In the Closet   In the Closet
 ��������By Red Skye
 ��������======================================
 ��������Notes: I decided to take a break from doing extremely 
 nasty things to our erstwhile hero's for a while. No graphic 
 or explicit sex or violence here. 
 ��������Rated [A.R] M/M for sex, pouncing and declarations of 
 lust. Yes, Benni & Ray get together in this.. eventually.
 ��������======================================
 
 ��������Fraser watched Ray poke at his Chow Mien for the 100th 
 time that even and make a half hearted attempt at eating it.
 ��������"Something on your mind Ray?"
 ��������"Huh?"
 ��������"I said is there something on your mind, I'd say 
 you've hardly touched your food, only you've been stabbing 
 it for the last half hour."
 ��������Ray gave a weak smile.
 ��������"Good one, Benni, I'll have to remember that line, 
 might come in handy some day."
 ��������"What's on your mind?"
 ��������"A case I got assigned.. Important case, someone's 
 been putting people in the hospital with regular monotony 
 out Simpson Street way."
 ��������"Simpson Street, isn't that where that new Gay club 
 opened it's doors last month."
 ��������"Yeah.. but it's not the only high class place that's 
 opened up there.. It's turning into "The Place" to be 
 seen.. 3 restaurants, 2 clubs and a new bar have opened 
 since that Gay club, all the expensive type. Sure the 
 assaults started after it opened. But it doesn't seem to 
 matter if the victims gay or not.. At least 3 dead straight 
 guys have been jumped. One was the son of a City Hall 
 Councillor.. and it was just my luck to pull that case.. I 
 mean they were all being investigated as separate incidents 
 till the pattern started becoming obvious.. Always the 
 same.. the victim or victims were walking down the street 
 when they heard a car pulling up and the next thing they 
 know they're waking up in the hospital. Minus their wallets 
 and anything valuable they might have been wearing. In my 
 book it's just opportunists who see a guy in an expensive 
 suit walking down the street and figure he's loaded and 
 they're covering their tracks.."
 ��������"How so?"
 ��������"Well, the majority of the guys they jumped have been 
 Gay - I think they're doing it just to make people think 
 they're Homophobes just out to teach the little faggots a 
 lesson.. Which is what they all say.. And they always come 
 at them from behind, no one's had a chance to see them. The 
 only reason I know its a team is cause they've jumped a gay 
 couple or two and taken both of them out at the same time."
 ��������"You're not getting very far are you?"
 ��������"I'm getting nowhere and fast.. And I got told to 
 forget every other case and wrap this one up *fast* after 
 the Councillor's son got jumped. Welsh is breathing down my 
 neck about it, but these guys are good.. They always chose 
 times when the streets virtually dead, always attack from 
 behind.. No one ever sees anything. And if someone has seen 
 something going down they haven't come forward. I got such 
 sore feet from knocking on doors and questioning everyone in 
 the neighbourhood. Most of the time I get a door slammed in 
 my face to the I don't know nuthin' tune.. S'cept when I ask 
 around the entertainment strip. That's a different story."
 ��������"They're helpful."
 ��������"They *wish* they could be. It's scaring off 
 customers. I've got passes to all the clubs and I can get 
 free drinks at any of the bars and free food at any of the 
 restaurants to check out the patron's by pretending to be 
 one.. But so far I haven't noticed anyone who looks like 
 he's sizing up the patrons."
 ��������"Shouldn't you be out there now."
 ��������"I ran out of really expensive suits, they're all at 
 the cleaners. I'd stick out like a sore thumb in anything 
 less than a 5C suit.. If something goes down tonight, I'm 
 hitting up Welsh for a voucher to buy some more expensive 
 threads.. "
 ��������"Once you get your suits out of the cleaners.."
 ��������"Even they get me noticed. It's like they're checking 
 me out and deciding I'm either I'm exactly what I am and 
 cain't afford to buy the sort of threads they all wear, or 
 that I'm trawling for a nice rich money man or lady to keep 
 me in the style I'd like to become accustomed too." 
 ��������-And I don wanna go back out that way alone again. I'm 
 sick of the gay guys hitting on me when they notice I'm 
 alone around there. I swear the next time someone grab's my 
 butt, sweet talk or not, I'm gonna deck em.-
 ��������"I already had *two* offers.. A woman as old as my 
 mother put the word on me in one of those restaurants, kept 
 sending me drinks.. The expensive kind, Moet & Chandon, Dom 
 Peringer and Bolinger, and she was sending the whole bottle 
 each time."
 ��������Fraser laughed.
 ��������"It ain't funny.. When I shifted to a bar instead, it 
 was some guy who just lurves Italians. My favourite kind of 
 Gigolo he says."
 ��������Fraser laughed harder even though Ray gave him the evil 
 eye about it.
 
 ������������������������*=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=*
 
 ��������Ray meant to ask Fraser to accompany him on his trawl 
 the next night but his throat just seized up every time he 
 tried because what he needed was someone to pretend to be 
 part of a couple with. He told himself that he didn't ask 
 because suits were something Fraser just didn't own and you 
 can only get away with a Mountie uniform so many times.
 ��������Welsh listened to his request for a voucher so he could 
 dress more appropriately and the reason why. Welsh told him 
 he'd get back to him on it. Ray went home to sleep, by 
 necessity his sleep cycle had turned upside down, because he 
 was up all night out on Simpson street. He went out to 
 collect his dry cleaning and made it to the cleaners just 
 before they closed. He returned that night to get a pile of 
 letters he was told to take to the specific men's wear 
 stores who's addresses and the names of managers were on the 
 envelopes the next day.
 ��������He bumped into Huey on his way out and automatically 
 checked out his suit and an idea popped into his head.
 ��������"Hey Huey doing anything?"
 ��������"I was just about to go off duty."
 ��������"How would you like a free dinner at Regina's 
 restaurant."
 ��������"The new place on Simpson Street.. Pretty expensive."
 ��������"I get free meals there, I can get dinner for two at 
 no cost."
 ��������"Oh that's right you pulled the Simpson Street case. 
 Nice Fringe benefits."
 ��������"You can enjoy them too, if you'll just tag along with 
 me."
 ��������"Need back up."
 ��������"I'm sick of being hit on, by people who think I'm a 
 gigolo trawling for a new sugar mama or daddy depending on 
 where I am."
 ��������Huey laughed.
 ��������"With that Gay club just up the other end of the block 
 none of the bars or restaurants bats a lash when a pair of 
 guys show up."
 ��������"Are you asking me to pretend to be your *Gay* 
 partner?"
 ��������"While it certainly wouldn't hurt, no.. you ain't seen 
 the way they act up that end of Simpson street, you can spot 
 the straight guys just out for a good meal while they talk 
 business a mile off. And there's plenty of straight guys 
 mixing business and pleasure out there."
 ��������"Well in that case, I never turn down a free meal at 
 an expensive restaurant.. Uh should I head for home and 
 change into something a little more expensive."
 ��������Ray looked him up and down.
 ��������"You got more expensive than *that*?"
 ��������"Hey I like nice suits and I don't have a partner who 
 likes trashing my wardrobe. I can afford to buy good clothes 
 on an irregular basis.. Instead of having to go for mid-
 range because someone's wrecking all my suits as fast as I 
 can replace them."
 ��������"That's Fraser allright.. And no you don't have to 
 change. That's just fine.. I'll met you at Reginia's in say 
 an hour.. Nothing goes down till it gets good and dark 
 out."
 
