spooks/Alias), NC-17
Making Contact by Nestra, Tom/Sark (Spooks/Alias)NC-17
Recommended Websites
The BBC Spooks site Beware of Season 3 Spoilers here
BritSlash Good screencaps
The Grid The site with the most Fanfiction
The Grid After Dark Sister-site to the Grid with higher rated fics
The Spooky Doings LiveJournal Find out what's currently happening in the fandom.
Author:
brightbearFandom: Spooks (MI-5 in the U.S.)
Spoilers: Mostly for the start of season two, small hints for later in the second season. No spoilers whatsoever for the third season which I haven't seen yet. (Please don't include any season three spoilers in the comments).
Two characters with great chemistry, some ambiguous comments from the Website BritSlash about slash potential, a claim that the pairing was impossible... how could any writer resist such a challenge?
Why I'm a Tom/Patrick Shipper
When I first saw Spooks (MI-5 in the U.S.), I fell in love with the driven Tom Quinn (played by Matthew MacFayden). The early episodes featured strong guest stars that interacted directly with Tom and were a pleasure to watch. Lorcan Cranitch, playing the character of Patrick McCann, was one that immediately caught my attention. I loved their scenes together - they had enough similarities to work well together on screen and enough differences to have fantastic chemistry between them. Anybody who hasn't seen them, go and see Lesser of Two Evils (Season 1, ep 6) and Legitimate Targets (Season 2, ep 1) now!
I went to the net, looking for slash pairings in general. The Spooks fandom is still fairly new and hence relatively small; while the volume of fic isn’t huge, there are some brilliant pieces out there. There was, however, no mention of Patrick. My next stop was the Website Britslash, which gave a run-down of several episodes and idly mentioned that there was slash potential for one of Patrick's episodes. Although it was never directly said who they meant it was enough to get me thinking. I mentioned my vague idea of a Tom/Patrick pairing to my sister, Jellybean, who promptly told me it was impossible. Rather than taking that at face value, I took it as a challenge and responded accordingly (and enthusiastically) by promptly starting a plot outline.
The story I wrote is the only on of this pairing that I have found to date but I hope that others will be inspired to go back and revisit this wonderful relationship. If anyone has one, please link to it in the comments but please avoid including Season Three spoilers.
The Characters
Tom Quinn is a professional spy in his early thirties who works for the British Security Service MI5. He’s a talented “spook” - smart, perceptive and aggressive but slightly aloof from his colleagues. One of Tom's greatest assets is his ability to judge other characters and determine whether or not they can be trusted.
In many ways, Tom is distanced from his co-workers, his friends and even the woman he loves. This distance is not only due to his personality, but also due to his position in MI5; as second in command in his team, his conduct must be professional at all times. His two closest friends are also junior to him at work. As he’s their boss he must be able to yell at them when necessary or give them advice about difficult situations. This power imbalance can leave Tom in a difficult position when he is the one who needs help. He can't talk to his civilian girlfriend or his junior colleagues, not because he personally doesn’t trust them but because they don't have high enough security clearance.
The number of friendly characters who outrank Tom in the series are few and far between. A couple of episodes prior to the appearance of Patrick McCann, Tom’s long term mentor Peter Salter (played by Anthony Stewart Head) turns traitor and commits suicide while a helpless Tom watches. During this episode, Tom turns to his direct superior, Harry Pearce, for guidance. In that episode Harry is Tom’s back up when things go wrong, but it leaves the viewer wondering what would happen if Harry were to become unreliable. This is exactly what is happening when Patrick McCann arrives on the scene.
Patrick McCann only appears in two back-to-back episodes before he is killed. He is a terrorist, a former IRA commander and currently a member of an IRA splinter group.
