Disclaimers: Alliance owns all these characters.  I'm just amusing myself
with them. The title comes from a song by  Royal Court of China.  Used
without permission. The lyrics however, are from the song 'Poison Heart'
by the Ramones. Also used without permission. 

This story is in response to the Serge 'Fraser Gone Bad' challenge. 

This one came out of nowhere and it is further proof that I am an evil
and depraved woman. 

For Heather, who kicked me a couple of times when I was down.  Sometimes
that's just what I need to help me get back up. Thanks. 

NC-17 for M/M SEX, VIOLENCE AND A WHOLE LOT OF NAUGHTY LANGUAGE. IF BOY-ON-BOY
DOESN'T DO IT FOR YOU, GO BACK, WALK ON, BUG OFF.  Thank you kindly.

Working Up A Sweat
by
Rae                                                                 

==================

You know that life really takes its toll                            
And a poet's gut reaction is to search his very soul.               
So much damn confusion before my eyes,                              
But nothing seems to phase me and this one still survives. 
                    -- from 'Poison Heart' by The Ramones(written by
Dee Dee Ramone/ Daniel Rey) 

*He must have been brainwashed. Or something. How else do you explain....*
Stanley Raymond Kowalski shifted slightly in the steel handcuffs that
bound his hands to pipes above his head. He groaned softly as pain shot
through both arms. He'd been suspended like this for hours. He had lost
all feeling in legs long ago.  Sweat-drenched clothes clung to his lithe
body. He was burning, aching. His head swam and dizziness took him to
the very edge of unconcious more than once. But every time he came close
to passing out, slacking in his bonds, pain yanked him back up.  He moaned
weakly. "Stop fidgeting and it will stop hurting.", a stern voice reprimanded.
Ray looked at the speaker.  His tormenter sat at a table a few feet away,
picking a string off his tattered blue button-down shirt. "Please...",
he whispered. Oh, God, his throat was so dry. The man sighed, lighting
another cigerette. That would make it what, at least two full packs since
this had begun. "Begging hardly becomes you, Detective Kowalski.", he
said.  Ray tried to swallow, to relieve his parched throat.  The man
tilted his head to one side. "Are you thirsty?", he asked.  Kowalski
gasped softly, making every effort to stifle a sob. "Please..." The man
took a small scotch glass, half full with ice and picked up a Southern
Comfort bottle from under the table.  He poured the liquior into the
glass, all the while holding Ray's gaze. The man shook the glass slowly.
The sound of the ice clinking gently against the sides echoed through
the quiet of the warehouse. The cigerette was now placed delicately in
the ashtray.  His eyes never left Ray as he drank the Southern Comfort,
made a satisfied smacking sound and put the glass down. "Well, I feel
better." Ray closed his eyes, whimpering in pain. *What have they done
to you?* He appealed once more to this man, as he had at the beginning
of his torture. "Fraser, please..."

                                            
                                                      *************************
three weeks earlier:

"Fraser, please......" A dark, toussled head rose from between Ray's
thighs, looking at him lovingly. "Please what, Ray?" Kowalski groaned,
barely able to think.
"Stop...teasing."  Benton Fraser raised an eyebrow.
"Teasing?", he asked innocently, his fingers brushing lightly over heated
skin. "What ever do you mean?" Then the fingers suddenly grasped hard
and Ray's whole body jerked violently.  Only Ben's hand planted firmly
on the blond's abdomen kept him from falling off the couch. Fraser laughed
quietly and Ray moaned. *Damn fine time for the man to be a comedian.*
"This isn't very Mountie-like.", Kowalski managed through gasping breaths.
That familiar gorgeous grin crossed Fraser's lips. "I wouldn't imagine
going down on my partner is very Mountie-like either, Ray.", he pointed
out. "Teasing's worse." Ben nodded.
"Right you are." With a feral smile the Mountie dropped his head and
took his lover into his mouth. Kowalski yelped and arched up, his fingers
threading into Fraser's hair. 
   It didn't take long for Ben to bring him over the edge. Like everything
else the Mountie did, he was a master at sex too.  He couldn't talk about
it without turning the color or his uniform, though and that was about
the only area where Ray could best him.  And it was a talent the detective
exercised vigorously.  Of course once he got his Mountie all hot and
bothered, well that was it.  Ben took the wheel from there.  Not that
Ray was complaining. Geez, *every* time he and Fraser made love, it was
the best he had ever had in his life. Until the next time anyway. 

