"Not to Leave Thee"

by Corrinne

Fraser woke slowly from his peaceful slumber. It was early morning, and the Chicago sky was still dark.

Ray was asleep, quietly so for a change. Ray's head was on Fraser's shoulder, his left arm resting carelessly on Fraser's chest. Fraser gently took Ray's left hand and raised it to his lips, kissing the wide gold band that now rested on Ray's ring finger. Married .. Fraser was still stunned by the knowledge that they had gotten married yesterday, New Year's Day.

Ray moved slightly in his sleep. Fraser kissed his forehead and held him close .. this man who had been his friend, his lover .. was now his husband. 'Well' Fraser told himself, 'not legally, of course.' Same sex marriages were not only not recognized as legal, they were also frowned upon and discouraged by most of society.

Ray's gentle snoring lulled Fraser back to sleep, to dreams of the change they had just made in their lives.

. . . . . . . . . .

Christmas Day:

The packages had all been opened. The feast Barbara Kowalski had prepared had been enjoyed by one and all. With the dishes washed and put away, and all of the wrapping paper neatly disposed of in the trash Barbara, Damian, Ray, and Fraser sat in the living room of Ray's small apartment.

Ray whispered a question into Fraser's ear and received a positive nod in response. Taking deep breaths, they rose from the couch and went to stand in front of Ray's parents, holding each other's hand for moral support.

"Mom, Dad?" Ray said, looking at his parents. "Me an' Fraser got somethin' to tell ya. We .. well .. me an' Fraser .. that is .. we're gettin' married, sorta, next week."

"That is, if it's all right with the two of you," Fraser added.

There was a stillness in the room that seemed to last for hours before Barbara uttered one simple word .. "When?"

"We kinda thought maybe New Years Day?" Ray responded.

"Gracious, that's only a week off! How am I supposed to plan a wedding in only a week? There's so much to do. Let me see. I need to order a cake, pick out what to wear, order flowers. Oh, you need to pick out the music you want. We need to do a guest list. And I'll have to ...."

Ray and Fraser looked at each other, then at Damian, and all three men burst into laughter as Barbara went off looking for a pencil and paper to begin making notes of all the things that needed to be done in the short time allotted.

. . . . . . . . . .

New Year's Eve:

The four of them had watched most of the day's celebrations on television. The transition from 1999 to 2000 passed peacefully around the world. The expected terrorist attacks did not happen. The long awaited crash of the world's computers was non-existent. As the clock turned to midnight they went out into the street outside Ray's apartment with the rest of the building's residents and watched the fireworks light up the Chicago skyline. Damian kissed Barbara, Fraser kissed Ray. The dawn of a new century filled the air around them as people laughed, joked, kissed, hugged each other, and shouted "Happy New Year!!"

The freezing night air quickly inched its way into Barbara's recently mended broken bones. Fraser noticed that she was shivering and seemed to be feeling a modicum of pain. Catching Ray's eye, he indicated that they needed to get her in out of the cold.

Back inside the warmth of Ray's apartment, Barbara quickly put a blank tape into Ray's VCR and pressed the record button. There were several hours of celebration left, but it was getting late. They could watch the rest of it another time.

Turning to Ray she said,"Come on, Son, it's time to leave."

Ray and Fraser looked at each other in disbelief..

"Leave? Mom, whadaya mean .. leave?"

Barbara was a reasonable woman, but she did have a little superstitious streak. "Ray, you have to stay the night with me and your dad while Ben stays here alone. Goodness, the two of you can't spend the night together before your wedding. Such a thing is just unheard of."

And she stood her ground. Nothing that Ray or Fraser said would dissuade here from her decision. Even Damian, who privately thought that the boys should do whatever they wanted, could not change her mind. Ray bid a reluctant farewell to his intended and followed his mother.

. . . . . . . . . .

New Year's Day:

Ray had slept very little. In the past several months he had seldom slept without Fraser next to him. He missed the feel of the warm, muscular body of his lover.

He paced nervously, as well as was possible, in the small confines of his parents trailer. He glanced several times at his watch. The wedding was set for noon. It was ten o'clock and his mother was still getting dressed.

"Mom, can ya hurry just a little? I don't wanna be late."

Damian looked up from his newspaper and said "You might as well sit and wait, Stanley. Nothing will make your mother move any faster."

Finally, Barbara was ready to leave for Ray's apartment. Damian's eyes looked fondly on the slender form of his wife. She was radiant in a dress of soft blue velvet. Damian, looking rather impressive himself in a navy blue suit, stood and took his wife's hand. "Shall we go now, Mother?"

