Title: Kind and Honest, With a Good Sense of Humor	   

  

Kind and Honest, With a Good Sense of Humor 

by the Cloudwalker 

  

  

Ray came over to where Fraser stood watching Melissa walk away. "You
ready?" 

  

"Yes," Fraser replied, happy to be once again dressed normally. He had
removed Miss Fraser's teal dress in favor of his red serge uniform. It was
good of Ray to have had it in the trunk of his Riviera. The two friends
walked toward the car. 

  

"You know Benny," Ray glanced at him, smiling. "You weren't a bad looking
woman." 

  

"Thank you Ray." 

  

"Of course, you weren't exactly my type, either." Ray was still grinning. 

'What does he mean by that?' Fraser wondered. Aloud, he asked, "What
exactly is your type, Ray?"  

"Well, I like a woman who is kind and honest, with a good sense of humor."
A little swagger had crept into Ray's walk. Fraser wondered again what had
gotten into his friend. 

  

"Well I don't have those qualities?" 

  

"No, no, you do! I just like a woman who is, you know... a woman." 

"Well, that's just... picky, Ray." Really, sometimes Ray could be such a
baby. 

  

Ray opened the Riv's driver door. "Ah, don't get in a snit." 

  

"Well I'm not," Fraser replied, opening the passenger door and putting one
foot inside. 

"Well good." 

  

"Well fine." 

  

Ray started to step into the Riv, but asked Fraser over the car's roof
"So, what you are doing after work?" 

  

"Nothing with you," was his answer, as he slid into the car. 

.  

"Ooh, you're *so * sensitive," Ray laughed, slipping under the wheel. He
eased the Riv through the congestion around St. Fortunata's School and
onto the street. "No, really, what do you want to do tonight?" 

"As I said, Ray: nothing. Would you please just take me home?" 

Ray glanced at his morose partner, who was staring out the passenger
window but looked as if he were seeing some other place than Chicago.
"Hey, Benny, you mad at me?" A diffident shrug was the Mountie's only
response. "C'mon, talk to me." Fraser remained silent. "Okay, have it your
way." Ray concentrated on his driving, not wanting to give Fraser any
reason to become even angrier with him.  

Ray still wondered why the man was angry to begin with. He thought over
the events of the past few days, trying to find a clue. The coincidence of
running into his old flame while helping Benny to find a rare bottle of
Scotch for the Dragon Lady, then finding that she had become a nun who
frequented bars searching for lost children was pretty bizarre. Ray had
been quite put off his stride by the knowledge that someone he had shared
passionate groping with as a teenager had ended up a nun. He had felt
somehow responsible for 'the loss of a good woman', until sister Ann had
reassured him that she had happily chosen to become a Bride of Christ. 

And speaking of good women, there was that whole thing with Benny. Just
when he thought he had the Canadian figured out, Fraser would come up with
something to knock him for a loop. This time had been too much, though. 

Ray had checked with everyone he knew who could possibly go undercover as
a teacher in the Catholic girls' school where Sister Ann was principal; to
gather clues on the disappearance of one of the students. Each one had
been unavailable, or had simply turned him down, all but one. When Ray
arrived at her door, he learned that she had broken her leg, and had to
withdraw from the project. Instead of helping to find another candidate,
Benny had simply walked away. Ray chalked it up to another of Benny's
idiosyncrasies, and went back to work. 

Some time later, Ray looked up to find a handsome woman with
shoulder-length red hair seated beside his desk. She couldn't help but
overhear him on the telephone asking yet another acquaintance, this one
only marginally qualified, to take the undercover assignment. As soon as
Ray hung up the phone the redhead's soft voice said, "I'll take the job." 

"I don't even know who you are," Ray replied, walking away. He needed a
moment to change gears before finding out what she was here for. 

"Oh, I think you do," the redhead replied. She stood to follow him, a
somehow familiar gesture. Then her voice changed, and in a stage whisper,
Fraser called out "Ray! It's me!" 

Well, you could have knocked Ray over with a feather! This nice-looking,
demurely dressed woman was his friend, Benton Fraser, RCMP, offering to go
undercover at St. Fortunata's School. 