 ������������������������*=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=*
 
 ��������Ray had nothing but bad luck that night. The you can 
 spot a couple of straight guy's a mile off thing was right, 
 and he got propositioned twice by women he'd come to learn 
 were regulars. Huey laughed and called him a lady killer, 
 just for the hell of it, Ray adjourned to a bar he knew the 
 gay crowd frequented and snickered when Huey jumped half out 
 of skin when someone goosed him and he looked around to find 
 another well dressed black man smiling down at him.
 ��������Ray wrapped his arm around Huey's and glared up at the 
 Ebon Giant.
 ��������"Find your own Man, Andre," He said.
 ��������The giant leaned over him.
 ��������"Stick to you're own kind Iy-tie."
 ��������"He is my own kind, a red blooded American Male and 
 that's just how I like em."
 ��������Ray got a hearty little pat that was more like a shove.
 ��������"You got guts, little man, I think I like you."
 ��������"Who you callin' little, Andre, I ain't wearing 
 baggies cause I got short changed in that department like 
 you, Tiny."
 ��������The giant laughed and gave him another little 
 pat/shove, and spun him around directing him toward the bar 
 with a hand on the back.
 ��������"I do like you, let's have a drink, Hey Jenk's, A 
 Bolinger over here."
 ��������Ray submitted to the big man's flirtation, with Huey at 
 his left, the giant to his right. They discovered the giant 
 was *naturally* a major league basketball player in town for 
 a game. That he recently scored a big sponsorship contract, 
 and was just rolling in money. He kept mentioning the fact, 
 and after at least an hour of flirtation flat out 
 propositioned Ray, with a hand on his thigh, fingers doing 
 things that made go cross eye, while telling him had more 
 money than his other Sugar Daddy, mentioning his Mazreatti, 
 and penthouse suite at a high class hotel. Huey palmed his 
 badge and leaned around Ray and flashed it in the Giant's 
 face.
 ��������"You got one of these too, *Sister*."
 ��������The giant backed off, fast and went looking for more 
 receptive company. Ray sculled down the final glass of 
 Bolinger the Giant had ordered.
 ��������"You o.k, you look a little flushed. You're not coming 
 down with something are you?"
 ��������"The damn man was touching me up," Ray finally said 
 when he found his voice again.
 ��������Huey almost laughed.
 ��������"Thanks for the rescue."
 ��������"Hey, you rescued me from him first. Just returning 
 the favour. Let's get out of here."
 ��������"In a minute," Ray said tugging his coat around 
 before rising.
 ��������"I gotta go the little men's room."
 ��������No sooner had he passed through the doors to that room 
 than his tall admirer followed him in and a moment later he 
 was up against a wall and being well and truly touched up 
 while the Giant kissed the life out of him. Shock kept him 
 from reacting at first but his body responded to the expert 
 touch of his towering masher even as his hands flew up to 
 land on his chest. He gave a little whimper as his body 
 betrayed him and mentally berated himself for touching any 
 of the drinks the giant had ordered.
 ��������He didn't know wether to be grateful or annoyed when 
 Huey arrived and kicked the towering man between the legs 
 from behind. The Giant went down and Ray almost slid down 
 the wall in mortification. Huey assumed he was in shock from 
 the mauling and with a quick glance around moved in to 
 rapidly tuck Ray's now raging hard on back into his pants. 
 Ray did start sliding the wall at that then Huey's arm was 
 wrapping around him and he was being hustled out of there.
 ��������He was lead to Huey's car and belted up in the seat and 
 sank into it covering his face with his hands, the shakes 
 setting in as Huey moved around the car to climb in. He 
 heard Huey belt up, then pat his shoulder.
 ��������"Oh god.. was that ever a mistake," Ray said his 
 voice as shaky as his body.
 ��������Huey started the car and pulled out.
 ��������"You're lucky the barman told me he saw that giant 
 follow you into the toilets and knew you were a cop and 
 guessed I was too."
 ��������Ray's fingers parted and he looked down at his lap, 
 then closed his eyes and fingers and let out a groan. 
 ��������A cold shower and three cups of straight black and 
 strong coffee at Huey's apartment later Ray finally stopped 
 shaking and sobered up.
 ��������"I can see why you wanted me to tag along. Is it 
 always like that when you hit those joints."
 ��������"That's the first time someone's got that physical 
 when they made a pass at me," he said and let his head thud 
 to the kitchen bench he was seated at. "I shoulda thought 
 of telling the Barman to substitute fizzy soda for champagne 
 before I got so drunk I didn't care that it was a guy doing 
 those things to me."
 ��������Huey gave him a sympathetic pat.
 ��������"Drunk or not, you couldn't have stopped him from 
 doing whatever he damn well pleased."
 ��������"I was so drunk.. I didn't want the bastard to stop. I 
 was being mauled and I *liked* it.. God shoot me now."
 ����������������
 ������������������������*=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=*
 ��������
 ��������Things only got worse for Ray in the morning when, 
 hungover, he arrived at the station to be hauled in before 
 Welsh and told that another assault had gone down. The 
 timing put it after Huey had gotten him out of the bar. He 
 was rescued before his pounding head exploded by Huey who 
 walked in with a glass of something fizzy. 
 ��������Ray accepted the glass and sculled it down while Huey 
 rescued him by telling Welsh he'd had a justifiable excuse 
 for not being on the scene at the time.
 ��������"It better be a good one."
 ��������"He was pounced on and molested at one of the bars by 
 a guy built like Mike Tyson, *sexually* molested. I know I 
 tagged along with him last night, and the bar man tipped me 
 off to the fact someone followed him into the men's room. 
 God knows what would have happened if I hadn't arrived when 
 I did. I took care of that cretin and hauled Vecchio off to 
 my place and it took over an hour for him to stop shaking."
 ��������Ray just sank into a chair and held his head, suffering 
 too much to care about embarrassment.
 ��������"That's a good excuse. I take you didn't haul his 
 molester in."
 ��������"He was some basket ball hotshot. It would have been 
 all over the papers if I had. I just took care of it on the 
 scene and taught him a lesson. I tracked him down to his 
 hotel this morning and put the fear of god into him over it. 
 I don't think he'll try that again in this town," Huey said 
 and smirked, "He almost peed himself when I told him the 
 guy he was mauling was a plain clothes cop."
 ��������"Taking care of it quietly is good.. It means we don't 
 have to worry about discrete surveillance in the area being 
 a bust. The last thing we need is the Gay's complaining 
 about being spied on by the police. Which is why I assigned 
 you to the job in the first place, Vecchio," he added with 
 a growl at Ray.
 ��������"Assign someone else, someone Gay."
 ��������"If it was just Gay men being attacked I would, but 
 it's not. Take Fraser with you next time."
 ��������"No way, no how, they'd eat him alive if I took him 
 into some of those place. Compared to Fraser, I'm nothing to 
 speak about and I've been propositioned so many times its 
 not funny. I can just imagine how they'd react to him.."
 ��������"Assign me as his partner for this case, sir, I'll 
 watch his back."
 ��������Welsh sniffed.
 ��������"That's what you were supposed to be doing last night 
 and from the sounds it you didn't do a good job of it. If 
 that barman hadn't tipped you off.. We'd probably be talking 
 about more than Molestation now."
 ��������Ray's pounding headache had subsided enough for the 
 mere mention of the word in reference to his case to make 
 him flush.
 ��������-No *probably* about it that guy was all over me-
 ��������"That's because we went in as two straight guys just 
 mixing business with pleasure. And for some reason they seem 
 to think Ray's been trawling for a nice rich sugar daddy. If 
 we were pretending to be a Gay couple it wouldn't happen 
 again."
 ��������"Uh-Uh, no way," Ray said.
 ��������But Welsh was actively considering it.
 ��������"Maybe you didn't take a good look around you in that 
 bar.. Or see the way the Gay couples act in that area. If we 
 did that we'd have to be all touchie feelie, kissy kissy," 
 Ray said and shuddered as it brought back the memory of the 
 very thorough kissing he'd gotten the night before.
 ��������"Oh, and here you were last night saying I was just 
 your type."
 ��������"Hey I was only trying to stop that guy from hitting 
 on you."
 ��������"And played gay so convincingly he not only hit on you 
 instead, he mauled you."
 ��������"That just proves how *bad* you play it, Huey. If 
 you'd played along convincingly that humiliating scene 
 wouldn't have happened."
 ��������"Ha.. The second you stood up to him when he told you 
 to stick to your own kind he forget I existed. Obviously his 
 kind is the feisty type."
 ��������"Enough already!"
 ��������They looked around at Welsh.��������
 ��������"You," Welsh said pointing at Ray, "Get your new 
 wardrobe," then he pointed at Huey, "And you brush up on 
 playing Gay. I expect to see you both back here at six, and 
 unless you can convince me you're as gay as the day is long 
 you can forget it," He looked at Ray, "Well get Red to tag 
 along with Ray instead."
 ��������The fight went out of Ray, there was no way he was 
 taking Fraser into that area.
 ��������
 ������������������������*=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=*
 
