This is my first attempt at fan fiction. I do not profess to be a writer,
but I had this idea for a story and it wouldn't go away. It nagged at me
every night and I knew if I was ever to get some sleep, I had to write it
(and I certainly do need my beauty sleep). This story is rated R for
language and some violence. The characters (except for Steve) belong to
Alliance. (But I heard a long time ago that if you wish for something long
enough, you may just get it). I'd like to thank Maria J. for her beta
reading, as well as her support and encouragement. This story is dedicated
to her, as well as to my DS pals, Chris and Gretchen. 

All comments welcomed. BiermannR@home.com  My Brother's Keeper by Ruthie
Biermann  

There had been a report of a robbery in progress at the Jewelry store on
4th and Jackson Avenues. The report mentioned that shots were fired and
that the suspects were probably still on the premises. Fraser and Kowalski
were literally around the corner when the call came in, so they decided to
respond. Ray gunned the GTO and took off for the store. When they arrived,
they saw that the front window had been broken and a man who looked shaken
was sitting on the sidewalk. They ran up to him and found out that he was
the manager. He told them that two men wearing ski masks had held him up
at gunpoint. He was forced to give them all the money in the safe, which
was in upwards of $10,000.  

"Are you alright, sir?" Fraser asked concerned. 

"Yes, yes. Just shaken up. One of them shot his gun at me when they ran
out the back. I don't know why he shot at me, I did what he asked!" the
manager spat out angrily. "They're probably still in the area." 

"OK, just stay put," Kowalski told the manager. "An ambulance and more
police are on their way. Just keep your head down." Kowalski turned to
Fraser. "Fraser, you go around that side of the building, I'll take this
side. And be careful. If you see anything, make sure you come and get me
first. It's times like this that I wish you carried a gun." 

"Understood," Fraser replied. 

Ray pulled his gun from his shoulder holster and ran down the side of the
building which was actually an alley between 2 buildings. It was dusk now
and the day was rapidly turning into night. Ray came towards the end of
the alley, and slowed down. Staying close to the side of the building, gun
held out in front of him, he slowly turned the corner. He could see that
the side of the building from which Fraser would be approaching was
blocked by a tall stockade fence. The fence was surrounded by tall bushes,
garbage cans and two large dumpsters. Ray slowly made his way towards the
fence when he heard a noise to his left. He immediately ran behind one of
the dumpsters for cover, his gun pointing towards the noise. "Chicago PD,
throw out any weapons and come out now with your hands in the air," he
yelled. A few seconds passed which seemed like an eternity. "I swear I'll
come and drag you out by your hair! Come out now! Hands up!" And out from
the shadows stepped a tall figure. It was a man walking tentatively, his
hands at his sides. Ray screamed "I said hands in the air!" The figure
came in Ray's direction slowly. After a moment, the light from the pole in
the alley slightly illuminated the suspect's face. Ray couldn't believe
what he thought he was seeing. He came out from behind the dumpster and
stood, about 6 feet from the other man, his gun raised. At that point, the
man stopped walking and spoke, surprisingly calm, "Hello Ray." Ray stopped
abruptly when he realized he definitely recognized the face in the dim
light. "Steve?", he asked, disbelieving. 

 "It's been a long time, Brother," the other man said. Ray let his arm
that was holding the gun drop to his side. "Steve, I.......". 

 "I know," his brother replied. I guess I'm the last person you expected
to find." 

Ray's eyes fell to one of Steve's pants pockets. He saw a black ski mask
sticking out of it. Steve saw Ray looking and stuffed the mask deeper into
his pocket. "What are you doing here?" Ray asked. Although Ray already
knew the answer to his own question. 

"What does it look like I'm doing? I just robbed a jewelry store. And I'm
running away." he replied sarcastically. 

Ray couldn't believe what he was hearing. "Steve........" 

"Look, Ray, I can explain all this to you, I can. But all I ask from you
now is to please, please just let me walk away!" 

Ray looked at his brother, stunned. Steve was his older brother, he hadn't
seen him in 17 years. In fact the last time he had seen him, Ray was only
16 and Steve was 25. They were never really close. Steve had always
regarded Ray as a nuisance, his younger brother who always got in the way.
Ray learned at a young age to stay away from Steve. He could be so cruel.
Like the time he burned him with the cigarette lighter in the car. Ray was
only 5 and Steve was 14 when that happened. And Steve never told him he
was sorry. He let Ray think it was his fault for pestering his older
brother. Ray couldn't keep the burn on his arm hidden from his Mother, so
when she saw it, he told her some bullies at school whom he didn't know
had done it. When Steve was a teenager, he was always getting into trouble
for something or other. He had even been arrested when he was 16 for
stealing some cigarettes from the local luncheonette. But the owner of the
restaurant dropped the charges as a favor to Damian, Ray and Steve's
Father. Damian had really let Steve have it that night. Ray, who was 7 at
the time, was in his bed, and he could hear his father hitting Steve and
screaming at him. Steve just laughed. He threatened his Father. And as
much as Ray hated to admit it, he knew his Father was afraid of Steve. So,
Ray was 16 the last time he saw Steve. Steve had been living with 2 other
friends on the other side of town. As far as Ray could tell, he didn't
have a job, and he had no idea how his brother was getting money to pay
for all his cigarettes, liquor, gas and rent. The last time he saw Steve,
Ray had just come home from school. His parents were away on a much needed
vacation. When Ray walked into the house, he heard a noise in his parents
bedroom. He found Steve there, going through their parents' drawers,
taking anything of value he could find. Ray was scared at first, but then
he tried to stop him. Steve responded by punching Ray in the stomach so
hard, he couldn't breathe, in fact, he couldn't get a breath for so long,
he thought he was going to die. Then he retreated to his room and waited
until Steve left the house. He never saw his brother again, not until this
moment. His brother was standing in front of him, asking Ray to let him
go, after he admitted to robbing a jewelry store. 

