Author's webpage: http://members.tripod.com/daisy_poo/duesouth.html

The Angel 2: For the Love of Ray

Part 1

It had been 2 months since Benton Fraser: Angel Extrodonair had come into Ray's life. It was almost the same as if he had been alive, besides the fact nobody else could see him.

And life went on. A new Constable was brought into the Consulate, Frannie found a new love intrest, and Ray remained without a partner. People that had not heard the news still asked about the Mountie. Where was he? And What happened? after they were told about his death. Ray could still vividly remember the funeral. Fraser had looked impeccable as ever, but everyone else was a mess. Even the stately Inspector Thatcher.

As time passed, she began to get over the loss of her subordinate. She was often found crying by Turnbull, whom, of course, joined her.

"I wish I could have said goodbye Ray." Fraser said, on a cold Febuary morning.

"It wasn't exactly your fault Benny. You didn't choose to die." Ray comforted his friend. That Ray was comforting Fraser was an ironic twist to the normal course of life. But neither noticed or really cared that reality, for them at least, was a bit bent.

Ray suddenly got out of bed with a start, after noticing the time on his clock radio. He began rushing around his room, grabbing various articles of clothing out of drawers and the closet. Fraser knew better than to get in the way, so he made a hasty departure.

"Benny, where did I put my watch..." Ray looked up to an empty room. "Oh, hell, I need a new one anyway." He was feeling particularly lazy that day. Looking for his watch was last on his 'To Do' list.

When Ray finally jumped into the Riv, Fraser and Dief were already there waiting for him.

"Wait long?" Ray started up the car. He loved to hear that engine roar.

"No Ray, we just got here."

"Good." He pulled out, and took off.

"Ray, there is glass at the next light." Sure enough, there it was.

"You are beggining to sound like Ma. Watch out for speeding drivers, that man has a gun, sniper on the roof, glass in the street... "

"Ray, I am your guardian angel."

"Thanks Benny. I apreciate it." Ben was pleasantly surprised at this. It wasn't like Ray to say something like that.

"That was a really nice thing to say Ray."

"You did die to protect me Benny." Ray smiled at Fraser. Every time the dead guy got aggrivating, he stopped to remember that.

"It is nice to know you care." Fraser looked over at Ray. During his career as an angel, he had wondered if it was worth it. To lose his life for his friend. Now he could never fall in love, fight injustice or work for the RCMP again. But in life, he had always known he would die for Ray if he had to. And he had.

"Just don't expect me to get all mushy a lot."

"Understood."

Part 2

Valentine's Day. Ray had a rare day off. He supposed Benny did too, he hadn't seen him all day. He had decided to spend the day watching basketball on TV, but first he needed provisions.

Ray grabbed his keys and hopped into his Riviara. The car was unusually silent. No Fraser. Just him and the road.

What did dead people do anyway? Did they have clubs in Heaven? An old friend once said it was like life, only better. If that was true, he was probobly in Heaven's version of Runamuckluk, or whereever he came from.

I bet he is rounding up a gremlin that stole someone's angel dust, Ray chuckled to himself.

As he pulled up to the store, he took off his shades and gaped. There on the sidewalk before him, was the most beautiful woman he had ever seen in his life...

At the Canadian Consulate, Inspector Thatcher was sitting at her desk. She was also fingering a small box. Inside, nestled among a black velvet floor, was a gold compass. She rubbed the cover, engraved with a short message: To Ben with love, Meg. She had meant it for him... That and a confession. Soul searching all those sleepless nights lead her to one conclusion; she loved Ben Fraser.

And now he was gone.

Fighting back the tears that pricked at her eyes, she put the box back into her desk. His death was hard to accept. When she had thought he was dead before, Meg had grieved for him. But it had not been like this... it was real and vivid this time. He wasn't going to suddenly reappear to her.

Meg sank her head into her arms, and began to softly cry.

"Meg?" She looked up with a shocked expression on her face.

