Disclaimer:  Not mine, not yours, and not the author's.  No harm, no foul,
no profit, no suit.

Rating: R

Title: "Minute to Midnight"

Mail: caffre19@hotmail.com

Notes. What can I say? I love the comic element of Due South and sometimes I can't help myself. Thanks to Mary for the swift beta before viewing for the ANON challenge over at The Closet.



"Good evening, this is the Canadian consulate, Constable Turnbull speaking,
how may I assist you?"

"Is Fraser about, Turnbull?"

"Ahhh, Detective Vecchio."  Ray could almost hear the frown of
concentration on Turnbull's face.  "About in what sense, sir?"

Ray kept the sarcasm limited to his face.  "In the sense of maybe being there?"

"No, Constable Fraser left some moments ago.  May I be of some
assistance?  As a member of Her Majesty's Royal Canadian Mounted Police I
am, therefore, more than capable of..."

Ray hung his head.  Visions of Turnbull doing to him what he wanted Fraser
to do to floated into range.

"No no, it's ok.  See ya."

"Goodbye, Detect..." Ray hung up the phone, not exactly wanting to hear
Turnbull go on and on.

Sighing, Ray threw himself into his paper work again, hoping that Fraser
wasn't coming here.  A guilty glance over at his Far Side desk calendar
told him that today was the day. Today was the day he had chosen to tell
Fraser, if the Mountie hadn't already told him first.  Just thinking about
it these last couple of days had sent the butterflies in his stomach into a
whirlwind. If he turned up before midnight then he'd have little choice but
to go through with it.  He'd sworn on the hood of his GTO that he would.

This thought perked him up a little.  Yeah, if he could just avoid Fraser
then he wouldn't have to tell him.  And if he could stay out of his way
until midnight, then all bets were off.  The deal would be null and void.

"Hey Fraser."

Head jerking up at that, he heard rather than saw Frannie catching Fraser
out in the hall.

"Damn!"

Jumping to his feet, Ray was about to bolt when Welsh caught him.

"Ahh, Detective Vecchio."  Welsh looked at him as he had just grabbed his
coat off the back of his chair.  "I hope that you're not feeling too cold
out here?"

Ray was lost.

"Cold, sir?"

"Yes, Detective.  Cold.  For I can only assume, seeing as you are scheduled
to meet with Internal Affairs, that the putting on of a coat implies that
you're cold rather than you are about to leave the building."

Ray shivered, covering up his near mistake.  "Cold for the time of year
Lieut, ain't it?  I mean, you gotta wear a coat inside when it gets this
cold.  Saves on heating bills."  Oh, just great Kowalski.  Great
tactic.  Convince your boss you're a moron why don't you.

Welsh gave him about all of the smile he could muster before
replying.  "Yeah, all of this I.A. frost could really freeze your balls off."

Glancing back Ray could see Dief coming into the room.

"Understood, Lieutenant."  He gave him a cheery little salute as Welsh
turned and went back into his office before running off in the direction of
the lunchroom.

* * * * *

Fraser watched as Francesca gave a small pout of annoyance.  "He's in
there, Fraser."

"Thank you kindly."

Following Dief into the bullpen, Fraser looked and saw no sign of Ray.

"Constable?"

"Ah, Lieutenant.  How are you this evening?"

"I've had better, Fraser.  You seen Vecchio?"

Fraser gave a small smile. "No, sir.  In fact, I was just about to enquire
of you as to where he might have gone?"

Welsh sighed and rubbed his eyes.

"He'd better be in this building, Constable, 'cause I.A. are looking for him."

This immediately caught his attention.  "Is there something wrong, sir?  I
know Ray would never..."

Welsh cut him off.  "No, no, it's nothing like that.  Some partner of Ray's
from before was caught taking money from the mob.  Kowalski needs to give a
statement.  That's it.  But from what happened last time, I want him here
when they arrive.  I do not want a repeat performance of last time with
this department appearing like it can't keep track of its Detectives
again.  So if I were you, Constable, I'd find your friend and make sure
he's seated right there," he pointed at Ray's chair just for good measure.
"When they come callin'.  Clear?"

