Ray Kowalski ran both hands through his spiky hair, making it stand impossibly straighter. He swiped a hand across the foggy windshield, clearing the view of the building he and Constable Fraser were staking out. They were just under two hours into an eight hour shift and Ray was getting antsy sitting behind the wheel of his black GTO. He adjusted the radio station for the third time in as many minutes drawing another sigh out of his Mountie partner. Waiting for the Coleman brothers to show for an exchange of guns for drugs with a local gang was beginning to look like an unlikely event. They were part of a team that had been staking out the Coleman brothers warehouse for the better part of a week and there will still no signs of any illegal activity.

"Fraser, I am about to die from eternal boredom." Ray drummed his thumbs across the steering wheel impatiently.

"I highly doubt that is possible, Ray." Fraser peered through the foggy windshield after clearing his own viewing circle. "We could play a game to break up the monotony." Fraser suggested, turning his attention towards his energetic partner.

Ray looked at him doubtfully. "Play a game… in the confined space of the Goat? Are you unhinged, Fraser?"

Fraser rolled his eyes and spoke with his hands. "Not a physical game like football or soccer, I was thinking more along the lines of a mental game."

"Again, I ask… are you unhinged?" Ray was finding it difficult to suppress the growing laughter or the blossoming smile at his partner's expense. He pointed his finger at Fraser as he took another glance through the windshield for any criminal activity. "Wait… we could play 'Nine different ways to kill off your annoying Mountie partner'." Ray winked at his colleague before turning his attention back to the warehouse.

Fraser shook his head refusing to take the baited line. "No, I don't believe that Inspector Thatcher will approve my participation in such a game."

The blond detective fist bumped the Mountie in the shoulder. "I'm just messin' with you, Frase. We can't break up this duet." He shifted in his seat, seeking a more comfortable position. He unscrewed the top of his coffee carafe and poured a cup of steaming coffee, offering one to Fraser before pouring another for himself. Replacing the lid and shifting in his seat again, he bounced his head from shoulder to shoulder. "Okay, so what mental game you got in mind?"

Fraser pondered the question before answering. "I thought something along the line of twenty questions." He pulled up the sleeve of his jacket exposing his wrist watch. "We have approximately six hours and nine minutes before Detectives Huey and Dewey arrive. That should give us ample time to answer that many questions." Fraser let a small smile pull at his lips before continuing. "And then if we have time left over, we can play your game."

"How about twenty nine questions?" Ray questioned as he blew across the steaming coffee in his mug attempting to cool the contents.

Fraser's brows drew together in confusion. "Why twenty nine?"

Ray threw a smirk in the direction of his perplexed partner. "We're gonna be here a while. I figure we could make it a happy twenty nine and kill a few more minutes in the meantime." Ray blushed when Fraser gave him a warm smile.

"Twenty nine it is." Fraser cracked his neck and laced his fingers together, settling his hands on his lap. "Would you like to go first? It is your car after all."

Ray held up the palm of his hand halting any further comments from Fraser. "First off, what kind of rules come with this game of yours? I mean, are we keeping things on a friendly need to know basis or you allowing questions of the more personal nature?"

"It's your vehicle, Ray. I will leave the decision entirely up to you." Fraser wiped another circle, clearing his passenger side window. "We are at the correct location that your informants gave us, right?"

Shaking his head, Ray grumbled. "Of course we are." He turned off the radio and continued. "How about we agree that if something's too personal, we'll just move on to a more comfortable question."

"That only sounds fair." Fraser agreed with an understanding nod.

Ray cracked his knuckles and laughed. He was first up in the line of questioning and his first question to his Mountie partner to get the ball rolling was a doozey. "Is there anything going on between you and the Ice Queen?"

"Ray!" Fraser gasped in disbelief.

"What? Cross the line of too personal already?" Ray questioned with an evil grin.

"No, it's not too… personal. It's just… well…" Fraser was tripping over his words, pulling at his collar and Ray was certain he was merely trying to avoid the question. Fraser cleared his throat, regained his composure and began again. "No, there is nothing going on between the Inspector and myself. What gave you the impression that there was…" Fraser diverted his eyes and dropped his voice. "You know… something between us?"

Ray looked away suddenly embarrassed for asking. "Have you seen the way she looks at you? Come on Frase, you may be her second in command or whatever but I guarantee that woman wants you for more than her assistant." When he turned back towards his partner, he was met with fierce blue eyes.

