"Frase, I'm home." Ray scanned the living room quickly, looking for his partner. "Where are you?" He noticed the clean floor and mentally scolded himself for neglecting to clean it up and leaving it to Fraser. Placing the bag of Chinese food on the kitchen counter, he dug through it until he located the eggrolls. His stomach growled when the aroma of the food entered his nose. He closed his eyes, savoring the first quick bite. "Ben?" he called again, glancing through the apartment. "Sorry it took so long," he told the silent room. "We had an uh… issue. Didn't we fur-face?" The wolf whined at his feet. "No," Ray shook his finger in Dief's line of sight. "You, my friend, are officially cut off from people food. Go eat your kibble."

Fraser heard Ray and Diefenbaker in the living room and remained motionless on the bed. The offending letter still gripped firmly in his sweaty fingers. He was pale and shaking, beads of sweat dotting his forehead. He felt as if he could throw up again, but knew there was nothing left.

"Ben? You know your wolf has some issues we may need to start addressing," Ray said as he made his way through the apartment. He appeared in the doorway of the bedroom, his keys dangled from one hand as he bit into the eggroll. He took one look at Fraser and was instantly concerned. "Hey, are you okay? What's wrong?" Ray noticed the sweat glistening on Fraser's forehead and his trembling body and made an instant decision. "That's it. I'm taking you to the hospital." He was halfway to Fraser and stopped his advancement when Fraser held up the letter.

"When were you going to tell me?" Fraser's voice was quiet, barely above a whisper and devoid of all emotion.

"Fuck…" Ray was at a loss for words. "Ben… I was, honest."

"When, Ray?" Anger seeped into his words. "When he showed up on our doorstep with a pizza?"

"No, Ben… I…" Ray paused, unsure how to explain himself. His earlier idea of hiding the letter from his partner shattered the bond of trust they shared. Ray instantly hated himself. "What were you doing in my bag anyway?" he asked defensively.

"Trying to clean up after you, like always. I have to do everything around here to keep things in order. You said you were going to clean up the floor, but no… I ended up doing it myself."

"I got distracted, Ben…"

Fraser huffed as he stood forcefully. "Distracted? There was a slimy mess all over the floor. How could you be distracted from that? You had to walk over it to leave."

"Oh, so that's how it's going to be?" Ray folded his arms and stood his ground as Fraser inched closer. "Now you have to pick up after me?"

"That's how it is. The bread crumbs on the counter top, the toothpaste in the sink, your socks littering the floor." Fraser poked a finger into his partner's chest. "I just never saw it before. I've been blinded by what I thought was a partnership." Fraser added emphasis on the last word.

"Why does everything have to be 'your way'?" Ray pushed back. "What's wrong with 'my way'?"

"Because 'my way' makes sense." Venom filled Fraser's rising voice. Ray took a step backwards. Fraser had never come at him like this before with such animosity. "'Your way'… 'your way' leads to smelly towels and gym bags where they shouldn't be and chow Mein all over the floor. And let's not forget about me almost breaking my neck." Fraser hesitated as a thought struck him. What if Ray had done it deliberately? Left his bag where he knew he would trip over it.

"I was going to tell you, Ben." Ray tried to keep his voice calm. He needed to diffuse his angry partner soon before one of them said something they would regret and couldn't take back.

"You were going to tell me? Before or after you went undercover?" Fraser didn't try to hide the anger he was feeling. He fought with his inner demons. Maybe Ray was trying to keep him weak and helpless. Maybe that was how Ray dealt with feeling needed. Maybe it was all a game Ray was playing with him, toying with his vulnerability. He mentally scolded himself. 'No, Ray loves me, he wouldn't hurt me. Or was this his way of controlling me? No! Ray wouldn't do that… we're partners, a duet. Dear Lord, what is wrong with me? I know he loves me.'

Ray was quiet, processing Fraser's outburst and digging for an explanation within himself. "I don't know…"

"You don't know?" Fraser asked angrily. "You didn't think it was important that I knew? How do think I would have felt if you'd waited nearly a month to tell me? What if I ran into him on the street, Ray? How do you think I would have reacted?" Fraser paused and studied his partner closely. "How long have you known about this, Ray? Did you know before we went to the cabin? Is that why you suggested the trip?"

