Author's Website: http://www.geocities.com/SoHo/Gallery/8741/jmgarden.htm

Disclaimer: Disclaimer: I don't own 'em, Alliance does, more's the pity.

Author's Notes: This new series is an AU, a different version of American and Canadian history. The words *"It could happen here"* spring to mind.

Story Notes: Pairing: Benny/Ray V.
Categories: Drama, AU.
Rating: G.

I
RUBY-RED

Ray speeded up slightly as he turned onto North Octavia, gliding the Riv down the silent street. The wind was picking up on this cold, raw, January evening, and scraps of paper and old leaves whirled around in frantic little arcs as the streetlights illuminated the gray sidewalks, patches of dirty snow remaining after the mild thaw of the last few days. He glanced up at the sky. More snow coming, though. He could feel it in his bones. A faint smile played around his lips. Benny would know the precise moment it would come. He caught the bright cherry-red flash of a police cruiser behind him and started to sweat. He turned into the driveway of his home and the cruiser drove past, relief pounding in his chest. He shut off the engine and angled his lanky body out of the car, hurrying into the house.

Inviting golden light spilled out of his house and the houses down the street as dusk grew to darkness. He used his key and went through the front door, yanking his coat off and putting it in the hall closet. Made it, he thought. He grimaced at his lapel and slammed the door shut.

"Ma! How's Benny?"

Rosa Vecchio emerged from the kitchen with a dishtowel in hand. "The same." Worry laced her eyes.

Ray's stomach twisted. "Did you get the medicine?"

Rosa nodded. "It's on the dresser."

"Thanks, Ma." Ray kissed her on the cheek and barreled up the stairs and down the hall. He skidded to a halt at the entrance to his room.

In the big, familiar bed lay his lover, a slight rattling noise the only sound in the room. Dief lay nearby, his amber eyes trained on his stricken human.

"Hey, Dief," Ray said softly, patting the wolf's head as he passed to the bed. He looked down at his lover.

Benny's face held a faint sheen of sweat, his dark hair wavy and ruffled with dampness. His color was flushed, the result of a low-grade fever. The sheets were rumpled and halfway down his chest. His light-blue pajama top was sticking to his skin.

"Aw, Benny," Ray murmured, his hand resting softly on that wavy hair.

Blue eyes fluttered open. "R...Ray?"

"Right here, love."

A smile blossomed on Benny's face. "You're home."

"And where else would I be?" Ray kissed his beloved on the lips, ignoring Benny's gentle protestations about catching something. "The only thing I'm gonna catch is you."

Benny chuckled, then began to cough.

"Hold on." Ray crossed to the dresser, picking up the ruby-red bottle and spoon. He returned to the bed and poured out the medicine. Benny took it without protest, sinking back into the pillows. Ray set the bottle and spoon on the nightstand with the water pitcher, glass, and box of tissues. He glanced at the small clock.

"You made curfew," Benny rasped.

"Just about. Saw a black-and-white but he didn't mess with me."

"Thank goodness." Benny reached out and grasped Ray's hand, the coldness frightening Ray.

"Listen, Benny, you get some sleep and I'll have dinner and take a hot shower. Then I'll come to bed and you can sleep or we can talk."

Benny nodded. He was unable to keep any food down and needed sleep more than dinner, anyway. He was sleeping before Ray left the room, and the Italian paused at the door, looking back at Benny, his face in shadow. He exited and closed the door softly behind him.

He went down the stairs with a weary step, sighing as he held on tightly to the balustrade. It had been a long day. Hell, it had been a long decade. He went into the kitchen.

"Sit down, Raymondo." Ray obeyed, wincing as his tailbone hit the seat. He had lost weight that Rosa took as a personal affront. She set a steaming plate of rigatoni in front of him, the shrimp sauce making his mouth water. "Eat."

He didn't have to be told twice. He picked up his fork and dug in, suddenly ravenous.

He ate in silence, Rosa finishing up clean-up from the family dinner.

"Where is everybody?"

"Tony and Maria went out to dinner. The children are on sleep-overs and the baby is asleep. Francesca helped me with the children at dinner and then left on a date."

Ray absorbed the comings and goings of his family and drank the icewater that soothed his throat. He thought of working in the cold, dank records room all day and his bones ached. "Ma, I don't know what to do," he said softly.

Rosa looked at her son with sympathy and sorrow brimming in her brown eyes. "I know, Raymondo." She put her warm hand over his cold one. He sighed and then rose from the chair stiffly. "If you don't mind, Ma, I'm going to go in the living room for a minute."

"Go ahead, caro. I'll clean up."

"Thanks."

He trudged into the dark living room, his eyes adjusting as a streetlight poured streams of light into the room. He sat bonelessly on the couch, his head aching. He rested it on the back of the couch, needing a few minutes to catch his equilibrium and let Benny get some much-needed sleep. He thought of his scut work assignment and his lip curled. That jerk Kruger from his squad was rising up in the ranks and lording it over him...he stopped that line of thought. It did no good. It would eat away at him and leave him with an acidic taste in his mouth. Feeling like a ninety-year-old man, he pushed himself off the couch and forced his tired legs up the stairs.