“I need an urgent credit card check [background check] on a Mr Patrick McCann...” -Jodie
“...McCann, Patrick. Section Commander in splinter Republic group. Active service unit leader for many years. Personally responsible for the torture and murder of over twenty IUC policemen and two security service operatives in the late 70s. Why?” -
MI5 officer
“Ah... he’s ringing the doorbell.” - Jodie
Patrick is established from the very beginning as a violent terrorist. We hear a list of his crimes and watch him walk into the house with the housekeeper Jodie, carrying a live grenade. He is a dangerous and mysterious character. Like Tom, he holds a high rank with the organization he belongs to. This is not a character we see relaxing or among friends. We very briefly see him as in charge of a small number of faceless Irish terrorists who do nothing but follow his orders. For the most part, we see him as a professional terrorist dealing one-to-one with the security organisation that he considers his enemy.
"It’s the same for us, you know. I don’t like breathing the same air as you, either.” - Patrick McCann
He comes to deal with MI5 but any kind of deal requires a certain amount of trust and nobody is quite sure just how far Patrick can be trusted. Tom's ability to judge character is stretched to its limit.
The Episodes (Lesser of Two Evils and Legitimate Targets)
The last episode of the 1st season, Lesser of Two Evils (Do or Die in the U.S.) ends in a cliff-hanger. The first episode of the 2nd season, Legitimate Targets, ties off the loose ends of the cliff-hanger but also brings in many new unrelated subplots. Most of the Tom/Patrick scenes happen in Lesser of Two Evils so this essay is going to focus on this, only dealing with Legitimate Targets whenever it becomes especially relevant. All quotes are from Lesser of Two Evils unless stated otherwise.
Lesser of Two Evils features an IRA splinter group, which has declared war on Britain because of the occupation of Northern Ireland. Due to financial problems, the group does a “bit of management consultancy”(Patrick McCann). While dealing with an Al-Qaeda cell known as Asabiyah, the group discovers a plot to strike at one of Britain’s nuclear power stations. Since this would leave most of Ireland uninhabitable, it is in their best interests to stop the attack. Due to bad decisions, they miss their opportunity and are forced to turn to MI5 for help. As a result, two representatives - Tom Quinn and Patrick McCann - meet in a field and the fun begins.
'That' Scene in a Farmer's Field
Patrick’s offer to make a deal with MI5 causes some friction in the MI5 office, which is only to be expected. However, Harry in particular seems strangely unwilling to deal. Despite Harry’s reluctance, Tom is eventually sent out to make contact. Patrick dubs Tom “Davey Crockett” and continues to call him this for the rest of the episode.
“Dress for the country, Davey Crockett.” - Patrick McCann
Every fandom seems to have its ultimate slash scene. In Spooks, the first meeting of Tom and McCann is that scene. We have two men who have no reason to trust each other standing in the middle of a field. In order to demonstrate that neither of them is wearing a wire nor carrying arms, they remove their clothing piece by piece before exchanging a single word. I've done my best to recreate the scene below...
It's a very cold day and there are no clouds in the sky. There is nothing around but grassy hills and a lake. Patrick is waiting in the middle of a field wearing a suit and gumboots. It's a tweed suit, with a sweater and a tie. It makes Patrick look older and non-threatening. He's waiting, hands in his pockets and in no particular hurry. Then Tom comes over the crest of the hill, wearing black. It's not the usual, long black coat that flies behind him and intimidates people. Nor is it a business suit. He's wearing a black polo shirt, black trousers, a padded black jacket and gumboots.
The two of them are not trying to intimidate or scare, they are trying to appear conciliatory and willing to compromise. Tom approaches cautiously, holding his arms out to prove that he’s unarmed. As he comes up, Patrick also holds out his arms. Tom stops a couple of metres in front of Patrick.
They begin to strip off their clothes, showing each piece of clothing to the other person to prove that there are no bugs or hidden wires inside. Once Tom has finished taking off his shirt he waits for Patrick to catch up before they both take off their trousers. They stand there in their underwear, looking at each other before they both pull that down as well. Then they scramble to pull their clothes back on, shivering from the cold and they talk to each other for the first time.
