ds_flashfiction | "Something Gets It" Challenge by Keeline (Reply)

Note: This is a sequel to "The new kid in town" and takes place 10 years later.

Summary: RayK and Ben are grown-ups and make their way through life. Not much difference, at this point, from what we know except for the fact that they have been friends since Elementary School, and lovers since College. However, sometimes it is bad to be too good (at everything), and they arouse an unhealthy interest from a bunch of crazy scientists.

Rating: R (Mild) Genre: Romance / Kidfic

Disclaimer: They are property of the Paul's but I pray to the lords above, between and below that those two will never see this.

Beta: The amazing streetspirit18 and my everlasting gratitude to her. You have no Idea what a amount of work it was for her to straighten this out.

The Perfect Predisposition

Ray let his hands roam slowly and lazily over the morning-warm skin of his partner. He loved the feeling of the cuddly, almost-white, silk under his hands. Free of scars or birthmarks, Ben's skin was like a smooth, snowy landscape with little dales and two-peaked mountains for him to play on. That Ben wouldn't remain passive and just enjoy his touch, but would return the pleasures granted, was the cherry on the cake. Ben would do so as soon as he would wake up.

In College, they had finally understood that the feelings they harboured for each other were more than just friendship or brotherly love. Their first kiss had been startling for both of them, but not for long. Since it hadn't felt wrong, they had tried again and again and again. Every time, it had been better than the time before and they had grown to love the feel of each other's lips.

At the moment, they were sharing a 2-room dwelling place, which made it easy to experiment, unnoticed from others, behind closed doors. It had taken them a little while to become good at love making, since none of them had any experience with girls - or boys, for that matter. They had only ever been with each other, since the very beginning, but they were eager to learn. They found spots on each other's body that would make them squirm or purr in ecstasy; they practised how to get down on one another without gagging or choking, how to make love and draw out the bliss, from head to toe, for as long as possible after their climax. Ben and Ray just fitted, like puzzle pieces. Complementary.

At one point, they were afraid that they were not normal. They didn't want to fuck. They wanted to make love, sure, and everything that would make them feel good. But penetration was complicated, hurtful and one-sided. No fun at all. They didn't like it, especially since there were much more pleasing things to do on a comfy bed. A 69, for example.

Anyway, life was great in every department, including school, where they would help each other out. Together, they were excellent students. Ben chose to become a policeman, like his Dad before him. Ray preferred to do something else: he decided he would be an emergency ambulance driver. He didn't like dead people and he would do everything to prevent them from dying. If, on top of that, he could drive a fast car in the pursuit of his work, it was even better. The medical classes were very demanding without Ben there to help him, but he got through. It was hard not to see Ben everyday, like Ray had been used to for the last 10-12 years.

Finally, after 3 years of working and living apart, they were back together. Ray had had a girlfriend in the meantime, but he hadn't been happy with her. She was much too needy, wanting things from Ray that weren't in his nature. She was a Gold Coast girl, who was used to being the best at everything. Ray could not give her what she wanted, couldn't fill the place in society she expected to have since her birth. All of this was the nail in the coffin for their relationship.

Ben took Ray back in, comforted him, cheered him up and let him know that he still loved him. At night, they made sweet love. However, Ray wanted to start over: not only their relationship, but his whole professional life as well. Ambulance driving was a good job, but it wasn't really the fulfillment his heart desired.

So Ray started a new career in law enforcement and followed Ben, helping him to collect evidence. No more responsibility for lives or deaths, just puzzle pieces of evidence on crime scenes that they had to sort out. They were, once again, a team and a very good one, too. Thanks to them, many cases without witnesses or valuable indications had been solved, on the basis of the evidence they had found. In less than 2 years, they held the record for successfully completed investigations in the major district, thanks to Fraser's logical deductions and Ray's hunches.

Life was fine and normal, until the abduction.

~*~

Hearing Ray's nearly hysterical voice on the answer machine, Fraser woke up. The loud ringing of the phone hadn't stirred him, but the desperate tone of his partner went right to his ears. He was splayed across the couch and only had a couple of steps to take to reach the machine.

"Ray, Ray, I'm here." Fraser could hear his partner's shaky breath.

"Frase! The station called me about an hour ago. Mort saw from the window how they grabbed you. I was out of my mind with worry. How did you escape? Who were these stupid fucks?"

"Ray, please. I cannot tell you what happened. I was drugged and, when I regained consciousness, I found myself in our lobby." Fraser unsuccessfully tried to straighten his spine in his usual way and had to support himself by leaning heavily against the living room wall. "Ray, I'm sorry but would you come home and take me to the hospital? I really don't feel so good."

