Disclaimer: A little dark fun, sans profit. The characters belong to the creators of due South.

Author's Notes:

Story Notes: "He was such a nice guy. We never saw it coming." That's what people say when their neighbor takes out his whole family then himself. You can almost say it with them when you watch the news.
I think people do see it coming even if the don't know exactly what it is.

This story is a sequel to: 'Til Death

Glowing. From the other side of the dinner table, in the flickering candlelight, Ray could think of no other word to describe the way Ben looked. He glowed. If it had been a woman sitting there, Ray would know what was probably coming next. An announcement that there would be a rugrat coming in nine months. That's the kind of glow Ben had. That's the kind of happy he saw on his partner's face.

It dawned on Ray that maybe the reason the glow seemed so bright was because it wasn't competing with the shadows. In the middle of a conversation, sometimes the shadows would skirt Ben's irises for a brief flicker then disappear . Sometimes they took up a sublease. This week they had been big time squatters.

He always gave Ben the space he needed and Ben always came back strong. He figured that's what would happen this week. But there had been a different quality to the shadows. Once, early in the week, when he looked into Ben's eyes, he'd gotten a chill right down to his Doc Martens. Ray couldn't put his finger on it, but it crossed his mind that they might need help, that Ben might need help. He couldn't imagine Mr. Self-Reliant doing one on one time with a shrink but for a moment, Ray had considered making that suggestion.

Ben grinned at him, and Ray chided himself for his lack of faith in his partner. Ben was good. They were good. This was good. He'd been exhausted when he walked through the door tonight. It was odd how paperwork did that more than being on the street. Today had been paperwork day. Catch up or spend the night at the precinct catching up had more or less been the Lt.'s threat. He couldn't even imagine having to make the call to Ben to tell him he wouldn't be home. And he hadn't had to. Ray had worked his ass off to be home on time. This dinner, the way Ben looked at him, was like a reward for a job well done. He reached across the table and clasped Ben's hand in his. And that was greeted by a smile that was like staring into the sun.

"I love you Ray," he whispered as he took his lover gently, slowly. Like the first time they'd been together. The only thing missing was the nervousness. They had both been so nervous that first time. Afraid they might break each other, afraid that what was happening wasn't real. "I love you Ben." Ray gasped. That first night they probably said it to each other a hundred times as they made love. "I love you." Like they were trying to make up for the past when they couldn't say it, hadn't realized it would be alright to say. And Ben was saying it now over and over . Almost reverently.

"I love you Ray," Ben whispered again as he placed a gentle kiss on his partner's temple. "Where you goin'?" Ray mumbled sleepily as he felt the warmth at his back suddenly disappear.

"Sleep, Ray. I will be right back." When the warmth returned, though nearly sound asleep, Ray moved instinctively into it. The heat of Ray's body against his chest, and the press of the cold metal behind his thigh made Ben smile. He considered it fortuitous that the gun dealer he selected also carried the specific ammunition he required. There could be no margin for error. He'd briefly considered acquiring two handguns so that the time of deaths would be identical, but in the end rejected that idea as logistically cumbersome. Besides he believed he could probably tough it through a couple of seconds without Ray. Reaching behind his thigh, his hand encircled the hilt of the gun. "I love you." He whispered into the ear of his sleeping partner and pressed his lips to his temple for the final time. And it was amazing how peaceful he felt, how unafraid. Ray wouldn't die alone in some grimy alley. And he wouldn't have to persevere. He put the gun to Ray's temple and fired one of the two chambered hollow points into his head.

End

End Glowing by Evans: cevans652000@yahoo.com

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