Radio Free Roscoe fic – Jumpy Jr.

A/N: This is set after Clark Kent. While you're reading, remember that I wrote this way early into the show and I didn't have characterization down yet. And if you don't like Ray/Lily, don't bother reading. It's a very fluffy R/L fic. Enjoy!

***

Lily walked through the squeaking door into the station only to find it empty. She frowned as she scanned the room until her eyes fell on a sign lying on the table. "'Good Luck…Ray'?" she whispered. She walked further into the room and suddenly slipped and fell backwards onto the floor.

When she was down, Lily was aware of the smell. It seemed familiar, and then she remembered. In the back of her mind she saw a picture of Ray handing her a gaudy green box. He had smelled like…well, like Ruddick's pond. The frog, she reminisced with a sigh. She had thought, well, hoped actually, that Ray had matured as much as she had in the past year. Unfortunately, he had proved her wrong today. How could he give me a dead frog? She replayed the scene in her mind, and realized with a pang… I shook the box. So maybe Ray…hadn't been playing a prank after all. Some of the doubt in her heart faded. Maybe there was some hope that Ray…

"Ugh," Lily groaned as she pulled herself up from the floor. Her stomach tied up in knots while her head spun in confusion. She groped in her purse until her hand clasped her cell phone. She pressed the 1st button on her speed dial and listened through 2 rings before she heard someone pick up the phone.

"Hello, Brennan residence."

"Hey, Mr. Brennan. This is Lily. Is Ray there?"

"No, Lily. He hasn't been home today, in fact."

With an inward sigh, Lily said, "Alright. Thanks anyway. Bye."

Though he rarely had it on, Lily dialed Ray's cell phone number. When it started ringing, she lifted her eyebrows in surprise.

"Hello?" Ray sounded surprised, too.

"Hey, Ray. It's…"

"Lily?" he cut her off. "I…uh…I mean, I was just playing a game while…and…"

Lily's eyes widened. Ray had never been flustered with her before. It was…strange. She decided not to call him on it. "So…where are you? I was wondering if we could talk or, I don't know, something."

"Really? I mean, yeah, that sounds cool. I can meet you in half an hour at…"

"I can just meet you where you are now. Just tell me where to go."

"No, no, I don't want you to go to any trouble or anything."

Lily scrunched her eyebrows. "Ray. You're hiding something from me. I can tell."

She heard him sigh through the phone. "Alright, fine. I'm at Ruddick's Pond."

Ruddick's…Pond? "What are you doing there?"

"Uh…" This was a sound Lily had gotten used to recently.

"Nevermind. I'll be there in 5." Lily quickly ended the call before he could protest. She needed the 5 minute walk over there to gather her thoughts.

***

5 minutes later, Lily had figured some things out but was still overwhelmed with everything that was going on. She rounded the corner and saw Ray sitting under a tree, staring into space. He couldn't see her, so she walked behind the tree and crept up behind him. She put her hands over his eyes and he jumped before relaxing. "Guess who?"

"Robbie?" he smiled and turned toward Lily.

She laughed and sat beside him. "So…whatcha doin'?"

"I…uh, well," he picked up a familiar-looking box beside him and handed it to her. "I was gonna return your gift. I didn't think you wanted it."

When she lifted the lid off the box, she saw a perfectly healthy frog inside.

"I think you stunned him…remember? You shook the box before you opened it."

Lily turned and looked at him as he said this, and noticed he wouldn't make eye contact with her. She heard the frog ribbit at her before he jumped out of the box. "Oh!" she said in surprise before grabbing him and putting him back into it.

"See JJ? She's not so harsh once you get to know her."

Lily punched Ray on the arm lightly.

"OK, well, maybe a little." Now he turned his head and smiled at her. Making eye contact with him had never felt like this before.

"JJ?" she heard herself ask. Her voice didn't sound normal.

"Oh, yeah, Jumpy Jr."

"Aww," she said as she capped the box and set it aside. "that's so sweet, Ray!" She wrapped him in a tight hug before she could convince herself not to.

Even though it was unusual to her, she knew that what she was feeling was real, especially when her face heated up. She liked Ray, plain and simple.

"Lily?" Ray's voice cracked. Lily pretended not to notice. She pulled back out of their hug smoothly. "I've been wanting to tell you something and…"

"Yeah, same here. Why don't we go to…your house?"

"Oh yeah, right. My dad will wonder where the screaming's coming from."

"What?" Lily asked. Ray mumbled the last part, and Lily wasn't sure what he said. She thought she heard something about screaming but that couldn't have been it.

"Nothin'. Nevermind. Hey, so, I know we've been friends for like…practically forever and…" he stopped and smacked his forehead. "I just, uh, I really li…"

Before Ray could stammer any longer, Lily cut him off with what the two of them were least expecting. Suddenly she was kissing Ray. Her first kiss. And it felt so right. Within 2 seconds, though, he had jumped back. A lead weight seemed to drop into Lily's stomach.

The wide-eyed stare she received from Ray scared and disappointed her. "Wow. Where did that come from?"

Lily let her hand go up to her mouth idly. "I…should…get home." She jumped up and prepared to bolt.

"Lily! Wait!" Ray grabbed her arm and when she turned around his face was 3 inches from hers. She inhaled deeply and in a split second Ray was kissing her.

They spent the next hour or so talking about everything that had happened in the last year and it was pitch dark before they realized it. "Whoa." Lily looked at her watch. "It's almost 9 o'clock."

"Really? Well come on, I'll walk you home." Ray offered Lily his hand once he was on his feet.

As Lily took his hand and stood to walk with him, she wondered if her smile would ever go away.