Rating: G
Codes: Dief/Ante, Fraser, Dief
Teaser: Post-CotW, Ray and Fraser are preparing for their quest. But Dief has ties in Chicago...
Disclaimer: Alliance owns all.
Huge thanks to Melanie for the terrific beta job. Where would we be without her?
One Last Donut
(c) Sasscat Bu-to-y 1999
"It was actually Ray's idea, believe it or not. We're searching for the Hand of Franklin." Fraser smiled across his office, visions dancing through his head. They could head north by way of Buck Frobisher's detachment... "I expect it-- Well, I'm sure it will be quite hard work, but I imagine there'll be a fair bit of excitement. We do tend to attract adventure--"
Diefenbaker barked, tail swishing.
"Well, of course in Canada; have *you* heard of a Hand of Franklin in Chicago? I can't wait to go home." Fraser's smile turned wistful as he continued packing. "I expect we'll be able to visit Maggie, too." He paused to savour the novelty of having a sister. "Won't that be fun?"
Diefenbaker barked half-heartedly.
"And what is that supposed to mean?" Fraser said, without rancour. He was too happy for that. Home... "Anyone would think you wanted to stay in America. It's not the donuts, is it? Dief, I've told you time and again--"
Diefenbaker whined, and Fraser's smile fell completely. "Oh," he said weakly, his hands falling from the duffel bag. He hadn't-- why hadn't he thought of that? "Well, yes, I suppose we would. I mean, I doubt Ante is really equipped to deal with the northern climate, and even if she were, Francesca would hardly agree..."
Dief whined again and laid his head between paws, looking at Fraser miserably.
For a moment Fraser didn't - couldn't - say anything. "I-- Of course," he managed eventually. "Yes, you have to... you have to think about it. I wouldn't want to rush you. I'll--" He gestured vaguely at the door. "I'll just... make sure there's nothing I've forgotten at the... at the station. I'll..." He hesitated, looked at at Diefenbaker for several seconds, then quietly left the room.
--
"He's not coming?"
Fraser flinched despite himself. "I didn't say that. He's thinking about it."
Ray shook his head incredulously. "Your deaf half-wolf pet dog is thinking about whether or not to freeze his butt off with us 'cause he wants to stay in smogsville Chicago with his girlfriend poodle? That is D U M dumb, Fraser."
"Well, maybe," Fraser said, refusing to acknowledge Ray's tactlessness to himself. "But nevertheless, Dief needs time to think it over and I... I'll support whatever decision he makes."
"Even if he decides to stay with Ante."
"He loves her," Fraser said softly, looking across the squadroom. "He should be with her. He'll regret it if he doesn't."
"Yeah, and maybe he'll regret it if he does." Ray shook his head and put down his report. "Regret it if he does," he muttered. "This is retarded. It's a *dog*."
"Wolf," Fraser corrected.
"Half-wolf, which means he's just as much dog as wolf, which means if you can call him a wolf I can call him a dog." Ray picked up his report again, then dropped it back on his desk once more. "If he does-- I mean... If Dief does want to stay with Ante, do you still--? You could stay in Chicago, too."
Fraser shook his head, still staring around the room. "No," he said slowly. "No, it's time for me to return home." He missed the snow. Real snow, not the metropolitan facsimile that was all Chicago could provide.
"Yeah," Ray said softly. He fiddled idly with his pen then pushed away from the desk. "Come on."
Fraser looked up in startlement. "Where?"
"Dunno. Let's go for a ride. GTO's getting lonely." He dumped some things in his bag and headed for the door.
Fraser smiled slightly as he followed. "It's a car, Ray."
"Yeah, well, it's *my* car and I say it's getting lonely."
"If you say so, Ray."
"Yeah, well, tha--su--t's-- It's what I just said."
--
Finally Fraser could avoid the issue no longer. He and Ray took Diefenbaker to the Vecchio household, and they sat silently in the kitchen while in another room Dief and Ante spoke. Somehow, it felt like his entire life was hanging in the balance.
He'd been faced with losing Diefenbaker before. He was ready to shoot him-- No, he'd been *about* to shoot Diefenbaker. He would never have been ready, not in a million years. But somehow this seemed worse... that Diefenbaker might voluntarily *choose* to leave him, although Fraser had been faced with that before too. He still couldn't quite grasp the concept; losing Diefenbaker... his friend... all for the love of a woman. Well, poodle.
"Hey, Frase," Francesca said, coming into the kitchen. "How are the-- the preparations going, for the big trip?"
"Oh, well enough." He opened his mouth to tell her that Dief might be staying, then said, "Is Ray here?"
"Ray my brother? He's--"
A door opening, and a bellowed, "Ma!"
"Just got in," she finished. She took a couple of steps towards the door and called stridently, "*RAY*!! Fraser's here!"
By now Fraser had learned not to flinch at the loud voices common to the Vecchio household, although he still found them... uncomfortable to his ears. He was more attuned to the soft sounds of the Northwest Territories, although he suspected that when he returned there, he would discover he'd lost some of his finer perception. All part of the perils of city living.
Ray Vecchio entered the room, pulling off a scarf. "Hey, Benny, what's up? Stanley," he added with forced politeness.
"Vecchio," Ray Kowalski returned, leaning sourly against a bench.
Fraser sighed slightly, but at the moment wasn't inclined to repeat his attempts to persuade them to get along. "It's good to see you, Ray."
