Author's disclaimer: Standard

THE SAPPHIRE BICUSPIDOR

Rated-NC-17 in some spots. PG in most
Pairing-Ray K. & Frannie
Warnings-Alternate Universe
Disclaimers-The Usual. I don't own them. No profit made here. Feedback-Please. Constructive criticism is always welcome.

Francesca Vecchio approached her desk at the 27th Precinct cautiously. It was Monday and that was the day her secret admirer usually struck. She wondered what it would be today. At first it was just a card letting her know that some anonymous person appreciated her. The next week there was another card, this one hinting that the unknown admirer was more serious than she had originally suspected.

Taking a deep breath to brace herself she strode purposefully to her desk and looked to see if anything was there. She found a tiny gift bag with a brightly colored bow on the front. The small tag attached to the handles simply said, "Enjoy!". With shaking fingers she opened the bag and took out a small wad of white tissue paper. Inside, she found a bottle of her favorite nail polish. She jumped back as if it had bitten her. Someone had been watching her very closely if they knew not only the brand but also the color of the nail lacquer she loved so much.

Lt. Welsh had been walking by and stopped seeing the stricken look on her face.

"Is there something wrong, Ms. Vecchio?" he asked.

"I'm being stalked," she managed to squeak out.

The veteran police officer didn't say another word but simply put his arm around her and led her to his office. Once she was settled she poured out the whole story of how she'd been getting weekly tokens from her unknown devotee.

"Ms. Vecchio, did it not occur to you before now that there might be something menacing about this person?"

"Well, I talked to Fraser about it after I got the flowers but he said that since no threat had been made and that all the tokens seemed harmless, it was probably just someone who was too shy to approach me."

"And you just left it at that?"

"Well, I thought it might actually be him and he was just trying to throw me off the trail. Last Monday when I came back from lunch there was a small vase of daisies on my desk and he knows how much I like daisies and he and Kowalski had been here that morning. The week before that I got a mouse pad for my computer. Someone had it made with the cover of my favorite book, 'Sword of Desire' on it. And there was a wrist rest that had the title of the book on it. Well, Fraser knows how much I love that book."

"So what's different today?"

"This sicko left me a bottle of 'I'm Not a Waitress' OPI nail polish."

"What's 'I'm Not a Waitress OPI'?"

"OPI is the brand. 'I'm Not a Waitress' is the color. It's not something that you can just pick up anywhere and there's no way Fraser could know that's my favorite nail polish."

"Well, it does seem like you have a problem. What do you think you should do next?"

"Next?"

"Well, you have expressed an interest in the police academy. If you were a detective, what would be the next logical thing to do?"

"Do?"

"Evidence, Ms. Vecchio," he prodded gently.

"Oh, gather evidence to try and find out who this is since I know it's not Fraser."

"And what evidence do you have in your possession?"

"The bottle. I could have it checked for fingerprints," she said with a hint of excitement in her voice.

"Very good, Ms. Vecchio."

"Thanks Lieutenant."

She hurried out of his office and carefully picked up the tissue that held the bottle. She found a plastic bag to slip the evidence into and hurried it down to forensics.

Francesca was just turning off her computer ready to go home that night when she was stopped by her ersatz brother, Ray Kowalski.

"Hey Frannie, glad I caught ya before ya went home. I just saw Williams from the forensics lab in the hallway, he said to give this to ya." He handed her the tissue wrapped bottle. "What's up?"

"Did he tell you anything else?" Francesca asked eagerly.

"Yeah, he said there were no fingerprints on it."

"Damn!" she exclaimed stamping her foot in frustration.

"Whatsa matter, Frannie?"

"Nothing, Ray." The petite woman threw the bottle in her purse and walked away.

The blonde detective stood and watched her leave the room. He grinned as she stormed away.

"Ray?" A voice issued from behind him.

"Yeah, Frase?"

"Are you ready to leave?"

"In a minute, Fraser."

He stood in the same spot until Francesca was out of sight.

"Okay Frase, let's go catch us some bad guys."

Ray and Benton sat in the front seat of the Ford Crown Victoria that the motor pool had issued Detective Kowalski. They were looking for James Monroe, wanted in the sexual assault of three Cook County Hospital employees. One of Ray's snitches had told him that they should keep an eye on the Duncan Hotel if they wanted to catch the suspect.

It had been nearly an hour since they'd parked in an inconspicuous spot near the corner and so far no one matching Monroe's description had entered or exited the building.

"So Frase, what do you think I should do for Frannie next week?"

"Ray, as I've told you from the beginning, I think you should simply tell her about your feelings for her and then let the chips fall as they may."

"You know I can't do that. It would look too weird for Frannie and 'her brother' to be goin' out on dates and doin' that kinda stuff. It would blow my cover and her brother's and if he got hurt, she'd never forgive me."

"I realize that Ray. But I still think you should tell her how you feel. Honesty is the best policy."

"Yeah, and what do you know about women, Fraser? How many times have you even been out on a date?"

"That's not the point here. I'm merely suggesting that you could pursue a discreet relationship..."

"It don't matter. I ain't tellin' 'er. And that's final."

"Ray," Fraser protested.

"No!"

"Ray," he reiterated.

"What part of 'no' don't you understand?" Ray inquired.

"The part that has to do with James Monroe," answered the Mountie as he exited the car.