This scene establishes the odd contradiction of trust and distrust that will exist in the relationship between these two men. They have both very different backgrounds but there are certain parallels. One is young British security officer, one is a middle-aged Irish terrorist but both are professionals working in the intelligence business. On their very first meeting they expose their bodies, something very private and a direct display of trust, and yet they spend the rest of the episode trying to keep secrets from each other. Tom doesn’t even trust Patrick enough to give him his real name.
Although a real trust between them may never be achieved, but there are moments of connection between them that doesn’t prevent them from sharing moments of connection. Patrick is even willing to admit to the connection, though Tom turns him down. One can’t help but feel that under different circumstances or given more time, that connection might have been allowed to grow and develop into a friendship or something more.
“We have a date?” - Patrick McCann
Tom nods.
I would argue that this scene is full of sexual tension - canon nudity! Even those who aren't in the habit of looking for slash subtext have got to admit that such a bizarre and amusing scene must affect any relationship between these to men, whether that relationship becomes sexual or remains platonic.
The Development
The only main character who Patrick comes into direct contact with during the episode is Tom, although he apparently tortured and murdered one of Harry’s best friends almost thirty years ago. The effect of having Patrick interacting solely with Tom means that all of Patrick’s ‘charm’ is directed deliberately at Tom.
That is not to say that ‘charm’ necessarily has any romantic or sexual meaning attached to it (although I certainly support that interpretation in fanfic). In the episode, Patrick wants something from MI5 (a guarantee of no surveillance for thirty hours) and he has to persuade Tom to agree to exchange this guarantee for information about Asabiyah’s attack.
In their first meeting, Patrick uses every trick in the book to persuade Tom. He uses his sense of humour, emphasises the fact that he considers Tom a peer, reminds Tom that he’s also taking risks, keeps to his word about back-up and presents himself as a man of experience that ought to be respected and believed.
Tom is not a passive player, however. He does not respond in kind to Patrick’s friendly banter. He spends most of the conversation frowning and being sceptical, even when the other man is smiling. Patrick does most of the talking and Tom, most of the listening. Their last exchange before the first meeting ends sums up their conversation nicely:
“Bit unfair really. You know my name and I know yours ain’t David bloody Crockett.” - Patrick
“Call me Dave.” - Tom
Patrick is trying to present himself as a friend, in the hope of scoring inside information about MI5. Tom rebuffs his efforts, knowing from the file on McCann how dangerous he can be and it is imperative that Tom gives no indication on whether or not McCann’s efforts at persuasion are effective.
The very next scene involves Tom on the phone to the office, talking to his colleagues about the previous meeting. It becomes apparent that Patrick’s persuasion was more effective than Tom let on in the previous scene. Tom believes that MI5 should make the deal, despite the risk that Patrick’s group may bomb British civilians.
Harry disagrees with Tom, and reveals that he has gone behind Tom’s back and broken the agreement not to bring back up to the meeting. Two agents followed Tom and then tailed Patrick back to his hideout. To go behind Tom’s back is an extremely unusual move for Harry and it is later revealed to be a part of his personal issues with Patrick.
This is the scene in which Tom realises that Harry is unreliable in this situation; he is letting his personal feelings about McCann influence his thinking far more than he should. Faced with the chance of losing a fairly sizeable portion of Britain to nuclear fallout, Tom takes the decision to go over Harry’s head. Up until now, Harry and Tom have always had a very strong relationship but Tom’s actions and the consequences put a distance between them for the rest of the episode.
Tom’s falling out with Harry is important because the support that Tom has always been able to rely upon is no longer there. He enlists the support of his junior officers but they make it clear that they aren’t happy with going behind Harry’s back and Tom’s only attempt to stray from the professional to the personal is rebuffed.