"As mud, sir.  Don't worry, if he's in the building, I'll find him."

Fraser watched as Welsh went back into his office.  A smile tugged at the
corners of his mouth.  If anyone had actually seen it would have spoke
volumes for just how much Fraser was going to enjoy this.  The Mountie set
out to get his man.

* * * * *

Ray had gone straight from the lunchroom with his coffee to Interview room
one.  The late shift was quiet tonight, and no one was using it.  He
figured if Fraser came looking for him, he wouldn't find him here and just
go home. But just in case...

* * * * *

Fraser knelt down beside his companion Diefenbaker and took hold of his
snout, making the wolf look at him.  "Dief, go find Ray."

Fraser smiled.  This was going to be no challenge at all.

He followed Dief until he was standing outside the closet.  Smiling Fraser
opened the door.

"You know Ray..."

Whatever he had been going to say was cut short by the fact that Ray's coat
lay on the ground, on top of which sat several donuts.

Donuts, which Dief was soon happily eating.

He shook his head, sighing.  "You are so easily bought,
Diefenbaker."  Giving the wolf a glare and receiving plain and clear just
how little that meant to him in the face of donuts with jam, Fraser left
the wolf to it.

Standing, Fraser gave the air a sniff and then licked his finger before
holding it up into the air.  He knew people where watching him and he knew
that they knew he was looking for Ray.  He didn't want people thinking that
Ray could so easily outwit him.  Smiling again, he began a systematic
search of the entire station, starting with the front desk.

* * * * *

Dewey watched as Fraser set off for the front desk.

"Hey, ya think Fraser'll find him?"

"Find Ray?  Sure.  I guess.  I mean, he's a Mountie right?  He's got all
those tracking skills."

"Yeah, but this is the urban environment.  Ray's home ground.  I think Ray
can take him."

Huey looked at him.  "You think?"

Dewey looked back.  "Yeah."

"Wanna make a bet of it?"

"Yeah.  Ok.  I bet that Fraser doesn't find Ray.  How much?"

"Oh no.  This isn't about money.  If I win, you get the spare steering
wheel for a month.  Agreed?"

Dewey smiled and stuck out his hand.  "Agreed."

* * * * *

Ray was pacing the room within 10 minutes when Dewey came into the room.

"Somethin' I can help you with?"

Dewey shrugged, leaning against the wall.  "Nah, but I have something that
might interest you."

Ray eyed the detective more carefully.  "Yeah, like what?"

"Information.  Welsh has set Fraser onto you.  In fact..." Dewey leaned
back and looked out the door.  "I'd say he's gonna be here any minute."

Dewey watched as Ray pushed past him a little and looked out into the
hall.  He didn't know why the Detective was avoiding Fraser but he was
having way too much fun with it to care.

Ray could see Dief's backend and tail poking out of the closet.  He smiled
at that.  So far his plan had worked.  Now, if only Fraser would go home
like a good little Mountie, Ray wouldn't feel obliged to tell him 'the
secret' and face losing him for good.

"Why's he so keen to get me anyways?"

"Oh, Welsh just wanted to make sure you stay inside.  Now, from what I
hear, if you hadn't've run off on your own little personal crusade last
time I.A. were in town, he'd probably have just relied on your pager to get
you here."

Ray pulled back to look at him.

"What's this got to do with you anyways?"

Dewey threw up his hands.  "Hey, if a guy can't help out another guy in
times of trouble, then what the hell is the world comin' to huh?"

"Keep spinning it, Dewey."  He double checked the hall way again and made a
break for it.  He had to find somewhere else to hide.


* * * * *

Fraser made his way to the interrogation rooms, just in time to see Dewey
come out with a large smile on his face.

