Just A Kiss
-------------

Elaine Besbriss observed Detective Ray Vecchio from a safe distance.
Ray had been in an absolutely foul mood all day, and had been taking
it out on everyone that crossed his path.

"ELAINE!" Ray yelled from across the squad room.

Elaine sighed. She guessed she wasn't safe after all.

"Yes, Ray?" she said, trying to keep her voice neutral.

"*Where* is the Matheson file? I only asked for it a year ago,"
snarled the detective.

"It's right here, detective," Elaine replied, taking the file to his
desk and handing it over. Ray grabbed it without a word and started
studying
it.

"You're welcome," said the Civilian Aide sarcastically as she stormed
back to her own desk.

"What's with Vecchio today?" Detective Huey asked Elaine.

"I don't know. He got up on the wrong side of bed? Someone pissed in
his cornflakes? His mother tried to set him up with one of her 
friends' daughters again? Take your pick."

Elaine noticed that Huey was scribbling something on a piece of paper.
She looked over his shoulder to see what it was, and grinned. When Ray
left the squad room for a moment, she quickly sneaked over and taped
the paper to the front of his desk.

Ray returned from his trip to the men's room and noticed something stuck
to his desk. He removed the offending piece of paper and read it out
loud. "Beware of Ray" it said.

"Very funny, Jack," Ray said with a scowl as he crumpled the paper in
to a ball and threw it across the room at Huey, who ducked.

As Ray was chewing out a junior detective, Benton Fraser arrived
in the squad room. "Uh oh," said Elaine. "Think we should warn Fraser
about his partner?"

"Let Big Red fight his own battles. Better him getting shredded than
one of us," replied Huey. Elaine frowned but didn't say anything. 

As Fraser approached Vecchio's desk, the detective looked up at him with
a frown. "Hi, Benny. What do you want today? Going to make me ruin another
suit?"

"Hello, Ray. Actually, I was only going to ask you if you wanted to have
lunch with me," replied his friend. 

Ray threw up his hands. "Lunch? I'll be lucky if I have time for
dinner with the mess I have to deal with."

"Bad day?" asked Fraser sympathetically.

"You could say that," replied Ray with a sigh.

"Is there anything I can do to help?" the Mountie asked.

"I don't think so, Benny, but thanks anyway."

Ray didn't notice the mischievous twinkle in his partner's eye. "Are
you certain, Ray?"

"What, are you offering to kiss me and make me better or something?"
asked Ray.

"That doesn't sound like a bad idea," said Benny. He put his hands under
Ray's arms and lifted the detective from his chair, then put his arms
around Ray and kissed him soundly, much to the surprise
of the people around them.

Ray took Benny's hand and almost literally dragged him out of the bullpen.
"Elaine, I've gone for lunch," Ray called over his shoulder as he exited.
"Actually, I'm gone for the rest of the day. Maybe tomorrow as well.
Hell, expect me when you see me."

Elaine turned to Jack Huey. "I think Ray's day just got a lot better,"
she said.

"I think you're right," Huey agreed.

END