OK, this is dredging up an old classic... If you're reading this, I'm guessing that Due South needs no introduction for you, but I should say that I'm writing this because it deserves more fic than what already exists, and because people in this system tell their stories on here. It's what we do, apparently. So, if you haven't read a MaireadSystem story before, you should read the profile first for some context.

Spoiler warning: You need to have seen all of the series to get all of what is going on. If you haven't, a lot will be spoiled for you.

As is sometimes the case, my memories don't entirely match up with the cannon presentation of what happened, so I'll outline the important differences for you.

Background: RayV did not run off with Stella and Francesca did not have a bunch of kids. Instead, RayV returned to his previous position to the tune of a raise and the privilege of choosing his cases and being in charge of his team. His team officially consists of RayK and Franny, and unofficially includes Fraser, who returned to Chicago with RayK after a long, rollicking adventure in the Yukon, during which RayV made his peace with the fact that Franny was part of the police force, though he is decidedly against her becoming a full-fledged officer or detective.


Chapter 1: This Is Weird.

I figure this will be simpler if I get my general complaint out of the way at the start: My life is an unfair maze with no directions and no clear goal in sight. "Go to Chicago," they said. "It'll be a nice change of scene," they said. And I did, and it was, but only after I freaked out and had the first of a series of identity crisises. That doesn't look right. I asked Fraser, and he said it's "crises." Whatever.

Anyway. Working with a Mountie was a little weird, but I think I handled that part in stride, other than the tasting things off the floor part. Even pretending to be this guy Vecchio wasn't too hard. I already wanted my friends to call me Ray, and at the station everyone did. That was nice. No one dared tease me about my name being "Stanley Kowalski" (thanks, Dad) because they could get in trouble for blowing my cover. That was great. And though I'm not Italian, if I tell people I am, it's amazing how most of them will go, "Oh yeah, I see it now." People have even told me they see a family resemblance between me and Francesca. Morons.

Well, right when I think we're solid, me and Franny are almost like real family, me and Fraser are knocking out cases, boom-boom, and what happens? Vecchio comes back—the real one. And I'm having yet another identity crisis. I mentioned this isn't fair, right?

We go to Canada, sh*t hits the fan, I figure, Vecchio was working with him first, so he'll want to go back to being his partner full time, right? If I try to work with the two of them, I'll be like a third wheel. Duets are duets, and in the cop shop, trios are just lame. Huey's got Dewey, and I've got... another change of scene?

But then I'm surprised when Fraser says no, let's go on that adventure you wanted, and I'm like "To find the hand of that dead guy?" And he says, "John Franklin? Yes." And next thing I know, we're heading off all bundled up on this dog sled, and half of me is like "I'm doing it!" and the other half is like, "What the hell am I doing?!"

Did we find it? Well, we went to Beechey Island, and King William Island, and we saw some cool stuff, and Fraser told me a lot more about the Franklin guy, how he was an admiral and a politician, and how he probably didn't live to see what became of his men, and how no one knew exactly where his grave was, and how his men probably ended up eating each other—like, gee Fraser, you couldn't have mentioned this before we started this crazy trip? But we didn't find the grave either... it had been almost a hundred and fifty years since he died... there wasn't any evidence lying around for Fraser to lick, and even Diefenbaker couldn't smell out the grave of some antique navy admiral. But you know, I'm not all that disappointed. It would have been incredible to find it, but (and I know this sounds really cliché) it really was more about the journey.

Finally, I decide to get Fraser to go back to civilization, and the RCMP bunch want him back in active duty someplace, though only the new recruits are interested in working with him, and I'm like, "You can come back to Chicago with me." But in the back of my mind, I'm thinking about Vecchio. I'm thinking about how my best friend has an older, closer friend that is his best friend, and it's not me. Although, sleeping in close quarters to keep warm for a month straight will do wonders for cementing a relationship. Just saying. I'm a bit insecure. Possibly my worst character flaw.

Fraser weighs his options, and in the end he does come back, and Welsh is like "Where the hell have you been?" To both of us, not just me. It was nice to have an ally while getting chewed out. He tells me—Welsh, that is—that I'm with Vecchio now, and I'm thinking, Okay, third wheel it is. I'm not sure how long I'll last, not least of all because Vecchio's always talking down to me, and he acts like it's all my fault his Riviera went down in flames. Again. This was his third one. Or maybe he even thinks I did it on purpose.

[Fraser says I'm shifting tenses. I'm like, what do you mean? He says I started in present tense and then went to past tense and then back to present, and I seem to prefer telling past events in the present tense. "It's sloppy writing." So I tell him, "This is how I talk, so this is how I write." and he says something like "All right" and does that blink-half-shake-of-the-head like he's a martyr to put up with me.]

