Explanation: I wasn't planning on ever posting this story anywhere, so sorry for the unimaginative title. I just pulled it off the top of my head. I have not finished this story and have not worked on it for quite some time. If anyone has any interest in it, email me and I'll start working on it again. If not, I'll just leave as is. Note: It is Ray Vecchio and not Stanley Kowalski in this story. I could make it either one because I like them both, but it is Ray #1! J
Due South
Another Mountie Goes South
By JeanDream
September 14
Dear Benton,
Hello Benton. I'm not sure you'll remember me after all this time; the last time we saw each other was at a family reunion when I was 5 and you were 15 or so. My name is Sarah Wells and I am your third cousin (your mother's mother was my grandmother's sister). Perhaps that will jog your memory.
I am writing you this letter because I recently found out that you are attached to the Consulate in Chicago as a liaison. I graduated from the Academy about a year ago and for my next assignment, they are sending me to the Chicago Consulate as well. They think it would be a good learning experience for me. Frankly, I'm a little wary of leaving Canada (especially the beautiful, quiet Alberta that I'm used to), but I'm hoping with your help I will be able to make the adjustment to big city life without too many problems.
My flight from Calgary is scheduled to arrive at O'Hare Airport at 4:00 pm on October 5. I was hoping that you could suggest some living arrangements for me. I hope I have given you enough warning, Benton. Take care of yourself.
Yours truly,
Sarah
"So your cousin is coming to Chicago, is she as Canadian as you are?" Ray Vecchio commented, handing the letter back to Constable Benton Fraser.
"She's my third cousin, Ray," Fraser corrected his friend. "And as the letter said, I haven't seen her since I was 15 years old, which would be about 20 years ago. I remember a small girl who would now be a grown woman."
"A grown woman, huh," Ray mused. The wheels were already turning in his head. "Tomorrow is October 5, Benny. I think we should pick her up at the airport."
"Thank you, Ray," Fraser began, "but I couldn't possibly trouble you with your unsolved cases and all. I'll catch a taxi to the airport and meet her."
Ray held up his hand. "No, no-no trouble at all. It would be a pleasure actually."
"I'm sure it would be," Fraser muttered.
"What was that?" Ray asked.
"Nothing important," Fraser replied, wondering to himself how he was going to keep Sarah Wells out of Ray Vecchio's clutches.
"Do you think she'll be wearing the red coat?" Ray asked as they waited in the terminal for Constable Sarah Wells.
"I don't know, Ray," Fraser glanced at the clock. "It's 3:55, her flight should be arriving any minute."
"Fraser, this is an airplane," Ray said, "It could be five minutes or five hours. They're never on time."
"Ah, but this is a Canadian airline," Fraser replied, "and Canadian airlines are almost always on schedule. Look. . ." He pointed at the billboard, "Flight 304, Calgary has arrived and passengers are exiting at Gate 25."
"So, what are we waiting for?" Ray started off in the direction of Gate 25 with Fraser trailing behind.
They reached Gate 25 where people were departing from their flight. "I don't see a mountie, Bennie," Ray said impatiently. "I don't see a lady mountie."
"I don't recognize anyone either," Fraser frowned. "Do you think she'll be able to recognize me? I don't think I'll remember her. . ."
"Fraser, look at yourself," Ray sneered, "Trust me, she won't miss you."
The mountie looked down at his uniform. "Oh yes! I'd forgotten about the uniform."
Ray just shook his head.
"Excuse me, Constable Benton Fraser?"
Ray and Ben turned to the voice and saw one of the most beautiful women either of them had ever seen in their lives. She had long dark brown hair falling past her shoulders, sparkling green eyes, and a tall slim figure. The woman was wearing blue jeans and a hunter green sweater underneath a leather jacket. Upon her head was the RCMP issue Stetson.
In a strange way, she reminded Ray of Fraser, though she didn't resemble him physically except for her hair. It was the way she dressed, the way she carried herself. She looked sharp.
"Yes," Fraser replied to her question, "you must be Sarah, good to see you again." He extended his hand, which she ignored and instead wrapped her arms around him in a big bear hug. He hugged her back stiffly.
"Bennie!" she said to him, "It's been so long, too long!" She stepped back. "You're looking well."
