Families

Chapter 01

The North Territories, Canada 1958

Caroline was a white girl living in an Inuit village. She had gotten most of her medical knowledge from Eve, the medicine woman and her adopted mother, and from books. As she had never been to the big city, since she finished her studies she had done by distance, so she wasn't a licensed nurse, but she was well known all around the territories and she was the one the women wanted by their side when it was time to have their babies.

Robert "Bob" Fraser was a young constable of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, working with his long time friend Buck Frobisher to hold the peace all around the territories. Some months they spent all the time away from the post tracking poachers, mostly with a great result, so far it was only one that had escaped them. Now spring was coming and they were heading back to the post. It would be the last trip with the sleds this season. The dogs would get some well deserved rest, they had been working a lot this winter.

"So, will you finally ask Caroline for the spring dance?" Buck asked as they pulled in to the Inuit village where they always stopped.

"Do you think she wants to come to the post for it?" Robert hesitated.

"Sure, you two have been more on than off the last two years, it's time you finally do something about it" Buck put some courage into his best friend.

"Is it Lillian who's put you up to this?" Bob asked about Buck's wife since two years back. Buck and Lillian had married the same summer as they had graduated and was to give birth to their first born any day now.

"Well she did say that if we saw Caroline we'd bring her back with us as it's closing in" Buck held his head high with pride. It was something about having a family of his own and he wanted that for Bob as well.

"The dogs need their rest and it's getting dark so I guess if she's around I'll go talk to her" Bob said.

Bob felt his friend nudge him and the grin on Buck's face said that he knew how little they would talk. At least the last year and a half Caroline had welcomed him to her warm bed when he came by, that was if she was home. She was one of the free spirited women who didn't care very much about ties like a wedding. Bob on the other hand wanted to marry one day, his parents seemed to have a great marriage, maybe it was because that they did travel around a lot, exploring new things together all the time. Although Buck and Lillian seemed to be happy living at the post as well.

After putting their dogs away for feeding and resting they made it to the main house of the village where most people gathered in the evenings. There were always someone telling stories, some true and some made up.

"Constables" the Alderman came up to them "On your way back?" he said in broken English.

They both nodded and Bob looked around. Everyone knew who he was looking for and the Alderman looked the young man in the eyes "She's gone to the post" then he looked the same way at Buck "She had time to travel already, your Lillian haven't asked for her yet"

"I'm happy to hear that, not that I can do much but I will feel much better once I'm back and close to home" Buck said.

"She will be in great hands with Caroline" the Alderman offered.

The next day Buck and Bob set out for home early, both eager to get home. Of course they first had to report in with their superiors then they went home to Buck's little house. The buzz around the village was that Caroline had checked in with Lillian at once and had been offered to stay there.

The two women sat in the warm afternoon sun on the porch drinking tea. With some trouble Lillian got up to greet her husband.

"I've missed you so much" she whispered to his lips after the first kiss.

"I've missed you too, both of you" Buck said with a hand on her stomach. He bent down and talked to his unborn child "Thank you for waiting to come until I was back"

Bob had taken Caroline around the corner of the porch and now had her pressed up against the wall kissing her like his life depended on it. Caroline hadn't been late responding to him. Somewhere in her mind she knew that this spring would change their relationship somehow.

She nuzzled his neck, nibbling right behind Bob's ear where she knew he had a very sensitive spot "Sorry I had already left when you came to the village" she whispered in his ear.

Bob took her head in his hands and looked at her with his clear blue eyes "Will you come to me tonight?" he asked.

Caroline nodded "That is if Lillian doesn't go into labor, it will happen at any time now" she pulled him back in for another mind blowing kiss.

"Come on you two" Lillian called from the door "Let's have dinner" she knew all to well what they were up to around the corner, she also knew that most likely Caroline would sneak out as soon as she and Buck had gone to bed.

During the time at the post Lillian had gotten to know Caroline and she really liked her, most of all she trusted her completely to deliver her child. They had the previous afternoon gone thru all the steps that was going to happen when it was time. Embarrassed she had asked Caroline if it would hurt less if she wasn't laying on her back when the baby came. She had some articles a friend of hers had sent her about new ways to give birth. Caroline had taken her friend's hand and looked calmingly at her 'I don't have any personal experiences, and I've seen women giving birth in a lot of different positions' she had paused 'I know it will hurt, but I think we should wait until it's time to see what to do'

It was closer to four in the morning when there was a hard knock on Bob's door. Groggily he got up, found a pair of long johns to put on his naked body and went to open the door. He hoped it was just someone that was drunk and thought it would be fun to go knock on everyone's door. He wanted to get back to bed with Caroline, now that he was awake again his body started to react to the knowledge she was there, hot and willing in his warm bed.

"Come on Bob, open up" he heard Buck's voice and tore the door open "Of all nights to have Caroline to come over here you chose this one?" Buck was angry and nervous.

"Calm down" Bob said and ushered his friend inside. "What's the problem?" he had momentarily forgotten about the baby.

"Lillian told me to get over here and get Caroline, God knows how she knew she would be here" Buck said.

Bob was just to say something back when he felt a warm hand on his bare back "I'll have to leave" Caroline said and kissed him on the cheek. She was fully dressed. "You can come over and keep this one company when you've dressed" she nodded towards Buck who now was ushered back outside.

Around six in the morning Caroline smiled at her friend and presented the bundle to her "Here's your baby daughter" she said "You must have felt some back aches last night" she more said than asked and got an nod for answer "Well that was the start of your labor, if I had known I wouldn't have left and we would have had more time to go thru the steps"

"But you said she was in a hurry" Lillian looked from the baby to Caroline.

"Yes, she was. It's been long since I had such a short delivery" Caroline said truthfully. "Shall I let Buck inside now?" she asked and put the quilt around her friend.

"Yes please" Lillian said with tears in her eyes. "And Caroline" she said as Caroline had a hand on the handle "I'm sorry I tore you away from Bob this morning"

Caroline smiled and went into the kitchen area where the men sat waiting. She had informed them both that it was a girl, but then she had returned to Lillian's side to take care of the after birth and help her clean up a little.

"You can go in now" she said to Buck and sat herself down beside Bob.

"Whiskey?" Bob asked simply.

"Don't mind if I do" she said. It wasn't often she had liquor but this morning it felt good.

"To Buck, Lillian and the baby" Bob said and clinked his glass with her.

"To Lillian, Buck and the baby" Caroline said.

Disclaimer/Copyright 2014 and forward: I don't own the characters from Due South, but I've written the story and therefore feel I own that. I also want to say I don't know about how the Academy for RCMP or something alike works so I've made it up a nice way to fit my story. I'm also not familiar with names for different kind of people in a village such as the Inuits live in.