 ��������Ray discovered handing over those letters resulted in 
 him being handed over a complete new wardrobe of high price 
 designer men's wear, from the ground up. He was also handed 
 a few dozen business cards and told to hand them out to 
 anyone who complimented him on his clothing.
 ��������At six he returned to the station, looking and smelling 
 expensive, and Huey came across so positively lustful for 
 his body that it made Ray back into a wall wide eyed. They 
 were heading for Simpson street in Huey's car half an hour 
 later.
 ��������Ray was still propositioned, twice, but Huey came 
 forward both times, wrapping his arms around Ray's waist 
 from behind to nuzzle his neck and ask if he was being 
 bothered and Ray's interested admirers backed off.
 ��������Huey got his butt groped six times, by three black men, 
 two black women and a white woman, the men he looked up and 
 down then gave a sniff, and ignored. The woman he informed 
 were barking up the wrong tree and they wandered away 
 muttering that all the cute ones were gay. One pounced on 
 Ray on the assumption that he was probably straight and 
 rich.
 ��������The second time Ray was hit on and Huey came to his 
 rescue, Ray leaned back into his arms and stroked his arm, 
 after that he made sure they weren't separated again. He was 
 thrice complimented on his suit and handed cards to his 
 complimenter's from the store who'd supplied them and they 
 assumed he worked there and wandered off happy with their 
 discount card.
 ��������Walking back to Huey's car, parked two blocks away in a 
 security car park, Ray noticed a car slowly cruising past 
 and memorised its plate number. When they got to the car 
 park, he stifled a yawn and pulled out his note book and pen 
 to write the registration and car's details down.
 ��������He didn't make it to the station in the morning to run 
 the details through the computer. As soon as he got home, he 
 got as far as getting his ever so expensive coat off and 
 collapsed onto the bed, and was asleep before his head hit 
 the pillow.
 ��������It was only his mother shaking him awake and telling 
 him Detective Huey was waiting out for him that roused Ray, 
 who took one look at the clock, groaned and asked her to 
 invite him in for coffee while he got ready. After the 
 fastest shower and clothing selection of his life he bounced 
 down the stairs to be told how nice he looked by his mother. 
 ��������She tucked his handkerchief down into his pocket.
 ��������"Stay away from Fraser.. That suit is too nice to take 
 the risk."
 ��������Ray laughed as Huey joined them.
 ��������"Dear god.." Huey said when he got a look at Ray.
 ��������"What's wrong?"
 ��������"That's a Thousand Dollar suit."
 ��������"Is it????"
 ��������"What you don't notice how much you're clothes cost."
 ��������"It's another Freebie.. That's why I was handing out 
 cards last night.. I'm a walking advertisement for the high 
 end shops at all the right places.. And how'd you know it's 
 a thousand dollar suit anyway."
 ��������"I saw it in a fashion spread in an upmarket magazine 
 I was reading at the doctor's office. I always check out the 
 prices.. You're wearing the whole outfit.. Total value, 
 including, shoes, belt and shirt is $1500..verging on 16.."
 ��������Ray gave the sleeve a little tug.
 ��������"I'm definitely staying away from Fraser till this 
 case is over."
 ��������Frannie arrived home in time to catch him leaving.
 ��������"You're looking hot, Ray, big date?"
 ��������"Nah, just going to dinner with Huey."
 ��������"What a waste of a great suit."
 ��������"Where we're going for dinner, the women send me 
 bottles of expensive champers with little notes attached 
 that tell me which table they're at and invite me over."
 �������� "In your dreams," she said and bounced off into the 
 house.
 ��������Ray came home with two bottles of expansive champagne 
 and pounded on Frannie's door till she poked her sleepy head 
 out and he held them up, dangling proposition's and all for 
 her to see. She reached out and opened one of the hand 
 written booklets and her eyes almost bugged out when she 
 read the evocative proposition inside.
 ��������"What was she as blind as a bat and deaf as a door 
 post."
 ��������-65 if she was a day, remarkably well preserved for her 
 age, rich as Midas and likes spicy Italian.-
 ��������"I didn't think anyone actually used the word Fellatio 
 out side of sex manuals."
 ��������He stepped back with his bottles.
 ��������"That's what Huey said when it arrived."
 ��������"It was probably meant for him."
 ��������"Nope.. The woman who sent it over has been sending me 
 Bolli and Moet to my table every time I go to that 
 particular restaurant. She's hot for my bod."
 ��������-And she's got a snow flakes chance in hell of getting 
 it.-
 ��������Then he sauntered off with his prizes to bury them in a 
 dark corner of his bedroom closet with the other bottles.
 ��������
 ������������������������*=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=*
 ��������
 ��������Ray decided to avoid the restaurants and his love 
 struck senior citizen altogether the next day and wolfed 
 down a meal his mother whipped up for him while he was he 
 was dressing.
 ��������He ended up with Huey in the one place he'd been 
 avoiding till then. The Gay club on the corner of the block. 
 He heard plenty of talk about the assaults, and more than 
 one, "you wouldn't catch me walking anywhere alone out here 
 at night."
 ��������He also noticed they were the only men there who 
 weren't intimately involved in some way. So did Huey and 
 while he eavesdropped on a conversation Huey did things to 
 his hand that totally distracted him and made his pulse 
 race.
 ��������"I heard there was an undercover cop prowling the 
 strip."
 ��������His attention went back to the conversation at the next 
 booth, and his body kept right on enjoying what Huey was 
 doing to his hand.
 ��������"Well I should certainly hope so. We pay our taxes 
 just like everyone else."
 ��������"I wonder if it's a gay or straight cop."
 ��������"Ha, you wouldn't care, if you knew who it was, you'd 
 probably jump his bones anyway."
 ��������"What can I say.. I'm into bondage. Cops got cuffs. My 
 favourite sex toy."
 ��������Ray almost snickered, then Huey's mouth started sucking 
 and nibbling on the palm of his hand and he had to fight the 
 instinctive urge to pull it away. Instead he leaned toward 
 Huey, catching his chin, as that mouth worked over his palm, 
 to draw Huey close.
 ��������"You keep that up and I'm going back to that 
 restaurant to take that little old lady up on her offer to 
 Felliate me."
 ��������Huey laughed, then sunk his teeth into the base of 
 Ray's thumb before letting him withdrew his hand. 
 ��������"See anyone suspicious."
 ��������"Not a soul."
 ��������"Me either," Huey said drawing a finger along the 
 shell of Ray's ear the way someone was doing to their lover 
 a few booths over in his line of sight.
 ��������"The guy in the next booth likes cops, cause cops got 
 cuffs."
 ��������"Kinky."
 ��������"You better believe it."
 ��������"Ever use yours.. In the bedroom," Huey said his 
 voice dropping to a husky tone as someone passed close by 
 the table.
 ��������"One or two ladies got awfully frisky when they saw 
 them dangling off my belt. But I never used them that way.. 
 I remember my last partner called me up in the wee small 
 hours to ask me to come round his place and bring the spare 
 keys.. His lady for the night got frisky with the cuffs and 
 then took off with his wallet and everything valuable she 
 could stuff into her purse."
 ��������Huey laughed.
 ��������"Guess who didn't file a report."
 ��������Huey kissed the tip of his nose, then noticed something 
 interesting going on when he pulled back a little. The next 
 thing Ray knew Huey's hand was wrapping around the back of 
 his head and he was being thoroughly kissed.
 ��������He was panting and thoroughly aroused when Huey's mouth 
 finally drifted away over his face to his ear, nipping it 
 before he felt his hot breath in his ear.
 ��������"Drug deal going down in the corner."
 ��������Ray pulled out his wallet and pulled out a card the 
 manager had given him and slipped it under the bill the 
 waiter had left on their table with their not so alcoholic 
 drinks. They rose and Huey wrapped an arm around Ray's 
 shoulder, while Ray wrapped an arm around his.
 ��������They were right on the tail of the dealer Huey saw 
 making his deal when he left the club. They followed him to 
 the car, where they busted him, and Ray left Huey to watch 
 him while he went out to fetch their car. He was halfway to 
 the security carpark when he spotted the little old lady who 
 was alway's trying to hit on him and ducked into a deep 
 shadowed apartment blocks inset entrance way. His dark navy 
 suit let him blend in with the shadows.
 ��������As a familiar car cruised past he peered around the 
 wall and watched her reaching into her bag for her car keys 
 as she neared the carpark. Then that car pulled up behind 
 her and a tall burly man jumped out a cosh rising up. Eye's 
 widening, Ray whipped out his gun, taking aim and fired as 
 it started falling. The cosh fell from the mugger's hand and 
 he roared with pain, at the same moment the little old lady 
 spun and then screamed. The mugger's hand flew out savagely 
 back handing her before his hand went to his shoulder. The 
 little old lady fell, and Ray slipped out and started 
 running down the street. 
 ��������He faintly heard a voice calling out and the mugger 
 looked around, then jumped back into the car, pulling the 
 door closed as he went. The car speed off into the night 
 before Ray got close enough to see the plates.
 ��������His sweet and anything but innocent little old lady was 
 just a little dazed and clung to him when he kneeled down to 
 help her sit up and took her pulse. Then she recognised him.
 
