Disclaimer: Standard Disclaimer. I never said I hated him, I just prefer the Italian Stallion. Please send comments, questions, compliments, and otters to sdelcul@yahoo.com.

Author's Notes: I apologize for the list overload, but please bear with me (feel free to send angry emails and fling inanimate objects) until I catch up. Keep in mind that internet is a two hour bus ride away at the moment and I have to boil my water before it's safe to drink. Gotta love rural Ecuador!

Story Notes:

Theres a functionality to police work that Ive always appreciated. You investigate, collect clues, and eventually figure out what happened. The key is, you have to realize that theres something to figure out. Im a detective, I figured it out.

I remember the first day I became Ray Vecchio. Id been told about Fraser, or perhaps I should say warned. Hes wierd, they said, and Canadian. At the time I just nodded and kept working through Vecchios case files. If they had told me just how wierd Fraser can be I probably wouldnt have believed them. And certainly no one told me hed be gay and in love with me. The other me. That would have really made me hesitate. I have nothing against gays. Some of my best friends now are gay. Id just never worked that closely with one before.

I didnt figure that part out for a while, probably because I wasnt looking for it. Hes a good looking guy; the women came out of the woodwork. I figured he just prefered his women Canadian, Mounties even, although thank God she turned out to be just his sister.

I wonder how shes doing . . . But anyway, I began picking up the clues.

He seemed really sad at times, but it seemed to help when he looked at that postcard from Vecchio. I figured he just missed his partner, and after finding out the truth about that Metcalfe woman, I figured thats why he didnt go after American women.

I didnt know him well enough to know how he was before. I couldnt see the difference, because for me it wasnt different. If Fraser was wierd, well, thats just the way he is.

But I aint stupid. When the clues were there I put them together. I noticed how he fought to defend Vecchio when they found that body in the wall of the station. It didnt even occur to him to wonder if Vecchio might have had something to do with it.

I noticed how his body relaxed when the door opened. I noticed the smile he couldnt keep off his face. I noticed how he hesitated to release Vecchio from that hug. Fraser aint normally all that touchy feely, but Vecchio was practically petting him all the way to the station and Fraser didnt seem to mind. He was practically purring.

Yeah, I figured it out. I knew before I opened the door to the supply closet, otherwise I would have been much more startled when I found them in there.

Fraser was breathing heavy, his hair was all mussed, and his uniform was rumpled, but his eyes were shining, and he seemed, I dont know, settled.

Vecchio just smiled and said, Thank you.

I told him he was welcome without asking what he was thanking me for, grabbed the staples from behind Frasers head, and closed the door behind me.

I swear the wolf looked smug as he lay back down in front of the door. Judging by the amount of wolf hair on Vecchios pants and the donut Dief was wolfing down though, he was only letting Fraser have his turn at welcoming Vecchio back. I pulled up a chair.

They deserve a little uninterrupted time.

End Simple Things by silvina: sdelcul@yahoo.com

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