"Sure, Frase, sure. You stay where you are, I'll be there in a heartbeat. Don't wait in the street for me, stay in our apartment. Stay awake… and … I'll be there in a minute. You hear me?"

"Yes Ray, I hear you. I will be here."

The click disconnected them and Fraser set the telephone receiver down. The way back to the couch seemed longer than usual - or maybe it was his blurry vision - but the cushions felt good under his hands and heavy head. In seconds, he was out like a light again.

The feeling of a warm body pressed against his, woke him again. Ray was there, repeating Fraser's name over and over again, different-sounding kinds of "Benton", slightly changed forms of "Fraser". They flowed from his tongue like a mantra, the tone so desperate that it was almost soothing for both of them, as the weaker man called his partner loudly, for once.

"Ray."

The arms around Ben tightened, first in a long and loving embrace, then the grip switched, Ray's arm sliding under one armpit and behind Ben's back, helping him up. They made their way a little awkwardly to the apartment door.

"Are you wounded, anything broken or beaten up?"

For the first time, Fraser made a self-check. "No, no. I don't think so. But my back hurts a little and it feels like I'm wearing a sticking plaster on the inside of my left elbow and a bandage around the small of my back."

Ray's first thought was that someone had stolen one of Fraser's kidneys but, after carefully lifting his partner's red coat and white sweater up, he saw that the bandage only showed very small traces of blood. In any case, he was going to get Frase to the hospital. Whoever had done this to his partner would soon curse the sorry day their parents chose not to give the bastards away to an animal shelter. He wished that their heads would at least fall off when he'd kicked them in the ass. The GTO came alive with a purring sound and glided through traffic like a black cat of prey in the jungle.

They made it in record time.

Later, the doctor told them that they had found a sedative in Fraser's body but that was not all. Someone had taken blood from him - half a pint, not that much per se, except for the fact that it had increased the effect of the sedative - and some medulla. Which was quite ugly in Ray's opinion.

"There is no need to be afraid, Mr. Fraser. The amount of medulla they took is not even as much as what would have been taken in a spinal marrow transplant. It will soon grow back."

"Has there been any complication with the bullet in my back?"

Dr. Green seemed a little stunned. "A bullet? There was no note in the medical record about a bullet. Surely the physical examination would have found it. Where is it located?"

"Very near my spine, in the exact area you mentioned. Would you please make a second examination? I would feel better knowing that the intrusion didn't shift it dangerously."

While they waited, Ray took the opportunity to check with Welsh in case some news had come up, and ordered some food in. They had to eat in the waiting room but that was ok. Fraser was fit again and back to his usual self, only a little paler than usual. He was brooding over the liquor shop incident that had resulted in the bullet in his back, a mistake he hadnt expected to be reminded of by this unnerving event.

In the background, they could hear the noise coming off a portable TV. From the sound of it, it was a bad action movie with lots of screeching tires, machine-gun rattle, brake sounds, shattering glass, and a female voice screaming, 'Nobody moves or the rubber duck gets it!' The Canadian shook his head. Apparently, Public Television quality was biting the dust.

The doctor chose that moment to come back and confirmed his first diagnosis. "Well, Mr. Fraser. It may surprise you but there no longer is a bullet in your back. The ultrasonic exam shows a gap surrounded by healthy flesh. Whoever took your spinal marrow also took the debris and all the internal scar tissue around it."

The Mountie was way too polite to frankly say that he didn't believe him. However, he had to ask an important question. "How is that possible? The surgeon who operated on me, told me that it was too dangerous to remove the bullet without endangering my spine."

The doctor nodded slowly. "Yes, that is right. Your abductors must have used technologically-advanced medical equipment much more expensive than what we have available in Chicago hospitals."

The two law enforcement officers looked at each other, then at the doctor.

"I would suggest that you stay here overnight, your partner can take you home tomorrow. No work until the end of the week, including the weekend. Do you have someone who can look after you?"

The question got Ray's attention back. "It's my job to watch his back so I will do it. Does he have to take any meds?"

The doctor scribbled something down and handed it to the Chicago native.

"Do you need a health certificate for your employer?"

"Please. They have been informed but a note for the files would be a appropriate."

"Sure. So, gentlemen, a nurse will bring you to your room in a few minutes. Have a nice day."

Left alone, the two men once again looked at each other. A moment ago, they were crammed into the waiting area but now something was different. If Fraser hadn't mentioned the bullet, they would never have guessed it was gone. Nice medical attention, really.