 ������������������������*=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=*
 
 ��������When Ray returned to the precinct the next day before 
 preparing to return to Simpson street he found a huge bunch 
 of red roses on his desk, there was also a magnum of the 
 most expensive champagne on the market on ice in a platinum 
 and diamond encrusted ice bucket and a tiny sealed velum 
 envelope with her writing on it sticking out of the flowers.
 ��������He blushed from the tips of his toes to the roots of 
 his hair as opening that envelope lead to the discover of 
 the raciest proposition she'd ever made. He heard laughter, 
 then Welsh was at his shoulder.
 ��������"Let me guess it's from that ever so rich little old 
 lady who's life you probably saved last night."
 ��������"Uh-hu," Ray said tucking the note away in his 
 pocket.
 ��������"You have to send it back."
 ��������"It's not a reward for my help, it's just another one 
 of her little love tokens."
 ��������He pulled the magnum from the ice and looked at the 
 label then slid it back into the ice.
 ��������"She's alway's saying I'm hot for your body with 
 Champagne."
 ��������He picked the bucket up and studied it, then raised it 
 to look at the base and let out a low whistle.
 ��������"Cartier! This things probably worth more than my 
 car."
 ��������Huey wanted up.
 ��������"Let me guess, Mz "why don't you come back to my 
 Mansion and let me blow your mind among other things," 
 right?"
 ��������"Uh-hu."
 ��������Huey checked out the champagne on offer.
 ��������"Wooo.. She's getting serious..Forget the Moet this is 
 the most expensive stuff on the market."
 ��������Ray pulled out the note he got and showed it Huey who 
 let out a low whistle.
 ��������"I'll never look at a little old lady the same way 
 again."
 ��������"And if she was 30 year's younger I'd take her up on 
 it."
 ��������"Ha.. Someone who was hit on you and you flipped her 
 off."
 ��������Ray plucked a rose from the bunch and sniffed it's 
 exquisite fragrance.
 ��������"She didn't have any class. Now, Maeve here, she's got 
 class."
 ��������"And Money."
 ��������"And lots of it. How'd that bust go by the way. I was 
 so busy taking care of Maeve.. "
 ��������"He had a pharmacies worth of designer drugs in that 
 car of his. With around $25,000 street value"
 ��������"There you go sir, we got a description of one of 
 those cretin's *and* busted a high end dealer. Not a bad 
 nights work if I say so myself."
 ��������"Did they get a good look at you?"
 ��������"No sir, I was half a block away and in the shadows 
 when I saw them getting read to bash Maeve's skull in. They 
 took off as soon as I started heading their way."
 ��������Welsh looked at Huey.
 ��������"Did anyone see you bust that dealer?"
 ��������"No sir. We followed him back to his car on a side 
 street."
 ��������"Then I suggest you get your glad rags on and go 
 back.. Keep up your cover.. The Councillor isn't going to be 
 happy with *just* a description by a woman who's eye sight 
 is probably failing."
 ��������"Humph."
 ����������������
 ������������������������*=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=*
 