Ray was just seconds behind his partner as he, too, spotted the suspect walking out of the transient's hotel. To anyone observing them, it looked like they had worked together for years, instead of the six weeks that they'd actually been partnered. Ray motioned for Fraser get in behind Monroe while he waited around the corner for the man to reach the intersection.

The arrest was made quickly and professionally. Monroe had nowhere to run once he was sandwiched between the two officers. He tried to break away but was quickly over powered by the Chicago detective. It was only a few minutes before Ray had the short man in handcuffs and sitting in the back seat of the car, Diefenbaker at his side.

Later that night, when Ray dropped off Fraser at the Consulate, the previous discussion resumed.

"Ray, please, tell Francesca how you feel about her," were the Mountie's parting words.

"I'll think about it."

Another Monday was just about to draw to a close for Francesca and so far there had been nothing from her secret admirer. She felt a perverse sense of disappointment. Even though it was a little scary to think that there was an anonymous 'someone' out there who knew her very well, the attention was still kind of nice. Shutting off her computer, she put on her jacket, picked up her purse and quietly left the squad room. She walked down stairs and was about to leave the building when she heard someone calling her name. It was Officer Stone at the front desk.

"Francesca, wait up a minute."

"What is it Oliver?"

"I got something for you," he replied reaching under the counter. "This was delivered for you just a few minutes ago."

She tossed the card on the desk, knowing full well who it was from, and unwrapped the package. Inside she found a box of Frango Mint chocolates from Marshall Field's. It was common knowledge that she really liked the confections so she wasn't as concerned as she had been with the nail polish. She picked up the card and pulled it from the envelope. It was one of those do-it-yourself cards that you could have made at a shop with a computer and special printer. It had her name printed down the side of it and the a word coming from each of the letters.

Fire-ball
Radiant
Amazing
Nurturing
Charming
Exciting
Sweet
Cool
Amazing (again)

Inside was a message from her anonymous suitor.

'I want you to know that you don't have anything to be scared of. I'd never hurt you. In fact, I'd put my life on the line for you. I just can't tell you who I am.' It was signed 'The Sapphire Bicuspidor'.

Frannie sighed as she read the note. "Ollie, who dropped this off?"

"A guy from a courier service."

"Which one?"

"Sorry, Frannie. I didn't pay that much attention."

"Okay, but if something comes in next Monday, would you please write down who delivered it?"

"Anything for you."

"Thanks Ollie," she replied opening the box of chocolates. "Would you like one?"

"No thanks. I'm trying to cut down on sweets."

"Your loss," she responded as she popped one in her mouth. "Mmmmmm. Boy, I love these things. See you tomorrow, Ollie."

"Bye, Frannie."

She walked out of the building completely oblivious to the blonde detective who watched her.

"Hey Ollie, what's up with Frannie?" Kowalski asked as he walked towards the desk.

"Somebody sent her some candy and a card."

"Really? She got a boyfriend?" he asked eagerly.

"Don't you know? I mean, after all, she is your sister. Well, sorta your sister. Oh hell, you know what I mean."

"Yeah, I do. But she don't, like, confide in me or anything."

"Well, don't take it personally. She didn't tell her other brother anything either."

"Okay, I won't. But c'mon. What's the skinny? Somebody chasin' her or what?"

The tall man motioned for him to come closer. "I hear she's got a secret admirer. According to the grapevine, he's been sending her stuff for months. Everything's been checked for fingerprints but this guy's good. It's all been clean as a whistle."

Ray looked very concerned. "Man, it sounds more like she's bein' stalked than admired if it's been goin' on that long. Maybe I oughta talk to her and see what's up."

"Good luck. The way I hear it, she's only told Welch and your partner about it."

"Fraser?" Ray sounded angry. "Fraser knows? And he never told me? Oh man, you wait 'til I get my hands on him. My own sister's got some nutcase followin' her and the freak doesn't even mention it. Thanks, for the 411 Ollie."

"Sure thing, Ray."

Kowalski stormed out of the building and looked around for Francesca. He had a full head of steam and didn't want to waste it even if it was all pretend. Unfortunately, the dark haired girl had already gone. He thought about going to the Vecchio house and talking to her but decided against it. Knowing Francesca, she hadn't said a word about her 'secret admirer' to her family and they wouldn't want to hear about it from him. Better that he meet up with her at the police station tomorrow.

Ray was waiting for Francesca when she came in the next morning.

"What do you want?" she asked suspiciously, seeing him sitting at her desk.

"I was gonna invite ya out ta lunch this afternoon."

"You? Take me to lunch? What's the catch?"

"No catch. I just wanna talk with my sister. Okay?"

She leaned close to him and whispered in his year. "Look Kowalski, I appreciate what you're trying to do here but we both know you're not really my brother so you don't have to keep up this sham around me. Besides, my brother would never take me out to lunch just to talk."

The scent of her made him dizzy and it was hard for him to think straight.

"Yeah, I know I'm not your real brother. But I'd still like to take you to lunch today."

Francesca took a long look at him. Could he be her secret admirer?

"Miss Vecchio!"

Both Ray and Frannie looked up startled.

"Yes, lieutenant?" she asked.

"I believe you were going to get me the files on the Norvus case first thing this morning."

"Oh yes sir, I'm on my way to the file room."

She skittered away quickly.

"Detective?" Welsh prompted

"Yeah?"

"Are you in need of some more work?"

"Uh, no sir."

"Then may I suggest that you get to your desk and get busy?"

