Author's webpage: http://www.geocities.com/Area51/Shuttle/9832/

Disclaimer - Due South and its characters belong to Alliance. I wrote this for Eugenie Chua cos she said she wanted a happy ending - I too swing both Rays but I think it's kinda obvious where Fraser's heart is. BF/RK slash

A Happy Ending by Lucy Britt

"Hey Fraser come check this out." Ray Kowalski's voice rang out across the crowded room and everyone turned to look at him except for the one person he really wanted to be there. "Fraser's not here Ray." Detective Jack Huey spoke as gently as he could and tried not to notice when Ray's face fell a mile.

Everybody knew about Fraser and Ray Kowalski, had known about it ever since Ray Vecchio, the real Ray Vecchio, had returned to reclaim his life only to find that things had changed a little. Fraser had confided his true feelings for the blonde Kowalski to Vecchio hoping that his friend might understand, might give him the confidence to approach Kowalski but in typical Italian Catholic outrage Vecchio had blown up in his face, the strange thing was that Vecchio was the first person Fraser had told. The normally courageous Mountie had been unable to summon up the courage to tell Kowalski how he really felt, that he loved him and maybe now he never would.

Ray K's head drooped and he turned his back on the inquisitive eyes of his colleagues. Ever since he and the rest of the 27th had heard Vecchio exclaiming in disgust over Fraser's confession he had found himself thinking about Fraser and what he had said. Ray knew he could do a lot worse and it wasn't that he didn't have feelings for the Mountie cos he did, had had 'em ever since he had first seen the man but surely admitting an attraction would have blown his, and Vecchio's, cover wide open - cos everybody knew that Ray Vecchio was quite possibly the straightest man alive - although how he could have worked with a guy like Fraser for two years without feeling even the faintest twinge of desire was beyond Ray.

It had been then that Kowalski had realised that he wasn't going to lose Fraser to Vecchio, that he and the Mountie would be partners no matter what, no matter what one glowering Italian-American cop might think of them. And then, just as Ray was trying to dredge up the courage to tell Fraser that he felt about him exactly the same way Fraser had been summoned to Ottawa on some technicality to do with his job at the consulate. It had been four days now and not one word had come from Fraser as to what was happening up there and Ray kept forgetting that he'd gone, yelling for him like that, to come look at a stupid case file - way to give yourself away Kowalski!

Gay cops - it was a problem - how would his colleagues react if he did in fact shack up with Fraser, how outraged would they be? How many good contacts would he lose? How much more difficult would his job become? But he didn't really care, Fraser would only have to say the word and Ray would roll over just like Dief, begging to have his stomach scratched.

Kowalski wouldn't even allow himself to think that Fraser might end up being recalled to Canada permanently - knew he couldn't bear to lose him like that - didn't care what anyone else would think.

"Ray," Francesca was standing behind him, holding out a coffee.

"Peace offering Fran?" He asked, taking the cup with a smile.

"You miss him as much as I do don't you?" Her brown eyes were dry but Kowalski knew she had been crying, she didn't want Fraser torn from her life anymore than he did.

"Yeah I miss him." Ray took a sip of coffee and grimaced, admitting how he felt about Fraser's absence with one slight twitch of the face.

"You've heard nothing?"

"He's as likely to phone you as he is me," Ray told her knowing that what he was saying wasn't true but wanting to comfort her anyway.

"Yeah." She was smiling and Ray briefly took her hand in his.

"It'll be all right Fran."

"Hey!" Vecchio had swaggered into the room and Ray K found himself taking a deep breath. "Don't touch my sister."

"And why not?" Kowalski demanded belligerently, suddenly deciding he was tired of trying to be diplomatic, of tiptoeing around Vecchio. Hell it wasn't his fault that he had taken the man's life over, he hadn't asked for the assignment.

"You took Fraser didn't you, don't you think that's enough?"

"You.." the two men squared up for a fight and Francesca stepped between them, forcing them to back off. "You're behaving like children," she accused them both, "do you think Fraser would want you behaving like this?"

"Who knows what Fraser wants anymore," Vecchio growled, "you changed him Stanley."

