rating: nc-17 (or maybe r) for violence, language, m/m sex.
by Paloma Manchada
paloma46@hotmail.com
c. 1996
The usual disclaimers apply. No copyright infringement is intended; no commercial gain is anticipated from this use of the property of Alliance, et al. Kate belongs to me. This was written for the personal, private amusement of the author and anyone else who cares to read it. Enjoy!
Have fun.
Saturday, 0130hrs
Ray Vecchio was a happy man. He lay warm and drowsy in his lover's arms, contentedly listening to the early spring storm outside. The realization of just how happy he was slowly filtered through the sleep-fog of his brain and triggered a twinge of guilt, probably the result of all those years in Catholic school and all those sisters drumming the concepts of good and evil, sin and redemption, into their students' heads. Ray pushed all that aside. He refused to feel guilty for being happy. He refused to feel guilty for making Benny happy. And he damn-well refused to think that his happiness would draw down the wrath of some jealous god who just could not stand to see people . . .
Ray heard a faint noise from the hallway. Absurdly, his heart rate jumped and he shivered in the classic "someone's walking on my grave" mode. It's a rat he told himself. Just a rat. The noise came again, louder. Oh shit, now what?
Diefenbaker jumped up from his rug and ran to the apartment door, giving out a quizzical whine. Ben was instantly awake, gently disengaging himself from Ray's arms before swinging his long legs over the side of the bed and pulling on the blue jeans which had been left so unceremoniously on the floor earlier that night. Ray raised himself on one elbow, rubbing at his eyes, "What is it Benny?"
Ben gave him a smile and little shrug before striding across the bedroom to the apartment door. To Ray's dismay he once again just turned the latch and opened the door, without any attempt to find out who, or what was on the other side. Ben tensed in shock as he recognized the bedraggled young woman leaning against his doorjamb.
"Kate! What's happened?" Ben reached toward her; something was very, very wrong. At second look he could see she wasn't just wet from the rain. There were bruises on her face and the hand she lifted toward him was scraped and bloody.
"Ben", her voice was low, she was breathing fast, as if she'd been running. "Ben?"
Fraser caught her as she crumpled against him. He swept her up in his arms and turned to go back into his apartment, nearly tripping over both the wolf and his lover. Ray smoothly skipped back out of the way, then checked the hallway, his weapon in hand, ready to deal with anything. "Ray, come help me please. And put something on - you'll catch your death running around like that."
By the time Ray had secured the apartment door and pulled on his own slacks and t-shirt, Ben had their visitor seated on their bed leaning against him as he tried to get her out of her coat. Ray switched on the overhead light as he walked back into the bedroom and heard Ben's gasp. He hurried to his lover's side and immediately understood his reaction.
"Lay her down Benny, we can't do anything with this. I'll call an ambulance."
Ben caught his wrist before he could move - "We can't - not until I've had a chance to talk to her."
"Talk to her?! Christ!, Benny, she could be dying on us."
"Ray, trust me on this. She came to me for a reason - I need to find out what it is. Help me get this coat off her - please?" Ben turned his worried blue eyes toward Ray and was rewarded with his immediate, if unhappy, capitulation. Vecchio could never deny Benny anything for long.
"Well, forget about doing this the usual way. Where's that hunting knife of yours?" Ben transferred the injured woman into Ray's arms while he fetched the knife. It took only a few moments to cut the expensive ski jacket from her body. Ben paled as he saw the extent of her injuries. Ray gently laid her down on the bed and peeled back an eyelid to check her condition. Then he tried to find a pulse both in her neck and wrist, shook his head in exasperation, and pressed his ear against her chest to listen for a heartbeat. He straightened up, oblivious to the smudge of her blood on the side of his face. He grasped Ben's forearm, "Benny, I think she's dying. She's cold and clammy; I can hardly hear a heartbeat. This gash in her head needs stitches - she's probably got a concussion. That's a bullet wound and it looks like someone used her for a punching bag. I wouldn't be surprised to find a broken rib or two. We have GOT to call an ambulance."
"In a minute, Ray." Ben leaned down next to the woman's ear and spoke very distinctly but not overly loudly. "Kate. Come back and tell me what happened. If you don't talk to me we are going to have to call an ambulance." He looked up at a thunderstruck Ray. "Is there any wine left from dinner?" Ray nodded. "Please bring a glass." Ben went back to calling Kate's name softly, but insistently in her ear. Ray went into the kitchen, drank part of a glass of wine himself and filled another to take to Fraser.
When he returned to the bedroom he noticed that Ben had pulled the blanket up over Kate. Dief was resting his head on the opposite side of the bed, watching everything very carefully. As he approached, Ray noticed her move her head slightly away from Fraser's voice. He was shocked to see Ben reach out, push her hair out of the way and pinch her earlobe, pressing his thumbnail into the cartilage. She frowned and her eyelids fluttered as a little gasping breath escaped her. Ben reached out for the glass, raised her head from the pillow and held it to her swollen lips which opened slightly in reflex. Ben poured a little wine into her mouth and watched in satisfaction as she swallowed. After a couple more sips she whispered "Chianti. You know I hate chianti." Ben took a drink of the wine himself before setting the glass on the nightstand. He took her hand from under the blanket, holding it tenderly. She turned her head on the pillow to look at him and smiled.
Ray felt his heart twist in his body. Even beaten, filthy, with blood matting her long blond hair, she was beautiful. He could see from the way she looked at Fraser that she loved him. He was glad he couldn't see Fraser's face - he didn't want to see an answering shine in Ben's eyes.
"Ben. Beloved Ben." Her voice was thready, so faint the men could hardly hear it. She squeezed her eyes shut as a wave of pain swept over her, almost causing her to faint again. Ben squeezed her hand, bringing it to his lips for a kiss before calling her back to him, "Kate! Tell me what happened." She sighed and opened pain-glazed gray eyes to focus blearily on his face.
"Dear Lady - I hate getting shot. Can I stay with you a little while? Help me Ben, please?"
Ray had heard all he wanted to hear. "Benny! We have got to call the ambulance before we have to explain her dead body!"
"Ray, please." Ben was uncomfortable with the whole situation, but really didn't feel it proper to talk about her death - and he had to admit it looked very bad just then - in front of her. Kate ignored Ray's outburst and continued to gaze trustingly into Ben's troubled blue eyes.
"No hospital. They'll find me and kill me." Another pain-filled gasp. "And anyone in the way. If they know I've been here they'll kill you," she drew a shaky pain-filled breath and looked straight at Ray, "and him too."
"Who did this Kate? What's your lifeguard's number? Let me call in." Ben was nearly frantic - how could he bear to watch her die?
That suggestion seemed to increase her anxiety. "NO. No cops - no doctors." Another gasping breath. Fraser watched with growing dismay as her blood stained his bed. His focus narrowed to her eyes; her steadily weakening grasp on his hand. A towel suddenly appeared over his shoulder, startling him. He'd almost forgotten Ray's presence in his concern for the woman dying before his eyes.
"Try pressure against the bullet wound - maybe you can slow the bleeding." Vecchio was still unhappy with the situation, but he never could bear to see anything suffer without wanting to help. He touched Fraser's shoulder, standing close to lend the support of his physical presence if Ben needed it. "Benny, we've got to get help."
Fraser pressed the towel hard against the wound and she gasped at the new pain, wavering on the edge of unconsciousness. The sound of Ben's strangled "Yes, call now Ray." energized the last of her strength and will; her hand closed strongly on his.
"No! It's your life! Swear to me Ben - swear you'll keep me here - try to keep me alive." She swallowed hard as tears slid from her eyes back into her hair. "If I die", it was harder to breathe, "Ditch the body far away and never tell." Her nails dug into his hand. "Swear to me Ben."
"Kate - how can you ask? We're going to get help and we'll protect you. Ray's a police officer - we can do this."
She blinked away the tears of pain and glared at him. "Benton Fraser - swear to me!"
Ben wavered on his knees beside the bed, leaning against Ray's leg for an instant. He turned his anguished face toward Ray, for once unable to automatically choose the right course of action. Ray had no problem with this choice. "I'm calling in - " and headed for the cell phone in his coat pocket.
Kate released Ben's hand and raised bloody fingers to touch his lips. "Ditch the body, Beloved Ben," and with a small sigh her hand fell limp on the bed as Ben watched the light begin to fade from her eyes. "Ray! She's not breathing!"
Ray rushed back to the bedside. "Damn!" He checked for a clear airway and began mouth to mouth, all the while hearing himself cursing in his mind. Damn it lady. You are NOT going to die here. Breathe, goddammit!
"Ray. Can we do as she asks?" Vecchio interrupted his breathing to stare at Ben in complete amazement. Ben took over the mouth-to-mouth while Ray tried to figure out just what was happening here.
"Benny - it's a shooting. It's going to be a dead body soon. I'm a cop for God's sake - for that matter, so are you. We can't suppress evidence of a felony or pretend all this didn't happen. It's crazy!"
Ben turned to him with the most grief-stricken look Ray had ever seen. "She will die rather than put me - us - at risk. If she dies, we may never know what happened. Please. I owe her a great deal." Ray began breathing for Kate again. He was thinking very hard and fast. What did it matter? The shape she was in, calling an ambulance wasn't going to make a difference now. If she died, and he was sure she was going to die, he could call for the coroner. They'd have to play with the time factor a little; he'd coach Fraser so his incurable honesty didn't get them in trouble, but why not?
Between breaths he looked over at his lover and said "Why the hell not Benny? It's only worth a little jail time." He was starting to feel light headed as he returned to puffing air into her lungs and remembered his instructor cautioning against hyperventilating while doing this procedure. It seemed perfectly reasonable to hear Ben talking to this woman who Ray was sure was dead.
"Kate. Ray agrees. No hospital. No cops. No ambulance. We'll take care of you. But you've got to come back now." His voice took on a commanding tone, "Come back NOW." Fraser patted Ray's shoulder. "Stop Ray." Vecchio slid down gratefully to sit on the floor with his back against the side of the bed. He leaned his head back and waited for the little black spots to stop swirling around behind his eyes. Suddenly he realized that Fraser had not continued the breathing. He was still talking to her. Ray struggled to his feet, ready to support Ben when he finally accepted that they'd lost her. Suddenly Ben slapped her sharply, the sound loud in the now almost silent room. "Damn it Kate - that's enough! We agree! Come back right now!"
Diefenbaker reared up and came down with his front legs on the bed, giving an aggrieved "Woof!" Ray put his arms around Fraser, offering what comfort he could, prepared to forestall any further outburst. Suddenly he heard a long wavering gasp from the woman on the bed. "She's alive? How the hell is she alive Benny?"
"She's a very determined woman. Very strong-willed." Fraser turned in the circle of Ray's arms to return his embrace. "Thank you kindly, Ray." The cop brushed Ben's hair back and kissed him gently, "You're welcome, Benny." They stood for a brief moment enjoying the comfort of their contact before Dief's anxious whine called them back to the problem at hand.
Ray turned to check Kate while Ben went to get his first aid kit from the kitchen. Ray was startled to see her eyes open. Had she seen them kissing? A moment of panic raced through him. No one had ever seen them together before. They were careful to act as they always had in public. They both had a lot to consider before making this relationship a matter of public knowledge. Her eyes closed slowly as her consciousness faded. He stamped on the panic, admonishing himself to deal with the matter at hand and not to borrow trouble. Benny trusted her; he'd reserve his judgement. He picked the hunting knife up from where it laid on the pile of bloody rags which had been a very expensive ski jacket and began cutting her clothes from her body as gently as possible.
Ben returned with the kit, a pot of warm water and some kitchen towels. He poured antiseptic into the water and the two men began to clean the blood and dirt from her body. They bandaged her wounds as well as they could and Ray gently pulled the blanket over her.
"Well, it's not as bad as it looked before - a lot of the blood wasn't hers. But we're going to need some supplies you don't have here. I'll run down to County and see what I can scrounge." He went into the bathroom to wash her blood from his hands, Fraser following.
"I had no idea you were so knowledgeable in these matters."
"Yeah - well, the City in its wisdom had a bunch of us cross- trained for disaster duty back when I was a patrolman." He scrubbed at the dried blood on his face. "It seemed a good idea to keep up my certifications." Ray went back into the bedroom to finish dressing. "I wish we knew her blood type."
"O negative, Ray."
Vecchio shook his head disgustedly. "Of course. Why wouldn't you know her blood type?" He pulled on his top coat; Fraser walked him to the apartment door. "I'll be back as soon as I can. If she wakes up again, keep her quiet and try to get some liquids down her."
"Yes, Ray."
"And Fraser - "
"Yes, Ray?"
"Do you have any other mysterious women likely to show up out of your past that I should know about?"
Fraser caressed Ray's face, running his thumb gently across the cop's sensitive lips before kissing him goodbye. "Not that I can think of Ray."
"Thank God for that anyway." The detective grumped his way down the stairs and out into the rain.
Fraser smiled fondly after him, closed the door and returned to Kate's bedside. He pulled a straight chair near the bed and settled to his watching. Dief came to rest his head on Ben's knee, looking up at him. "I don't know what she's doing in Chicago. I wish I did." Ben absently rubbed the wolf's ears, his eyes never leaving her face.
Saturday 0300 hours
Dief prodded Ben hard in the ribs with his nose. "Yes?" The wolf looked meaningfully at the apartment door and whined. "Oh, thank you Diefenbaker." Fraser rose quietly and opened the door just as Ray staggered up loaded down with supplies. Ben caught a box as it fell toward the floor and followed the detective into the kitchen.
"Ray, this box is labeled "Property of Chicago PD." Vecchio put the rest of his load on the kitchen counter and shrugged out of his overcoat, tossing it over a chair. He started ripping a box open.
"And?"
"Well, Ray. This could be misappropriation of city property."
Vecchio nodded sagely. "A class c misdemeanor in this amount, Benny. We're already in felony territory with this mess, you're going to worry about a class c misdemeanor? This stuff is from the emergency stores at County. There are rooms full of it down there. Every year they throw bunches of it away when it gets outdated. This stuff will be trash in another six months." He pulled the flaps loose on the last box, "This stuff, on the other hand, is a bit fresher. Put this in the fridge, Benny."
Fraser stared down at the plastic bag labeled "O Negative" the cop had tossed into his hands. Ray was already headed toward the bedroom with another unit of blood and one of his boxes. "Ben. Find something we can hang this on." His words jarred the still transfixed mountie into action. He carefully put the blood in his fridge and grabbed the coat rack Mr. Mustafi had found on the street and given him a few weeks before.
"Will this do?" Ray glanced up, "Yeah, bring it over here." He pulled some surgical gloves out of the box along with an IV needle and tubing. "Damn - they left out the elastic band. Fraser, stay here." Ray gently pulled Kate's arm from under the blanket, turned it toward the light and began looking for a vein. "I really hate this part, Benny. I was never any good at it."
"You'll be fine Ray - just breathe and center yourself." Ray shot him a jaundiced look.
"Don't get metaphysical on me Benny. I think that's it. Can you hold her arm here..." he placed Fraser's hands around her arm just above the elbow - "Now squeeze." Ray pulled on the surgical gloves and swabbed her arm with an alcohol wipe.
"Ah. I'm to be the tourniquet."
