I have a pet plot bunny, and her name is Silvina. (And oh yes, she came up with the title, too.)

"Benny... Benny..."

Ben heard the voice floating towards him, as if through a long tunnel. The voice sounded very familiar, yet different somehow.

"Benny!"

What was happening? Ben remained still as the memories tried to come back to him. He remembered crossing the street, and a warning shout, looking up to see a truck that had run a red light heading directly towards him, a brief flash of pain, and then... nothing.

"Benny?" That faint, far-away voice again. "Come on Benny, open your eyes."

Could he do that? Could you open your eyes when you were dead? He was dead, wasn't he? That truck had hit him. Surely a person couldn't survive that.

"Please, Benny."

He decided to give it a try, and to his surprise he was able to open his eyes with ease. He saw a beautiful, if worried, face hovering above his.

Ray's face was silhouetted against bright shining light, and when he saw Ben looking at him, his features relaxed into a smile.

"Ray? You're dead too?"

"What?" Ray asked in surprise.

Ben smiled groggily up at him. "You're such a beautiful angel, Ray."

"Angel?" Ray laughed. "Trust me, Benny, I'm no angel. And these aren't exactly the Pearly Gates."

"But... that truck..."

Ray shook his head. "Yeah, can you believe it? It's only noon, and the guy is drunk off his ass. He never even saw you, Benny."

"Ray, a person couldn't survive being hit by a truck traveling that fast," Ben said in the voice he used when he was trying to explain something that should be perfectly obvious.

"I know that, Benny. I knocked you out of the way."

"You did? And you were killed as well." Ben sat up to look directly at his partner. "Oh Ray, I'm so sorry."

"Benny, what are you talking about?! I grabbed you and knocked us both down. We hit the ground hard and you hit your head and were knocked unconscious."

Ben was still looking at him in patient disbelief.

Ray shook his head. "I guess you hit your head a little harder than I thought." He reached out and gently touched the goose egg on the side of Benny's head.

Ben sighed and rose to his feet, and Ray leapt up to stand beside him. "What are you doing?!" He yelled.

"I want to look around," Ben said.

Ray cursed under his breath, then led a very wobbly Benny over to a bench and sat them both down.

Ben looked at his lover with a happy smile. "I'm glad you're in Heaven with me, Ray."

"Benny, for God's sake! I am not an angel! I am not dead! You are not dead!"

Ben gave Ray one of his patient, infuriating smiles. "It's all right, Ray. A lot of people have a hard time accepting it, I imagine."

Ray wanted to scream. He wanted to swear. Benny was only three-quarters conscious and hallucinating, and he was still condescending to him! "Benny, look around you!"

Ray indicated the truck driver being restrained by police, the onlookers staring at them and whispering, and the motorists honking and cursing at the delay all this was causing them. "Does this look like Heaven?"

Ben slowly took it all in. "I suppose not."

"No. And if I were an angel, and didn't have my earthly body, would I be able to do this?" He leaned forward and gave Ben a deep kiss, his tongue teasing at Benny's lips.

Ben pulled away, blinking slowly. "Ray?"

"In the flesh."

"We're really not dead?"

"No Benny," Ray said, amusement and tenderness in his voice. "We're very much alive."

"Well, I'm glad. Think of how upset Diefenbaker would be. Not to mention how much your family would miss you."

"Yeah," Ray couldn't keep from grinning.

"Ray?"

"Yes, Benny?"

"I feel dizzy."

Ray looked at him in concern. "Just hang in there, Benny. The paramedics are on the way. They'll get you checked out and fixed up, all right?"

"Okay."

"Come here," Ray said quietly. He lay Benny down on the bench and pulled Ben's head into his lap. "Better now?" He smiled.

"Much better."

Ray began gently stroking Ben's hair, and Ben sighed happily. "I may not be dead, Ray; but I definitely think I'm in Heaven"

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