Disclaimer: The episode, series and characters aren't mine but this scenario is.

Author's Notes: Thanks to Elanor for her beta work on this tale.

Story Notes: I always had a 'What if?' question at the end of Vault. This is my answer.

It was an unusual situation to be in, floating around in a bank vault that was rapidly filling up with water but when it came to the Mountie there wasn't really such a thing as usual as Ray Vecchio knew by now. This had to one of the stupidest so far though.

Despite their situation the two men had talked. Not about feelings or any of that but about duty and honour. Ray thought Fraser was a bit nave, always doing good deeds, not getting much out of it. He did know that good deeds were supposed to be their own reward; he understood why Fraser did what he did. It was like what he did for the Mountie. However he was still puzzled which was what led to the next conversation they had in this unusual situation.

"Admit it, Fraser. You feel unappreciated. Can you do this for me? Can you do this one small thing for me? Can you admit that at least once in you perfect existence you felt the need to put yourself before your duty? Because if you do that I can float peacefully to my death." Ray wanted to know how Fraser felt. He did so much and sometimes got back far less than he deserved.

Fraser's duty. A thing that seemed to trap him sometimes. A lot of the time it got him nowhere, it was just an excuse to keep people at arms length. Doing his duty. Before Victoria Ray had always wondered what would cause Fraser to abandon it. Now he wished he hadn't found out. There was still so much that had been left unsaid.

"Why, Ray?" Fraser asked.

He knew that he let duty rule too much of his life and too little when it had come to Victoria's reappearance. He never had the balance. He knew Ray had seen his weaknesses, he knew what he was capable of. It didn't matter to Fraser, he could trust Ray but he had hurt Ray. He had chosen duty to a woman, a criminal, over duty to hi best friend. It had been a mistake and he had paid dearly for it, Ray had paid dearly for it. Did Ray feel unappreciated? He did so much for Fraser but Fraser never let Ray know how much it truly meant to him. Was that why he had asked the question?

"I just will, now humour me," Ray was getting frustrated. He wanted to know Fraser was human, that he was like Ray, that there was more to him than duty, that he cared about Ray enough to tell him this.

Fraser capitulated. He owed this to Ray. "All right. Uh. Occasionally, only very occasionally, I do feel s--is this really necessary?"

"Fraser. I am drowning on dry land." If Fraser couldn't tell him now, when they were going to die, was he ever going to be able to trust Ray enough to tell him? I'm your best friend, tell me Ray thought.

"All right, Ray, all right." I owe you this at least, Fraser thought. "Occasionally I do feel...what was it?"

"Unappreciated."

"Unappreciated. Occasionally I do feel unappreciated." But never with you, Fraser wanted to add.

"You do?" Ray was surprised Fraser had actually meant the words. Ray hadn't thought he would be that open.

"Occasionally," he admitted. Unappreciated by other people but never Ray.

Ray felt himself smiling. "Well thank you! Good." Ray's thoughts were similar to Fraser's. He never felt unappreciated with the Mountie and Fraser had been honest with him. He did care. "So, from now on - well the next minute or two - can you try to stick up for yourself a bit more?"

"Yes, I will try, Ray." Fraser replied. He would try for Ray. Then another thought came into his head. "How about now?"

The question caught Ray off balance. "What?"

"Do you think I should stick up for myself now?"

Ray sighed. "Well, yeah, Fraser, I mean in about five minutes it looks like we're gonna be dead so go ahead."

So Fraser did. "Ray, there is something I've been wanting to do for awhile now and, while this isn't the most conducive moment, I feel that it is something I should do."

"Fraser!" What was this, an Inuit story?

"Yes, sorry. You've been so angry recently and I feel I must carry some of the blame. Now there is something I have to do. I don't know if it will make you angrier or less angry but I'm doing this for myself, I need you to understand that."

"Benny - the water is rising by the minute if you don't get on with this, there ain't gonna be any air left for you to talk." Ray wasn't exaggerating; the water was getting close to their necks now.

"All right, Ray."

Manoeuvring as best he could in the water, swimming almost, Fraser grabbed Ray. For a moment his partner was puzzled and then gently, ever so carefully, Fraser kissed Ray firmly on the mouth. For a few blissful moments he relished in the contact before he let go and Ray `swam' a little bit away so he could take a good look at his friend.

"What the hell was that?!" he asked.

"It was a kiss, Ray," Fraser answered stating the fact.

Ray sighed. "I know that but why?"

"Why, what?" Fraser was trying to skirt around the issue, trying to work out where Ray stood on it. He had done this as a purely selfish action, for himself, and now he was wondering if perhaps this selfishness was as ill timed as Victoria had been.

