Family Affairs.

[diabolicalfiend]

Title: Family Affairs
Fandom: Due South
Pairing: Non-Ray Vecchio/Kowalski
Rating: G
Spoilers: None
Summary: When Ray Vecchio returned to Chicago, he thought it time to fix his family.

Dear Giovanni,

It's me, Ray. Yeah, Ray Vecchio. Your brother. Look, reason I'm writing is because Fraser told me to. The shrink agrees with him. I'm having kind of a tough time. Can't explain it here it's to do with the mob but let's just say that I'm having a bit of an identity crisis here. Not that I can't remember my own name or nothing but sometimes I do I don't know. Or maybe I do know. I'm capable of some pretty shitty things. Things that Dad would be scared of. You know what that means.

Look, Dad's dead now and nothing he says means nothing now. You get me? I maybe should have written this a long time ago, like when he actually died, but I was angry, ok? Very angry. I mean you left me! Who do you think had to step between Dad's fist and Frannie? Or Maria? Or Ma? But that's ancient history.

Look, I know I'm a cop and everything. But if you're bent, you're bent, nothing I can do about that. But there is something I can do about being your brother.

All I'm saying is, if you want to drop me a line or anything, I'll be ok with that.

Ray.



"Look. All I'm saying is, my brother isn't the forgiving kind anyway. So it's possible."

His blond lover shrugged. "Just because they're both cops doesn't mean they'll have anything else in common." He was a little defensive. The backlash after he left his wife for another man, not to mention there being a child in the mix was enough to make him balk at the idea of having an argument with his brother about it.

"Just want you to be happy."

The other man nodded. "Yeah. This the place?"

"Yeah."



Fraser quietly read the Chicago Tribune while the Rays bickered in the kitchen. Ray (Fraser tried to start referring him as Stanley on their Big Adventure, but Ray was having none of it.) had a recipe he wanted to try while Ray Vecchio decided to become possessive over his kitchen. It was only supposed be a sandwich.

Diefenbaker was not helping matters by getting under their feet. Despite the half-wolf's protests to the contrary, the one thing that both men could agree on was Dief was doing it on purpose in order to retrieve whatever scraps that would 'happen' to fall. They knew him too well.

Fraser only looked up when the doorbell rang. He glanced over at Ray Vecchio, who was trying to prevent the now rather large tower of sandwich from going the way of the Tower of Pisa. "Fraser! Get that, will you?"

Fraser took the time to fold his paper before getting himself up. "Yes, Ray." He gave his 'welcome smile' to the men on the other side. "Hello, and welcome to the Vecchio Household." He resisted the tempation to repeat that in French. "My name is... Ben. Benton Fraser. Hello." Let's skip the rank this time. They looked rather familiar but, unusually, Fraser couldn't place them. "I'm sorry. Have we met?"

"We'd remember," the blond assured him.

His tone apparently displeased his friend but Fraser, as usual, completely ignored it. "Ah. Of course you would." It wouldn't be vanity to say that he was fairly memorable.

"Yeah," the bald one was of Italian descent and had a patrician's nose. "Is Ray here? He sent me a letter a few weeks back. We hadn't talked in years so I thought I'd reply in person."

At that moment, the Ray in question let out a yell at the top of his lungs. "Indeed he is," Fraser remarked dryly, realising it would be ridiculous to say otherwise. "May I ask who's asking for him?"

"His brother."

Fraser almost didn't catch that, fortunately, his hearing was not dulled by the abuse that Chicago had on it for years. One mystery solved, obviously, his brother bore a resemblence to Ray. "Ah! Then please, right this way." He waited for them to cross the threshold before guiding them to the kitchen.

"You a Canadian?" Ray's brother asked.

"Why yes I am." They arrived at the kitchen to observe the ever popular clothes section of the Rays' Arguments. This time it was started by the rather large mustard stain covering Ray Vecchio's woolen vest. "Ray. Ray. Ray."