Ray tried hard to ignore the mocking tone in Vecchio's voice when he said his name. "Hey I didn't change Fraser. You left him remember?"

"I did a good job undercover. What about you?"

"I wouldn't know where to start," Kowalski yelled, "I seem to have spent most of the past year clearing up your mess, your mistakes."

"Kowalski!" Welsh roared, bringing the blonde man up short, "in my office now."

Thankfully Ray turned away to follow Welsh and didn't see Vecchio's smirk because if he had he would have decked the guy.

"I've got a phone call for you," Welsh said, "thought you might prefer to take it in here." The lieutenant left his office and Ray picked up the telephone receiver, hands shaking.

"Fraser?"

"Ray, it's good to hear your voice."

"Ditto Fraser. What's going on, when you coming home?"

The hesitation made Ray's heart skip a beat. "Not for a while Ray. I'm sorry."

"Naw don't be sorry Fraser, I'll survive without you." Oh God Ray could feel the faint tickling in his nose that warned him that he might cry.

"I know you will Ray. I just.."

"What Fraser? Was there something you wanted to tell me?"

"Sometimes Ray I think I'm not very good at expressing myself, my feelings and I don't want to leave you with the impression that I.. well that I don't care for you, because I do." It was the nearest Fraser had come to telling Ray that he loved him. "You understand?"

"Yeah Frase, you care about me, that's nice."

"I want you to remember that."

Ray K didn't hear anymore of what Fraser was saying because he had been gripped by the terrifying realisation that Fraser was saying goodbye. "How could I not," he managed to gasp.

"Ray I have to go," Kowalski was suddenly aware of low voices speaking in the background, who was there with Fraser?

"Okay, see you later buddy."

"Goodbye Ray."

It took Kowalski a few moments to compose himself before he could summon up the courage to walk out of Welsh's office as though nothing had happened, as though the man he was madly in love with hadn't just wished him goodbye for the last time.

"Not bad news I hope," Welsh's tone spoke volumes, warning Ray that it'd be a good idea to keep his emotions in check if just this once.

"Naw, just Fraser ringing up to say hi."

"Did Benny want to talk to me?" Vecchio sounded hurt and Kowalski had to struggle to keep from laughing out loud, mind you it wasn't that hard, he had only to remember the telephone conversation with Fraser to sober himself up.

"I think I'm going to get drunk tonight," Kowalski murmured and Huey and Duey exchanged glances, something had upset the normally ebullient detective and both had a pretty good idea of what, or rather who, it was.

Kowalski in fact got so drunk that night that he actually couldn't remember his own name let alone where he lived and he ended up at three in the morning outside the Vecchio household, yelling obscenities up at Ray's window. Even when Vecchio was standing in front of him Ray didn't stop yelling and Vecchio slapped him, the imprint of his fingers glowing red on Kowalski's cheek.

"What has got into you?" Vecchio demanded roughly. "What makes you think you can come round here and disturb my family?"

"My f'mily," Kowalski insisted, swaying on his feet, "mine."

"I should arrest you," Vecchio hissed, "and I would except I'd rather not have to waste my time on the paperwork."

"Can't 'rrest me, I'm a cop," Kowalski slurred, "got a badge here somewhere." He started patting the pockets of his overcoat.

"I don't want to see it," Vecchio sighed. "I'm gonna take you home Stanley."

"Name's not Stanley," Kowalski tried to slap Vecchio's shoulder, missed and almost fell over, "I'm Ray, Ray Vecchio."

"Sure you are," the man didn't bother to argue, Kowalski clearly had no idea what he was saying and Vecchio pushed him into his car.

"Whoaaa!" Kowalski put his head out of the window and howled up at the night sky. "I can see stars."

"That's because it's night."

"Then I should be in bed."

"You and me both," Vecchio growled as he pulled up outside Ray's apartment block. Manoeuvring Kowalski up the stairs to his apartment was a lot harder than Vecchio had imagined it would be and finding the key to his front door proved near impossible, the man had so many bunches of keys in his pockets that Vecchio realised he couldn't possibly know what they were all for.

