Promises: Are the same as for Episode number one, 'cept this one's less, um, graphic. (Just wait 'til *next* week. I'll make up for it.) And my name's *still* last. {sigh}
 

"Any minute, Frannie. That's what Ma said." Ray waved his arms wildly as he tried to keep his voice low. It wouldn't do for their mother to overhear his complaints. Even though she was upstairs dressing for her evening with Frobisher, Ray completely believed that her "mother sonar" was still in range.

"Well *I* wanna stay and see him," Frannie declared, tugging her blouse straight. "I wanna check this guy out a little more. See what Ma's getting." Frannie set her fists firmly on her hips and glared at Ray across the Vecchio living room.

"Ma's not *getting* anything!"

"Ray! That's *not* what I meant. I meant what kind 'a guy she'll be out with. And what the heck would *you* know about getting any? When was the last time *you* went out on a date, hmm?"

"Oh, Frannie," Ray paused and scrubbed his fingers through his short hair, "can't you take this serious?"

"I am-"

"Raimondo, are you still here, caro?"

"Just heading out, Ma," he called up the stairs.

"I'll be leaving in just a few minutes. Will I be seeing you later this evening or are you and Benton planning an evening out?"

"I'll be back late, Ma. Gotta go." With that he wheeled away from the stairs and barged out the front door. He made it two steps before smacking headlong into a red jacket with such force that the man wearing it fell backwards. Ray stumbled but managed to prevent himself from falling down. His victim had no such luck. He lunged to grab the man as he tumbled off the porch and down the stairs.

"Ray!" Frannie squealed. "What have you done?"

Ray turned in a half-crouch as he pulled RCMP Sergeant Buck Frobisher to his feet. "Frannie! It was an accident."

"Mr. Frobisher. Are you hurt? Did my clumsy brother break anything?" she asked as she grabbed his other arm and dragged him in the house.

"Ah, no, miss. I don't believe anything is broken. But I seem to have lost the bouquet of flowers I was carrying." He shrugged out of Ray's grasp and managed to tug his tunic into place.

"Ray. Go out and get the flowers," Frannie ordered as she shepherded the Mountie to a seat on the sofa.

Grumbling dire threats under his breath Ray scooped the long stemmed Irises into his hands and returned to plop the haphazard pile in Frobisher's lap.

"Uh, thank you, young man," Frobisher said with an air of disdain. "It would seem that Irises are a rather *unhearty* flower."

"Now don't you worry Mr. Frobisher. Maybe if we straighten 'em a bit they'll be okay?"

He didn't hear a word of Frannie's rambling. Ray was busy staring blankly at Frobisher's red serge. He knew how deceptive those shiny Mountie buttons were. They looked too big for their button holes, like it'd take a lot of effort to get them undone. But it didn't. With just two fingers and a thumb he could have Benny out of his in seconds.

His mind was forming an image of hands running up Frobisher's red serge. They were warm, loving hands. They were touching those buttons. They were his mother's hands.

"No!"

"Ray! Don't you dare make a fuss about Ma's flowers. *You're* the one who ruined 'em. Now I think you should--"

"I gotta--" Ray flicked his wide gaze between them. Then a door opened upstairs and he heard his mother's footsteps. "Go! I gotta go!" With that declaration he whirled and bolted out the door.

***

"Red serge, Benny! It was the most frightening thing I've ever imagined." Ray shuddered as he pulled his lover through the sparsely furnished dim apartment. The lantern burning in the kitchen did nothing to illuminate the back half of the place. "It was hideous. And he was staring up at me the whole time. Right there, big as life on that couch. Benny, my *mother* sits on that couch."

They reached the closet and Ray pushed Fraser inside. It was amazingly spacious compared to the small apartment. Perhaps the reason was because there were so few clothes in it.

"Now off with this jacket, Benny. I'm *not* gonna spend the evening jumping every time I turn and look at you."

"Well if you feel that way about it, Ray, I suppose there's no other recourse left for me but to remove it. I certainly wouldn't want to make you uncomfortable this evening."

"Right. You wouldn't want that. You really wouldn't." Ray unbuckled the narrow shoulder strap as Fraser unbuckled the uniform's belt. The leather apparatus was draped over the closet rod along with the white lanyard. The tunic's buttons glinted in the closet light, flashing tauntingly at Ray. He batted at the string dangling from the bare bulb above them and managed to tug it. They were plunged into almost complete darkness.