"WHAT?!" Ray barked, trying to wipe the stain off with wet kitchen paper, while batting Ray Kowalski armed similarly. The other man was apologising but no doubt the smirk on his face made Ray Vecchio believe he was out to sabotage his efforts.

"Your brother is here," Ben explained, used to Ray's shouting and how both Rays always able to tell which man Fraser was talking to.

"Yeah, pull the other one, Fraser," Ray muttered, certain that the mustard stain was growing of his own accord.

Ray Kowalski, having played this game, apparently against himself, immediately believed Fraser and looked up. "Didn't know you had a brother, Vecchio." He eyed him curiously.

"You were me for a year and a half and you didn't know I had a brother?!?" he gave a growl of disgust before deciding to pull the vest off.

Kowalski, who still had his hand on the sandwich tower, routed around for his glasses. He wanted a look at this new guy. "Glasses..." Fraser picked them up for him and even helped him to put them on for fear of Ray's eyes. "Thanks, Fraser." Ray's eyes widened when he looked back over at Ray's brother or rather the guy with him. Looking like dear in headlights. "Eddie..."

Eddie's head bowed immediately, staring at the ground. A clear Kowalski trait. The other mystery solved. Ray gave Fraser a desperate look. Fraser rolled his eyes and put his hand on the Sandwich Tower.

Kowalski decided to go for broke. Not caring if it meant a kick to the head, he walked straight up to Eddie and wrapped him in a hug. "Just great, Kowalski, steal my thunder," Ray grumbled good naturedly.

"Shuddup!" Kowalski retorted, muffled by Eddie's shoulder. Eddie himself was near-tears.

"Hey, Johnny," Ray managed a smile before giving an awkard hug to his brother. "That's Kowalski. And that's Fraser." Fraser managed a wave, ignoring Dief's offer to 'look after' the sandwich for him. "So what are you doing with Kowalski? Uh... the other one."

"Well, uh... maybe you might like to meet my husband."

"Husband?" Ray Kowalski stepped back from his brother, surprised. He gave Eddie a searching look.

"Mum didn't tell you?"

"I thought... I mean, what's her name?"

"Michelle."

"Right. I thought you and Michelle had a kid and everything. The picket fence... the whole nine yards." Ray Kowalski stuffed his hands into his pockets. "Figured that was why you didn't talk to me... after me and Stella..."

"Stella? No, no... I mean, I had a kid. And we were kinda happy, but we weren't 'happy', you know? Well, uh, I didn't until I met..." he gave a shrug, indicating Johnny.

"That sucks," his brother replied. "Uh, no! Not that!" he indicated Johnny. "But you know the divorce and stuff. With the kid. I'm guessing you didn't get custody."

"No." Johnny looked hopeful. "So... you don't mind."

"Nah, I mean, you're my big brother. This is who you are. And you can't change who you are. Right, Frase?"

Fraser grunted as Diefenbaker had resorted to trying to push him into losing control of Sandwich Tower. "Indeed, Ray."

"Yeah, you see? Outta the mouth of a Mountie."

"Good. Now, ya hungry?" Ray Vecchio asked his brother.

"Oh, thank God!" Fraser grunted.

"Yeah, we could get a takeaway." Fraser gave him an exasperated look.

"A sandwich is fine," Johnny felt sorry for him.

"So you married a Kowalski, then," Ray asked conversationally as he relieved Fraser of his burden. Johnny's replied was aborted by a little giggle. To Eddie and Johnny's surprise, it was coming from the Mountie. "What are you giggling at?" Ray asked suspiciously. "Yeah, you can wipe that smirk off your face too, Wolf, don't think you're getting any of this sandwich."

Dief let out a plaintive whine. "Just," Fraser struggled to speak through his fit, "you and Ray are brothers." He continued to giggle.

"Hah!" Kowalski smirked at Vecchio. "It does!"

Vecchio let his head drop to the counter, an errant salami slice cushioning his forehead. He let out a sigh before straightening, grabbing the meat and popping it into his mouth. "You were that already," he admitted quietly. He half-heartedly gave Eddie a glare. "Kowalskis. Bane of my existence."