Eventually Vecchio managed to get the door open and he dragged Kowalski into the bedroom. Then, grumbling under his breath, he bent to pull off Kowalski's boots. Ray didn't fight him and Vecchio found himself removing Kowalski's coat as well, couldn't let him sleep in that. It was only when Vecchio caught himself staring fascinated at the contours of Ray's torso starkly outlined underneath his t-shirt that Vecchio realised that Kowalski had fallen asleep. Jesus - suddenly he understood how Fraser could have fallen in love with this man. He was gorgeous - even lying there sprawled on his back, his mouth open and his cheeks flushed from the alcohol. The last thing that Vecchio did before he left the apartment, feeling more than a little confused, was to place a glass of water and some aspirin on the bedside table - Kowalski was going to wake up with one hell of a hangover.

"Four hours late!" Lieutenant Welsh roared as Kowalski stumbled into the 27th the next day, making him wince. "That's a record even for you Kowalski. What the hell did you do last night?"

"Uh sir," Ray couldn't look Welsh in the face, "would you mind keeping your voice down?"

"Yes I mind," Welsh's voice was, if anything, louder than it had been before. "I am not going to have my detectives turning up late and hung over. Do I make myself clear?"

"Yes sir," Kowalski turned his back on Welsh and made a rather shaky beeline for his desk, sinking down behind it he cushioned his head on the piles of paper heaped in front of him.

"Kowalski!"

Ray's head shot up and he groaned, what had he done last night, he couldn't really remember, memory.. something wrong with his memory. He'd been drinking that much was a certainty - wouldn't feel this bad if it wasn't alcohol related. But the rest of the night? Coffee, he needed coffee. The machine had never seemed further away but at least those first few sips cleared the fog from his mind a little and small flashes from last night began to come back.

He vaguely recalled standing outside the Vecchio house with Ray and then being in his apartment with Ray. The man had removed his boots, his overcoat and suddenly Kowalski found himself facing a blank, what had happened next? He might have fallen asleep and he had been alone when he woke up. Then he remembered the glass of water and the aspirin sitting by his bed when he had finally managed to force his eyes open, sure as hell knew he hadn't put them there, he never had had that much forethought and if he hadn't put them there...? The only other person it could have been was Vecchio and the gesture wasn't one he would have thought to come from the detective considering the way he seemed to feel about Kowalski. Hang on, did that mean...? No, it couldn't possibly, surely he couldn't have been that drunk. A picture of Fraser's smiling trusting face flashed up in his mind's eye and Kowalski groaned. Okay so the Mountie didn't actually know how the cop felt about him, there was nothing there to betray, not really. But Kowalski felt that he had betrayed Fraser, felt it even more keenly when he remembered the emotion, the affection that had been in Fraser's voice when they had spoken yesterday, and there it was again the reason why he had been out getting drunk in the first place. Suddenly the coffee wasn't enough.

"Morning Stan." Vecchio sounded rather too happy and Kowalski's eyes narrowed, why did the man sound so cheerful?

"About last night," Kowalski started.

"What about it?" Vecchio perched himself on the edge of Kowalski's desk and smiled at him. "It's forgotten about."

"It is?"

"Yeah sure. We're friends right?"

"But.."

"Hey I'm not going to tell Fraser if that's what you're thinking. Relax Stan."

Well that answered that, something had to have happened between him and Vecchio. "Yeah I appreciate that," he mumbled awkwardly.

Jeez Stan was acting oddly, Vecchio thought and then he saw the guilty look in Kowalski's eyes and silently ran his mind back over the few words they had just exchanged - oh. Vecchio didn't know whether to feel disgusted or delighted but whatever he felt it was an opportunity too good to be missed - getting one over on Stan Kowalski would be very satisfying.

"Don't worry Stan," Vecchio leant closer to the blonde detective and dropped his voice confidentially, "you were great, a night I know I'll never forget."

"Sure," Kowalski was starting to panic, wanted to grab Vecchio by that lapels of that hideous Armani suit he was wearing and scream in his face. What exactly happened last night?

