Chapter 2: All Aboard!

xXxXxXx

"Well, we're here!" Harry opened the door of his grandson's apartment. "Uh, I wasn't exactly expecting you to bring a friend, Benton. But there's enough room in here for the both of ya."

"Thank you kindly, Harry. It will do just fine." Fraser smiled and set his bag down.

"Yeah, nice place. Will you're grandson be home soon?" Ray set his bags down by the table across of Fraser's.

"Yes. He said he would be home by now. He's probably occupied in his work again."

"What does he do?"

"A little of everything!"

"Did you pick up Diefenbaker yet?" Fraser scanned the room.

"Yes, the flight attendant brought him right to our door this morning. He's over here." He lead Fraser and Ray over to Dief's carrier next to the couch.

"Hey boy! You tired to being stuck in there all night?" Ray leaned over and opened up the carrier. Dief ran out and smelled Fraser then Harry.

"Hello Dief. I'm sorry about that." Fraser scratched the wolf on his head. "If you're wondering where we're at, we are now in San Francisco, California."

"Hey, is that a wolf?" Harry backed up a little.

"Yes. Well, half wolf actually. His name is Diefenbaker."

"Yeah, he won't bite ya." Ray said. Then the door opened quickly as Harry's grandson walked in. Dief walked back into his carrier.

"Oh, Benton, Ray. This is my grandson MacGyver. Mac these are my friends I was telling you about. They'll be staying with us for the rest of the week." Harry was going to say more when Mac interupted him.

"Hey, I already know you two!" Mac pointed at them.

"You do?" Harry raised his voice.

"I met them at the docks."

"Yeah, this guy might have saved our lives!" Ray sat down on a bar stool in front of an island. Diefenbaker ran out from his carrier and charged at Mac.

"Hey, hey!" Mac jumped on the island. "How did a wolf get into my apartment? Harry?" He looked to his grandfather. Dief looked at MacGyver hungrily.

"MacGyver, this is my wolf, Diefenbaker." Fraser introduced the wolf. "He won't hurt you."

"Oh, are you sure? He looks hungry?"

"I assume they fed him on the flight."

"Yeah right." Ray stood up. "If it wasn't chocolate covered he won't eat it." MacGyver laughed and slid down from the island.

"Okay, um, should we feed him or something." Mac walked over to his refrigerator. "I've got plenty of uh, chocolate covered things in here." He poked his head inside the fridge.

"Dief will take just about anything." Fraser explained and sat on the bar stool next to Ray's. Dief turned his head towards the door.

"Mac? You home?" A voice said following a knock at the door.

"Yeah come on in, Pete." MacGyver pulled himself out of the fridge. and set a bowel of chocolate pudding on the floor next to Dief.

"Hey, M-" Pete walked in and looked around the room. He saw a wolf eating out of a bowel of pudding, a Mountie and unfamiliar man sitting on the bar stools, along with MacGyver's grandfather. "Mac? What have you gotten yourself into?"

"Haha! Relax, Pete." Mac laughed and put his hand on Pete's shoulder. "They're my friends."

"Even the wolf?"

"Yes, even the wolf." He turned back to the kitchen. "And his name is Diefenbaker." He joked.

"Of course it is." Pete sat on the stool next to Fraser and Ray.

"Pete this is Harry's fishing buddy Constable Benton Fraser, and his friend Detective Ray Vecchio. They came here from Chicago and will be staying here for the rest of the week." Mac turned towards Fraser. "Uh, exactly why is a Mountie in Chicago?"

Ray grinned and looked down. "Well," Fraser started. "I first came to Chicago on the trail of the killers of my father. And, for reasons that don't need explaining at this juncture, I have remained, attached as liason with the Canadian Consulate."

"Oh, that's really interesting." Pete turned towards Fraser.

"Well, thank you. Thank you kindly."

"Look, Mac. About the guy that fell into the lake."

"Don't tell me, he's not dead?" Mac leaned on the other side of the island.

