Rating/Warning: PG-13. Some language - nowhere near as much as before, but *shrug*. Slash. Did you expect that to change? ;)
Pairing: Fraser/Vecchio
Disclaimer: They're not mine, no matter how much it pains me.
Spoilers: a few.
Summary: Ray comes home.
Notes: Thanks to Jo because, yeah, Jo's just good. (She made me say that. *G*) I don't have much to say about this one. Just... here it goes! *phew* Only a few more left, I think!

Oh, please, oh please :) Stroke my ego, tell me you hate the entire thing, let me know you're still reading, anything! :)

UNSPOKEN - July, 2000
by Ashinae

Stepping into the Precinct is like stepping into a time warp. I just kinda stand there for a second, looking around, amazed. It's been, what, thirteen and a half months and I recognise *no one.* Of course, there aren't many people in here anyway at the moment.

Well, I recognise Kowalski, but he's sitting at *my* desk going over some paper work with a really sour expression on his face, and he hasn't noticed me. I find myself standing here, watching him for a minute when...

I can't explain it. I just *knew* he was standing right behind me and I whirled around even before he could say anything.

"Benny!" I shout and--

Oh, fine, fine, I'll admit it. I launched myself at the Mountie. Shut up.

I'm hugging him and laughing and he's just *standing there*, all shocked. "Benny!" I exclaim again, pulling back to look at him. He's let his hair grow out a bit. Looks good. The expression on his face is absolute amazement. He stares at me, then bends down to pick up some files that he must have dropped when I hugged him.

"Excuse me a moment, please, Ray," he mumbles and walks over to my desk and deposits the files in front of an affronted-looking Kowalski. He looks at Fraser, then looks at me and our eyes lock. Yeah, I know what he's thinkin. I'm home early. Well *so there* and get the hell away from my desk and is he looking at Benny?

Finally Benny seems to snap out of whatever it was that possessed him and he smiles at me. "Ray... you're home."

I walk over to him. "Yeah, Benny. Home for *good.*" Take *that*, Kowalski.

I hear a snort from Kowalski. "Benny?" he mimicks. "Yeah, real cute."

"Shut the hell up," I snap, then turn back to Benny. "Damn, it's good to see you. I'm really sorry I only got to send that one lousy postcard. I wish I could've done more, but--"

Benny shakes. "No, Ray. It was enough."

Kowalski's glaring at me. If looks could kill... I clear my throat. "Benny--"

Benny shakes his head. He starts walking towards the doors and I follow him.

"Are you okay?" I ask and he looks startled, then guilty at my question. I frown at him and he looks down at the floor, then continues walking until we are out of earshot of anybody.

"Ray..." he says, stops, looks away again, then tries again. "Ray, we have to talk tonight."

I nod. "Why not go talk now? Ask Thatcher for the afternoon off. She probably still owes you plenty of sick days."

Benny sighs. "I can't, not today." He winces. "I've been... having a difficult time with things lately, Ray, and I think I've irritated her beyond belief. And I have so much work to do, and--just--tonight, Ray."

I nod. "All right, Benny. I'll come pick you up at six? We'll go back to your apartment."

He sighs. "I don't *have* an apartment anymore. It burned down. I've been staying at the Consulate."

"You're *joking*!" I exclaim.

"I'm afraid not."

"Aw, Benny, that sucks."

"Indeed it does."

"How about I pick you up at six, then take you back to my place? We can have dinner with the family, big and happy and noisy and irritating and... tell me again why I want to be here?"

He misses the teasing tone in my voice. I lean towards him. "Because I missed you and I love you, Benny," I say softly. *Nice save, Ray. Thank you, Ray.* I glance around quickly. No one's here, so I give Benny a little kiss.

I do *not* miss the brief look of pain that enters his eyes, and I frown again. But he gives me another little smile. "I love you too, Ray," he says. "But I must really be going."

"I'll give you a lift," I offer.

"No, that's all right, Ray. You should go see Leftenant Welsh, and you'll want to see your family."

"All right, Benny. I'll see you later then."

"Yes, Ray." Then he turns and walks away. I watch his back until he's gone, and go back to the bullpen.

I look at Kowalski.

Kowalski looks at me.

I smirk at him then head into Welsh's office.

He doesn't actually look overly pleased to see me, but I know he's just a big softie and he's glad I'm back. Maybe. Okay, fine, I'm not sure at all, but a guy can pretend his boss likes him, right? We talk about my days as Armando Langoustini, and then Welsh takes a good long look at me.

"Welcome back, Vecchio," he says.

I grin. "It's good to be back, sir."

"Go home and see your family."

"Will do."

He nods and I get up, leaving his office. I decide to stop by my desk.

Kowalski looks up at me and we just sort of watch each other for a bit. Finally he says, "So you're me."

"And you're not you," I reply.

"Good one."

"Guess you'll be happy to get back to your old life."

He doesn't say anything to that. Just glances away quickly, then looks back at me and there's something ugly in his eyes.

