Author's webpage: http://members.xoom.com/amymkitty/duesouth.html

This is my first piece of fan fic...well my first complete one. I must admit that it wasn't as easy as I had thought it would be.

I will say though that the story is fairly vague and very open to interpretation. But I wanted to show what I thought the relationship between Benny and Ray V really was. Not slashy, although I am a fan of slash, but complex and sweet. Something that only they could understand and find. Something they seem to lose as the show entered its 3rd season. This is an attempt to reclaim the past and rebuild some of the future.

Oh and the disclaimers apply. Alliance owns the characters, Benny and Ray. No infringement of copyright intended, all rights belong to Alliance Corp.

Thank you kindly.

Face the Rising Sun

Rav Vecchio sat in the car, looking nervously out at the street beside him. It was strange to be at the Consulate at one in the morning. Then again, he hadn't been back to Chicago for six months now. Just being here was a bit weird. Especially since he wasn't sure exactly what he was looking for.

He sighed and took his hands off the steering wheel. It had been hard to rent a car on such short notice and the car he had found was certainly not his beloved Riv. But that didn't matter anymore, seeing how he didn't seem to belong here anymore. Everything that he had treasured before in the past was gone now. His family, his car, his job, everything. He had never felt so alone before in the city he was so used to calling home.

He stepped out onto the curb and looked up at the red and white flag waving above him. He wondered what made Benny decide to come back to Chicago. There was nothing here for him either. But Benny had always been a better person than he was. He didn't leave without warning and he never abandoned anyone or hurt anyone like Ray was about to do. Benny was perfect.

Ray shook his head again and stepped into the building. The lights were still on even though there was no one inside. Ray listened to the eerie silence and half-expected Turnbull to come bumbling down the stairs in his usual manner. But nobody came. Turnbull and Thatcher were gone too.

He started up the stairs slowly afraid he would break the looming silence. There were no lights upstairs but Ray recalled enough about the place to find his way around. He smiled as he thought about the time he had snuck through the floor dressed in Fraser's uniform to stand guard outside.

He stopped in front of the familiar door and leaned in closely against the wood. He could hear faint signs of breathing. He pressed in closer, trying to listen and was startled when he heard loud scratching on the other side of the door. He quickly opened the door and was greeted by a furry face and wagging tail poking through the small crack. The reached down and stroked the soft fur and a warm tongue lapped his hand affectionately. Ray smiled at the wolf. "Hey, ya miss me?" he asked him. Diefenbaker cocked his head to the side as though he were listening. Sometimes, Ray really wondered about this whole deaf business.

Dief lapped his hand once more and then disappeared as the darkness of the room engulfed him. Ray stared straight ahead until he could make out an odd shaped figure on the floor. A figure that resembled a man. A tall, broad shouldered, invincible man. Except now this man was sleeping and perhaps more vulnerable than Ray had ever seen him before.

Ray stepped into the room and knelt down before the sleeping Mountie. He watched his friend take in breaths and exhale rhythmically. Ben shifted slightly and murmered something in his sleep. Something about caribou. Yep, Benny never changed. Ray looked beside the bed roll and saw a carefully closed book with a leather cover. Bob's journals. Ray had listened to Ben talk about them and even quote from them before but could never picture what it was like for Fraser to sit there and read about a man he had admired and loved and lost so quickly. But now he could understand a little bit more. He had felt it when he had left Chicago. When he had left Ben, and lost his best friend to another man. Lost the man he loved.

His thoughts were interrupted by a hand on his foot. He saw a figure sit up quickly and in the light of the hall could see Ben squint as he tried to make out who was in the room. After a moment, Ray got his voice together. "Benny."

"Ray?" Ben was still squinting, trying to blink away the sleep from his eyes.

"Yeah, Benny it's me. How ya doin?"

"Well, I'm fine, Ray." He seemed very confused but Ray could tell that he was happy to see him. "I'm fine, Ray. How are you?"

"I'm doing good, Benny. I'm doing good."

Ben sat up and looked around, still perplexed. "So, ah, what are you doing here Ray?"

"Oh, well Stella went to go visit her mother and I figured I'd drop in before I picked her up. Her mom lives in Detroit so I figured I had a few hours I could kill here. Stella would have come too except she didn't want to see Stan again. I don't think he took us being together too well."

"No, he didn't. He demanded to come back as soon as he heard. But we had some good times. It was time to come home."

Ray smiled at his friend's reference to Chicago. "Home? You never called this home before."

"Things change, Ray. The Yukon wasn't for me anymore. And Diefenbaker had become too much of a city wolf." He paused. There was a moment of silence. "Have you seen your family yet?"

"No, I figured I'd do that tomorrow morning before I going back with Stella. How's Frannie doing?"

"Very well. She's a great mother."

"Yeah, I figured she would be." Another pause. The silence hung in the air. Ray had never felt so awkward before. Maybe it was because it was one in the morning and he and Benny were talking as if they had seen each other just yesterday. Or maybe it was because he knew what he would eventually have to say.

"Benny, I..." Ray began hesitatingly.

"Yes, Ray?" He could see that Ben was fully awake and alert now. Ray wondered if this would be a good thing.

"I was just thinking about how things are now you know. How different everything is. I mean, it's great and everything. I love Stella, I love Miami. But..." he paused. "I just lost everything about my past. My family, my car, my job...you."

"Ray...things change."

"I know. I just wish I could have it back for one night. For one night, you know, go back to our crazy cases, meet the strange people you always run into. I just cut everything off Fraser, including you."