"No… I didn't know. I just…" Ray stammered, unable to form a coherent thought around Fraser's venom.

Fraser cut him off abruptly. "That man has been walking around free for weeks and you never told me." Fraser's enraged voice startled Ray. "I still wouldn't have known had I not gotten rid of your smelly towel. I want to know why? Why did you hide this from me?" Fraser was fuming and volatile, pushing his finger once again into Ray's chest.

Ray took a step forward, becoming irate himself.

Another notion entered Fraser's mind when Ray stepped into his personal space. 'What if Jimmy and Ray are in this together? They used to be good friends. What if they were working together to hurt me? NO!' "Why would you keep something like this from me? I thought we were in this together, Ray. No secrets." Hurt now replaced anger and Fraser searched his partner's blue eyes for any form of explanation.

"God, Fraser… shut up and let me try and explain."

"Alright then… I'm all ears." Fraser took two steps back and sank onto the king sized bed behind him. He flinched, gingerly rubbing the forgotten ache out of his shoulder.

"I didn't want you to worry about Jimmy knowing that I wasn't going to be around to protect you." Ray began to justify his actions.

"You don't think I'm capable of protecting myself? Well I am. Thank you kindly." Sarcasm dripped from Fraser's words.

"Come on Ben, quit being so fucking literal. You know what I mean. I care about you and I know what that asshole tried to do to you." Ray reached a hand out to Fraser. "I didn't know until I got the mail today. That's when I found out he's been released. I… I don't know, I freaked, okay?" Turning on his heels, he tossed his keys onto the top of his dresser. They bounced off the rim of the bowl he was aiming for and fell behind the dresser. Ray turned his attention back to a very silent, yet angry Fraser. He shoved his hands deep in his pockets and began pacing in front of the bed. "I wasn't sure how to deal with it." Stopping, he turned to face Fraser. "I didn't know how you would deal with it. So, I chose to not tell you." Ray reached his arms out, attempting to pull Fraser close but was met with resistance. He was taken aback. Ben had never denied his touch before. "I'm sorry, it was wrong to hide it from you." Lowering his head, he quietly added, "I don't know why I didn't tell you. Maybe it's because I'm scared… scared of the memories it will bring back that we worked so hard to get rid of. Maybe if I hid it, it wouldn't be true." Ray stepped closer to his partner and touched his face carefully. "Ben, I didn't do it to hurt you. You gotta believe that, after everything we've been through together."

Some of Fraser's built up frustration and anger dissipated with Ray's gentle touch. He leaned into the smooth hand on his face as Ray's slender fingers brushed his cheekbone.

"Why are you sweating? Are you hurting? It's your shoulder isn't it?" Ray asked concerned for his partner.

"I'm fine. Forget about my shoulder." Fraser's closed his eyes, drawing in Ray's warmth.

"Take a look at yourself, you're not fine. God between you and Dief the last two days, I think I may be the only sane one. Fine my ass," he muttered, withdrawing his hand. He turned towards the dresser to locate his fallen keys.

"Ray…" Fraser's ice blue eyes popped open. The words he had been forming on his lips disappeared and the only word he could remember was Ray's last one 'ass'. He looked at his partner's body as he felt lust well up within him. All other thoughts and feelings were blocked by a pure, overwhelming desire. Fraser suddenly laughed, "And what a fine ass it is," his demeanor flipped instantly from angry to flirtatious. He cocked his head, stealing a glance at Ray's backside.

Ray dropped his keys into the bowl on his dresser and spun around. "What is wrong with you? You were just about to rip my head off a few seconds ago. Were you not just yelling at me for not telling you about Jimmy?" Ray was completely confused by Fraser's change in behavior.

"I know, I… why are we fighting again?" Fraser reached his right arm out to Ray. "Come here. Because…" Fraser hesitated and stared at his partner, his eyes clouded over with desire.

"Because… what, Frase?" Ray eyed his lover suspiciously on their bed. He noted Fraser's bulge in his jeans that he was not working on concealing. "Ben, you're doing it again."

"Doing what?" Fraser asked innocently.

"Trying to distract me…" Ray felt his pulse quicken at Fraser's touch. "God… and it works every time."