"So it looks like we've both had Fraser, huh, Vecchio?" he asks.

No. No, he's lying.

"...What?" I say quietly.

He leans back a bit, a cruel smile twisting his mouth. "Oh, yeah. He told me about you two. Don't know *why* you left. Who'da thought the Mountie's such an *animal* in bed? Canada sure as hell knows what to export."

I swallow, trying desperately not to show my shock at his words, trying not to throw myself at him and rip out his throat. "Fuck off, Kowalski," I say between clenched teeth. "I want your crap cleared off my desk by tomorrow, because I'm coming back to work and I'm *not* going anywhere. See ya around." I turn on my heel and stalk off. Then instantly I turn back around and demand, "Where the hell's my *car*?"

He glares at me and replies coldly, "It blew up. I was glad to see it go."

*Hey, forget ripping out his throat, let's just shoot him!* a voice in the back of my head says eagerly. I shove the thought aside and turn on my heel again and stalk away. I call a cab on my cell and soon enough, I'm standing outside my front door.

I stand there for a second. Kowalski was lying. I know he was. There's no *way* Benny would betray me. I shove *that* thought aside too, even though something, something little, maybe something huge, I dunno, just *something* nags at the back of my mind.

Instead of worrying about it, because, nahh, Kowalski's just a jealous prick, I take a peek in the mailbox, pull what's inside, and go into the house as quietly as I can. I slip off my shoes and head to the kitchen, being really careful not to make a sound. Ma's got ears like a hawk and I want to surprise her. I sneak up behind her and kiss her cheek as she's at the counter, making a pie, and then head over to the table, all non-chalantly looking through the mail, and I say "Hi, Ma," and sit down.

She turns and stares.

I grin up at her. "I'm home."

"Raimondo!" she cries, and comes towards me with her arms open. I jump up and hug her, kissing her again. "Raimondo, you're--" Words seem to escape her and I just hold her until I hear footsteps pounding down the stairs and a shriek from the kitchen doorway.

I turn and look at Frannie and grin.

"Ray!" she exclaims.

"Yeah!" I retort. "Get your butt over here and give me a hug."

She laughs and does just that. I hug Ma again, then reach out and grab a tissue for her so she can wipe her eyes. I glance around. "Where is everybody?" I demand.

"Maria and Tony took the children away for the weekend," Ma replies.

"But I'm home!" I protetst.

"Well it's not like you told anybody, you moron," Frannie says sarcastically, but the effect is ruined because she's got her arms around my waist and is hugging me again.

"But you're all supposed to be here waiting for me with bated breath!"

Frannie rolls her eyes.

Soon enough I'm being fed as much as Ma can make me eat in the middle of the afternoon, and Frannie's telling me all sorts of things that have happened while I've been away. Then she smirks at me and says, "I'm working with you now," and I start choking.

After taking a huge gulp of water, I manage to gasp out, "What?!"

"Yeah," she says casually, "I'm the civillian aide, now."

"No! Absolutely not!"

She snorts in such an unladylike way. "I have been for almost a year now and there's no *way* I'm gonna quit on account of *you.* You're stuck with me."

"Oh, God," I moan, "why is this my life?"

"Ha, ha, very funny."

I spend the next few hours catching up with Ma and Frannie, then suddenly I remember Benny. "Ma," I say, interrupting Frannie mid-sentence, "Benny's coming for dinner."

She's up instantly and making plans, sending Frannie and me to the grocery store. God, I've missed this.

I borrow Maria's car to go pick Benny up at the Consulate at six. He's waiting for me outside, looking kind of nervous for some reason, and again that little nagging thing happens in the back of my mind. I try to push it away, but it won't stop as I drive back to my house and Benny refuses to look at me. As I pull into the driveway and turn off the car, I say, "Uh, when I told Ma that you're coming, she decided to make a feast. Even though there's only gonna be four of us there." I laugh a bit. "So dinner's gonna be another hour or so."

Benny nods, then we get out of the car and head inside. I cut Frannie off. "No way," I say to her. "Benny's mine for a while. You get to see him all the time. I haven't." I grab Benny's arm and pull him off to the living room, leaving a pouting Frannie to go help Ma.

"Ray..." he says softly, "I think we really need to have this conversation in private."

I frown. "All right, Benny. Let's go downstairs, then." He follows me down to the basement, and he sits on the old faded couch down there while I sit on the coffee table in front of him. "What is it, Benny? What's been bugging you?"

He closes his eyes, takes a deep breath, looks down at his lap. He's clutching his Stetson like he's afraid to lose it and that feeling comes back again.

No. No. No--

"Ray, I--"

"I know, Benny."

His head snaps up and he looks at me with wide, frightened eyes. The deer-in-headlights look. I'm really surprised I said it, and I'm really not even sure I did say it, except for the look on Benny's face. I just--that feeling. And when he started to talk, I just *knew* and oh Goddamn...

I close my eyes and put my elbows on my knees, putting my head down and staring hard at my hands.

Fuck it all.

Kowalski wasn't lying.