Housewarming
by Shannon McKinnon

He had just dropped the last load of his belongings off at the apartment he and Benny were moving into, and he was here to collect Ben and his stuff. One Mountie, one wolf, one duffel bag and one trunk, and they were history.

Ray entered the apartment without knocking and was greeted by a happy bark from Diefenbaker. The wolf was sitting next to a box containing his food and water bowls, his leash and a brush. Ray smiled affectionately as he saw the label on the side of the box: "Diefenbaker's Belongings".

Ray stepped into the bedroom and stopped, a small frown crossing his face. "Benny, what are you doing?"

Ben looked up with a smile. "Hello, Ray. I'm just going through the trunk. Since we're moving, it seemed like a good time to go through my possessions and throw away anything I no longer need."

"Benny, you only own about nine things. Why would you throw anything away?"

Ben shook his head, but didn't answer. From over in the kitchen, an impatient whine could be heard.

"Look," Ray said, "you go take Dief's stuff downstairs, and I'll take care of this."

"All right." Ben nodded and rose to his feet. "Come, Diefenbaker, let's go." Picking up Dief's box, Ben led his wolf from the apartment.

Ray watched them leave, shaking his head; then turned his attention back to the trunk. There was a pile of items on the floor that Benny was obviously throwing away- old letters and receipts and a couple of old magazines.

Ray picked up the stack of pictures Ben had been sorting through and started looking through them. He smiled at the one on top- a very proud looking Constable Benton Fraser on the day he had received his first posting, posing formally in his red serge uniform.

The next picture soured Ray's mood a little. It was a picture of Ben and Mark Smithbauer in hockey gear, holding up their hockey sticks and trying very hard to look menacing. Resisting the urge to toss the picture on the junk pile, Ray moved it to the bottom of the stack.

A few pictures later, Ray paused, his breath catching in his throat. It was an old picture, obviously well cared for. In it, a smiling Caroline Fraser was holding Benny on her lap; her arms wrapped around his waist. Ben's arms rested on his mother's, his hands holding hers.

What most captured Ray was the expression on Benny's face in the picture. He was smiling into the camera, a completely happy and carefree smile that lit up his entire face and made his eyes sparkle.

The Benny in that photo looked so very young, so impossibly happy, that it made Ray's heart ache. It was probably one of the last times that Benny had ever smiled like that. It couldn't have been too long after the photo was taken that Ben's mom had died. "Oh, Benny." Ray whispered.

His head snapped up as he heard Ben and Dief re-enter the apartment. He hastily placed the photos back in the trunk and closed the lid; and managed a smile as Ben walked up to him. "So, Benny; you ready to go?"

A few hours later, Ray and Benny were hard at work in their new apartment, unpacking and getting things sorted out and the various rooms set up.

One of the first things they had done was to set the photos on the mantle of the fireplace- photos of Ray and Benny, and Vecchio family photos, several of which included Benny by this point. Ray's attention kept wandering to the photos, and he felt a tug at his heart each time it did.

Finally, he grabbed his keys off the hook by the door. "Benny, there's something I have to do. I won't be gone long."

Ben looked at him in surprise. "Is everything all right, Ray?"

"Yeah, Benny; everything's great." He gave Ben a quick kiss. "You just keep working on unpacking."

"Ah." Ben grinned at him, and Ray left.

When Ray returned about an hour later, Ben was no longer in the living room. "Benny?" He called.

"In here, Ray." Ben answered from the kitchen.

Ray looked around the living room. "Benny, where is your trunk?"

Ben walked into the room. "I moved it into the bedroom. It's nothing permanent, however. We can move it if you'd like."

"No, that's fine, Benny." Ray gave him a warm smile.

Ben returned the smile, then went back into the kitchen to continue unpacking the dishes; and Ray took the package he had hidden behind his back and went into the bedroom.

A few short minutes later, Ray returned to the living room and called Ben into the room.

"Yes, Ray?"

"I have something that needs to go on the mantle." Ray held a picture out to Benny.

Ben took it, and his eyes widened in surprise. It was the photo of Ben and his mother; now placed in a simple wooden frame that set the picture off to perfection.

Ray smiled and gently took the picture from Ben.

"I think it would look best right here." Ray said, and he placed the picture next to a photo of himself and Rosa that had been taken on the day of Ray's First Communion. In the photo, a happy and nervous looking eight-year old Ray was standing in a new suit, standing next to a happy and proud looking Rosa in her Sunday-best dress; the two of them holding hands and smiling towards the camera.

Ray set the picture of Benny and his mother next to the picture of himself and his mother, and looked at Ben. "What do you think?" He asked.

Ben just stood for a moment, looking at the two pictures side by side. Ray looked from Benny to the photo and back again, then froze. The expression on Ben's face now was the exact same expression the young Benny had on his face in the picture.

"I think it's perfect, Ray. Thank you kindly."

THE END