Kowalski found that he couldn't relax after that, the fact that Welsh had given him an ultimatum about clearing up some of the paperwork on his desk didn't help because it meant spending the entire day sat opposite Vecchio who would smile at him every so often, sending him into even wilder fantasies about what had actually taken place between them.

"Come to dinner tonight," Vecchio said as he pulled on his coat at the end of his shift.

"Dinner?" Kowalski was startled.

"Yeah Ma'll love to see you, it'll be fun."

Dinner at the Vecchio house, not alone with Ray. Oh, well that he could handle. But when Welsh finally let him go and he got to Ray's home he found that the house was empty, apart from Vecchio who greeted him with the biggest smile Kowalski had ever seen.

"I forgot it's Ma's birthday, everyone's gone out for a meal."

"You didn't go," Stan shifted uneasily, wondering how he could make his excuses and leave, but it was too late, Vecchio was drawing him in through the front door, taking his coat from him.

"I'll make it up to her," Vecchio assured Kowalski. "And don't worry about the food, I make a great pasta sauce.

Kowalski didn't mention that it wasn't the food he was worried about and he nodded wordlessly when Vecchio offered him a beer, he was here now might as well make the best of it.

The food was good, the supply of beer seemingly endless and it was only after Kowalski had started on his twelfth bottle that he realised Vecchio was trying to get him drunk.

"Perhaps I should go."

"You're kidding me right? Am I not good company?"

"Not that," Kowalski managed to say, "gotta work tomorrow, can't be late again."

"If you spend the night here," Vecchio said, seemingly guiless, "I can make sure you won't be late."

"Can't stay.. Fraser.."

"Is in Canada," Vecchio reminded him and then a little cruelly he added, "you don't think that perhaps he might be doing a little entertaining himself tonight?"

" Frase and me.."

"He doesn't know what you do or don't feel for him and as far as he's concerned neither do you," Vecchio was rather enjoying himself. "So you'll stay?"

He had Kowalski he knew it and was actually rather relieved when the man passed out on his couch because at least it meant he didn't have to take this charade any further than he was prepared to, besides the way Kowalski had been drinking all Vecchio would have to do in the morning would be to make a few suggestive comments and Kowalski's guilty mind would do the rest. It was a practically foolproof plan and when eventually Fraser did come back to Chicago Kowalski would run away from the Mountie as fast as he could and then things could go back to the way they had been.

It wasn't actually that hard carrying Kowalski up the stairs and into his bedroom. Ray undressed the man, trying hard to remember why he was doing this, for Fraser so the two of them could go back to being partners again without anyone else to get in the way.

Ray Vecchio spent the night on the couch and he made sure he got up early enough so that when Kowalski's sleepy and confused blue eyes opened he was sitting on the edge of the bed, a cup of coffee in one hand.

"Morning sleepy head," the smile was affectionate, "I made you a coffee and Ma wants to know what you'd like for breakfast."

"Where am I?" Kowalski asked, despite the fact he already knew, still there was no harm in trying to deny the truth was there?

"There's no need to play coy with me," Vecchio teased, trying hard to stop himself from laughing and giving the game away, "not after last night."

"Last night?"

"You've forgotten?" Vecchio looked hurt. "Just drink that Stan and get dressed, we've got to get to work."

It was then Kowalski realised he was naked under the sheet of Ray Vecchio's bed. Naked and in Vecchio's bed - okay so he could now guess what might have happened. But with Vecchio? The guy was straight, everyone knew it - no nothing could have happened but he was naked. Kowalski put a hand to his forehead and groaned, he really was not up to this.

How Ray K got through the day he didn't know, couldn't stop thinking about what might or might not have happened last night. Considered asking Vecchio but somehow he didn't feel that was the right thing to do. It didn't help that everyone seemed to be eyeing him a little strangely all day, almost as though they knew something he didn't.

Five minutes to the end of his shift Welsh, who had been keeping his distance all day, wandered over. "I'm giving you tomorrow off Kowalski."

"Why?"

"You don't want tomorrow off?"