The one good thing about the car situation is that he's found number four. Yup, his fourth Buick Riviera. A 1971, which I believe was the year of his first one. I know he's said, but I sometimes tune him out. The guy talks about his cars more than most guys talk about past girl friends. And seems to love them just as much. Bottom line, no way in hell is he going to let me drive it for any reason other than his having to go undercover again. Which is stupid, because Fraser confided to me that he thought I was the safer driver of the two of us.

I guess it was about the second day back at work that I realized something. It took me so long because I was kind of worked up about how our little team was going to operate. Was Fraser still my partner? Was I Vecchio's partner and Fraser was our... liaison? Or were Fraser and Vecchio partners and I was their stooge? We went out for drinks the first night, and that went OK, I guess. I like beer and vodka, sometimes scotch, Vecchio of course likes wine, and that night Fraser had sarsaparilla like a guy in an old western movie. Vecchio and I didn't exactly make great strides toward bonding, but we were on our good behavior for the Mountie. So, day two didn't seem quite as weird, and then Francesca came into things.

We needed a file on some repeat offender, and I said, "Hey, Franny, can you get me the Marlin Ames file?" and she said something like, "Comin' right up." and Vecchio just kind of froze.

I get that he was away a long time, like most of two years, and he didn't get to see Francesca become our Civilian Aide, learn to use the computer and all that crap. He had a chance to see her work a little bit, but not much because he was on recovery leave for part of the time Fraser and I were exploring. So he had just started to grasp the idea that she could spend a day at the station doing more good than harm, and then he saw us talking like old buddies.

We weren't old buddies... Francesca drove me up the wall in so many ways on so many occasions. I guess it was like having a real little sister. But we had learned to work together, to put up with each other, and Vecchio could see that. He could see that even though we bickered, we actually got along fairly well. I think he was jealous. He was jealous of the time he missed with his sister because she grew up a lot while he was gone. And maybe I shouldn't say this, but I personally think she grew up a little because he was gone. He wasn't there telling her what she couldn't do. If I tell her she can't do something, she's like "Suck an egg!" But if Vecchio tells her the same, no matter what she says, some little part of her believes him. He's her big brother. He must be right.

So, what I realized as she leaned over to pull out a file drawer was that now that Vecchio was back, I didn't have to pretend she was my sister anymore. Of course, now that Vecchio was back, I still had to pretend to him that she was like a sister to me. So it was a really quick thing, like "Hey, I can ask her out now!" followed by, "Damn, now I can never ask her out!" It was nice for two seconds and then it sucked. I looked away from her.

"Here you go," she said when she brought the file over.

I took it without looking up. "Thanks."

"What's eating you?" she asked.

"Nothing," I said too quickly. I opened the file and stubbornly kept my eyes down, willing her to go away.

"Fine. Whatever," she said at last, turning and heading off.

Then I could feel Vecchio staring at me. I told myself he wasn't really, and when that didn't work I told myself that even if he was, all the more reason not to lose my cool. I started reading stuff from the case file just to keep him from saying anything.

To my relief, Fraser stopped me to point something out about the guy, asking those teasing questions that are meant to allow me to get on the same page with him without his spelling everything out for me... usually they just make me feel stupid, but I was grateful for them today. Even though Vecchio got where he was going a little quicker, that still meant his attention was off me for a while.

At the end of the day, Vecchio said to Fraser, "You wanna come over for dinner? Ma can't get enough of you, and since you came back, she's been telling me to get you over there. Both of you," he added, looking up at me like he just remembered.

I was relieved because I'd just started down the path of "Now that they have their real son and brother back, I'm out of the picture" in my mind. "If that's okay," I said, making myself be polite.

"Sure, sure," he said, clearly trying to smooth over the fact that he almost left me out.

"Thank you kindly, Diefenbaker and I would be glad to come," Fraser said, smiling.

Vecchio faltered for a split second and then he shrugged. "Why not. Bring the wolf."

"You're coming over?" Franny almost squealed, sashaying over.

"It would seem so," said Fraser.

"Great! I'll get going so I can help ma get things ready."

"You said you had a date tonight," Vecchio accused her.

"I always say that," she said with a little wave of her hand. "Anyway, it's just some guy. I'll blow him off."

I felt bad for whoever the "some guy" was, glad that I'd be having dinner with Franny, and nervous that I'd be having dinner with Franny in front of her brother. Oh, yeah. This was weird.


I'm going to leave it there because of length and need to do something else for a while, but I should be back, especially if people show interest. Just remember you need to read my profile, because eventually this story is supposed to show my journey into your world from my world which is fictional in your world. Just to be confusing. Which it will, if you don't read the profile. Got it? Good.

~S. "Ray" Kowalski