"Ah, Detective Dewey.  You wouldn't have by any chance..."

"Sorry, Fraser, nope, haven't seen Ray all day."

Fraser watched in puzzlement as he walked back into the bullpen.

Stepping into the room, Fraser saw the empty cup of coffee still sitting on
the table.  Lifting it, it still felt warm.  Next, he sniffed the air;
Ray's favorite cologne still hung heavy in the room.  Fraser allowed
himself a smile, as no one else was present.  He loved the way Ray smelled,
all aftershave with a hint of the musk that was pure Ray.

Abruptly, he shook his head.  This was getting him nowhere while trying to
give him a hard on.  Pulling back a little from the brink that was Ray, he
set off in pursuit again.  He had his scent now.

* * * * *

Ray's hand froze on the handle of the door.  God, but he hated this
place.  Dead people gave him the willies.  Still, he figured that since
Fraser knew that he wouldn't even think of looking in here, so he would be
safe for a while.  He glanced at his watch.  Only fifteen minutes to go.

"I can do this.  I can do this."

Taking a deep breath, he pushed open the door, his heart telling him he was
a real coward for not opening up to Fraser.  That this was the easy way
out.  But he didn't care.  He couldn't risk telling Fraser he loved
him.  Fraser would be all polite, maybe quote how many people in Chicago
were gay, compare it to the Yukon, then tell him he was straight and then
add misery to misery by saying that it wouldn't change anything.  But it
would.  It would be the end to Ray's fantasy where he and Fraser lived
happily ever after while having mind-blowing sex on a daily basis.  And
right now that fantasy was all he had and he wasn't about to have Fraser
put an end to it for him with the truth.

He stepped inside and turned on the lights, finding all the guests had at
least been put away for the night.  Sighing, he sat down at the desk and
found an old newspaper.  He couldn't help but look behind him every once in
a while, certain that someone was watching.  Someone dead.  He
shivered.  With nothing better to do, and hoping it would take his mind off
his location he opened up the paper till he found the cross word and
started in on it.  But not before he had another look at his watch.

Thirteen minutes and counting.

* * * * *

Fraser stopped outside the men's toilets.  "This is getting ridiculous, its
almost as if..."

He stopped.  Ray was avoiding him on purpose.  A sudden blush started to
rise on his face.  Maybe he hadn't gotten away with it after all.

* * * * * FLASHBACK * * * * *

"You good, Frase?"

"Just a little sore from when the cow fell on me Ray, but I'm fine now,
thank you."

Ray shook his head.  "You don't look fine."  Normally, Fraser would have
seen a move like that coming, but Ray's hand was suddenly on his face,
feeling the area where Norton had hit him.  They'd been investigating the
death of a vet in downtown Chicago and in true Fraser fashion it had led to
an unexpected and unusual adventure.  Ray was seated beside him in the car,
and was currently examining a tender spot on Fraser's face.

Unfortunately, another tender spot suddenly got a lot more so, and Fraser
while momentarily stunned (you've seen the look, the one just before the
rabbit goes 'splat!') had leaned into the touch, letting sensation blind
him to reality.

Then he'd pulled away, the thought running through his head of that time
Ray had let him drive the GTO, that not only had he managed to walk within
a car, he'd also just accomplished running.

"Could you take me back to the consulate, Ray?  I'm feeling a little tired."

The expression on Ray's face puzzled Fraser for a second, but then it was
gone, and Ray took him home.

* * * * *

He pulled at the collar of his uniform.  If Ray had seen how aroused he'd
become from his touch yesterday then it was no wonder he was avoiding him
right now.  A thought came into his mind.  He needed Ray, that much was
pretty evident even to him, but if he couldn't have him as a partner, then
he would have to make do with having him as a colleague.

He thought for a second.  Where would be the last place Ray would go, but
without leaving the station?  Having the answer within seconds, Fraser got
to his feet and took a deep breath.  To save his friendship, he was going
to lie.