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


      
"Kowalski. Hey, Kowalski. Wake yer lazy fuck." He could hear the voice,
but he didn't have the strength to lift his head. That task was performed
him.  Long fingers curled into his hair and yanked his head up.  Ben
stood before him, cigerette resting between his lips. His brow furrowed
as he studied the detective. "Don't go dying on me. Carbona won't be
a happy man." Heat and dehydration had already taken their toll on Ray.
Mercifully, delerium had ebbed most of the pain for him. "I was....dreaming.",Kowalski
mumbled. 
"Really? 'Bout what?" The cigerette wagged as Fraser spoke. Ray managed
a weak smile. "You, mostly.", he whispered. Tried to swallow again. "Always
loved you, you know. From the moment I saw you." He was talking too much,
but it didn't matter. Couldn't stop now. "Bet they didn't tell you that.
They just wiped your memory clean, right? Did they tell you about us?
We were---we are lovers. Bet you didn'--" He was cut off abruptly as
Fraser's fist connected with the side of his face. "Yer lyin'!  Yer a
lying pig! I'm not a fag!" Ray was too weak and delerious to distinguish
what was going on. Tears blurred his vision. "I love you.", he whispered.
Ben struck him again.
"Shut up!" Blood trickled down from  Ray's open mouth and his cut lips.
Face flushed and breathing hard, Fraser turned away and glanced at his
watch. "Where the fuck is Carbona? We're going to be late."

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


 
 "Ray, we are going to be late. You have to get up. Huey and Dewey are
waiting." Kowalski groaned and pulled a pillow over his face. "Screw
those guys. I'm tired."
"Ray..." Uh-oh.  That was *the* tone. The exasperated, parental tone
that Ray could not stand. Normally that got him out of bed pretty fast,
but not today.  There was a gentle tug on his toes. "Come, Ray. Out of
bed." Kowalski groaned and pulled the comforter over his head. It was
then that the bed creaked and a familiar weight settled on top of him.
Ben drew the comforter away from his face and looked down at his lover.
"The sooner you get out of bed, the sooner I can get you back in it.",
he said softly.  Ray's face flushed and his eyes narrowed. He raised
his hand and brushed a stray eyelash from under the Mountie's right eye.
"You suck.", he mumbled with an exaggerated pout. Ben smiled and kissed
him, nipping the detective's bottom lip as he drew back. "I never heard
any complaints from you before."
"Oh, hardy-fucking-ha, ha.",Kowalski replied as he rolled out of bed.
"Language.", Fraser gently chastised.  Ray made a face he gathered up
his towel. "Punish me.", he challenged in a voice that was dripping seduction.
The Mountie slapped him none too lightly on the rear, putting a startled
spring into the detective's step as he headed for the bathroom. 



"You're late." Kowalski ran his fingers through his blond spikes and
scrowled at Dewey. "God forbid you had to sit here for..." He looked
at his watch. "...a whole extra ten minutes.  Cut into your donut time,
did we, Tom?" Behind Dewey, Jack Huey repressed a chuckle. Dewey gave
Kowalski an icy glare before stalking away. Jack laughed as soon as his
partner was out of ear shot.  He grinned, slapping his hand across Ray's
palm. "You're an asshole, man." Kowalski grinned.
"Yeah." 
"Look there's some chocolate chip cookies in the car, binoculars are
on the dashboard." Ray nodded. "Alright, thanks, man.", he said.
"Thank you, Detective Huey." Jack acknowledged the Mountie with a nod
and then walked away to join his partner. 