Ray walked back to his desk wondering how in the world he was ever going to tell Frannie how he felt about her. It was clear that she barely accepted him in the role of her brother. But now he wondered if she even liked him. Looking at the backlog of paperwork on his desk and decided that today was a good day to take care of it. It would keep him inside where he could keep an eye on her and when she made a move to go to lunch, he could just intercept her.

At one o'clock he saw her grab her purse and jacket and walk towards the door. Swiftly closing the manila folder that had claimed his attention, he followed her at a discreet distance until she left the building. From the direction she turned, he assumed she was heading for the sandwich shop that so many of the employees at the 27th precinct favored. He cut through the alley at a fast jog and made it to the shop a full three minutes before the object of his affection. Once inside, he held to the back as if he couldn't decide what he wanted to eat. He studied the menu board intently when he heard the small bell that was attached to the door jingle cheerfully. Looking up he saw the petite brunette enter the establishment.

"Ray! What are you doing here?"

"Gettin' somethin' to eat. What's it look like?"

"Did you follow me?"

"Frannie, if I followed you, how did I get here first?"

"Oh yeah right."

"But since we're both here, why don't you let me buy you lunch?"

She looked at him suspiciously. All morning she had wondered if he was the one behind the anonymous gifts she had been getting. She wouldn't put it past him. It would be just like him to pull that kind of a practical joke. Make her think somebody out there really cared for her and then laugh his ass off when he revealed his little stunt. Well, this time she would have the last laugh.

"Sure, bro. I'll have a chicken salad on wheat, a piece of strawberry cheese cake and a diet soda."

"Greatness. Why don't you go grab us a table and I'll be right with you."

Ray could feel his palms start to sweat as he carried their food back to the corner booth Francesca had chosen. He wasn't even sure how he was gonna find out what he wanted to know and mentally kicked himself. After all, here he was a police officer of many years standing. He'd covertly questioned hundreds of suspects in his career. Yet in the presence of this woman, he was undeniably tongue tied. He sat down and handed Frannie her food.

"So I hear you got a boyfriend," he blurted out.

Francesca looked stunned but only for a moment. This was not how she had planned to play this game. But soon she was able to reply.

"Oh? And where'd you hear this?"

"Frannie, think about where we work. The place is one big gossip column. You can't keep somethin' like that a secret."

"Well, actually you can. You just gotta know how to do it."

"Oh? How's that?" he asked.

"Well actually he's not so much a boyfriend as a secret admirer. And nobody around the station seems to know who he is. So he must be really good to be able to slip these things in without anybody knowing who he is."

Ray tried very hard not to look pleased at the implied compliment.

"That must be pretty exciting. A secret admirer. Wow."

"Oh, I suppose it was when it first happened. But now it's just kinda boring."

The blonde detective's heart fell at the sound of her words. He'd always considered himself to be a very romantic guy and yet now the object of his desire was saying he was dull. It took all his years of experience as a cop to keep his game face on.

"Boring huh?"

"Yeah, I mean, at first it was kinda sweet, you know. Some out there who likes you but doesn't want to reveal himself. But after a while, it just gets old. I mean, come on. Who wants to be pursued by a big old scaredy cat? It dawned on me last night that this is probably just some sort of practical joke that Huey's playing. You know, kind of an initiation thing since I'm the new kid on the street."

Frannie watched her lunch partner carefully across the table. So far he hadn't even flinched.

"On the block."

"Huh?"

"New kid on the block."

"Whatever. Anyway, you get my point."

"Yeah I do."

Kowalski turned his undivided attention to his lunch so he wouldn't have to look at the woman across the table from him. Now, more than ever, he knew he could never tell her how he felt about her.

"Oh man, Fraser. What am I gonna do?" Ray asked over a pizza that night.

"Do, Ray?"

"About Frannie. She thinks this secret admirer thing is just a prank that the guys at the station are playin' on 'er."

"Well Ray, I did advise you to be upfront with her from the beginning."

"Oh yeah, like you've been upfront about your feelings for the Ice Queen?"

"That's an entirely different situation. My feelings, such as they are, for Inspector Thatcher are not something that can be shared because of the differences in our rank."

"Bullshit, Fraser. You're just as scared of telling her how you feel as I am of telling Frannie."

"That's hardly the case. And even if it were, I don't see how it applies to Francesca."

"Look, anything I do for her now, she'll just blow off thinkin' that it's all a big joke. And even if I do tell her, she'll think I'm in on it and that I'm just teasin' her even more."

"Well Ray, as I see it, you have two courses of action."

"And they are?"

"Proceed with your plan or stop."

"Oh yeah, that's so helpful, Fraser," Ray replied sarcastically. "Can't you give me something a little less obvious?"

"The obscure we eventually see. It's the obvious that's overlooked," Fraser quoted and then smiled at his friend.

Ray's patience was obviously wearing thin. "But if I continue, it won't be special anymore. And if I stop, she'll know it's me."

"You do have a problem, Ray."

"Again with the obvious. Whatsa matter with you Fraser?"

The blonde detective gestured wildly, just like the man whose identity he had taken on. Benton tried to suppress a smile.

"Why did I ever ask a Mountie about women? I'd have gotten better advice if I'd asked my ex-wife."

While the guys were sharing pizza at Ray's apartment, Francesca was sharing a pint of ice cream at Elaine's.