"Did you shoot at the manager?" Ray asked. 

"No, that was the other guy." 

"What other guy?" 

"The truth is, I don't know his name. He has all the money, too." 

"Steve, you...." 

"Look, Ray", his brother said exasperated, "please just let me go. Meet me
tonight at the abandoned warehouse on the corner of 3rd and Hoover street.
I'll explain everything to you." 

Ray hesitated. He knew letting Steve go went against everything he stood
for as a cop. But Steve was his brother. 

"Ray, please!" 

"Do you have a gun?" he asked Steve. 

"No, my partner in crime had the only gun and he took off." 

There was a noise down the alley behind Ray. Ray knew Fraser was coming.
He had probably reached the tall fence that blocked his entrance on the
other side of the building, and had turned around and come down this side.
Steve heard it also. 

"Look, Ray, please. I'm your brother, for God's sake!" he pleaded. 

Ray made a split second decision. "OK, he said, but you had better be at
that warehouse!" 

"I will, tonight at 9:00. I promise. Thanks, Bro!" 

Steve turned and took off back into the darkness. Ray stood there for a
minute, hung his head. He literally didn't know what he was going to do.
He put his gun back into his shoulder holster and turned around. Fraser
was standing directly behind him.  

"Frase, I didn't hear you." he stammered. "How long have you been there?" 

Fraser looked at him with a sideways glance, his eyes in a questioning
squint. "Well, I just arrived, Ray. Perhaps that's why you didn't hear
me." He continued to stare at Ray, like he was waiting for him to say
something. 

"What?" Ray asked nervously. 

"Did you see anything, Ray?" 

Ray hesitated. He hated lying to Fraser. Really hated it. Fraser was his
partner, his best friend. He couldn't believe what he was about to do.
"No, Fraser, nothing." 

Fraser just stood there, looking at him. Ray began to shift his feet
uncomfortably. 

"What is it Fraser?" 

"Well, Ray, I thought I saw someone over in the bushes. I'm surprised you
didn't see him, your vantage point was so much better than mine." 

Ray froze. He felt like a deer caught in headlights. I HATE THIS! "Well,
Frase, I did see something, but I thought it was just a cat." Immediately
after he said that, Ray knew how stupid it had sounded. 

"A cat, Ray?" 

"Well, it's pretty dark you know," he couldn't look Fraser in the eye. 

After a long moment, Fraser said, "Back up has arrived. Why don't you go
talk to them. I'm going to look around here for a few more minutes." 

Ray was in a state of panic. "Why, Fraser, what do you expect to find?" 

"A cat perhaps." Fraser looked Ray directly in the eye. 

Ray quickly dropped his glance to the ground. "OK Fraser, I'll see you up
front." He turned away from Fraser. For a moment Ray just stood there,
frozen in place. He wanted to turn around and tell Fraser the truth. He
hated himself for lying to him. And worse, it almost looked like Fraser
didn't believe him. No, that was just his guilty conscience. There was no
reason he wouldn't believe him.  

Ray squared his shoulders, and quickly started walking up the alley to the
street. "I suck", he said quietly to himself. 

Fraser watched as Ray walked away. He stood there staring as Ray's image
disappeared into the shadows. He didn't know why he would lie to him. For
what possible reason would his partner and best friend lie to him? Fraser
told Ray the truth when he told him that he had just arrived. But what he
didn't tell his partner was that he saw Ray talking to a man, and he saw
that man turn and leave. When Fraser had approached the scene, he could
quickly ascertain that Ray wasn't in any danger. His gun at his side, Ray
was conversing quietly with the other person, whom he couldn't see too
well from his vantage point. What he did see was that the person was a
tall man with a medium build. And then he was gone. He fully expected Ray
to tell him what had transpired. But to his shock (which he had managed to
hide from Ray, he hoped), Ray chose to lie to him. Told him he didn't see
anything. Oh yes, a cat. He had seen a cat.  

Fraser proceeded to check the area. He looked at the bushes. He could see
that some of the branches from the bushes the mystery man had disappeared
into were broken. He could smell the faint odor of cigarettes. He looked
down and saw a cigarette butt on the ground and picked it up. It was brown
with no filter. And still warm. He wrapped the cigarette butt in a tissue.
As he investigated further, Fraser went over in his head what had just
occurred with Ray. How should he proceed? He was at a loss. His partner
blatantly lied to him. Fraser couldn't find any other significant
evidence, so he turned up the alley to the street. He kept thinking about
Ray. He decided to wait. Ray was his partner and his best friend. There
was a reason he lied to Fraser, there had to be. Maybe he was protecting
Fraser from something? He made his decision. He would wait. 

When Fraser reached the street, the ambulance and manager were gone. The
police were cording off the crime scene with yellow tape. Ray was sitting
in the GTO, his head resting against his hands on the steering wheel.
Fraser regarded his partner for a moment, and then proceeded to get into
the car. 

Ray was startled. He quickly snapped his head up. "So, Fraser, did you
find anything?" 