"It's just a bit.. unexpected."

"Just enjoy it," Welsh told the suspicious cop, "think of it as an early birthday present."

Now Kowalski was really confused, how was being given the day off an early birthday present?

"Shit I'm living in a food-free apartment," Kowalski slammed the door shut on a fridge which contained twelve bottles of beer, a mouldy lettuce and a half-bottle of milk. He'd have to go out for Chinese, of course he could order pizza which would mean he wouldn't need to leave the apartment. He was trying to choose between the two when there was a thunderous knock on the door.

"All right," He yelled out, spilling the milk he had been in the process of drinking down the front of his t-shirt. Jeez who could this be, he wasn't exactly in the mood for visitors. Shit - what if it was Vecchio.

Struggling to get his t-shirt off Kowalski swung his front door open. "Just give me a minute."

"Ray."

Oh God that voice, the voice that had haunted his dreams for days now.

"Fraser!" He was stuck, his t-shirt up over his head but he couldn't seem to pull it off. He could almost hear the smile on Fraser's face as the Mountie reached forward and helped him pull the garment off, the touch of the man's fingers on his skin making him gasp. Kowalski swung round as soon as he was free to get a proper look at his friend. Fraser, wearing his red dress uniform was smiling at him, his hair smooth and in place just the same as always and in his hands he was holding two carrier bags,from which was rising the unmistakable aroma of Chinese food.

Kowalski grinned. "Frase you're a life saver," he moved backwards to let the Mountie step further into the apartment and then swung the door shut behind him. "Hey where's Dief?"

"At the consulate," Fraser replied, carrying his bags into the kitchen, "he's sulking because I didn't take him to Canada with me."

"Oh," Ray nodded and then realised he was standing in the middle of his apartment half-naked and he snatched up the plaid shirt hanging off the back of his couch, well it smelt clean enough. "So what did they want with you up there in the frozen north anyway?"

"Apparently my superiors are quite impressed by the work I've been doing here."

"And?" Kowalski knew what was coming, just knew it.

"They offered me a promotion, they've asked me to go back to Canada, permanently."

"Oh," Ray suddenly felt he was about to throw up and he sat down, legs shaking too much to hold him up. "So what's the job Fraser?"

Fraser sat himself down opposite Ray and looked his friend straight in the eyes. "That's not important, what is important is that I said no."

"No?" Ray couldn't quite believe what he was hearing and his heart leapt with hope, "you're staying? Here, in Chicago?"

"Yes Ray."

"Why?"

That smile, it took Ray's breath away, everything was in that smile. "Ray," Fraser's eyes were glazing over, that look he always got when he was about to embark on some long rambling explanation, a look that Ray had learnt to recognise if only so he could leap in and distract Fraser but this time he wanted to listen, wanted to hear exactly what the man had to say.

"We've been partners for a while now and I know at the beginning we had our fair share of problems, you thought I was a freak.."

"Still do," Ray muttered with an affectionate smile.

"And I, well I was trying to get used to you. Ray Vecchio," oh but that name made Kowalski's insides freeze up, "and I understood each other, I didn't think working with you would be easy. I was right." Fraser grinned. "But time went by and I.." Fraser's face was starting to redden under Kowalski's intense gaze. "When you told me about your transfer that time I couldn't believe it, couldn't believe that I would never see you again and when that man.."

"Pirate," Ray interrupted with a smile.

"Pirate," Fraser allowed with a small tilt of his head, "died right in front of us I was glad. One more case, it was like a reprieve from execution."

Kowalski dropped his eyes, Fraser's voice was so full of emotion, Ray knew that when the man stopped talking he would have to tell him about Vecchio, what had happened and the thought was killing him cos once he told Fraser that the Mountie would leave so quickly that Ray wouldn't even see his dust.

"All that time on the Henry Allen.."

"Buddy breathing," Ray prompted, "you told me that nothing had changed between us."

"I didn't want to scare you Ray. It was then I realised what exactly you meant to me, how much our partnership meant to me."

"Cos there are red ships and blue ships but there're no ships like partnerships," Kowalski mumbled with a faint smile.

