As It Always Should Have Been

Rating: Death Story - PG – AU
Fandom: Due South
Episode Related: Victoria's Secret
Author: Claudia Aranda
E-mail: caranda@neruda.mineduc.cl

Disclaimer: These characters don't belong to me and I don't intend to make
any money with them. There are no intentions to infringe the rights of the
legal owners.

Notes:
- The Ray Vecchio of my stories ALWAYS is the Real Ray.
- This story was inspired by two great works: "Caroline's Vigil" of Gloria
Lancaster and "On the Basement of the Soul" of Desi (one of my favorite
writers). But besides of that, Adalisa forced me to write it (LOL), when
she told me her idea for a new story.
- This is the first story I send. Please, be gentle.

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Dedicated to Adalisa and Birgitt my friends of Santuario.
Both of them are so brave to inspect and correct my rough copies (in
Spanish and English), and so generous to give me the courage to continue
with the Dark Spirit.
Gracias, Ladies of the Sith.

And to Desi. She said the story wasn't that bad, so here it is.
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As It Always Should Have Been

Ray watched the train for what seemed like an eternity, his only tought
being that Fraser was gone. Ray couldn't understand, "He left..."

It had been barely a whisper but Welsh could hear it and realized how
shocked Ray was. "Come on, Ray... Let's go home. Border Patrol will take
care of it all."

*-----*

Ray did not remember the trip home or going upstairs to his room. It was
four in the morning and he sat staring into empty space.

*-----*

At eight o'clock in the morning, Ray put himself into motion, by talking
with as many people in the legal departament as he could find, even
bringing himself to talk with the States Attorney St. Laurent, but all told
him there was nothing he could do. The answer was always the same: He had
given his house as bail and he had to pay.

Ray felt that he could die right then and there. He didn't know how he'd
explain this to his mother. It would kill her! Leaving their home after all
their life there and to be left in the streets was unthinkable.

Ray felt if he was being driving insane.

He never again would believe in all that crap, about doing good works and
making sacrifices. What good had it done to him? In just one moment, Fraser
had destroyed his whole world. From now on he would be another person. He
hoped that Fraser would receive his punishment, because he never would
forgive him.

*-----*

Ray walked distractedly, trying to come up with a plan to get out of the
problem, when a luxurious car stopped next to him.

"Mister Zuko wants to talk you, Vecchio."

Ray knew them. They were Zuko's men. Those mobs guys had attended the same
school as himself and Frankie. The car's door opened and with some fear Ray
went over to it. Frankie smiled to him, as is they were great friends.

"Ray, I heard you have some problems and... I have a proposal for you."

Ray listened in silence, it was the only thing he could do.

*-----*

When the train stopped, a beautiful woman got down and made her way to the
terminal. She had a very specific destination: the lockers. From one of
them she extracted a small suitcase and in a private corner checked out its
contents.

Victoria was much more than satisfied, happy in fact. Zuko's plan had been
risky and when he proposed it, Victoria was near to refusing it, but it was
so good, it had to work.

After so much effort it had worked. Frankie had been as good as his word
and Victoria had twice the amount of money that the booty from long years
ago was worth. She couldn't complain, she had money, freedom, a new ally
and she had taken revenge on that bastard.

She left Fraser's corpse in the Honeymoon compartment. Nobody would found
him until the train reached its final destination. The stupid man really
had believed that she had come back for him. Men! Always thinking that
women were fools and sentimentalists. Victoria didn't have those defects.

Revenge had never been in her mind, because Victoria was an intelligent
woman, and she knew that there was no sense in risking all just for
something like that. But when the revenge was just a bonus within an
excellent plan, well, she couldn't refuse.

It was a shame, she had liked Vecchio, but Zuko had plans for him.

*-----*

That night Frankie ended with the necessary arrangements and he was happy.
Ray would be an excellent right arm, like his grandfather Enrico Vecchio
had been for Don Giuseppe Zuko, his own grandfather. The tradition had
jumped a generation, but that didn't matter.

Now that Irene was divorced he would bring her back. Frankie was sure, that
Ray and Irene would get together again and they would end up married. That
will seal their pact and life will be as it always should have been.

End

Claudia
-Santuario List-MOB-Boss!