"Exactly. He was spotted at the docks about an hour ago where he lead the authorities on a wild goose chase."

"It's never easy is it?

"I'm afraid not. I'll call you when we find another lead on him."

"Oh!" Ray looked at his watch. "I gotta go! I have to meet a friend who has no idea I'm here." He laughed at himself.

"Good luck son." Harry waved him out the door.

"Yeah thanks." He grabbed his coat and ran out.

xXxXxXxXx

Ray walked to the door of an apartment building. He sighed a few times before he actually knocked. "Uh, Ronnie? Are you home?"

"Who's there?" A woman was heard behind the door.

"Uh, you probably don't remember me but," He didn't finish before the door flew open.

"Ray?" Ray Kowalski? I knew I recognized your voice! Come in here." She moved aside from the door.

"Y-you actually remember me?" He walked in far enough for her to close the door.

"Of course. Ray, when someone nearly dies for me, I tend to remember them." She laughed and threw her arms around him. He was surprised enough that she remembered him, now she was hugging him?

"How are you, Ronnie?" He finished hugging her and stood in front of her awkwardley.

"I've been good. How about you? Are you still a cop?" She walked behind him and slid his jacket off.

"Uh, yeah. Actually, I'm a detective now."

"Oh, that's cool. Good for you!"

"What about you? You still a florist?" He realized that was a dumb question with the obvious photography equiptment behind her.

"No I got sick of that when I became alergic to dafodills." He grinned a little as she lead him to ther photography studio down stairs. "I've found a new passion of photography."

"Wow!" He looked around. "This is a huge studio!"

"Yeah, I really love it. And buisness is suprisingly good. Oh, I'm so rude, can I get you something to drink or, or something?" She walked over to the stair case.

"Sure. Do you have any coffee?"

"Doesn't everyone? I'll be right back." She dissappeared up the stairs. He looked around and admired her equipment. There were portraits of her previous costumers hung on the walls. She truley was a good photographer.

"Okay, all I have is creamer." She walked in with two mugs on a tray.

"That's fine." He turned back to ther portraits. "Yer really good, Ronnie!"

"Thanks. That really means a lot." She set the tray down on a stool next to a bench. "Ray?" She sat down. "I would be lying if I said I had forgotten about you." He sat down beside her. "Not a day has passed that I didn't think about what you did for me."

All he could do was smile at her. "I've missed you." He put an arm around her. "Why did you leave Chicago?"

"I don't know. I guess, after what happened, I didn't want to be there anymore. I sorta felt like I would cause more trouble to everyone."

"But you never did anything wrong in the first place. It was his chocie to rob that bank, not yours."

"I know, I know." She sighed. "It just bothers me that, I mean, he was only at the bank because I told him to go there. I didn't know he was going to rob it."

"I know that. And so does the judge and all the witnesses. It's over. You don't have to worry about it ever again."

"But, he could have killed you. What if he did? How would I feel now? I loved you back then and I love you now."

He wrapped his arms around her tightly seeing she was about to cry. "Hey, don't worry about. He shot two cops and robbed a bank. He'll be in jail for a long time. I'm not dead and we're together. That's all that matters. Unless you're married?"

"No, Ray. I've never even dated anyone since you." He wiped her tears and looked up at him. "But you're going back to Chicago? What do I do then?"

"I don't know." He starred of into space as he rocked her in his arms. "I just don't know."

xXxXxXxXx

Ray came back to the appartment over three hours later, just in time for dinner.

"Hello Ray!" Fraser emerged from a room and Dief ran over to Ray.

"Hey buddy." Dief barked at Ray until the detective said something to him. "And hello Dief." Ray collapsed down on the couch and dropped his head in his hands.

"I take it it didn't go well?" Fraser sat down next to him.

"Actually, it's the exact opposite. It went too well! She rememberd me." He sighed.

"How is that bad? I thought that's what you wanted?"