Ray had serious misgivings. He remembered all to vividly how badly the
Mountie had done as an undercover used car salesman, trying to recover the
pizza-delivery kid's stolen car. Sure, they solved the case, but Benny
would never have made it without Ray's help. Ray had no idea how he would
help him with this one.  

Learning, however, that Fraser had already fooled everyone in the station
before arriving at Ray's desk, he decided to leave it up to Sister Ann. If
she gave her blessing, Benny would go into the school as Miss Fraser to
try to find the missing girl. To Ray's complete surprise, Sister Ann had
agreed. 

So now this case was closed. Not only was the missing girl found safe and
sound, but a huge cache of jewels, furs and liquor had been uncovered
which would go a long way toward solving St. Fortunata's financial
problems. They had even ended up with a bottle of the Glendorlan Scotch
whiskey for the Dragon Lady. 

Ray had tried to compliment his friend on the fine job he had done
impersonating a woman, and now that friend wasn't speaking to him. Benny
was his best friend, but Ray sure didn't understand him.  

Just as the silent treatment was becoming unbearable for Ray, he pulled up
in front of 221 West Racine. Ray shut off the engine and got out to open
the trunk so Fraser could retrieve his duffel bag full of Miss Fraser's
things. 

When the Mountie walked toward the building entrance Ray followed him.
"Ray, I said I didn't..." 

"I don't care, Benny," Ray cut him off. "We hafta talk." 

"Please, Ray, not..." 

"So how ya gonna keep me out, huh Benny? It's not like you even have a
lock on your door. Look. I'm not goin' away from here until you tell me
what's wrong, you got that? Now let's go." 

Reluctantly, Fraser led the way to apartment 3J. He put his duffel in the
closet, and carefully hung his red tunic. He then busied himself tidying
the spotless apartment. Ray sat in a chair at the table, waiting his
partner out. 

It took some time, but Fraser finally gave up trying to ignore Ray into
giving up and going home. He came and sat in the other wooden chair,
letting the tea that Ray had fixed for him cool untouched on the table
between them. 

"Okay," Ray said finally. "I figured out that you got mad when I made
comments about you being a woman. I was trying to compliment you, Benny.
You did a great job. I never thought you could do it." 

"And just why not, Ray?" Ray had never heard Fraser sound so angry. "I am
a police officer, trained in, among other things, undercover work. I also
come from a culture which is apparently not nearly as homophobic as
yours." 

"Homophobic? You think I'm homophobic? What, because I'm Italian and
Catholic and a cop, you think I have to hate gays? You might as well say I
must be mobbed up, Benny. Or do you think that, too?" Ray was shouting
now, gesticulating wildly. 

Fraser never flinched. "Of course I don't think you have mob connections,
Ray. That's just silly." 

"But you do think I'm a gay-basher." 

"Ray...you did say you only like real women. I assumed that you meant that
I shouldn't be so free to express my feminine side, that you felt there
was something wrong with it...with me." 

"Oh geez, Benny, you're my best friend, of course I don't think anything's
wrong with you. Oh I know, I tease you a lot for being so different, but
that's really what I like about you. You've never let my teasing bother
you so much before. Why did it get to you today?" 

"Well, Ray, when you said I had all of the qualities you liked, but that
you didn't like me because I wasn't a real woman, well... It hurt my
feelings, Ray." 

"Oh man. Benny, I'm sorry." Ray ran his hands over his close-cropped hair,
a nervous habit he had picked up since getting it cut so short. "I never
said I didn't like you, but I guess I can see how you took it that way. I
was teasing you about... Oh hell." Ray paused, and came to the decision he
had wrestled with while Fraser was 'cleaning'. "Benny, I've been keeping
something from you. I guess it's time I came out." 

"Why would you keep anything from me, Ray?" 

"Because you're a cop! I been hangin' around cops 15 years now, and I know
one thing. You're right; most of us are homophobes. But not all, Benny.
Not all. That's why I got angry when you called me that. I guess I do a
pretty good job keeping my personal life personal. A straight arrow like
you doesn't see a thing." 