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



  It was getting worse. Couldn't tell up from down anymore.  *Ray, Ray,
Ray, Ray, RAY.* Kowalski gasped, raising his head.  That exasperated
tone that Fraser used. He looked at the man who was lounging in the chair
hopefully.  Ben locked his lips around the top of the Southern Comfort
and threw his head back taking in gulp after gulp. Huh. Guess it was
just the voice in his head. Funny how his conscience and his inner-strength
sounded so much like his lover.  There was a loud echoing thud as Fraser
slammed the bottle back on the the table and rubbed his sweat-slick palms
on his worn black Levis. "Have a nice nap, Kowalski?", he asked, noticing
the detective watching him. Ray smiled thinly. "Carbona isn't coming,
*Benny.*  He hung you out to dry." Fraser scrowled. "Shut yer mouth."
"Why don't you come here and shut it for me?!", he snapped defiantly,
momentaryily forcing aside weakness and pain. "Do you remember the last
night we spent together, Frase? You had really brilliant ways of shutting
me up, *lover*." He spat the word, armed it with a fierce hiss. For the
first time, Ben's hand moved to the polished black 9mm on the table.
He picked it up and swung it recklessly at the bound detective. "Kowalski,
shut yer fucking mouth. The only dick you'll be sucking on is..." He
waved the gun. "this nice, thick metal one." Ray smiled thinly and feigned
horror. "Oooh. Fucking charming, Ben.", he growled. "Really turns my
crank when you talk dirty." 
        
                                                               *************************



"I'm going to die of boredom here.", Ray whined, his head falling back.
"That is highly improbable.", Fraser replied, his eyes still glued to
the dilapidated building they were staking out. "No, it's highly probable.
This is pointless.", he muttered and sighed deeply. "We've been here
since the day before forever. Carbona's boys are not coming." "Patience,
Ray.", the Mountie said.
"Oh, I think I've been plenty patient. I deserve a medal for how patient
I've been." "And you shall get one." Fraser patted him affectionately
on the thigh, unintentionally--or intentionally--sending a shiver through
his slender body.  Kowalski shook the feeling. Now was not the time.
He yawned, stretching as much as the confined space of the car would
allow. For the first time that night Ben looked over at him. "Are you
o.k., love?", he asked. The tenderness in Fraser's voice brought a smile
to Ray's lips. "Yeah. Just tired.", he said. 
"Why don't you get some rest?", he said, "I'll watch the building." 
Kowalski began to object, but his eyelids were drooping; he could barely
keep his eyes open. "Yeah. Thanks, Fraser."  Ben moved forward, wiggled
out of his brown leather jacket and lay it over Ray as the blond curled
up in the driver's seat and closed his eyes.  The detective smiled as
the intoxicating scent of his lover wafted off the jacket. "I love ya,
Frase.", he whispered.  He felt Ben's lips brush his own. "I love you,
too. With all my heart." He heard his Mountie whisper as sleep overtook
him. 



 Gunshots.  Kowalski's eyes flew open.  He looked over to the passenger
seat. The door was open and Ben was gone. Throwing the jacket off, Ray
scrambled out of the car and took his gun from its holster. "Fraser!"
No reply. Panic.
"Fraser!!" He turned, looking down the street.
"You don't have to yell, Ray." He whirled. Ben was standing behind him.
Kowalski deflated like a ballon. "Geez. Tell me next time yer going to
run off!", he snapped. Ben looked hurt, but even more confused. "I'm
sorry, Ray." The detective sighed, holstering his weapon.
"Did you hear gunshots?" Ben's brow furrowed in confusion.
"No." Kowalski ran his fingers through his hair.
"I thought--I thought I heard gunshots." He blew air through his teeth
and looked at his watch. "It's late. Let's call it a night, huh?" Ray
took a step closer to him, eyeing his partner seductively. "I'm feelin'
frisky." Fraser looked down, blushing a beautiful shade of red. "That
sounds very nice, Ray." Kowalski snuggled against his Mountie, kissing
him. He felt his lover smiling against his lips and he smiled back. "You're
so beautiful.", he murmured.
"As are you, Ray." The reply was so soft, as to be almost unheard. Ray
was still lost in the kiss when suddenly Ben pulled back, grabbing the
detective's arms in a attempt to pull him aside. "Fraser, what the hell
are y--" He didn't have a chance to finish. A sharp pain exploded in
the back of his skull and he crumpled. 

