OC Challenge by Tara Keezer (2)
Oct. 26th, 2006 04:33 pm![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
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ds_flashfictionTitle: Brawl
Author: Tara Keezer
Rating: PG-13
Notes: Gen. S2's "The Witness" provided the OC for this bit of manly fluff involving Fraser and Kowalski. 1,082 words.
Barroom brawls were always problematic, though Fraser knew full well that his duty as a police officer lay in maintaining the peace, whether at home or here, in Chicago. In this case, unfortunately, maintaining the peace meant the judicious application of his fist against someone else's jaw, no matter his personal feelings on the subject of physical violence.
The man went down without a whimper, and Fraser glanced around. Ray was still fighting — well, flailing, really — and he had an ugly knot rising on his right temple. Fraser thought Ray looked ready to pass out at any moment, but that wasn't his biggest problem. Ray's biggest problem was the rapidly approaching giant who was apparently intent upon teaching Ray a lesson of some sort, if his demeanor was anything to go by.
Fraser stepped forward to intervene, drawing the giant's attention. Fully expecting to be punched, Fraser was quite surprised when the giant took one look at him and said, "1219? Is that you?"
The question, coming as it did during a brief lull in the action, not only caused Fraser to pause, but everyone else as well for reasons Fraser couldn't begin to guess at. Everyone, that is, except for Ray, who made one more wild swing before landing heavily against Fraser's side. He caught Ray automatically and took a closer look at the giant.
"2353!" Fraser smiled broadly and would have offered his right hand had it not been occupied with keeping Ray relatively upright. "I had no idea you'd been released. How are you?"
Ray's head moved in an exaggerated arc as he looked from Fraser to the giant and back again. "You know this guy?"
"Yes, I do." Ray managed to stagger without lifting a foot, so Fraser held Ray to him more tightly and added, "Carl and I served time together at Cook County Jail."
The patrons, as one, let out a soft murmur of surprise. Ray, still a few beats behind everyone else, said, "No way. You eat your vegetables. I seen it."
Carl dropped his hand on Fraser's shoulder and squeezed it. "I can't tell you how glad I am to see you, Constable. I've long wanted to thank you."
"Oh?" For the life of him, Fraser couldn't understand why. After all, 2353 had thanked him kindly already, and that was the last they'd seen of each other. Until now, at any rate.
"You were directly responsible for my unexpectedly speedy release from jail."
Puzzled, Fraser cocked his head. "I was?"
"You were." Carl let go of Fraser's shoulder, much to Fraser's everlasting relief, then bent over and picked up a table with one hand. He set it upright before doing the same with three chairs and gesturing for Fraser and Ray to sit. When Fraser sat himself and Ray down, Carl took his own seat and leaned forward to speak confidentially. "You may not have realized it at the time, but I was once a man who was quick to anger and even quicker to respond to insults with violence. You changed all that."
"I don't know that I can properly take credit for —"
"Trust me, Constable, when I tell you that I have new lease on life, thanks to you," Carl said. "My anger led me down many a dark and forlorn path before Fate smiled and allowed me to meet you. I firmly believe that had I not been assigned to the cell block in which you were incarcerated, and had you not treated me with simple human decency and respect, I would at this very moment be a festering and putrid sore in the Illinois Penal System."
Carl's unfortunate choice of language was forgotten when Ray fell against Fraser's right shoulder and asked in a low, serious voice, "Did Ma boil the condoms for the birthday cake?"
It was clear that Ray needed to get to the hospital sooner rather than later, yet Fraser didn't think leaving would be a simple task. The patrons of the bar were listening avidly, and there was no way to determine if they would respond well to the main entertainment departing before the story was told.
His options temporarily limited, Fraser said, "I had no idea I had such a profound impact."
"Truly, you did." Carl glanced at Ray and sighed. "I wish I could tell you all that has happened to me in the two years since we met, but that will have to wait for another time. Your friend is in need of medical attention."
Ray dropped his head on Fraser's shoulder. He muttered, "I want to marry you, Ben," and then fell face first into Fraser's lap. Fraser was almost positive that Ray hadn't actually nuzzled his groin before losing consciousness.
"Er, yes. I do need to get him to the hospital." Fraser tried to lift Ray, but he was a dead weight, and they were both at an awkward angle. Carl stood and walked around the table, lifting Ray from Fraser's lap with ease. As he bent down to catch Ray in a fireman's carry, Fraser said, "Perhaps you could come with us? I've no doubt I'll be in the waiting room for several hours."
Carl helped settle Ray on Fraser's shoulder. "Would that I could. However, I am the onsite security personnel for this establishment, so it falls to me to eject certain miscreants from the premises before harm comes to anyone else."
His words set off a quiet, intense rush toward the nearest door. Given that less than ten minutes earlier, the patrons had been attacking one another with a dedication seldom seen in any endeavor, the level of cooperation they exhibited in departing quickly was heartwarming for Fraser to witness. Within a few minutes, the place was empty but for the three of them and the rest of the bar's employees. Fraser looked around for stragglers and found none.
"It would seem that everyone has recalled a prior appointment elsewhere."
"So they have." Carl nodded at the bartender who nodded back. "It appears as though I'll be able to join you and — I'm sorry. I didn't catch your friend's name."
"Vecchio. Detective Ray Vecchio."
"Vecchio?" Carl peered at Ray's face. "I could have sworn Vecchio looked different. Less hair, for one thing."
"Er, yes. Of course, time has a way of playing tricks on one's memory, so perhaps that's why you didn't recognize him immediately." Fraser cracked his neck as best as he could and nodded at the door. "Shall we?"