"Yeah, yeah. Don't distract me." Ray closed his eyes for a moment and realized he was praying for the first time in a long time. Please let me hit this the first time, please, please. The needle slid in easily and true. It was a matter of only moments to get everything attached and to hang the blood from the coat rack. With the IV going Ray began checking the bandages. With Ben's help he packed the bullet wound and replaced the bandage, glad to see that the bleeding had almost stopped. The long gash on the side of her head accounted for most of the blood in her hair. "This should be stitched, Benny, but maybe these will do." He applied small butterfly clips, trying to pull the edges of the scalp neatly together. Ben spread an antiseptic cream over the less serious cuts and scrapes. They were finally done; he pulled the sheet and blanket over her as Ray threw his surgical gloves into the trash. He checked the IV, obsessing that he'd forgotten some critical aspect of the process.
Suddenly Ray turned and hurried back to the kitchen. He pulled a glass from the cabinet and a bottle of Jack Daniels from one of his boxes. His hands were shaking so he nearly dropped the bottle. Fraser guided him to a chair at the kitchen table. Ray leaned his elbows on the table and covered his face with his hands. The mountie opened the bottle and poured an inch of whisky, setting the glass on the table in front of Ray.
Fraser moved behind the chair and rested his hands on Ray's shoulders for a moment before beginning to knead the tension from his back. It took several minuets before Fraser could detect any relaxation in the rock-hard muscles. Ray finally lowered his hands to rest limply on the table. He sighed and leaned his head back against Fraser's chest. The mountie continued the massage for a few minutes until he could tell Ray had regained his equilibrium. He slid one arm down Ray's chest in a half hug as he bent to kiss his cheek, then moved to sit in the other chair.
Ray fidgeted with the glass, picking it up a couple of times as if to drink, then replacing it on the table. "You know, Benny, this is what my Pop used to do. If things got to him, something didn't go the way he wanted, he headed right to a bottle. I always hated that. I hate it even more that it's my first reaction too."
Benny reached over and took Ray's hand. "We all tend to deal with events according to the pattern we saw as children, Ray. I do the same thing." Ray looked at him disbelievingly. "No, no, it's true. When things threaten me - emotionally - my first inclination is to shut down - run away." He swallowed hard, such openness about his feelings was still very difficult. "You've helped me start to get past that. The fear is still there - I still want to run far away where I can't be hurt - but you've taught me that love is worth the risk. I will be always grateful to you for that." He looked into Ray's surprised and slightly embarrassed eyes. "A first reaction only matters if that IS your reaction. You stop and think, and choose your actions - at least when it really matters."
They laughed together for a moment. Ray brought Benny's hand to his lips and kissed his fingers. "I wish we didn't have company - I really want to take you back to bed."
Dief's soft whine brought them to their feet. They hurried back to their patient's bedside. Her eyes were open but whatever she was seeing was not in the room with them. She twisted under the blanket as if struggling with someone; little panting crys of pain and outrage escaped her clenched teeth. Fraser grabbed her wrist to protect the IV line. Her other hand suddenly shot from beneath the blanket in an open-handed karate punch which caught him on the side of his face. Weak as she was, the blow pushed him off balance and he went to his knees beside the bed, still holding her wrist. Ray grabbed her free arm as she attempted to hit Ben again. The men held her down on the bed until her strength suddenly deserted her and she collapsed, sobbing, back onto the pillow.
"You all right, Benny?"
Fraser smiled ruefully at his partner and nodded. "I told you she is a strong-willed person." He turned his attention back to Kate, gently caressing the most uninjured side of her face. "Kate - it's me. And Ray. We are not going to hurt you. Look at me, Kate."
Her eyes fluttered open. "I see you Ben." Her breathing slowed and the men could feel her relaxing. Ray looked over at Ben questioningly. "Kate, Ray's going to let go of you now, but if you hit me again I'm going to hit you back. Okay?"
She nodded weakly "Fair's fair."
Ray gingerly lifted himself off her body, not releasing her arm until he had both feet on the floor. He was dismayed to see the red marks of his fingers pressed into the flesh of her forearm; he hadn't realized the strength of grip he had used to control her. The mark on Ben's face looked to develop into a first class bruise.
Ben sat on the bed beside her, her hand now gently held between his hands. Ray could see his lover's face and what he saw worried him. He turned on his heel and returned to the kitchen for the glass and the bottle. She'd opened her eyes again by the time he returned and for the first time realized they had an IV drip running. Ray was startled by the outraged betrayal on her face.
She tried to pull her hand from Fraser's grasp. "You lied to me! You stupid bastard - you've killed us all." Confusion turned to understanding as Fraser realized what she meant.
"No," he murmured, pushing her tangled hair away from her face. "Ray did it. You're safe here. No one knows you're here but us." Fraser continued talking gently to her, as if calming a spooky horse. Ray poured about half a glass of the whiskey as he walked up behind Ben. He stopped beside Fraser, not wanting to see his friend's face as he looked at the woman in their bed. Ray held the glass out to Fraser.
"Try to get this down her."
"You think we should?"
"We need to do something for her pain Benny. Boosting blood is one thing. I draw the line at controlled substances." Ben turned to look at him.
"You stole the blood?"
"How did you think I got it?" Honestly, the mountie was so dense sometimes. "The EMTs replenish their ambulance supplies at County all the time. It was simple to pick up a couple of units. I figure we can give blood for a few months and we'll be even." Ray squirmed under the mountie's gaze, expecting to see disappointed accusation in Ben's eyes. "She had to have it Benny."
"I know Ray." Fraser suddenly realized part of what had so upset the cop. The soon-to-be-discarded supplies were one thing. Ray could easily rationalize scrounging those boxes. But the blood - that was really stealing. While Ray might talk a good game, pretending to be cynical and self-centered, Fraser knew he had a deep seated sense of right and wrong which ultimately guided his actions. Since he'd left his adolescent flirtation with Frankie Zuko and the 'connected life' behind, Ray had devoted himself to protecting people and upholding the law. The events of this evening had set him up for some very deep seated conflicts.
Kate had drifted off again. Fraser stood and took the liquor from Ray, setting the bottle and glass on the nightstand. "Ray - I don't know what to say. You did that for someone you don't even know. . ."
Still defensive, Ray backed up a step. "Hey - it's no big deal. Don't make something" his words were cut off by Benny's lips on his. The mountie's mouth moved insistently over Ray's lips, sensually claiming every part of the cop's attention. They stood for a moment in each other's arms.
"Ray."
Vecchio rested his head on Benny's shoulder, his eyes closed, listening to the heartbeat of the most important person in his world. "Hmm?"
"You have been so", Ben searched for the right words, "good, through all this. Of course," Ben grinned mischievously and put one hand under Ray's shirt to stroke his chest, following the crinkly line of hair down to his flat belly for a feather light caress, "you are always good."
Ray's arms tightened around Fraser's body. He kissed the side of Ben's neck, then the mark of Kate's hand on his face. "So are you Benny, so are you." They slowly ended the embrace and returned to the bedside.
"The problem is going to be getting the whisky down her without choking her. Maybe we could roll up a blanket or something to prop her up on?"
"Why don't you hold her? Look Benny," Vecchio gathered the blanket around her and lifted her from the mattress, "you sit on the bed, leaning against the headboard." Ben looked skeptical. "Just do it, okay?" Ben settled himself as directed and Ray very gently laid Kate across his lap, her head pillowed on Ben's shoulder. "See, she's upright enough to drink, if we can wake her up, and the IV line is safe. Are you comfortable?"
Fraser looked with amazement at his lover who had just deposited a beautiful, naked woman in his arms. "Yes Ray, I'm fine."
"Good." Ray pulled another blanket from the closet shelf and draped it over them both. "She seemed a little cold. I'll go out tomorrow - this morning rather - and pick up some clothes for her. Frannie's always making me get stuff for her - I'm immune to the embarrassment anymore."
The tentative stirring of the woman in his arms distracted Fraser from his contemplation of his lover's incredible character. Ray handed him the glass of whisky and pulled the chair back up beside the bed. If she went off on them again he wanted to be close enough to help immediately. She choked a little on the first sip, but readily accepted the second taste when it was offered.
As the liquor took the edge off her pain, she opened her eyes and took a bigger drink. "Slowly now," Fraser cautioned. "Can you tell me what's happened?"
She nodded slowly. "Why are you in Chicago? How did you find me?"
"Benny, keep it simple for now. We need to find out what to expect."
"Of course, Ray." Fraser nodded his agreement, deferring his curiosity to another time. She took another sip of the whisky.
"We came to coordinate a drug buy. A big drug buy. We've been in town about two weeks. Stayed at the Drake." She smiled at the thought, "Best room service this side of New York." Her voice trailed off.
"Kate. Stay with us a little longer. What happened?"
Ben looked over to Ray who was rummaging in the first aid kit. "Gotcha!" He reached over and snapped an ammonia ampule in front of her face. She coughed as the fumes stung her eyes and throat.
"You were at the Drake. With whom?" Fraser was gently insistent.
"My partner, Andrew Davis. We made our contacts - arranged the buy. Everything was going fine. Andrew worried it was too smooth. I told him that sometimes things did actually work out right." Her soft laugh was bitter.
"The buy was tonight. Warehouse by the river near the rail yard, on Hudson. We got there - the buy went fine. The capture team didn't roll. I thought something had gone wrong with the wire. We started to walk out. . ." she paused for a breath. From his seat Ray could see how difficult this was for her.
"Suddenly everyone had guns out. We ran for the door. Everyone was shooting. We got a couple, then I was hit. Andrew came back to help me and was wounded too. There were too many of them." She took a wavering breath, fighting back tears of rage and weakness, struggling to give a coherent account to her audience, to make a decent debriefing report. Ben offered another sip of whiskey.
"I must have fainted - the next thing I'm clear about - one of
them was holding me up and two men were beating Andrew. They asked about our original briefing. Who knew what about the operation. When he wouldn't tell them what they wanted to hear they started on me."
She had a wad of blanket crushed in her hand. Ray impulsively reached out and patted it comfortingly. His touch seemed to draw her back to her story. She transferred her hold from the blanket to his hand.
"I was laying on the floor. Andrew was face down on the concrete. His eyes were open; I could see his fingers move a little so I knew he was still alive. Then a man pulled him up on his knees by his hair, and shot him in the head." The horror of the moment was clear in her eyes. She sobbed suddenly and Ben's arm tightened around her. Quite naturally he kissed her forehead, murmuring soothing noises. Ray was distracted from that by her nails digging into his hand.
"That's enough for now. She should rest Benny."
"No - you've got to know." She calmed herself by an act of will. "Most everyone had gone by then. The murderer told one of the men to finish me off and clean up the mess. They walked off. It seemed like a long time. I heard the man coming back. He pulled me off the floor and dragged me over beside Andrew. He kissed me." Ray's hand tightened on hers; he had a sinking feeling he knew what was going to be next.
"He threw me down in Andrew's blood. He stood over me, unfastening his pants, telling me what he was going to do." She smiled a feral, savage smile. "They didn't find my knife. He laid on me, started pulling at my clothes, and I gutted him. He squealed like a stuck pig. He rolled off me and started begging for a doctor.
"I crawled away, managed to get on my feet and got to his car. I didn't know where to go - where would be safe. Then I thought of you. Ben, the man who shot Andrew - was our station chief. That's why we can't call the lifeguard. I don't know who to trust." Her strength was nearly exhausted. "Maybe tomorrow, when I can think, I can figure out a safe line. I want to get very drunk and go to sleep now. Please Ben."
Fraser gladly gave her the rest of the whiskey in the glass and held it out to Ray for a refill. "Benny - we've got to find that car!" Ray stopped the glass before it touched her lips again and for the first time said her name. "Kate - where did you leave the car? I need to find it - get rid of it."
She focused blearily on his face, "'S on the street. Dark, four doors . . .take something to put on the seat." Fraser gave her the last of the liquor. She drank it down all at once, sighed and passed out. Ray helped Fraser get her settled in the bed and the friends left Dief to keep an eye on her.
Ray looked at his watch. "How is it only four a.m.? I feel like I've been up for a week." He rubbed his face, stretched hard, trying to loosen the tense muscles in his back, then grabbed his coat.
"Ray." Fraser held out his leather jacket. "Wear this instead. And take these." He rummaged under the sink for a package of plastic trash bags. "She's right. You're going to need something to put over the seat."
Ray checked his handgun and slipped the holster into his waistband, then let Benny help him into the jacket. He patted him on the back a couple of times. "We are going to have to have a serious talk later. Do you have your RCMP revolver here?"
"It's locked in the office safe."
"Shit. Come down with me - my backup piece is in the Riv. It won't take two minutes. And don't give me any grief about it not being legal for you to have it. We don't know what's going on here and I don't want to leave you unprotected."
To Ray's surprise, Fraser just nodded and waved him toward the door. Diefenbaker watched them go out together.
On the street, Ray rummaged under the front seat of his beloved '71 Riviera. Eventually he pulled out a short-barrelled .38 pistol and a box of ammunition. He pressed them into Benny's hands. "I'll be back soon." He pulled his key ring from his pocket, removing the Riv's ignition key. "In case you need transportation while I'm gone. And Fraser?" Ben looked from the weapon to the key, then back into his friend's green eyes. "Try not to shoot me when I come in the door."
"Understood, Ray."
The cop watched until Fraser was back inside the apartment building, then headed up the street to a rather haphazardly parked vehicle. When he opened the driver's door he was glad Benny was not there to see it. He quickly spread trash bags over the seat and put one down on the floor to try to keep his shoes out of the blood there. The engine caught on the turn of the key and Ray Vecchio drove away, heading toward the rail yards near the river.
He wanted to find this place, partly to make sure that the people she thought dead were, and partly to, well, just to see the crime scene. He laughed softly to himself. "It's a cop thing."
Besides, he figured there would be a good place to abandon the car in that area, and there was an all night bus route serving the adjacent industrial district. Hopefully, he wouldn't have to walk very far in the rain to catch a bus.
Vecchio drove slowly toward the warehouse she had described. He parked in the shadow of the building, keeping careful lookout for anyone else in the area. The cop entered the warehouse, using his flashlight sparingly. The last thing he needed was to attract the attention of either the people who had wounded Kate, or a passing patrol car. He wasn't prepared for a fire fight on the one hand, and he certainly didn't want to have to explain what he was doing driving a blood soaked car. The warehouse didn't seem to have been used for anything for a while. He was beginning to wonder if it was all just a fantastic story concocted to cover who knew what, when he caught the faintest scent of cordite in the air. He quartered the floor again and was rewarded by the sound of a shell casing skittering across the concrete when he scuffed it with his shoe. He picked it up and smelled it. "Damn! I'm getting as bad as Fraser!" Someone had been there and cleaned away the evidence of the fight. He reached for his cell phone to call for a forensics team, then remembered that to get them out on a rainy Saturday morning he'd have to admit to knowing something had gone down. Then the shit would hit the fan for sure.
As much as it hurt his policeman's instincts and inclinations, he could do nothing about this situation at the moment. At least he now knew the address, and the blood stains on the floor would wait a few days if need be. He'd promised Benny no cops, and he'd stand by that a little longer.