“Just for the record, I hate this as much as you do.” - Tom
“Is that the real record, is it?” - Zoe
Although Tom would never do such a thing consciously, Patrick becomes a possible replacement for Harry. Why? Patrick is older, has more experience than Tom and comes from Harry’s generation. When Harry is presenting himself professionally but actually becoming emotional and taking things personally, Patrick is the reverse of Harry – he appears emotional while in fact remaining professional in his behaviour.
Patrick says that he was forced to deal with MI5 because his branch-chief made a stupid mistake; like Tom, Patrick is being forced to deal with the consequences of the bad decisions of a superior.
“You could... dis-incentivise them [the terrorists].” - Tom
“Kill them, you mean? Great minds think alike, Davey. Sadly, my branch chief had other ideas. Wanted his money upfront but by the time he realised he was an idiot, they were already on their way. And so I had to come crying to youse. For help.”
- Patrick
Later on in the episode, Tom is forced to admit to Patrick that he’s also having trouble with one of his superiors. Patrick definitely sounds amused and Tom changes the subject quickly.
“I told you, Davey. No contact.” - Patrick
“There hasn’t been.” - Tom
“So why’d you put a tail on me, heh? Took me a bloody hour to shake them.” - Patrick
“I didn’t want it. Sadly, my branch chief had other ideas.” - Tom
“Problems upstairs, Davey?” - Patrick
“You said, no acts of terror...” - Tom
As the episode progresses, the Asabiyah bombing threat begins to look more and more real, vindicating Tom’s determination to deal with Patrick and his terrorist group. However, it also begins to look more and more likely that Patrick is breaking his word and planning to bomb Broadstreet Train Station. Patrick is both telling the truth and lying at the same time.
Harry admits to his history with Patrick, and confesses that he “is a bit emotional about Irish matters”. He asks for the team’s forgiveness and Tom can’t give it fast enough. Tom wants to have things back to normal and he wants to be able to trust Harry again. He wants the good guys to be good and the bad guys to be bad.
Within minutes, however, not only has Harry disappointed him again by continuing to refuse any kind of deal but Tom contacts Patrick about the bombing only to have him put his foot down as well.
“This bomb does not go off.” - Harry Pearce
“...[If you] try and stop our operation, the deal is dead and damn the consequences for all of us.” - Patrick
Now, Tom is effectively isolated again but it is the country at stake here. So, Tom does the only thing he can do and deceives both of them. He’s taking sole responsibility and is still isolated. He has false reports written for Harry and he runs an operation to evacuate Broadstreet Station, without actually disarming Patrick’s bomb.
“But if we stop the blast, McCann will cut us off.” - Zoe
“We’re not going to stop the blast, we’re going to smother it. Accidentally-on-purpose. It can work. We’ve seen it done before.” - Tom
“McCann will never believe it.” - Danny
“I don’t need him to believe it, I just need enough doubt in the equation for a bare-faced denial.” - Tom
Both plans work. The bomb goes off and the station is damaged but nobody is killed. However, there are consequences for Tom’s drastic actions. When Harry realises he’s been lied to, he grills Tom and the rest of the team. Unable to change what’s already happened, Harry eventually gives in and focuses on the next mission - stopping the attack on the nuclear power station. Harry becomes professional once again but his faith in Tom has taken a battering.
There are other, far more frightening consequences for Tom’s actions. Tom goes alone to get the needed inside information from Patrick, information without which the attack on the power station cannot be stopped. As per the agreement, he has no back up and no way to call for help.
This second meeting is in an industrial complex and is far less open than the field where they met previously. Tom and Patrick have both deceived each other since then. Tom is dressed casually again, jeans and a different (but still black) jacket. He opens the door and sees Patrick standing inside, in the dark. Patrick is now dressed in a manner like Tom’s usual work wear. He’s wearing a blue shirt and a long, black coat. He’s not dressed casually and there’s an air of menace about him. He’s not smiling. Patrick is no longer presenting as harmless and conciliatory. Tom steps inside and is jumped by two of Patrick’s colleagues. He tries to appeal to Patrick but Patrick shuts him down.