"So, any luck on figuring out who the mystery man is?" the soon-to-be ex-civilian aid asked.

"Nah. Kowalski cornered me today and I thought it might be him but now I don't think so."

"Why not?"

"I pushed all his stops. Pulled out all the buttons and he never cracked. Of course, I still haven't ruled out the possibility that this is some sort of practical joke."

"Yeah but who would know that much about you? I mean, I could see if he'd just left it at the generic cards and flowers stage. But whoever is sending you these gifts, really seems to know you."

"That's what makes me believe that it's a joke, like there's a lot of people in on it."

"Well, I sure haven't heard anything and I'm pretty well tapped in to the office grapevine."

"Yeah, and you're also my friend so they may just be keeping it from you."

"I suppose so. But I wouldn't give up yet. This may turn out to be your prince charming."

"If only I could be so lucky."

Somehow a pint of Ben & Jerry's Chubby Hubby made anything seem possible.

Ray Kowalski sat at his kitchen table, pen and paper in hand. It was Sunday night and he had to have something for Francesca for the next day. He was trying to write her a love poem but it was difficult to come up with something new and different. All the great love poems and songs he'd ever learned crowded his brain and wouldn't allow a single original thought to come through.

'She walks in beauty like the night...'

'It was many a year ago in this kingdom by the sea...'

'How do I love thee? Let me count the ways.'

'Roses are red. Violets are...'

An unrestrained cry of frustration escaped his lips. "C'mon, Ray. You're makin' this too hard. Just tell 'er how you feel," the detective urged himself.

'For so long I have wanted
To tell you how I feel
About that thing called love
That you make seem so real

Sometimes I feel so haunted
By memories of pain
They shower down upon me
Like a slow and steady rain

Your smile is like a beacon
That helps to light my way
And bring me out of darkness
Into a bright new day

For so long I have wanted
To tell you how I feel
To hold you tight in my embrace
And my true self reveal

Your laughter is like music
The kind the bluebirds sing
Like the violins in a symphony
Like church bells when they ring

Each night I pray for strength
While at my bed I kneel
Each night I pray for courage
To tell you how I feel

But strength and guts elude me
My fate, as a coward, is sealed
I must remain anonymous
My identity concealed.'

Reading the verse once again, Ray was almost satisfied but felt that there was still something lacking, something a little more personal.

"Yeah, like spilling my guts in iambic pentameter ain't personal enough," he said to himself.

"Strictly speaking, Ray, what you've written isn't iambic pentameter..."

The blonde detective looked around the room expecting to see a dark haired, blue eyed Mountie. When he convinced himself he was alone, he felt even worse. Great, now Fraser had invaded his thought processes. He knew Fraser was right and that he should just come right out and tell Frannie how he felt. Only two things held him back; fear of rejection and fear of acceptance.

He slipped the paper into a matching envelope, sealed it and stuck it in his coat pocket. He knew he was taking a big risk in writing this by hand. She'd seen hundreds of reports he'd filled out and if she thought about it, could probably identify him by his hand writing. He only hoped that since this didn't resemble his normal sloppy penmanship, she wouldn't make the connection and his anonymity would remain intact.

The next morning Frannie had a doctor's appointment and Ray took advantage of her absence to leave the envelope on her desk. Looking around covertly, he figured everyone was too involved in their own work to notice him. Plus, he often dropped files off with Francesca so he could use that as a cover. Mission accomplished, he turned around to sneak back to his desk when he ran into Elaine.

"Good morning, detective."

"Uh yeah, hi?" he replied

"Looking for something on your sister's desk?" the newly graduated police officer asked.

"Uh, no just dropping off some things."

"Oh? What kind of things?"

"Paperwork."

Slowly but surely, Elaine advanced on the detective until she had him backed nearly to the wall.

"Office paperwork?"

"Of course, it's office paperwork. We're in an office. Ain't we?"

"Well, that doesn't necessarily make it office work. After all, you could be delivering something of a personal nature."

"And why would I want to do dat?"

Elaine lowered her voice so that no one else could hear them. "Because you're Francesca's secret admirer."

Ray felt like a deer caught in headlights. He hadn't been this nervous with Frannie at lunch last week.

"Look, you don't have to say a word. Your secret's safe with me...for now. But I'm telling you, you'd better let her know soon or I won't be able to cover for you. Understand?"

Ray swallowed nervously and nodded his head.

"Good."

The uniformed officer casually strolled away leaving the blonde detective to compose himself and return to his desk.

Francesca arrived at the police station at 10:00am. Kowalski glanced at her several times while trying to wade through a mountain of paperwork that he'd let stack up. He noted that she wasn't acting like the Frannie he'd come to know. She seemed subdued and a little sad. He watched as she finally found his note and held his breath as she read it, waiting for her response.

Francesca burst into tears as she read the poem and dashed off for the ladies room. Waiting a moment, Ray casually got up and wandered to the water fountain. His efforts were rewarded moments later when Francesca emerged from the facilities, her eyes red rimmed and looking like they could tear up again at any moment. Her head bowed, she almost walked by the man that was filling the role of her brother without seeing him.

"Frannie. You okay?"

Her head snapped up quickly at the mention of her name. "Huh?"

"I asked if you were okay."

"I'm fine Ray," she stated wanting nothing more than to be left alone.

"You don't sound fine."

"Look, I'm okay."