"As are you," his face was faintly red from the hug. "Sarah Wells, allow me to introduce my friend, Ray Vecchio. He's a detective for the Chicago Police Department."
Sarah turned to Ray and extended her hand, much to his disappointment (he had been wishing for the hug too). "Pleased to meet you Detective."
Ray smiled, "No, please call me Ray, and the pleasure is all mine." He took her hand and kissed it.
Sarah smiled tolerantly at him. "My, I didn't know Americans had such good manners."
"Most don't," Fraser looked pointedly at Ray. "Shall we gather your luggage and be on our way?"
"Yes, this way." Sarah started for the luggage carousel with Ray and Ben following behind.
After they had packed Sarah's luggage in the trunk of Ray's car, Sarah met Diefenbaker, who gave her a very warm welcome.
"Does he always greet new people this way?" Sarah laughed as Dief licked her face.
"No, he usually saves this particular greeting for women," Fraser said from the backseat. "He's deaf so just enunciate and he'll understand."
"Stop licking me please," she turned so the wolf could see her lips move. He immediately sat back by Fraser. She turned around and said, "Thank You" to the wolf, then turned to Ray who was pulling onto the freeway.
"This is a great car!" Sarah commented. " '71 Riviera?"
"No, '72," He corrected, "close though. You like cars?"
"I know a little about them. Mostly know quality automobiles when I see them."
Ray smiled. "You got that right Sarah."
Sarah smiled back at him. The American was charming, in his very American way of course. She looked out the window and watched Chicago go by. Maybe she could finally find a home here with Bennie and Ray and Diefenbaker. It had been so long since she felt like a part of a family, but already the odd trio had put her at ease.
Ray pulled off the freeway and onto the streets of Chicago. "There's the police department, where I work. I imagine you'll be spending some time there, being that your cousin is always hanging around."
Sarah watched the police department and the rest of the scenery. "A far cry from Canada, huh Bennie?" She looked back at him.
"Yes," he replied, "It takes getting used to, but in time I think you will like it."
"I think so too," Sarah said positively and looked at Ray who looked back at her, which caused her to blush and look away. Ray smiled to himself.
"There's the consulate," Fraser piped up. "I'll give you the tour and introduce you to Inspector Thatcher tomorrow. You'll be expected to begin duty then. Do you think you'll be ready?"
"Of course," she said resolutely. "The sooner I get started, the better!"
"She's a mountie all right," Ray remarked as he pulled up to the curb in front of Fraser's apartment building. "Well, here we are. Fraser's humble home."
Sarah stepped out of the car and looked up at the apartment building. Ray expected her to comment on how crappy the place was, but she didn't say a word, just nodded. She came along side the back of the car where Fraser was pulling her suitcases out of the trunk.
Sarah grabbed two of them; when Fraser moved to stop her, she shook her head. "I've got them. There's still two left in there."
Fraser nodded, taking the last two out and closing the lid.
"Thank you though, Bennie," she smiled at him and he couldn't help smiling back. Already, he adored his cousin like a little sister. As he spied Ray coming around the other side of the car, he could tell that the detective also adored Sarah, but not in a brotherly way.
"Ray, would you please open the door?" Fraser said as they reached the entrance of the building.
"Sure," As Sarah passed him, he touched her arm, "Are you sure I can't carry your luggage for you?"
"You've already been too kind by giving us a ride here," Sarah said graciously as she passed him. "I couldn't trouble you any further."
"It wouldn't be a trouble," he said from behind her as they climbed the stairs.
Sarah smiled to herself. She knew to some women, Ray would be irritating and patronizing, but she had always been attracted to smart aleck, opinionated, and maybe just a little obnoxious men like Ray. It was a fault of hers, she presumed, but after her last two rigid Canadian boyfriends, Ray was a breath of fresh air.
They entered Fraser's apartment with Dief in tow where Fraser and Sarah both set down the suitcases.
"You can sleep in my bed," Fraser pointed at it, "I'll sleep on the floor."
"I couldn't possibly take your bed, Bennie," Sarah shook her head and bent over her suitcase. "Somehow, I anticipated that I would be staying with you for awhile at least, and that your apartment would be small and functional so I packed an air mattress and a small pump plus some sheets of my own." She pulled out the box that held the mattress and pump.
"Yep, definitely a mountie," Ray cracked.
Fraser just smiled.