 ��������They elected to return to the club to see if there was 
 any talk about their nights activities there. And talk there 
 was plenty of.
 ��������"Didn't I tell you there was an uncover cop prowling 
 around.. He saved Maeve from having here head stove in from 
 what I heard."
 ��������"Nah, I heard it was that Italian gig she's been 
 trying to get into her bed for the last few weeks."
 ��������"Must be gay.. No gig turns down Maeve the 
 millionaire."
 ��������"I'm gay and I wouldn't turn down Maeve."
 ��������Ray almost snickered.
 ��������"I heard she gave her last gig a penthouse, a porche 
 and showered him in jewellery and designer gear."
 ��������"So why's she trawling for a new guy?"
 ��������"She wore out the old one.. He's suffering a bad case 
 of sexual fatigue."
 ��������Huey who heard it all snickered and nipped on Ray's 
 ear.
 ��������"Now you know, she's not all talk no action."
 ��������Ray nipped his ear back, hard enough to leave a red 
 spot behind.
 ��������"So what's the gig look like anyway? Must be pretty 
 hot stuff?"
 ��������"I heard he's hung like a horse."
 ��������Ray giggled.
 ��������"Has a washboard stomach, pec's to die for.."
 ��������Huey started giggling.
 ��������"Stop it, you're making me drool."
 ��������"Washboard stomach huh," Huey teased.
 ��������"You ain't seen my stomach, so sshhhh... I wanna hear 
 what else they say."
 ��������"Eyes to drown in.."
 ��������"Waiter a mop, to clean up the puddle of drool here."
 ��������Ray and Huey both giggled at that.
 ��������"And a smile that just makes knee's turn to jelly."
 ��������"You seen him?"
 ��������"Nah, but I was talking to Daniel and he said he got 
 his hands on that guy's ass and said it was like putting the 
 squeeze on Clark Kent if you know what I mean."
 ��������"Buns of steel.."
 ��������"Hmm.. I'll have remember to investigate that for 
 myself," Huey murmured. 
 ��������"Aside from all that he's not much to look at but when 
 the lights out.. Who cares when a man's got a body like 
 that."
 ��������"Amen to that."
 ��������"Hmmmph."
 ��������Huey giggled, then his eyes widened a fraction.
 ��������"I don't believe it," he breathed.
 ��������"What?"
 ��������"There's *another* drug deal going down in the same 
 corner," Huey said as his head snaked around behind Ray's. 
 While his mouth was busy ravishing Ray's, his half lidded 
 eyes were busy watching the deal go down. Ray gave a little 
 whimper and arched his neck when Huey transferred his 
 attentions to his throat and ear watching the dealing's 
 going down from another angle.
 ��������"Gawd Jack where'd you learn to do that," Ray 
 breathed in his ear as he sex came to hard pounding life.
 ��������"I hadda good teacher," Huey breathed in his ear 
 before his tongue travelled around it.
 ��������"Do you think you can *fake* it.. God almightily.. 
 you're turning me on."
 ��������Huey nipped his ear, then grasped his face and gave him 
 a kiss so deep Ray idly wondered if he'd have tonsil's left 
 while trying to ignore the pounding in his groin.��������
 ��������"Let's go," Huey breathed when he finally came up for 
 air just as lack of it was giving a very good idea why every 
 now and then they found a stiff of some guy into autoerotic 
 sex."
 ��������"I can't," Ray hissed.
 ��������"What?!"
 ��������"I said.. I can't.. I'm not moving from this spot."
 ��������"He's getting away."
 ��������"So. You got a good look at him, didn't you?"
 ��������"Sure."
 ��������"We'll pick him up later.."
 ��������Then one of the men they'd been eavesdropping on leaned 
 toward their booth.��������
 ��������"If you're into threesome's I'm game," he said with a 
 husky growl.
 ��������Ray and Huey looked around, then Ray decided rampant 
 erection or not, he wasn't going to spend another minute 
 there. He rose, adjusting his coat to try and hide the 
 evidence of just how turned on he was and hurried away. Huey 
 followed close on his heels and down went his hand to fall 
 on his butt before he stepped in close his mouth going for 
 Ray's ear.
 ��������"Hmm.. They're right, you do have buns of steel."
 ��������"Touch me one more time.."
 ��������"And what???"
 ��������"I'm gonna jump your bones."
 ��������Just for the hell of it, Huey nipped at Ray's ear.
 ��������Ray spun, grabbed him by the lapels of his coat, then 
 swung him around to push him into the groping room near the 
 exit. Fortunately it was empty because the second the door 
 swung closed and Ray was pushing Huey down on the love seat 
 couch going down over him to kiss him so deeply it was 
 Huey's turn to wonder if he'd have tonsils left.
 ��������On the other side of the door, a waiter walked up and 
 opened the door just enough to flip the lock and then pulled 
 it closed again before walking away.
 ��������Ray's mouth wasn't the only thing getting busy, his 
 hands got in on the act too and soon it was Huey who was 
 whimpering and nursing a rampant erection. Ray gave a 
 pleased little growl when Huey's hands went to work. He gave 
 an even more pleased growl and started humping Huey's leg 
 when Huey came up for air just to start ravishing his throat 
 and collar bone.
 ��������His passion glazed eyes fell on something on the table 
 at the end of the couch conveniently left there by the ever 
 so efficient staff and he snatched it up and put it to good 
 use.
 Then Huey was arching off the couch with a loud cry and Ray 
 was shuddering over him.
 ��������"Ohhhh yesss.. that feels so good," Ray panted.
 ��������"Sweet lord in heaven," Huey gasped.
 ��������Then Ray was moving over him, and inside him, and as 
 strange as it felt Huey found himself staring up at Ray 
 being turned on by the look of pure ecstasy on the man's 
 face. Then as his body became more accustomed to the 
 intimate invasion he found himself moving with him and 
 heading toward ecstasy him self.
 ��������An incomprehensible babble of Italian and thick English 
 spilled from Ray's lips then those lips fell on Huey's 
 arched throat and ravished it. With a bite that would mark 
 Huey's skin for a week Ray reached his peak and went 
 tumbling over it. Huey's body moved thrusting against their 
 now joined bodies, and found his own peak, arms wrapping 
 tight over Ray's body.
 ��������Ray came down from his sex induced high and flushed for 
 a new reason as he looked down at Huey's dark face so close 
 to his own that he could feel the man's breath.
 ��������"Oh lord.. Did we just do what I think we did?"
 ��������"Uh-hu," said Huey still in a passion daze.
 ��������He made a little noise of discontent when Ray pushed up 
 and slid free scrambling away to look around the room. He 
 made use of the baby wipes left by the ever so efficient 
 staff and tried to get his clothes back into some semblance 
 of order. A task he failed miserably at, half the buttons on 
 his shirt were no longer attached to it.
 ��������He gave up the task and spun for the door. Finding it 
 locked. He swiftly unlocked it and scuttled off into the 
 night.
 ����������������
 ������������������������*=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=*
 
 Several weeks later..
 
 ��������"Have I done something to offend Detective Huey?" 
 Fraser asked Ray as he climbed into the car.
 ��������"Not that I know of, why?"
 ��������"He just seems.. Hostile lately."
 ��������"Oh."
 ��������"It's nothing specific.. It's just an impression that 
 I get from him."
 ��������"Uh well.. it's probably the right impression."
 ��������"So it's not my imagination."
 ��������"Probably not."
 ��������"Why?"
 ��������"Er... well.. he's probably annoyed because you keep 
 distracting me from the case we're both working on."
 ��������"Oh. And how is that going?"
 ��������Ray's eyes got that glassy look that he seemed to get 
 every time the subject up for discussion was the "So Hush-
 Hush I can't even tell you the details" case he was working 
 on with Huey.
 ��������"Uh.. It's coming along."
 ��������-Great choice of words snicker-
 ��������"I was assisting someone today who gave me some 
 tickets to a basket ball match.. I was wondering.."
 ��������-Danger *bweep bweep* Danger-
 ��������"Sorry Benni, we gotta stake out a suspect tonight."
 ��������"It's not for tonight's game, well it is, and for next 
 weeks.. and every other game of the season I might add."
 ��������"What did he do, give you season tickets?"
 ��������"Yes, Ray."
 ��������"What the hell did you do? Save his life or 
 Somethin'"
 ��������"Well actually.. Yes, Ray, that's exactly what I 
 did."
 ��������"You know that if you stuck all the citation's and 
 awards you've earned up on a wall, you could cover it from 
 end to end, dontcha."
 ��������Fraser smiled faintly.
 ��������"I don't have that many, Ray."
 ��������"Yes you do. City hall has a bay set aside just to 
 process nomination's made in you're name by all those ever 
 so grateful people you help out, just doing what comes ever 
 so natural to you."
 ��������"Should I get out of the car."
 ��������Ray laughed.
 ��������"I wasn't bitchin' Benni. Can't I joke with you or 
 somethin' anymore?"
 ��������"I'm sorry, but you tend to get aggravated when you 
 talk about my "Good deeds."
 ��������"Ah..well, I'm in a good mood today.. So good, I'll 
 shout ya for dinner, how's that, we can stop over at that 
 Chinese place on Main that has the Chow Mien you like and 
 pick up a little food, then go back to your place and catch 
 up a little before I have to leave."
 ��������"And that would be?"
 ��������"8. I'm meeting Jack at a quarter to nine and I gotta 
 go home and get changed before I meet up with him.."
 ��������"Chinese sounds fine to me."
 ��������Ray hit the blinkers and took the next turn off.
 ��������"By the way you never told me how that other case you 
 were working on went."
 ��������"Other case?"
 ��������"The Homophobic assaults that were occurring with 
 regular monotony."
 ��������"Oh that.."
 ��������"You were working with Huey on that case too, weren't 
 you.. Pretending to be a gay couple to draw the predator's 
 out. Did it work?"
 ��������"Whydya think I ended up with a shiner so bad I was 
 off work for a week cause I couldn't open my eye."
 ��������"Would that be the week I went to Ottawa for that 
 Diplomatic training course?"
 ��������Ray's brain digested that, sorted the information 
 stored away in his brain, then gave a weak smile.
 ��������"Yeah.. I forget about that. We busted the guy's that 
 were behind those assaults. The moron's had a bloody 
 baseball bat and a lead pipe when they came after us. Said 
 there was only one thing worse than a pair of Faggots 
 walking around being lovey dovey plain as day on their turf 
 and that was a black guy with a white guy. Boy were they 
 surprised when we whipped out our guns and badges and said 
 you're busted."
 ��������"How did you get the black eye?"
 ��������"One of em smashed me in the face with his elbow when 
 I was frisking him down, and kicked me in the balls while he 
 was at it... Had a kick like a mule."
 ��������"Ow-itch."
 ��������"Understatement of the year Benni. It hurt to pee for 
 over a week. Kicked me so hard the doctor said if I hadn't 
 been rearing back from the elbow in the face, he could have 
 ruptured something and the shock would have killed me."
 ��������"Did he get away?"
 ��������"Of course, Huey couldn't handle him, his partner in 
 crime, and me out cold at the same time. But he tracked him 
 down on his own while I was laid up. And gave him a knee to 
 the nuts while he was subduing him, just for me.. That's the 
 last time he'll resist arrest that way."
 ��������"I'm assuming everything is functioning the way its 
 supposed to now?"
 ��������"Let's just say it's a good thing this case I'm 
 working on with Huey has totally killed off my love life.. 
 I'd hate to disappoint a lady because the equipment wasn't 
 up to the job."
 ��������"Oh dear."
 ��������"It made me wish I was a woman there for a while."
 ��������"I believe it hurts just as much if you kick a woman 
 between the legs."
 ��������"Really? How do you know that? You try it once or 
 somethin'?"
 ��������"No. I saw a woman do it to another woman, and her 
 opponent went down just as fast as any man would, and was 
 screeching and cursing about it, just like any man would."
 ��������"Ah, well that proves it doesn't it."
 ��������"Slamming the flat of your hand into their breasts 
 also seems to work just as well."
 ��������"What were you doing, just standing there watching 
 while this woman flattened all the opposition with dirty 
 moves or somethin'?"
 ��������"It was Inspector Thatcher, we were in a bar when a 
 brawl broke out and the women were just as involved as the 
 men. The one she kicked had a broken bottle in her hand and 
 was trying to slash her face open."
 ��������"'nuff said."
 ��������
 ������������������������*=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=*
 