Author: Tara Keezer
Rating: PG-13
Notes: Gen. S2's "The Witness" provided the OC for this bit of manly fluff involving Fraser and Kowalski. 1,082 words.
Barroom brawls were always problematic, though Fraser knew full well that his duty as a police officer lay in maintaining the peace, whether at home or here, in Chicago. In this case, unfortunately, maintaining the peace meant the judicious application of his fist against someone else's jaw, no matter his personal feelings on the subject of physical violence.
The man went down without a whimper, and Fraser glanced around. Ray was still fighting — well, flailing, really — and he had an ugly knot rising on his right temple. Fraser thought Ray looked ready to pass out at any moment, but that wasn't his biggest problem. Ray's biggest problem was the rapidly approaching giant who was apparently intent upon teaching Ray a lesson of some sort, if his demeanor was anything to go by.
Fraser stepped forward to intervene, drawing the giant's attention. Fully expecting to be punched, Fraser was quite surprised when the giant took one look at him and said, "1219? Is that you?"
The question, coming as it did during a brief lull in the action, not only caused Fraser to pause, but everyone else as well for reasons Fraser couldn't begin to guess at. Everyone, that is, except for Ray, who made one more wild swing before landing heavily against Fraser's side. He caught Ray automatically and took a closer look at the giant.
"2353!" Fraser smiled broadly and would have offered his right hand had it not been occupied with keeping Ray relatively upright. "I had no idea you'd been released. How are you?"
Ray's head moved in an exaggerated arc as he looked from Fraser to the giant and back again. "You know this guy?"
"Yes, I do." Ray managed to stagger without lifting a foot, so Fraser held Ray to him more tightly and added, "Carl and I served time together at Cook County Jail."
The patrons, as one, let out a soft murmur of surprise. Ray, still a few beats behind everyone else, said, "No way. You eat your vegetables. I seen it."
Carl dropped his hand on Fraser's shoulder and squeezed it. "I can't tell you how glad I am to see you, Constable. I've long wanted to thank you."
"Oh?" For the life of him, Fraser couldn't understand why. After all, 2353 had thanked him kindly already, and that was the last they'd seen of each other. Until now, at any rate.
"You were directly responsible for my unexpectedly speedy release from jail."
Puzzled, Fraser cocked his head. "I was?"
"You were." Carl let go of Fraser's shoulder, much to Fraser's everlasting relief, then bent over and picked up a table with one hand. He set it upright before doing the same with three chairs and gesturing for Fraser and Ray to sit. When Fraser sat himself and Ray down, Carl took his own seat and leaned forward to speak confidentially. "You may not have realized it at the time, but I was once a man who was quick to anger and even quicker to respond to insults with violence. You changed all that."
"I don't know that I can properly take credit for —"
"Trust me, Constable, when I tell you that I have new lease on life, thanks to you," Carl said. "My anger led me down many a dark and forlorn path before Fate smiled and allowed me to meet you. I firmly believe that had I not been assigned to the cell block in which you were incarcerated, and had you not treated me with simple human decency and respect, I would at this very moment be a festering and putrid sore in the Illinois Penal System."
Carl's unfortunate choice of language was forgotten when Ray fell against Fraser's right shoulder and asked in a low, serious voice, "Did Ma boil the condoms for the birthday cake?"
It was clear that Ray needed to get to the hospital sooner rather than later, yet Fraser didn't think leaving would be a simple task. The patrons of the bar were listening avidly, and there was no way to determine if they would respond well to the main entertainment departing before the story was told.
His options temporarily limited, Fraser said, "I had no idea I had such a profound impact."
"Truly, you did." Carl glanced at Ray and sighed. "I wish I could tell you all that has happened to me in the two years since we met, but that will have to wait for another time. Your friend is in need of medical attention."
Ray dropped his head on Fraser's shoulder. He muttered, "I want to marry you, Ben," and then fell face first into Fraser's lap. Fraser was almost positive that Ray hadn't actually nuzzled his groin before losing consciousness.
"Er, yes. I do need to get him to the hospital." Fraser tried to lift Ray, but he was a dead weight, and they were both at an awkward angle. Carl stood and walked around the table, lifting Ray from Fraser's lap with ease. As he bent down to catch Ray in a fireman's carry, Fraser said, "Perhaps you could come with us? I've no doubt I'll be in the waiting room for several hours."
Carl helped settle Ray on Fraser's shoulder. "Would that I could. However, I am the onsite security personnel for this establishment, so it falls to me to eject certain miscreants from the premises before harm comes to anyone else."
His words set off a quiet, intense rush toward the nearest door. Given that less than ten minutes earlier, the patrons had been attacking one another with a dedication seldom seen in any endeavor, the level of cooperation they exhibited in departing quickly was heartwarming for Fraser to witness. Within a few minutes, the place was empty but for the three of them and the rest of the bar's employees. Fraser looked around for stragglers and found none.
"It would seem that everyone has recalled a prior appointment elsewhere."
"So they have." Carl nodded at the bartender who nodded back. "It appears as though I'll be able to join you and — I'm sorry. I didn't catch your friend's name."
"Vecchio. Detective Ray Vecchio."
"Vecchio?" Carl peered at Ray's face. "I could have sworn Vecchio looked different. Less hair, for one thing."
"Er, yes. Of course, time has a way of playing tricks on one's memory, so perhaps that's why you didn't recognize him immediately." Fraser cracked his neck as best as he could and nodded at the door. "Shall we?"
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