Fraser reached out and steadied Ray as the detective fumbled with the collar's two buttons. The remaining five came undone swiftly.

"Coat hanger, Benny," he instructed as he groped under the tunic at the Mountie's stiff shirt. The offending red item was removed and hung neatly and Ray pulled the suspenders off next. With them gone he got rid of that too-starched shirt and felt the bare flesh of Benny's chest.

"No undershirt today?" He had Benny's trousers halfway off before he heard and answer.

"Too warm. Do you suppose I could sit down and take my boots off, Ray? It'll be quite difficult to get my trousers--" he gasped as Ray sank to the floor and in one swift motion shucked his trousers and underwear down to his knees.

"Sit, Benny. I'll get 'em off for you but I don't need you fallin' on me when I do."

Fraser plopped straight down when Ray tugged him off balance, his legs now tangled in his remaining garments. Ray had his laces undone and struggled to get the boots off. "I have to take them off with the boot pull, Ray. Would you let me out of the closet?"

"You *don't* need out of here with any of that uniform still on your body." Ray scrambled to his feet and grabbed Benny's left ankle. He turned around as he stepped over the leg, his firm ass now only inches from the Mountie's nose. "Push, Benny!"

"Ray, you're a tad bit high up for me to--"

"Just plant your other foot on my butt and *push*!"

"Yes, Ray." Fraser pulled his trousers up a bit so he could maneuver to the correct position and put his right boot sole against Ray's delightful seat. He pushed hard.

Ray wasn't expecting the amount of force required to remove the boot. He toppled forward, banging his chin on the closet floor. "Ow."

"Are you hurt, Ray?"

"Oh no, Benny. I just thought I'd say "ow" to let you know I was still in here with you." He rolled to his feet and lurched back through the darkness to Benny's side. "Gimme your other foot."

"I can't exactly see your hands, Ray. If you could just . . ."

Running his hands along his lover's body Ray found the booted foot by touch. He grabbed it and assumed the same position as before. "Okay, but maybe not so hard this time? I was just thinking that-- Ohff!"

"Do you know the meaning of the word "not so hard", Fraser?"

"That's more of a phrase, Ray, than a word. It's actually three words--"

"Will you shut up for a minute? Do you have anything else on?" He listened to the silence. "Benny? Benny?"

"Do you want me to answer now, Ray?"

"Of *course* I want you to answer. What do you think I *asked* for?"

Fraser felt Ray's hands groping their way up his legs to his trousers and underwear. "In the sentence before your question you requested I *shut up* for a minute. It's hardly been a minute."

Ray tugged the rest of the uniform off Benny, bringing the boxers and socks off too. "I guess you don't need to answer *now*," he said as he ran his hands over the rest of the Mountie's body. "But I'd better check thoroughly though."

THE END

... of this tease of an episode. Will Ray be placated by his naked Mountie? Will Fraser learn of the damage done to the Irises by his passionate partner? Tune in next week for the next episode of: A BUCK AND CHANGE 3 or Gift of the Lawman

Test Questions for the Mountie minded reader:

1. How many buttons keep Fraser's tunic closed?

2. What clothing was Frannie taking off when Ray was getting hysterical?

3. What did Ray ask about immediately after getting Benny's shirt off?

4. How many times did Ray refer to Buck Frobisher by name?

5. How many articles of clothing (including fetishy leather straps, strings, and whatever else he plasters on that stunning body of his) did Fraser have removed by Ray?

Notice: Some Irises were injured during the production of this story. Sincere apologies are tendered to members of the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Vegetation.

Answers to the test. Virtual Irises to any readers who get all five questions correct.

1. Seven

2. Okay, you caught me. She wasn't. I won't do it again. Probably.

3. Benny's decadent lack of an undershirt.

4. Zippo, pal.

5. Eleven. Lose count? The leather contraption is assembled then put on and taken off as one piece. The lanyard, tunic, shirt, suspenders, two boots, pants, underwear and two socks make eleven titilating things. He'd already removed the Stetson of Invincibility, thus rendering himself ripe for ravishing.
 
Disclaimer: This story is written for the private entertainment of fans. No infringement of any copyrights held by Alliance Communication, CBS, CTV, or any others is intended. This story is not published for profit, and the author does not give permission for this story to be reproduced for profit. The author makes no claims on the characters or their portrayal by the creation of this story.