Ray followed his parents to his GTO and held the door open while his dad got into the back seat. Then he gently settled his mom in the front.

The drive to his apartment didn't take very long, but to Ray it seemed like forever. He was getting nervous again. What if Fraser changed his mind? What if something else went wrong? He glanced at his mother who, for the last week, had been an explosion of nervous energy. She sat serenely in the car, relaxed and smiling. 'Well' he thought, 'if Mom's not worried I ain't gonna be.'

Fraser greeted them at the door. Barbara headed directly for the kitchen. (It had been her intention to handle the preparations for the reception herself, but the three men had stood firmly together in insisting that the affair be catered.) Fraser stopped her, directing her instead into the living room.

"Everything is all right" he told her. "The caterer delivered everything about twenty minutes ago. I checked it all off against your list."

Barbara looked quickly around the apartment. The roses she had ordered had also been delivered and were placed just as she and Fraser had earlier decided. She let go of a breath she thought she'd been holding for a week and relaxed onto the couch.

With Barbara comfortably seated and Damian channel surfing the television, Fraser pulled Ray into the bedroom and closed the door. His strong arms embraced Ray . "I missed you last night, Ray."

Ray's attempt at "I missed you" was quickly cut off as Fraser's lips covered his in a kiss of unbridled passion. Fraser's strong hands caressed Ray's back as Ray leaned into the kiss. His arms were around Fraser's neck, the slender fingers of one hand twined themselves in soft brown hair.

A knock on the door and the sound of a man's voice interrupted the kiss. "You boys better hurry and dress, your guests will be here soon."

Barbara had enlisted Fraser's aid in choosing what they would wear for the occassion. Ray had terrible fashion sense. Fraser had chosen plain black suits, blue silk shirts, and grey silk ties. It was, after all, an informal affair.

As Fraser finished adjusting Ray's tie, they could hear Barbara's soft voice greeting someone. They entered the living room to find Mom and Dad in quiet conversation with the minister who was going to officiate for them. Barbara had convinced her own minister, Rev. Williamson, to talk to Fraser and Ray. It hadn't taken the kind Reverend long to see that the love between them was real and he had agreed to do all he could to assist them.

About five minutes later, the rest of the guests started to arrive. First was Lt. Welsh, looking rather spiffy in a brown suit. The next guest was Inspector Thatcher in a green dress that did wonders for her complexion. The last two guests to arrive were Dectives Huey and Dewey.

It had been more difficult for Fraser and Ray to tell these invited guests about their relationship that it had been to tell the Kowalskis. Welsh had simply told them that he had suspected all along. Thatcher said she hadn't been surprised at all. The most remarkable off shoot of their 'coming out' had been Huey and Dewey. The two men had found the courage to tell this small gathered group that they were also a couple and had been for several months. (Which probably explained why Dewey was wearing a tailored dark grey suit.)

Rev. Williamson cleared his throat, an indication that it was time.

Ray and Fraser both escorted Barbara to a special place for her to sit. Then each one handed her a red rose. She smiled at both of them, trying hard to hold back the tears that threatened to break loose at any moment.

Then the two stood in front of the right Reverend Williamson and the ceremony began.

"My friends, we are gathered here today to see these two fine young men join together in one life. Ray. Fraser. The life you have chosen will not be an easy one. The path you will follow will be full of difficulties and obstacles. But the love that you have for each other will carry the two of you down that path together."

Ray and Fraser joined hands and, looking only at each other, recited simultaneously "Entreat me not to leave thee, or to return from following after thee: for whither thou goest, I will go; and where thou logest, I will lodge."

They exchanged the plain wedding bands that they had chosen earlier in the week and Rev. Williamson said to them "You who were two are now one in the sight of family, friends, and God."

Ray and Fraser stood looking at each other, neither one moving, until Rev. Williamson whispered, "It's all right to kiss, if you want to."

They shared a symbolic kiss, soft and sweet .. nothing like what they both had in mind for when the guests had all left.

Barbara was hopelessly lost in tears of joy. Even Margaret Thatcher wiped away one wayward tear that threatened to break loose.

. . . . . . . . . .

Ray rolled onto his side in his sleep. Fraser curled his body around Ray's. They had both been granted a week's leave. There was no reason to wake and rise yet. They were not even in a big hurry to make love. Their wedding night had been filled with love.

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