"C'mon sis. Don't try to bullshit me. You come in from the doctor's office lookin' like you've lost your best friend. Then you sit at your desk and start cryin'. Now what's up?"

"It's nothing. Now get outta my face."

The petite brunette pushed past him and stormed back to her desk. Ray stared at her for a moment before returning to his own desk. For the remainder of the day, he kept one eye on his paperwork and one eye on his 'sister'. There were no more sudden outbursts of tears but even Huey and Dewey had been heard to comment that she seemed unusually subdued.

At the end of the day, Fraser walked in to the bullpen looking for Ray when he saw Francesca busily working at the computer terminal.

"Good afternoon, Francesca," he greeted her.

"Yeah, what would you know about it?" she retorted.

"Is there something bothering you?"

"Bothering me?" she replied sarcastically. "What could possibly be bothering me? Just because some... some anonymous lunatic keep sending me presents, professing his love for me but won't tell me who he is and won't even tell me why he won't tell me. No, that couldn't be bothering me. Just because this has driven me so nuts that I've gained ten pounds in the last two months. No, that couldn't be bothering me either. And just because everybody around here knows who this practical joker is but won't tell me? Oh no, I'm sure that wouldn't bother me. So Fraser, as you can clearly see, there's nothing bothering me. Nothing at all."

Ben had been around the Vecchio family long enough to recognize sarcasm when he heard it.

"Is there anything I can do to help?" he asked.

"Help?" she responded clearly not understanding what he was offering.

"With whatever it is that's not bothering you."

She eyed the tall Mountie carefully. There was still a small part in the back of her brain that wondered if he was the man who was sending her the gifts. He had denied it once and for some reason she had always thought he was incapable of lying. But maybe she just hadn't phrased it correctly. Maybe now was her chance to get some more information.

"Yes, Fraser there is something you could do to help."

"What would that be?"

"You can tell me who my secret admirer is."

Fraser swallowed nervously and adjusted the collar of his tunic. His face flushed as he tried to stammer out an answer.

"So you know who it is," Francesca accused.

"Well, I do have an idea but without absolute proof, I would hesitate to mention names."

"Names? So is it really all the detectives playing a joke on me?"

"I wouldn't necessarily say that. In fact, from what I've seen, I believe your admirer is quite sincere in his attentions."

"Fraser you're not making sense here. Is it one person or is it a group of people."

"Excuse me Francesca, I believe Ray needs to speak to me."

Fraser was at the blonde detective's desk in a matter of seconds and the two men walked to the break room immediately.

"What's wrong with you, Fraser. You look like terrified."

"Umm, Francesca was trying to solicit my assistance in revealing the identity of her secret admirer." Even though they were nowhere near the young Italian woman, Fraser felt the need to be discreet.

"Oh yeah, I can see where that would be a problem. So you know who it is?"

"Well, I accidentally mentioned that I had a theory and that's when she began interrogating me."

"What did you tell her?"

"Only that it wouldn't be prudent to name anyone without concrete proof."

"Yeah, prudent"

"Though I'll tell you this, Ray. I really wish that he would come forward and make himself known to Francesca. This escapade is having a negative impact on her physical and mental health."

"Yeah, I noticed she was acting a little strange. But think about it Fraser. The guy's obviously got his reasons for not coming forward."

"But if he truly cared for her, he wouldn't want her to suffer this way."

"I suppose you're right. What would you do?"

"Me?" Fraser seemed startled.

"Yeah, you. Let's just say that you're the guy who's been sendin' her all this stuff. How would you go about telling her? I mean, knowing how she feels and all dat."

"Well, I don't know Ray. I mean, I've never been in that kind of position before."

"Good point. Well, we'd better go if we're gonna make it to the hockey game on time."

It was two days later that Elaine received transfer orders to her new assignment. Everyone in the precinct was disappointed that she would not be staying. And the situation was made worse by the fact that her new assignment would be on the other side of town. Plans were made for a big going away party for her at the station and that gave her an idea. She planned a small intimate gathering for her close friends at a popular little bistro on the lake near Navy Pier. She was bound and determined that Ray was going to 'fess up to Francesca before she left for the north side.

The night of her get together arrived two weeks later on a Saturday night. The weather cooperated for once. The sky was clear, the temperature warm. The full moon's reflection danced across the lake. A perfect night for a romantic dinner for two. Now all she had to do was execute her plan. Her first call was to the restaurant, asking them to tell Ray and Fraser that she was going to be a little late but for her friends to start without her. She had already arranged for Fraser to receive a call from the Consulate that would pull him away for the evening. Now it was just down to one phone call to Francesca.

The phone rang in the Vecchio house and Frannie dived across her bed to answer it.

"Hello?"

"Francesca, it's Elaine. I've got big news for you."

The policewoman's auto inched forward into the car wash ensuring that the cell phone connection would be less than ideal.

"Elaine, you're cutting out on me. What's up?"

"I know <static> secret admirer <static> found out this <static> when I was cleaning out my desk."

"Elaine", Frannie said raising her voice, "I can barely understand you. What's going on?"

"Connection <static> up <static> at the restaurant. He'll be there."

"Did you say he'd be there? Oh my God, Elaine. Who is it?"

The connection went dead. Elaine smiled to herself as she shut off her cell phone.

Francesca continued yelling at the now disconnected phone line until she realized the futility of the action. Staring at the receiver, she realized she didn't know what the number was to Elaine's cell phone. Groaning in frustration, she completed the job of putting on her make up and left for the restaurant. Elaine had said the reservation was for 8:30 and she didn't want to be late.

