This is a sequel to my story 'Welcome Home' although it can easily be read as a stand alone. Thanks to Rubberducky100 for inspiration, for being my friend and for keeping me going when it looked like this story was never going to end! I hope you enjoy it.

Moving On

Chapter 1

"So, er, ya don't think there's anythin' wrong with my sperm then?" Ray Kowalski tried to speak quietly, but the urgency in his voice still rose over the muted conversations of the people sitting at adjacent tables in the hospital cafe.

Dr Helen Morrell laughed. "Do you want to say that a bit louder? I don't think Dr Soleil heard you!" She nodded over to the elderly medic sitting by the door.

Ray blushed hard. "Sorry," he replied, "it's just..."

"Ray it's OK," Helen assured him, "I don't think anyone heard." Ray breathed a sigh of relief. "Ray, I really think it's far too soon for you to be worrying about this," Helen continued, "you and Maggie have been trying for a baby for...what, three months now?"

Ray nodded. "But I kinda hoped that it woulda happened by now? I'm sure there's somethin' wrong with, er, with me. I mean, when I was with Stella we had a few, y'know, accidents and she never got pregnant. Mind you, she woulda probably killed me if she had!"

Helen smiled. She was used to Ray's insecurities by now. It had been almost a year since she'd first met him and his best buddy Benton Fraser and her life had never been the same. She'd fallen head over heels in love with Ben and now they spent most of their time living at Helen's house in town, although Ben still had his father's cabin out in the wilderness. Ray and Maggie McKenzie, Ben's sister, had been together long enough to have decided to start a family, but Ray...being Ray...was blaming himself for their lack of immediate success.

"Three months is not nearly long enough to start hitting the panic button," Helen explained, "and worrying about it isn't going to help either."

Ray sighed. "I just feel like I'm failin' her?"

"You're not failing her!" Helen exclaimed. "Look, if we're sat here in another, say nine or ten months time having this conversation then we'll think about starting to run some tests, but you do realise that if there is a problem, which we have no reason to believe at the moment that there is, then it's equally as likely to be Maggie's problem?"

Ray shook his head. "No way, she's perfect," he insisted. Then his head dropped onto the table with a thud and he let out a growl of frustration.

"Ray, listen to me," said Helen, authoritatively, "you need to try to relax, stop worrying about this, otherwise you really won't get anywhere with it. Maybe you and Maggie should go away for a long weekend or something? Take yourselves away from the stresses of work and everyday life and just enjoy yourselves for a few days? It often works in situations like this."

"Really?" Ray lifted his head and frowned, "D'ya think it could be that simple?" He thought about it for a moment. "Y'know, every time we, er, go to bed it's like I feel, um, like this pressure, or somethin', um, like I gotta get it right this time."

"It doesn't sound very romantic to me," noted Helen, raising her eyebrows.

Ray shook his head sadly. "Nope," he agreed, "and then, well, then sometimes I, er, I can't..." He trailed off and sighed. He'd never had any problems in bed before and it was beginning to drive him crazy.

Helen understood what he was trying to say. She reached out and squeezed his forearm affectionately. "It's OK," she smiled reassuringly, "I'm almost certain its all down to this pressure that you've piled on yourself."

Ray forced himself to grin. "Yeah," he said, "I'm sure you're right."

"Of course I am!" she grinned back, "Trust me, I'm a doctor."

Ray laughed at the old cliché.

"I have a leaflet in my office that gives you more advice and ideas, I'll get one for you," offered Helen.

"Thanks," replied Ray.

"And I'm sure the Inuit must have a remedy, why don't you ask Ben?" suggested Helen with a twinkle in her eye. She knew what his answer would be already.

"No way!" exclaimed Ray.

"But I thought you guys could talk about anything?" continued Helen, teasingly.

"Yeah, anythin' except me havin' sex with his sister," replied Ray, laughing and getting to his feet. "I gotta go, my break was over five minutes ago. Thanks Hel."

"Any time Ray," she replied earnestly, "I should go too, I'm in surgery later." She stood up as well and they quickly embraced, sharing a quick peck on the cheek. "I'll get you that leaflet," Helen reiterated as Ray turned to go, but he hadn't got very far when he had to stop suddenly to avoid a flash of red that had appeared through the door.