 ��������"Great game, wasn't it."
 ��������Huey handed him a drink and settled down on the couch 
 with him.
 ��������"Great jump shot.. That man moves like a kangaroo."
 ��������"Like you'd know what one looks like."
 ��������"I was watching a National Geographic special on 
 Australian wild life."
 ��������"Oh."
 ��������"I happen to like wildlife features."
 ��������"You know something Huey, you're boring."
 ��������"I brought something to watch," Huey announced 
 ignoring that statement and reaching for the remote.
 ��������Ray sipped at his drink as Huey turned the TV and video 
 on then settled back and draped an arm around his shoulders.
 Ray almost chocked on his drink when he realised that Huey's 
 tape was a Gay porno flick.
 ��������"What the hell?!"
 ��������"It's educational."
 ��������"Ohmig-d, would you look at the size of that guy, he's 
 hung like a bloody draft horse."
 ��������*pant pant groan moan.*
 ��������"Ewww."
 ��������*harder baby, Harder.*
 ��������"Ohgod.. Turn it off, this is not turning me on 
 Jack."
 ��������Huey turned it off, rising. Ray watched him cross the 
 room to pull the tape out, not so covertly watching the way 
 Huey's tight jeans hugged his ass as he bent over to pick up 
 another tape. Then it was in and Huey was returning to sit 
 beside him and drape an arm around him again.
 ��������"Maybe this one will do the trick."
 ��������"I am not watching any more gay flicks."
 ��������"Shhh.. Just watch.."
 ��������Ray sipped his drink, and his eyes widened as he 
 realised that if it was a gay flick, it was one involving 
 gay women not men. His eyes remained wide, his pupils 
 dilating as he watched the most erotic seduction of a woman 
 he'd ever seen in his life.
 ��������"Dear lord.. What is this?"
 ��������"Is erotica for women, by women, is it turning you 
 on?"
 ��������"Uh-hu. I think I'm leaning new tricks.."
 ��������Huey's hand started stroking Ray's neck, and he stopped 
 watching to start kissing Ray's neck and nibble at his ear a 
 little. Ray's eyes remained glued to Huey's big screen TV 
 while Huey went to work on his shirt and that mouth was 
 transferred to his chest.
 ��������Ray's hand moved to Huey's head as one of the women let 
 out a moan that sent shivers down his spine as the other 
 women did to her what Huey was doing to him.
 ��������Huey almost turned the tape off due to Ray's absolute 
 fascination with it. Ray stopped him by getting Huey into a 
 position where he could let his hands get busy on the dark 
 man's body and still watch. The fact his hands were busy 
 doing to Huey what the hands of the women on the screen were 
 doing didn't escape Huey's notice when he saw it and he 
 decided there were worse things than Ray getting idea's off 
 that tape.
 ��������Ray's hands alone got Huey off and he was almost as 
 disappointed as Ray when the tape finished.
 ��������"Hey, you got anymore of those tapes?"
 ��������"No."
 ��������"Get some. That had to be the hottest porno tape I 
 ever saw."
 ��������"That wasn't Porno, it was erotica, there's a 
 difference. A big one."
 ��������"What, no men hung like a horse?"
 ��������Huey snickered.
 ��������"That's one difference."
 ��������"So didja like what I did?"
 ��������"You know I did," Huey said and pushed Ray back, his 
 body stretching out over Ray's.
 ��������"Oh, yeah, you liked it alright," Ray said as he felt 
 Huey's sex hard and throbbing against his thigh.
 ��������What remaining clothes they had were shed and for the 
 first time they studied each other's body's in all their 
 naked glory. Huey's eyes were fixed on Ray's lap and his 
 semi erect sex.
 ��������"Obviously it wasn't enough to get you going."
 ��������"Hey, that's more of a reaction than I've had to 
 anything remotely stimulating since that son of a bitch 
 kicked me. Well.. to be truthful that's a lie.. Remember 
 that day I almost passed out at my desk."
 ��������"Uh-hu."
 ��������"It was watching you bending over to pick up that 
 stuff you dropped that got me going and I was thinking about 
 how good it felt to be with you and that got a reaction and 
 the pain almost made me faint. That was the last time I had 
 any response to stimulation."
 ��������"Well we'll just have to teach your body to react the 
 right way to stimulation again, won't we," Huey said and 
 went to work doing just that.
 ��������They were both to be disappointed.
 ��������"I should have used a lot more force on that son of a 
 bitch," Huey said with a growl of frustration.
 ��������"The doctor said it would just take time."
 ��������"Yeah, well it couldn't have happened at a worse 
 time."
 ��������"I don't know about that.. Things were certainly 
 getting hot and heavy faster than I was comfortable with 
 before it happened."
 ��������Huey looked up at that.
 ��������"That just put the brakes on and forced us to take 
 things slow."
 ��������"This is where you say this was a bad idea."
 ��������"Maybe it was.. I feel guilty lying to Fraser and my 
 family about what I'm doing.. I wouldn't feel so guilty if I 
 could explore it openly."
 ��������"No way, no how."
 ��������"Oh come on, Jack.. The new laws about vilification 
 and hate crimes cover homosexual's too.. No one is gonna 
 give us a hard time about it if we come out of the closet."
 ��������"So how do you think your Catholic family will 
 react?"
 ��������"My mother knows."
 ��������"What?!"
 ��������You think I just suddenly decided to follow that 
 amazing revelation up without no trouble's Jack. God.. when 
 I got home.. I broke open a bottle of that champagne and got 
 myself smashed trying to blot out the memory. Ma came in to 
 tell me you were on the phone and found me in that state.. I 
 don' know what I mighta said.. I was way too far gone to 
 remember it.. I just know it happened.. cause she waited 
 till I came down all hungover gave me her sure fire cure 
 then slapped my face and said she couldn't care less if I 
 was Gay she wouldn't stand for seeing me turn into a mirror 
 image of my father. Then she gave me this big and loooong 
 lecture about being gay, taking precautions, the works."
 ��������"You're kidding."
 ��������"What a way to find out your father was gay."
 ��������"You're pulling your leg."
 ��������"That's why he became an alcoholic.. Though Ma say's 
 he was already half way there when he discovered it when he 
 woke up after a drinking session in a friends bed.. The male 
 kind of friend. That tipped him over the edge cause he 
 couldn't reconcile it with his faith and in the end that's 
 what really killed him.. She started s'pecting I was gay too 
 when I had a hissy fit over Frannie taking her best shot at 
 Fraser. And that's when she got herself edjacated.. Just so 
 she could give me that lecture when it came to the crunch.. 
 And avoid the same thing happening with me. It's so nice 
 knowing there's nothin' in the bible that specifically 
 forbids it."
 ��������"Uh-hu.. Well I'm sure my parents could find 
 something."
 ��������"Oh, catholic too?"
 ��������"Baptist, never miss a service... They even met at a 
 church social."
 ��������"Pretty religious."
 ��������"*Very*."��������
 