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



 And that ---to skip ahead alittle--brought Ray to his current predictament.
Carbona had used Fraser as bait.  It had worked, hadn't it? Stupid Ray,
always jumping head first into the well without looking for rocks......or
something along those lines. *How the hell does that go?*  A snitch,
working for Carbona ( Ray hadn't caught that fact until after he was
chained to a pipe), had come to Kowalski last night with information
on his missing partner.  He remembered the joy he felt when he ventured
into the warehouse and saw Fraser sitting there, waiting for him. He
should have known from the very moment he looked into his friend's eyes
that something was amiss.  Constable Benton Fraser of  the Royal Canadian
Mounted Police was nowhere to be found in those glacier blue orbs. Oh,
there was *someone* there, but it sure as hell wasn't Benton.  Dr. Jekeyll
and Mr. Hyde.  And imagine Ray's surprise when the man who had always
treated him with such tenderness, punched him in the head, hand-cuffed
to some rusty pipes and, over the course of the next few hours, worked
him over until not one inch of his body was left unbruised.  *Oh, God.
Fraser, lover, please help me. Help me.* Ray sighed. There was no more
fight left in him. Now it was just a matter of time. *Ray, Ray, Ray,
Ray!*  He murmured weakly, unheard.  There was that voice again.  *Help
me, Frase. I can't do this on my own.*  Ben looked at his watch. "Maybe
yer right, Detective Kowalski. Carbona did screw me." The blond smiled
thinly. "Hey, when I'm right, I'm right.", he mumbled.  Fraser stood
and picked up the gun. "Well, then I guess fair is fair. All he wanted
was you.....alive. So I'm gonna do what I should have done five hours
ago. Put a bullet in your head." Kowalski kicked out, panicking, struggling
to gain some leaverage as Ben stalked toward him with the 9mm. "Fraser,
please don't this. You are going to regret it. This is not who you are."
"You don't know anything about me, Kowalski." Ben pressed the barrel
against the detective's temple. "I love you.", Ray whispered. Fraser
sighed.
"I told you to shut up about that.", he growled. Ray didn't back down.
His mind raced. "Tell me you love me.", he pleaded.
"Shut up."
"You're going to kill me! I deserve one last request!" Ben stared at
him for a moment. Finally the gun came back to his side. "One last request.",
he said begrudgingly. Leaning in close he muttered, "I love you--" All
Ray needed was opportunity and at last he had it.  Skulls connected with
a sharp crack as Ray slammed his head into Fraser's. Ben fell back, his
head striking concrete as he hit the floor.  Only the handcuffs kept
Kowalski on his feet and he took deep breaths, attempting to steady the
images that danced before his eyes. His tormentor was stirring, massaging
a cut on his temple. A quiet mumur, a  familiar softness in his voice
that had not been present before.  "Ray!" Kowalski stared at the man
on the floor for a moment and he saw Fraser in the sea blue eyes that
stared back at him. His Fraser. His Fraser. "Ben...", he whispered, relief
washing over him. The Mountie was on his feet in an instant, looking
over the handcuffs. "Keys are on the table.", Ray gasped. The adreneline
high was leaving him fast now, and leaving him with nothing. There was
just the sheer exhaustion of the past five hours. The torture, the fear
and more, the anguish that had come with knowing that someone had done
*that* to his Mountie. That someone could take the most wonderful qualities
in a man and..... well, it was over now.  He had Ben back.  His Ben.
*Quite like the sound of that. My Ben. My Fraser. My Mountie.* 

"Who did this to you, love?", Ben whispered as he took Ray's hands out
of the cuffs. Kowalski fell against his partner and together they sank
down to the floor. "Carbona. It was all Carbona." Fraser cradled him
with the kind of  delicate handling one would use with a newborn child.
Ray smiled, pressing his sore, bruised face against his lover.  For the
first time, the Mountie seemed to take notice of his attire. "Why am
I dressed like this, Ray? Why do I smell of cigerette smoke? I don't
know how I got here.", he said, utterly baffled. "You just lost your
memory for awhile." Ray squeezed his hand. "I'll explain everything.
Someday." They sat in silence then, listening to the wail of sirens growing
louder and louder.  Neither he nor Ben had called them. *How did they.....aw,
who the hell cares?*  Ben caressed Kowalski's face when the detective
closed his eyes. "Stay awake, Ray.", he whispered.  The detective sighed
contently.  All he had endured was worth it. He had Ben back and that
was all that mattered.  Meeting his partner's concerned, loving gaze,
he whispered,  "I knew you'd come for me."

The End

Opinions welcome: Vassago@dazedandconfused.com