"Hey is your foxy cousin with you?" Ray asked as Fraser approached Ray's desk the next day.
"No, Constable Turnbull is showing her the ropes at the Consulate today," Fraser replied.
"Turnbull is showing Sarah the ropes?" Ray shook his head and dropped the paperwork he had been doing onto his desk. "That's hard to believe."
"Yes, I know," Fraser admitted, sitting at the chair opposite of Ray. "But Turnbull is pretty capable around the consulate, outside it, well that's another story. In any case, I'm sure that Sarah will get along just fine."
"Yes, and she sure is fine," Ray whistled to himself. "Wow."
Fraser rolled his eyes. "She's Canadian, Ray. Is she really your type?"
"My type, my type!?" Ray exclaimed. "Any gorgeous, intelligent, and humorous woman can't help but be my type!"
"All right, Ray," Fraser sighed. "Just don't overdo it please. Sarah has had a rough life, and I don't think she needs any more heartbreak."
"How so?" Ray inquired curiously. "How do you know, you hadn't heard from her since she was five."
"Last night we were talking," Fraser began, "catching up, so to speak. Sarah's parents died in a plane crash when she was 13. She was an only child and she went to live with her father's sister, where she was largely ignored. Her aunt and uncle had four small children of their own, and Sarah was left to her own devices. Actually, it's miraculous that she turned out as well as she did, most ignored young people turn to rowdy friends, drugs, alcohol, you know. . . But Sarah did well at school and graduated from high school as valedictorian. Four years later, she graduated from the University of Alberta-Calgary with a Psychology degree, but decided to go to the Academy instead of getting a graduate's degree. She's been a mountie for about 3 years now."
Ray nodded and looked at Fraser seriously. "Don't worry, I won't hurt her, Fraser."
"Thank you," Fraser said, looking relieved. "I wouldn't be so concerned, but I think she really likes you."
"Oh really," Ray's face brightened. "She say something about me?"
"Here and there," Fraser trailed off. "Just little things."
Ray's eyes glazed over and he smiled to himself.
"Well, Ray," Fraser suddenly stood up. "There is that matter of a street urchin that we must attend to."
"What?" Ray shook himself out of his daze. "Oh yes." He jumped up. "Let's get started."
With that, Fraser and Ray proceeded to their current case. But Ray's thoughts wandered back to the lovely Canadian girl he had met the day before.
At 5:00 pm, Ray and Fraser drove to the Consulate to pick Sarah up after her first day of work at the Chicago Canadian Consulate.
"I'll go get her," Fraser said and jumped out of the car and entered the ornate building. A few minutes later, he came back out with Sarah following at him. They were both chuckling.
Ray noticed that Sarah was wearing the red serge mountie uniform. He decided that she looked good in red.
"And then he tripped over this chair and hit his head," Sarah laughed as she sat down in the front seat after Fraser entered and sat in the back. "I had to call a taxi and take him to the hospital to get stitches."
"That Turnbull," Fraser shook his head. "I honestly wonder how he gets through a day without getting himself killed or at least seriously maimed."
Sarah laughed and shook her head. Then her attention turned to Ray. "Hello Detective Vecchio. How was your day? Anything exciting happen to you?"
He laughed. "Yeah, something sorta interesting happened to me today." Ray smiled at her. "Just now."
Sarah laughed and her face turned a bit pink. "Are you talking about boring old me?" It was so easy for her to joke with him – to flirt with him.
"You, Sarah," Ray snorted as he turned down Fraser's street, "boring? Never!"
Sarah blushed again and looked out the window. Ray had that way about him that just got to her. If she wasn't careful, she could end up falling seriously in love with this smart-aleck cop.
When they pulled up in front of the apartment building, Sarah was almost sad that the ride had come to an end.
"Well, I'll see you tomorrow, Ray," Sarah said to him before Fraser shut the car door. "Fraser is taking me to the Chicago police department tomorrow."
"Great!" Ray exclaimed. "I'll see you then. Good evening, Sarah."
"Good evening Ray," she smiled and Fraser shut the door.
As Fraser and Sarah walked up the sidewalk, Fraser said to Sarah, "That man is quite taken by you, Constable Wells."
A small smile tugged at Sarah's mouth and Fraser couldn't help but wonder what they had gotten into when Sarah Wells entered their lives.