Fraser decided to be completely honest with Ray as to the evidence he
uncovered. He told him about the broken branches and showed him the
cigarette butt. He watched Ray's face as he handed him the tissue with the
butt wrapped inside. Ray immediately recognized the cigarette as the brand
his brother always used to smoke when he was a teenager. He felt the panic
start to rise, he just stared at the cigarette butt, his eyes wide, his
breathing becoming labored. Fraser took all this in. Finally, Fraser
spoke. 

"Do you recognize something, Ray?" 

Ray flinched. "No, no Fraser. Good work. I'll just bring this to the
evidence lab." He pocketed the tissue with the cigarette butt in it. 

"Look, Fraser," Ray said, "Why don't I drop you at the Consulate? I can go
back to the precinct and do the paperwork on this. There's no reason you
have to be involved with writing the report." As he spoke, Ray continued
to keep his eyes averted from Fraser's. 

"That'll be fine, Ray. Turnbull has probably left for the day, and Dief
needs to be taken out and fed." Fraser was sorry Diefenbaker wasn't with
them now, but Dief had been under the weather, so Fraser left him at the
Consulate under Turnbull's watchful eye. 

Ray started the GTO without looking at Fraser. The ride to the Consulate
was silent, each man contemplating the events of the early evening. Ray
pulled up to the curb, "OK Frase, I'll see you tomorrow." Fraser looked
over to Ray, who kept his eyes straight ahead.	

"Fine, Ray. Have a good evening." 

"Thanks, Fraser." Fraser opened the door and got out of the car. 

"Frase?" 

"Yes Ray?" 

"Nothing, never mind. See you tomorrow." 

"Good night, Ray."  

Fraser closed the door and the GTO was off in a flash. Fraser stood and
stared as Ray drove out of view. He hoped he had made the right decision
by waiting. 

It was now 7:30 PM. Ray had to meet his brother at the warehouse at 9:00.
He was too upset to eat anything, even though he hadn't eaten since
breakfast, if you can call a stale donut and cold coffee breakfast. He
decided to drive back to the precinct and wait there. He could write his
report......his false report......in the meantime. Ray felt sick with
regret and shame. Regardless of what his brother had to say to him, he
decided he would tell Fraser the truth that night. He couldn't stand
deceiving Fraser, the man he trusted with his life. 

At 9:00pm, Ray walked into the abandoned warehouse on Hoover and 3rd. It
was dark, but he saw a light in a room towards the rear of the building.
He tentatively walked over towards the room and stopped in the doorway.
His brother was sitting at a desk, his feet up. He was looking at an old
girlie magazine. "Hey Bro, glad you could make it. Come in and make
yerself comfortable." 

Ray walked into the room, never taking his eyes from Steve. He remained
standing. He was a bundle of mixed emotions. Hate, love, anger, regret,
fear. 

 "So, Ray, how 'ya been?" 

"Look, Steve. Just tell me what's going on. You obviously have no idea
what I did for you tonight." 

"Yeah, Ray, I do. And I want you to know that I really do appreciate it.
And I'm gonna make it up to you." Steve actually sounded sincere. 

Ray's tone softened. "Just tell me," he said quietly. 

"Look, Ray, first I want to tell you that I'm proud of you. You really did
good with your life. But I'm sure Pop wasn't too happy about your career
decision."  

Steve could see that Ray was getting impatient. 

"OK, here's the deal. I know I wasn't much of a brother to you or even a
decent person for that matter. But after I took off, I turned myself
around and tried to make something of myself. I got a construction job in
St. Louis. I was doing real good. I even met a woman and got married.
Things were going great until she walked out on me for some younger shit.
Anyway, things started getting really bad after that. I lost my job. I
started drinking. Didn't have any money. I was sleeping in them homeless
shelters. You have any idea what those are like? They're fucking piss
holes!" 

Steve was raising his voice. "Steve, just get to the point." Ray wished he
could take back the entire evening, starting with his lying to Fraser.	

"OK, OK. So anyway, I decided a few weeks ago to come back to Chicago. I
wanted to look you and the folks up. Try to make amends. But I knew you
wouldn't believe me the way I was then. I was broke. Hadn't had a hot bath
or clean clothes in a long time. I had to get some money and clean up
before I saw you. So, I met this guy at a homeless shelter one night. He
was talkin' about some sort of a job. He was gonna make a shitload of
money, but he didn't want to do it alone. Said it was too risky. So I
figured, what the hell. I couldn't be no worse off than I was already. If
I got caught, at least I'd get a decent meal in jail. Never thought it
would be you who caught me though," Steve snickered. 

He took a long drink from a cheap bottle of gin that was sitting on the
desk. He held the bottle out to Ray. Ray shook his head. All he could
think about was lying to Fraser. Steve continued. 

"Anyway, I never even asked this guy his name. He had a gun. We both
picked the place. He said we'd share. I'm such a stupid fuck, I believed
him." Steve let out a short bitter laugh. I guess there ain't no such
thing as honor among thieves. But I guess you coulda told me that,
couldn't you, Brother Detective?" 

Ray didn't respond. The only thing he wanted to do now was arrest his
brother. He should've done that before. He never should've lied to Fraser.


Steve went on. "So, the guy's a nut case. He shoots at the manager. Did he
hit him?" 

"No, fortunately." 

"And then he points the gun at me and tells me to fuck off and he runs off
with the money. And then there YOU are screaming at me to come out with my
hands up. I thought I was in a fucking movie or somethin'." 

Ray had heard just about enough. "So this is your explanation?" he asked
angrily. "I let you go for this?" 

"NO!", Steve screamed. "You let me go 'cause I'm your fucking brother!" he
yelled. 