"I don't know what you are talking about." Fraser expressed again, gripping Ray's hips firmly on either side.

"You do this when you want to avoid the elephant in the room. You distract me with sex. I know it's hard to face the fact that that asshole is out of jail and there's nothing we can do about it. But ignoring it doesn't just make him go away either. He crossed the line in a major way." Ray shivered at Fraser's intimate touch. "God stop with your hands. I'm trying to talk to you here."

"I don't want to spend the rest of my life in fear of him." Fraser dropped his head backwards, exposing his neck. "Why are we still focusing on Jimmy? I'd much rather focus on us. You go do your assignment and then you come home."

"And what if he tries something and I'm not here?" Ray asked trying to resist the urge to attach his lips to Fraser's neck.

"I can look after myself, Ray. I am a trained police officer as you well know. I know what he is capable of and I won't let my guard down."

"You're also too forgiving."

"He tried to kill you, I won't forgive that. But… I will forgive you for not telling me about the letter. Ray, I don't want to talk about Jimmy anymore. I want to…" Fraser ignored the tight pull of muscles in his shoulder and drew Ray's slender body closer.

Ray's head fell forward when soft lips and warm breath met his stomach. He drew in a ragged breath when Fraser fingered the button to his jeans. "Ben…" Ray's breathing quickened as he laced his fingers around the back of his partner's head, holding him close.

"Yes, Ray?" Fraser dropped a kiss to Ray's groin.

"Ben… come on. You're hurt."

"I'll let you do all the work." Fraser whispered as he lifted Ray's shirt and pressed kisses around his naval.

"Fuck…" He tossed the forgotten eggroll in Dief's direction.

"Please…"

"How can you go from being angry to horny in a nano-second?"

"I don't know. You have that effect on me."

"Freak."

"Your freak." Fraser leaned back on the bed, pulling Ray down with him.

"Just promise me you will be careful and you will keep your eyes open for Jimmy lurking around." Ray said through broken kisses.

"I will. I'm not made of glass. I won't break. Now… come on, where were we?"

"I believe we were about to fuck." Ray slid his hands down Fraser's sides and squeezed his hip on the way to the button of his jeans. "I'm going to fuck you, Ben." He closed his eyes and began kissing Fraser's lips, leaving love bites along the way to his collarbone.

As Ray's hands touched him firmly and took control of his body, Fraser suddenly felt panicked. This had happened before, with… he frantically tried to get his thoughts clear but couldn't get his brain or body free. His police training went into autopilot as his fist drew back, seemingly of its own accord… and struck his attacker.

In a split second, Ray found himself lying flat on his back on the floor of their bedroom, stars dancing in his vision. He ran his fingers down his jawline checking for signs of damage. He shook his head and worked himself up on his elbows.

"What the fuck is wrong with you? You want to tell me what that was all about?" He sat up further and worked his jaw sideways, eyeing his partner on the bed cautiously. "What the hell is going on with you and the wolf?"

Fraser stared back at him with a fearful expression on his face. His eyes were unfocused and lost.

"Ben," Ray stood up slowly but remained rooted where he hit the floor. "What's going on?" There was no reaction from his partner. "Ben," he raised his voice, this time Fraser's eyes shifted from side to side, and then focused.

"What happened?" Fraser appeared confused and disorientated.

"That's what I'd like to know. I'm kissing you and the next thing I know, I'm flat on my ass on the floor. If you didn't want to have sex, why the hell where you initiating things? No need to beat the hell out of me."

"I hit you?" Fraser was shocked at the accusation.

"I didn't just fall on the floor by myself."

"God, Ray. I'm sorry, I don't know…" Fraser looked around the room and then back to his partner. "It was Jimmy."

"Excuse me?"

"What you said… how you kissed me."

Ray held his hand up. "Whoa, what are you talking about? What did he do to you?"

"I don't know, I don't remember everything."

"Something I did triggered a memory of him."

"You bit my lip." Running a finger over his lips, Fraser closed his eyes against the memory of Jimmy lying on top of him, kissing him, biting at his lips in the process.

"I bite your lips all the time and you've never reacted like that before."

Fraser scrubbed his hands over his face. "It's also what you said. He said the same thing to me before… before you showed up and saved me." He reached his hand out to Ray who was immediately by his side. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to hurt you. But it was like suddenly I was back on your bed, trapped beneath him… unable to move and I couldn't get free…and I finally had the strength to get him off me."