"Ah there you both are," Benton Fraser was in full uniform as usual. Helen still couldn't help catching her breath. He was the most beautiful man she'd ever seen and his heart belonged to her.

"I've just heard from Ray," continued Fraser excitedly, "he and Stella have landed safely at Yellowknife. Greg Bureski is going to fly them up when he does the supply run so they should be here this evening, isn't that good news!"

"Greatness," mumbled Ray, sarcastically, "just when I thought my day couldn't get any better." As much as he was happy that his ex-wife had found happiness, he still wished that it wasn't with his best buddy's other best buddy and former partner, Ray Vecchio. He was OK with it really he supposed, but he was more OK with it when they were thousands of miles away in Florida and not coming to visit them in Inuvik. He stomped off without saying another word.

Fraser watched him go with a frown etched across his brow. He turned back to Helen. "Is something wrong with Ray?"

"He's fine," Helen smiled, "he's just got a few things on his mind, that's all."

"I'm sorry, did I interrupt anything?" Fraser asked.

"No, we were finished," replied Helen.

Fraser's frown turned into a look of concern. "Is everything alright?" He asked, "I mean, there's nothing wrong with Ray is there?"

"He's not sick, if that's what you're asking," she smiled.

Fraser started to breathe a sigh of relief, but before he'd finished his eyes widened and he felt terribly guilty. "Of course you couldn't tell me, even if he was," he said, "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have put you in that position."

Helen laughed at his seriousness. "It's OK Ben," she reassured him, "Ray's fine and my medical ethics are still intact."

Fraser smiled. "It's just that I want everything to go well for Ray and Stella's visit, I think I may be suffering from mild anxiety."

"Hey, I do the diagnosing around here," laughed Helen. "Although in this case I agree with your diagnosis and I prescribe a massage to relieve your tension...later." She winked seductively at him.

Fraser felt a surge of electricity through his whole body. His throat was suddenly dry and he ran his index finger around the starched collar of his tunic. "I'll look forward to it," his voice came out a little higher pitched than normal.

Helen laughed and stole a quick kiss from those beautiful Mountie lips as Fraser stood frozen with embarrassment. They may well be lovers, living together as a married couple and it was no secret to anyone, but still Fraser was uncomfortable with public displays of affection. Helen had learnt a long time ago not to take it personally. "I should be back before they arrive," she said, picking up her purse, "but I'll call if I get caught up in anything here."

"Likewise," replied Fraser, having regained control of his faculties. He couldn't wait to see his old friend again. It had been far too long.

XxX

"Sip this slowly," Fraser handed Stella Kowalski a glass of water as he spoke, "and take some deep breaths," he added, studying her with mild concern as he stood in the living room of the house he shared with Helen.

"Thanks," replied Stella, "I'm so sorry Fraser," she added quietly.

"Please, there's no need to apologise," Fraser insisted with a wave of his hand.

"You'll see the funny side in the morning," laughed Ray Vecchio, rubbing his fiancée's back slowly from his position next to her on the sofa, "we haven't seen Benny in over a year and the first thing you do is barf on his boots."

"You'll be fine as soon as your balance has readjusted," Fraser reassured her.

"Flying has never affected me like this before," said Stella who was starting to feel a little better now.

"You've never been on a small plane before though have you?" Ray pointed out. Stella shook her head. "Last time me and Benny were on a plane like that," continued Ray, "it crashed and I wound up carrying Benny here through the woods and..."

"Ray I'm sure Stella would prefer to go to bed rather than hear that story," interrupted the slightly embarrassed Mountie.

"I've heard that whole story before," Stella snapped, pausing to take another deep breath before adding. "Several times. How Ray single handedly saved your life and stopped the criminal..."

"I don't remember it being quite like that?" Fraser interrupted her, frowning at Ray.

"Well you did have a head injury," Ray pointed out.

Fraser was just about to say something in his defence when Stella spoke up again, keen to stop her soon to be husband from embarrassing himself with his over exaggerated tales of bravado. "I would really like to go to bed," she said. "Please apologise to Helen for me, I'll look forward to meeting her in the morning.

"Of course," said Fraser, picking up the two largest bags that Ray and Stella had arrived with, "I'll show you to the spare room."