Ray returned to the car and drove to an even more deserted area along the river. He used a stick to jam the accelerator pedal down and let the car drive itself into the water. With luck it wouldn't be found for a few days, by which time the whole situation would be settled. He headed toward the bus stop through the steadily falling cold spring rain.
Saturday 0600 hours
By the time the detective returned to the apartment he was worn out, soaked to the skin, and looking forward to some sleep. He trudged up the stairs, almost pulling himself by the handrail.
When he tapped softly at the door he heard a little scuffle from inside the apartment. Ray flattened himself against the wall, his handgun drawn and ready. He turned the door knob and gently eased the door open, trying to hear what was going on in the apartment over the sudden hammering of his heart. Vecchio stamped on the panicked thoughts racing around his mind. They had to be okay - Ben had to be okay. He carefully pushed the door completely open. The lights were off, but the gray morning light shone softly through the kitchen window. Nothing was moving inside.
He took a couple of deep breaths to get pumped for the run and rushed through the door, performing a shoulder roll that took him to the kitchen counter and up on one knee in position to check through the bedroom door and back to the apartment door in one quick look.
Fraser stood against the wall beside the door, the borrowed .38 cocked and aimed, ready to fire. The men stared wide-eyed at each other over their gunsights for a moment, then relaxed as they recognized each other. Ray collapsed back against the counter, his 9mm held loosely in his lap. Ben uncocked the .38 and returned it to his waistband before turning to close the door. He reached out into the hall to pick up the white bag Ray had dropped. He put the bag on the counter and joined Ray on the floor.
"Goddammit Benny - you scared me to death." Ray's hands and voice were shaking in physical reaction to the adrenaline still flooding his body.
"But I didn't shoot you." They grinned at each other.
"No, and don't think I'm not grateful." Ray patted Benny's knee. "How's our patient?"
Fraser got to his feet and offered Ray a hand up. "About the same. I think it's time to change bandages and hang the second unit of blood."
Ray wearily grasped Benny's hand and let him pull him to his feet. Ben helped him off with the jacket, hanging it over the back of a chair. They collected the blood from the fridge and headed into the bedroom. Ray exchanged the blood pack, reducing the flow rate. He checked her vital signs, finding the carotid pulse easily this time. By the time they were finished, Ray was weaving on his feet and shivering uncontrollably.
Ben led him over to where the bedroll was laid out against the wall. Fraser quickly got Ray stripped to his boxers and t-shirt, helped him into the bedroll, pulling an extra blanket over him. "Get some sleep, Ray." Fraser laid down beside him, lending his body heat to hasten the warming process. Ray curled up next to Ben and was asleep almost instantly.
Vecchio was dreaming. He thought he heard Fraser calling him from far away, needing him. But he was encased in something which would not let him run. He gradually became aware of a hand on his shoulder shaking him. Ray opened gummy eyelids to focus blearily on Fraser crouching beside him. "What?", he croaked querulously. "What time is it?"
"A little after noon. I'm sorry to wake you Ray, but I didn't want to leave without you knowing."
Ray struggled to sit up. "'S all right." He yawned hugely. "Where are you going?"
"We need some groceries. And I think she's running a fever. I thought I'd go to Mr. Xiao - get some medicine from him. He's not exactly a doctor. . ."
"So you won't be 'exactly' breaking your promise. Sounds good to me. You still have the Riv's key?"
"I was going to take the bus."
Ray looked disgusted. "Take the Riv. Just don't hit anything - or blow it up, okay?"
Fraser tucked the detective back under the blanket with a little kiss. "Thank you kindly, Ray. Go back to sleep. Diefenbaker will let you know if you're needed." He watched Ray's eyes flutter closed before heading for the door, a little nervous to be driving the Riveria. The click of the door closing barely registered before Ray was deeply asleep again.
He was running along a train platform, desperate to head Benny off before he ruined his life. There they were ahead of him-- climbing into the European-style train compartment, laughing together. His gun was in his hand; he had no memory of drawing it. He ran and ran, but was making no headway. The train would be pulling out soon, taking Benny and the woman away, out of his life. Suddenly he seemed to have covered the distance in a thought. He was standing directly across from the compartment. Benny was still standing on the platform, holding her hand, laughing up at her. He turned toward Ray, smiling the most open, happy smile Ray had ever seen on his face. "Benny, no!"
"Sorry, Ray, gotta go." Benny gave a jaunty little wave and turned back toward the woman. Ray raised his gun and aimed at Victoria, began to yell "Halt, Police!", and his heart stopped in his body. His aim never wavered, but his heart had stopped. Kate smiled and waved to him with one hand as she aimed a pistol at him with the other. Benny was still turning and couldn't see the weapon in her hand.
"Drop it-you're under arrest!" Her smile didn't change at Ray's shouted warning; he could see her finger tightening on the trigger. Oh, no! Not again! This couldn't be happening again! He tried to lower his gun, but the commands were not getting to his hand from his brain. Benny started to pull himself aboard the train as it began to roll away. The sound of the gunshots was. . .
Diefenbaker's cold nose pressed against his cheek and the wolf whined in that particularly unpleasant high-pitched whine which is just barely within the range of human hearing. Ray jerked awake, breathing hard. He sat up so quickly that he startled the wolf into bounding several feet back from him. "Son of a bitch!" He scrubbed at his face and tried to calm his breathing. Ray looked over at the wolf who watched him with what could only be termed a wary and baleful eye. "Sorry, Dief. Damn! I haven't had that dream in a long time."
He got on his feet and headed for the bathroom to throw some cold water on his face. He found his trousers hanging to dry in the shower. He pulled them on and padded back into the bedroom, acutely aware that he was really hungry. He glanced at his watch. "Almost four. Do you need to go out?" The wolf leaped up and rushed the apartment door. "Well, I guess that answers that. You know, Dief, I never used to talk to animals like this. I think Fraser's been a bad influence."
After letting the wolf out, Ray went into the kitchen looking for something edible. The sack he'd brought back from his early morning trip to the river was still on the counter where Fraser had put it. He scrounged in the fridge for leftovers from their supper the night before. Could it really be less than twentyfour hours ago? And where the hell was Benny? And the Riv?
He returned to the bedroom to check on Kate, bringing his glass of water with him. He gently removed the IV needle from her arm and covered the spot with a bandaid. He was pleased to see that she looked stronger. But she did seem to be running a fever. She was flushed and a sheen of sweat covered her face and neck as she moved restlessly under the blanket. He went to the bathroom, returning with a hand towel rung out in cold water from the tap. Ray gently wiped her face with the towel, careful of her injuries. "You are going to have some spectacular bruises, lady." He washed her arm, hoping the cold towel would draw some of the heat from her system. He moved around to the other side of the bed and repeated his actions. When he wiped her forehead she seemed to wake up a little, at least enough to try to move away from the towel.
"It's all right Kate. I'm just trying to make you more comfortable. Come on, relax." He spoke to her in the same gentle tone he used when one of his nieces or nephews was sick. Her eyes fluttered open, not quite focusing, but looking toward him, at least. Ray slipped a hand behind her head to support her as he offered her a drink from his glass. She drank most of the water, giving him a little smile of gratitude as he gently lowered her head back onto the pillow. He put the glass back on the table. "So, you're back with us? Benny's gone to the store, but he should be back any time." Ray watched her for some sign of comprehension, but she just stared at him. Thinking she didn't look very comfortable with her hair in a snarled mess around her head, he raised her off the pillow enough to gather it up and smooth it all to one side.
"There, is that better? Maybe tomorrow we can try to get the blood washed out of it."
Kate made to lift her hand from the mattress; she succeeded in moving her fingers. He took her hand gently in his; it seemed insubstantial, almost boneless. She tried to speak, he bent down to place his ear close to her lips. "What are you doing here, Pauli? You're dead."
Vecchio straightened quickly, but she had already exhausted her strength and was again unconscious. He released her hand and backed away from the bed to stand staring at this person who had invaded his life.
Vecchio straightened quickly, but she had already exhausted her strength and was again unconscious. He released her hand and backed away from the bed to stand staring at this person who had invaded his life.
He heard the apartment door open behind him and hurried over to help Ben carry in an assortment of bags. Working together, they quickly had the groceries put away and Ben started brewing an assortment of concoctions on the stove.
"What is this stuff, Benny?" Vecchio tried to move downwind of the stove, but in the small kitchen, there was no escaping the odors beginning to perfume the air.
"Oh, various poultices and teas for fever and infection and general energy, Ray. Mr. Xiao was very generous with his time and supplies." Fraser stirred one pot and then strained part of its contents into two coffee cups. "He sent this especially for you." Ray shot him a questioning look. "Well, I mentioned you had gotten soaked in the rain this morning and he was concerned that you would take a chill." Benny advanced on Ray, offering a cup. "Don't be a baby about this. I'm going to drink some too. You know, my grandmother used to brew up something that smelled very similar - a recipe she got from an Inuit woman she knew. Grandmother always said the Inuit and Chinese had some amazingly similar practices and stories. There is this one story . . ."
Ray grabbed at the cup, "All right, all right! I'll drink it, just no Inuit stories right now, okay?"
Fraser hid his smile behind his own cup of tea.
A while later they were finishing off the last of the leftovers and some deli food Fraser had brought home. Ray rose and cleared the plates to the counter. He picked up the white sack and returned to his seat, placing it carefully in the middle of the table. The men sat for a bit, looking at the bedraggled bag. Finally, Ray looked over at Ben.
"You looked in this?"
Benny nodded. "I thought it might need refrigeration. I expected doughnuts. . ."
Ray pushed the bag over on its side and picked it up from the bottom. A large, bloody knife fell out onto the tabletop.
"I found it on the car seat. Damned near impaled myself on it. I take it this it the knife she used on the guy?"
"I expect so, Ray. She'll be glad to have it back. It's something of a family heirloom."
Exasperation was clear in every syllable Vecchio spoke. "Heirloom! Wedding lace and silver teapots are heirlooms! This is a damned murder weapon!"
"It was self defense, Ray."
Ray took himself in hand. "You are not going to distract me from the real issue here, Benny. We're in this mess to our eyeballs. Okay - she's an old friend of yours. Someone wants her dead. From the looks of her, a lot of someones have wanted her dead. I want some answers. Who is she? Where do you know her from? Who does she work for? Am I going to have to go into the witness protection program - which if it got me away from Frannie, might not be too bad? And just how the hell does she know my middle name?"
Fraser had begun to look a little like Dief when he was being scolded, sort of scrunching up his eyes and settling into himself, just waiting for the tirade to be over. The last question surprised him. "Your name, Ray?"
"Yes, my middle name. She looked right at me and said, 'What are you doing here, Pauli? You're dead.', or something to that effect anyway. She definitely called me by my name."
Ben laid his hand on Ray's forearm, "I have no idea, Ray. You'll have to ask her." He poured some tea into his cup. "As to the rest - there's a lot I don't know, but I don't think she would object to me giving you some background."
Vecchio settled back in his chair with the air of a man prepared to listen for a long time. He watched every nuance of emotion that crossed Ben's face, trying to figure out just what the long term results of this encounter would be for them.
"We met two summers before I came to Chicago. I was filling in for the regular constable - he'd had an altercation with some tourists and a mother grizzly bear that spring. Twisted Knife is up in the Territories - beautiful country, Ray. You should see it someday. Her family owns land in the area and she came for a vacation. I guess you could say we hit it off. Diefenbaker liked her immediately. They have a most remarkable rapport." Fraser smiled. "She says it's because she has a lot of wolf in her."
"And?"
"Well, we, uh, eventually, we . . ." A blush began to color Fraser's face as he tried to think of a discrete way to tell his lover about his previous lover. He could not believe he, Benton Fraser, RCMP, was in this situation.
Ray broke in, "Eventually she tripped you and beat you to the floor? Is that what you're trying to tell me, Benny?"
The coarseness of the image shocked Ben deeply. "No, it wasn't like that, Ray. She was hurting when we met. I didn't know anything about her then, but I could tell she'd had some terrible experiences. There was an awful darkness about her - some great sadness she couldn't escape. We were friends. Just friends. Gradually, I could tell she was healing."
Ray spread his hands on the table top, bracketing the bloody knife. He looked up and just waited for Fraser to continue, keeping his expression carefully neutral.
"We were picnicking one day. She asked me if I didn't find her attractive." Ben laughed softly at the memory. "She asked if I was gay. Because I'd never made a pass at her, never taken advantage of the openings she'd offered for something more than a hug. She said she didn't care - she just wanted to know if she should keep hoping or be happy with our friendship as it was." His voice trailed off. He didn't want to hurt Ray, never Ray. He stood and went to the window, staring down at the alley three floors below. It had begun to rain again. Fraser leaned his forehead against the glass and shut his eyes on the view.
Ray watched him for a few minutes, confused and hurt and afraid. Was Benny trying to figure out a way to tell him that he'd loved Kate? Still loved her? Would always love her? 'Thanks very much Ray, it's been fun, but now that this woman has come back in my life, well-you understand.' Vecchio, he told himself, what can you expect? You've always known you weren't good enough for Benny - not nearly good enough to be a permanent part of his life. When are you going to grow up, you stupid bastard? His eyes swam with unshed tears, blurring his vision. It didn't matter anyway. He was looking inward at his future and not liking what he saw. Ray was so sunk in misery that he was unaware when Ben turned from the window at the sound of his heartbroken sigh. The mountie crossed to his side, kneeling beside his chair to embrace him.
Ray leaned against him for a moment, too miserable to think of anything except that this would be the last time he'd be enveloped in Ben's arms, hear his heart beat like this. He gradually became aware of Ben's voice murmuring soothingly, one hand drawing gentle patterns across his back. He began to be able to hear the words which had been washing over him in an unintelligible babble.
"We made love that afternoon, Ray. She was so beautiful. It was something we both wanted, that we could give each other. It was wonderful. The most wonderful experience I'd had." Ben moved a little apart from Ray so that he could look into his eyes. "The most wonderful experience I ever had until I met you. I love you Ray. I intend to spend the rest of my life loving you." He kissed him very gently, not asking for more than Ray could give at that moment, but offering every bit of himself.
Ray could feel the hard knot of anxiety that had taken the place of his heart slowly relax. As the tender kiss ended he hugged Ben fiercely, then sat back to look at him. He wanted to impress this image on his memory so that, no matter what happened in the future, he would always have this to pull out and look at. It was amazing that Benny could love him, but he'd said it, and Benny didn't lie.
"Okay, Benny. Get off the floor and tell me the rest."
Fraser looked deeply into Ray's eyes. They were once more the clear green he loved, the shadows at bay, his uncertainties a little more at rest. Ben got to his feet and pulled his chair around so he could sit next to Ray.
"We had almost another six weeks together. I could see, when we were making love, the scars - well, you've seen . . ."
Ray nodded, "Yeah, it looks like she's had an interesting life."
Fraser absorbed that phrase, nodded and continued. "I was waiting for her to tell me. Then, one day we were at her house and she got a telephone call." A shadow crossed his face at the memory. "She was upset. She was shouting at whoever it was on the phone, using the most shocking language. I went to her to see what was wrong. When she'd calmed down she explained. She had worked for a special security agency - apparently multi-national. She's never told me more than that. She quit them just before she came to Twisted Knife. I gathered she'd left not on the best of terms. But her chief was the one on the phone. Anyway, he wanted her to come back to work. He said she'd had enough R&R and he needed her."