* * * * *

Ray heard footsteps approach the morgue and with nothing better to do, he
got up and looked thought the glass.  Red.  Red was heading his way.

"Shit!"

Without even thinking Ray ran over to one of the empty tables and threw
himself on it, covering himself with one of those horrible green
blankets.  He forced himself to calm down.  Fraser could hear a specific
pin drop in a deluge of pins dropping.  He had to be quiet.

* * * * *

Fraser pushed open the door and immediately, despite the usual smells that
went with the place, smelled Ray's cologne.

Eyes fell on the slab, the soft light making it hard, but not impossible to
see the gentle rise and fall of someone breathing underneath it.

Another deep breath to steel himself, Fraser went over, pulling back the cover.

"Hello, Ray."

Fraser saw Ray colour.  "Fraser!  Hey, how's it hang...Emmm.  What ya doin'?"

"I could ask the same of you.  Its not often I find you in the mortuary,
and on a slab no less."

"Yeah, well..."

"It's all right, Ray.  I know you're avoiding me, it's my fault entirely."

Ray sat up.

"It is?  How do you figure that one out huh?"  Ray looked at his watch.  23:55.

"Well," Fraser could feel his cheeks start to colour again, his throat
closing.  "Its...I, well..."

Ray shook his head, forgetting his earlier attempts to stay clear of his
friend.  Just looking at him now, lost for words, reminded him of just why
he loved him.

"Just spit it out, Fraser."  He put a hand on his arm, trying to steady his
friend.

"Well, after what happened yesterday, I wanted to apologize."

"Fraser, it wasn't your fault that the cow fell off that roof, if anything
it was suicide...

His friend cut him off.  "No, Ray, not that."  He jerked his head to the
left a little for a couple of nods.  "What happened in the car..?"

Ray nodded at that as if he understood.  Then he shook it in complete
bewilderment.  "What happened in the car, Fraser?"

Fraser gulped, the words rushing out before he could think properly.  "My
unfortunate timing.  I assure you it was not directed at you, but was
rather a result of the adrenaline that had flooded my system..."

Ray looked at him.  Fraser was lying.  As to what he didn't have a
clue.  He closed his eyes briefly, thinking back.  He still couldn't
believe he'd touched him like that, then Fraser had pulled back, and he had
thought it was because of him.

Now though, Fraser seemed to think it was about something else.  "Not
directed at me...?"

His eyes widened as he realized what he was talking about.

"Oh my God."

Suddenly, Ray's cell phone rang.  Hands ransacked his pockets looking for
it, fumbling it until he had answered it, his eyes never moving from Fraser's.

"Vecchio.  Yeah.  Right.  Ok, Lieutenant.  Thanks."  He snapped the phone
shut.  "I.A. no longer needs me.  Stalker admitted to everything."

Fraser nodded.  "It's good to see your ex-partner admit to the truth."

Ray swung his feet off the table.  "And what about my current one?  Hell,
what about me?  The truth shall set you free."  He looked up at
Fraser.  "Ain't that the way it goes?"

"I suppose so, yes Ray."

"Right."  He looked at his watch.  One minute to midnight.

"Fraser, I love you."

"And I you, Ray."

The Chicago cop shook his head.

"No, I mean it Fraser.  I love you.  Your know, as in, a kinda romantic way
sorta thing."

Fraser smiled, and Ray could tell that this was the right thing, the best
thing he could ever have done.

Fraser reached over, mimicking the same action that Ray had done yesterday
to him.  Only this time, there was no backing off.

Leaning into the touch was so much more than anything Ray had ever
imagined.  Eyes locked.

"Can I kiss you, Fraser?"

The answer was given when Fraser took a step forward, pressing his lips
against his.

Soft.  The only word that could form in Ray's mind was 'soft'.  "God, Ben,
you taste so..."

Fraser's hand was pulling at Rays belt, pulling him off the table, getting
him to his feet and closer to him.