When he went into the bedroom to get his robe and pajamas, he checked on Benny, who was still asleep. He rested his hand on the fevered brow and frowned. Still hot, but at least it wasn't worse. He left the room to pad down the hall and gratefully took a hot shower.

When he returned, he slipped into his favorite blue-and-white striped silk pajamas and got under the covers. Benny stirred and rolled over into his embrace.

"Ray," he yawned sleepily.

"Hiya, Benny." Ray kissed the top of his head. "How ya doin'?"

"Fine, Ray," Benny answered, a faint smile on his lips. Shyly, he slid his arms around his lover and Ray pulled him close. They sighed contentedly despite Benny's illness and Ray's weariness. They were together, and that was a lot better than could be said for others like them. "Ray, I'm sore-ry to be such a bother to your mother all day."

"Ah, don't sweat it. Ma loves to have someone to take care of."

Benny sighed as he melted into Ray's side. He was warm and Ray brushed off the stray locks of hair from his eyes.

"It looks like snow," Ray said softly.

"Yes." Benny looked at the dark, moonless sky. Clouds were blocking out the stars. "I saw the sky this afternoon." Benny began to struggle to turn his head to look at Ray. "Ray..."

"Hush," Ray said, kissing him on his head again. "Sleep, love. I'll be right here."

Exhausted from his illness, Benny obeyed, sleep soon overtaking him. Ray sighed and glanced at Dief, whose amber eyes glittered in the dark. The wolf snuffled, then settled down for the night.

Ray quietly opened the drawer of the nightstand and took out a small black velvet case with his free hand. He flicked open the lid with his finger, a plain gold band nestled in the slot. Benny was wearing his ring. He managed to get the ring on his own finger with considerable dexterity, then put the box back. It rested on top of a piece of paper in the drawer. He shut the drawer, pain in his heart.

It had all been so wonderful. After the Stonewall Riot of '69, the Gay Liberation Movement had gathered astonishing steam. As the civil rights and women's liberation movements before it, it changed Americans' thinking as it challenged long-held prejudices and ideas about gays and lesbians. The freedom had been heady in those days, and rights were won so fast that it had made heads spin. A parallel movement was keeping pace in Canada. The final triumph had been the right of marriage. As soon as gays had acquired the full rights of that venerable institution, he and Benny had gone right out and gotten legally married. That had been in 1984.

Then the bottom had dropped out.

Ray sighed and slid down in the bed, taking Benny with him. He fell asleep, exhaustion carrying him into a troubled dreamland.

II
PINK

Ray awoke, a hot Benny wrapped around him. Unfortunately, the 'hot' wasn't the kind he was hoping for. Benny's temperature was up again.

He reluctantly woke his lover and gave him more medicine, then extracted a promise to try and eat some breakfast. Ray fixed it himself: dry cereal, an orange, and cranberry juice. Benny made a manful effort but could only eat half the cereal, a quarter of the orange, and drink half a glass of juice. Ray was satisfied though worried about the fever.

"I'll be fine, Ray," Benny croaked, reading his lover's mind.

"I'm sorry, Benny. I can't help it. You need more than just a bottle of damned medicine," Ray said angrily.

"Ray." Benny's voice was soft.

Deflated, Ray said, "Yeah, I know." He kissed his lover and then gave Benny a sponge bath, wishing that he had time to be more sensual about it, but if he was late for work he'd be in more trouble than he cared to think about. Benny watched as he removed his ring and put it back into the velvet box. Neither man met the other's eyes. He gave his lover a final kiss and scooted downstairs after showering and dressing.

"Ma, Benny's temperature's up," Ray said as he slid into his seat, saying good morning to the assembled clan over the racket of the children preparing for school.

"I'll keep an eye on him, Raymondo."

Maria hustled the children down to the bus stop, scolding Theresa for not buckling her boot. "It's going to snow. You need your boots."

Tony picked up his lunch box and Frannie finished her grapefruit, Ray looking up to see her gaze on him. Rosa picked up the baby and brought her into the playpen in the living room.

"You need more medicine?" asked Frannie.

Ray shook his head. "No, we're good. At least for awhile. Ma picked up a bottle yesterday."

Frannie nodded, looking smart in her tailored suit. She'd landed a job as an executive secretary and had upgraded her wardrobe as a result. Ray missed her uneasy expression as he finished his own breakfast and rose to put the dishes in the sink.

"See you tonight," Frannie said, and Ray nodded. They both went to the hall closet after brushing their teeth and Frannie did a final primping. They grabbed their coats and headed outside where the Riv and Frannie's Cavalier awaited. Her coat was a long, warm, wine-red coat. Ray's was a dark charcoal shade. A pink triangle was affixed to the lapel.

They both got into their cars and drove away, the sky a slate-gray as the temperature began to drop.