"Did he threaten her? Coerce her?"
"No, not at all. You see, Ray, what had so upset her was that she wanted to go back. I had been noticing that she seemed restless. She was pushing harder, driving faster, taking more chances when we were rock climbing. Little things, but definite signs. We talked about it as much as we could considering how much she couldn't say. Eventually she called him back and told him she'd be in after Labor Day."
"She left you?" Ray was aghast. How could anyone leave Benny? It was blasphemous!
Fraser smiled at his reaction. "My assignment was up the first of September. So it was really more like I was leaving her. We already knew that. Ray, we never expected our relationship to last. Not on a permanent, everyday basis. She made sure we were clear on that the very first time. Anyway, we enjoyed the time we had together and the first of September I left for my new post and she left for her family home in the States. I'd get postcards every once in a while from all over the world. We met a couple of times for a few days. But we're still friends first. I hope you understand - that it doesn't upset you too much."
Ray considered it for a bit, then leaned over to kiss Fraser. "I won't say there aren't still some questions I'd like answered, but I can go with it for now. She is one of the good guys?"
Fraser nodded, "Oh, yes, Ray. Definitely one of the good guys."
Sunday Morning 0030 hours
Ben felt Ray leave the bedroll. He turned his head to watch him move quietly to the bed, rubbing Dief's ears as he passed him. Ray sat on the edge of the bed beside Kate. She was dreaming, moving restlessly under the covers, muttering something he couldn't quite catch. He smoothed her hair away from her face; she didn't react to his touch. Somewhat wary, he captured her hand in his. "Kate. Kate, it's all right. You're safe here. It's all right." He repeated this litany until she quieted. He stayed beside her a little longer, then returned to the bedroll.
Fraser drew him close beside him. "You're freezing!"
"Yeah, well, if you lived somewhere with decent central heating."
"There'd be no excuse to do this." Fraser began briskly rubbing Ray's torso as he slowly moved to cover him with his body. Ray slipped his cold hands around Ben to warm them against his skin, gently sliding them under the waistband of his boxers to caress the soft skin of his butt.
Fraser's mouth moved insistently over Ray's throat, up his jawline, across to his mouth. He nibbled Ray's lower lip, sucking it. Just as his tongue slipped into Ray's mouth, Fraser's hand glided down Ray's body, into his boxers and around his cock. Ray was instantly, passionately erect, moaning into Fraser's mouth. As Benny's hand began its expert massage, Ray caressed and kneaded the smooth flesh beneath his hands.
Ben released his lips and trailed a line of soft kisses around to Ray's ear. "Just lie back," he whispered. "You've done so much already - let me do this for you." He kissed and sucked the earlobe, running his tongue around the curve of the ear as he pushed Ray's boxers off his body. Ben covered his lover with kisses, nipping and tasting his way down his body, his hand never faltering in its attention to his cock. Ray balanced on the edge of orgasm, breathing in little gasps and moans.
Fraser slid farther down Ray's body, kissing the soft skin of his belly, feeling the muscles clenching under his lips. Ray had one hand tangled in Fraser's hair, totally lost in the sensations Fraser's lips and hands were generating in his body. Ben kissed the tender skin of Ray's inner thigh, then his cock, slowly taking it into his mouth as he gently manipulated his balls. Each light touch increased the excitement; Ray felt as if his identity was dissolving in the heat of Fraser's inspired mouth. He was beyond anticipation or particular desire, utterly unable to do anything but experience whatever Benny chose to do to him.
Fraser increased the friction of his hand and mouth on the cop's straining cock. He was very close now; Ben could feel it. At the last moment he pushed two fingers into Ray's ass, massaging his prostate gland. With a hoarse cry, Ray thrust into Ben's mouth as he gave himself up to the most convulsive orgasm he had ever experienced.
Ben swallowed quickly, maintaining the exquisite friction to prolong the moment as long as possible. Ray fell back almost totally exhausted. Ben moved to lie beside him, gathered Ray into his arms, and they were immediately asleep.
Sunday 0730 hrs
Ben woke slowly, listening to Ray move around the apartment. He lay quietly, enjoying the sense of peace he felt. He opened his eyes as Ray knelt beside him.
"Morning, Benny. Coffee?" Ray set the cup on the floor beside Fraser.
"You're dressed."
"Yeah, if I go now I'll get home while everyone's at 8 o'clock mass. I want to get some clothes and other stuff. I'll be back in a couple of hours."
Ben visibly relaxed. "I was afraid you were leaving."
Ray bent to kiss him, taking his time, putting his heart and soul into it.
"How could I ever leave you, Benny?" He smoothed Ben's hair back from his forehead, "Thank you for last night. It was wonderful." He dropped a kiss on his forehead, "I'll be back soon." He left the apartment quietly, leaving Ben to his coffee and his thoughts.
Sometime later Fraser carried a pan of Mr. Xiao's wound medicine to the bedside. The fever seemed to have lessened; Kate appeared to be naturally asleep, a good sign he hoped. He gently removed the bandages covering the bullet wound. It was a simple in and out wound, just catching her side below the ribs. It had missed anything vital, but she had lost a lot of blood. Ben shook his head as he laid the medicine soaked cloth over the wounds.
"Lucky," her soft voice startled him. He looked up into her eyes. For the first time since she fell into his arms, he thought she was completely awake and coherent.
"Kate!" The look of relief on his face warmed her. He leaned down and gently kissed her cheek. "You scared me half to death. How is this 'lucky'?"
"That the guy couldn't shoot, that it wasn't a .357, that you were here. Lucky to be alive. I'm sorry to have involved you in this mess, Ben." Her grey eyes suddenly swan with tears.
Aghast, he gathered her carefully into his arms, rocking her gently. "Kate, it's all right. Hush, now. You've got to rest, to get your strength back." Ben held her until she lay quietly in his arms. He carefully moved her to the bedroll. "Rest here for a few minutes so I can change the bed, okay?" She nodded weakly, not really caring where she was. Diefenbaker laid down beside her, pushing his nose under her hand. Fraser quickly gathered the blood stained sheets into a pile and flipped the mattress before remaking it. In only a few minutes he was settling her back on the bed.
He went into the kitchen and brought back a cup of Mr. Xiao's tea. To his relief, she simply took a deep breath and drank it down. "I didn't know you were practicing Chinese herbalism, Ben."
He was somewhat concerned about her reaction, but fessed up anyway. "A friend in Chinatown provided the medicine. We had to have something for your fever. I told him only what he had to know to prescribe. We can trust him. Ray and I saved him from an extortionist last year."
"Is there any more?"
"You like it?"
She shook her head. "It's vile - but it works. I've used it before. I've got to get on my feet and get out of here, before they find me."
Ben brought her another cup of the stuff. "We'll keep you here as long as you need a place to stay. Ray's gone home to get some clothes, but he'll be back soon. We're going to figure out how at least one of us can be with you at all times. We've got vacation time. Don't worry about it."
She drank down the last of the tea and settled back onto the pillow. Ben took her hand, enfolding it in his, willing strength into her body.
"Ben, they know I left there alive. They can't stop looking until they have a body. This is very big - I don't know how high in the organization the corruption goes, but they cannot afford to leave me loose. I need to get out of Chicago. Get somewhere safe." The sound of the apartment door opening cut her off. She froze, wishing for a gun.
Ben took the borrowed .38 from his waistband and silently moved to the doorway to get a view of the exterior door.
SUNDAY 10:30 a.m.
"It's Ray."
He relaxed, returning the pistol to its place at the small of his back. He crossed back to the bed in time to see her slip off to sleep, her slender reserves of strength depleted again. Fraser tucked the blanket more securely around her before closing the apartment door after the cop who was carrying a suitcase, the Sunday paper, and a bakery box, to which Dief immediately laid siege.
Ray had used his time at home to shower and shave. He'd changed into jeans and one of his least garish shirts. Ben took his suitcase and put it near the bedroll. He returned to the kitchen in time to catch Ray giving Dief a glazed doughnut. They both looked so sheepish Fraser couldn't bring himself to scold. Instead he settled at the kitchen table with a cup of coffee and carefully chose a chocolate covered pastry for his snack.
Ray nodded toward the bedroom. "So how is she?"
"Asleep again, but better. She drank two cups of Mr. Xiao's tea." Fraser looked up from the pastry he was pulling into little pieces on the napkin before him. "She would have died without your help, Ray. How can I ever thank you?"
Embarrassed, Vecchio tried to be off-hand. "We serve and protect - it's what I do." He saw a disappointed look flit across Fraser's features and knew he had to get over his need to present an uninvolved, flippant facade to the world and to himself. He had to stop pretending things didn't matter to him. With a deep breath, he pushed himself to do it before he could chicken out.
"Benny, I'm sorry." The strain in his voice caught Fraser's attention; he looked over at Ray, curious and concerned.
"You are very welcome. But there's no thanks necessary. She's important to you, that makes her important to me." He took Ben's hand, oblivious to the chocolate on his fingers. "I would do anything to make you happy." Ray stared into Ben's blue eyes, trying to impress him with the depth of his commitment. "Anything at all."
Ray rose to get a refill for the coffee cups. Ben caught his hand, pressing the back of it to his cheek. "You have chocolate on your fingers." He very gently licked at the index finger, slowly drawing it into his mouth, tongue swirling around it to remove the foreign material. He methodically cleaned all of Ray's fingers in the same way, enjoying the effect his actions were having on his partner. After his initial surprise, Ray found the process supremely enjoyable; indeed, he was beginning to have a hard time staying still. His knees felt weak, his breathing was fast and shallow, a tightness was spreading through his groin. Ben finished with a final lick to his palm and a sharp nip to the web of skin between his thumb and fingers.
Ray ran his free hand through Benny's thick black hair. "You need a bigger apartment." He bent to kiss his partner, coaxing his lips open with his tongue. Vecchio slowly ended the kiss with one last languorous suck of Fraser's lower lip.
The friends spent the remainder of the day quietly. Later in the afternoon they decided that Fraser should take Diefenbaker for his usual walk through the neighborhood, to keep his routine as normal as possible. Ray began preparations for supper while they were gone.
He was finding that he enjoyed these culinary exercises, and that he was a pretty good cook. Helping his mother all those years had taught him quite a bit about food, and Benny was always an appreciative recipient of his efforts. Today he was making soup. He'd thought about what they could feed Kate, something nourishing, but not too hard to deal with. Soup seemed perfect. He remembered his Ma feeding him soup whenever he was sick. It always made him feel better. Once it was simmering on the back burner, he took some coffee and his book back into the bedroom where he could keep an eye on their patient while he read.
We have got to get a decent chair in here, he told himself as he tried unsuccessfully to get comfortable on the straight backed kitchen chair. He was soon engrossed in Fraser's copy of Tacitus. Eventually he became aware of being watched. He looked over the top of the book, meeting her puzzled eyes. He moved the ribbon bookmark to his place and left the book on the chair as he moved to the bed.
"Hello again. How are you feeling?" Ray felt her forehead; she was still a little warm, but he thought she was getting better.
Kate looked around the room, finally managing to whisper, "Ben?"
"He took Dief for a walk. They should be back anytime." He smiled, trying to reassure her. "I'm Ray, is there something I can do for you?"
She looked uncomfortable and embarrassed. "I remember you. I'm sorry . . . I really need to go to the bathroom."
This was a problem the detective hadn't considered. He looked around the apartment, his eyes finding the flannel shirt Ben had worn the previous day where it was laying across the bedroll. He brought it over to the bed.
"I'll try not to hurt you." She opened her eyes when he returned to her side, not understanding what he meant. Ray carefully raised her from the pillow, the blanket still wrapped around her. He drew one of her arms through a sleeve of the shirt, brought the shirt around her and got her other arm in the sleeve. Supporting her against his chest, he managed to get her into the shirt and get it buttoned without exposing her body for more than a second. The shirt fit her like a nightgown, the sleeves ending well past her fingertips. Vecchio rolled the cuffs up to her wrists, then stood, carefully picked her up and carried her into the bathroom. He put her on her feet and helped her to the toilet.
"Will you be all right? Do I need to stay?"
She leaned against the wall, her eyes closed briefly. "I think I'll be okay for a minute or two." She looked up at him from behind the curtain of her tangled hair, smiling a little.
"I'll be right outside the door." He left, pulling the door shut, staying outside, just as he said. When he heard the toilet flush, he opened the door as she took a tottering step toward it. Vecchio caught her as she collapsed, cradling her in his arms as he returned her to the bed. He carefully settled her back in place, drawing the sheet and blanket over her before returning to his book. When the Mountie and wolf returned he was dividing his time, reading a chapter and watching her sleep.
They ate a quiet supper, enjoying the rare opportunity to just be together. When Kate woke up they coaxed her to drink more of Mr. Xiao's tea and most of a bowl of Ray's soup. The evening wound down to its uneventful close, which Ray pointed out was exactly what they needed to recover from the previous 48 hours.
Monday Morning 0700 hours
Fraser was pacing the apartment restlessly. "I should arrange to stay home today, Ray. I don't feel right leaving you here to deal with this."
Ray herded him to the kitchen table. "Here's your coffee, Benny. And some of that healthy stuff you keep for breakfast." He shuddered delicately. "To quote my Ma, "Sit, eat, you need your strength." The imitation brought a tentative smile to Fraser's lips. Ray sat down across the table from him.
"Look, I already called in and arranged to take a few days personal time. It's easier for me to do than for you to get the Dragon Lady to let you off." He raised a hand to forestall Fraser's objections, whether to his decision or calling his superior a Dragon Lady, he did not know or care. "Be reasonable, Benny. It's important to keep things looking normal. It will be odd enough for me to be here. You can arrange to get time off easier in person. Work today and then stay home with us the rest of the week if you want to." He smiled winningly, "We'll be fine. And you can call to check on us whenever you want."
Fraser wanted to be stubborn, but the cop's arguments all made perfect sense. He finished his breakfast, dressed in the red serge, and found himself hovering at Kate's bedside. He brushed her hair back from her face, hoping she'd wake up so he could explain that he had to go. Ray brought him his stetson, dusting an invisible piece of lint from the brim.
"You have to go now. Do you want to take the Riv?"
The Mountie looked at him in amazement. It was unheard of for Ray to let anyone drive the Riviera. To be offered the opportunity twice in as many days was as gratifying as the prospect of driving it in Monday morning traffic was terrifying. "No! I mean, no, thank you Ray. It will be good for me to walk. And it would cause a stir at the Consulate; there would be questions." He settled the stetson on his head. His unease at leaving them was plain and beginning to make Ray nervous.
"Look, Benny. You're not having one of those Inuit hunches, or anything are you? If you really feel there's some danger, maybe we should pack up and find a safer place."
"No, it's not that, Ray." Fraser took himself in hand. "I'm sure you're right. Everything will be fine. Diefenbaker is here, and you are armed. There is no reason to believe anyone could know she is here."
Ray walked him to the apartment door. They shared a brief embrace and kiss. Fraser opened the door, "You know, I really wish I had replaced that lock."
Vecchio patted his back comfortingly. "We'll be all right, Benny. And don't worry about the lock. The wood's so old, a three year old could kick it in, lock or no lock. See you later."