"Fraser?" He stepped forward toward her desk, and smiled.

"Yes, it's me." She stood quickly, composing herself.

"But... Ben, you're dead! Are you real?" She stepped up to him.

"Yes, I am very real. Meg, I had to say goodbye." She smiled. Reaching to touch his Serge-clad arm, she found her hand passed right through.

"Ben?" Her surprise caused her to step back.

"Meg, I can't stay. But I am always with you." He gave a sad smile.

"I miss you."

"I know. Don't forget me."

"I could never forget you Ben."

"Goodbye."

"I love you."

"I know." Meg brushed away as a tear. He was gone. Forever.

Part 3

Ray couldn't believe his eyes. She was so beautiful. Long, flowing blond hair, dazzling emerald eyes. She was tall, and so perfect.

The woman walked into the convenience store gracefully. Ray jumped out of the car, not even noticing that Fraser had returned and was wearing a worried frown. He followed his friend faithfully into the store.

Ray in turn followed the woman to the back of the store, where he faced her and gave his best grins.

"Hi, my name is Ray Vecchio, what's yours?" She faced him and gave an uncertain smile.

"Hello, my name is Vanessa."

At this point, Fraser stepped beside Ray.

"Ray, you should really get away from her." Ray ignored Fraser.

"Vanessa, that is a lovely name." He could feel the charm setting in.

"Thanks. Ray is sort of a nice name." She was nervous and agitated. Fraser could see it written all over her.

"Ray, this woman is nothing but trouble." Ray whirled around and faced Fraser.

"You jealous Canuck! Do they ever let up in Canada, or is that just you? Can't you drop it? Or bring it up later? Take a day off." He was furious.

"Ray, calm down. You are yelling at nothing." Fraser, startled by this reaction tried to keep his composure.

"No, I am yelling at you! This isn't nothing Fraser!" He made some wild Italian-like hand gestures.

"Yes, you are. According to them anyway." He indicated the large audience of staring people in the small store.

Vanessa put a hand on Ray's shoulder.

"Are you ok?" Ray turned, cleared his throat, and glanced around.

"Fine, just fine. Would you like some coffee?" Vanessa shifted slightly, then gave a smile.

"Sure." He lead her outside.

"Ray, please pay attention to me. That woman is dangerous." Fraser persistantly followed.

"Yeah, like you ever had taste in criminal women." Ray muttered.

"What?" Vanessa gave him a strange look.

"Nothing."

Part 4

Ray couldn't believe it. Fraser just sat there for an hour, listening to him and Vanessa talk over coffee.

"This was great Ray, I had a good time. But I have to get going." She stood gracefully, revealing the butt of a gun to Fraser's keen eyes.

"Can I take you anywhere?" Ray stood also.

"No, I am fine. I will see you." She smiled, and walked out into the busy Chicago streets.

Ray turned his attention finally to the patient aparition, and sat down with a sigh.

"Ok Fraser, what is it."

"Ray, didn't you see how nervous she was in the store?" Fraser gave a look of genuine concern.

"Well, you know, meeting me must have been the greatest moment of her life. It can make a girl tremble." He gave a sarcastic smile.

"Ray, listen to me. She was loitering suspiciously in a store, at a particularly good vantage point."

"So that makes her a criminal?"

"She had a gun." Ray's face became more serious. He rubbed his head.

"Fraser, she didn't seem like a criminal to me."

"She was carrying a weapon and acting suspiciously."

"I am a cop. I am also ALIVE! So that should make me a little more qualified to judge."

"I haven't been dead very long."

"You're still dead as a doornail"

"Please trust me on this."

"Listen, it is Valentine's Day. You shouldn't be suspicious of everyone carrying a gun. I probobly will never see her again anyway." He stood and walked outside. Fraser watched after him anxiously.

The week went on. Ray did, in fact, see Vanessa again. Every night that week an aprehensive Fraser watched them dine or watch a movie together. Giving up was something Fraser was not accustomed to, so he vigilantly tried to get Ray away from that woman. She was nothing but trouble for his friend.