"I want you.  I have wanted you for so..."

"I know, Fraser.  Me, too."

Fraser stumbled backwards a little, Ray moving with him, his hands no
longer under his control, as they tried to be everywhere on Fraser's body
at once, their tongues exploring each other, tasting the taste that was
unique to each of them, the other finding it as erotic as they had each
known it would be.

Ray pulled back a little, breathless and happy.

"You need to loose that red, Fraser.  Now."

Fraser looked at the door.  "But, Ray..."

Ray was about to complain, when a smile on Fraser's face stopped him.

"What?"

"Well, who said that I had to be the one to lose the clothes?  In fact..."

Ray's eyes widened as Fraser's hand went to his zip, then to his buttons
and soon his trousers where down and around his ankles and Fraser was
kneeling in front of him.

"Fraser, I've wanted this for so long, but here...?"

Fraser managed to drag his eyes away from the enlarged cock that was in
front of him to look at Ray.  "I don't think they mind, Ray."

"Yeah, but...Ohhhh, dear God!"

Fraser's soft wet mouth had covered the slightly weeping head, one hand
taking the base, the other cupping his balls as he gently massaged them.

Rays hands tried to run through Fraser's hair, but the sensation building
up through him was something he'd been denied for so long that all he could
do was place them on his head.

He could barely contain himself, but he hardly heard his own voice,
pleasure after pleasure filling him.

Too long since anything but his own hand ensured that Ray wasn't long in
coming.

"Fraser!  Oh, Jesus!  Ben!"

Ray's head went back, hitting the wall, but he never noticed.  All he could
feel was Fraser's hands and mouth, and suddenly he called out Fraser's name
as he shot straight into his mouth.

Slowly he came back down to earth, Fraser taking every last drop he had to
give.

"Ray?"

"Hmmm?"

Fraser smiled at that.

"Ray!"

"What?"

"Someone's coming."

Ray smiled.

"No, someone just came and it was...wow...maybe lickin' stuff has its
upside after all.  You must get a lot of practice with that tongue, Frase,
cause that was...wow."

"Ray, someone is actually....Ahh, Detective Dewey, Detective Huey.  How
nice to see you."

Ray jumped slightly, looking down to find his clothes had been pulled back
up on him.  He smiled at the two Detectives.

"Need something?"

Huey looked like the cat that had got the cream.  "Nah, just wanted to make
sure Fraser found you."  He grinned at Dewey, and held out his hand.

Dewey looked annoyed as he fished in his pockets and produced a set of car
keys handing them to Huey.

"Catch you guys tomorrow."

Ray held the door open for them, and then followed them out with Fraser
into the hall.

"Not if I can help it.  Late shift tonight, day off tomorrow.  I plan to
lie in bed all day."  He turned to Fraser.  "It's your day off tomorrow
too, right?"

Dewey and Huey walked off, arguing between themselves.  Fraser waited until
he could no longer hear them before replying, leaning in close.

"So it is, Ray."  He yawned, and then, much to Ray's surprise he licked his
lips.  "I was planning on eating more of a new delicacy I just discovered
tonight.  It was very...enjoyable, but I too am also feeling very tired.  I
was thinking of having a day of rest myself."

Ray leaned closer, running a hand over Fraser's chest, pausing long enough
to attempt to rub at one of his nipples through all the layers of clothing
and thick woolen serge.

"It's alright to eat in bed, you know.  In fact, food sometimes tastes
better there."

"Is that so?"

Ray grinned, then quickly stepped over, licking Fraser on the lips.

"Hmmm, you don't taste so bad yourself there, Frase.  Wanna see me get the
full flavor, so to speak?"

Fraser smiled.  "Absolutely, Ray."

Saying that, Fraser walked off, Ray watching him for a second before
shaking his head in wonder.  "God, but I love Canadian food.  Hold up
there, Frase.  I'm coming."

The End