"Well, I do not share her feelings." A knuckle swipe to the eyebrow and Ray knew he had hit an uncomfortable nerve with his partner.

"Good." Ray broke eye contact but could still feel Fraser's eyes on him. "Okay, question one down. You're up." Ray dared to glance at his partner who still hadn't diverted his gaze. A small smile appeared on Fraser's face and Ray's blush reached his ears.

"Which would you rather see, the northern lights or the wonder of Niagara Falls?"

Ray rubbed his stubbled jawline thoughtfully before replying. "Northern lights because you never know when they are going to appear and the falls aren't ever going anywhere."

"That's a very logical response, Ray." Fraser took a sip of his coffee. He had always admired Ray's logical approach to life.

"Well, you know me… logics my middle name." Turning towards Fraser he asked suddenly. "Hey, what causes the Northern lights anyway?"

Fraser looked at Ray and grinned widely. "The Northern Lights are actually the result of collisions between gaseous particles in the Earth's atmosphere with charged particles released from the sun's atmosphere. Variations in color are due to the type of gas particles that are colliding. The most common auroral color, a pale yellowish-green, is produced by oxygen molecules located about 60 miles above the earth."

It was Ray's turn to stare in disbelief.

Fraser just shrugged his shoulders. "My grandparents were librarians. I read a lot of books on nature throughout the years." Fraser tugged on his ear. "Was that your next question?"

Laughter filled the car. "No, not really. I just wondered why you can't see them down here."

"Oh, but you can… just not as often as if you lived in the Yukon. Most likely not within the city limits of Chicago either."

"Oh." Ray sounded disappointed even to his own ears. "Maybe you can take me to see them sometime, like up by your dad's cabin."

"Of course. They are quite amazing to witness."

"Really?" Ray asked surprised. "That would be great. You know, get out of the smog of the city for a while. Besides, Welsh has been harping on me to take some of my vacation days. I seem to have accumulated quite a few since partnering with you."

"Well, then we will make plans over the coming weekend. Put some of those vacation days to good use, for both of us." Fraser smiled warmly at his energetic partner.

"Greatness. Wait, do I need any gear or anything like that?" Ray questioned looking out the window again for any signs of movement. All he saw was an alley cat jumping up onto a dumpster.

Fraser saw the same cat and was thankful he left Diefenbaker at the Consulate for the duration of the stakeout. "No… it is summer in the Yukon. As it is here."

"So, no snow then? I thought it always snowed up there."

"Not during the summer months. It can actually get quite warm."

"Good, greatness actually, cause I'm not all that fond of snow. Something to look forward to then, you know, not freezing off my scrawny ass." Ray shivered at the thought of being cold, even though it was warm in the car.

Rain began to fall sporadically on the windshield and a grumbled curse rolled off of Kowalski's tongue. He fought the urge to turn on the wipers to get a better of the view of the warehouse. Turning to Fraser, he asked, "Rain or snow, Frase. Which do you prefer?"

Fraser didn't even have to think before responding quickly with, "Snow, Ray. I prefer the snow. Rain drenches you instantly, isn't at all pretty to look at when the rainstorm is over. Turns dirt into a muddy mixture with the first drop of moisture. Snow on the other hand, more so outside of the city, where it isn't disturbed immediately, is beautiful and pristine. It's breathtaking."

"You must miss home then, especially in the winter then, huh?"

"Very much so." There was a touch of sadness in Fraser's voice. A quiet stillness fell over the two men as they stared out their own section of windshield. "But I like it here, too." Fraser gave Ray a warm smile. "What is your favorite season, Ray?"

"That would be summer." Ray leaned his head back against the headrest and closed his eyes. "God, where do I start? The return of fireflies, the warmth from the sunshine, pulling my favorite t-shirts out of the back of the closet, barbeques, bonfires, the smell of fresh cut grass…" Ray's voice trailed off as it turned melancholy. "I gotta get out of the city, Frase. I miss the smell of grass. You don't get that living in the city in an apartment." Ray opened his eyes and turned to catch Fraser staring at him. "I suppose your favorite season is winter, huh?"

A grin tugged at Fraser's lips. "No, actually my favorite season is spring. I enjoy the emergence of new life after a long winter. It always gives me something to look forward to in the darkest days of winter."