Ray found his voice first. "Is it ok if I stay the night? At your door or in the chair by your bed? Whoever did this may come back."

A warm smile crossed Ben's handsome face. "No, Ray. That will not be necessary, they got what they needed. It's unlikely that they will return."

The sparkling energy that was so characteristic of Ray dimmed slightly at this rejection, so Fraser hurried to reassure him that it was not him he was turning down. "But if you want to keep me company, you are more than welcome."

The smile reappeared and, shortly after this, Ray left to get them some clothes.

A little sad, Ben watched the nurse and his partner leave the room. Cautious of the light sting in his back, he stepped into a hospital pajama and settled into his bed. The 3 years Ray had spent with Miss Stella Acheron had shaken his partner's self-confidence deeply. He needed reassurance unusually often, was getting easily annoyed, an attitude which he used to cover his uncertainty. Ben hoped very much that they would overcome this problem together, eventually. Till then, he would be there for Ray, like Ray was always there for him.

Although Fraser had rested more than enough that day, he was getting tired again. Since nothing important was going to happen in the next hour or so, he decided to take a little nap.

The nap lasted till noon the next day. Cursing inwardly, Fraser got up and saw that Ray wasn't there. He asked the nurse, who wanted to prevent him from getting dressed, but she hadn't seen his partner either. Now worried, Fraser made a call to the 27th's bullpen, but Ray hadn't shown up to work.

It took Ben half an hour to find someone who was authorized to let him check out of the hospital. He asked around for Ray till the nurse from the day before recognized him and led him to a room where a John Doe was sleeping. Last night, a dark limousine without plates had dropped him, at a very slow speed, in the hospital driveway. Unconscious but otherwise unhurt.

It was Ray. Sleeping in the same drug-induced unconsciousness that had held Ben the day before.
It seemed someone was abducting policemen for an, as yet, unknown purpose. Ben would have to warn the authorities so that patrolmen in the streets would be more careful, and inform Welsh that this could also be a personal grudge against the two of them.

Dr. Green, the same doctor that had examined him, came by later to check on the sleeping man and his guardian. Before the doctor could say a word, Fraser enumerated his observations. The puncture of the spine - in Ray's case there was no wound from a bullet removal - the sedation and, unlike himself, the grazed knuckles. Ray had tried to fight the attackers. His feet twitched when tickled, so there was no apparent neural damage, which was a relief.

Later that afternoon, they left the hospital. Fraser drove the GTO - the car had been a present from Ray's father to his younger boy for his high-school graduation - since he no longer was under the influence of drugs, 24 hours after his ordeal. Occasionally, Ray would curse under his breath but he couldn't remember anything more about the kidnapping than Fraser had been able to. Ray had been in the hospital parking lot when the nutjobs had thrown a blanket over his head and wrestled him down. He had only taken a few good punches at them before they had him really down and out. Then, he didn't remember anything till the moment he had woken up to see Fraser's soulful eyes.

After this, they remained especially cautious but the experience didn't repeat itself. They filed it in the box marked "done" and had almost forgotten everything about it until a year later. Till the day a lawyer stood at their door.

Ray found him in the hallway, to be exact. The man had a nice, expensive leather case in his right hand, he was wearing an even more expensive lawyer suit, and carrying a small baby on his left arm, pressed against his chest, all the while fishing for a mobile phone in his jacket. Ray put the groceries he had bought at the corner shop down and offered to hold the baby while the man talked. The little thing was crying, possibly because of the man's awkward hold or because he was getting crushed. Sure thing, the girl stopped crying as soon as she was comfortably huddled against Ray's torso and slowly rocked.

That the businessman would let a stranger hold his baby in such a devil-may-care fashion made Ray grumpy. What if Ray was a loony tune? Huh? He could just grab the baby and run.
Great. People like these were the reason why the Chicago PD had so much crap to handle.

"… And bring the Kramer / Kramer files with you. We can look over them before the hostile takeover supper. The man from Wolfram & Hard… yeah. I know. Ms. Barbwire on the teeth. … 'm delighted. No. Thanks. … George, greet Kathryn from me. Sure. Bye."

Ray had used this time to open his apartment door, bring his purchases to the kitchen, make funny faces at the cute kiddo and get increasingly angry at the man. He was about to make a poisonous comment to the man when the lawyer turned to the hot-headed blond.

"Thank you, Mr. Kowalski. I'm pleased that you have given such a nice welcome to her. I would like to talk to you and Mr. Fraser for a little longer, in private. May I come in?"

That took the wind out of Ray's sails. How did the smoothy know him?