The door closed on Ben's retreating back. Ray tidied the kitchen, keeping an irregular watch out the window to make sure nothing unusual was going on outside. He read the paper he'd bought on his breakfast run thoroughly; there was no mention of trouble at the warehouse, no unexplained bodies, or a car in the river. He couldn't decide if that was good or bad. Making up his mind, he pulled his cell phone from his coat pocket and punched in the number of the local precinct. He was relieved to recognize the voice of the desk sergeant.
"Hello, Phil? It's Ray Vecchio. Yeah, long time. Listen, I wonder if you could do me a little favor? Sure, the next time Ma makes cannoli I'll bring you a box full. I've got a friend living in the 200 block of West Racine. Yeah, tell me about it.
Anyway, there's been some trouble in the block - maybe a gang trying to move in. Could you have your guys cruise the area a little more often for a few days? Maybe more cops around will discourage whatever is going down. Thanks a lot Phil. I owe you, and I mean besides the cannoli." Satisfied, he closed the phone and returned to the window. Nothing had changed. He roamed into the bedroom.
Kate was still sleeping, looking amazingly childlike in Fraser's flannel shirt. The bruises on her face were at their most garish, but all in all, he thought she looked a lot better. He gathered his supplies and prepared to change the bandages on the bullet wound. She stirred when he sat on the edge of the bed and took her hand.
"Kate, wake up."
She slowly opened her eyes, disoriented for a moment, then relaxing as she recognized him. "Ray."
"Yeah, it's still me. Ben's gone to work, but Dief and I are here. I need to check the bandages. Do you want something to eat first?"
"No, go ahead." She closed her eyes, turning her head a little away from him. Ray carefully turned the covers back from her side and unbuttoned the last three buttons on the shirt, folding the tails up and out of the way. He picked at the tape holding the gauze in place, "I'm sorry, this may hurt when I take it off." He removed the bandages as gently as he could, wincing at the one little gasp that escaped her when he pulled the tape from her skin. "This is healing really nicely."
Kate looked down at the wound under her ribs, pleased to see that it was indeed healing well. "You do good work, Ray."
A pleased smile tugged at his lips as he taped the new bandage over the wound. "Can you lay on your side for a minute so I can fix your back?" Kate nodded and he helped her roll onto her right side. He finished quickly and got her settled back against the pillows.
"So how do you feel?"
"Filthy, mostly." She smiled at him. "Better, really. I hate this part." He raised a questioning eyebrow. "You know, when you're first hurt you could care less. It's easy to sleep, or be unconscious, or whatever. You miss a lot of the most unpleasant parts. But when you start getting better, you have to be around for stuff. And it's harder to just sleep all the time, but you don't have the strength to do anything constructive. Plus you complain a lot." They laughed together over that.
"What do you want to eat? You've got to eat, whether you're hungry or not. You want to get your strength back, you've got to eat. And get up a little, walk around."
"Yes, mama. I know the drill. Is there any of the soup left? That was really good."
"Sure, it'll take just a few minutes to heat." Vecchio went into the kitchen absurdly pleased that she liked his soup. While it heated he glanced out the window to see a police car cruising slowly down the block.
She let him feed her most of the bowl before dozing off between spoonfuls. Ray put the rest of the soup in Dief's bowl. When she showed signs of waking again, he went into the bath, poured some bubbling bath salts he'd liberated from Frannie's cache in the tub and turned the water on full. When everything was ready he returned to the bedroom and hung the shirt he was wearing in the closet, which left him in blue jeans and a white t-shirt. He stood beside the bed for a few minutes.
She was dreaming again, becoming increasingly agitated. Ray sat beside her, speaking to her. She woke with a muffled cry, striking out at him. He caught her wrists in his hands, holding her away from him.
"Kate! Wake up."
He was startled by the hatred blazing from her eyes as she struggled against his grip. In the seconds before she truly woke and recognized him he could see murder in her gaze.
"I'm going to cut your fucking heart out!"
"Shh, no you won't. Benny wouldn't like it."
The sound of his voice and his features finally registered. Kate relaxed so suddenly that the detective was pulled off balance and found himself falling against her. He sat up quickly, worried that he had hurt her. She lay, still breathing fast, her eyes closed, head turned away from him. Ray gently touched her face, urging her to look at him.
"Hey, it's all right. You were dreaming again." He pushed her hair away from her face. "Kate, did I hurt you?"
She finally looked at him, touched by the concern in his voice. "It's the same dream, Ray. Andrew on his knees, the gun, all that blood." She squeezed her eyes shut against the memory, tears sliding back into her hair.
He took her hand, not sure exactly what to do, what she would accept from him. "It'll get better. With time, when you're well. . ."
She laid her free hand over his, and spoke very calmly, in a perfectly normal voice. "It'll get better when I've killed them." A quick frisson of unease ran through him. At that moment Vecchio knew that there were dead men walking around, waiting
for her to come to them. Who was this stray of Fraser's? And he used to complain that his life was dull.
In his best, talking-to-the-nephews-no-nonsense voice, the detective changed the subject. "Well, that won't be for a while. In the meantime, I have a little surprise for you." He untangled her from the bed clothes and carried her into the bathroom. Vecchio put her on her feet beside the tub. Kate looked at the billows of bubble bath and drew a deep breath of the steamy, scented air.
"Lavender," she signed contentedly. "How did you know I love lavender?"
"It was the least awful of the stuff my sister had in her bath." He smiled down into her eyes and suddenly realized that he had not figured out how he was going to get her into the tub. Kate watched a shadow settle in his eyes as some of his pleasure in his surprise dissipated.
"What's wrong?"
"I'm sorry. I hadn't given any thought to . . .", he gestured helplessly toward the water.
Kate laughed softly as she realized his concern. She swayed toward him as her strength began to wane, putting up a hand to catch herself against his chest. His arms were around her immediately. "Ray, you've already seen all of me there is to see. Help me get this off." She began fumbling with the buttons of Fraser's shirt.
Ray gave himself a mental shake and got back on balance immediately. He unbuttoned the shirt and slipped it off her shoulders to fall to the floor. He carefully lifted her into the tub. The lavender fragrance surrounded them both as Kate raised a double handful of the suds to her face. Vecchio handed her a wash cloth, then knelt beside the tub to gently wash her back.
"Lean back," he kept one arm around her back, "I want to get your hair wet." Trustingly, she leaned against his arm and slid down under the bubbles and warm water. He raised her up immediately and wiped her face with the corner of a dry towel. He worked shampoo into her hair, glad that the bubbles kept them from seeing the water change color as the blood and dirt was washed from her heavy blond mane. "Here we go again," he dunked her again to rinse the shampoo.
Vecchio leaned toward the drain to pull the plug and slipped on the wet tub, splashing himself liberally with the bath water. That got them both laughing and ended his concern with staying fairly dry himself. He adjusted the temperature of the water, helped her to her feet and pulled the diverter valve to turn on the shower. He helped her turn under the shower, thoroughly rinsing the shampoo from her hair and the last of the bubblebath from her body. He turned the shower off and bundled her into Fraser's terry cloth robe. He wrapped a towel around her hair, draped another towel around his neck, and carried her back to the bed.
She seemed to be asleep again when he laid her down. He went over to his bag and pulled some dry clothes out. He quickly skinned out of his wet clothes, towelled off, and dressed. When he returned to Kate's side he realized she was awake. It seemed she was always watching him when he didn't expect it. He waved a comb he'd brought from Frannie's supplies toward her.
"Where do you get all this stuff, Ray?" She seemed genuinely amused.
"Mostly from my sister, the clothes horse. She has more stuff than any three people." Ray propped her up on the pillows and unwound the towel from around her hair, handing her the comb. She made an attempt at combing the tangles, but he could see that she wasn't up to it. He laughed softly to himself as he took the comb from her and began gently teasing the knots from her hair.
"I know I look a fright, but you're not suppose to laugh."
He bent to get a look at her face to be sure she was teasing. She was immediately contrite when she realized that he had taken her seriously. With considerable effort, she raised her hand to rest against his cheek. "I'm sorry, Ray. It was a bad joke. And anyway, if anyone has the right to laugh at me anywhere, anytime, it's you." Her hand slipped away from his face and he returned to combing her hair.
"Nah, I was laughing at myself." He continued in a soft voice, "If anyone had told me a year ago, that I'd be here now, doing this, I'd have decked them. And it's just too stereotypical," he took a deep breath and bravely continued, "Cooking, now hairdressing. I may have to find a new line of work. There, I think that will do for now." He smoothed her hair to one side, so she wouldn't have to lay on it. "Is that all right?"
Kate nodded and caught at his hand before he could leave. "Would you do one more thing for me, Ray?"
"Sure, what is it?"
"I am so tired. Would you lay down beside me? If you held me, maybe the dream. . . ."
He pressed her hand between his for a moment, "Just give me a second."
Vecchio quickly checked the apartment, looked out the kitchen window at the neighborhood, picked up his holstered handgun and the cell phone from the kitchen table, and brought her a glass of orange juice.
"Drink this. You need the vitamins." He helped her sit up long enough to drink it down. With the phone and gun to hand on the bedside table, Ray stretched out beside her on the narrow bed. Kate snuggled against him, her head on his chest, one arm across his body.
"How do you guys accomplish anything on this bed?" By the time the detective had recovered, she was sound asleep. In fairly short order Ray had dozed off too. He knew Diefenbaker was awake, so no one could possibly sneak up on them. And he'd seen another police car cruising the block when he was in the kitchen. He'd have to get Ma to make two boxes of cannoli for Phil.
Monday 1200 hours
The cell phone purred in his ear. Vecchio jerked awake, grabbing it before it could ring again.
"Yeah?" His voice was a little rough.
"Ray?" Fraser's concern was plain in his voice. "What's wrong?"
Ray cleared his throat, when he spoke his voice was low, but sounded more normal. "Nothing, Benny. The phone startled me, that's all. What time is it?"
Kate stirred, on the verge of waking. Ray rubbed her back soothingly; she relaxed against his chest, lulled back to sleep by his touch..
"It's noon. Is everything all right?"
"Sure, everything's fine. We've had a very quiet morning. I called in a favor with the local precinct sergeant. Now, don't get crazy on me. I told him I have a friend living in the area and we thought there was some gang activity building - they've been cruising the street more often. I figured it couldn't hurt to have the cops be a little visible in the area. And if we need them, they'll be handy."
"That was a good idea, Ray." Ben glanced over at his closed office door and lowered his voice, just in case anyone was in the hall. "How is she?"
"Better. She had breakfast, I changed the bandages, it looks like everything is healing fine. I think her fever's almost gone." Ray looked at Kate, sleeping contentedly against his heart. "And, I think we've figured out a way to stop the dreams." He laughed softly, "So when are you coming home, Benny?"
"My request for the rest of the week off was granted, but I have a stack of things to finish before I leave. I may be late."
"Not too late, okay? I miss you."
Fraser's pleasure at the declaration was clear in his voice. "And I miss you. I'll be home as soon as I can."
"Benny?"
"Yes, Ray?"
"Call before you leave the Consulate - and take a cab, okay?"
"Yes, Ray."
They disconnected the call, both smiling.
"You have the most beautiful smile." Her soft voice startled Vecchio.
"Damn! Did Fraser teach you about sneaking up on people, or did you teach him?"
She squirmed against his side, finding a more comfortable position. "I think it comes with the territory, so to speak. When is Ben coming home?"
"He wasn't sure. The Dragon Lady gave him the leave he requested, but she loaded him up with a bunch of stuff to get done today. He said he'd call before he leaves."
"The Dragon Lady?"
"His boss. Inspector Margaret Thatcher. She's got something against him. She's been on his case ever since she came to Chicago last fall. The woman is . . ." Ray realized he was on the verge of a rant and shut up.
"What is it?" Kate had heard his heart speed up as he became more upset. She looked into his eyes, surprised to see them shadowed with his anger, and other, darker feelings. She barely touched his cheek with her fingertips, "Tell me what I can do Pauli." Vecchio tensed as she used that name again. He disengaged himself from her arms and left the bed. Kate looked after him, confused by the sudden change in his mood. After a few minutes he returned to the bedside.
"There's soup left. Do you want that for lunch, or something else?"
"Help me up, please." She held out a hand to him. He carefully got her to her feet. "You're right, I need to try to walk around a little." Vecchio kept one arm around her as she walked carefully across the floor toward the kitchen. They turned and made the short trip back to the bathroom door. Kate pushed the door open, "I think I can make it from here." She offered him a little smile, "The soup would be fine." She pulled the door closed behind her.
Ray went back into the kitchen and started lunch. After five minutes he heard the bathroom door opening and hurried back make sure she was all right. He helped her into the kitchen and got her settled at the table. They ate quickly, with no extraneous conversation, still feeling awkward with one another. She pushed her bowl into the center of the table when she finished.
"All right, Ray. Tell me what's wrong."
He looked stubborn, almost determined not to tell her. Then he looked into her worried gray eyes and surrendered.
"You keep calling me by my middle name. How do you know that? I keep wondering if there's more here than you're telling us. I admit, it would be a little extreme for you to fabricate this whole situation . . ."
"Especially since I almost died? Believe me Ray, I hardly ever plan to get shot. The sight of my own blood on the ground makes me nervous."
He smiled grudgingly and nodded. "Yeah, I know it's crazy. But . . ."
"But who better than we Italians to understand intrigue? What is this name business? I don't understand."
"Twice now, you've called me Pauli. That's my middle name. No one since my grandmother died has called me Pauli."
"Oh." She thought for a moment. "I had a cousin, Pauli. My father's sister's son. But you're not anything like him. Why . . .?" She looked over into his troubled eyes and suddenly understood. "Dear Lady! I am so sorry, Ray."
"Well, are you going to tell me?"
She looked up from where she had been pleating her napkin on the tabletop. "My aunt married a professor, philosophy I think. He teaches at one of those expensive private colleges in upstate New York. We never saw them much; he didn't approve of the 'military industrial complex', and you can't get much more military than my family. Pauli was about 4 years older than me.
"The August before I turned thirteen, my Grandmother Bertelli died. Papa had been dead a bit over a year. Mother was out of the country on business. My brother was cadet commander at his school and was already there, making the first year students' lives miserable. One of my aunts called with the news. Johnny got leave, came and got me and we flew to New York for the funeral.
"After the service everyone went back to the house for dinner. You know how it is. John was off with the young men, I felt I was too old to play with the little girls, and the teenagers were busy talking about boys. The married women didn't want me around while they talked about men and babies."
Ray could easily put himself in that situation. He'd been at many a family gathering that had ended up feeling more like one of the crowd scenes in Cleopatra. Family is a great thing, especially in time of trouble, but it could also be exhausting and overwhelming.
"Grandmother had a little shrine at the foot of her garden. There was a loggia, with a swing, and a statue of the Little Flower and one of St. Jude. She used to go there and say her rosary in the afternoons. I headed down there and Pauli was already there. But he didn't leave, or make me go back to the house. He was really nice to me." She smiled fondly at the memory.
"We sat on the swing and talked - about Grandmother, what we wanted to do, our families. You know, I believe he was the most beautiful boy I had ever seen. You remind me of him."
