Feedback: Any comment greatly appreciated at jb7811@comcast.net
Disclaimers: These boys are not mine. If they were, they'd react more favorably to the cattle-prod. Stella is likewise not mine. They all belong to Paul Haggis, Paul Gross, and some corporate entities. Used without permission obviously. No PTB would condone this.
Notes: This is all Deb's fault. It was completely her idea. She just made me write it. (Hey, where do you think I got the cattle-prod? Well, actually I borrowed it from Barb G.... ;-) Thanks to Mouse and Cassidy Collins for outstanding beta. Any mistakes left are mine.
Summary: Stella talks to Fraser about Ray's love life and then the boys talk to each other...
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When Turnbull announced that he had a visitor, the last person Fraser would have expected it to be was Stella Kowalski. She had always seemed uninterested in his existence to the point of rudeness, and now she had come to the Consulate to speak to him. Very odd, but Fraser was definitely intrigued.
Ms Kowalski walked into Fraser's office in a much more subdued manner than he had ever seen her enter a room. She stepped slowly inside and glanced around the tiny office and, although she smiled politely, Fraser was intuitively aware that she found it lacking. He was unmoved by this observation because her opinion of his office or anything else to do with himself or his life meant absolutely nothing to him. But her first words certainly got his attention.
"Constable, I need to talk to you about Ray."
Fraser offered her a seat and then straightened his tunic before returning to his place behind his desk. His stomach had tightened into a painful knot, but he gave her a blandly interested look as he asked, "You need to talk with *me* about Ray?"
"Well, yes." Ms Kowalski fiddled with the clasp on the small elegant handbag clutched tightly in her lap. "You spend more time with him than anyone. You're his best friend, and you probably know him better than anyone...except me."
The knot in Fraser's stomach loosened a bit to be called Ray's best friend, but the warm glow evaporated almost before it started when she reminded him that she had come first. Swallowing his real feelings, he nodded and said, "Well, yes, I suppose that's true. What exactly seems to be troubling you? Is Ray in some sort of trouble, Ms Kowalski?"
"Oh no...well, I don't think so. And please, you might as well call me Stella, since this conversation could get rather personal."
"Ah, I see." Fraser felt the knot returning, tighter and more painful than ever. The tension spread outward as he waited for...Stella... to come to her point.
"You see, Constable... Ray and I spent some time together--when he was Alderman Orsini's bodyguard? And I got certain feelings from him and we both said things and there was dancing...and kissing." She looked down at Diefenbaker who had let out a very quiet growl, and Fraser had to bite back a smile. The wolf was as protective of Ray as he was.
Stella smiled uneasily as she looked back at Fraser. "Is he all right?"
"Ray? He's perfectly fine." Fraser stared back innocently but inside he was laughing. He knew exactly how *fine* Ray could be and on rare occasions he did approach something rather like perfection, even though it was an odd and colorful sort.
"I meant the...uh, wolf. But yes, I did come to ask about Ray. Last night, I went to see him." Fraser thought back to the night before and the incredibly inane reception Inspector Thatcher had made him attend at the Italian Consulate. He had actually tried to talk his way out of going, but it had been of no use. He'd put on his dress uniform and escorted the Inspector attentively all through the boring event, never giving any indication that his mind was several kilometers across town.
"He showed no interest in getting back together, although just a few weeks ago..." Stella sighed and looked up at Fraser with an unexpectedly open gaze. "He's seeing someone else, isn't he?"
"Yes." Fraser almost flinched at how quickly the word had slipped past his usual defenses. "That is...I believe so."
Stella frowned and pinned him with a look. "Do you think it's serious?"
Fraser had wondered that same thing himself on a few occasions, but he couldn't admit that to his partner's ex-wife. He tilted his head, trying to look compassionate and regretful as he said, "Only Ray can say for certain, but I think it might be."
"Oh. Well then, I don't suppose you know...? Of course you do. I know how Ray gets when something new catches his attention, so I'm sure he talks about his new girlfriend all the time. You probably get tired of hearing about it, huh?" She smiled, and for the first time it was with sincerity instead of good breeding. It was as if she was inviting Fraser to share this aspect of Ray with her.
Fraser resented that. He resented her, but he couldn't show it because she wasn't the only one with an overabundance of good breeding. He kept a mask of politeness on his face and waited for her to realize the point of this visit had been reached and she could go back to her own life now.
"You know, I'm really curious now about just where Ray could have met someone new," Stella said in a musing tone. Fraser wondered why on Earth the woman had gotten so comfortable with him. She seemed in no hurry to leave at all. "I mean, he really doesn't seem to go much of anywhere except the station and here. Not that I've noticed anyway, and I'm afraid to say that I have been noticing lately..." Her eyes widened as if a shocking thought had just struck her, and she asked in a low voice, "He's not...he's not dating Inspector Thatcher, is he?"
"No!" Fraser could almost feel himself pale in horror. Ray Kowalski and Meg Thatcher in an intimate relationship...his mind boggled and then recoiled at the thought of the bloodbath that would certainly ensue. "Oh no, Ray is most assuredly not seeing my superior officer."
