All Due South characters belong to Alliance.

Feedback, constructive or otherwise, welcomed BiermannR@home.com

I'd like to thank Leslie C. for her suggestion to write this story, as well as her constant inspiration and encouragement, and Linda H., who holds my hand through all my stories, supplying invaluable suggestions and support.

Rated PG for very mild profanity and sexual reference.

Indulgence

by Ruthie Biermann

Fraser rushed to the tavern on Howell Street, weaving in and out of pedestrian traffic as he thought about his partner, Detective Stanley Raymond Kowalski. It had been a long week for the partners....they had solved a very difficult money laundering case, and Ray had mentioned to Fraser that he was ready to party. Fraser was to have met Ray an hour earlier, however, he had been held up at the Consulate by a very demanding Inspector Thatcher. She had insisted Fraser complete a budget report for the upcoming Consular Ball, an annual affair held at the Consulate for visiting dignitaries. Fraser had raced through the report, practically throwing it at the Inspector as he ran out the front door. He had planned to leave Diefenbaker at the Consulate, the wolf reacting with such disappointment, Fraser had acquiesced. Quickly changing into jeans and a sweater, he sprinted out of the Consulate, realizing too late that he had left his sacred stetson behind.

As he and Dief approached the Clover Tavern, he glanced at his watch...8PM....Ray had been expecting him at seven. He knew he'd have a very annoyed partner on his hands. He looked down at Diefenbaker. "Stay here," he ordered, the wolf whining in response as he lay down by the entrance.

Fraser entered the tavern and paused to scan the room for Ray. The room was quite crowded as well as dimly lit, making it difficult to locate the blonde. He hoped Ray hadn't given up on him, leaving the bar in anger, and thought he should've checked to see if the GTO was parked outside before he had entered.

As he surveyed the room, Fraser heard his name....or a reasonable facsimile, being announced from the far side of the large rectangular bar, situated in the center of the room.

"Hey, Fraysh, get yer assh over here!"

Fraser followed the familiar voice with his eyes, and finally came upon his partner at the other side of the bar, motioning him over. As he made his way through the crowd, he was relieved to see that Ray didn't appear to be angry at his tardiness.

"Hello, Ray, I apologize for being late........."

"Don'tshu worry, ole buddy, ole pal, ole chum," Ray greeted his partner, a grin on his face, his eyes slightly glazed.

Oh dear, Fraser thought to himself. He glanced at the bar and noticed two empty shot glasses in front of Ray, a third being downed as he watched.

"Uh, Ray, how many of those have you consumed?" Fraser asked with trepidation, afraid of the response.

"Lemme, shee, dat's a very intreshing queshtion, ole Fraysh, ole amigo, ole buddy," Ray responded, studying the glasses in front of him. "Allow me to introdusch my other ole pal, thish ish Jack....Jack Danielsh," he said as he lifted another glass to his lips, not noticing that it was empty until he went to drink from it. Frowning, he turned his attention to the bartender. "Hey you, my glash is empty...can't ya shee I'm dyin' of thirsht here?"

The bartender glanced over towards Ray and then at Fraser, who looked at him questioningly. The bartender responded by holding up six fingers. Fraser's eyes grew wide as he shook his head rapidly at the bartender, who nodded in response and turned to serve another customer.

"Ray, don't you think you've had enough?" Fraser asked quietly as he leaned over towards Ray.

"No shusch thing, Fraysh. I'm jush gettin' shtarted," Ray said loudly as he stood up and pounded on the bar. "Hey, how 'bout shome shervish 'round here, what kinda joint ish thish?" he demanded angrily.

The bartender again looked over towards Ray and shook his head. He looked pleadingly towards Fraser as he motioned his head towards the door. Fraser nodded in understanding.

"Listen, Ray, the bartender just told me they're out of whiskey, so why don't you and I go to your apartment?" Fraser asked, hoping Ray wouldn't put up too much of an argument.

Ray was standing shakily, his body leaning over the bar for support. He turned his head to the side and up at Fraser. "Huh?"

"I said, they're out of whiskey here, let's go to your apartment," Fraser repeated.

"Dey got drinks at thish playsh, yer apartment?" Ray asked, his eyes squinting.

"Yes, Ray, a lot of drinks, more than you can imagine," Fraser encouraged.

"Sheesh, Fraysh, whaddya think I am, a schwillpot?"

Fraser responded with a puzzled expression. "Well, no, Ray...of course not."

"Well, dat's good cuzsh if ya did, I would hafta teash you a lesshon," Ray slurred, lifting his hands and placing them into fists.