Ray looked up, startled. "What?"
She nodded. "That's it. I see him in your eyes sometimes. The first time I called you by his name - I was really out of it. All I remember is your eyes. They were so troubled; scared, but determined to do the right thing. Just now, I saw your fears, uncertainties. Pauli used to look like that. He was so unhappy. He'd been accepted into film school in New York. That was all he wanted to do. But his father insisted he go to school where they lived and study business. The man was a controlling, abusive jerk."
A yawn suddenly overtook her. Ray watched in alarm as she paled before his eyes. He hurried around the table to help her to her feet. A few steps from the bed she completely wilted against him. He swept her up in his arms, settling her gently against the pillows, pulling the blanket into place.
Kate blinked sleepily up at him, "For a skinny Italian boy, you're pretty strong."
Vecchio smiled back at her. "You try to get some rest, okay? I'm going to straighten up; you need anything, speak up."
"Yes, sir."
Diefenbaker had followed them into the bedroom and he now carefully climbed up on the bed to lay beside her. Kate smoothed the fur between his ears, closed her eyes and slept.
Monday 1830hrs
When Fraser returned to his apartment he was exhausted, both from the day and from his constant concern about Ray and Kate. He tapped on the door to avoid startling Ray and walked into his home. Ray came out of the bedroom, greeting him with his 'I've got a secret and you're going to love it' smile.
"Hi, Benny. You look like hell."
"Thank you kindly, Ray. The day has been a little strenuous." Fraser headed into the bedroom, but found his path blocked by the cop.
"Where do you think you're going?"
"Well, I was going to see Kate and put my things away."
"Just never mind that. Give me your stuff, and stand right there. We have a surprise for you." Ray took his stetson and backed away from him.
Ben stood bemused by this playful aspect of Ray's personality. Vecchio disappeared into the bedroom. Fraser could hear the rustle of bedclothes, then Ray's voice.
"Close your eyes, Benny."
Not completely comfortable, Ben complied with the request.
"Are they closed?"
"Yes, Ray."
After a little more rustling of material, he heard, "Okay, you can look now."
Fraser was surprised to see Kate standing beside Ray. She was leaning on his arm, but standing on her own feet, which appeared to be covered by a pair of his hiking socks. She was wearing another of his flannel shirts, with the sleeves rolled halfway up her arms. Her hair was clean and pulled back in a thick gold braid that fell halfway down her back.
Ray looked at him eagerly, "Well?"
Fraser closed the space between them in two long steps. He bent down to kiss her lightly on her cheek.
"So, how do I look?"
"You look fine, Kate. I never expected to see you up tonight."
The men conducted her to a chair at the table.
"If you're going to change, do it. Supper's almost ready." Ray went to check something on the stove.
Fraser looked from one smiling face to the other and went off to the bedroom to get out of the red serge.
They enjoyed a quiet supper, chatting of inconsequential things. It wasn't long before Kate was visibly tired. Ben hurried around the table to pick her up and return her to the comfort of the bed. He sat on the side of the bed for a moment, tucking the blanket around her.
"I am happy to see you doing so well." He held her hand, pleased to feel some returning strength in it.
"You are a lucky man, Beloved Ben."
"Oh?"
"To have found Ray. Take care of him."
Fraser brushed a light kiss across her lips. "I know. And I intend to."
When he returned to the kitchen, Ray was standing at the sink, finishing up the supper dishes. Fraser stood behind him, arms around his waist, fiddling with his shirt buttons. Ray leaned back into his arms contentedly. "Let me finish this, Benny. You'll have us both soaked."
Soft lips pressed to his neck just below his ear. Ray felt Ben's warm breath as the Mountie nuzzled his throat. A shiver of anticipation ran through his body and settled in his groin.
"Ray? You smell of lavender."
Vecchio laughed as he drained the sink and dried his hands before turning in Ben's arms.
"Let me tell you about my day, Benny."
Tuesday Morning 0800 hours
Kate woke in Ben's arms. She lay quietly listening to his heart beat. She remembered waking sometime earlier to Ray's comforting touch soothing her back to sleep. Sometime during that night a solution to her problem had come to her. Perhaps it was just that she was finally able to relax enough that her subconscious could get the message to her waking mind. It didn't matter how or why. She knew now how to remove herself safely from Chicago, before her presence endangered these men further.
The sound of Ray moving around the apartment woke Ben. Dief's nails clicked across the bare floor, the kitchen window rattled up, and the wolf scrambled onto the fire escape for his morning run. The scent of perking coffee soon filled the apartment.
Fraser shifted slightly as he thought about getting up. His hand slowly drifted from the middle of Kate's back to settle on the back of her neck under her hair. Unconsciously he flexed his fingers, gently massaging the tense muscles.
"Beloved Ben." Her sleepy whisper brought him completely awake.
"Good morning." He remained relaxed, the easy kneading not changing in any way, not showing any tension in recognition of possible misunderstanding of his actions or intentions. Kate pushed away from his body to sit up, almost laughing at him.
"I'm glad to see you feeling so well this morning. Will you share with me what is so funny so early?"
"Oh, Ben, it's just you. You and your Invincible Innocence. Come on, help me up, please. Ray is cooking something and I am starving." She felt better than she had since the gunfight. The solid night's rest and her naturally healthy constitution were combining to speed the healing process.
Ben rolled out of bed and helped Kate to her feet. They moved slowly to the bath. She walked on her own, with just her hand resting on the arm he offered to steady her steps. When Kate was safely in the bath Fraser dressed quickly and joined Ray in the kitchen. Without comment the mountie began setting the table for breakfast.
Ray bustled happily around the tiny kitchen area. They brushed past one another a couple of times, smiling. The knock at the door startled them. Ben went to the door; Ray positioned himself to have a clear view of the caller as the door opened, his handgun drawn and aimed. Fraser glanced to Ray and opened the door at his nod, careful to keep out of the line of fire.
"Mr. Mustafi!" Fraser greeted his neighbor, moving quickly between him and Ray to give the cop a chance to holster his weapon.
"Good morning, Benton. I just wanted to be sure everything is okay?"
"Of course. Thank you kindly for your concern. We're fine.
How are you?"
"Very well, Benton." Mr. Mustafi peered around Fraser to see Ray returning to his cooking.
"Good morning, Detective Vecchio."
Ray waved distractedly in his direction as he tried to save his scrambled eggs from overcooking. Mr. Mustafi and Fraser stood in the door, each trying to find a graceful way to end the encounter.
"Ben, help me with this." Kate stepped out of the bedroom, her braid pulled over her shoulder as she tried to untie the shoelace Ray had used to secure it. She looked up to meet Mr. Mustafi's surprised eyes. This was an unexpected complication. Mr. Mustafi thought he had the mountie and the cop figured out. But here was a woman, hair in disarray, wearing only a shirt which he was sure belonged to Fraser. Mr. Mustafi suddenly found himself in the hall as Ben stepped forward and pulled the door shut behind him.
"Mr. Mustafi, I'm going to have to ask you to forget what just happened." As Fraser desperately cast about for a plausible explanation, he remembered one of Ray's comments from yesterday. "She's a protected witness. It would be dangerous for anyone to know she's here. I'm relying on your discretion."
"Of course, Benton. Goodbye." The curious neighbor continued on his way downstairs.
When Fraser returned he saw Kate seated at the table watching Ray dish up breakfast. She fiddled with the glass of orange juice at her place.
"Damn, I'm sorry, Ben."
He put an arm around her as he bent to kiss her cheek. "It's all right. I told him you are a protected witness. He's a good man. He won't talk about it."
Ray grinned appreciatively. "That was quick thinking, Benny." He took his place and waved Ben to his chair, giving his partner a measuring look. "And, again, not exactly a lie. She is a witness, and we are protecting her. There's hope for you yet, Fraser." Ray chortled over the idea.
Fraser took a piece of toast from the stack before him. "You gave me the idea, Ray."
"How?" Ray glanced up, wondering if he needed to deny something. Fraser smiled innocently.
"Yesterday, you asked if you were going to end up in the witness protection program."
"Oh, yeah." They laughed together.
Kate watched them bantering back and forth, so comfortable with each other. She put the last bite of her egg on a toast fragment, chewing it thoroughly in order to prolong this last moment of this time in her life. As much as she wanted to get out of Chicago, she hated the thought of leaving them.
"I think I've figured out a solution to our problem." The men turned toward her.
"I have contacts in New York. Relatives, really."
Ray and Ben exchanged looks.
"Who?" Ray asked suspiciously.
"Relatives, Ray. Family." She looked at him meaningfully. "Corsican relatives. This afternoon, I'd like you to go somewhere where there are lots of pay phones. I'll give you the New York number. Ask for Etienne St. Michel."
Fraser broke in, "This is no good. We don't know these people."
Kate took his hand, "Ben, I know these people. They are very good. They will keep me safe, and keep you two safe."
Ray added his protest to Ben's. "We're doing okay here. I don't see any reason to change what we're doing." He suddenly realized that he hated the idea of anyone else caring for her, being responsible for her safety. He trusted himself and Ben, but to turn her over to strangers? No way!
Kate levered herself to her feet, angry clear to the bone. "You don't know shit! Either one of you. I tell you, I am leaving here, with your help or without it. Kincaid is a traitor, but he's a very good agent. He and his people are looking for me. They know Chicago intimately. Eventually they will find me if I stay here. They will come and we WILL die. If they have to, they'll level this building. Do you want that? All these people to die because you are too proud and stubborn to listen to me?" She swayed on her feet, her weakness making her angrier. Ben moved to her side, picked her up and returned her to the bed. She wiped her eyes with a corner of the sheet. "Damn! I hate this."
"It's all right. Rest a little, you can tell us the rest when you feel better."
Fraser rejoined Ray to help tidy the kitchen. While Ben dried the last of the dishes, Ray went to look out the window. "Look, Benny, there's the patrol car again. Phil's going to get so much cannoli they won't be able to measure his cholesterol." Ben joined him, slipping an arm around the cop's shoulder.
Ray signed deeply, resting his head for a moment against Ben. "I just hate the idea of her leaving. How do we know these 'relatives' of hers can take care of her?"
"I know. I don't like it either. But she seems to have confidence in them. I think we have to trust her judgement." They stood there a little longer, each thinking their own thoughts, staying away long enough for her to regain her composure.
When they returned to the bedroom Ben gathered her into his arms and settled against the headboard, while Ray pulled the chair close.
"You said Corsicans?"
"Yes, Ray. Very serious people. Etienne is the son of my godfather, so we're cousins, sort of. And at one time there was talk that we would marry." She smiled a little. "Fortunately, he fell in love with someone else. He will come for me."
Ray nodded his agreement. "Okay, so I call him and say what?"
"I've been thinking about that. We need to cover your tracks. He should be the only one answering the number I'll give you. Tell him you have a message from Michaela Catarina. Tell him to call us, say ten minutes more than it will take you to get back here, and give him your cell phone number. Keep it short, don't tell him anything else." She stopped, clearly unhappy with something.
"What's wrong?" Ben asked quietly.
"I wish we could use a pay phone for the call back. But I have to talk to him. He'll have the call back number checked. I don't want anyone to know who you guys are until Kincaid is dead."
Ray took her hand. "Let me finesse this part. I think I know how to arrange it."
"Good, I'll leave that to you then. When he calls, I'll be able to tell it's him. We'll arrange the pickup, and I'll be out of here by tomorrow. Maybe by tonight."
Ben rubbed her back soothingly, feeling her relax in his arms. "You rest for a while. It'll be okay."
Her eyes were drooping closed when Ray asked, "You really think he'd have everyone killed to get you?"
She nodded. "Without a second thought."
"But, how can you be sure?"
She managed to look over at him, her eyes suddenly opaque and frightening. "Because, if the stakes were high enough, it's what I'd do." She gave him a sad, rueful smile. "Hell, Ray, it's what I've done."
The friends looked at each other over her head as she fell asleep in Fraser's arms. He carefully moved her to the bed and the men retreated to the kitchen table.
Kate woke slowly to the sound of their low conversation in the kitchen. She lay quietly for several minutes enjoying the peace she felt in the apartment. The voices were a quiet background noise, almost like a brook swirling among rocks. The sound of Ray's soft laugh brought a smile to her lips. He was such a remarkable man. Of course, he would have to be to interest Ben. Such an odd pair on the surface; but their differences seemed to be complimentary, fitting together to form a united front against the world. And they would need that front, sooner or later. Eventually their life choice would be obvious to the world around them, and then what would happen? She wished there was some way she could protect them, as they were protecting her.
Kate pushed back the covers and managed to sit on the edge of the bed by herself. Taking stock of her condition she was happy to realize that she felt better than she had that morning. Her body was finally getting on with the healing process. That was a relief. It would be a bigger relief to get out of here before Kincaid and his minions caught up with her. Diefenbaker got up from his spot on the floor, came to her, and dropped his head in her lap. He closed his eyes in wolfy ecstasy as she scratched behind his ears.
Kate steadied herself against the wolf as she stood up. She swayed a little, but caught her balance almost immediately and walked beside the wolf to the door. She leaned on the doorjamb watching the men as they talked. They were sitting at the table, coffee cups in front of them, apparently discussing an old case. Ray was drawing invisible diagrams with his finger on the table top, making a point about which he seemed to feel passionately. Fraser nodded his agreement with what the cop was saying, then covered the moving hand with one of his own, while his other hand went around the back of Ray's head to draw him toward Fraser's lips for a kiss.
Kate had never watched two men kissing each other in such an intimate fashion. It was really different than the family hugs and kisses she was used to seeing in her own fairly demonstrative family. It was different than men and women kissing. Maybe it was just that it wasn't something often seen at all. Maybe it was Ben and Ray. It was tender and strong, nurturing and still very masculine. With some surprise, she found it to be a little arousing. She knew what it was like to kiss Ben with that open, sexual wanting. She wondered what Ray would taste like. She caught herself thinking, well, that proves I'm getting well! And just stop that!
The kiss ended, Ben resting his forehead in the hollow of Ray's shoulder. Ray sighed and opened his eyes, slowly focusing on Kate where she stood across the room from them, watching with a sweet, tender smile. She rested her hand on Diefenbaker's head and slowly walked into the kitchen.
"I'm sorry to interrupt."
Ben stiffened in Ray's arms at her voice, then relaxed when Ray rubbed his shoulder soothingly and answered her in a completely normal voice. Fraser realized that Ray's heartbeat had not even speeded up.
"Benny." Ray kissed him gently on the lips as he shifted in the chair, starting to rise. Fraser sat back in his own chair, still turned away from the door. He was not sure exactly how to deal with this. It was one thing to know that she knew about them, but quite another to KNOW that she knew.
Ray was beside her in two steps, offering his arm to guide her to her seat at the table. "There's coffee, tea, orange juice?"
"Orange juice will be fine, Ray. Thanks." Kate looked worriedly at Ben. He still sat half turned away from her, tension in every line of his body. Ray brought the juice and started putting something together for lunch. As he passed Fraser on the way to the fridge Ray trailed his hand across the mountie's back, giving him a sympathetic pat on the shoulder. Kate finally leaned across the table to put her hand on Ben's arm.
"Ben, what's wrong?"
