Chicago, Illinois

The Present ….

Meg brought her cup of tea over to the sofa and sat down beside Benton. The History Channel played an old program about Egypt, the volume barely audible.

"Ben's doing homework, I read his essay for Civics class, it's very well written." She sipped piping hot chamomile before pulling her feet up on the couch beneath her.

"He's been working on it most of the semester." Benton responded without looking at Meg. His hand came to rest on her knee; a gentle warmth and weight. Meg and Benton often sat curled up on the couch after dinner in companionable silence. They felt comfortable with themselves and each other-finally.

"I can't believe he'll be graduating next spring and going to college." Meg sighed, setting her mug down. Benton turned the television off and shifted to face Meg.

"Tempus fuget." The Mountie leaned his elbow on the back of the couch, peering deeply into Meg's dark eyes.

"Time flies." His deep blue still gave Meg a thrill when he looked at her so intensely.

"Let's not waste another moment." She smiled, leaning forward for a kiss. Benton had only improved his kissing talent with age. He left Meg dazed and smiling like a teenager every time.

"Hey, Dad …." Ben stopped in his tracks, paperback dictionary in hand.

"Oh dear, I'm sorry." He whirled around.

Meg pulled back immediately, embarrassed. Benton hung his head, taking a deep breath before looking up at Meg.

"What is it, Ben?" Benton asked his only child and namesake.

"I, uh, how do you spell 'accept', I've tried looking it up under 'a' and 'e' but I'm not sure." Ben handed his father the dictionary, avoiding eye contact with Meg.

"Here you are." Benton turned to the page quickly.

"Thanks, Dad." Ben took the dictionary and turned around. Two steps later he turned back.

"If you want privacy, I can go stay at Aunt Frannie's, I don't mind." He looked from one adult to the other. His dad and Meg had been a couple for a while but never seemed to spend time alone.

"I should go home, I have homework due tomorrow." Meg looked up at Ben with a tired expression.

"It's okay if you want to spend the night together, doing, well, what I mean is, if you wanted to, well, you know what I mean." Ben blushed. He couldn't talk about sex any better than his father. The mere thought of his dad and Meg going any farther than kissing made him light headed.

"We will let you know, now don't forget to brush your teeth before bed." Benton changed the subject. He wasn't any more comfortable with the subject than Ben.

"Goodnight, Meg, I'll see you tomorrow." Ben waved before walking to his bedroom.

"Goodnight, Ben, sleep well." She answered, watching him leave.

"Hmm, where were we?" Benton pulled her attention back to romantic matters as the bedroom door closed.

"I was just about to get up and go home for the night." Meg answered, stretching her limbs.

"It's still early." Benton purred, his eyes skimming down her cheek, to her swan neck and the modest V of her blouse. He slowly ran his tongue across his bottom lip, raising his hand to touch her cheek.

"Benton, let's not stop something we can't finish." Meg whispered, laying her hand over his. It frustrated them both to let the fire die.

"Perhaps we could plan a weekend getaway after this semester." Benton suggested, hoping to alleviate her stress.

"I can't take off work, I've been there less than a year." Meg shook her head, refusing something she'd wanted for years.

"You don't work weekends that I'm aware of." Benton pointed out, taking her hand.

Meg closed her eyes, summoning her courage. This was an inevitable conversation she'd been dreading for months.

"I want to, Benton, but I'm just not ready for," she paused, staring down at her hands, "I'm not ready to be intimate. It's been, I haven't since before …." Flustered, she spoke with her hands.

"Since before Iraq." Benton finished quietly.

Meg could only nod. She had put her sexual side away when she came back to Canada.

"I'd still like to spend time alone with you, no expectations." Benton offered, taking her in a loose hug.

Smiling a bit, Meg hugged him back. "Okay, that I can do." She laid her cheek against his shoulder, relieved.

"I'll walk you to your car." Benton laced his fingers with hers. Together they walked down to the street. After a lingering, goodnight kiss they parted for the night. Benton stood on the cracked cement sidewalk, watching Meg's car melt into traffic beyond his block. He shoved his hands deep into his jeans pockets. He hated watching her leave.

"Hey, Dad." Ben shuffled between his bedroom and the bathroom. He yawned, blinking a few times.

"Goodnight, Ben." Benton closed the front door behind him softly.

The younger Fraser stopped short of his bedroom. He noted his father's thoughtful expression.

"Is Meg okay, I heard you talking." Ben shuffled into the living room.

"She's fine, son, just heading home." Benton answered carefully.

Ben looked over at his father. He knew when the Mountie had something on his mind, not to mention he had the freaky, famous Fraser family hearing.

"She's under a lot of stress, isn't she?" Ben leaned against the arm chair, staring openly at his father.

"Yes, she is, between counseling and her college courses she's overworked." A statement of truth, yes, but only the surface.

"She'll be done with classes soon." He chose to look at the bright side.

"I should go on to bed." Ben stretched before ambling back to his room.

"Goodnight, Ben."

"Sleep tight, Dad." Father and son wished each other.

Benton sat up a while longer, thinking of Meg and her reluctance to become intimate. Eventually, he shelved his concerns and went to bed.