Fraser and Ray arrived at the bistro promptly at 8:00pm as Elaine had instructed them. Ray had convinced his Mountie friend not to don his red serge and instead wear a navy blue suit. Ray had even given up his usual grunge look for a suit and tie. The hostess relayed Elaine's message to them as she seated them at a table with a spectacular view of the lake and the marina. Small yachts dotted the surface of the water, their running lights sparkled off the waves.

They hadn't been seated long when the hostess informed Fraser that he had a phone call and could take it in the lobby. The Canadian excused himself and returned a few minutes later. It was difficult to hide the smile he felt creeping over his face.

"Ray, I'm afraid you'll have to excuse me. There's a problem at the Consulate and with Inspector Thatcher in Toronto, I'm the officer in charge. I'll try to get things wrapped up in time to join you all for dessert but if I don't, please give Elaine my best and tell her I'll try to contact her later."

Without even giving his friend a chance to say a word, he left the room, making a brief stop at the hostess stand.

Francesca arrived at 8:25. She was pleased that she had made the trip so quickly. Checking in with the hostess, she was informed of Elaine's delay and was promptly seated with Ray.

"Where's Frase?" she asked looking around the room.

"Emergency at the Consulate. He's going to try to get back for dessert. Elaine's running late."

"Yeah, I heard. So do we go ahead and order or what?"

"Uh, yeah. Elaine said she'd be here as soon as she could and that she'd catch up with us when she got here."

Dinner was delightful for Francesca though she wondered what had happened to Elaine. After all, it was her new job they were supposed to be celebrating. What could possibly have detained the new police officer?

Ray, on the other hand, found his stomach tied up in knots. When he arrived, he had a big appetite but now he found that he could barely swallow his dinner and so he pushed his food around his plate to give the appearance of eating.

'God, she's beautiful,' he thought to himself. 'There's no way in hell she'd go fer a guy like me; even if I wasn't pretending to be her brother.'

Francesca had indeed taken great pains with her appearance tonight. Her short pixie like hair cut had been curled and fluffed into a very glamorous 'do'. Her make up was subtle but perfectly emphasized her cheekbones and eyes. Her perfume, a custom blend of cedar, clove and patchouli, was intoxicatingly spicy and Ray was completely entranced by his dinner partner.

He knew this would be the perfect night to admit that he was her secret admirer. But the shyness that had kept his love for her anonymous had grown ten fold and he was hard pressed to even utter a coherent reply to a simple request to pass the salt, let alone profess his feelings for her. By the time they had finished their dinners, he began to believe he'd been set-up. He wondered if this was Elaine's doing, Fraser's or if they were both in on it together. But now he knew he had to do something before his friends did.

"Hey Frannie, what say we blow this joint and go dancin'?" he asked.

"But what about Fraser and Elaine?"

"Well, it don't look like either of 'em's gonna show. We can tell the hostess where we're goin' in case they get here later."

"Hmm, well I suppose that would be okay."

"Sure, it'll be greatness. I know this cool little club not too far from here where they got the best band."

"Okay," she agreed.

Ray paid for their meals and helped Francesca with her wrap. As they left the restaurant, a large man in an obvious hurry, stumbled and fell into Ray knocking the detective off his feet and into Frannie

"Oh, I'm so sorry. I wasn't watching where I was going. Are you injured?"

The man made a great show of helping Ray stand up again and brushing off his clothing. "Oh dear, I believe I've caused you to soil your jacket." He pressed a small card into Ray's hand. "Here's my business card. Please send the dry cleaning bill to me."

Before either Ray or Francesca could say a word, the stranger disappeared into the crowd.

"Are you okay?" Frannie asked.

"Yeah, I'm fine. Jeez, what a klutz."

Ray glanced at the card and saw a hand written note.

'Tick, tock. Time's running out.'

Suspicions confirmed he grimaced and stuck the card in his pocket. Then he offered his arm to Francesca who looked startled but accepted it with a willing grin. The club was, as Ray had mentioned, just a short walk from the restaurant and soon they were seated at a prime table just on the edge of the dance floor. Ray ordered a bottle of wine for them and then took Francesca by the hand and asked her to dance.

They glided across the parquet floor in time with the music. Ray was an excellent dancer and was very patient with Francesca's sometimes stumbling efforts to keep up. But after a few songs she was almost fully in synch with her partner and they made an excellent duo. While they were dancing to a Dorsey Brothers tune, Ray noticed that the waitress had left the bottle of wine at their table. When the song ended, he led Frannie back to the table and poured each of them a glass.

"So what do we drink to?" he asked.

"Well, I think the first one should be for Elaine."

"To Elaine," he toasted lightly touching his glass to hers.

"To Elaine," she repeated before drinking deeply of the nectar. "This is good. Really different. What is it?"

"Mead."

"Mead?"

"Yeah, it's a wine made from honey, instead of grapes."

"Wow. It's really good. Thanks Ray."

"Anything for you, sweetheart," he responded in a very poor attempt at imitating Humphrey Bogart.

They consumed two glasses of wine before returning to the dance floor. The lights dimmed and the sound's of Glenn Miller's 'Moonlight Serenade' drifted to their ears. Ray pulled Frannie a little closer than a 'brother' should be dancing with his sister but she didn't seem to mind. He wanted to sing along with the music but knew that would kill the mood. He tried to think of something romantic to say to ease his way into his confession.

