Authors note: This is a sequel to butterfly ghost's 'Free to Good Home'. I hope you all enjoy! Please let me know what you think of the puppy's name

Fraser held up one of the fuzzy puppies and it wiggled in his hands trying to get away. He smiled at the playful canines attempting to climb all over his legs as he sat on the floor in the Vecchio living room. "Are you sure you want me to have one?"

"Of course, Benny. These puppies are part Diefenbaker. He should have one of his babies at home with him. Besides, it's spring time up there in Canada now, right? Dief can teach it how to hunt…"

Fraser cocked his head at his friend and laughed. "Diefenbaker... hunt? You must have him mistaken with another wolf. You thought he was lazy here? Ray spoils him even more back home. Although… he would never admit that to anyone. Dief is getting on in years and it would be nice to have a part of him still around." Fraser held the squirming puppy up to his face and nuzzled it. "You want to come live with us up in the Canada?"

"Hey, where is Ray anyway? I thought he was coming with you on this trip. Stella wanted to say hello, as did the rest of the Vecchio clan."

"Well, it being spring time in the Yukon, a lot of the local residents have been taking advantage of Ray's mechanical skills. Seems everyone is asking Ray for help getting their gardens prepared to plant. He's fixed about everyone's roto-tillers at least once since he has been up there with me. I wasn't planning on being gone long anyway. He stayed with Dief so we wouldn't have to keep him in quarantine." Fraser set the puppy on the floor and picked up another one.

"So, he fits in up there? Everyone likes him?" Vecchio asked, trying to hide the jealousy that was creeping to the surface. Benny was his friend and it felt as if Kowalski had taken him away.

"Yes, the locals all like Ray. There are a few that try to give him a hard time about his relationship with me, but it's none of their business. He's doing quite well, adapting to the vast differences he faces compared to Chicago."

"That's good…"

"Ray…" Fraser looked at his friend as he held his own puppy, 'Jefferson'. "People aren't interchangeable like snowmobile parts. My relationship with him is different than mine with you. He will never replace you as my best friend. What I share with him is on a different level than what you and I share. You will always have a place in my life. And if I take a puppy home, in a sense you will be up there in the Yukon with us."

"Oh… you're taking a puppy. If I have to deal with potty training, Kowalski's going to have to deal with it as well. And it will be nice… knowing that you will have one of them… just seems right."

"Well, how about we take this one? If he's not spoken for already." Fraser picked up a fuzzy white puppy that had patches of tan throughout its fur. Its crisp blue eyes reminded Fraser of Diefenbaker.

"Funny you picked that one, Benny, that's the one I picked out as well for you." Ray smiled at his friend and clapped him on the shoulder. "You gonna name him or let Stanley?"

"Ray, you know he hates it when you call him that."

"I know, but he isn't here, is he? Look, I don't do it to his face… anymore." Vecchio shrugged. "Can't help myself, Benny."

"Fair enough. I think I will let Ray name him when I get him home. We will call and let you know what it is, of course."

"Listen, you go do whatever errands it is you have to do while you are here and I'll keep the mini fur-face until you can pick him up to take him home."

"Thank you kindly, Ray."

Fraser ran his errands at the Canadian Consulate and returned to take his puppy home. He gave his friend a warm hug and thanked him for the gift of one of Diefenbaker's pups. He made his way to the airport, got the puppy situated and boarded his plane for home and Ray.

Ray met him at the airport with a hug and a fierce kiss. "God, I missed you, Ben."

Fraser melted into Ray's embrace. It was always good to come home. "And I you, Ray." He returned Ray's kiss with a longing to be home already and not at the airport. Fraser broke the kiss and grinned. "I have a surprise for you, but you're going to have to wait until tomorrow to get it."

Ray grinned from ear to ear. "What kind of surprise, Ben?"

"It wouldn't be a surprise if I told you, now would it? Come on, let's go home."

Ray drove Fraser home and waited anxiously for his surprise to arrive the following day. Fraser was torturing him by not telling.

Morning dawned and Ray awoke to an empty bed. 'Figures…Fraser would be up already. He never rests.' Ray crawled out of bed and got dressed. He made his way towards the scent of coffee. 'Ben knew him so well'.

He poured himself a cup of coffee, stirred in his M&M's and found Fraser sitting on the living room floor with his back to him. Dief was resting his head on Fraser's lap. Ray heard a faint whimper and petted Dief's scruff. "Morning guys. Sleep well, Ben?" Ray stopped when he saw a tiny fur ball fall off Fraser's lap and scramble to get its tiny legs under itself. "Ben, what is that?"

Fraser picked up the small puppy and handed it to Ray. "This is your surprise. Apparently the last time we were in Chicago, Diefenbaker and Ante… well, they…"

"Hooked up?" Ray offered with a smirk. "It's a Diefenpoodle, Frase."

"Apparently so, yes. Ray asked me when I was in Chicago if I wanted to bring one home with me."

"That was nice of him… let you have one of Dief's babies. Seems fitting doesn't it. It's not like Dief's a spring chicken anymore. Be good to have some young blood around here."

Dief let out a small growl at Ray and moved to the far side of Fraser.

"Well, you are getting up there in year's Dief… no use denying it. Maybe if you wouldn't have eaten all those doughnuts in Chicago…"

"Ray, you fed him the doughnuts."

"But it was his choice whether or not to eat them…"

"Never mind, get down here and say hello to the puppy." Fraser patted the floor next to him and Ray sat down and the puppy wobbled over to his lap. "What should we name him?"

"Oh, I figured you already had a name picked out."

"No, I wanted to wait for you. Pick one out together. Ray named his puppy 'Jefferson'."

Ray laughed at the thought of Vecchio with his own puppy. "He knows he has to take care of the thing, right? It won't feed and bathe itself."

"I'm sure he will be just fine. He was actually worried about your abilities with the puppy."

"Mine? I know how to take care of a dog."

"I think he was just being jealous that you get to be up here with me and not him. So, what about a name for this little guy?"

Ray looked at the puppy struggling to climb onto his lap. He lifted it up and rubbed behind its ears. The small pup circled around and settled in Ray's lap and fell asleep. Ray thought about his partnership with Fraser and how it had changed over the years. He looked over to his partner, 'in more ways than one', and kissed Fraser's lips.

Dief had moved closer and was nuzzling the sleeping puppy with his nose.

"What do you think of 'Liaison'?"

"It's perfect, Ray."

Fraser pet Dief's head and Ray rubbed the puppy's fur while it slept. "Welcome home, Liaison."