'TIS THE SEASON (for bigkitty75)

[r_vecchio]

"What part of good will towards all men did you not learn at Sunday school?"

Ray used the round tummy of the snowman he'd cuffed to ram through the precinct doors. The booking desk was crowded ten people deep, a donkey sat in the hallway wearing a pair of flashing antlers and the top of the Christmas tree everyone had spent so long trying to avoid decorating was snapped off, half the fairy light bulbs blown. A man dressed in a giant red and green cracker suit waddled across Ray's vision.

...He'd only been gone an hour.

The perp twisted round as he plodded through the station. "This is a hundred dollar costume, mister, you better be careful. I'm not losing my deposit because some flatfoot decided to clean the doors with my bowl full of jelly!"

When Ray's face twisted in confused disgust, the man sighed theatrically and shaked his hips. "My belly!"

"Finally got a date, huh, Vecchio?"

Ray laughed in fake amusement and kept walking the perp. The place was packed, Christmas really brought out the best in people it seemed. "'Tis the season, Dewser."

Dewey chuckled and slapped Ray's hand in a high five as they passed. Ray frogged-marched the snowman up the stairs and round into the bullpen.

"This isn't no simple dry-clean only, I'll have you know. This is quality merchandise."

"Yeah, I wonder how you paid for that."

"You have no proof I stole that money! I was collecting for sick kids!"

"And pocketing the dough yourself, real smooth." Ray finished.

"I was a sick kid!" He shrugged casually, his white shoulders bunching up at his neck. "Just collecting what I'm owed, that's all."

"Oh, I'd say you're still a little sick, pal," he smirked. With a firm thrust, Ray presented the snowman proudly in the middle of the bullpen and clapped his hands. "Yo, Lieutenant!" He yelled, the perp standing awkwardly on the spot. "I brought you a Christmas present!"

Comments

[r-vecchio.livejournal.com]

Ray widens his eyes in the rear view mirror at the car Gus near side scraped. "Careful!" He bellows, turning a stern frown on his passenger. "Now would not be a good time to insult me!"

He huffs and switches his attention back to the beacon. Especially not when Ray is doing Gus the favor here.

"Look, just, chill Phil, okay? Ooh, found it." He flicks the switch and the light stops flashing. "Told ya I could do it. Burton, Phil, whatever," he trails off, mumbling under his breath as he tosses Gus the beacon before taking back the wheel.

[r-vecchio.livejournal.com]

At Gus's request, Ray barks out a laugh, takes a breath, then starts laughing again, tossing Gus an amused look before turning back to the road, his laughter dying away slowly.

"Ah, man, that was funny," he wheezes, but his attitude has done a U-turn of its own. He keeps his eyes firmly on the road ahead, settles down, quiet, concentrating, and even starts signalling at the correct moments.

"This was more fun that I thought it'd be," he comments absently, making no move to pull over any time soon.

[r-vecchio.livejournal.com]

Ray slows down but still fails to stop the car. "Y'want I should let you out right here?" He asks on a sigh, signalling out the windshield at all the cars whizzing past them. One starts to honk behind the Riv, edging up closer and closer until Ray begins to make an obscene gesture in the rear view mirror before remembering about Gus. It turns into a polite wave and the car behind squeals round them and roars off again.

"My Lieutenant told me to take you to the airport and like the faithful boy scout I am, that's what I'm doin'." Gus is't getting out of this car unless it's outside a terminal, Ray would make sure of it.

[r-vecchio.livejournal.com]

"Fine."

Jeez, this guy is more uptight than Fraser when the Dragon Lady is lurking. He doesn't much like jumping to just 'cause some stranger thinks nearly being run over by a cop means he can filch a free ride anywhere he wants but Welsh had used him "I mean it" voice and Ray knows better than to push his luck.

"Onwards," he sighs, tapping the steering wheel as boredom starts to set in. "You going like that?" He gestures with an elbow to Gus's suit. "I'm no waitress in the sky but even I wouldn't let you on lookin' like that."

[r-vecchio.livejournal.com]

Ray rolls his eyes and takes the next exit, swinging the car in the opposite direction and heading over to Huey's place.

"I've beat him at poker over there enough times to know where it is, thanks."

[r-vecchio.livejournal.com]

Ray would've found a way in anyway. He's pretty much been itching to take another look around, ever since Dewey told him about him and Jack. Of course, he's not going to mention that to Gus, he's not that cruel. He's not really expecting to find much of Dewey's stuff lying around either, especially not it this Gus dude is staying with Huey for a while. Too suspicious looking.

When Gus goes in one direction, Ray goes in the other, ostensibly "idly" wandering around, but he's quick to make sure his "wandering" is heading in a bedroom-ly direction. What can he say? He's a cop. He's trained to be curious.