He steeled himself for whatever he would see in her eyes and turned toward her. To his everlasting relief, all he saw was concern for him. Not surprise. Not condemnation. Not disgust. Concern. And love.
"You are being a complete ass, you know?" Her words and tone were serious, but she was smiling at him just as always.
He nodded, "I know. It's just . . . ."
"Ben. Dear, sweet, Beloved Ben." She shook her head at him. "Ray, can you come here for a minute?"
Vecchio turned off the stove and joined them, standing a little apart from Ben.
"It will be best to call between 1 and 2 p.m., Eastern time."
Ray went to his topcoat, pulling his notepad and a pen from the inside pocket. He sat in the chair next to Ben, looking expectantly at her.
"I'm relying on you to forget this number as soon as this is over, Ray. Not that Etienne won't change it immediately, anyway."
"Yeah, yeah. My legal interests end with the Chicago city limits. As long as your Corsican friends don't start trying to do business here, they have nothing to worry about from me." His smile belied the tone of his words. He copied the number carefully, reading it back to her once. "You said to tell him the message is from Michaela Catarina?"
She smiled, "I was named for my grandmothers. Mother decided to call me Kate when people started to nickname me as a baby. But when I went to school in Switzerland, I used my full name. Madame le Princesse insisted. All her young ladies use their given names."
Vecchio gave her an old fashioned look as he got to his feet. "Benny, I've got some errands to run before I make the call. You finish lunch, I'll grab a dog at the bus station." He pulled his coat on, patting his pockets to make sure he had everything he needed. He leaned down to kiss her cheek, "There's lots of phones at the bus station."
Kate caught his lapel, holding him at eye level for a moment. "Be very careful, Ray. If anything happens, don't hesitate. Do whatever you have to in order not to be taken." She released him and watched the men walk to the door.
They stood talking softly for a moment. "Does she mean what I think she means, Benny?"
"I'm afraid so, Ray."
Vecchio closed his eyes for a moment, readjusting his attitude toward this exercise. "Okay. You've got my gun." He pulled his cell phone from his pocket, quickly programming the local precinct's number into it's speed dialing. "Anything happens, punch 3 for the local cops. The desk sergeant should be Phil O'Roark. Tell him you're my friend; he'll roll some backup for you. I'll be back by three, for sure."
He glanced toward Kate, and pulled Benny into a hard embrace, kissing him as if for the last time. Fraser hesitated for only a second, then threw himself into the kiss and the embrace, not wanting to let Ray go. Then it was over and the cop was out the door. Ben stood by the closed door, listening to his footsteps on the stairs, catching the sound of his voice as he greeted one of the tenants, then the slam of the front door closing behind him. For a mad instant panic roiled in Ben's soul. Everyone he ever loved left him. What if . . .
"Ben." Kate's voice recalled him to his duty. He straightened his shoulders and went to the stove to finish lunch. "We need to figure out how to do the pickup. What do you think, Constable?"
They discussed various scenarios while he cooked. After lunch, Fraser insisted that she return to the bed to rest; he stayed with her so they could continue planning. They finally agreed on two possible plans to present to Ray when he returned. As the person most familiar with the city, it seemed reasonable that he would be the one to rule on the merits of their ideas and help make the final decision.
Finally, Diefenbaker perked up and ran to the apartment door. Fraser was right behind him, pistol drawn. He stood beside the door waiting. Two taps, followed by two more and Ray's voice, "Did you set up a password and forget to tell me? Open the damned door, Fraser!" The mountie threw the door open and Ray hurried in, his arms once again full of packages.
"You have got to move to a building with an elevator that works." He dumped the bags on the table, threw his top coat over a chair, and checked his watch as he hurried into the bedroom. "Six minutes to spare. Your 'cousin' wasn't too happy to hear from me."
Kate pushed herself up on the pillows, wincing as she twisted wrong and something hurt her. Both men were beside her instantly, plumping pillows and arranging bedclothes. She laughed at them, giving Ray a special look of welcome. "You two are like a couple of mother hens with one chick." She took the cell phone Ray held out to her.
"That is a very special, private number. Good news seldom comes over it, so he's always a little tense when it rings. Ben, run our ideas down for Ray. We need to decide what to tell Etienne."
Fraser brought Ray up to speed on the pickup plans. The cop had been thinking about it himself and had some ideas to contribute to the mix. At one point they looked to Kate for a decision. She dumped it back on them, "You guys know this town better than I do. Decide. You know what we have to achieve. Figure out a way to do it. A way that's safe for us all."
By the time the phone rang they were satisfied that they'd come up with a workable plan. Kate hit the button on the second ring, "Yes?" She listened for a moment. "Oui, mon vieux." More listening, then she clearly broke in on his words.
"Etienne. I'm sorry to have to bother you with this, but I'm in big trouble and I need your help. . . . I need you to come get me. . . .I'm in Chicago. . . .I don't want to be on this line too long, are you going to help or not?" Her voice threatened to break. She listened for a minute while Ray became more agitated. She looked over at her friends and spoke to them without bothering to cover the mouthpiece. "It's all right. He was just indulging in some Gallic excess." She spoke again into the phone. "If this were a simple situation I would not need you to help me deal with it. Are you going to help or not?. . .Good. How soon can you be here?. . .Excellent! I'm going to put one of my friends on the line. He will explain how the pickup will work and you two can figure out recognition signals." She listened some more, then spoke in a very quiet voice. "If any harm comes to them, I will be very unhappy. The security on this has to be impeccable. . . . All right, I'll see you tonight." She handed the phone to Ray who took it and moved into the kitchen while Ben settled her more comfortably.
Fraser followed as soon as he could. He could tell the cop was furious. He had never heard him use such a ferocious tone; his voice was low and vicious. "Listen you bastard! She's hurt and you just exhausted her. If this is the way you treat family, you can just keep your ass in New York! We'll take care of her ourselves!"
Fraser could hear what sounded like very irate French coming over the line which was soon drowned out by equally irate Italian coming from Ray. Ben put a calming hand on Ray's shoulder as he took the phone from the cop's hand.
"Sir, this is accomplishing nothing. Kate has asked for your help, do you intend to provide it?" Fraser's calm, polite, but very firm voice seemed to calm St. Michel. Ben listened for a moment, "Very good, sir. Hold just one moment, please." He covered the mouthpiece with his hand. "Ray. He says of course he intends to help. I believe he is as upset by the idea of Kate being hurt and in danger as we are. We have to work with him. Try to stay calm and tell him the plan. Please?"
Ray had been standing with his head tipped forward, trying to calm himself with one of the breathing tricks Ben had told him about. To his surprise, it seemed to be working. He straightened up, took a deep breath and held out his hand for the phone.
"Mr. St. Michel? Here's the plan . . ." Within three minutes he had outlined their plan and had settled on the arrangements with the New Yorker. "All right, we'll see you then. What? . . . No, I don't believe she needs anything special now. Oh, this phone line will be out of service in five more minutes. I have your number, if something goes badly wrong I'll call it. I assume someone will be able to forward a call to you? Fine. Goodbye." Ray disconnected the call and put the phone on the table. "Well, that was certainly unpleasant." He headed back to the bedroom.
"Ray, I'm sorry."
"Kate, I'm sorry."
Their voices overlapped and both stopped speaking at the same moment. Kate gave him an uncertain smile. He waved to her to talk first.
"Etienne has always reacted badly to me getting hurt. I should have thought of a better way to break this to him. It's my fault. He really is a good friend and someone we can trust."
Vecchio sat on the bed beside her, nodding with a little shame- faced smile. "Yeah, I could tell once we quit yelling at each other. Everything is arranged. I brought you some clothes and stuff. Do you want to see them now, or are you too tired?"
Kate perked up at that. "Clothes?" The men brought the packages in and dumped them around her on the bed.
"I took the sizes from the clothes you were wearing when you arrived. That reminds me Benny. Help me remember to get rid of those. They're still in the plastic bag in the Riv's trunk. I'd have a hell of a time explaining how I have a bag of bloody women's clothes in my trunk. Anyway, I was going for warm and not too flashy. I thought you'd prefer to leave in something besides one of Fraser's flannel shirts." He looked over at Ben with a teasing smile. "Not that they aren't perfectly fine, at the right time and place."
"Leave Ben alone, Ray. Open something."
Fraser stayed back, perfectly willing to let Ray display his purchases for her. He did notice, however, that Ray had left one package on the table, so he helpfully brought it in. "You forgot this, Ray."
"What? Oh, that's just some . . . I thought Kate might prefer to open it alone." He was getting a little flustered, almost blushing, a condition Fraser would never have believed Ray Vecchio capable of.
"Open it Ben." Kate thought she knew what it must be, but the spirit of mischief was in the air and she was willing to play along. Fraser ripped the bag open, spilling several items of feminine underwear on the bed. She pulled a lacy bra toward her, "This is very nice, Ray. Of course, you know, in many cultures you'd have to marry me after this."
He looked up from the package he was opening, returning her smile. "Sorry, I'm spoken for." Where the hell did that come from? Vecchio was shocked at what he just said. He looked over at Fraser, who was just standing there, looking pleased with himself. Kate followed his gaze to Ben, who nodded solemnly.
"Really?" Kate asked.
Fraser nodded. "Really."
"The story of my life. Well, what else did you buy, Ray?"
By the time he'd shown her the rest of his purchases, she was tired and ready for a nap. Fraser had been clearing up behind the fashion show, so it took only a moment to get her settled. The men returned to the kitchen to go over the logistics one last time.
"So, if we eat supper about seven, that gives plenty of time to get dressed and leave. She can probably get an after dinner nap in if she needs it."
"You've done a good job with this, Ray. Very credible. Have you done dignitary security before?"
"Everything I know, I learned from TV, Fraser. See what you've missed? Do you want to take the first nap shift?"
Fraser drew his lover to his feet, "Why don't you go. You've been running most of the day; you look like you could use some rest yourself." Fraser gave him a little push toward the bedroom, then went over to open the kitchen window so Diefenbaker could go for his afternoon run. He closed the window, returning to the bedside as Ray slipped off his shoes and put his watch on the nightstand. Fraser leaned over to smooth Kate's hair.
"Kate, it's just us." She woke up enough to recognize Ben as he picked her up.
"What? It's not time yet?"
"No. Go back to sleep." Ray settled himself comfortably on the bed and Fraser laid Kate in his arms. She snuggled against him, one arm across his body. She mumbled something against Ray's chest and was immediately, deeply asleep. Fraser straightened the blankets, then knelt beside the bed, curious about Ray's almost silent laugh.
"What?"
"She said I smell good. Benny, this is absolutely the weirdest thing I have ever been involved with in my entire life!"
Ben nodded in agreement. He reached over and unbuckled Ray's belt. "That will be more comfortable, and you're right, it is weird, and she's right," he leaned down for a quick kiss, "you do smell good. I'll trade places with you in a couple of hours." Fraser rose and returned to the kitchen table. The apartment was very quiet. He opened the window a little to let in the cool spring air. If he closed his eyes, he could almost believe he was back in the Territories. The spell was broken by Diefenbaker's whine at the window. Fraser let him in, taking the opportunity to lean out into the alley to look around. Everything seemed normal.
Tuesday 1830 hours
Ray had just pulled the lasagna from the oven when Ben walked Kate in to sit down. Her hair was a little damp from her bath and she was wrapped in Fraser's robe again.
"Lasagna. Nature's perfect food!"
He was pleased with her reaction. "It's my Ma's. She always has a ton of it in the freezer, so I brought some back with me
Sunday."
They went over the pickup plan once more while they ate. When he was satisfied, Ray pushed back from the table.
"Okay. I'm going to get our ride. I'll be back in about an hour."
Fraser cleaned up the supper dishes, then walked her back to bed.
"You should rest."
Kate slipped an arm around his waist. "I know." She sighed deeply. "But I am so damned tired of resting, Ben."
Fraser laughed as she settled on the bed. He reclined beside her, smoothing her hair as she laid her head on his shoulder. She could feel the tension in his body and slid her hand across his chest to give him a little hug.
"What's wrong, Ben? It's nearly over." She sat up to see his face. For a moment his fears and uncertainties played across his features.
"Beloved Ben!" Kate leaned up to kiss his cheek, "Tell me."
Fraser smiled ruefully, "I really can't say. It's a lot of things. I'm still trying to understand how Ray . . ." He blinked quickly, swallowing hard in an effort to keep his voice ordinary.
"What? Is it the homosexual thing? Is someone giving you grief over that?" She looked suddenly very fierce, like she would gladly hunt them down for him. Fraser pulled her braid over her shoulder, flicking the end around in imitation of an infuriated cat's tail.
"Pull in your claws." He smiled reassuringly. "No one knows about us yet. Except you. I don't know what will happen when they do. And I'm not worried about that - not on my account. I don't have anyone to be hurt by it. No," he colored a little, embarrassed to say the words out loud. "I don't know why Ray loves me. I don't deserve him. I feel . ."
Fraser was startled into silence by her hand slapping his chest hard enough to sting. "That's enough! It's bad enough Pauli has these fits of insecurity. I will not put up with them from you, Ben Fraser! You are both absolutely infuriating." She glared into his startled blue eyes.
"Love happens. If one is extraordinarily fortunate. There is no 'understanding' to be done. Be grateful. Damn it, be happy!" Tears welled up in her eyes, surprising them both. She ducked her head, wiping angrily at her face. After a few moments, she sniffed once or twice and gave him a little smile. "For once in your life, don't analyze something to death, Ben. Just enjoy it, okay?"
"Yes, ma'am. I will work on that." He settled her back against his chest, rubbing her back and thinking calming thoughts. She shifted a little to find just the right spot and dozed off with his arms around her and part of his shirt clutched in her hand.
Fraser held her, wondering if they'd see one another again after this evening. He knew what she intended to do when she was well, and how hazardous the next few months would be. Of course, he also knew that it was utterly impossible to stop what she planned. So he lay there, absently rubbing her back, remembering when they met. It was certainly different than his meeting with Ray. Who would have predicted that he and Ray would become friends? Certainly no one could have guessed they would become lovers. He was still amazed by that turn of events himself. The mountie rested quietly, meditating on the strange twists his life had taken over the years, feeling extraordinarily fortunate to have known and loved these two remarkable people and totally unaware that they felt exactly the same way about him.
After a while Ray let himself quietly in the apartment, giving Dief a pat as he passed the wolf on the way into the bedroom. "Hey, Fraser. You know you have a wolf at your door?" He laughed at his joke, which was even funnier as Ben didn't seem to understand the reference. The cop waved off his question, "Never mind, I'll explain later. Wait till you see the ride I got us. Just into the Impound Lot. You'll love it." He rummaged in the closet for the clothes he was going to wear that evening and headed for the bathroom. Half an hour later he emerged freshly showered and shaved. He dressed quickly, giving attention to every detail. He was pleasantly aware of Fraser's scrutiny as he finished.
"So, Benny, what do you think?"
"You look very nice, Ray. I had not thought to be so formal. . ."
"Look, Benny. We don't want to stand out from the crowd when we meet St. Michel. And we don't want to look out of place in the ride I borrowed. And, most importantly, we don't want these East Coast types looking down on us like we're Midwestern provincials, do we?"