Ben looked at his friend in silence. He had felt like things were flying out of control ever since Ray had gone undercover. He had accepted as it was, but he had always felt like he lost something. He missed it desperately.

"I know what you mean Ray." They stared into the darkness for awhile, each reliving their memories. The sticky situations they had been in and how they had always managed to pull through. Together. And how they would probably never have those times again.

Except maybe for tonight.

The thought struck the men full force and then they looked at each other. A smile began to form on Ray's face that seemed to be mirrored in Benny's. Quickly, Ray got up and drew the car keys out of his pocket while Ben quickly went to the closet to fetch out his red serge and dress boots. Dief perked up, sensing something was amidst.

Ray ran down the stairs of the Consulate with Dief behind him. Ben was right behind them, pulling his stetson on. Ray hurried into the car and Ben settled in the passenger seat. It wasn't a '71 Riv, far from it. But that didn't matter right now. Dief jumped into the back seat. Ray started up the engine and they were off. They didn't know exactly where they were headed but it didn't matter. Somehow they knew they would reclaim what had been so abruptly taken from them.

Ray parked the car in front of the Consulate. The two sighed. Dief moaned softly in the back seat.

"Things...change...Ray." Benny said again. Only this time there was a tone of realization in it that he had not fully accepted before.

"Yeah, Benny, I guess you can't do anything about that."

"My father, he used to say...A man without a future will always run to his past...but I guess you knew that already."

"Yeah. Is that what we are, Benny? Two men with no futures ahead for them?"

There was another pause and Benny looked over at his long-term partner. "No, Ray," he said simply.

Ray nodded in agreement. The two stared out the windshield. Ray suddenly burst out laughing. "You know, you're unbelievable Benny. I ask you if you think we have anything ahead of us and pretty much beg for one of Inuit wisdom stories and all you come up with is 'Things change?!' What? You don't have a story about a caribou losing its way, ending up caught in a mountain singing to keep itself company in the lonely nights or something?"

"Well, now, that's just silly, Ray..."

"Oh please. Even when I've missed you for eight months you still manage to irritate me. First thing you say to me, completely blows all the hard work and suffering I've been through for eight months. Gone. In a second. I come back to forgive you and look for some reassurance and all you have is 'Things change.' I coulda gotten that from a fortune cookie!"

"Well, actually, Ray, fortune cookies usually include adages that would make one aspire towards certain goals, while 'Things change' is hardly an inspirational clause...it's merely a statement that would access our current situation..."

"Oh God, Benny. I came back so you can access our current situation."

"Well, Ray, I didn't ask you to..."

"Of course you didn't. Not directly, but in that annoying Mountie way."

"What way would that be, Ray?"

"Oh God. You're doing it again Benny. See, look there it is. That innocent wide-eyed Mountie look."

"What look, Ray?"

"Oh God. Fraser, you are the most irritating man in the world!"

Ray caught his breath. He looked at Benny who still had that look on his face. Only underneath it, he could see that the Mountie's eyes were shining. And in those eyes, he could see his own outraged face staring at him, but with a certain twinkle in the eye. Ray suddenly realized the twinkle was really a tear starting to form and that Ben's eyes were shining from moisture as well.

Ray broke into a smile. "I missed you, Benny."

"And I you, Ray." Ben replied softly. The two men dropped the masks of expressions they were hiding behind and revealed the joy and sorrow they had bottled up so many months ago. Their visions blurred with tears but they had never seen so clearly before in their lives.

Ray brushed away the other man's tears and felt feather tips on his own cheek. He took Ben's beautiful face in his hands and looked at him. Then he slowly leaned in to kiss his best friend. Nothing else would have sufficed. All his fears and loneliness melted into that single kiss he shared with Ben. And in that kiss, he bared his soul. And during that kiss, he could swear that he took a part of Ben with him.

He pulled away. He looked into the Mountie's eyes. The epiphany they had had moments ago was gone. Ray realized that it would never come again. Benny was right once again. With his scant words he managed to sum up his being, "Things change." They had changed when Benton Fraser had entered his life, and they had changed when he left his life behind. They had changed when he came back to reclaim his past and they had changed just a few moments ago.

"Is the Dragon Lady still working here?" He still had Ben's face in his hands.

"No, Ray. She was transferred to Toronto. A new Sergeant took her place. He's quite a decent man."

"Hmm...things change." He let go of his friend and placed his hands on the steering wheel. They were facing the now fully risen sun. "I should maybe go see Ma. She always made a good breakfast."

"Yes, Ray. I have duties to attend to as well." He started to get out of the car. "Have a safe trip, Ray. My regards to your family and Stella."

"Sure thing, Benny. I'll come by again. I promise."

"I know you will, Ray." He stepped out of the car and readjusted his stetson. Ben turned around sharply. "Come on, now Dief." Surprisingly, the wolf obliged with no complaint. Ben smiled a warm smile at his friend in the front seat as Ray turned the ignition and waved. Ben waved back. After standing by the curb for a few more moments, he went inside, Dief at his heels.

Ray, cruised slowly through the familiar streets of daylight. This car was actually quite driveable. A newer model, but still with a classic design and look. Ray hated to admit it, but it was a little more easier to handle than the Riv had been. Not that he didn't cherish that car. But, he could learn to appreciate this one.

He grinned as he reached the street that would bring him back to Stella. Things changed. Boy, did things change. He couldn't reclaim his past. But for the first time in a long while, Ray felt that he actually had a future. A clear one. And he wasn't going to walk away from it now. So with a soaring heart, Ray whistled a cheerful tune as he turned the car around and drove away from the rising sun.

The End