Author's Website: http://www.geocities.com/caffre_19/South.html

Disclaimer: As slavery is illegal I can't claim to own anyone. Author's Notes: Story Notes: Spoilers for the episode Seeing Is Believing

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Gossip

Ray: I love you Fraser.
Fraser: And I you Ray.

Anything else Huey might have heard was drowned out by a loud flushing sound from behind him. He stood at the door to the bathroom, stunned. He'd taken a quick bathroom break from his interview of the other suspect. Fraser and Ray loved each other? He had to tell Dewey.

"What? Didn't you know?"

Huey looked at him over his coffee.

"No way did you know this, ok?"

Welsh came up behind him. "Know what?"

Dewey continued typing as he spoke. "That Ray and Fraser are an item."

Welsh felt uncomfortable at that piece of news. As there commanding officer, he should have known, especially if everyone else in the station knew about it already. He looked about the bullpen. Maybe his ex-wife was right. He was insensitive to the feelings of others.

He coughed. "Oh well, that's old news. I have to go and check a file."

Huey watched as Welsh headed into his office. "Am I the last person to find these things out?"

"Apparently"

Francesca had heard it all, and had headed straight to the nearest closet. At first she'd cried some, but after a short while, she finally began to examine what Fraser really meant to her. She knew he wasn't interested, which was why she had fixated on him. Oh, he was everything a woman or a man could hope for, but it kept her looking from something real, something of her own. Her first marriage had been wonderful for the first few months, but after that, it had become hell for her, and her brother had finally gotten her out. Fraser had been the perfect excuse not to try again.

She pulled herself together. This was good news really. A smile crossed her face. Yeah, this was great news. For her and Fraser. Still, she swore that the might of the Vecchio family would descend upon Ray if he so much as made her Mountie frown.

Later that Evening

Huey and Dewey watched as Fraser and Ray came into the bullpen. Dewey leaned in close to him. "I mean, look at them. Can't you see it's obvious when you look at them?"

Huey looked at the pair of them. Ray's hand on Fraser's arm, and even more surprisingly Fraser letting it stay there as they talked. "You know, your right. I mean, when have you ever seen Fraser looking so relaxed. And Ray? He's, well glowing. Look at him."

Dewey looked him straight in the eye. "That'll be the sex. I hear it's meant to be pretty unbelievable between two guys. Can you imagine it?" He put his hand on Huey's leg, running it gently up his thigh. "I mean, look at Fraser's face. He's all flushed. He's desperate to get Ray somewhere quiet and have his wicked way with him."

Huey put his hand over Dewey's, bringing it up to his crotch. "I know somewhere they can go. Very quiet."

"Think we should tell them?"

Huey shook his head, standing up and grabbing his coat. "Not a chance in hell. Come on, we can be there in 5 minutes."

Fraser watched the men go with a blush to match his uniform. He actually leaned back to watch them walk down the hall together towards the exit.

"Hello! Earth to Planet Fraser?"

He straightened up, head turning sharply to look at Ray. He didn't mean to say it, but it was out of his mouth before he could help it.

"Oh dear."

Ray knew these words from old. Plus, he couldn't help but notice the finger trying to get down inside his collar to loosen it. Besides, the colour of his face was a dead give away. He grinned.

"All right. Give. What is it? What's got the Mountie all hot and bothered."

At that second Francesca came through, carrying a folder. She smiled warmly at the two men, before stopping briefly to slap Ray on the chest. "No wearing him out tonight ok? He promised Ma a trip to the park in the morning with Dief." That said, she waltzed into Welsh's office, surprising herself with the thought that for a grumpy middle-aged man, he wasn't half bad looking, in a rugged, worn out kinda way.

Ray turned back to Fraser.

"What the hell was that all about? And how the hell did you manage to get even redder?"

"I...I...Oh dear." Fraser turned and practically ran for the break room.

Ray watched him go, and then followed him.

How had everyone found out? Did Ray know? He gulped down another cupful of water. If everyone knew, then Ray was going to find out sooner or later. Even Fraser knew the power of gossip.

"Ok. Spill. What's going on?"

Taking another drink of the water that wasn't really helping, Fraser decided to come clean.

"You remember when you said you loved me and I said I love you too and you said not literally, but symbolically or something?"

Ray straddled the chair in front of him, a worried look on his face that Fraser tried to ignore. "Yeah?"

Deep breathe. "Well, I meant it."

Ray nodded. "I......see."

"I'm most terribly sorry Ray, but it seems that everyone else in the station seems to know it as well. Perhaps it was unconsciously communicated by my actions around you, allowing people here to... Well, the up-shot of it is, people think we're an item."

He finally looked up into Ray's eyes. His gaze surprised him. Instead of the anger he was expecting, humour was creasing the skin around his eyes, his lips turning into a smile.

They where sitting close to each other, so it wasn't much of an effort on Ray's part to grab a handful of serge and pull Fraser over to him, kissing him soundly.

"God, could you guys get a room please? I'm trying to eat here."

Both men turned to see Welsh sitting in the corner eating a sandwich.

Ray turned to Fraser, a shocked but happy look on his face. "Wanna get a room Red?"

Despite the blush, Fraser nodded his agreement, speechless, but smiling happily.

"Well, I think I've got one of those back at my place. Come on."

Taking his hand, Ray led Fraser out of the room, bumping into Frannie again on the way out.

"Hey, you guys seen Lieutenant Welsh? He's not in his office."

Ray pointed with his free hand into the break-room, dragging Fraser behind him.

Frannie watched them go, then peered into the break-room seeing Welsh sitting down, eating. Putting on her best smile, a fresh coffee in her hand now, she sashayed into the room. Oh yeah, she thought to herself.

"Coffee. Sir?"

Welsh looked up to see his civilian aid practically leering at him. "Yeah, sure, why not?"

She held out the cup to him, there fingers touching over the heat of the coffee. They looked up into each other's eyes, a knowing smile suddenly coming over both their faces.

"Closet?"

"Nah, my office. I can lock the door."

The end