"Well, Ray, in the strictest sense, I'm not Midwestern. Although, I suppose I could be considered provincial as in Canadian prov. . ." Fraser was cut off by Kate's warm fingers across his mouth.
"Leave Ray alone, Ben." She shifted around to look Ray over. "My, my, Detective Vecchio. You do look good enough to eat." Ray was looking very handsome in a dark, well-tailored suit with a black, collarless silk shirt. "Keep this up, we'll have to call you Don Vecchio."
He sketched her a little bow, "Thank you, thank you. Appreciation at last. Your turn, Benny."
While Ben changed Ray brought out the clothes he'd bought for Kate to wear. She moved to the chair and he brushed her hair until it fell in smooth waves down her back. With some direction from Kate he managed to gather it into a french roll, held with a handful of chignon pins he'd grabbed from Frannie's stuff.
Kate caught his hand and pulled him around to sit on the bed beside her. "Ray, I have been trying to figure out how to say this." She looked down at his hand which she still held in hers, then up into his eyes. "Thank you for saving my life." He shook his head, trying to come up with a flip rejoinder, but the serious look in her eyes stopped him. "Don't try to pass this off. I know you don't want to hear this, but I need to say it. And you, my dear, caro Pauli, you are old enough to be able to accept a thank you." She held up one hand, "I say, 'Thank you Ray for saving my life' and you say 'You're welcome'. Got that?" She waited for his reluctant nod. "Good. Thank you, Ray, for saving my life." She waited expectantly.
"You're welcome." He managed to get the words out without blushing too much. Kate laughed and patted his hand before releasing it.
"See, that wasn't too bad was it?" Her smile slowly turned into a serious look. "There's just one or two things. In a couple of days, when I'm back in New York, I can reach my chief. Once I can talk to him, I think the danger from Kincaid will be over for you guys. He'll be on the run. Hopefully, no one will know about you anyway. Just be a little careful for a few more days, okay? Maybe you could go out of town for the rest of the week? Whatever, just be careful. If you ever need Etienne, call the Purple Unicorn in New York. Say who you are and ask for him. You both will be on the list to be put through. He can always reach me eventually."
Ray leaned toward her, tucking a stray hair behind her ear, then kissing her cheek. "All right. Quit fretting. You're beginning to sound like Benny. Come on, I'll help you get dressed."
By the time Fraser was through in the bath, Kate was almost dressed. As he had said, Ray had shopped with an eye to warmth and comfort. There was no coyness between them this time. He helped her into the underwear he'd chosen, then a long silk slip; somewhere he'd heard that silk was warm. The only salvageable item of her original clothing was the ankle- high boots she'd worn. He'd bought black wool knee socks to wear with the boots. Fraser watched the process as he finished dressing in his one civilian suit, a dark wool with white shirt and a patterned tie Ray had given him for their one month anniversary. He was fussing with the knot as Ray helped her step into the ankle length, long sleeved black jersey dress he'd picked out. Ray zipped it up and arranged the cowl neckline so it draped properly.
"So, what do you think, Benny?"
"I think you're both beautiful." He took her coat from the closet, hanging it with Ray's topcoat by the front door. "We have time for some tea before we leave." The sound of the kettle being filled and placed on the stove to heat brought them to join the mountie at the table. Kate looked at them.
"Are we doing a vampire imitation? Or a bad gangster movie? Not that you both don't look wonderful. And Ray, this dress is incredible. You may have missed your calling after all." She patted his hand and said, "Thank you for taking such good care of me, Ray." She sat and waited. After a moment, Ray realized he'd missed his cue. Fraser was mystified when she repeated, "Thank you for taking such good care of me, Ray."
Ray threw him a glance, then turned to her and said. "You're very welcome, Kate." They both dissolved in giggles, leaving Ben to wonder just what was going on. They sat quietly, drinking their tea, chatting a little. All too soon it was time to go.
Diefenbaker sat beside her, laying his head in her lap. Kate leaned down to kiss him between the ears, then held the wolf's head between her hands so he would see her lips. "I'm going to miss you, Diefenbaker. Thank you for all your help. Take care of these two for me, okay?"
He gave her a lick on the cheek and a strange warbling came from his throat as the wolf threw himself at her feet, resting his head on one boot. Fraser coaxed the wolf off her foot and took him into the bedroom. Ray and Kate could hear him explaining why Dief could not accompany them to the pickup. Ben rejoined them, shaking his head. "He just does not seem to understand the concept 'low profile'."
Ray had his coat on, "I'll go down and get the car. Give me a couple of minutes. I'll be right at the door." He headed down the stairs.
Fraser helped Kate into her coat, buttoning it for her. Her hands closed on his as she leaned against him. Ben hugged her gently, pulling his handkerchief from his pocket for her. She dabbed at her eyes, but didn't move away from him.
"How can I ever thank you, Ben?"
He suddenly understood the interplay between Ray and Kate a little before. Ben smiled and turned her face up so he could look into her eyes. "You're welcome, Kate." Still smiling, he kissed her gently on the lips. "And you are always welcome here. Drop by anytime you're in town."
Kate laughed out loud at that. "Don't worry. You haven't seen the last of me."
Fraser opened the door and led her down the stairs. She stood to one side when they got to the street door while Ben stepped out and scanned the dark street. Ray was waiting in a new black Mercedes sedan, the rear passenger door slightly ajar. Ben waved for Kate to join him and had her in the back seat in a matter of seconds. He jumped into the front seat and Ray pulled away from the curb even before his door closed. Fraser looked around the luxurious interior, sitting sideways on his seat so he could see Kate in the back seat.
She ran a hand across the soft leather of the seat, "My stars, Ray. Where did you get this?"
"From the Impound Lot. A drug dealer was arrested in it over the weekend. Not only is it a gorgeous car, it's bulletproof and there's absolutely no comeback to us."
"Damn!", the admiration in her voice enhanced his pleasure in the car considerably. "I tell you, if you ever want to change employers, we could use you. The both of you. People who can think and make decisions are worth their weight in gold to us."
Ray looked at her in the rearview mirror. "You guys are hiring?" The brief tightening of her expression reminded him of the circumstances of their meeting. "I'm sorry - sometimes I am just so . . ."
Fraser's hand on his arm and her sharp voice from the back seat cut him off.
"That's enough of that! Ben you've got to work on him." She scooted forward on the seat, reaching out to put a hand on his shoulder for a moment. "We're sort of like the military, Ray. We're always looking for the right people. Of course, we are a few people short at the moment." She gave a low, wicked chuckle. "And we will be shorter, soon." To change the subject she asked, "How far is it?"
"Half an hour, forty minutes. Just sit back and enjoy the ride." Ray drove the powerful luxury car toward downtown. It was the most lawabiding Fraser had ever seen him. He didn't even hurry to make the lights. Eventually, he felt the mountie's eyes on him and glanced over to see what the problem was. Fraser's relaxed pose clued him in.
"Well, Benny, I do know what a low profile is." He smiled and returned his attention to his driving. Before long they were in the midst of the late evening downtown traffic.
"The symphony is just up ahead. Looks like they just got out." Ray circled the block once, cruising slowly, careful of the traffic. "You guys watch for a dark limo with the Italian flag on its fender. He heard her low laugh from the rear and knew she appreciated his joke. The second trip around Ben spoke, "Is that it?" Sure enough, there was a limo cruising in the same direction with two small Italian VIP flags attached to the hood. The cars stopped together at the next light and the passenger window rolled down, showing the man in the back seat. Kate lowered her window on the driver's side; they smiled at oneanother.
"It's Etienne, Ray." The cop nodded and drove down a few blocks to a lighted, deserted parking lot, the other vehicle following at a discrete distance. Ray stopped in the middle of the lot, the Mercedes pointed to an exit. He put it in park and watched the other limo pull up along side. Ray quietly slipped his handgun from it's holster and was relieved to see Ben taking his backup .38 from his waistband as well. Kate opened the door and in a moment St. Michel was sitting in the back seat with her.
He lifted her hand to his lips in greeting, then cupped her face gently, seeing the remains of her cuts and bruises for the first time. "Who did this? I'll kill the son of a bitch!"
"It's all right, Etienne. I'll explain once we're away. These are my friends. I will not introduce them tonight. Gentlemen, this is my cousin, Etienne St. Michel." The men nodded stiffly to each other. Ray put his arm on the back of his seat, twisting around so he could look St. Michel in the face, letting him see the weapon in his hand.
Etienne ignored the provocation. "Gentlemen, I am grateful for the help you have given my cousin." He reached very slowly into his inside breast pocket. "My card. If there is anything I can ever do for you, call." As he handed a card to each of the men there was a light tap on the window. "We must be going now, Michaela."
Kate leaned forward, giving first Ray, then Fraser a soft, lingering kiss. Etienne watched for a moment, then opened his door and stepped from the car, reaching back in to offer his hand to Kate. Ray hit the button to roll his window down, turning to look over at the car idling beside them. A fit young man had just finished removing the Italian flags and holders from the hood. He leaned down slightly and offered them to Ray, who took then with his left hand and dropped them on the seat between himself and Benny. Two other bodyguard types in long coats were stationed around the car, not paying attention to what was going on with their employer, but keeping watch on the area around them.
Kate slid across the seat, took St. Michel's hand, and was gone. Two steps on the asphalt of the parking lot and she was in the back seat of the limo. St. Michel followed her quickly, the bodyguards were on board and in a matter of thirty seconds, the limo was pulling into traffic on the way to the airport.
"I suppose we shouldn't follow them, huh, Benny?"
"No, I don't believe so."
With a sigh, the cop put the Mercedez in gear and headed back to the Impound Lot. The ride was short and quiet. Fraser waited in the Riv while Ray returned the borrowed vehicle, chatting for a few minutes with the uniformed officer on duty.
They were pulling out of the lot when he looked over at Ben. "You know, we didn't make arrangements for them to let us know they got back to New York okay."
"I know. I'm sure she'll arrange something when it's safe." The Riv cruised through downtown, the occupants caught in their thoughts. Eventually, "Ray?"
"Yeah, Benny?"
"Where are we going?"
Ray looked around him, "Hell if I know, Benny." He gave his partner a glance, "You hungry?"
"No. Let's go home."
Ray nodded and turned at the next light, headed back to the apartment. In short order they were climbing the stairs to Fraser's door.
Vecchio hung his top coat on the coat rack beside the apartment door, then followed Fraser into the bedroom. "This is Wednesday morning, isn't it?"
Ben hung his suit jacket in the closet and turned to his friend. "Yes, it is."
"Well, we can really pack a lot into four days, can't we, Benny?" He looked around the room, "You know, it feels kind of strange, to be here alone. . ." He pulled his suit coat off, unable to find the words to convey his thought. Fraser brought him a hanger, waited while Ray settled the coat on it to his liking, then put one hand on the back of the cop's neck and pulled him into a kiss. It started out warm and caring but quickly transmuted into passionate need. The hanger slipped from Ray's hand to the floor where it was shortly joined by the rest of their clothes.
The urgency of their need sent them stumbling toward the bed, where they fell in a tangle of limbs on the narrow mattress. Ray rolled across Ben's body, one hand caught in his hair, the other tracing lightly down his throat, across his chest, to his cock. This was heaven, to be holding Ben, to be held by Ben. The mountie's strong arms held him tightly, locking them together.
The tension and suppressed fears of the last four days fueled their first frenzied coupling; their climaxes were explosive and exhausting. They lay panting in each other's arms, barely able to think, let alone speak. Eventually Ray squirmed his way to a more comfortable position, leaning over to kiss Ben's chest over his heart. He licked at the sweat on Fraser's skin, smiling at the shiver that ran through the mountie's fine body, then relaxed against his chest.
Benny managed to run his hand down Ray's spine, letting it come to rest cupping a smooth, muscular buttock. Fraser was almost asleep when Ray raised up to look down at him. Vecchio insinuated his knee between Benny's legs and brushed his hair from his forehead. "Benny?" Ray waited a little for some response. "Benny." His voice was a little firmer and he poked his lover lightly in the ribs.
Fraser let out a little groan. "Can't this possibly wait, Ray?"
"No. Open your eyes Benny", he kissed his throat, "Ben", he kissed his lips so lightly Ben was not sure he'd done it, "Beloved Ben", he licked around a nipple before giving it a light suck and kiss. "Look at me Benny," the cop's voice had an edge to it. "Things can get rough if you ignore me."
Fraser smiled and looked up into the green eyes, "Is that a promise, Ray?"
The cop chortled at Benny's approximation of an evil grin, "Oh, you are bad, Fraser. Everyone thinks you are so nice, but you are really SO bad. Deceitful, that's what I call it. That innocent act of yours; you're a con man. Benton Fraser, Con Man of the North."
"Is there a point to all this, Ray?" Fraser ran his fingers up and down the length of Ray's arm, barely grazing the skin. He smiled at the gleam in Ray's green eyes.
"Don't distract me. I had a point. . . .oh yeah." He gave in to the urge to kiss Ben's lips which were so close to his own, but kept it light and brief, a little tease to set the stage for later. "I
just wanted to double check on this 'woman out of your past' thing. Is there anyone else likely to show up? I'm only asking so I can buy some extra life insurance if there is. I want Ma and the girls to be taken care of . . ." His voice trailed off when he realized that Benny was not taking his question lightly. "Jeeze, Benny. I'm joking."
Fraser pulled himself together, remembering Kate's admonition to not over analyze things. He caressed Ray's face, running his fingers across his lips, letting them be drawn into Ray's mouth for a quick suck and lick.
"No, Ray. You're only partly joking." He sighed, "And I certainly can't blame you for being concerned. The only times you've met people I knew before I came here have been unpleasant. Gerrard, Eric, Vi..", it took an effort, but he managed to say her name, "Victoria, now Kate." He smiled that wistful smile that always grabbed Ray's heart and twisted it to pieces. "I really do know some nice people, Ray. They just don't seem to come to Chicago."
Ray sat up in bed, dragging the sheet around him. The room was getting colder. "I've met some of your friends who are perfectly nice." He cast about frantically for some names, needing to make Benny feel better. "Frobisher - he's okay. A little crazy maybe, but all the best people are. And Eric's family, they're fine. The twins, Patty and Sarah - they're wonderful girls." He caught Benny's hand in his. "And Kate is incredible. That's what I was getting to. When these people show up, I learn more about you. And about me. Much as I hate her, where would we be if Victoria had never come here? It was awful, but we came out okay, didn't we?" His latent insecurities were clamoring for release; Fraser could see the 'Pauli" part of his personality seeping into the cop's eyes.
"Yes, Ray. We're just fine. I wouldn't change a thing. Not even the bad parts."
Ray nodded, "Right. The last few days taught me a lot about myself, and us. We've done more serious talking about our lives together than we've done since we started this. I can't be sorry about that, Benny." He leaned down for a lingering kiss. Fraser pulled him closer, to lie with his head on Ben's chest. Fraser slipped his hand up to knead the back of Ray's neck.
"We have to talk more, Ray. I want to know everything there is to know about you." His hand slipped down Ray's spine to the small of his back, gently working the muscles there for a moment. "I need you in my life, for the rest of my life."
The cop moaned softly as he ran his hand over Fraser's ribcage, down his side, across his hip to the mountie's growing erection. "Me too, Benny. Whatever happens. Forever."
finis