Ray tried to calm down. "So what now, Steve?" 

"Well, Bro, I guess that's up to you." Steve looked up at Ray, his eyes
questioning. 

"What do you expect me to do?" Ray asked exasperated. 

"Give me some money. I'll go away and I won't bother you again. Just let
me have some money so I can start over." Steve was almost pleading. 

Ray stood silent. He thought about all the events that had taken place
that day. He thought about his brother and their relationship, or lack
thereof. He thought about Fraser. His eyes fell to the floor, "Sorry
Steve, I want you to turn yourself in." 

After a long moment, Steve started to laugh. Tentatively at first, and
then he became hysterical. "Are you nuts? Are you some fucking nut case?" 

"Look Steve," Ray said loudly. If you turn yourself in, they'll take that
into consideration. And I'll do everything I can to help you. I know
people in the District Attorney's office. I swear I'll help you." Ray was
sincere. 

Steve sat quietly, contemplating Ray's proposition. He took another drink
from the bottle of gin. He looked at Ray. Ray kept his eyes on his
brother. "You telling me the truth, Ray? You'll do everything you can? I
won't be put away for 50 years?" 

Ray took a deep breath. "Steve, I swear to you I'll do everything
possible. No one was hurt in the robbery. You can give us a description of
the other guy. If we catch him you can testify against him. If you turn
state's evidence, they'll have to make a deal." 

After a few minutes, Steve spoke. "OK, Ray. I'll do it. I'll turn myself
in tomorrow before 2:00PM. I just need some time to get my head together."


Ray looked at his brother. He really wanted everything to work out. "You
promise me, Steve, you'll show up tomorrow?" 

"Hey, you're my brother. You let me go tonight. I told you I'd make it up
to you." 

Ray decided to give Steve the extra time. "OK, Steve. It's the 27th
precinct. I'll be waiting for you." Ray took out his wallet and handed
Steve all the money he had with him, which was $60. "Get yourself some
clothes and a good meal." Steve just looked at him for a moment before he
accepted the cash. "Thanks, Ray. I guess blood is thicker than water." 

Ray gave Steve a slight smile. "See you tomorrow". He turned and walked
out of the warehouse to his GTO, which he had parked on the side of the
building. Ray got into the car and rested his head against his hands on
the steering wheel. He remembered that he had promised himself to tell
Fraser the truth tonight. But now he was having second thoughts. Maybe it
would be better if he told him after Steve turned himself in. That way, it
would all be over, and he could concentrate on getting Fraser to forgive
him. But he was talking about Fraser here. Of course he would forgive him.
That was Fraser. Ray started to feel a little better. He couldn't wait to
clear the air with Fraser. He sat up to leave. It was then that he noticed
Steve walking out of the warehouse. He watched as Steve crossed the street
and went into a run down hotel. A few minutes later he saw a light switch
on in a room on the second floor. OK, so he knew where his brother was
staying. This was good, just in case...... No, he didn't want to think
that way. Steve had said he would be there to turn himself in. And Ray had
decided that he would trust him. He started the GTO and drove home. It was
going to be a long night. 

The next day, Ray arrived at the precinct early. He had called Fraser and
told him he had a lot of paperwork to do, and that he would pick him up at
the Consulate around 4:00PM. He figured by then, his brother would be in
custody and he could explain everything to Fraser. Fortunately, Lieutenant
Welsh was at a police conference out of town, so Ray didn't have to
explain anything to him about the robbery.  

He grabbed a cup of coffee from the break room and started working on his
case files, one by one, checking the clock every hour. Francesca came over
to his desk. "Hey Ray, you're in early. Are you sick or something?" Ray
had no patience for Francesca today. "Look Frannie, why don't you just do
some work for a change and let me do my job." 

"Aren't we touchy. Where's Frase?" she asked, looking around the squad
room. 

 "He's at the Consulate, where's he's ALSO doing HIS job!" Ray bellowed. 

 "Sheesh, you don't have to bite my head off!" Francesca countered. She
dropped some files into Ray's inbox and sauntered back to her desk. 

Ray looked up at the clock. It was now 1:00PM. He was getting nervous. He
went over the conversation he had had with Steve in his head. He
remembered feeling confident that Steve would show up. But now he wasn't
so sure. He started to feel sick inside. I'm such a screw up, he thought
to himself. I can't do anything right. But he still held out hope that his
brother would show.  

Now it was 2:00 PM. No Steve. Ray was furious, he was angry with Steve,
but he was more angry with himself. At least he knew where Steve was
staying. He put on his jacket and ran out of the squad room. As he passed
Frannie's desk, he heard, "Oh, no wonder you came in early. It's so you
can sneak out early!" Ray ignored her. He sprinted out to the parking lot,
jumped into the GTO and took off to the sleazy hotel where his brother was
staying. 

Fraser sat at his desk at the consulate, but he wasn't getting much work
done. He was still thinking about Ray and trying to figure out why he had
lied to him. He was hoping to go the precinct early with Ray, but then Ray
had called and told him he would pick him up at 4:00. When Fraser tried to
press, Ray had become short with him and said he was too busy to talk.
Fraser looked up at the clock. It was almost 4:00 PM. He had changed his
mind about his course of action. He would confront Ray about lying to him
when he picked Fraser up. He had to know the truth. 