Apparently, this was the wrong thing to do as the moment he raised his hands, Ray fell forward, his face hitting the bar. Fortunately, the padded edging cushioned the blow. Ray remained where he was, his head facing down on the bar.

"Where'd everybody go to?" he hollered. "Hey Fraysh, where ya at?"

Fraser couldn't help but smile at his partner....he looked quite comical with his face in the bar. The Mountie reached over and grasped Ray by the shoulders, pulling him to a standing position.

"Hey, you look jush like my pardner, da Mountie. Mebbe ya know 'im?" Ray asked, relying heavily on Fraser's supportive arms.

"Perhaps I do," Fraser replied, as he reached into his pocket with one hand, the other holding Ray up, and removed two ten dollar bills, dropping them onto the bar. He grabbed Ray's leather jacket off the bar, put his arm around his waist and began guiding him through the tavern towards the door.

"Hey, where we goin'?" Ray asked, as he stumbled alongside Fraser.

"Your apartment, Ray," Fraser answered, raising his voice above the crowd.

"Dey got drinks at thish playsh, yer apartment?" Ray asked again.

"Yes, Ray," Fraser responded, shaking his head.

When they reached the street, Fraser continued to hold Ray up as they walked around the side of the building where Fraser had noticed a small parking lot, Diefenbaker trotting alongside sniffing the intoxicated human. Fortunately, Fraser quickly spotted the GTO parked near the rear of the lot.

"Hey, Fraysh, itsh cold in here, push da heat up," Ray complained, leaning heavily against Fraser for warmth as well as support.

"Soon, Ray," Fraser was hoping the cold air might help Ray come to his senses.

"Thish dat playsh you were talkin' about, yer apartment?" Ray asked as they approached the GTO.

"No, Ray, not yet." Fraser leaned Ray against the bumper of the car as he went through his partner's jacket pockets for the car keys. Nothing. He began to search the pockets of Ray's jeans. Ray squirmed in response. "Oooh, yeah, wanna go back ta my playsh?" he grinned, a glazed sparkle in his eye.

Fortunately, Fraser found the keys quickly, "Yes, Ray," he replied, as he walked Ray over to the passenger side, unlocked the door and helped him into his seat. He then walked around to the driver's side, unlocked the door, and as he leaned in to pull the seat forward for Dief, he noticed that Ray had slumped over and was lying across the entire seat. Carefully helping him into a seated position, he reached for Ray's seatbelt, extending it across his chest. He pulled his seat forward for Diefenbaker, and slid into the driver's side. At that point, Ray's head fell over onto Fraser's shoulder, his eyes closed.

As they drove towards Ray's apartment, Fraser felt Ray's head lift from his shoulder. He glanced over and noticed Ray squinting out the windshield.

"Hey, Fraysh, what time doesh da movie shtart?"

"Soon, Ray," Fraser thought it best not to exacerbate the detective's already confused state. Ray turned towards Fraser as he drove. "Ya got anything ta drink 'round here?" he asked, one eye closed, the other struggling to stay open.

"Soon, Ray," Fraser repeated. "Why don't you just take a nap and I'll wake you......."

"Make shure ya do, I like da comin' attractshions," Ray cautioned, his voice louder than necessary. He lost his battle with his eye, now both closed tightly, his head again flopping over onto Fraser's shoulder.

The Mountie glanced down at his partner, shaking his head. He knew Ray had been under a lot of pressure these past few weeks, Welsh pressuring him to solve the case in response to his superiors leaning heavily on him. Fraser knew Ray required a release, and, apparently, getting drunk was the release his partner had felt he needed.

When they reached Ray's apartment, Fraser carefully sat him upright before getting out of the GTO. The slam of the driver's door woke Ray up. He looked up at Fraser as he opened the passenger side door, "Hey, you look jush like my pardner, anybody ever tell ya dat?"

"Yes, Ray," Fraser humored his partner as he helped him out of the car and towards his apartment, Diefenbaker again engrossed by the scent of the blonde detective. As they approached the door, Ray's voice echoed in the hallway.

"I think I wasch here before," he commented as he looked around. "Da food'sh not bad."

"That's good, Ray." Fraser leaned his partner against the wall, holding him up with one hand as he went to unlock the door with the other. The lock was stubborn and Fraser had to fight with it, jiggling the key as he did so. As his attention drew more towards the door, his grip on Ray loosened, and before he could catch him, Ray slid down the wall, his legs jutting out in front of him. Diefenbaker whined, nudging the blonde as he sat motionless on the floor. Ray looked up at Fraser, who finally managed to open the door.

"Hey, you look jush like my pardner, only yer a lot taller......"

"Yes, Ray," Fraser interrupted, "I've been told that before," he replied as he pulled Ray to his feet and helped him through the front door.