“This is not what we agreed!” - Tom
“Keep your hands low.” - Patrick
Despite his protests, Tom’s hands are tied, a sack is thrown over his head and he is thrown into the boot of a car. Patrick and his associates get in and drive off. Patrick’s associates get in the front of the car and drive while Patrick sits in the back by himself. Patrick is very clearly just as much in charge of his juniors as Tom is in charge of his.
We can only imagine what Tom goes through while in the boot of the car as we don’t get to see it. It can’t be very pleasant since Harry has only recently explained that his former friend (the one who was tortured and murdered) was also thrown into a car boot by Patrick.
“It’s very hard to identify a body, most of which has been burnt away with a blowtorch.” - Harry
The car reaches its destination, a farmhouse, and Tom is dragged out of the boot. He’s still blindfolded but he’s struggling violently. Patrick leads the way but lets the other manhandle Tom into the house. There are at least five men working with Patrick and he makes a point to keep himself physically distant from both Tom and his own men. Once the others have set Tom down on a chair, Patrick steps up to deal with him personally and face-to-face. There is no doubt about who is in charge here.
Patrick pulls the sack off Tom’s head and points a gun at him. Tom is unmistakeably frightened and is pulling away from Patrick. Patrick is watching Tom carefully, watching for a reaction. He’s trying to judge Tom, trying to see if Tom will crack under the pressure. The second Patrick lowers the gun, Tom makes a run for it. Patrick laughs as the others tackle Tom and return him to the chair.
It’s very important that Tom doesn’t crack; if he cannot maintain his deceit, McCann will be forced to drop his end of the bargain and Ireland will suffer as much as Britain. Tom flatly denies interfering in the bomb blast and doesn’t change his story Patrick doesn’t quite believe him - he knows he’s been tricked but he also knows that it was done cleverly. He’s gaining even more respect for Tom.
“You’ve got balls, Davey Crockett, you know that?” - Patrick
McCann knows that Tom interfered with the bomb, but there is no direct evidence to support this. Tom has carried out the interference in such a way that McCann must keep his side of the deal. He quickly reassures Tom that he’s not intending to kill him and hands over a laptop with the necessary information.
“I’m not going to shoot you. I’m just keeping our end of the bargain. It’s lucky for you both our countries are at risk... All the information you need about the attack is there on the hard-drive... This is one patriot to another.” - Patrick
Having successfully scared and judged Tom, Patrick is once more talking to Tom as if they are equals. He gets impatient when one of his companions tries to hand Tom the laptop while Tom’s hands are still tied. It looks unprofessional when Patrick is trying to maintain a professional relationship with Tom. He’s brusque with his own people, nowhere near as indulgent and chatty with them as he is with Tom. Tom holds onto the laptop tightly, recognising it as a sign that Patrick truly doesn’t intend to kill him.
Patrick makes sure that Tom has a firm grip on the laptop before he puts the bag back over his head. Tom is dragged back to the car but this time he isn’t in the boot. This time he’s sitting in the back seat next to Patrick himself. Patrick is trying to equalise them, trying to show Tom that he’s earned Patrick’s respect as a fellow professional.
Tom is walked out into the middle of another field and released. He’s standing there in the sun, blinking at the sudden light while Patrick watches him. It is then that Patrick offers Tom his hand - the ultimate sign of respect and equality. Tom is understandably less eager, given that he was kidnapped and threatened. He doesn’t shake Patrick’s hand.
“We could have been friends in another life.” - Patrick
“We’ll just have to wait til then.” - Tom
It’s a disappointing moment for Patrick but he only waits for a moment before running back to the car and disappearing. Tom stands there and watches him go, perhaps a little reluctantly. There are many good reasons for refusing to shake Patrick’s hand; he’s a terrorist, a murderer and a man of dubious honesty, but Tom’s actions have also been deceitful during this episode and he hardly has the moral high ground. The two men are more alike than they care to admit and it’s disappointing that they part on such terms since this is the last time that Tom and Patrick meet face-to-face in canon.