"For so long I have wanted
To tell you how I feel
About that thing called love
That you make seem so real..."

Frannie stiffened at the words that were being spoken softly into her ear. Had he seen the poem her secret admirer had sent her? Why would he be saying these things now? She pulled back from him slightly, just enough to be able to see his face.

Ray knew that this was the time to say what he'd felt all along. "Frannie, I'm the guy who's been sendin' ya the gifts and stuff."

"You?!?" Francesca exclaimed.

A sharp crack split the air as Frannie's open hand made contact with Ray's face.

"How dare you?" she cried as she wrenched herself from his arms and ran to their table to collect her purse and her wrap.

Ray stood on the dance floor, cradling his cheek with one hand. He was momentarily stunned and when he finally came to his senses, he realized that Francesca was gone.

He ran out of the club and glanced up and down the street looking for Frannie. He spotted her on the corner trying to hail a cab. He ran quickly towards her as he saw a taxi stop to pick her up. He watched her enter the car and managed to grab the door just as she was pulling it closed.

"Let go, Ray!" she demanded.

"Can't do dat, Frannie."

"I said to let it go!"

"No way. Either get out and talk to me or I'm comin' in with you."

"Not on your life."

"Okay then scoot over."

Francesca thought he was bluffing until she actually saw his body move towards the back seat of the vehicle. Fearing he would sit on her lap if she didn't move, she slid across the seat and hugged the opposite door.

"Where to?" the driver asked.

Frannie asked to be taken to her home while Ray insisted that they go back to his apartment. The cab didn't move while the two bickered for several minutes. Ray finally shoved his badge at the driver and demanded to be taken to his apartment. Not wanting any trouble with the law, since technically he wasn't in the country legally, the driver chose to take them both to the address the man provided him. He pulled up to the curb and stopped smoothly.

Ray opened the door but didn't move. "Frannie, I want you to come in with me"

"You creep! You embarrass me in front of the entire department and now you want me to go into your apartment with you?"

"Please Frannie, I can explain."

"Oh yeah, explain this."

The angry Italian put both hands on his shoulder and tried to shove him out of the car. He braced his feet against the floorboards so that the impact merely caused him to sway slightly. When she tried it again, he took advantage of her off-balance position and dragged her out of the car with him. He quickly tossed some money at the driver and slammed the door shut.

Francesca couldn't recall a time in recent memory when she'd been so angry. She felt that if she'd had a weapon, she could easily kill the cocky detective standing in front of her. Stamping her right foot she tried to slap him again but he had caught on to her ways now and blocked her wrist before her hand could make contact with his face. Gently but firmly he grabbed the wrist. Bending slightly at the waist, he hoisted her over his shoulder and carried her up the stairs to his apartment.

Francesca tried to struggle but was unsure of her perch on Ray's narrow shoulder. As much as she despised being carted off like a bag of dog food, she didn't relish the idea of being dropped either. However she continued her verbal abuse of the blonde detective.

"Ray Vecchio, you disgusting piece of horse meat, let me go. I demand that you put me down this very instant. Look, just because you're my brother doesn't mean you can treat me like a common criminal."

Ray laughed at her. It was the first time he'd felt like laughing in her presence in a long time. "Oh no, Frannie. We don't treat the common criminals this way. The common criminals just get handcuffed and shoved into the back of a squad car. You're special so you're getting the royal treatment."

Once inside his bachelor pad, he locked the door and then gently placed Frannie on his sofa. She immediately got up and ran for the door. Unfortunately, when she got there, she realized that the dead bolt was operated by a key and said key was not in the lock. She turned around shot an accusing look at the man playing the role of her older brother.

"Ray, you'd better fork over that key right now," she demanded through clenched teeth.

The object of her wrath noticed that her fist was clenched as well.

"No can do. Not 'til you sit down and listen to what I have to say."

"You can't do this to me. It's... it's..." she searched her memory for the phrase she'd seen on the police reports when someone had been abducted. "It's criminal confinement. And don't think I won't press charges."

Something in the tone of her voice made Ray realize that she wasn't kidding. He'd lost and he knew it, right down to his bones. His shoulders slumped dejectedly.

"Fine, 'kay, here's the key. If you really wanna leave, you have my blessing."

No one was more surprised than Francesca was when she found herself not moving from the spot where she'd been standing.

"And if I stay?" she asked tentatively.

"We sit down and you let me tell you the whole story."

"There's a story behind all this?" she inquired.

"Yep, it's a pretty long one too."

"Does it have a happy ending?"

"It don't have any ending yet."

"You got any coffee in this place?"

"Yeah. In the kitchen."

She walked across the floor to stand in front of him and tilted her head to look him in the eyes.

"Good, cuz if it's a long story, I may need something to keep me awake."

Hesitantly, Ray put an arm around Francesca's shoulders and guided her towards the small galley style kitchen that was so popular in small apartments. "How do you like your coffee?"

Ray Kowalski and Francesca Vecchio sat at opposite ends of his couch watching each other and drinking their coffee; cream and sugar in hers, Smarties in his. Frannie wondered what had possessed her to stay after all the humiliation he had heaped on her in the last few hours. Ray tried to find a good place to begin his story. After several minutes of consideration he just blurted it out.