Once they were inside the apartment, Fraser walked Ray over to the couch and settled him into his seat, Dief depositing himself next to the coffee table. Fraser went into the bathroom for two aspirins, rushing out quickly when he heard a thud coming from the living room, followed by a loud whine from the wolf.

Ray had fallen off the couch and lay between the couch and the coffee table, attempting unsuccessfully to get to his feet, Dief sniffing at him furiously. As Fraser lifted him back onto the couch, Ray fought him angrily. "Whash's da big idea?"

"What, Ray? You fell off the couch," Fraser explained.

"Ya mean, ya pushed me," he accused.

"I'm terribly sorry, it was an accident," Fraser played along, not wanting to antagonize his partner in his current state.

"Yeah, well, ya better be," Ray admonished as he became captivated by one of the buttons on his shirt. Leaving Ray to his current attraction, Fraser went to the kitchen for a glass of water. When he returned, Ray was busy smelling the aforementioned button. He looked up. "Hey, Fraysh, what kinda candy is thish?"

Fraser didn't bother responding, gently pulling the button from Ray's face, grasping his hand and placing two aspirins into his palm. Ray promptly dropped them onto his lap, smiling mischievously at the Mountie. Taking a deep breath, Fraser picked up the aspirins and pushed one into Ray's mouth, bringing the water up to his lips. Too late. Ray began to chew.

"Yeech, what kinda candy is thish?" Ray asked, as he spit out the aspirin, now reduced to a white chalky substance mixed with Ray's saliva. "It shtinks." He grabbed the water from Fraser's hand and drank it down.

"Ray, that was aspirin, you're not supposed to chew it, you have to swallow it with water," he explained to his partner, who was, obviously, still quite drunk.

"Don't need ashpirin, Fraysh.....not shick," Ray slurred.

"Stay here," Fraser ordered.

Ray watched as his partner left the room with the empty glass to return to the bathroom, this time retrieving the entire bottle of aspirin, and filling the glass with water. When he came back to the living room, Ray now had the same button from his shirt in his mouth, attempting to chew it.

"Thish candy's shtale," he complained, as he spit it out. Fraser couldn't help but chuckle. Ray looked at Fraser and smiled, his eyes very glazed.

Fraser put on a stern face. "Now, Ray, this is aspirin....do not chew it. I'm going to put it into your mouth, and then you drink it down with this water, okay?"

Ray smiled at Fraser. No response.

"Ray....okay?" Fraser asked again, nodding his head trying to prompt Ray's assent.

"Hey, you look jush like my pardner," Ray marveled.

Fraser took a deep breath. "Take these," he ordered, and this time pushed both aspirins into Ray's mouth, immediately following them up with a glass of water. Ray started to gag as water spilled out of his mouth. He began coughing.

"Hey.....are ya.... tryin' ta....choke me?" he sputtered between coughs.

"Sorry, Ray, another accident." Fraser retrieved a dish towel from the kitchen and began wiping Ray's mouth and wet shirt, moving down to dry off his lap. Ray's head snapped up.

"Oh yeah, feelsh nicesh," he smiled, a wanton look on his face.

Fraser turned a bright shade of red, quickly dropping the dish towel. "Come on, Ray, you need to get to bed." He leaned over and lifted Ray by his shoulders, placing an arm around his waist as he led him towards the bedroom, Diefenbaker tentatively following.

"Waschn't musch foreplay, but okay," Ray mumbled, as his head fell onto Fraser's shoulder.

Fraser's face again reddened, realizing how embarrassed Ray would be if he ever found out what he had said while intoxicated.

Reaching the bedroom, Fraser sat Ray on the edge of the bed, watching as he promptly fell over. "Whee!" he squealed as his head hit the bed.

Fraser proceeded to remove Ray's boots, moving up to his jeans. Ray lifted his head as Fraser unbuttoned his pants and pulled down the zipper. "Hey, Fraysh, I can do that myshelf," he insisted as his head hit the bed again.

"I'm sure you can, Ray." Fraser removed Ray's jeans and then his shirt, leaving his white t-shirt on. Ray was silent, yawning as he allowed his partner to remove his clothing. Fraser looked around, finding a pair of gray sweat pants on the floor. He quickly put them on the slender blonde, who now appeared to be sleeping. Fraser lifted Ray to his feet as he pulled back the covers, placing him back onto the bed. He lifted Ray's feet, covering him up with the blankets, tucking him in gently. Ray was now breathing steadily, mumbling quietly every few seconds. Switching off the lamp on the night stand, Fraser walked quietly to the door, stopping to check on the sleeping detective, and then exited the room, leaving the door open and the hall light on in case Ray needed the bathroom. Diefenbaker stayed in the bedroom, lying down on the floor next to the sleeping form on the bed.