Ray arrived at his brother's hotel. He parked on the side street and
walked around the corner into the front door. No one was at the reception
area, but he already knew where Steve's room was. He walked up to the 2nd
floor and to Steve's door. He heard movement inside. He tried the door
knob. It was locked. He reached into his pocket and pulled out his credit
card. It took all of 5 seconds to get into the room. Ray's stomach was in
knots. He was so angry with Steve, but he still felt the fear he had had
of his brother as a child. He was determined to take Steve with him. Ray
entered the room just as Steve was coming out of the bathroom. Steve
stopped short when he saw Ray. He obviously used the money Ray had given
him. He was wearing a clean white shirt and jeans. Ray noticed a more
expensive bottle of gin on the night stand. Both men looked at each other
before Ray finally spoke. "I waited for you. What happened?" 

Steve smiled, "Oh, sorry, Bro, something came up and I couldn't make it." 

Ray was furious. He contemplated pulling out his boot gun and arresting
him. Ray hadn't brought his shoulder holster and gun with him. He had felt
he still had to show his brother that he had good faith, so he left the
gun and holster in his desk drawer at the precinct. He decided to follow
his brother's lead, at least for now. "What came up?"  

Steve started laughing. "You're a real piece of work, you stupid ass hole.
I'm ashamed to call you my brother. Did you really think I was going to
turn myself in? And you're a detective?" 

Ray's face was red with anger. He tried to sound calm, "You're under
arrest, Steve, for robbery and attempted murder." 

"Attempted murder? Whaddya talking about? I didn't shoot that gun!" 

"It doesn't matter", Ray shot back. "The law says you're just as guilty.
Now turn around and put your hands behind your back." 

"Yeah, sure, Bro. Whaddya gonna do, shoot me?" 

Ray was almost shaking with rage. His brother knew he would never shoot
him. He watched Steve for a few seconds. Steve was laughing at him. He
quickly lunged at Steve. This may not have been such a good idea. Steve
had three inches and 40 pounds on him. But he was determined to take him.
He owed it to himself and he owed it to Fraser. Fortunately, Ray caught
Steve off guard and managed to knock him to the floor. They were wrestling
on the floor and Ray managed to get Steve onto his stomach. He was
attempting to get Steve's hands behind his back when Steve threw him off.
Ray landed on his back and bumped his head on the side of the night stand.
He was stunned from the blow. He rolled onto his stomach attempting to get
up. Steve came at him screaming. "You actually believed all that 'I'm
gonna make it up to you, brother dear' shit? At least maybe I can teach
you a lesson!" he raged. With those words, he began kicking Ray's left
side, over and over. Ray tried to get away from him. He rolled over on his
back, but Steve was on him. He continued to kick Ray, this time on his
right side. Ray could feel himself slipping into unconsciousness. He
stopped fighting. Steve knelt down beside him, and grabbed him by his
hair, and roughly pulled his head up. "It was great seeing you, Bro. Maybe
we can do this again some time." Then he pushed Ray's head down to the
floor. Ray was having trouble breathing now, and every movement brought
pain. He knew he had lost, so he resigned himself to just lie there. Steve
quickly moved about the room, gathering things together. He knelt down,
went through Ray's pockets and took out his wallet. He emptied it of any
cash Ray had and then threw the wallet on the floor. Steve went to the
door, opened it and paused, "It's been real," he hissed. And slammed the
door behind him. 

Ray lay on the floor for quite some time trying to get his breathing under
control. He figured Steve had broken some ribs. The only thing he wanted
to do now was get home. After that, he would figure out what to do. He
should report him. But even after all Steve had done to him, lied to him,
beat him up, stole his money, he still couldn't bring himself to call the
police. He started this whole thing, and he had to finish it. He knew he'd
have to be the one to bring him in. But this time, he would tell Fraser
everything. That's what he would do. He would tell Fraser and they would
both go after Steve. But, now, he just needed to get home.  

It was difficult, but Ray managed to drag himself up from the floor. He
picked up his wallet and looked around the room to see if there was
anything that might help in his quest to bring Steve back. He saw a phone
number written on a piece of paper by the phone. He took the paper, put it
in his pocket and walked slowly down to his GTO and drove home. 

When Ray got home, he went into the bedroom to survey the damage. He took
his shirt off, fortunately, it was a button down. It would've been very
painful if he had to lift it over his head. Both sides of his body were
mottled with black and blue bruises. He touched his side and couldn't
control the wail that came from his mouth. Oh man, this doesn't look good.
He wondered if he could hide it from Fraser and everyone else. Maybe
everyone else, but Fraser? That would be hard. He looked at his face in
the mirror. Not too bad. There was a bump on the left side of his forehead
and his cheek was scratched. But nothing he couldn't explain.  

He slowly removed the rest of his clothes and turned on the shower. He
felt like an old man as he stepped under the hot spray. At first, the feel
of the spray hitting his body was painful, but as his body became used to
it, the pain subsided somewhat. He stayed in the shower for quite some
time, at least 20 minutes. When he came out, he felt a little better. He
put on a t-shirt and sweat pants, a pair of socks and went out to the
living room to rest and think. 

The doorbell rang. He didn't move. It rang again, and a few seconds later,
he heard knocking. And then a voice. "Ray, Ray, it's Fraser." Ray still
didn't move. "Ray, I know you're home, I saw your car." Ray looked at the
clock. It was 6pm. He was supposed to pick Fraser up at the Consulate at
4. Shit! He didn't want Fraser to see him like this. He wanted to rest
overnight and then face Fraser in the morning. He would try to get Fraser
out of the apartment as quickly as possible so he wouldn't notice Ray's
condition.  

Ray opened the door and leaned against it. "Ray, are you alright?" Fraser
asked concerned.  