A little later, they sat in the living room, Ray holding the now-sleeping girl tucked against his shoulder.

"My Name is Christoph Lee. Unrelated. I'm working as a lawyer for the Sears Company. We were hired by a client who wants to remain anonymous. We don't know his identity either, and the payment was made in cash, so it's useless to ask about it. Anyway, I'm here to inform you that this baby is Mr. Fraser's biological child. Her mother is... ah…"

Ray got impatient. Fraser was a daddy?! And this moron didn't know the mother's name?

"Who is the mother? Julie Frobisher? No? June, the sister of Fraser's buddy Inussiq?" The look on the lawyer's face showed more and more puzzlement, indicating this was not the case. "Who then?" Ray tried to keep quiet for the kid's sake but this information had been dropped on him like a bomb. Would Ben go away to play happy family with the mother? And why had the lawyer brought the child along instead of just sending a letter?

"Who the mother is, is not important, Mr. Kowalski. Her function was fulfilled at birth. Admittedly, something went wrong. Not with the birth itself, the ah…"

Ray didn't understand anything of the man's babbling. Fraser, who had showed up at the door unnoticed, settled down next to his partner, startling him a little. "Why don't you start at the beginning, Mr. Lee? (Unrelated)"

"Eh, yes. Sure. Has anybody ever told you that you move soundlessly, which is a little scary?"

"No. Not until now. So?" Even Mountie politeness had its limits. Not that Ben was a RCMP member, but his father had been one and he too could have made a great Mountie.

The legal representative cleared his throat. "What I'm going to say is a state secret. Discussing this topic with outsiders can result in a prison sentence of up to 10 years. Do you hear and understand that? Good." He tugged on his necktie. "As far as we know, our client is a state-funded work group. They set up a scientific project trying to create the ideal policeman. Predictions about the future estimate that humankind will build up in numbers to a degree where criminality will skyrocket. There won't be enough of everything for everyone, so police forces will have to be more efficient and more forceful to keep the peace and protect the property of rightful owners. In order to solve this problem, scientists needed superior genetic material to use as a basis for their prototype. Since it's a local research company, they took the best policemen they could find in the neighborhood. You two."

"You see, Mr. Kowalski, the kid is not only Mr. Fraser's. She is a fusion of both of your greatest abilities. She will be near-invincible as an adult. But there is a defect, which is the reason why they are giving her to you two, as you are her legal parents. Both of you are on the birth certificate. The problem is that she's a girl. The authorities wanted a boy who would later become a mature man. They felt that big, broad-shouldered men would be more impressive than tall, well-built women. They simulated her looks in later years and, as far as I know, she will look gorgeous but not daunting. So she's useless for them."

The Mountie and the cop looked at him like he had lost his mind.

"Our daughter? From both of us?? And the mother?"

"It was a coreless ovule. A woman got paid to carry the baby and, after the birth, she went back to her normal life. There is no biological or emotional link between her and the child. It was a deal, that's all."

Fraser slowly shook his head while Ray rubbed his flat palm in slow, soft circles over the girl's back. "And the birth certificate is acknowledged by the state?"

"Yes. Like I already told you."

"Which one of us is designated as the mother?" Fraser questioned.

"Since the scientists used slightly more of Mr. Fraser's genes, they put his name as the mother's. Now, gentlemen, for the most important part: do you want to keep her? If you don't want to raise a genetically-engineered child with as yet unknown skills, I was assured that they would find other foster parents for her, and that a different birth certificate, without your names on it, would be issued."

Ray was about to shout in the man's face that he could stuff this foster parents crap in a place which never saw the sun, but Fraser was quicker.

"I can't speak for Ray, but even if she was created and born without my knowledge of it, she is my daughter nonetheless. I will keep her no matter what. Ray?"

The look that the blond got from his partner showed him that Ben would raise their girl even without any help from him, but neither would Ray ever abandon a child of his to an unknown fate in an unfriendly world. "My words exactly. It will be hard, but we will keep her and raise her as our daughter. Which she is".

Fraser laid his hand over Ray's, so that both of them were covering the baby's small, softly lifting and sinking, back.

"She is now ours. But I have one last question. If she is going to be part of our family, we will love her and care for her like all parents love their children. We won't allow anyone to take her away from us. But what if the state - in 5 or 15 years - changes its mind and tries to steal her from us? Or if someone tries to take her away because we are gay and not to be trusted when it comes to raising a child?"

"No. No one will try to separate you three. And if someone tries to sue you because of your parenting abilities, please call me. I will give you my card. Even if I shouldn't be working for Sears anymore, my office has been instructed to protect you legally until her 21st birthday."