"I see. Well, it was just an idea... He is here an awful lot."
Fraser stopped himself from gritting his teeth and said gently, "He and I are--as you pointed out--best friends, and we do work together."
"Yes, of course. Well, I should go. I'm sorry to have bothered you, Constable." Stella stood and straightened her suit jacket in a gesture that Fraser recognized as his own. The observation unsettled him, but before he could ponder it, she stopped with her hand on the doorknob and looked back at him, "Just tell me one more thing before I leave, please? It's not Francesca Vecchio, is it?"
Fraser stood and smiled with carefully veiled amusement. "You've been no bother at all, Ms-- Stella, and I can assure you that Ray's feelings for Francesca are completely brotherly."
"And you don't want to tell me...?" She raised an eyebrow expectantly.
"I think that should be up to Ray," Fraser replied, firmly. Without another word she left his office, and Fraser let out a long breath that he'd been unaware of holding.
He shrugged his shoulders and cracked his neck to dispel some of the tension that had gathered there and sat back down at his desk. He wondered how Ray was going to react when Fraser told him about this visit.
*^*^*^*^
"She asked you WHAT?" Ray's eyes widened and his voice rose in something that sounded close to panic. "What did you tell her, Fraser?"
With an exasperated sigh, Fraser acknowledged to himself that Ray was *not* taking this well and Fraser really had no right to be surprised. He should have anticipated this. The possibility had briefly occurred to him, but he'd gotten distracted by other thoughts. "Ray, I told her she should ask you. That it wasn't my place to discuss it."
"Oh. Well then, that's okay, I guess." Ray grinned and continued more calmly, "Not that I don't want her to know who I'm seeing. It's just that it has to be handled delicately."
Incensed and yet vaguely amused, Fraser drew up himself up to his full height and said, "You don't think that I could handle something delicately?"
"Well, yeah, but we're talking about Stella... She's not normal. I mean she is, but she wouldn't react like a normal woman would... Although, in this case, I'm not sure what a normal reaction would be." Ray's shoulders slumped and he shot Fraser a look from under his lashes. "Maybe I should let you tell her after all."
"She doesn't like me, Ray," Fraser felt compelled to remind him.
"My point exactly. She's not gonna be as shocked and upset if you tell her. And if she *is*, she won't know how to cut your knees out from under you." Fraser felt something in the vicinity of his heart crack open at the implication that Stella *would* know exactly how to hurt Ray most efficiently.
"Ray...I don't think--" Fraser stopped talking, bent down, and kissed Ray full on the mouth "--that we should talk about this right now."
"You're right, Fraser. We should make it a rule right here and now to never, *ever* discuss Stella while one or both of us is naked. Are naked. Whatever, it's disturbing." Ray settled back against the pillows with what Fraser would definitely call a come hither smile, and said in a low sultry voice that sent shivers down Fraser's spine, "You need help with that uniform or what?"
Looking up from removing his boots, Fraser smiled and started popping open fasteners at lightning speed. Stripping off his tunic and hanging it over the back of the chair, he released his suspenders and pulled off his undershirt. Feeling more impatient than neat, he tossed it carelessly on the seat of the chair and dropped his pants and boxers, leaving them in an untidy heap on the floor. Sliding naked between the cool sheets, Fraser sighed in relief as he came to rest against Ray's warm bare skin.
"I'm sure it will be all right, Ray." Feeling every word of his simple statement, Fraser gathered his lover into his arms and buried his face in Ray's neck.
"Yeah, well, you don't know Stella," Ray protested as he tilted his head back to give Fraser better access, of which Fraser immediately took advantage. Pressing kisses along the newly exposed length of Ray's throat, he ran his fingers down the hard silk of Ray's erection. Much as he loved this rare willing vulnerability on Ray's part, Fraser felt compelled to reassure him, to reassure them both.
"That's true, Ray. But I do know you and I know me, and what happens to us will not be dependent on your *ex* wife's opinions. I won't let that happen and I don't think you will either." Swallowing the fear that swelled in his throat, Fraser figured that as he'd come this far out on the limb, he might as well go all the way. "I trust you, Ray. I...I trust what we have together."
Ray blinked at him and said, "Yeah, Fraser. Now could you please finish what you started before I go crazy?"
Certain that nobody ever went insane from sexual frustration, Fraser snorted and ran his hands down Ray's body, slowly mapping out the planes, lines, and angles that he never tired of exploring. Lining up their bodies, Fraser felt a fleeting gratitude that they were about the same height. They were a perfect fit, he thought as he lowered his mouth to Ray's neck once more.
When Ray began to babble incoherently and thrust his hips frantically against his, Fraser smiled briefly against sweat and saliva slicked skin and then bit. He sank his teeth into the almost delicate skin just below Ray's clavicle, right where the collar of his T-shirt would cover the bruise. Fraser was nothing if not a considerate lover, although the threats and complaints coming out of Ray's mouth at the moment would seem to dispute that claim. The man could be shockingly, creatively profane on rare occasions, like when Fraser thrust against him a bit off-center so that their cocks just barely touched.
