The One Where Turnbull Leaves His Post
Title: The One Where Turnbull Leaves His Post
Author: slidellra
Pairing: Turnbull/Kowalski
Rating: PG
Notes: Sequel to The One Where They Tell Fraser. 759 words.
Ren was washing dishes. Really hard. From the bedroom, Ray heard something break and resisted the urge to go see if he was okay. That wouldn't help.
Plus, Ray was busy. Busy pacing and shadowboxing and having an imaginary fight with Ren, Thatcher, the RCMP, and anybody else who had anything to say about anything.
They'd been fighting for hours, Ray yelling and threatening, Ren stubborn and quiet, his chin stuck out and his eyebrows drawn together like a fucking child.
"This is crap, Ren!" he yelled. The only answer was another rattle and bang from the kitchen. Shit. They had to fix this or they'd run out of plates.
He went out to the living room and crossed his arms. "You can't get sick."
Ren slammed a cabinet door shut. "I am a Mountie! We have duties, duties which we take very seriously."
"You were standing in the rain! You could get new, pneumatic, pneumonia!"
Ren turned and glowered at him. At least he'd changed out of his soaking uniform and into sweats, though they looked kind of silly with his apron and rubber gloves. "Sentry duty is a sacred responsibility, Ray. While some passersby occasionally attempt to distract a Mountie from his post, I have never heard of, never considered, would never dream that anyone would attempt to interfere with that duty as vigorously as you did."
So, yeah, maybe he'd made a scene. But he'd never in his life been angry and scared like he'd been when he drove up and saw Ren out there getting rained on. He glowered right back and repeated, "You can't get sick."
"I'm perfectly healthy. The baby is perfectly healthy."
"You're not going to be if you don't take care of yourself! I can't be there all the time, I can't quit my job. I have to know you're not doing something stupid!"
"My duty is not stupid!"
"Fuck your fucking duty! What about your kid? You got a duty to the kid, don't you?"
Crossing the room to sit heavily on the couch, Ren frowned. Ray could practically see the wheels spinning in his head as Ren tried to reconcile being an expectant father type person with being a Mountie.
When he didn't say anything for a minute, Ray sat next to him. He tried to say it right, calm enough to get through. "I'm sorry I freaked out and made you, whatever you call it, leave your station. I just really, really need you to take care of yourself."
Ren looked at him, and the tears in his eyes made Ray's stomach twist up in a knot. "Do you think I'll be relieved of duty?"
Picking up Ren's hand, Ray pulled the glove off, then laced their fingers together. "I don't know. It's not fair, I know. And if it was me, I'd have to stop doing the dangerous cop stuff. That's just the way it is."
If this was Stella, or just about anybody else, Ray would be treated to a lecture about how he should stop the dangerous cop stuff anyway. But this was Ren, and he just leaned against Ray a little, sighing. Ray pressed his advantage. "We have to tell the Ice Queen."
"Actually, Ray, I believe you already did."
"I did?" Ray frowned. He'd been shouting and pulling Ren into the Consulate and it was all kind of a red blur.
Ren giggled. "You accused her of trying to kill me and our child, and threatened her with both violence and unspecified legal action."
"Bet she's pretty confused right now." He put an arm around Ren. If having their kid messed up Ren's career, Ray would have to figure out some way to make it up to him. He'd make sure Ren was happy, no matter what it took.
Ren inhaled deeply and exhaled. "All right, Ray. I'll explain it her." Lifting his chin, he said, "The RCMP maintains the right, after all. Fair treatment of expectant... parents... is entirely to be expected."
Ray was pretty sure Ren had too much faith in both Thatcher and the RCMP, but he just stroked Ren's hair and kissed his forehead, trying to make it true. "It'll be all right. We'll make it all right."
Sometimes Ray was too twitchy to just hold somebody, unless there'd been some seriously athletic fucking going on, but he sat there for a long time, holding Ren tight.
