Sisterhood Challenge by Tara Keezer
Aug. 18th, 2006 11:49 am![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
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ds_flashfictionTitle: Hard Truth
Author: Tara Keezer
Rating: PG
Notes: Gen fic with Ray K. and Frannie, set the Friday night before CotW starts; 1,200 words plus a few more.
“Frannie?”
She looked up from her lap and immediately turned away from him, swiping under her eyes. “Ray. Kind of late for you to be working.”
“Isn't that something like the pot and frypan?” She heard him settle on the desk behind her. “What are you doing here?”
“I —” Her voice dropped out, and she took a deep breath. “I had work. To catch up on. You know.”
“Work.” Frannie twitched as he touched the thin shoulder strap of her dress. “You always dress this nice for overtime?”
“Just, you know, trying to brighten up the place.” She clenched her lips to keep a soft sob from escaping.
“Huh.” Ray didn't say anything for the longest time, which let Frannie take a few deep breaths to calm down. Just when she thought he was going to leave it alone, Ray said gently, “Do I gotta kill someone for you?”
Frannie let out a small gasp. “Don't even joke about that!”
“Okay.” He turned her chair around so they faced each other. “Whose head do I gotta kick?”
Her lip quivered. “No one.”
“Pull the other one.” Ray reached out and grabbed a tissue from the box. He spit on it and started cleaning her face with it. “You don't cry for no reason, so I'll ask you again — whose head do I gotta kick?”
Frannie sighed and closed her eyes and let him wipe her face clean. What he was doing was disgusting, but at the same time, it was comforting. “No one,” she said on a sigh. “It's no one's fault but my own.”
He finished with her face and rubbed his thumb along her cheek. When she opened her eyes, he asked, “What happened?”
“Ray —”
“Tell me, Frannie, or so help me, I'll sic Dief on you. Trust me when I say that wolf slobber is disgusting.”
She was startled enough to laugh, and when she saw he was serious she took another deep breath, thankful that at least she was done crying. “I was on a date tonight.”
“Figured.”
“We — he took me to that new place — the one Huey mentioned?” At his nod, she continued, “Anyway, there I was, at this really nice place, having this really nice dinner with this really nice guy, and —”
Frannie's breath hitched, and she thought maybe she'd been a little optimistic about the whole crying thing being over. Ray brushed her cheek with his knuckles. “Go on.”
“— And he's talking about the kids he works with on the weekends. And it's great, because I like kids, too.” She swallowed hard. “But — but all I can think about is how much I wish Fraser was there with me instead.” The last part came out in a guilty rush, and she bent her head down, not wanting to see the disapproval on Ray's face.
“Yeah,” he said after a moment. “I get that.”
Confused, she looked up. “You do?”
“Sure. Sucks, too.”
“Well — yeah, but —”
He tried to smile but ended up shrugging. “Same thing happens to me when I'm out on a date, only it's not Fraser I'm wishing was there.”
“Stella,” she said softly.
“Yeah.” He dropped his hand and stood up. “She was part of my life for so long, I keep expecting her to be there.”
“Fraser was never part of my life,” Frannie said quietly.
“Sure he is. Just not the part you want.”
“Why not? What's wrong with me?” Frannie hadn't intended to say that, and even if she had, she wouldn't have let it come out in a wail.
“He's — You —” He shook his head. “It ain't you, Frannie. You gotta believe that, okay? It ain't you.”
“But —”
“No buts.” Ray sank to the floor and sat with his back against her desk. “Fraser is a freak.”
“Ray!”
“He is, and you know he is.” He looked up at her. “Doesn't mean he's a bad person. Just means people like you and me can't figure him out most of the time.”
She frowned then nodded reluctantly. “Okay. He's a freak.”
“And he's a Canadian freak.”
“Yeah. So? I don't have anything against Canadians.”
Ray cocked his head a little. “You ever listen to any of his stories about back home?”
Frannie blushed. Whenever Fraser started talking to her, she usually zoned out at the sound of his voice and got lost in fantasies about him. “Ah, no.”
“Half of them start out with a report on how many feet of snow were on the ground and whether or not the sun was up that month.” Ray watched her intently, and when she shrugged, he added, “You bitch when we get flurries.”
“I don't!”
“You do, Frannie, and I've heard it. Fraser has, too.” She gasped as started to see where he was going with this. “On top of that, if you go more than two or three days without going shopping, you get cranky. Really cranky.”
“Ray —”
“Fraser ain't gonna be here for the rest of his life,” he said softly. “One of these days, Canada's gonna figure out they want him back, and when he goes, he'll be going back home, to the far north.”
“I could —”
“Truth, Frannie,” he said sternly. “Tell the truth. Can you honestly see yourself living in a cabin fifty miles from the nearest town and maybe five hundred miles from the nearest department store?”