But finally, Fraser's own desire overwhelmed him and the need to play evaporated with the warm burst of Ray's come against his groin. With another bite and a couple more thrusts, Fraser came with a quiet moan, all the noise he would allow himself.
With a quick kiss on Ray's gasping mouth, Fraser rolled off his partner and collapsed onto the bed, truly relaxing for the first time all day, or at least since his visit from Stella. When Ray rolled over and settled against his side, Fraser ran his fingers through Ray's unruly hair, making it spike up even more chaotically. The sight should have been comical, but Fraser was seized with a feeling of tenderness that he didn't quite know what to do with. He wanted to tell Ray something of how he felt, but didn't quite have words to describe it. Not in any way that Ray would want to hear anyway.
Gathering all his intestinal fortitude together, Fraser decided to at least try to let Ray know how he felt. "Ray...I--"
"Hey, we're gonna stick together if we don't get cleaned up." Ray was already moving away, so Fraser shut his mouth and watched as his lover scurried into the bathroom, returning shortly with a wet washcloth.
Sighing as Ray gently ran the cloth over his sticky skin, Fraser marveled at the silent, simple ways Ray could get to him. He couldn't bring himself to doubt Ray's feelings when his lover did something so considerate for him. He just couldn't understand Ray's aversion to verbal confirmation of those feelings. It was a frustration, but one Fraser was sure he could live with. To his way of thinking, there was no other option.
A knock at the door brought a curse from Ray and a raised eyebrow from Fraser. When Ray didn't immediately reach for his clothes, Fraser put his hand on Ray's back, intending to prod him, but caressing instead. "Shouldn't you answer that?"
Ray raised his gaze from the vicinity of Fraser's stomach, licked his lips, and said, "No, I shouldn't."
"But it could be important, Ray. It might be an emergency." Fraser watched in amusement as Ray rolled his eyes but reached for his pants anyway. He slipped the loose cotton trousers on without bothering with underwear, then grabbed a shirt up off the floor, putting it on but leaving it unbuttoned as he walked out of the bedroom with an impatient stride.
Fraser rose from the bed and reached for his own clothes, listening unashamedly as Ray answered the door. Fraser was dismayed to hear Stella's voice, but not quite surprised. Well, this would be Ray's chance to set the woman straight about where his affections were lying these days. Fraser found himself profoundly grateful for his exceptional hearing, which he usually took for granted. As he silently pulled his boxers on, Fraser heard Ray ask Stella what she wanted.
"I just wanted to see how you were doing, Ray. After our talk last night, I wasn't sure..."
Stella's voice was getting closer, so Ray must have let her inside. Fraser shook his head and put his pants on. This was getting silly. Ray wasn't saying anything and Stella was starting to ramble on in a most un-Stella-like manner. Just as Fraser pulled his undershirt over his head, Ray finally interrupted his ex-wife.
"Stella, why did you go talk to Fraser today?" Ray sounded so tired that it made Fraser ache to hear it. "Why did you go asking him personal stuff about me?"
"I was worried about-- Did he tell you what we talked about?" Stella sounded quite surprised, and Fraser moved to the bedroom door so he could see into the living room and get a better view.
"Yeah, he told me. Right before he gave me this." Ray jerked one side of his shirt open to show the love bites that Fraser had left on his chest. Fraser had to swallow an ungentlemanly laugh at the shock on Stella's face.
"But he...but you... Ray, how could you...with that...that irritating *Mountie*? You're putting me on, right? This is one of your little--" She looked over at Fraser as he stepped out of the bedroom, and said, "Oh. You really...? With him? Well." After another minute of blinking and shaking her head, she seemed to come to some kind of understanding. She threw up her hands and announced, "This is absolutely crazy, but then...you always were. Are you...are you happy, Ray?"
Ray glanced at Fraser and then back at Stella and grinned, "Yep. Very. So why don't you go on home and don't worry about me anymore, okay?" He managed to usher her to the door without ever actually touching her. "Okay. Goodnight, Stella. That's it. Bye-bye."
Ray closed the door behind his ex-wife, locked it securely, and walked back into the living room. He threw his arms out triumphantly and said, "Ha. What did I say, Fraser? She's not normal. Although when the shock fades, all bets are off."
"Well, Ray, I hate to say I told you so, but..." Fraser smiled, relieved that this first confrontation between Ray and Stella was over without bloodshed-- metaphorically speaking, of course.
Ray licked his lips, crossed his arms, and leaned against the back of the sofa in a pose of studied cool. "So would you rather have some dinner or go back to bed?"
Fraser pretended to consider the choices for a moment, before answering, "Can't we do both?"
"If we call for take-out, it'll take the delivery guy at least twenty minutes to get here. I guess we can fill the time...somehow."
Fraser decided right then that he was not going to worry about what Ray didn't say or wouldn't let him say anymore. Since Ray never would have told Stella about them if this were just a fling--he knew Ray well enough to be sure of that-- Fraser had just received a powerful sign of how Ray felt about him. And to Fraser, that not-so-simple act was worth more than all the words in the world.
"My thoughts exactly, Ray."
The End.