"I should have killed the bastard when I had the chance."

"You saved me, that's all that matters. I haven't thought of him for a long time and I guess knowing that he's out of prison and free to come and go as he pleases has me unsettled."

"It has to be some form of screw up. He got thirty five years, why would they let him out now?"

"I'd rather just put it behind us. If he's out legally, which it appears that he is, then there's nothing we can do about it. I can't let that scare me."

"I ever tell you how brave you are?"

Fraser shook his head. "I'm not brave."

"Yes you are. Let me call Welsh and have him assign someone else, Ben. I think I need to be home right now, with you… not hours away."

"No, don't please. Don't let this get in the way of your duty. I just… the letter was just a shock. And I reacted badly."

"Tell me about it. I beat the hell out of a punching bag at the gym." Ray rubbed at his bruised hand. Dief's underlying bite wasn't helping the ache from sparring at the gym.

Fraser took Ray's bandaged hand and kissed it lightly. "Yes, I can imagine. I don't know why I feel so… it's an aberration, Ray. I'll feel better in the morning."

"An aberr what?" His eyes crinkled as a smile replaced the concerned frown.

Fraser grinned at his partner's perplexed expression over his word choice. "An anomaly, a deviation to my normal behavior. I'm sorry, I'll try to not panic again."

"Can't you use words I can understand without requiring me to pull out the dictionary?"

"There's nothing wrong with using a dictionary once in a blue moon, Ray."

"Too bad I can't find it in all your organized books out there." Fraser tilted his head wondering where the book would be just as Ray pushed a hand into his chest stopping him from getting up and looking. "I'm just messing with you, Ben. It's right where you left it. You know I don't use that thing." Fraser relaxed under Ray's strong hands. Ray grew serious again. "You forgive me, for not telling you about the letter? You understand I didn't know how, right?"

"Yes, I forgive you. You forgive my reaction?"

"Absolutely." Ray ran a hand down Ben's cheek. "You sure you're okay? You're still sweaty and kinda shaky."

"I…" Fraser shook his head, not quite sure. "Yes, I'm okay. I think. I do feel a bit odd, but it's probably stress. I'll sleep it off and feel right as rain in the morning."

"If it's any consolation, I got the headache the size of Canada." Ray rubbed at his temples and pulled on his blonde spikes to relieve the pressure.

"Are you properly hydrated?"

Fraser's question was sincere and Ray couldn't help but be consumed by Fraser's concern for him when he was struggling himself. "No, don't even start with your natural cure-alls. I don't want any of your tap water."

"Milk then, perhaps some juice," Fraser offered an alternative.

"Coffee."

"Caffeine gives you headaches, Ray, and it will keep you up all night."

"Fine, sex then."

Fraser was hesitant to agree. "Oh…"

"I've read," Ray slapped his partner's arm playfully when he raised his eyebrows suspiciously. "Yes, Frase, I read things too. I've read that sex is often used as a headache reliever."

"The endorphins released certainly help relieve pain. It might be good for my shoulder." Ray rubbed Fraser's shoulder with strong fingers. "Or just a famous Kowalski massage will do the trick." Fraser sighed and let Ray work his magic.

"Better than any bottle of Tylenol, huh? Promise you're not going to knock me on my ass again?" Ray asked hesitantly.

"Yes, God I'm so sorry. Help me forget him tonight, Ray." Fraser pulled Ray close and lightly kissed his lips. "Let's make some new memories."

"Let me throw the food in the fridge and I'm all yours."

Ray woke up with a throbbing in his shoulder. He squeezed his eyes shut and rolled onto his other side, trying to ease the pain. He had dislocated his shoulder several months before while attempting to keep Fraser from falling off what he thought was a cliff. Turned out to be a drop of only ten feet. Nothing that would kill you, but Ray didn't know that at the time. He was eternally grateful for the Vicodin his doctor had prescribed. His shoulder had bothered him occasionally since the incident and he couldn't fathom the pain Ben had endured when he broke his arm in the accident a year ago. Ray shuddered at the thought of the metal rod that was now a permanent fixture in Fraser's upper arm. He had only seen him take his prescribed pain meds a few times and even then someone had to practically force them down his throat.