"Yeah Frase. Sorry I didn't pick you up, but I got a case and had to run
out. Sorry I didn't call." 

"Is that how you obtained those bruises on your face?" 

"Uh, yeah. Drunk and disorderly. It's nothing." 

"May I come in?" 

Oh shit! He wants to come in. I can do this. I just won't move around too
much. Ray opened the door fully so Fraser could come in. Fraser had
changed out of his uniform and was wearing jeans with a flannel shirt and
his leather jacket.  

"Where's Dief?" Ray tried to sound nonchalant. 

"He's still under the weather, so I left him at the Consulate."  

Fraser came into the apartment and walked over to the couch but didn't sit
down. His back was to Ray. He glanced over his shoulder briefly to see Ray
walk over to the breakfast bar and lean against it. He noted that Ray was
moving slowly, but just assumed he was tired. He had something to say to
Ray. It had been on his mind since the day before. He wanted to ask Ray
why he had lied to him. 

"Ray, I need to ask you something." 

"Frase, do you think this can wait until tomorrow? I'm really tired." 

"I'm sorry you're tired, Ray. But, no, it can't wait." 

Ray sighed heavily. "OK, Fraser, what is it?" 

Fraser kept his back turned to Ray. "I know you lied to me yesterday." 

Ray was stunned, "What?" His whole body tense, the pain returned with a
vengeance. 

"I saw that man you were talking to after the robbery. I saw him turn and
leave. And then you lied to me. Why, Ray? Who was he?" 

"Oh geez, Frase. I.... You.... Well......". He knew he wanted to tell
Fraser, but at this point he was in so much pain, the words wouldn't come
out. Plus he had wanted to plan exactly what he was going to say to
Fraser. He decided to try and stall again. He managed to say, "Fraser,
please, can't we talk about this tomorrow?" 

"No, Ray. I thought we were friends. Obviously, you don't feel the same
way. If you don't want to be honest with me, maybe we shouldn't be
partners anymore." 

Ray panicked. His entire body tensed up which made the pain in his sides
and ribs even worse. He tried to talk. "No....Fraser.......I do
want.......please........" But the pain started to overwhelm him. He
turned towards the breakfast bar and grabbed the edge to hold himself up.
Fraser's back was still to Ray. Ray's head fell to the top of the bar, his
knees started to buckle. At that point Fraser turned around. He saw Ray
struggling to stay up. "Ray!" He bounded over to where Ray stood and
grabbed him at the waist. Ray screamed out in pain. "Ray, my God, what
happened to you?" Ray couldn't talk. He was in considerable pain now.
Fraser put his arms around Ray's shoulders and practically lifted him off
the floor as he helped him get to the couch. Ray was again having trouble
breathing which caused him to panic even more. He slouched down on the
couch and laid his head back. Fraser tried to calm Ray down so he could
catch his breath. He went into the kitchen to get him a glass of water. He
gave it to Ray, who drank a few sips and handed the glass back to Fraser. 


"Ray, what happened to you?" Fraser was trying to remain calm. 

"Fraser, I....." The words wouldn't come. 

"OK, Ray. Just relax. I need to see the extent of your injuries." 

"Fraser please, no." 

Fraser ignored Ray's pleas and lifted his t-shirt. He was shocked at the
mottled bruises on both sides of Ray's body. He touched his left side
lightly. Ray let out a wail. 

"Ray, I have take you to the hospital." 

"NO! No hospital. Please, Fraser. No. I'll be......." 

Fraser knew that Ray hated hospitals. But his injuries looked serious.
"Ray, I'm pretty sure you have broken ribs. And your breathing is labored.
You have to go to the hospital." 

"No, Fraser. Please." He didn't take his eyes off Fraser, pleading with
him. 

"Okay, Ray. Just calm down. Try to relax and breath." Fraser knew he'd
have to take Ray to the hospital eventually, but Ray was too upset now. He
would let him calm down first. 

"Th.... thanks, Fraser." Fraser picked up Ray's feet and placed them on
the couch. He carefully laid Ray on his back and placed a pillow under his
head.  

"Just rest for a while. And then we'll see how you're doing." Fraser
wanted to know what was going on, but he knew now wasn't the time to ask. 

Ray closed his eyes and slowly got his breathing under control. Every now
and then he winced with pain. Fraser was both angry and worried about him
at the same time. Ray was the most infuriating man. But Fraser cared
deeply for him and despite Ray's lying to him, he knew that Ray cared for
him also. 

Ray continued to lie on the couch with his eyes closed, but he didn't
sleep. Finally, after about 20 minutes, he spoke. "Frase, can you help me
sit up, please?" 

"Are you sure, Ray?" 

"Yeah, please." 

Fraser carefully helped Ray sit up on the couch. Fraser could see that he
was in pain, but was trying to cover it up. He wasn't doing a very good
job.  

"Can I get you anything, Ray?" 

"No....... thanks...... Frase." Ray spoke haltingly.  

A few more minutes passed. Then Ray spoke again. "He was my brother." 

Fraser wasn't sure what Ray meant. "I'm sorry, Ray. Who was your brother?"


"You asked who the man was that I was talking to after the robbery. He was
trying to run away." 

Fraser couldn't believe what he was hearing. Ray's brother? Ray hadn't
told Fraser much about Steve, but he knew Ray hadn't seen him in more than
15 years.  

"Ray, the man who robbed the jewelry store is your brother, Steve?" Fraser
asked incredulously. 

Ray just nodded slowly. 