The nuclear disaster is narrowly averted and Tom returns home to his flat with the laptop Patrick gave him. The laptop, not only a device which saved the nation but also a tangible symbol of Patrick, is being held very tightly by Tom. As soon as he gets home, the laptop is safely locked away in Tom’s private office. Tom doesn’t return to the office and it’s unclear whether Tom has even told his colleagues about his kidnapping.
His reasons for this are never really explored in canon but three come to my mind. The first reason is that he never had time; events move fast during this episode. Tom is still alive and unharmed and the kidnapping is over and in the past. Normally there would be time to deal with it later.
The second is that talking about the kidnapping would produce several predictable reactions from his colleagues. His juniors would be concerned and horrified since they also know the stories of how Patrick tortured and murdered people. Harry’s reaction would be partly concerned but was more likely to be along the lines of ‘I told you so’ and would only encourage Harry to go after Patrick.
The other reason that occurs to me is that all Tom’s dealings with Patrick are very personal. From the moment they met and stripped together, it has been a one-on-one relationship. Even when others have been present or listening to their encounters, nobody else has gotten involved in the conversations. Tom’s juniors listen to their phone call but don’t speak and Patrick’s juniors may manhandle Tom but they never speak to him. It is very personal and Tom has never voluntarily discussed personal issues with his colleagues.
It already seems as if there will be no more contact between the two but there is one final twist which neither sees coming. It isn’t the fault of either of them but it effectively destroys any connection that had developed between the two.
Tom’s afternoon off with his family is interrupted by a hurried call from Patrick. The connection is bad and full of static, but Patrick manages to tell him that there is a bomb in the laptop. Patrick is worried and anxious to make sure Tom knows that it wasn’t his doing. It is similar to Patrick’s irritation that Tom’s hands weren’t untied fast enough earlier. He wants to make sure that his relationship with Tom is not affected by the actions of others. He wants all the deception and honesty to genuinely be his.
“Davey, it wasn’t me, all right? Look, it wasn’t...” - Patrick
“What? Is that Patrick?” - Tom
“They found... a few of the lads, they found out. My branch chief...” - Patrick
“Nah, you’re breaking up.” - Tom
“The laptop’s rigged. The bastards put a slab of C4 in it.” - Patrick
What follows is the cliffhanger to the first season. Tom’s girlfriend Ellie and her daughter are trapped inside the house, Tom is locked outside and the timer is counting down. It is a horrible and terrifying situation and one that ultimately destroys the last vestiges of his relationships with both Patrick and Ellie.
In the next episode, Legitimate Targets, Tom and his family survive the bomb. Patrick contacts him on his mobile and the damage to his relationship with Patrick is made quite clear. Tom doesn’t call him by his first name at all despite having done so, even in front of Harry, in the earlier episode. Whenever he mentions Patrick after this, he refers to him by only his last name, McCann.
“Mr Crockett?... Davey?” - Patrick
“[long pause] I’m here.” - Tom
“So you are. Side-stepped over our little surprise. Glad to hear it.” - Patrick
“Where are you?” - Tom
“Ah, to tell you the truth, I’m in a spot of bother right now. I wondered if you could help me out.” - Patrick
“You want me, to do you a favour?” - Tom
“I want to come and work for you.” - Patrick
“Is this a defection?” - Tom
“You could say that.” - Patrick
“I don’t believe you.” - Tom
[Legitimate Targets]
Tom’s trust in Patrick is completely shot to hell and it’s not because of the kidnapping. Patrick’s phone call to Tom directly after the kidnapping is cordial and polite. The problem is caused by the actions of Patrick’s anonymous colleagues, who acted like Harry, interfering in their relationship. Patrick is clearly worried and frightened because his colleagues have decided that the phone call that warned Tom was a betrayal. Patrick is desperate and he turns to Tom, one of his own enemies, for aid. Tom reluctantly agrees but it is too late. The MI5 officers that are dispatched to bring Patrick in instead find his dead body. Around his toe is a toe-tag that says ‘Property of MI5’.