 ������������������������*=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=*
 
 ��������Ray found himself being cop napped by a rather 
 determined Mountie two day's later. He didn't appreciate the 
 fact very much either, and spent the whole of the long trip 
 out to the middle of nowhere tied up and gagged on the back 
 seat of his Riv. When Fraser finally came to their 
 destination, he got out of the car, popping the hood to 
 remove something. When he came back he announced the car had 
 been disabled and wouldn't be going anywhere as he pulled 
 Ray up from the seat and gently removed the gag.
 ��������"What do you think you're doing you brain dead 
 Moron!" Ray screeched, several hours in an uncomfortable 
 position and a desperate need to relieve himself making him 
 extremely irritable.
 ��������"Making sure you take a week off. You've been working 
 too hard."
 ��������Ray ranted at him, using descriptive phrases of the 
 obscene kind that even in his long and varied career Fraser 
 had never heard before.
 ��������"Lieutenant Welsh gave me his permission to do it and 
 you're mother assisted me."
 ��������That silenced Ray he stared at Fraser. Fraser pulled 
 out his knife and cut the ropes that bound him.
 ��������"Ma *Helped*"
 ��������"You're mother is worried about you.. You've started 
 drinking.. If you weren't out cold as a result of your last 
 drinking binge I wouldn't have been able to do this."
 ��������Shame flooded Ray. His disagreements with Huey about 
 coming out had ended the relationship disastrously. Huey had 
 dumped a file on his desk a week later and walked off 
 without a word. Opening it Ray saw photo's of a black man's 
 corpse, and a report on the racially motived death by 
 beating due to his relationship with an Italian woman.
 On top of which Maeve's little love tokens were arriving 
 daily and becoming more extravagant by the day resulting in 
 a great deal of joking around the station which he was the 
 butt of. And there was the side effect's of the vicious kick 
 he'd received gnawing at him and the fact that having to 
 sneak around and lie to Fraser constantly had damaged their 
 relationship to the point where Ray was too ashamed to face 
 his friend had only added to his misery.
 ��������"Yeah well a lot of stuff has been going wrong in my 
 life lately.."
 ��������Fraser helped him out of the car.
 ��������"All you had to do was call, Ray. I do know when to 
 shut my mouth and offer a sympathetic ear when the need 
 arises."
 ��������"Speaking of needs arising."
 ��������Fraser pointed to some bushes then opened the trunk of 
 the Riv and pulled out a pack of tissues tossing them at 
 Ray.
 ��������"Dig a little hole first."
 ��������"Yeah, Yeah, I know," Ray said as he scuttled off to 
 take care of his business.
 
 ������������������������*=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=*
 
 ��������What followed was three day's of hell for Ray, as 
 Fraser introduced him to the joy's of camping with an ever 
 so attentive teacher. It was driving him insane and reminded 
 him of the other reason he'd taken to the bottle. He had a 
 bad case of lust for the luscious Mountie. The worst kind. 
 He spent every night huddled in his sleeping bag wanting him 
 in the worst way and being too afraid to deal with his 
 body's constant reminder's of the fact for fear Fraser would 
 hear him getting off.
 ��������On the fourth day, he woke to find Fraser gone and 
 crawled out of his bag to head for the river to wash off. He 
 saw Fraser, in that river and had ducked into some bushes to 
 play peeping tom on his naked and bathing friend. He felt so 
 guilty afterwoulds that he became excessively surly and kept 
 pushing Fraser away, finally as they set up camp at a new 
 site, Fraser's patience ran out. The Mountie rustled in his 
 pack and drew out a flask and threw it at him.
 ��������"There.."
 ��������Ray looked at it, and opened it to smell alcohol, he 
 took a deep draught from it and was going for his second 
 when Fraser started ripping into him. And at some point 
 during his rant Ray's heart almost stopped beating as it 
 jumped to his throat.
 ��������"What did you say?!"
 ��������"I said, I'm Gay and I am not exactly thrilled at the 
 self discovery.. And you don't see me turning into a drunk 
 over it. There is nothing worse than suffering unrequited 
 lust for your best friend.. I thought I could live with that 
 as long as I could be near you and share in your life. But I 
 didn't even have that any more because you saw me at that 
 place.."
 ��������"What place?"
 ��������"That club."
 ��������Ray's mind went back in time.
 ��������"You mean when Jack and I were investigating those 
 assaults?"
 ��������Fraser nodded.
 ��������"Benni, you dunce, I thought you were there because I 
 told you all about it and you were just keeping an eye on 
 me.. I didn't realise you *belonged* to that club."
 ��������Fraser hung his head.
 ��������"I don't.. I was worried about you.. you seemed so 
 withdrawn all the time.. So I followed you there and saw you 
 meet him and followed you there.. And saw you.. touching and 
 kissing each other.. I know it was just an act, part of your 
 cover to draw out those vicious homophobes, but.."
 ��������"But what Benni?"
 ��������"I kept going back there... Just to watch you..and 
 him.. and fantasise about it being me with you and not him.. 
 I wished you'd asked me to play that role with you.. But 
 then you saw me.. I thought.. you guessed.. I thought that 
 was why you started holding me at bay and rebuffed all my 
 attempts to keep our friendship alive."
 ��������Ray tossed the flask and let that precious liquid pour 
 out and soak into the ground, to get drunk on something 
 else, the taste of Fraser after he pounced and kissed the 
 life out of him.
 ��������Fraser fell back off his log and Ray went down with 
 him, not letting their lips part company for a second until 
 he'd thoroughly explored every micrometer of Fraser's mouth. 
 Then it was his throat. 
 ��������"I can't Believe it's, I'm Gay too, that's why I was 
 avoiding you I had a bad case of lust and didn't trust 
 myself anymore," he babbled as he nuzzled away.
 ��������"You *are* Gay!"
 ��������"Yes, 100 percent.. I only worked it out recently.. 
 Jack got me so turned on one night at that club that.. stuff 
 happened.. "
 ��������"So you were sleeping with him."
 ��������Ray straddled Fraser and started getting to work on all 
 the fiddly buttons and things that separated him from 
 Fraser's body.
 ��������"Actually no.. I never *slept* with Huey.. We had sex, 
 a grand total of three times thanks to that cretin with a 
 kick like a mule.."
 ��������"The equipment wasn't up to the job."
 ��������"Exactly.. God we tried.. but.. it was just so 
 frustrating and all the lying and sneaking around and 
 pretending like there was nothing going on was just eating 
 me up. I wanted to come out but he wouldn't do it, and I 
 couldn't do it without dragging him out into the open at the 
 same time and it was stressing me out..and that's why I 
 couldn't get things going.. Phsycoblock.. I didn't want to 
 be stuck in a relationship that his attitude made me feel 
 guilty and ashamed about.. It took me a while to work that 
 my body was telling me what I hadn't worked out yet.."
 ��������"And when did you work it out."
 ��������"3 day's ago when I got a very painful hard on from 
 just watching you crouching and squatting and bending over 
 all the time setting up the camp.. God.. you've been driving 
 me insane.."
 ��������Fraser grabbed a hand full of shirt and pulled him down 
 for a kiss.
 ��������"The feeling is mutual," he said before his mouth 
 closed on Ray's.
 ��������Words were superfluous after that. The only words that 
 needed to be said were in the area of do you have anything 
 and oh damn, before Fraser used his mouth and clever fingers 
 to show Ray that one didn't need to have intercourse to be 
 totally satisfied.
 