"Well, yeah, I er, I thought I did." He raised his head. "She still likes me, Fraser. After all these years she still likes me."

"I wasn't aware she liked you in that way?"

"Yeah, somethin' else I didn't tell ya."

"Perhaps you should tell me the whole story, Ray." Fraser put his hand on Ray's shoulder.

"Okay, It uh, all started two years ago. Stella and I had been divorced for only a couple years. Um, Her name is Veronica White, I met her at a flower shope. I walked in there to get some flowers for my Mum's birthday. Ronnie owned the flower shope. It was her pride and joy. I don't know what happened that day, we just stood there in that flower shope, talking for hours." Ray sighed again and looked down at the floor. It was never hard for Fraser to tell when something was upsetting Ray. "I fell in love with her, Fraser. But, she was in trouble. She was trying to get away from her abussive boyfriend. I promised her I'd help her. So one day, she sent him to the bank so I could sneek her out of the house. It seemed like everything was going to be okay. That's when I got a call on my police radio. The bank ws being robbed."

"The same bank Ronnie sent her boyfriend to?"

"Exactly. In fact, it was her boyfriend who was robbing the bank. I stopped at the bank and made her stay in the car. I guess she left the car and came into the bank with me. He was going to shoot her. So I just, I couldn't let him shoot her, Fraser. I had to take the bullet for her. She thought it was her falt and ran away to San Francisco the minute she heard I was gonna be okay. I hadn't seen her since then, until today. Fraser, I think she wants me to stay in San Francisco with her. She's got her whole life set up here. What do you think I should do, buddy?"

"Whatever feels right of course."

"Yea, I know. But, what's the right thing to do here?"

"Ray, there is often no right or wrong thing. It's a matter of staying in Chicago or transferring to San Francisco."

"If it we're you, what would you do?"

"Well, do you love her as much as she loves you?"

"Answer my question, Fraser."

Fraser sighed. "I'm not sure. I've never really had to think about it before. I suppose, I might move to San Francisco."

"I do love her." Ray explained. "I just, I really,"

"Have you asked her to move back to Chicago with you?" Fraser interupted.

"She won't." Ray stood up. "There's no way she'll come back."

"It never hurts to ask, Ray." Fraser stood up with him.

"Well, I guess I'll have to ask her tonight. She asked me to join her at the docks."

"What for?"

"She mentioned something about taking pictures of some sea turtles."

"That sounds enjoyable. Ray, I do want you to be happy, that's all."

"So what's for dinner?" Ray changed the subject to avoid anymore sappy moments. "Where's Mac and Harry?"

"Harry left to purchase some groceries and Mr. Thorton came by earlier so I assume MacGyver went with him."

xXxXxXxXx

"So, let me get this straight, Mac." Pete asked Mac over a walkie-talkie. MacGyver sat on a dock, hidden behind a canoe. "You think their going to come back to the docks? The same place they we're last seen?"

"Exactly, Pete! The last place he expects us to look for them." Mac peeked around the edge of the canoe and saw a shadow. "Listen, Pete." He whispered now. "I think someone's over here. I'll talk to you later."

"Right, stay safe."

"Yeah." Mac left the walkie talkie by the canoe and darted behind some crates next to a ship. The shadow MacGyver had seen was now bording the ship. He was quite sure it was one of the brothers by now. "But where is the other brother?" He thought to himself.

"Hey!" A voice creeped up behind and grabbed his neck. Of course, it was the other brother. "Well, well, well. If it isn't MacGyver." He snickered and pulled him up from his hiding place. "Hey Marc! Look what I found!"

Marcus ran down the ship's stair case and stopped a few feet away from Paul and MacGyver. "MacGyver! You're just in time. we could use you perfectly in our plan."

"And what plan is that?" Paul still had a neck hold on Mac.

"We sail to our private hide out on the deserted Bing Islands. It was a Christmas present." Marcus grined. "We use the French ambassador as ransom and you can join our party of island explorers."