Ray groaned into his pillow, hoping not to wake up Fraser. He didn't tell Ben he had hurt himself when he was knocked to the floor and their nocturnal shenanigans later had left him with a few more aches than he cared to admit, even to himself. Ray suddenly felt old. He swept a hand across his eyes, dislodging the sleep, and opened them slowly. Ray allowed his eyes to adjust to the darkened room as he lay still in bed, rubbing at his shoulder. Even in the dark, he could see Fraser's side of the bed was empty.

Deciding he needed something for his shoulder, he flung his legs over the edge of the bed. The ache in his shoulder was more prominent now that he was moving and he let out a small groan. He made it to the bathroom without turning on any lights or tripping over anything for that matter. Rummaging through drawers and cupboards, he cursed when he couldn't find the bottle of Vicodin. Ray located the bottle of Tylenol and popped two into his mouth, swallowing them dry. He didn't like Fraser's tap water, even if it was just to swallow a couple of pills.

He made his way through the darkened apartment and found Fraser asleep on the couch. An icepack had slid down his injured shoulder and was resting in the crook of his arm. Fraser was hurt more than he was letting on and Ray couldn't help but feel it was his fault. First he had rammed Fraser's shoulder into the cabin door jamb, then Ben had fallen over his bag. He picked the icepack up and placed it back on Fraser's shoulder. A warm smile spread across his face. Ben meant the world to him. He pulled the afghan off the back of the couch and covered Fraser with it before heading back to bed himself.

When Ray woke up again, he was wrapped in Fraser's arms. When Ben had come back to bed, he wasn't sure. But with Ben's arms wrapped around him, he felt somewhat forgiven. He burrowed closer to the warm body next to him and let Fraser's strong heart beat lull him back to sleep.

Morning found Ray hovering over the coffee pot and Fraser busy in the bathroom getting ready for work. Ray was to leave in two days and Inspector Thatcher had Fraser booked solid at the Consulate, preparing to take over while she was on her own vacation. Ray was less than pleased. He wanted to spend the next two days working with his partner, but the Ice Queen out ranked him when it came to Fraser's schedule. He was sulking by the coffee pot when two red clad arms snuck around his waist.

"Good morning, Ray." Fraser nuzzled the crook of Ray's neck.

"I still don't understand why you can't spend part of the day with me." Ray sulked.

Fraser dropped a kiss to the back of Ray's neck and sighed. "Must we really go over this again? She's my boss, Ray. One of these days, you are going to have to accept that as fact and just get over it. May I have a cup of coffee please or are you guarding it for a particular reason?"

"Aren't we a little grouchy this morning?" Ray poured Fraser a cup and handed it over.

"Isn't that the pot calling the kettle black?" Fraser countered. "I'm sorry. I admit to being slightly irritable. I didn't sleep well last night."

"Yeah, me either. Your shoulder bothering you?" Ray stirred some chocolate into his own coffee and waited for Ben to answer.

Fraser shook his head. "No, it is feeling much better this morning. Why couldn't you sleep?"

"Oh… well," Ray tugged on his ear and averted his eyes. "I uh… I dreamt of Turnbull and Thatcher doing the nasty."

"Ray!" Fraser exclaimed, almost spitting his coffee on Ray. He squeezed his eyes shut against the visual. "That's… that's," Fraser paused and searched his unlimited vocabulary. "Well, that's just…"

"All kinds of wrong, I know. I think I threw up in my mouth when I woke up." Ray made a gagging noise and shook his head against the memory. "You want some toast?"

"I would appreciate that, thank you. I can't seem to shake this headache."

Ray filled a glass of water and gave it to Ben. "Here, nature's own cure all."

Fraser smiled at his partner's gesture. "Thank you, Ray." He took two swallows and stared at his partner still fuming over Inspector Thatcher's decision to keep him busy all day. He pulled Ray into his arms and pressed a kiss to his lips. "Have I told you lately how much I love you?"

"Hmmm," Ray thought with a smirk. "Not since last night." He returned the kiss and then drew his head back a few inches. "She knows I'm leaving for a few weeks, right? So why not let me have you for the next two days?"