She struggled with the words, tried to say that she could. In the end, all that came out was, “But I love him!”
“Doesn't matter.” Ray said it calmly. “Love doesn't mean everything works out in the end. Most it can do is sometimes make the hard times a little easier. You gotta want the same things to make it work.”
It was a hard truth, a bitter one to swallow, and she lashed out with, “So that's why Stella left? She didn't want you anymore?”
He inhaled sharply and let it out slowly. “She wanted me to be someone I wasn't. I wanted her to be someone she wasn't. Didn't matter how much we loved each other, because we could only be who we were.”
“I'm —” Frannie's throat closed up over her apology. What she'd said was inexcusable, and they both knew it. Instead, she asked in a small voice, “How do you get through it?”
“One day at a time.” He pushed himself up and held out his hand to her. “Come on. I'll drive you home.”
“You don't have to. I can get a cab.”
“I let you take a cab home, Ma will skin me alive.” He pulled her along behind him, and she only just had time to grab her coat from the back of her chair. “Pitter patter, Frannie. Anyway, if you're nice to me, we'll stop at Baskin-Robbins, and I'll let you buy me an ice cream cone.”
Immediately outraged, she demanded, “What? What for?”
“You owe me after that crack you made about Stella.” He was teasing mostly, but Frannie heard the hurt easily enough.
She stopped and tugged against his hold on her wrist. When Ray paused to look back at her, she stepped close and hugged him. “I'm sorry. I shouldn't have said that.”
After a moment, he hugged her back. “Apology accepted.” Ray let go and started walking to the door again. “You still gotta buy me an ice cream cone.”
“In your dreams, Bro.”
Author: Tara Keezer
Rating: PG
Notes: Gen fic with Ray K. and Frannie, set the Friday night before CotW starts; 1,200 words plus a few more.
“Frannie?”
She looked up from her lap and immediately turned away from him, swiping under her eyes. “Ray. Kind of late for you to be working.”
“Isn't that something like the pot and frypan?” She heard him settle on the desk behind her. “What are you doing here?”
“I —” Her voice dropped out, and she took a deep breath. “I had work. To catch up on. You know.”
“Work.” Frannie twitched as he touched the thin shoulder strap of her dress. “You always dress this nice for overtime?”
“Just, you know, trying to brighten up the place.” She clenched her lips to keep a soft sob from escaping.
“Huh.” Ray didn't say anything for the longest time, which let Frannie take a few deep breaths to calm down. Just when she thought he was going to leave it alone, Ray said gently, “Do I gotta kill someone for you?”
Frannie let out a small gasp. “Don't even joke about that!”
“Okay.” He turned her chair around so they faced each other. “Whose head do I gotta kick?”
Her lip quivered. “No one.”
“Pull the other one.” Ray reached out and grabbed a tissue from the box. He spit on it and started cleaning her face with it. “You don't cry for no reason, so I'll ask you again — whose head do I gotta kick?”
Frannie sighed and closed her eyes and let him wipe her face clean. What he was doing was disgusting, but at the same time, it was comforting. “No one,” she said on a sigh. “It's no one's fault but my own.”
He finished with her face and rubbed his thumb along her cheek. When she opened her eyes, he asked, “What happened?”
“Ray —”
“Tell me, Frannie, or so help me, I'll sic Dief on you. Trust me when I say that wolf slobber is disgusting.”
She was startled enough to laugh, and when she saw he was serious she took another deep breath, thankful that at least she was done crying. “I was on a date tonight.”
“Figured.”
“We — he took me to that new place — the one Huey mentioned?” At his nod, she continued, “Anyway, there I was, at this really nice place, having this really nice dinner with this really nice guy, and —”
Frannie's breath hitched, and she thought maybe she'd been a little optimistic about the whole crying thing being over. Ray brushed her cheek with his knuckles. “Go on.”
“— And he's talking about the kids he works with on the weekends. And it's great, because I like kids, too.” She swallowed hard. “But — but all I can think about is how much I wish Fraser was there with me instead.” The last part came out in a guilty rush, and she bent her head down, not wanting to see the disapproval on Ray's face.
“Yeah,” he said after a moment. “I get that.”
Confused, she looked up. “You do?”
“Sure. Sucks, too.”
“Well — yeah, but —”
He tried to smile but ended up shrugging. “Same thing happens to me when I'm out on a date, only it's not Fraser I'm wishing was there.”
“Stella,” she said softly.
“Yeah.” He dropped his hand and stood up. “She was part of my life for so long, I keep expecting her to be there.”
“Fraser was never part of my life,” Frannie said quietly.
“Sure he is. Just not the part you want.”