"Why did you just kiss me?"

Fraser thought back to their earlier conversations in the vault. "I can give you another reason that is worse than dying."

"What's that?"

"Not letting the people you love, know." Fraser was looking straight at Ray.

"You love me?!"

"Yes, Ray. I'm in love with you and physically attracted to you and that's why I kissed you."

Ray groaned. "Could you not have picked a better time for this? I mean telling me you love me is great but we're in a vault filling with water, looking like we're gonna die!"

"I admit it's not the most romantic atmosphere, Ray" But then again Fraser thought it was better late than never.

"Fraser!" Ray was amazed the Mountie didn't understand. "Don't you get it?"

"Get what?"

"I've been angry `cos I've been frustrated. Frustrated that you were only ever going to be my best friend. That I wasn't gonna get to kiss you or tell you I love you."

Fraser asked the same question Ray had a few moments earlier. "You love me?

The water was rising very quickly now, soon it would be up to their mouths but Ray had to say this, he'd started it after-all. "Geez, Benny. You think I do all that stuff for you outta duty? I do it for you, `cos I love you. Now I've just found out you love me and we're about to die."

"I don't think we'll die, Ray." Fraser said as he surveyed the water. There was still a good six inches of air.

"Look, Benny, if we do die, I'm telling you now I love you and I want to be with you. If by some miracle we get outta this alive I want us to remember this. Unless this was just a deathbed confession to make me feel better."

Fraser knew Ray wanted reassurance but he was completely confident about how he felt about his best friend. He loved him. "It wasn't that, Ray. We will survive and we will explore this new aspect to our relationship."

"Promise?"

Fraser smiled, despite the water lapping at his chin. "I promise, Ray."

"And Mounties don't break their promises?" Ray asked in the same tone he had used with the bank manager that Mounties don't lie.

"No we don't, Ray. You said so yourself."

Ray smiled, reassured. Then they heard a strange creaking noise coming from the door.

"What was that?" he asked.

"Our plan unfolding," Fraser replied. Just in time too, the water was at his mouth. "Ready?"

The two each took a breath before the door blew open with the pressure of the water. They were riding along on a virtual tidal wave which swept the robbers off their feet. Finally the water ran out of energy and the two men and the bank robbers came to halt against a small wall. Fraser turned to Ray and smiled.

"Good work, Ray."

"You too, Fraser."

After they had untied the hostages they were free to go. Fine, Ray still didn't have his money or his Bulls tickets but he had had a declaration of love from Fraser and that was what counted. In fact the bank manager had been so grateful he said he would sort Ray's case out as a top priority.

Francesca on the other hand hadn't been at all happy. After she had been untied she had launched into a rant about veal and butchers, which Ray didn't get at all, and had driven off in the Riv. Ray had been angry at this but his anger had passed when Fraser offered Ray a stay at his apartment where they could dry off and Ray could change into the spare clothes he kept there in case of emergencies. They had to hail a cab and pay slightly more for the journey due to upholstery damage but soon they were in apartment 3J

Smiling Fraser looked at Ray who stood, rather damp in the kitchen area. "You're wet Ray."

"Yeah I'm wet. So are you." Ray gestured to equally wet clothes being sported by his friend.

"We should get dry, Ray."

"Yeah," Ray agreed. "But first."

Ray stepped toward Fraser and took him his arms. This time it was Ray initiating the kiss. They were pressed up against each other, all cold and wet and kissing. The heat of the kiss made them forget abut everything else, it was a far more involved kiss than it had been in the vault but now they had dry land. Eventually they needed air, as they had in the vault.

"I think we should do that exploring," Ray said.

"I agree, Ray."

But both men knew they couldn't do it in their clothes, especially not wet ones.

"Benny?" Ray asked. "Have you got a towel?"

Fraser smiled. "I have two towels, Ray, two."

*********************************************************************

The next morning Ray woke up and smiled. He was dry, he was warm, he was no longer frustrated, he was happy and in love as a certain naked Benton Fraser was lying with his head on Ray's chest. After a few minutes Fraser woke up and looked up at Ray. He too was completely happy. After they had shared a good morning kiss Ray decided to speak.

"You know getting locked in that vault wasn't such a bad idea of yours, Benny."

"Thank you, Ray. I was glad you told me to stick up for myself."

"Yeah, remember that." Ray paused. "But in future?"

"Yes?"

"Just kiss me."

And with that Fraser happily complied. That was one duty he would certainly be happy to carry out for the rest of his life, his love for Ray.