Author's disclaimer: Alliance own them. I don't, but at least I'm doing something with them.

Author's notes: Hi again. This is the last (for the moment) part of the piece of fluff which started with Song of Heart's Desire and continued with Hearts Breaking Even. For the titles of the stories, I have to thank Jon Bon Jovi for Hearts Breaking Even and Bruce Springsteen for Two Hearts. Song of Heart's Desire is a beautiful traditional song.

Thanks again to everyone who took the time to let me know their opinion - I can't tell you how much I appreciate it. Please let me know about this one. Thanks particularly to Linda for her kind words after something nasty occurred.

In the end, as in the beginning, for Juliet. When your best friend dies, you take comfort and support wherever you can get it...

TWO HEARTS

                                 "...the end of all our exploring 
                                      will be to arrive where we started

and to know the place for the first time."

Fuck. I pull away from the Consulate leaving him standing there on the doorstep. It would be the easiest thing in the world to go back, throw him in the car and take him home with me. But I can't. I have to try and get a bit of distance between us, try and get a take on what's happened today.

Oh sure, I knew who he was, so I had that advantage over him, but turning round seeing him standing in the middle of the floor, looking lost and beautiful, basically lost me any ground I had gained over the past three weeks. He looked - hurt. The flare of recognition in his eyes was quickly damped down and I was damn careful around him after that first hug, which I just couldn't help. I could put that down to just trying to be Vecchio. After all, Vecchio would have greeted him with a hug, right?

God, I don't know. I don't know anything anymore. When I met Vecchio and he told me all about this mad Mountie who was his unofficial partner, I just thought 'Whatever'. Even when I saw a picture of him I didn't register - this guy looked so retentive. But then I had another look and then I saw him - I saw Benny Ben under that mask and my heart just about stopped.

When I met him and we went back to my place, we had great sex and he stayed, which was nice. In the morning I hadn't really wanted him to go, but he did, and I got on with my life. I assumed he was somewhere getting on with him, and that was it. But now we're thrown together, and the spark is there - the connection I guess you'd call it.

And now I'm running scared. I don't know what to do.

I get to my apartment, switch on the stereo and snag a beer from the fridge, collapsing on the couch. But I get up again in a matter of seconds and walk to the bedroom. He fucked me on this bed and I loved it. And then he stayed, and I loved that too, maybe even more.

I promised him that I wouldn't let him fall, and I won't. I will catch him every time he stumbles, but what about me? Because I have an awful feeling that it's too late and I'm already on my ass looking at the sky. My skin has that tender, flayed feeling and I'm edgy. I recognise the symptoms. Oh Jesus, help me. This was never meant to happen.

There's no way I'll sleep tonight - I'm tired right down to my soul, but my mind won't stop working. Won't stop picturing that damn Mountie leaning towards me at the restaurant. I told him that I wanted to take his pain away, and I do.

I love him. Whether I'm 'in love' is a different thing. Too early to tell, because he has been a total bastard all day with his silly jabs and his equally silly comments. But I let him do what he wanted with me and I put myself in front of him when he could have been hurt.

I will never let him fall.

I lie on the bed fully clothed, trying to listen to the music on the stereo. God alone knows what it is - I've got so many CDs that I've forgotten what half of them sound like. It's bluesy/country. Mellow. Gram Parsons? Think so.

Well that distracted me for a good twenty seconds, and now here I am thinking about Fraser again. Sighing I get off the bed and pick up the car keys. Guess we all know where this night will end.

By the time I reach the Consulate I've calmed down a bit, but there's no way I can wait until morning now. The place is in darkness, but I don't really care.

Repeated hammering brings rewards and a distinctly tousled Fraser appears at the door, wearing only his RCMP sweats. Now that's Benny Ben.

"Ray?" he says. Those Mountie deductive powers scare me sometimes.

"Yeah, Ray," I answer. "I'm sorry Fraser, I know what I said earlier, but I can't sleep and I need to talk to you."

He steps aside and lets me in. It's quiet after all the frantic activity that was going on earlier. The place smells of paint and new varnish. The portrait of the queen that the idiot Mountie was clutching is still on the floor, resting against the wall. He closes the door and locks it, leaning his head against the solid wood. It gives me a bit of time to collect what passes for thoughts.

"What did you think when you knew you would be working with me?" Fraser asks the question before he turns, so it's obviously been preying on his mind.

There's no reason for me to lie. "I almost ran," I answer. "Would have, if the operation wasn't so far advanced."

He turns to face me, looking utterly fucking adorable. Bastard.

"Why?" A simple question with a far from simple answer.

"Because." I don't go any further. I just look at him. He nods. He actually nods as if he understands.

He pushes himself away from the door before I can move and he's got those arms around me and that mouth on mine, and there's nothing that I would rather be doing and nowhere I would rather be. This is right. This is it.

Jesus.

Eventually he comes up for air, but doesn't let me go.

"You and I," he says softly. "We're connected in some way I don't understand. When I saw you in that diner it was as if I'd known you all my life and was just waiting to see you again." He laughs a little, embarrassed, but he doesn't let go.