"And that's why you lied to me? You didn't want to arrest him and you
didn't want me to know that he was involved." It was more a statement than
a question. 

Ray again nodded. But then he spoke, "I'm sorry, Fraser. I should've told
you. I wanted to tell you. I screwed up." 

Fraser could see how torn up Ray was. "It's alright Ray. I understand. How
did you get hurt?" 

Slowly, Ray told Fraser what had happened. That Steve had told him he
would turn himself in, and the events that followed when he hadn't. Fraser
listened and became increasingly incensed at Steve for what happened to
Ray over the past 2 days.  

"I protected him because he's my brother and I lied to you about it. But
you've been more of a brother to me than Steve ever has. I'm so sorry,
Fraser. Can you ever trust me again?" Ray was crying now. 

Fraser went over and sat next to him on the couch. "Ray, I trust you with
my life and I always will." He put his arm around Ray, and Ray rested his
head on Fraser's shoulder.  

"We have to get him, Fraser. You and me." Ray's breathing was again
becoming labored.  

"We will, Ray.' 

Ray began coughing. He tried to stop, but he couldn't. Fraser tried to
help, but there wasn't much he could do. Finally, the coughing subsided
and Ray was hunched over in pain. Fraser knew they couldn't wait any
longer. 

"Ray, please, let me take you to the hospital. They'll treat your injuries
and may release you tonight. I'll stay with you the entire time." 

Ray hesitated before answering. The pain was just too intense. "OK,
Fraser. I'll go." 

Fraser got Ray's sneakers and put them on. He helped him to his feet and
put his jacket on. Then he grabbed the keys for the GTO and helped Ray to
the parking lot. 

The wait at the hospital wasn't too long, about 30 minutes. The nurse had
asked Fraser to stay in the waiting room, but Ray wouldn't have any part
of that. "He's coming with me." Ray could face a man twice his size
without fear, but when it came to hospitals, he was a scared child. The
nurse saw the look of determination in Ray's eyes and relented. 

Fraser helped Ray remove his t-shirt and sweat pants and helped him into
the hospital gown. They had to wait another 10 minutes until the doctor
arrived. After the doctor examined Ray thoroughly and x-rays had been
taken, it was determined that he had 3 broken ribs, 2 on the left side and
one on the right. He had internal bruising, which would cause pain and
discomfort for a while, but no permanent damage. The doctor wanted him to
spend the night at the hospital for observation, but again, Ray would have
no part of it. After Fraser assured the doctor that he would take
responsibility for Ray's care, the doctor allowed him to be released from
the ER. He warned Ray to take it easy for the next 2 weeks. Then he wrote
out a prescription for painkillers and handed it to Fraser. "We've given
him something for the pain which should last for the next 6 hours. You
should fill this tonight."  

Fraser took the piece of paper. "Thank you kindly, Doctor." 

The nurse returned and wrapped Ray's ribs. Even with the painkillers, it
hurt. But he remained quiet and allowed the nurse to do her job. 

As Fraser drove away from the hospital with Ray in the passenger seat, he
turned to Ray, "I'm just going to stop at the Consulate for a few minutes
to get some clothes and pick up Dief." 

"Sure Fraser." As they were driving, Ray remembered the phone number on
the piece of paper he had taken from Steve's hotel room. He told Fraser
about it. 

"I'll check it out first thing tomorrow. Right now we have to get you
home." 

When they reached the apartment, it was around 9:00PM. Fraser helped Ray
get comfortable on the couch. Dief jumped up and curled up next to Ray.
Fraser looked over towards his partner. His eyes were closed, his head
resting on the back of the couch as he scratched Dief behind his ears.
"Ray, when have you eaten last?" 

Ray kept his eyes closed. "Uh, I guess that would be this morning. That's
OK, Frase. I'm not really hungry." 

"Ray, you have to eat." He looked in the kitchen pantry and saw a can of
soup. "I'll just heat up some soup for you and then I'll go to the all
night pharmacy to fill this prescription." 

"Thanks, Fraser." 

As Fraser left to go to the pharmacy, Ray sat down at the kitchen table to
eat the soup. As he tasted the hot food, he realized how hungry he
actually was. After he finished, he placed the bowl in the sink and
deposited himself on the couch again. He resumed his previous position
with Dief at his side and promptly fell asleep. 

He heard the apartment door open and footsteps entering. Then he heard
drawers being opened in the kitchen. The next thing he heard was his name.
"Ray." Ray was in a twilight sleep, he could hear, but he was just too
tired to open his eyes. Then he heard, "HEY RAY!" 

"Frase, what's wr..........? He opened his eyes to see his brother sitting
in the chair next to the couch.  

"Hey Bro, did you miss me?" Steve asked with a leer on his face. 

Fear and anger began to take over Ray. He tried to remain calm. "What are
you doing here, Steve?" 

"Well, would you believe me if I said I missed you?" his brother
snickered. 

Ray didn't say anything. He didn't want his fear to show. He just kept
looking at his brother. 

"OK, OK. I have some unfinished business." Steve finally said. 

Ray kept staring. 

Steve glanced over to Dief, who regarded this strange human suspiciously.
"I didn't know you had a dog." 

Still silence. 

"I need you to give me some money. Those measly few dollars I got from you
before won't get me nowhere." 

"You mean the money you stole from me?" Ray still stared into his
brother's eyes. 

"Just shut the fuck up and get your ATM card. We're going to the bank." 