"It was then I realised how much I cared about you, how much I loved you." Okay so he'd said the words and Ray didn't seem to be about to punch him or storm out, Fraser had rather hoped that Kowalski might have kissed him but he didn't do that either. "Ray," the man wasn't even looking at him. "Ray, Ray, Ray." Had Fraser perhaps read the situation wrong? Assumed that certain feelings were shared when in fact they were not?

Kowalski took a deep breath, looked up and found he couldn't look away, there was so much pleading in the Mountie's blue eyes and Ray didn't want to see it turn into pain. "The food Frase," he stalled for time, "it'll go cold."

"The food's not important," Fraser sat forward on his chair and captured Ray's nervously gesturing hands in his own, "you're important, what you think is important."

"All right Fraser buddy you asked for it," Ray tilted his head back and then looked at Fraser. "I feel the same way."

"Ray.."

"Whoa there Fraser I'm not finished."

"Oh," the Mountie's face fell and Kowalski took another deep breath.

"While you were away, I.. well I think something happened between me and Vecchio."

"Ray Vecchio? Ray.."
Kowalski knew Fraser was discounting that out of hand and considering the way he knew Vecchio had acted when Fraser had spoken to him about Kowalski he wasn't surprised.

"Just a coupla of nights, things might have gone a bit far."

"Might?"

"I don't know Fraser," God he felt like such an idiot, look at Frase sitting there innocence and trust writ large on his face, was the man really that clueless. "I was drunk, I don't really remember much of anything to be honest."

"Ah." The Mountie's face had closed up and Kowalski knew that he was about to leave.

"Please Fraser, I'm telling you the truth okay? Don't go, not now, I love you."

"Pardon?"

"I love you," Ray repeated the words quietly. "You can go now if you want, that's all I wanted to say."

"Why would I want to go?" Fraser asked, using his grip on Kowalski's hands to draw the man to him.

Kowalski felt ridiculous perched on the Mountie's lap like some kid with Santa Claus, Fraser's even got the red suit he chuckled to himself but stopped abruptly when Fraser's lips connected roughly with his.

Ray felt like he was drowning, sucked in by the Mountie's passion, a passion he had never really expected, not from Fraser, king of the ice people but there it was that kiss, he wasn't imagining it. Fraser's tongue parting his lips, diving into his mouth, ravishing him. Ray groaned pushing his body against the Mountie's so hard that the chair started to tip backwards.

"Ray," the Mountie could talk and kiss, well if anyone could do it it'd be Fraser all right, pretty sure there wasn't anything the Mountie couldn't do. "Ray."

Unwillingly Kowalski let the kiss end and sat back a little just enough so he could focus on Fraser's face, those soulful eyes, that exquisite mouth, lips reddened with passion.

"I want to take this slowly."

"Slowly?" For crying out loud Fraser why?

"I don't want to hurt you Ray."

"Hurt me?"

"Yes Ray. Whatever it was that happened between you and Vecchio I know you feel you were to blame. I don't want you to feel guilty about it but I know you will."

"Know me pretty well don't you Frase?"

"This thing between us," Fraser for once seemed to be almost lost for words and Kowalski smiled. Dear Diary, today Mr Perfect Mountie was actually at a loss for words. "It's special, there's no need to rush it."

"No need at all," an easy smile and Ray felt Fraser's muscular body relax and he relaxed too, okay so maybe he hadn't totally screwed things up.

That evening spent with the Mountie was magical, they just sat, curled up together on the couch like they had been lovers for years and talked about nothing and everything. To be honest Kowalski was itching to tear Fraser's clothes off and fuck him senseless but his revelations about Vecchio had brought Fraser up short, he was pretty sure this wasn't exactly what Fraser had planned for the evening no matter how nice it was.

Fraser didn't stay the night and he kissed Ray just once before he left leaving Kowalski almost rigid with frustration and hating himself more than he had ever done before.