"Okay, how about an easy one." Ray drummed a steady beat against the steering wheel, keeping time with the rhythm of the falling rain. "Favorite color?"

"Blue." Fraser found himself tapping a beat against his thigh, keeping time with Ray's fingers. "And you?"

"Me? I like green, but blue takes a close second." Ray crinkled his eyes and thought again. "Actually, I don't like green- green like grass green. No, I like more of a greenish grey. Sage… yeah, I think it's called sage green."

"Yes, the t-shirt you wore yesterday. It brings out the brown flecks in your eyes." Fraser turned to stare out the window, avoiding Ray's gaze. "Sorry, they just caught my attention in the sunlight yesterday afternoon when you were yelling at our suspect."

"It's okay. Nobody's ever commented on my eyes before." Ray's blush reached his ears and he was certain if Fraser turned his head to face him, he would have an equally flushed complexion. "You got nice eyes too, in case nobody's ever told you."

A black and white cat jumped on the hood of the car, startling both men. An explicative rolled off Ray's tongue easily and Fraser glared at the cat through the windshield, briefly wishing he had Dief with them to scare it away. But then Dief's barking would blow their cover, not that there was anyone around to acknowledge their presence.

"You like cats, Frase?" Ray asked at he made shooing gestures through the windshield. The cat just stared back and shook its rain soaked coat before finally jumping off the hood and sauntering away.

"They are not at the top of my list, no." He let out a short laugh. "Diefenbaker on the other hand, loves them."

"Yeah, I bet he loves to chase them." Ray chuckled and Fraser joined him, laughter filling the car. "Okay, what number we on?"

"Seven. What has been your most difficult case?" Fraser's tone turned serious. He could barely see the laugh lines disappear around Ray's eyes in the dark, but knew his expression had changed.

Ray was quiet for many moments, staring straight ahead at the vacant warehouse. "It was a few years ago, before I turned Italian and became Vecchio. My partner and I got called to a scene of a double murder. At first glance it looked cut and dry. Two guns, two dead bodies. Bam- bam they kill each other, right? There was a young girl there, early twenties. Looked like she had been roughed up by one of the guys." Ray turned to his partner hoping he didn't need to explain details of what he meant by 'roughed up'. Fraser shook his head in understanding and took a deep breath. Rape cases were always difficult to deal with. "So that's what we were thinking right… guy one roughs up the girl, guy two comes along, tries breaking it up, gets shot for his efforts, has his own gun, go figure, and gets off his own shot, killing the girl's attacker before collapsing and dying a hero." Ray rubbed his jaw and then worked his fingers towards his temples, rubbing them harder than necessary.

Fraser sat quietly listening to his partner. He jumped when Ray punched the steering wheel.

"We had it all fucking wrong. That girl… had us all snowballed playing the victim." Ray caught Fraser's confused expression out of the corner of his eye. "Yeah, the real story came way too late, thanks to ballistics and a surveillance video that emerged from nowhere. She took off on a permanent vacation with a new boyfriend. Her old boyfriend had broken up with her because he found himself attracted to another man. She called him up, said she wanted to give some things back to him and could he meet her. The guys showed up together. One was a cop, off duty but packing a gun. She shot him first, then took his gun and shot her boyfriend who was too stunned to react. Got some guy to make it look like she had been roughed up so she could get away with murdering her gay boyfriend and his partner." Ray punched the steering wheel again. "She still hasn't been found. She's still running around free and she killed two people."

Fraser understood the need to find a killer. His own search for his father's killer had taken him thousands of miles from home. And he imagined, as dedicated an officer that Ray was, on Ray's days off, he was still working the cold case on his own time.

"What about you? What's been your hardest case?" Ray stared at Fraser, feeling like he just bared his soul to his friend.

"Victoria." One word and Fraser was back on that train platform. Snow was falling and so was he. "She's been my most difficult case." Fraser could feel the bullet pressing into his spine. He turned his attention out the window and away from the present. "No case has affected my personal life in more ways than hers. And she's still out there too."

"One day, Frase." Ray squeezed his friend's shoulder. "One day, we'll get them both."

Opening the coffee carafe, Ray poured himself and Fraser another round of coffee.

Fraser accepted the mug gratefully and inhaled the aroma. He normally preferred tea over coffee, but Ray made the best tasting coffee he had ever had in his life. He blew across the top and took a sip. "This is very good, thank you kindly, Ray."