Ray started to panic. He had to keep Steve here until Fraser returned. Ray
knew that if he went with him, Steve might eventually kill him. He didn't
have the strength to fight back. He also had to get Steve out of that
chair. It faced the apartment door, so Steve would see Fraser as he walked
in the door. 

"If we use the ATM, the most I can take out of the bank is $250. If you
wait until tomorrow, I can go to the bank and close out my account." Ray
prayed his brother would agree. 

Steve contemplated what Ray had just said. "Why?" 

"Why what?" 

"Why would you give me all your money?" 

"So you'd get the hell out of here and never come back." 

Steve accepted that. "OK, sounds like a plan. How much you got anyway?" 

"Around $5,000." 

Steve's eyes lit up. "Family, ain't it wonderful? Let's say we celebrate.
You got something to drink around here?" 

This was Ray's chance to get Steve's eyes off the front door. "In the
cabinet over the sink".  

"Show me." 

Ray wanted to stay where he was. That way he could signal Fraser when he
entered the apartment. "I'll stay here." 

Steve grew agitated and raised his voice. "I SAID, SHOW ME!" 

Dief's head snapped up and he started to growl at Steve, his teeth bared.
Steve drew back slightly and then presented a large knife he had taken
from Ray's kitchen when he first arrived. "You call him off or I'll slice
him in half." 

"Dief." Ray put his hand on Diefenbaker's head and the dog relented. Dief
had learned to obey Ray when Fraser wasn't around. 

Ray got off the couch and walked over to the kitchen. Steve followed. Dief
stayed where he was. Ray opened the cupboard and took out a bottle of
vodka. "This'll do," Steve said and proceeded to unscrew the cap and drink
directly from the bottle. Ray walked around the breakfast bar and sat on
one of the counter stools. Steve eyed him carefully. "You got anything to
eat?" 

"There's some bread and cheese in the refrigerator." 

Steve opened the refrigerator door with the knife still in his hand. He
didn't turn his back on Ray. He took out the bread, cheese and some
mayonnaise and brought them over to the breakfast bar. Ray heard Dief
quietly whine behind him. He knew Fraser was back. He had to warn him, so
he started talking to Steve, raising his voice a bit so Fraser would hear.
"There's plates in that cupboard over there." He pointed to the left of
the refrigerator.  

"My, my, aren't we Mr. Domestic?" 

As Fraser entered the apartment, he heard Ray talking to someone. He saw
Dief on the couch raise his head towards the kitchen. That was all he
needed. He immediately crouched down out of sight from the kitchen. He
carefully peered around the wall separating the small front hall from the
kitchen and saw Steve. At that moment, Steve looked away toward the
cupboard Ray had pointed to. Fraser took that opportunity to move behind
the breakfast bar where Ray could see him. Ray noticed him out of the
corner of his eye and motioned for Fraser to stay down. 

"You got any pickles? 

Ray was trying to keep his voice from showing his fear. "In the door of
the refrigerator." 

This was it. This was Fraser's opportunity. As Steve opened the
refrigerator door and crouched down, Ray flashed his eyes towards Fraser.
Fraser was in the kitchen in a second. He slammed the refrigerator door
against Steve's head. "Whaaa......? Stunned, Steve dropped the knife and
fell to his knees. Just as quickly as before, Fraser was on top of him,
pushed him roughly to the floor onto his stomach, and yanked his hands
behind his back. Dief had bounded to the kitchen, and hovered over Steve,
growling fiercely. Ray went to the bedroom to get his cuffs and handed
them to Fraser. As Fraser cuffed Steve's hands behind his back, he
resisted the urge to pound Steve's face into the floor. He knew Ray's
brother would pay for his crimes in prison. 

Five days later, Ray sat across from his brother at the criminal detention
center. They were separated by a thick glass panel. He hadn't planned on
coming to see Steve. But Steve wasn't cooperating with the authorities,
and the District Attorney had asked Ray to talk to him. The other suspect
was still at large with the $10,000 from the robbery. Steve could help
them by cooperating.  

Both men picked up the phone receivers. 

"Hey Bro, I guess you just can't stay away." 

Ray stared into Steve's eyes, his stoic expression belying his emotions.
"Why aren't you cooperating with the District Attorney?" 

"Fuck you, Ray. They're charging me with attempted murder. You think
talking to them will get me anywhere?" 

Ray kept staring at his brother. "Think about it, Steve. You agree to help
them catch your partner and recover the $10,000, that's worth more to them
than letting you rot in prison." 

Steve stared back. They were silent for a long moment. Then Steve spoke
up. "You said you would help me. You swore you would." 

Ray couldn't believe what he was hearing. He wanted to smash through that
glass panel and.......	

No. He wasn't going to let Steve get to him again. He had written him off.
As far as Ray was concerned, Steve didn't exist anymore. "Just think about
what I said," Ray said coolly. Then he hung up the receiver, got up and
turned to leave. 

"You fucking son of a bitch!" Steve screamed after him. "You promised to
help me. We're brothers, for God's sake!" 

Ray kept walking. He reached the gate, signed the register and collected
his gun and holster. As he walked to the front door of the detention
center, he recalled what his brother had said to him in the sleazy hotel
room the other night, "Maybe I can teach you a lesson." And Steve had. Ray
opened the door and put on his sunglasses against the bright sunlight.
Steve had taught Ray that true brothers are not always born of the same
family. Ray looked over to where the GTO was parked and saw Fraser and
Dief waiting for him. He smiled and quickly walked over the the car. "Hey
Frase, you and Dief wanna get some Chinese?"  

The End  

All comments, negative and positive, welcomed. BiermannR@home.com