"Before you leave, you mean?"
Fraser winced at the slight bitterness in his friend's voice. He'd tried to explain - being in Canada again, on the trail of Muldoon, had made him realise just how much he *needed* to get home again, for as long as possible. He'd missed it unbearably. This quest with Ray Kowalski was exactly what he needed - it was just unfortunate that Vecchio couldn't come as well.
He was still recuperating from his gunshot wound, of course. But the look in his eyes had suggested he might well have refused anyway. It was perfectly understandable; after so long undercover, he wanted to spend some time with his family, his friends-- his other friends. And Stella Kowalski, with whom he seemed to have hit it off remarkably quickly.
/It could be love... then again, it could be worms.../
"Dief wants to stay," Fraser said abrubtly.
Ray stared at him for a moment then shook his head. "Benny, I'm so sorry. I didn't-- I didn't know..."
"He may not," Fraser said quickly, wanting desperately to believe it, "but Ante is here... I wouldn't want him to--" He stopped and took a breath, because he didn't know *what* he wanted.
"Ante? Frannie's poodle?" Ray frowned slightly. "What happened to Maggie?"
"Maggie?" Ray Kowalski repeated, looking up. "Fraser's sister? Am I missing something here?"
Vecchio blinked and stared at Fraser. "You have a sister?"
"Ah, apparently." This could get confusing. "I just found out recently." To Kowalski he explained in a low voice, "Maggie was also the name of a husky Diefenbaker was involved with. They apparently decided it would be better to move their relationship to a more platonic footing, but I don't think Ante knows about her, so I'd appreciate it if you didn't say anything."
"Okay, Fraser, reality check," Ray started, then shook his head. "Forget it. I'm talking to *you*, after all."
"Hey, back off, Kowalski," Vecchio snapped, rising to Fraser's defence. "So, Benny, let me get this straight. You're going off on this wild adventure, and your best friend after me--"
"And me," Kowalski cut in.
"Yeah, whatever. Your best friend after me and Brando-boy would rather stick around this dump for some dog who used to belong to a card shark? You do realise, if you were American you could just kick some sense into him."
"Ray," Fraser chided, feeling somewhat strained. He didn't *want* to force 'sense' into Diefenbaker. He wanted to give Dief the choice. He *had* to give Dief the choice.
He sighed and looked Vecchio in the eyes. "I made a mistake once, and I don't want Dief to make the same mistake."
Vecchio was silent for a moment. Then, "Benny, are you talking about what I think you're talking about? 'Cause if you are, then the only mistake Dief would be making would be staying with that toy poodle my sister's looking after."
There was an indignant bark from the other room, and Fraser took advantage of Vecchio's bewildered silence to point out, "Actually, Ray, a toy poodle cannot exceed ten inches in height as measured at the withers. Ante is a standard poodle, and," recognising the look in both Rays' eyes, he got to the point, "Dief loves her."
"Yeah, and what's more important, friendship or love? Don't answer that, you know I'm right. Stanley, back me up on this."
Kowalski looked at him for a second then shrugged. "He's right, Fraser."
"Thank you. --What?" Vecchio stared at the other Ray then shook his head. "Okay, we're agreeing; this is surreal."
"Yeah, but it's about Fraser," Kowalski pointed out.
Vecchio nodded, conceding the point. Fraser merely glanced at the floor, imagining what the quest would be like without Dief along. Without the only friend he had who didn't need to turn every conversation into an exercise in denigration of all things Canadian, including Mounties who licked things. He closed his eyes tiredly and fought the urge to eavesdrop on the dogs in the other room. It was a private conversation, and Dief would tell him what he'd decided in his own good time.
"Benny, you okay?"
Fraser opened his eyes and looked up at Vecchio. "Yeah, Ray, I'll be fine."
"He didn't ask if you *will* be fine, Fraser, he asked if you *are* fine," Kowalski said sharply. "And you're not. You shoulda said this was bothering you so much; I woulda done something more than take you for a drive in the stupid car."
Trying not to think that Ray Vecchio wouldn't have needed to be told how much it was bothering him, Fraser said, "Ray, you've done more than enough for me. All I can do is wait and see what Dief decides."
"Well, you won't have to wait long," Francesca said from the doorway. Diefenbaker trotted in, followed closely by Ante.
Fraser slowly stood up, heart hammering. "I take it you've made your decision?" he said, relatively calmly.
Dief whined in agreement, and looked at Ante. She nuzzled the underside of his ear and gave him a soft bark of encouragement. Diefenbaker looked back at Fraser, unmoving for what seemed like an eternity. Even his tail was still. Then his sides expanded as he took a breath, and he trotted to Fraser's side.
Fraser was never sure if he collapsed, or merely dropped to his knees to hug Diefenbaker. He always insisted the latter. What mattered was that he was on the floor, with his face buried in Diefenbaker's fur, and his arms around his friend. "You'll regret it," he whispered, tears filling his eyes. He hugged Dief tightly, heart almost breaking in relief. "You'll regret it forever."
Dief licked his cheek, tail wagging hard, and whined. Oh, he knew what he was giving up, all right. But he was still doing it. He was brave, braver than Fraser had ever been. Fraser gave him one last squeeze then stood up, belatedly remembering to try to compose himself. "Come on, Dief," he said, and was pleasantly relieved that his voice didn't crack. "One last donut before we go?"
_The End_
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