"Ray, I still don't know what you're saying." 

"All right, here it is: I'm gay. I kept it from you because I didn't want
to lose your friendship. I've kept it from everyone at work because, well,
you know cops, right? My Ma knows. She doesn't like it much, but she's
okay with it. My sisters don't know, and I hope they never will. That's
about it, Benny." 

"What about... lovers, Ray?" 

"I've had a couple of boyfriends, Benny. The last one broke up with me
about the time you and I met. You didn't have anything to do with it," he
added quickly, when Benny glanced up. 

"You said I wasn't your type. And you called me a straight arrow." 

"Yeah, well, it wasn't meant as an insult, Benny. When I said I like a
woman who is a woman, I meant that I also like a man who is a man.
Somebody who is confused over whether they're male or female... well, I
don't have much patience for that. Not that I think you're confused,
Fraser. And hell, everybody knows crossdressers are straight." 

"Well, no, Ray. Not all crossdressers are straight." 

"Well, I guess you'd know more about that than I would." Ray grinned. 

"So, are you saying, Ray, that I would be your type if I weren't a
crossdresser?" 

"Don't worry, Benny, I won't bother you. I just hope you find some nice
woman who doesn't mind that you want to be a woman sometimes, too. I know
there are women like that out there." 

"Ray, I only 'dressed' to help you. It's not something I expect to do
often. Perhaps not ever again." 

"Hey, don't let me stop you, Benny." 

"Ray, I think you're missing a crucial point, here." 

"Oh yeah? And what would that be?" 

Fraser spoke thoughtfully. "I mean, it's as much my fault as yours. It
seems I have kept things from you, as well. And this whole 'gaydar'
thing... that's apparently a cultural myth." 

"Benny, you're babbling. You wanna get to the point, here?" 

"Yes. I love you, Ray." 

"Aw gee, Benny. I love you, too. You're my best friend, you know that." 

"You're still not hearing what I'm trying to say, Ray." 

"Well then, maybe you better be more specific. And don't tell me any Inuit
stories, I couldn't take one of those right now." 

"Ray, I love you." 

"Yeah, you said that, Benny." 

Fraser just stared at Ray a moment, waiting. Finally, he got up and walked
over to Ray, holding his hand out. When Ray took it, looking confused but
willing to do whatever Fraser asked, Fraser pulled him to his feet and
into his arms. When he took Ray's mouth with his own, he met considerable
astonishment before Ray relaxed and began kissing him back. When the kiss
ended Fraser was dizzy with desire. 

"You're a wonderful kisser, Ray," he breathed. 

"You're not so bad yourself, Benny. How come I didn't know this about
you?" he asked, caressing the Mountie's back. 

"For the same reasons I didn't know about you." Fraser recaptured Ray's
delightful mouth. Some time later, he realized that he was standing in his
kitchen with a naked cop in his arms, and that only his boots had defeated
Ray in getting him naked, as well, although his upper garments were gone
and his jodhpurs and starched boxers were around his knees. Laughing
happily, he stooped to remove his boots, depositing a quick kiss on Ray's
circumcised crown as he did so. Ray groaned. 

Fraser kicked off the rest of his clothes, and led Ray to his bed. Lying
down, he pulled the slender cop down on top of him. Their tongues danced
together as hands explored sensitive flesh. Soft moans disturbed the
wolf's dreams as the two men rejoiced in finally sharing their last
secrets. Ray began to murmur what Fraser could only assume were sweet
nothings, in Italian, as his need rose to fever pitch. 

Fraser's vocabulary became limited to the single word, "Ray"; spoken
tenderly as he caressed a close-cropped head, in anguish when a sweet
tongue was withdrawn from sensitive flesh, in triumph as his essence
surged forth to mingle with that of his love. 

Blankets were retrieved from where they had fallen to the floor and
wrapped to ward the evening chill from recently over-heated, now rapidly
cooling bodies. Soon they would shower together, but for now they dozed
peacefully in each other's arms. 

  

end