"Island explorers?"

"Yeah," Paul lossened his grip on Mac's collar. "There's treasure on the islands and we're going to find it, no matter what."

xXxXxXx

"Anyone home?" Harry called opening up the door of Mac's appartment.

"Just myself, Harry." Fraser called from behind the sink.

"What are you doing, boy?"

"Washing dishes. Ray and I ate dinner precisely tweenty minutes ago."

"Sorry I missed it. The supermarket was so busy, you'd think it was Thanksgiving!" Harry set a few bags down on the island.

"I imagine." Fraser chuckled a little. "I heard on the news that tropic storm Nellie was heading for San Francisco."

"Oh, I hope that doesn't mess up our plans. Where's Ray?" He searced the room.

"He went out to meet a friend."

"Girlfriend?"

"More or less, yes." Fraser threw his dish towl on the counter and helped Harry put the groceries away.

Suddenly, the phone rang. "Ill get that." Harry departed from the kitchen, picked up the phone on the table, and sat down on the couch. "Hello?"

"Harry? Is that you?" A nervous Pete asked form his office at the Foundation.

"Yes, Pete. Mac's not here so,"

"I know, I know. I'm worried. He was undercover at the docks when he saw someone and hung up on me. It's been ten minutes and he hasn't called me back. I was hoping you had heard something?"

"Oh my. I'm sorry I haven't heard."

"Okay, let me know if you do."

"Of course. And likewise." He hung up th ephone and grabbed his coat.

"Trouble?" Fraser asked folding up the grocery bags.

"I'm affraid so. "MacGyver went missing at the docks. I'm going to go check on him."

"Oh dear. Ray was at the docks as well." Fraser threw the folded bags on the counter. "Perhaps I should go with you."

"Sure, come on." They ran out the door.

xXxXxXx

At the docks...

"Okay, I can't believe the turtles aren't running away from us." Ray said rubbing his eyes. She was taking pictures of them with a very bright flash.

"I'm sorry, am I blinding you?" She pointed to her flash.

"Kinda." They laughed together. Ray looked passed her. "Is something wrong?"

"Uh," He walked several yards past her and stopped. "MacGyver?" He whispered to himself. He saw a man being tied up on a ship boat. "Ronnie, can I have those binoculars?" He pointed to the binoculars hanging from her satchel.

"Yeah, sure." He tossed them to Ray. "Is something wrong?"

"I don't know yet." He adjusted the focus and held them up to his eyes. "It is you MacGyver." He whispered to himself.

"Whose MacGyver?"

"A guy who gets into a lot of trouble." He walked towards the ship. "Stay here." She nodded but followed him at a distance. She never stayed when he told her to before, why should she start now?

Ray creeped up behind them on the ship and pulled out hs gun. "Chicago PD! Freeze!"

"You again?" Marcus yelled.

"You freeze!" Paul yelled back to Ray. "Or we'll slit pretty boy's throat." He pulled a knif out of his pocket and held it up to Mac's throat.

Ray dropped his gun and threw his hands in the air. "Okay, but no one gets hurt."

"Right. Ya see what you've done now MacGyver. Looks like we've got us antoher island explorer." Ray squinted at the expression.

"No!" Ronnie yelled and jumped on Paul's back.

"Get off me!" He threw her off and she hit the side of the boat.

"Ronnie!" Ray ran to her side. "You never listen do you?" He sat her up.

"I'm learning." She moaned.

"Everyone stop where you are!" Fraser boared the ship with Harry behind him.

"Harry? Fraser?" Macgyver exlaimed. "Is their some kind of tracking device on me or something?" Suddenly the ships stair case dissappeared. Paul leaned over to Ronnie and Ray.

"You move we kill them." He pointed his knife at the two.

"Happy sailing boys!" Marcus put on his sailors hat and left to steer the ship.

"Oh dear." Fraser exclaimed as the ship started moving.

MORE SOON!