Biggles Married II Chapter 1.

By Sopwith

Disclaimer: I do not own, or claim to own, any of the Biggles series characters used in this work. This fan fiction was written for entertainment purposes only and should not be considered part of the official storyline.

Warning: Non canon type fan fiction works may contain severe time mix-ups and character deviations. 

Air Inspector James Bigglesworth leaned back in his chair and yawned deeply, one hand clutching the book he had been reading. He glanced at his wife, who was seated beside him, writing thank-you notes to wedding present givers.

It had been a shock to find out that his timid American wife had actually been a secret agent and air ace during the war, but Biggles was starting to get over it. There was nothing wrong with spies: he'd been one himself in his day.

"James, darling, what's the matter? Tired?" Jane Bigglesworth asked, without looking up.

"No, not really, a bit peckish, though. I didn't have much lunch."

"Hmm." Jane signed her name on one of the letters and looked up. "James, what's your friend Ginger's real name?"

"Oh, just call him Ginger. He won't care."

"But, James darling, I can't call a grown man Ginger. Surely you must know his real name?"

"Actually, Jane dear, I think his father forgot to give him one."

"James, you're pulling my leg. What is it?"

"Oh, all right, if you must know, it's Habblethwaite."

"That's his last name, isn't it?"

"No, his last name's Hebblethwaite."

"James--"

"It's true. His name is Habblethwaite. That's why we call him Ginger."

Jane sighed. "Oh, all right.” She addressed the letter to Mr. Habblethwaite Hebblethwaite. Biggles noticed two others addressed to The Honorable Mr. Algernon Lacey and Lord Bertram Lissie. He grinned.

Jane picked up her letters and went over to the hotel desk to post them. Biggles waited for a few minutes, but when Jane did not reappear, he got up to look for her. "Shopping again or something, I suppose," he murmured, smiling.

Biggles found his wife looking at some of the postcards that were displayed on the hotel desk. He walked up to her and said, "Find anything?"

What happened next was so unexpected that he found it hard to believe afterwards. Jane reached out with one arm and caught his wrist. Seconds later, Biggles found his petite wife throwing him towards the floor. "Jane!"

"James!" Jane looked horrified and reversed the throw at the last moment. "I'm so sorry! You startled me!"

"I won't do it again, you can be sure of that," promised Biggles fervently. "My gosh!"

Jane blushed and hurriedly changed the subject. "Don't these cards look lovely?" she asked. "I'm buying the special set they have."

"Fine with me," said Biggles, putting an arm round his wife and smiling.

&&&

At the Mount Street flat that he shared with his friends, Ginger was lying in an armchair and idly flipping the pages of a magazine when the phone rang. "Hello?" he mumbled, his voice half-choked by a gumdrop.

"Who's this?" asked Algy's voice, suspiciously.

"It's me--Ginger."

"You sound different."

"I'm eating."

"Oh. Look, ask Bertie if he'd like fish and chips for dinner, will you? I'm just outside the chip shop and I want some."

"All right. Hold on." Ginger held the phone away from his ear and told Bertie, "It's Algy, and he wants to know if fish and chips'll do you?"

"Fish and jolly chips?" cried Bertie. "I'll say they'll do! Yipee! Tophole!!" And he went tearing round the room in a wild war dance of joy.

"Bertie says yes,” reported Ginger to the phone.

"I heard," was Algy's dry reply. "Do you want anything else?"

"No, thanks, Fish and chips will do."

"Right." Algy hung up.

Ginger was just opening his magazine again when the phone rang. 'Hello?"

"Ah, Hebblethwaite. Is that you?" Air Commodore Raymond asked from the other end of the line.

"Yes, sir."

"Is Bigglesworth there?"

"No, sir, he's on his honeymoon."

"Oh, yes! Dear me, I completely forgot. What are we to do? Is Lacey there, then?"

"No, sir, he's out, er, getting fish and chips."

"Getting fish and chips?" said Raymond incredulously. "The world is almost coming to an end and all he can do is go out and get fish and chips?"

"Sir," protested Ginger.

"Excuse me, that was uncalled for," muttered Raymond. "Well, tell him to ring me when he gets back."

"Yes, sir."

&&&

"Hello, sir," Algy said, through a mouthful of fish and chips. "You called?"

"Yes, Lacey. The thing is, we've got a bit of a problem. One of our men overseas is having a spot of trouble. Perhaps you could come in and we could talk about it?"

"Certainly, sir."

"Oh, and you'd better ask Bigglesworth to come back."

"No."

"I beg your pardon?"

"I'm not asking him to come back this time," said Algy firmly. "I've broken up one honeymoon at the PM's request, but I'm not breaking up another under any circumstances, sir. He deserves a rest."

"I refuse to be spoken to in this fashion," raged Raymond.

"I'm sorry, sir, but I seem to recall that you gave him a week's leave to have his second honeymoon--and some rest," Algy countered.

"Well, he can't have a rest when we have problems brewing!" snapped Raymond. "This could start another war!"

"I think that the rest of us are quite capable of handling any situation, sir," Algy replied firmly. "We're not children, and we've all worked with Biggles and know his methods."

"But you MUST get Bigglesworth back," insisted Raymond.

"With all due respect, sir, either we let Biggles have a rest, or you can find someone else to do the job for you."

"But you can't do that!" protested Raymond. "We're depending on him to be there!"

"Then I'm afraid I can't help you, sir," said Algy, in his most polite tones. "I hope you have a good evening."

"No, don't go," stammered Raymond. "All right, we'll do without him for now. But maybe we could call him later," he compromised.

"Thank you, sir," replied Algy, knowing he'd won. "I will be at your office in, let’s say, half an hour."

"You're welcome," was the Air Commodore's cold reply.

Algy was putting on his overcoat when Ginger came out of his bedroom and asked, "Was that Raymond you were talking to just now?"

"Yes. I'm just leaving to go to his office."

"What about Biggles?"

"What about him?"

"Aren't we going to get him back?"

"I've no doubt we'll get him back someday," said Algy sarcastically. "Just not today."

He put on his hat and went out, leaving Ginger staring after him, open-mouthed. 

Go to Chapter 2. 

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