Archive of Our Own ^beta

So, Fraser – did that good-looking Chinese guy find the love of his life?

Yes, Ray, he did. Said love being one Zhao Yunlan, who is a Chief of some kind of Special Forces in the town they come from. Chief Zhao was distracted by spotting a purse-snatching on the street. He pelted after the thief, ran him down after seven blocks, got the purse back to its owner, and handed them both over to a local officer.

Did the officer speak Chinese?

No, but he didn’t need to. Apparently Chief Zhao made an elaborate bow and left, while the woman explained to the officer what had happen. The thief tried to run away early on, but she stomped on his foot with a stiletto heel and that stopped him.

Ray Vecchio chuckled. “My kinda woman,” he said. Ray Kowalski shot him a look from under his eyelashes. “Not the kind I wanna date,” RayV clarified. “The kind I want my sister to be.”

RayK seemed mollified.

Unfortunately, Chief Zhao realized pretty quickly that he was now lost. He had arrived separately from Professor Shen – that was the man we talked to – and they had a designated meeting point, but he was no longer correctly oriented to find that point. So I took the photo that the professor gave me and had it scanned and faxed and to all the adjacent police departments.”

“Why don’t I remember that?” asked RayV.

“Because that’s when you and I went out for a drink that turned into … something more … what’s that word Fraser likes?”

“Oh yeah,” said RayV. “He’s been trying to get us to be more ‘collegial.’” RayV grinned. “We got very collegial that afternoon.”

Fraser coughed politely. “Ahem. In the meantime, the officer to whom Chief Zhao had turned over the purse-snatcher recognized the Chief from the fax, and got the other officers in the precinct to search for him. Before long, they had located him trying to charm a Chinese newstand owner into letting him look at one of her maps—”

“I know that woman,” said Ray Vecchio. “She’s almost as mean as my grandma.”

Fraser chuckled. “He almost had her convinced when our fellow officers showed up. He is apparently a remarkably charming individual. Dangerously so, Professor Shen confessed with a blush. Anyway, she interpreted for the officers in exchange for a promise of priority assistance the next time she needed it, and they contacted me, and I took Professor Shen over there.”

“Were they glad to see each other?” asked Ray Kowalski.

Fraser chuckled. “I had to remind them that public displays of affection, even those inspired by locating a lost loved one half a world away from home, were frowned upon in this city.”

“Awwww,” said Ray Kowalski, giving Ray Vecchio a look. “That’s too bad.” Ray Vecchio nodded his agreemtn.

“Well, Ray and Ray,” said Fraser equably, “they were clearly very happy, despite the limitations placed on their expression of that happiness.” He looked at both Rays and his formal demeanor softened.

Fraser cleared his throat. “Similarly, I am very happy to see the two of you being so … “ he paused, realizing that there was only one word he could use in the present context, “collegial.”