I nod and rest my head on his shoulder, where it belongs. "Same," I say. "It scares me."

"Don't be scared. Don't let this scare you," he says, still soft. Now he starts to stroke my back, really soothing long strokes, trying to get me to relax. "This is right. This is where we belong."

"I've been here before Fraser, and I thought it was right then. It wasn't and it almost killed me..."

"Ray -," and he looks at me, all serious, and he says those words back to me. The words that just slipped out without even a clear understanding of just what I meant. "I won't let you fall."

He won't. We're both damaged I think, somehow. Bad shit has happened in his past, just the same as mine, and we both know not to let it happen again. I'll hurt him and he'll hurt me - it's inevitable - but it doesn't have to be final.

Reaching up, I tangle my hands in that soft hair of his and pull his face down to mine.

He pulls away slightly, just before I can reach his mouth.

"Maybe it's time to forget about the past Ray. Time to reach for the future."

Then he kisses me again, and I'm gone. His hand is under my T-shirt now, stroking my back, still soothing, nothing more yet, and it feels fantastic. I press against his hand trying to let him know that I want more, and I feel him smile against my mouth.

His hand works a bit lower until it's resting on the waistband of my jeans. He pulls a little bit and I move forward willingly, until we're fused at the hips. He starts to trail kisses along my jaw and I just know he's heading for my neck. I remember his attention to that bit from before. To distract him I slide a hand down the front of his sweats. He jumps and puts one of his hands on top of mine, over the cotton. I don't know what he's planning, but he just holds me there.

"Ray," he says softly. That's all, then he's reached my neck.

I move my hand against him and he gives this sort of half groan and bites down kinda hard. He wants this. The repressed Mountie is only daywear. At night, I know him.

He moves his hand away and pulls away just long enough to pull my shirt off. I return the favour and can't help smiling. This smooth skin, these muscles. I remember this and I want it again.

He kisses me again, long and hard, moving his hips against my hand and hey, I'm not stupid, I get the message. I tighten my grip and begin to stroke him. I try and slide out of his arms so I can get on my knees, but he kind of holds me up. 'Kay, whatever. He's back on my neck now and my head has gone back so much that I can feel my back aching from the arch it's being held in. It's amazingly uncomfortable and I can't think of a better way of getting a backache.

"Would you like to move this to a more comfortable place, Ray?" he asks.

"Oh yeah," I answer, dropping everything, so to speak.

He walks around me and picks up our scattered clothing. I follow him; one finger tucked in the waistband of his sweats, not willing to let him go. He doesn't seem to mind.

Apparently, he thinks this bed is more comfortable than standing in the hall. It's a pretty close run thing if you ask me. Still... I've got nearly six feet of Mountie lying underneath me, and that's mostly soft.

I take my time exploring his body, discovering all those spots you don't tell anyone about. When I bite his stomach he makes a noise that from anybody else would be described as a giggle. I don't think I'll ever get enough of that noise.

I keep trying to go down on him and he keeps pulling me up to kiss him, so in the end I give up and just kind of shift around on top of him, finding the best position for us both. I find it by accident when suddenly his whole body jerks and he gasps my name. I kiss him, tangling my hands in his hair again - Christ I love his hair! - and keep moving. I love the noises he's making - little gasps and grunts. His eyes are open, wild - my man is back.

His whole body goes taut and he comes almost silently, strong arms holding me really tight. Kinda hurts, but feels pretty good too. Nice to know I won't hurt him.

We like there for a minute, not speaking or moving, and even though I'm still hard I'm half asleep when he suddenly flips me over onto my back. I laugh for the sheer pleasure of being here, with him.

He's here. He's back in my arms and in my bed where he belongs and I will never let him go now.

It takes so little to have him writhing under me, hands clutching at anything. Returning an old favour I take him into my mouth and his back arches off the bed and his fingers finally come to rest, once again in my hair.

"Oh god!" he groans. "Oh Frase, please..."

Reaching up I untangle one of his hands from my hair and hold it tightly, anchoring him there with me. He pulls my hand to his mouth and begins to suck each of my fingers. I have to pull away because I can't concentrate on what I'm supposed to be doing.

I learn the taste and smell of him all over again as I suck. Salt and sweat and - Ray. All good things, all combining to bring me to this moment.

He's tired and a bit overwrought and can't last long, and when he comes I happily take all he can give.

I slide back up his body until I'm lying full length on him, reaching down to kiss his neck. I'll admit one day that I have a fascination with that portion of his anatomy. It'll be interesting to see how he reacts.

He puts his arms around me, hardly able to keep his eyes open and begins to stroke and knead my back, at the same time shifting his hips under me. He's willing to let me do whatever he wants to his body, but he'll be of no help. He's almost asleep. I kiss him and he does his best to respond, but like a child, the energy is gone.

I won't take any further pleasure on him while he's like this - I want him awake and participating.

We will have much to talk about and there will without a doubt be problems along the way, but I want him, perhaps more than I've wanted anything - or anyone - in my life. I will fight for him. And I will win.

I slide to one side of him and gather him into my arms. He comes to me with a sigh and a mumbled phrase. I answer it.

"And I you, Ray. And I you."

THE END