Ray took a moment to survey Helen's house. It was nice to finally see Benny living in a proper home, one with furniture, curtains, pictures on the wall and photographs in frames and even a television. Ray couldn't help smiling at that.

Fraser returned a few moments later and Ray was still smiling. "It's good to see you again Benny," he said warmly.

"Likewise," replied Fraser, "it appears that we both have a lot to catch up on. Stella's engagement ring is beautiful by the way, you clearly have an eye for diamonds."

"Um," Ray considered lying to his old friend for a brief second, but instead he laughed. "Actually it's not the one I picked out for her, we had to take that one back and exchange it...she really hated it!" He paused in amusement at the slightly startled look on Fraser's face. "It's OK Benny, I didn't mind at all, I just want to make her happy, whatever it takes."

Fraser nodded. "That is an excellent sentiment Ray."

"Believe me, it's not easy sometimes," Ray continued, grinning, "but boy it's fun trying! She is the most incredible woman I've ever met, she knows what she wants and she goes for it. You gotta love that in a woman, a bit of fire inside her, y'know?"

"Indeed," replied Fraser, pleased to see his friend so content with his life.

"And hey, I give as good as I get!" shrugged Ray, still grinning. "We have the occasional fight, but...I don't know...it's kind of exciting? That sounds wrong, I don't mean I like fighting with her, but...well I really look forward to making up, if you know what I'm sayin'!"

Fraser blushed and cleared his throat, nodding profusely. Of course he knew exactly what Ray was referring to.

Ray laughed harder now, "You haven't changed," he smiled, slapping Fraser affectionately on the back. "I guess me and Stella were made for each other, that's what I'm trying to say, it all feels so right. Stella wouldn't want a guy who's a walkover would she?"

"I imagine not," agreed Fraser.

"Talking of which, where is Stanley? And I want to meet that sister of yours too," said Ray with a slight frown.

Fraser frowned too. "You know perfectly well that he goes by Ray," he reprimanded his friend, choosing to over look Ray Vecchio's dig at Stella's ex husband's personality. Ray Kowalski was certainly no walkover, but he and Stella had never really been right together for a number of reasons and they'd allowed their marriage to go on far too long after it had become so damaging. That had caused a lot of hurt for both of them, although now they were both happy with new partners, Fraser hoped that they could put all of that behind them.

The two Rays had only met briefly before, just before Fraser and Ray Kowalksi had left Chicago for Canada and they had never really seen eye to eye. Fraser hoped that his two best friends could learn to get along now. It really meant a lot to him.

Fraser tried to persuade Ray to drink some bark tea, but even after all this time he still steadfastly refused to try it, so instead he made his old friend some of Helen's coffee and they sat and drank and talked. Ray loved hearing Fraser talk about his new found life of domestic bliss. Of course he was still Fraser, he still got into all kinds of bizarre and crazy situations, invariably dragging Ray Kowalski with him. Ray Vecchio couldn't help but be jealous of that, as much as he used to grumble and moan his way through all of the adventures he and Fraser used to have in Chicago, he wouldn't have changed one minute of any of them for the world. Well, perhaps one or two minutes of them, he conceded. Now Kowalski was having all the fun.

"I certainly didn't expect to meet anyone like her," Fraser admitted, smiling as he talked about Helen. "I never expected any of this." He looked around at the place he called home. Maybe his priorities had changed now, he thought, he never realised he could let someone into his life, into his heart and feel so enriched.

"As long as she's treating you right," nodded Ray.

"Well she hasn't tried to kill me yet if that's what you mean," replied Fraser, dryly.

"Sorry," Ray felt instantly guilty, he hadn't meant to bring up the subject of Victoria, but he realised that's exactly what he meant.

"It's quite alright," Fraser managed a small smile, "I think I may finally be overcoming those demons. Helen has allowed me to feel, um...well, she's allowed me to feel...and that's something I haven't been able to do properly for a long time."

Ray couldn't help but wish he could overcome his own personal demons regarding Victoria and everything that had happened. He didn't think he'd ever be able to forgive himself for shooting his best friend in the back. Ray put his hand on Fraser's shoulder and squeezed it affectionately. "Hey Benny," he laughed, "we're not getting all mushy here, are we?"

Fraser laughed too and clapped his hand over the top of Ray's. "Of course not," he said and then added. "It is good to see you again my friend."