Dammit he was going to be late for work again. Kowalski leapt out of his bed, stumbled into the shower and tried to let the hot water streaming down his body wipe away the memory of the look he had seen in Fraser's eyes as the Mountie had pulled the front door shut. Ray groaned, he'd screwed up again and as his reward was going to lose the one thing, the only thing he cared about. "Man I'm such a loser," he berated himself aloud as he struggled into his jeans and pulled his boots on.

Kowalski made it to the 27th in record time, only two hours late today, surely Welsh couldn't be too mad.

"Ray can I talk to you for a moment," Huey was trying to attract his attention but Kowalski ignored him and kept walking towards Welsh's office and when Duey tried to distract him he broke into a run.

"You set him up," that was Fraser's voice and man but he sounded pissed. "You lied to him, made him believe something had happened, when nothing did."

Fraser and Vecchio - standing opposite each other, just inside Welsh's office, squaring up like two lions about to start ripping each other apart.

"I did it for us Benny," that voice grated on Kowalski's nerves and seeing the look on Fraser's face he decided that it must be starting to grate on the Mountie's nerves as well. "So that things could go back to the way they were."

"That won't ever happen," Fraser sounded sad, "I love Ray Kowalski and I'm not about to let anyone, not even you, get in the way of that."

"It's not right Fraser." Wrong thing to say Vecchio and Kowalski winced as Fraser swung his fist at the cop.

"There's nothing left to say Ray." Fraser turned and walked out of the office and Vecchio, rubbing his bruised jaw, stood and watched him leave, a look of ineffable sadness on his face.

"Fraser," Kowalski trotted alongside the Mountie who seemed to be intent on putting as much distance between himself and Vecchio as possible, "hey Frase, I want to talk to you."

"Anything in particular?"

"Yeah actually," Kowalski smiled, he knew now that nothing had happened between him and Vecchio, knew that Fraser might well agree to what he was going to suggest. "Last night after you left I did some thinking." They had halted in the corridor and Ray realised that they were going to have to have the conversation here, not exactly how he had imagined this would be but well beggars can't be choosers.

"You did some thinking?" Fraser was teasing him and Ray grinned, some things never changed.

"That job they offered you.."

"Based in Whitehorse," Fraser admitted, trying to hide the longing in his voice, "the capital of the Yukon."

"The north-west areas right?"

"Territories Ray."

"I think you should take it."

"Ray?" There was confusion in Fraser's voice. "You want me to leave Chicago?"

"I think it'd be good for you."

"But last night.."

Ray laughed. "I'll be coming with you Frase, you didn't think you'd get rid of me that easily did you?"

Fraser was grinning broadly. "You'd come with me?"

"Sure I would, didn't I say I loved you?"

"But your career, your home."

"All I've had for the past year is someone else's life, what sort of career is that? I hardly see my folks, Stella doesn't need me and you know Fraser they do say that home is where the heart is."

"And your heart..."

"Is with you Frase. Jeez you know you really are an idiot sometimes."

"It's so far away."

"Yeah but," Kowalski shrugged, "they've got an airport right in this White pony place, right?"

"Whitehorse," Fraser corrected absentmindedly, "and yes there's an airport."

"No problem then." There was a smile plastered across Ray's face.

"And," Fraser added, unable to resist, "Whitehorse enjoys a grand total of seventy two frost free days a year."

"Seventy two? Wow. That's very nearly three months worth."

"You don't have to do this Ray."

"I want to Fraser. Now you call whoever's in charge up there and tell 'em you've changed your mind. It's gonna be great Fraser, a whole new life, just you me and Dief."

And then, right there in the middle of the 27th with Welsh, Huey, Duey, Francesca, not to mention several hard-bitten criminals, watching the two men shared a kiss that left them both breathless.

"My apartment," Ray suggested with a wink.

"We will need to pack."

"It's not packing I'm thinking about." Ray Kowalski smiled and took Fraser's hand in his. "C'mon we've got a lot of celebrating to do."

Legs shaking the Mountie followed Ray out of the 27th, one step closer to their life together and neither man, hearts beating double-time, anticipating the love-making of the afternoon saw Ray Vecchio staring after them, his face full of the realisation that he had lost Fraser for good this time.

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