 ������������������������*=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=*
 
 ��������Ray's mother took one look at her son on his return 
 home, and pounced on Fraser to give him a very enthusiastic 
 kiss or three on the cheek.
 ��������"Now I have my son back."
 ��������Ray pulled her away.
 ��������"Back off Ma, he's mine."
 ��������The only thing she had to say about that was that it 
 was about damn time too.
 
 ������������������������*=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=*
 
 ��������Ray returned to the Gay club with Fraser, he was an 
 honorary lifetime member who's money was worthless there 
 after all, and he had no intentions of staying in the 
 closet. Though out of concern about how some people would 
 react, Frannie being one, they didn't announce their 
 relationship had taken a more intimate turn. Being able to 
 be seen in public showing his affection and having it 
 returned without censure or filthy looks did wonders for 
 Ray's confidence.
 �������� The very first time he returned there with Fraser the 
 service he got after walking in, in uniform, and with Fraser 
 in his uniform was fast and for a change anything but 
 efficient. 
 ��������They held hands and smooched and generally made quite a 
 few men there envious, and not all of them were envious of 
 Fraser. Bun's of steel was bantered about as was the 
 speculation that Ray had scored himself a Mountie due to 
 some equine qualities of his own.
 ��������Fraser's last parting shot when they left that day was 
 loudly delivered to someone who tried to find out if Ray 
 really had bun's of steel by trying to get a sly grope in.
 ��������"I will break the hand of any man here who tries to 
 grope my little Stallion, Fraser declared, having overheard 
 some of the innuendo.
 ��������The groper backed off fast, Ray swatted Fraser then 
 dragged him out to amused laughter.
 ��������"I can't take you anywhere," Ray joked as they headed 
 for the car.
 ��������"Did I embarrass you? If I did, I apologise. It wasn't 
 my intention."
 ��������"I don't mind, I'd rather be known as you're Little 
 Stallion than Maeve's latest Gigolo. And speaking of 
 Maeve.."
 ��������Ray waved to the sweet and libidinous old lady as he 
 saw her climbing out of her Ferrari T288 across the street 
 out front of Reginia's restaurant. She blew him a kiss then 
 grinned a real Italian Stallion climbed out of the car and 
 gave Ray a glare before he escorted her to the restaurant.
 ��������"Ah.. that explains why she stopped burying my desk in 
 roses, champagne and love trinkets collectively worth more 
 than my house."
 ��������"Envious."
 ��������"Relieved," Ray said before climbing into the Riv and 
 belting up. 
 ��������Fraser climbed in and belted up while Ray started the 
 car up.
 ��������"Those notes of hers were starting to get me hot under 
 the collar.. No one writes naughty love notes like Maeve. 
 And all that fine champagne and wine.. Well.. "
 ��������"I hope you threw it all out."
 ��������"Are you crazy? I'm not throwing out wine that costs 
 $1500 a bottle. I got a new lock for Pop's wine room to keep 
 Tony out of it, and stored it all away there, and gave Ma 
 the key. Not that there's all that much stored away there," 
 he said as he pulled out.
 ��������"Unlike pop, I wasn't a cheap drunk.. I only got 
 blotto on the best champagne and the finest wines around 
 courtesy of Maeve.."
 ��������He changed gears then patted Fraser's thigh.
 ��������"Which is why you don't have to worry about me turning 
 into a drunk.. I couldn't afford it, and the only thing I 
 want to get drunk on now is you."
 ��������Fraser patted his hand then made Ray transfer it to the 
 wheel.
 ��������"I believe you mentioned "Love trinkets."
 ��������"Oh, yeah, those. First it was a platinum and diamond 
 encrusted ice bucket, then it was a set of crystal glasses, 
 with platinum stems encrusted with diamonds, to match the 
 bucket, on a tray that matched it too, Then it was a gift 
 voucher for a mind blowing amount at a designer men's wear 
 shop," he went on dropping his hand to Fraser's lap again. 
 "so you can wreck my suits to your hearts content.. I can 
 replace them without it costing me a cent."
 ��������"What else?"
 ��������"Silk Manchester, and I do mean silk, not satin, I got 
 bed linen, curtain's, the lot and Pyjama's and a robe.. In a 
 emerald green shade.. she said it reminded her of my eyes. 
 If you sweet talk me into it, I might drag it all out and 
 put it to use. Cara Mia."
 ��������An image of Ray languorously stretching on emerald 
 green silk sheets popped into Fraser's head. He liked that 
 image, but he was curious as to what other gifts the 
 libidinous old lady had gifted his lover with.
 ��������"What else did she give you?"
 ��������"Emerald cuff links, with a matching earing..Watcha 
 think, should I get my ear pierced to tell the world I'm 
 Gay."
 ��������An image of Ray with an emerald flashing in his ear 
 popped into Fraser's head.
 ��������"And there was a whole collection of badges and 
 stuff.. Tie pins and cuff links.. of all kinds, Cartier, 
 Tiffany's, Faberge trinkets.. I'm gonna give half that stuff 
 to my mother for Mother's day for the next ten years. And 
 then there was that Ferrari you saw.. The key's for that and 
 the papers popped up in a big bunch of roses one day.. I 
 sent that back and said I'm very happy with my Riv thank you 
 very much."
 ��������"You turned down a free Ferrari?!"
 ��������"Hey do you know what the premiums on a half million 
 dollar car are? More than I can afford that's for sure," he 
 said and patted the dash board. "I'm happy with my Riv."
 ��������"Was that her last gift?"
 ��������"Oh no.. After that, I got a personal visit and 
 showered with flowers and her leaning over my desk in 
 something tight and sinful, dripping in jewels, telling me 
 "I like a man who plays hard to get," Then she stuffed an 
 envelope under my belt and dropped some keys in my shirt 
 pocket and strutted out."
 ��������"My own little love nest. Tastefully decorated by only 
 the best interior designers, with lots of platinum and 
 emerald finishing touches."
 ��������"You sent the deeds and keys back, I take it."
 ��������"Course I did.. She just sent em straight back. So I 
 went round with a lock smith and changed all the locks."
 ��������Fraser laughed.
 ��������"And now that she's got herself a little stallion of 
 her own to keep her happy, you and me can move in there and 
 set up our little love nest."
 ��������"I wouldn't feel right.. She expected certain 
 favours.. in return for those gifts."
 ��������"Hey.. I saved her life.. That's worth more than a 
 roll in the hay any day.. Not that it's why she gave me all 
 that stuff.. Her little love notes made it clear why she was 
 doing it.. Smitten was the word she used in one of them 
 once. You wanna read em."
 ��������"You'd let me."
 ��������Ray gave a grin and squeezed Fraser's thigh.
 ��������"Benni, Tesero, I'm hoping they give you idea's.. And 
 if it doesn't.. I've got a tape we can watch together," he 
 said with a mischievous smile thinking off the tape he'd 
 carried off from Huey's collection of erotic video's.
 ��������"A tape.. What kind of tape."
 ��������"It's educational," Ray said with a sly grin.
 
 ��������===============================================
 
 ��������The End.
 ��������All the usual disclaimers apply. All characters that I 
 didn't invent for this story belong to Alliance. I just 
 borrowed your toys to play with them a little.. and I put 
 them back on the shelf with all their limbs and clothes 
 intact.. 
 ��������My what a change ;)
 ��������Guess who's Due South stories are now on the Web at 
 http://www.geocities.com/Area51/Lair/9377/index.html
 
 
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