I meant to ask, btw, what is a slippery-dip? Is this some childhood thing I've missed out on?

A childhood term for a slide, actually. Or it is over here.

(I possibly should have got this brit-picked. *sheepish* I considered it, adn then decided that the thrill of staying up until midnight to get this damn challenge done wouldn't work if I had to sit about and wait for days for a proper beta-read.)

As for the team, I think it's because they're almost family, in the time they share together and the secrets they share. So yes, familiar, comfortable.

Yeah, that's what it is. And like a family, you don't always like everyone and people do horrible things (okay, so it's not so much insulting your favourite dress and more a case of shooting co-workers and occasionally leaving Cybermen in the basement, but still, big bad things) but they're a part of it and you can't just get rid of them, not even if you have a raging screaming match and someone storms out and promises never to return, because you know they will. After a day or so when they've cooled down, they'll come back and mangle an apology or not even bother, but just be there and do the things that they're supposed to.

...um. I totally lost my train of thought.

It could be TW-team=yay, though.