"About a year ago, I'm just finishin' up a big drug bust and my C.O. calls me into his office. I'm figurin' he wants to talk about the arrest and get things ready to go to the State's Attorney's office. But when I get in there, there's these two goons in dark suits and shiny black shoes."

"Feds," Frannie said half under her breath. She'd seen them too often before her brother had gone undercover.

"Yeah. So they start yammerin' about this undercover assignment which I don't understand since I don't work for the Feds, ya know."

"Uh huh."

"Then they tell me that it's yer brother who's been picked but they need somebody to replace him at the 27th. Cuz, ya know, he's had cases with da mob here in Chicago and it might look funny if he disappears without a trace.

"So, I'm thinkin' that me and Stella are splittin' up. I got no family in town. Maybe this is my chance to start over, ya know? Man, I did not know all the work that goes with goin' undercover. First I had to learn all yer brother's case files. What a pain in the neck. The stuff before Fraser was bad enough. But after those two hooked up...Jeez! Poachin' wild horses for meat. Terrorists tryin' to blow up trains and court rooms. And that Ian MacDonald. Is he some kinda nut case or what?"

"Uh, Ray, is there a point to this story?"

"Yeah, I'm gettin' to it. So nine months later I got all the cases down and then they hand me the personal file. No big deal. I got pictures and bios of yer ma and dad. There's one of Leo before he died..."

"You know about Leo?"

"Well yeah. If I'm Ray, shouldn't I know that I had an older brother who got caught in a mob hit? I mean, after all that is the reason Ray became a cop. And that's also probably why he accepted this undercover assignment."

"Yeah, I see what you mean."

"Then there's the info on Maria and her family. God, her kids are cute. Ya know, if nothin' else, this gig is great cuz I get to be an uncle to those rug rats."

"The point, Ray?" Francesca nagged.

"Yeah, yeah, I told you this was a long story. So the last thing I see in the file is a picture of this girl, a real hottie, but there's no bio with her. So I'm thinkin' it must be some long lost love, maybe even that Irene chick, right? So when I ask the Feds about it, they tell me that the girl in the picture is Ray's sister, Francesca. And all of a sudden, I'm thinkin' that I should reconsider this job.

"Why?" Frannie was stunned.

"Doncha see? I haven't even met this girl yet and I've already flipped my nut over her. And now the Feds are tellin' me that we gotta act all brother and sister like. Oh, and by the way, they weren't talkin' brotherly love either. They're tellin' me that everybody knows how much Ray and Frannie argue and fight wit' each other."

Francesca stared at him with a puzzled look on her face. Ray moved closer to her and gently removed the coffee mug she clutched in her hands. Setting it on the floor, he took her hands in his, not sure which of them was trembling more.

"Frannie, I'm crazy about you but I can't tell anybody or show it in public cuz of the danger of blowin' yer brother's cover."

The young Italian girl thought about that for a moment. She'd seen more than her fair share of guys with smooth lines and now she weighed this one against all of them.

"Right. But it's okay to tell Fraser and Elaine and everybody else at the station."

"Frannie, I swear to you that the only person I told was Fraser. And the only reason I did that was cuz I wanted to know how things were between you two. Elaine caught me puttin' the poem on yer desk that day."

"Uh huh." Francesca was still not convinced. "And tonight?"

"Was not my doin'. I think Elaine and maybe Fraser set me up so I'd finally tell you."

"So you swear to me that you three are the only people in on this practical joke?"

"Yeah and no."

"What do you mean? It's one question. It can't have two answers. Even I know that."

"Elaine and Fraser are the only two who know I'm the secret admirer. But it's no joke, Frannie. I really do like you. I have ever since I saw that picture of you in the file. And when I met you, it just got worse. You're not like any other girl I've ever met. You're so... alive and spontaneous, not to mention drop dead gorgeous. You don't keep nothin' hid. Everything is right out there for all the world to see."

Ray hung his head before he continued

"I was afraid that even if I could tell you how I feel about you without, like, compromisin' yer brother's safety or somethin', you'd blow me off."

"Blow you off?"

"Yeah, like, you wouldn't like me the way I like you. Or worse yet, you don't like me at all and only put up with me cuz I'm pretendin' to be yer brother."

"So nobody else at the station knows it was you?"

"Right."

"And you're sure Elaine and Frase will keep it to themselves?"

"Well, they both really like yer brother so I doubt they'll risk him by tellin' anybody."

Francesca looked at her pseudo brother for a few moments then ran a hand through his spiked blonde hair.

"I don't dislike you, Ray. Well, not most days, anyway. Right now is another story and there's not a female jury in the land that would convict me if I killed you for this stunt. You don't realize the emotional tonnage I've been carrying around because of this."

"I'm sorry Frannie. I never realized just how seriously you'd take this. I thought girls liked that kind of mysterious Phantom of the Opera kinda stuff."

"Ray, you've got a lot to learn about women."

"Does this mean yer willin' to teach me?"

"Yeah, I am. Starting with this." Frannie leaned in and kissed him softly on the cheek.

Ray felt his body react to the gesture. For months he wondered what it would be like to feel her lips on his skin. Now he knew the delightful tingle of electricity that came with her kiss and he didn't want it to end.

"Umm, Frannie."

"Yeah Ray?"

"Would you teach me how to ask a woman to spend the night with me?"

Francesca's response was a smile warm enough to chase away the chill of the worst Chicago winter. Ray basked in that warmth and smiled back at her.

The End.