"Ray, it will be good that the Inspector is going to be gone. It will give me extra work to focus on and help keep me from going stir crazy with you being away."

"Don't tell me she did it as a way of looking out for you because I don't buy that for one minute."

"If you're hinting that she is trying to keep us separated, I won't deny that the thought crossed my mind. But we will have our evenings together and you should be focused on learning your assignment anyway. What did you tell me? Three weeks…"

"You won't even miss me…" Ray lied with a crooked smile as he stole another kiss.

"More than you will ever know." Fraser returned the kiss and motioned for the door. "We should get going, or we both will be late. Diefenbaker, are you coming along today or are you sulking as well?"

The wolf barked in response and went and hid under the bed.

"I guess that means he's staying. He doesn't like the Ice Queen either." Ray smirked. "Can't say that I blame him."

"She does take some getting used to." Fraser added with a tug of a smile.

The two men stepped out into the hallway and pulled the door closed behind them. Fraser paused as he smelled the air around him.

"What's wrong? You look like you've seen a ghost all of a sudden." Ray was busy locking the door and didn't notice anything out of the ordinary.

"I don't know. There's a smell that I can't place. I smelled it yesterday when I came home as well, but I can't figure out why it's bothering me."

Ray shrugged his shoulders. "You can smell that but not the stinky guy on the plane?"

Halfway down the stairs, Fraser took hold of Ray's elbow, pulling him to a stop. "You don't think Jimmy's been here do you?" He looked around anxiously. "He smoked cigarettes, that's the smell in the hallway, Ray."

"Ben, come on. Lots of people smoke those cigarettes. The guy two doors down from us with the strange girlfriend, he smokes them. I'm sure it's coming from his place. You're just paranoid now that we know he's out."

They descended the stairs and stepped out into the morning sunshine. Fraser squinted and rubbed his forehead.

"You know, Ben. Maybe you should go see a doctor. You've had a headache for the past three days. That's not normal for anyone, especially you."

"I'll be fine. I'm fairly certain it is all stress related." He placed his Stetson firmly on his head and opened the car door.

Ray rubbed his chin. "Really? Maybe a meeting with Dr. Orn then. With Jimmy's release, it's probably not a bad idea to talk with the counselor. You know you can talk to me too, right?"

"No, I just need to focus on work and I will be okay. And of course I know I can talk to you." Fraser gave his partner a reassuring smile. "I suppose one session wouldn't hurt. I'm sure Diefenbaker will be all ears later to listen to me if I need to talk while you are gone as well. Your leaving is having a profound effect on him as well. He's more irritable than I am."

"That's a good idea." Ray looked away and covered his eyes with his sunglasses. "You know, especially after last night. You want me to come with you? To a session with Dr. Orn? I can rearrange my afternoon, I'm sure Welsh will understand."

"No, it's okay. There's no need for you to change your schedule. Come on or we are going to be late."

"Oh yeah, wouldn't want the Ice Queen mad at me."

"As if that is something new, Ray?"

"Gotta be a smart ass." Ray grumbled as he slid into the driver's seat and fired up the engine.

For the next two days, things were tense between Ben and Ray, as Ray prepared for his undercover role and Ben tried to bury himself in work. At times, Ray felt as if they were two ships passing in the night. Whenever Ray was about to steal a free moment with Fraser, the Ice Queen engaged him in yet another pointless meeting. Ray often found himself left standing alone and frustrated in the entry way to the Consulate. Turnbull would offer him an apologetic smile and then a freshly baked scone. God, he hated the Ice Queen.

Finally, on the last night before Ray was to leave, the tension became too much. After a quiet dinner with few words exchanged between the couple, Ray broke the dam of silence that had been building between them.

"I'm sick of this," Ray uttered as he pushed his chair back and tossed his dinner plate in the sink. The clattering startled Fraser and Ray grinned smugly. Finally, something to draw his partner's attention away from paperwork. "We've hardly seen each other, meeting after fucking meeting. God, all I want to do is spend some time with you and…"

"I know how you feel, Ray." Fraser gave him a quick glance and returned his attention back to the stack of papers before him.

"You do? Really? 'Cause you sure as hell ain't been showing it." Ray folded his arms and leaned heavily against the sink.