“Why not? What's wrong with me?” Frannie hadn't intended to say that, and even if she had, she wouldn't have let it come out in a wail.
“He's — You —” He shook his head. “It ain't you, Frannie. You gotta believe that, okay? It ain't you.”
“But —”
“No buts.” Ray sank to the floor and sat with his back against her desk. “Fraser is a freak.”
“Ray!”
“He is, and you know he is.” He looked up at her. “Doesn't mean he's a bad person. Just means people like you and me can't figure him out most of the time.”
She frowned then nodded reluctantly. “Okay. He's a freak.”
“And he's a Canadian freak.”
“Yeah. So? I don't have anything against Canadians.”
Ray cocked his head a little. “You ever listen to any of his stories about back home?”
Frannie blushed. Whenever Fraser started talking to her, she usually zoned out at the sound of his voice and got lost in fantasies about him. “Ah, no.”
“Half of them start out with a report on how many feet of snow were on the ground and whether or not the sun was up that month.” Ray watched her intently, and when she shrugged, he added, “You bitch when we get flurries.”
“I don't!”
“You do, Frannie, and I've heard it. Fraser has, too.” She gasped as started to see where he was going with this. “On top of that, if you go more than two or three days without going shopping, you get cranky. Really cranky.”
“Ray —”
“Fraser ain't gonna be here for the rest of his life,” he said softly. “One of these days, Canada's gonna figure out they want him back, and when he goes, he'll be going back home, to the far north.”
“I could —”
“Truth, Frannie,” he said sternly. “Tell the truth. Can you honestly see yourself living in a cabin fifty miles from the nearest town and maybe five hundred miles from the nearest department store?”
She struggled with the words, tried to say that she could. In the end, all that came out was, “But I love him!”
“Doesn't matter.” Ray said it calmly. “Love doesn't mean everything works out in the end. Most it can do is sometimes make the hard times a little easier. You gotta want the same things to make it work.”
It was a hard truth, a bitter one to swallow, and she lashed out with, “So that's why Stella left? She didn't want you anymore?”
He inhaled sharply and let it out slowly. “She wanted me to be someone I wasn't. I wanted her to be someone she wasn't. Didn't matter how much we loved each other, because we could only be who we were.”
“I'm —” Frannie's throat closed up over her apology. What she'd said was inexcusable, and they both knew it. Instead, she asked in a small voice, “How do you get through it?”
“One day at a time.” He pushed himself up and held out his hand to her. “Come on. I'll drive you home.”
“You don't have to. I can get a cab.”
“I let you take a cab home, Ma will skin me alive.” He pulled her along behind him, and she only just had time to grab her coat from the back of her chair. “Pitter patter, Frannie. Anyway, if you're nice to me, we'll stop at Baskin-Robbins, and I'll let you buy me an ice cream cone.”
Immediately outraged, she demanded, “What? What for?”
“You owe me after that crack you made about Stella.” He was teasing mostly, but Frannie heard the hurt easily enough.
She stopped and tugged against his hold on her wrist. When Ray paused to look back at her, she stepped close and hugged him. “I'm sorry. I shouldn't have said that.”
After a moment, he hugged her back. “Apology accepted.” Ray let go and started walking to the door again. “You still gotta buy me an ice cream cone.”
“In your dreams, Bro.”
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no subject
Date: 2006-08-18 04:10 pm (UTC)So true.
I liked it. :)
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Date: 2006-08-19 09:38 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-08-21 10:47 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-08-26 03:27 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-08-18 06:43 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-08-19 09:45 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-08-18 06:48 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-08-19 09:46 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-08-18 07:40 pm (UTC)I wish there were more fic with RayK and Frannie bonding this way. I don't know what it is, but something about seeing Ray acting the big brother makes me feel warm and fuzzy. And as someone else mentioned, it's nice to see him being so mature and adult--I mean come on, the guy's a divorced cop, clearly he's seen a bit of the world, he knows what's going on.
Lovely, just lovely. *applauds*
~Djinn
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Date: 2006-08-19 09:48 am (UTC)I'm glad you enjoyed!
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Date: 2006-08-18 09:03 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-08-19 09:49 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-08-18 09:36 pm (UTC)I enjoyed this.
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Date: 2006-08-19 09:50 am (UTC)Thanks for letting me know you enjoyed the story.
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Date: 2006-08-18 10:44 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-08-19 09:51 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-08-19 12:17 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-08-19 09:52 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-08-19 04:36 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-08-19 09:54 am (UTC)Yay!
Date: 2006-08-19 11:07 am (UTC)Re: Yay!
Date: 2006-08-19 01:23 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-08-22 12:56 pm (UTC)(though somehow I think Ray wouldn't be driven as much out of his mind by the North as Frannie would be)
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Date: 2006-08-26 03:26 am (UTC)