Ray knew. He knew he was playing with fire... but she was so beautiful. Even if she was going to rob that store, he had stopped her. If she was going to at all. He had this feeling in the pit of his stomach about her.

Sitting on his bed, he stared at a picture on the chest of drawers across the room. It was of him, Benny and Diefenbaker at the park. Elaine had taken it at a picnic she held for the precinct last summer. They had been so happy then...

I have to stop ignoring him, he said to himself. Tomorrow he would tell her it was over. Fraser had only been wrong very few times. And Ray knew this wasn't one of them.

Part 6

Saturday night. Vanessa chose her dress carefully, tonight was going to be special. Ray was coming over for a home cooked dinner, and her plan was working perfectly. Her plans had been interupted by him a week ago, but she could still profit.

At any rate, she could probobly rip him off and dissapear. He seemed rich enough, that Armani was no rag. But he also seemed crazy enough to be taken. Yelling at nothing proved that.

She chose a red dress, scarlet red. A matching pair of earrings, ruby, complimented it well. She had lifted them in Vancouver years ago, but couldn't bear to part with them. It was one of her flaws.

Vanessa went downstairs and made sure everything was perfect. Steaming pasta in a large bowl, candles, and a tasteful tablecloth. Perfect. She loaded her gun and slipped it behind her under an African violet flower. Just in case.

It was 8PM before Ray finally rang her doorbell. He came in rumpled looking, and a little worn out.

"Hi, sorry I'm late." He kissed her on the cheek.

She smiled, and they sat down to dinner. Both were holding suspicions of the other, but not caring to show it.

"Looks great." He grinned at her.

"Thanks. I made it special for you." His cell phone rang, and Ray flipped it open.

"Vecchio."

"This is Welsh, I need you down here right now. Huey just brought in Garcia, and I want you to work him over."

"Yes sir, I will be right there." He closed it again, and looked over at Vanessa.

"I have to go, we just caught one of the biggest drug dealers in Chicago, and I need to be at the station." This rather common statement caused her to become shocked.

"You're a cop?" She leaned back slightly.

"Yeah, detective. Didn't I ever tell you?" Her hand reached back slowly.

"No, you never did. How odd." She put her hand around the gun.

"Come to think of it, I don't know what you do." Vanessa whipped it out, aiming it right at a startled Ray. Hesitating to go for his own gun, he was left without it.

"Don't even try for your gun." She now had a menacing snarl on her face.

"Fraser, now would be a good time!" He yelled to his hopefully nearby guard.

"Who is this Fraser?" She had a slight puzzled look.

"My partner." As if on cue, Fraser plucked the gun out of her hands, tossed it to Ray, and dissapeared again.

"What in the world was that?"

"An object of your vivid imagination."

Speechless, she stumbled back. Ray quickly hancuffed her, and read her Miranda rights on the way into his car.

Part 7

"That dissapearing thing you do is really cool." Ray put his feet up onto his desk and smiled.

"Thank you Ray." Fraser sat in the visitor's chair beside the desk.

"Vecchio! In my office!" Ray raised his eyebrows to Fraser, and straightened his jacket on the way into Welsh's office.

"Sit down" Welsh was engrossed in a file on his desk.

"Vecchio, this file contains all of your recent cases."

"I can see that sir."

"Do you know what is interesting about each of these cases?" A hint of sarcasm was in his voice.

"No sir."

"Each of the suspects recall seeing the Mountie." Welsh noticed Ray darting a glance at the next chair.

"He did accompany me on most of my cases before his death." The sentance was still hard to say, after 2 months.

"In the last two months Detective. Can you explain this?" Another glance.

"Noooo.... I can't sir."

"Are you sure?"

"Delusion?" Welsh gave him a withering look.

"If you think of anything, don't hesitate to tell me."

"Yes sir."

"Dismissed."

THE END