The three men looked earnest, but the new parents were grateful. The kid chose that moment to wake up and start crying softly.

"Then it's settled. It would be best if I take the child back with me until you two have discussed and organized everything. Call me?"

Immediately, Ray refused stubbornly, rocking the whining being in his arms. "No. No, I don't think so. I won't let her out of my sight till we have the parental custody forms, black on white. But thank you. I will call work and take a week of sick days. By then, we should have settled everything."

"If you are sure. My office will make an appointment to sign the paperwork"

"'kay."

Then they were left alone, thinking about how both of them were now the biological fathers of a motherless child.
Ray was more than happy to have some babysitting experience with his brother's girls.

After they had fed her goat milk from the corner shop and swaddled her with clean clothes, she lay content in Fraser's arm, letting herself be carried around the living room.

"We need supplies for her. A crib, toys, more nappies, stuff like that."

"I agree, Ray. But shouldn't we first choose a name for her?"

"Uh, sure. A name. Let me think this over. It has to be a good name, a great name. Way better than my first name, that's for sure. Or yours, by the way, Benton." Fraser had the modesty to agree.

Eventually, both men became aware of what had happened to them and what it meant for their
future. They had a LOT to talk about, but none of them would ever regret the decision they had made that afternoon, keeping the baby and building a family together.

Everything worked out well, or rather, as well as could be expected. There had been stumbling blocks and other hassles but the Sears practice was always helpful and supportive with legal matters.

Until 18 months later, when Mr. Lee showed again up. Not happy. Definitely not happy.

At the stern look on the lawyer's face, Ray grabbed the baby, sweeping Amanda up from the floor and pressing her against his chest, his arms possessive around his daughter. "No! You had promised! You had promised that you would never come to take her away from us. I won't give her away. We love her!"

Lee made an unhappy face. "Please calm down, Mr. Kowalski. I'm not here to take anyone away from your family. I'm here to bring you something, if you want it. May I come in?"

After a moment of hesitation, Ray nodded and put Mandy - her endearing nickname - in the arms of her other father, who had been waiting, alarmed, behind him.

"To cut a long story short, Mr. Fraser and Kowalski, the same group of scientists who presented you with Amanda has made a second attempt. They were more successful than on the first try, in my opinion, although the first baby was absolutely fine from the beginning. This time it IS a boy. He is healthy and lively but they no longer have a use for him. The scientists on the project were hired by a splinter group and now the government has learnt about the experiment and wants to put a stop to it. The Ethics Board got involved and gave them hell so the whole project has been abandoned. What is left, is a 2-month old boy whose existence is very embarrassing for the government. They are willing to give you 50.000 dollars plus a 5-year long bonus wage, if you both pledge to take him and raise him with his sister, without saying a single word to anyone about the whole incident. The money is to be used to raise the children. They are giving you a week to decide. You can contact me before then, my number hasn't changed. Any questions?"

The couple had to swallow this information first.

"A second child? Also ours? Are there more pregnant women out there whose contracts have expired?"

"No. Mr. Fraser. As far as I know, they only created one child at a time. And with Child #02, they were absolutely happy. There was no need to breed more."

The blond one grit his teeth. "That's good, but I would love to kick them in the head anyway. What did they think they were doing? Stupid."

"Language, Ray. Amanda is present."

"Yeah, sure. Say, are the 50.000 for both kids or per head?"

The lawyer rummaged threw his briefcase. "I'm not sure. I'll have to ask my boss."

Ray nodded. He was only curious, it wasn't that important. "Ok, Mr. Lee. Thanks for dropping by and letting us know. We will phone in."

Once the lawyer left, they let Mandy loose so that she could run through the apartment until she was tired, while they discussed the matter. They both had jobs and having a second child would require even more time than for Amanda alone, since she was still young. The fact that they would get a steady income, even if one of them remained at home to take care of the children, is what made them agree to it, eventually. They would get a boy kid.

Ray's parents would be delighted to finally have their first grandson. Marlon's children were both girls. And Caroline Fraser would spoil the baby boy shamelessly, like she loved to do with Mandy. They would be a big, happy, and only the tiniest bit strange, family. Hopefully, it was true that there were no other unknown mothers. Two kids were really enough.

Ben and Ray would never find out but, not that far away, in another part of the city - 2926, North Octavia Avenue, to be exact - lay a relatively young Italian woman on her side, in her bed, stroking her round belly, very happy and content with the living being growing below her heart.

Fin