"You're welcome. Just don't tell anyone my secret ok. I put a handful of M&M's in the canister when I first open it." He winked at Fraser and knew his secret was safe. "God, do you think these guys are ever going to show?" He snorted when Fraser shook his head doubtfully. "Yeah, me either. Okay, my turn." Ray laced his fingers together over the steering wheel and cracked them loudly. "What career path would you have taken if you hadn't followed in your dad's footsteps and become a Mountie?"

Fraser tilted his head while thinking. "Well, my grandparents were librarians but I can't say that I would have taken over the library. Although, I loved spending time there, don't get me wrong. And I learned a lot from the many books I read over the years. But, I would much rather prefer being outside in the fresh air and open spaces."

Ray grinned. "Yeah, I can see that about you. Maybe a guide or something like that." Fraser nodded in agreement. "Me… I think I would have liked to have been a professional rock climber, if there is such a thing." Ray laughed at Fraser's perplexed expression again. "I know I've always said I take one step outside the city and I come down with a rash, but that's not true at all. That's just a lie I've told myself for so long that it has started to feel like the truth."

"I don't understand." Fraser sat bewildered at his friend's confession. "Why would you tell yourself such a lie if you know that would enjoy it?"

"Coping mechanism I suppose. See, my dad wasn't crazy about the idea of me dropping out of school, passing up the opportunity for what he called a real education. What do you think he would have thought of me becoming a rock climber? At least I'm doing something that hopefully will one day make him proud of me."

"And rock climbing, what about that? Have you ever attempted it?" Fraser questioned, curious about this side of his friend he knew nothing about.

"Yeah, took off for a few months and learned how after I dropped out of school. Then I knew I had to do something to make my dad proud. So, I sold myself on the lie that the outdoors was trying to kill me."

"You sacrificed something you loved for the love of your father. That's a hard thing to do. Your dad must be very proud of the man you've become." It wasn't a question, but more a matter of fact. "Next time I go North, I'd like you to come with me. There are a lot of rock formations I've always wanted to climb, but never knew anyone to show me the way."

"I'd like that."

The two men sat quietly for some time, pondering each other's previous questions. It was Ray who finally broke the silence.

"You ever been lonely?" He stole a glance at Fraser before turning back to the direction of the warehouse. "You know, especially when you're the new guy and you get that strange feeling that you don't quite fit in with everyone around you. You get that funny butterfly fluttering thing in the pit of your stomach, somewhere between wishing someone would talk to you and being almost afraid that they actually will…" Ray's voice dropped off and he became silent.

A sad smile tugged on the corners of Fraser's lips. "I thought I was the only one who felt like that."

"No, you're not." Ray sat straighter in his chair and turned his attention towards Fraser. "But since I've met you, I'm not quite so lonely anymore." He offered his friend a warm smile.

Fraser gave him a warm smile in return. "Neither have I."

Headlights in the distance put the two men on instant full alert.

"Looks like we're gonna have to finish this game later. Looks like the gang's just pulling up." Ray checked the clip of his gun and turned off the safety. "You ready?"

"I have one more, quick question…" Fraser pulled on Ray's elbow as he reached for the door handle. "But it can wait until later."

The gesture stopped Ray's movements quickly. He stared into Fraser's deep blue eyes and saw something he hadn't seen there before. "Okay…, I'll hold you to that."

Three hours after they arrest the Coleman brothers and the members of the local gang, Ray and Fraser finally made it back to Ray's apartment for some much needed food and a refueling of coffee. Ray readied the coffee pot as Fraser took off his jacket and leaned against the kitchen bar.

"Hey, you said before we left the car, you had one more question. You still want to ask it or we done with that game?" Ray pulled two mugs out of the cupboard and a few M&M's out of a canister on the counter, adding them to his mug.

Fraser tugged on his ear and ran a knuckle across his eyebrow, a tell-tail sign he was suddenly nervous. "I uh… was wondering…" Fraser coughed and cleared his throat, trying to work through his nerves. "Do you find me attractive?"

Ray was across the kitchen in two swift strides. He placed both hands on either side of Fraser's face, pulling him in for a fierce kiss. Fraser's parted his lips, allowing Ray's eager tongue entrance. When they finally broke the heated kiss, Ray leaned his forehead against Fraser's and breathed in his scent.

"You should have asked that question first, Ben."

"So, is that a 'yes'?