Fraser retreated to the living room and sat on the couch as he contemplated the events of the evening. He had to admit, Ray was quite humorous when he was intoxicated, but he knew his partner would pay for his indulgence the following morning. Realizing he was hungry, Fraser went to the kitchen and looked through the refrigerator. Surprised to find some fresh fruit and cheese, he prepared himself a platter, boiled some water for tea, and sat down at the kitchen table to enjoy the small meal. As he ate he glanced at the clock....10PM. Rinsing the dish and cup out in the sink, he returned to the living room, lay down on the couch and promptly fell asleep.

**********

Ray slowly opened his eyes, quickly closing them as he felt the daylight's assault. Oh jeez, what happened? Did I get run over by a train? As he lay in bed, he concentrated on the sensations his body was feeling, deciding they could all be summed up in one word, ouch. He again tried to open his eyes, one at a time, to lessen the affront. He managed to get his left eye open, then his right, and at the same time, he tried to recall the events of the previous night. All he could remember was arriving at the Clover Tavern, downing a few shots of Jack Daniels as he waited for Fraser. What happened next? It was a total blur.

He heard a noise from the bedroom door. As it was too painful to move his head, he directed his eyes in the general direction of the doorway, emitting a loud scream as Fraser suddenly appeared in his line of sight. At the sound of his own voice, Ray grabbed his head in pain, squeezing his eyes shut. Fraser stopped dead in his tracks, Diefenbaker yelping as he jumped onto the bed to investigate the cause of Ray's scream. Feeling the wolf's weight as he landed on top of him elicited another scream from Ray, this time scaring Dief off the bed. Ray rolled his body up into a ball, clutching his head, his eyes shut tightly.

Fraser entered the room quietly and spoke in a hushed tone. "Good morning, Ray, it's just Fraser and Diefenbaker."

Ray cringed at the sound of Fraser's voice. "Yeah, okay, Frase, but do ya have ta yell?"

Fraser shook his head as he turned and exited the room, returning with a bottle of aspirin and a glass of water. He approached Ray and sat on the edge of the bed.

"Here, Ray, these will probably help." He removed two aspirin from the bottle.

"Uh, Frase, what did I just say about yellin'?" Ray pleaded, his voice hoarse. He slowly opened his eyes again and looked up at Fraser. "Shoot me now." He closed his eyes again.

Fraser attempted to lower his voice. "Ray, please, take these." He held two aspirin out for his partner. Ray opened his eyes again and focused on the aspirin. He slowly sat up, taking the tablets and the glass of water from Fraser.

"Do you feel you can eat something?" Fraser asked quietly.

"Frase, you tryin' ta kill me?"

"Sorry, Ray.....do you feel nauseous?" he asked concerned.

"No, just not hungry...and my head feels like I spent the entire night bangin' it against the wall." He paused and took a few deep breaths. "I didn't do that, did I?"

"No, Ray."

Ray swallowed the aspirin with the water and handed the glass back to Fraser. "What time is it?"

"About 9AM."

"What day is it?"

"Saturday."

"Thank you, Lord." Ray slowly sat up in bed. "What the hell happened last night?"

"Well, Ray, you drank yourself into oblivion."

"No kidding, Fraser. I can't believe ya let me get so polluted."

"No, Ray, you have only yourself to blame. I was late to our rendezvous......by the time I arrived, you were already.....uh, polluted. Do you remember anything at all?"

Ray squinted his eyes in thought. "Um....no." He looked at Fraser with questioning eyes. "Why, did I do somethin' stupid?"

Fraser rubbed his thumbnail across his eyebrow. "Well, that depends on what you define as stupid."

"Go ahead, buddy, kick a guy while he's down," Ray winced.

"No, Ray, not at all," Fraser thought for a moment. "In fact, you can be quite humorous while you're under the influence."

"Oh, great. What's that's supposed ta mean?"

"Nothing, Ray, I'm only teasing," Fraser replied as he stood up.

"Well, thanks fer takin' me home."

"Certainly, Ray. Dief and I will be in the living room. When the aspirin starts to work, perhaps you'd like to join us?"

"How 'bout I just stay here and wallow in my own misery?" Ray replied, his eyes narrowed in a pained expression.

"I'm sure you'll feel a lot better if you get out of bed," Fraser commented over his shoulder as he and Dief left the bedroom.