"I'm sorry. I've been finding myself somewhat consumed these past few days." Fraser pushed the lasagna around on his plate that Ma Vecchio had prepared for them while he flipped through the stack of papers. He continued on without looking at his partner. "Inspector Thatcher left me a mountain of paperwork that needs to be sorted through. You would think with the way she is constantly after Constable Turnbull and myself to complete our paperwork on time, she would be leading by better example."

"Well could you maybe focus a little? I leave tomorrow morning, Ben. You think I really want to hear about Thatcher and her unfinished paperwork?" Ray stared at the side of his partner's face and threw his hands up in the air in frustration when he got no response. He walked past Fraser still seated at the table and with a swift motion of his left hand, cleared the second stack of papers stacked neatly beside the pile Fraser was sorting through. "I fucking hate the Ice Queen." Ray didn't bother looking over his shoulder as the papers fluttered to the floor and he stormed off towards their bedroom.

Fraser sat in stunned silence as he watched his partner's retreating form. He pushed his chair back and started the slow process of arranging the papers as he picked them up off the floor, muttering to himself.

"You ever stop to think that maybe I need some reassurances that things will be okay?" Ray yelled from the bedroom. "Instead you're in there fiddling with the Ice Queen's fucking paperwork. Something she should have finished herself." Ray pulled his bag out of the closet and began shoving clean jeans into the opening. "Bet your vacation forms are in that stack somewhere. Hey, here's a thought… you can approve your own fucking time off."

Fraser dropped his head and sighed. Regardless of how distracted he was feeling, this was not the way he wanted to spend his last evening with Ray. He placed the papers onto the table and made his way to the bedroom. He leaned against the door frame, shifted his weight to his other side and studied his partner throwing clothing in a bag. "I'm sorry, Ray. I apologize for being distracted. Although, there was no need to throw my papers on the floor." He rubbed a knuckle across his eyebrow and moved to tug at his ear.

Ray turned and shot daggers in Fraser's direction. "Yeah, except they're not your papers, are they?"

"I'm sorry. I don't know what's wrong. I can't seem to concentrate…"

"Well, try… dammit." Ray stuffed a few shirts into his bag and went to his dresser to retrieve some boxers, clearly frustrated.

"I was trying. I find it soothing to do paperwork when I am… distracted." Fraser looked momentarily puzzled. He shook his head attempting to clear his thoughts. "And I'm feeling very distracted right now…"

"Well, what's it going to take to get your undivided attention? I need you tonight, Ben." Ray paused before he shoved another pair of socks into his bag.

"Perhaps we could close the windows. I'm finding the birds to be somewhat of a nuisance."

Ray snorted, breaking the mounting tension in the room. "You? Find the birds a nuisance? Fraser, what the hell is wrong with you?"

"I don't know," he rubbed his temples with both hands and cracked his neck. "Everything's very loud right now. Do you think you could refrain from shouting at me? I seem to have yet another headache." Fraser stretched his shoulders and kneaded the back of his neck with his strong fingers. "Ever since we've been home, I've been out of sorts. And I apologize that I'm not handling things as well as I should be."

Ray dropped his half packed bag to the floor and sank to the bed. "Yeah, I haven't exactly been helpful cutting down on the stress level either, with dropping the undercover bombshell on you and then you hurt yourself tripping over my stupid bag and the letter about Jimmy. I'm sorry too, for not making it easier. It's just…" Ray paused, watching Fraser intently. "It's all too much, Ben. Jimmy… the Ice Queen leaving all her shit for you to finish. God, why can't we just have two moments of peace to be together."

Fraser worked his way slowly towards his partner. He sank beside Ray on their king sized bed and turned his body so they were facing one another. He captured Ray's face in the palms of his hands and leaned forward and kissed him slowly. Breaking for air, he leaned his forehead against Ray's and closed his eyes. "No one ever said life would be easy, Ray." He opened his eyes and met his partner's gaze. "But it is easier with you and much more eventful."

"Liar…" A tear escaped Ray's moistened eyes and Fraser brushed it away with his thumb.

"I never lie, Ray. Not about important things. And never about you." Fraser kissed him again and Ray melted in his embrace.

"Ben…" Ray's voice faded. "I'm scared."

"I know… I've got you, Ray. You are my sole focus tonight."