***
Continued in The One That's a Drabble
Author: slidellra
Pairing: Turnbull/Kowalski
Rating: PG
Notes: Sequel to The One Where They Tell Fraser. 759 words.
Ren was washing dishes. Really hard. From the bedroom, Ray heard something break and resisted the urge to go see if he was okay. That wouldn't help.
Plus, Ray was busy. Busy pacing and shadowboxing and having an imaginary fight with Ren, Thatcher, the RCMP, and anybody else who had anything to say about anything.
They'd been fighting for hours, Ray yelling and threatening, Ren stubborn and quiet, his chin stuck out and his eyebrows drawn together like a fucking child.
"This is crap, Ren!" he yelled. The only answer was another rattle and bang from the kitchen. Shit. They had to fix this or they'd run out of plates.
He went out to the living room and crossed his arms. "You can't get sick."
Ren slammed a cabinet door shut. "I am a Mountie! We have duties, duties which we take very seriously."
"You were standing in the rain! You could get new, pneumatic, pneumonia!"
Ren turned and glowered at him. At least he'd changed out of his soaking uniform and into sweats, though they looked kind of silly with his apron and rubber gloves. "Sentry duty is a sacred responsibility, Ray. While some passersby occasionally attempt to distract a Mountie from his post, I have never heard of, never considered, would never dream that anyone would attempt to interfere with that duty as vigorously as you did."
So, yeah, maybe he'd made a scene. But he'd never in his life been angry and scared like he'd been when he drove up and saw Ren out there getting rained on. He glowered right back and repeated, "You can't get sick."
"I'm perfectly healthy. The baby is perfectly healthy."
"You're not going to be if you don't take care of yourself! I can't be there all the time, I can't quit my job. I have to know you're not doing something stupid!"
"My duty is not stupid!"
"Fuck your fucking duty! What about your kid? You got a duty to the kid, don't you?"
Crossing the room to sit heavily on the couch, Ren frowned. Ray could practically see the wheels spinning in his head as Ren tried to reconcile being an expectant father type person with being a Mountie.
When he didn't say anything for a minute, Ray sat next to him. He tried to say it right, calm enough to get through. "I'm sorry I freaked out and made you, whatever you call it, leave your station. I just really, really need you to take care of yourself."
Ren looked at him, and the tears in his eyes made Ray's stomach twist up in a knot. "Do you think I'll be relieved of duty?"
Picking up Ren's hand, Ray pulled the glove off, then laced their fingers together. "I don't know. It's not fair, I know. And if it was me, I'd have to stop doing the dangerous cop stuff. That's just the way it is."
If this was Stella, or just about anybody else, Ray would be treated to a lecture about how he should stop the dangerous cop stuff anyway. But this was Ren, and he just leaned against Ray a little, sighing. Ray pressed his advantage. "We have to tell the Ice Queen."
"Actually, Ray, I believe you already did."
"I did?" Ray frowned. He'd been shouting and pulling Ren into the Consulate and it was all kind of a red blur.
Ren giggled. "You accused her of trying to kill me and our child, and threatened her with both violence and unspecified legal action."
"Bet she's pretty confused right now." He put an arm around Ren. If having their kid messed up Ren's career, Ray would have to figure out some way to make it up to him. He'd make sure Ren was happy, no matter what it took.
Ren inhaled deeply and exhaled. "All right, Ray. I'll explain it her." Lifting his chin, he said, "The RCMP maintains the right, after all. Fair treatment of expectant... parents... is entirely to be expected."
Ray was pretty sure Ren had too much faith in both Thatcher and the RCMP, but he just stroked Ren's hair and kissed his forehead, trying to make it true. "It'll be all right. We'll make it all right."
Sometimes Ray was too twitchy to just hold somebody, unless there'd been some seriously athletic fucking going on, but he sat there for a long time, holding Ren tight.
***
Continued in The One That's a Drabble