About twenty minutes later, Fraser heard Ray enter the bathroom. Ten minutes after that he came into the living room wearing the sweat pants and t-shirt he had slept in, his hair pushed into some semblance of order, a day and night's worth of stubble on his face. He walked stiffly to the couch, sinking down into it, his upper body slowly dropping until his head rested on the arm of the couch. Fraser regarded his partner, feeling a twinge of pity for him.

"Are you feeling any better, Ray?" he asked quietly.

"Um, Frase, what's that banging noise?" Ray asked, his eyes closed, his face crinkled up in apparent pain.

Fraser looked around the room. "The clock ticking perhaps?"

Ray didn't respond.

"Well I guess that answers my question," Fraser said, as he stood from his chair and approached Ray on the couch. He gently took Ray by the arm and pulled him into an upright position. "Ray, perhaps you should consider eating........."

"Fraser, perhaps you should just hang me up by my fingernails," Ray moaned.

Fraser was undeterred. "Ray, I'm certain some dry toast would help you feel better, especially after taking those aspirin."

Ray sighed. "Okay, Frase, whatever."

Fraser smiled in victory as he approached the kitchen to toast the bread, Diefenbaker taking the opportunity to jump into his vacated spot on the couch.

When Fraser returned to the living room with two pieces of toast and a cup of tea, he saw Ray slumped over again, this time with his head resting on Dief's soft, furry back.

"You're spoiling him," he chastised the wolf, who whined quietly in response.

"Holy shit, what the hell was that?" Ray screamed as he painfully pushed himself up to a sitting position.

"Relax, Ray, it was only Diefenbaker," Fraser replied as he handed Ray the plate and placed the tea on the coffee table.

"Oh....sorry, Frase. Thanks."

Ray nibbled at the toast and took a few sips of the tea. He had to admit that he did start to feel somewhat better after he had eaten a little, and the hot tea felt good going down his throat.

Fraser noticed that Ray's eyes had brightened, and took the opportunity to chastise his partner for getting himself so inebriated. "You know, Ray, getting yourself so intoxicated is a poor way to celebrate, especially when you have to pay so dearly for your indulgence the next morning....I would imagine you would've outgrown this type of behavior after high school," he admonished.

Ray sighed heavily. "Hey, Frase, the only person who paid dearly is me, and since I ain't hurtin' nobody else, what's wrong with a little indigence?"

"That's indulgence, Ray."

"Yeah, that's what I meant."

Fraser continued his lecture. "But, aren't you concerned that you may have done or said something that may prove to be embarrassing now that you're in full control of your faculties?"

"Frase, you just told me before that I didn't do anything stupid," Ray countered as he glanced down, noticing the dish towel on the coffee table that Fraser had used to dry him off with the night before. As Ray stared at the towel, a sudden image flashed into his head. He inhaled sharply, the picture in his mind becoming crystal clear as he felt his cheeks burning from the blood rushing to his face. While keeping his head down, he momentarily cast his eyes sideways towards Fraser, who sat in his chair staring back at Ray, a playful smile on his face. "Oh, jeez," Ray moaned, as he searched desperately for a hole to crawl into.

"Is something wrong, Ray?" Fraser asked, his eyes twinkling.

Ray found it extremely difficult to look at his partner. "Um, Frase, uh.....I think I remember something....um....from last night," he stammered.

"Oh, really? What exactly?" Fraser feigned ignorance.

"Uh, well, I'm not sure. But, uh....did I spill something on myself?" Ray asked, his eyes averted.

"Yes, Ray, as a matter of fact, you spilled some water."

"Oh jeez, I was afraid of that." Ray continued to look down, running his hand nervously through his hair. "Did you, um, rub...I mean...brush, uh, wipe...Fraser!" Ray finally looked at the Mountie, his eyes wide, an expression of near panic on his face.

"Ray, you don't have to be embarrassed with me...it was obvious you didn't know what you were saying." He paused. "But what if I had been someone else? Your landlady perhaps? Or Lieutenant Welsh? Inspector Thatch....."

"Okay, Fraser, I get yer point!" Ray barked, annoyed with himself as he remembered his actions the night before, but also aggravated with Fraser for always being right.

Both men sat in silence a few moments, Ray finally speaking. "So, I guess I'll be more careful next time," he said quietly.

"Yes, Ray, that would be wise," Fraser agreed.

"I guess there are better ways to celebrate than getting myself plastered."

"Right, Ray."

"Cuz I might say something I'll regret later," Ray continued.

"That's an astute observation, Ray."

"Hey, Frase?"

"Yes, Ray."

"Anybody ever tell ya that you look just like my partner?"

The End

Feedback, negative or positive, welcomed BiermannR@home.com

Note: I do not condone getting drunk, but, hey, sometimes you feel like a nut.