“There’s people who’d fry me balls in batter if they knew what I was doing.” - Patrick
While Harry is rather smug about Patrick’s death, Tom is one of the last to find out about it. He is surprised and not quite sure how to react, especially since his reaction is watched by one of his juniors. For the rest of the episode Tom is depressed and miserable. His girlfriend leaves him, he attacks a suspect in custody and Patrick dies. Much is made of the fact that Tom’s relationship with his girlfriend was sacrificed to his job and professional life but exactly the same can be said of his relationship with Patrick.
The Hurdles for Potential Writers
There is an age difference in this episode but with personal lives that are this screwed up and dangerous, I don’t consider it as important as the making of a connection. Also, neither of the characters are children who are too young to know what they are doing. Tom is already in his thirties and Patrick’s age is unspecified but probably in his forties or fifties. While Patrick is not as attractive as Tom, he makes up for it in his cheerful excess of personality.
When you’re writing a fic that deals with characters that are usually enemies, there needs to be some extra push to get them together. One standard method is to have someone confess that it was really suppressed sexual tension all along. Since Tom and Patrick haven’t known each other very long and are both professional liars, this is difficult to do.
Another option is to have the characters temporarily vulnerable. Tom is certainly isolated during this episode and Patrick shows signs of being dissatisfied with his branch chief as well. They are both out of their comfort zone and that makes them unpredictable. Anything can happen.
Another problem is the canon fact of Patrick’s death. However, the constant deception and trickery involved in their line of work should make this a relatively easy obstacle to overcome, especially since none of the main characters, including Tom, actually got to see the body. We don’t get to see the actual murder either. Alternatively, missing or extended scenes have a great potential because of their one-on-one nature.
“One patriot to another.” - Patrick
In conclusion
I’m not sure I consider this a “one true pairing”, not in the sense that they are destined to spend their lives together. Their lives are complicated and they would both have to make massive compromises with their life’s work and their personal codes of conduct in order to be together. Hope lives in the fact that Patrick wants out by the end of the episode and that towards the end of the second season Tom becomes progressively more and more unhappy with the demands of his job and with Harry’s attitude.
Their relationship represents a freedom from obligation and a decision that only they can make for themselves. Nobody said it would be easy but then, nothing worthwhile ever is.
“Tom handles McCann, you know that.” - Harry to Tessa
Tom/McCann fic
A Satisfying End by Brightbear NC-17
Recommended Tom Fic
Random Acts by spiketherat and rupertfatcat, Tom/Malcolm NC-17
Debriefing Tom Quinn by spiketherat, Tom/Malcolm NC-17
Crossing A Line by rupertfatcat, Tom/Harry NC-17
Hospital Chatter by Perpetual Motion, Tom/Danny PG
A Little Relaxation by Perpetual Motion, Tom/Danny PG
Drabble 1 by thelondonprofessional, Danny/Zoe/Tom PG
Perspective by spiketherat, Tom/Peter? sort of PG-13 (not necessarily slash)
Crossovers with Alias (I enjoyed these despite never having seen Alias)
Getting Harder to Breathe by Elishavah, Tom/Sark (Spooks/Alias), NC-17
Making Contact by Nestra, Tom/Sark (Spooks/Alias)NC-17
Recommended Websites
The BBC Spooks site Beware of Season 3 Spoilers here
BritSlash Good screencaps
The Grid The site with the most Fanfiction
The Grid After Dark Sister-site to the Grid with higher rated fics
The Spooky Doings LiveJournal Find out what's currently happening in the fandom.
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Date: 2004-12-13 12:36 am (UTC)