Ghosts
Disclaimer: Nope don't own them, but darn it if I did, I'd share with everyone. Idea and new charas are however mine... mine!
Warnings: New charas, AU, a bit of blood
Rated: PG-13
Archive: Um here I suppose, If any one wants to, they can put my story up on their site. As long as you tell me so I can check it out
Notes An AU that takes place before Victoria's Secret
Feedback: Most definitely welcome, I need it like I need oxygen... so give me life!
'Blah blah' - indicating thought
------ - Indicating time change or memory
''''''''''''' - indicating scene change
This truth drive me
Into madness
I know I can stop the pain
If I will it all away
-Whisper, Evanescense
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Blistering gales swelled like a tidal wave, crashing down upon the ice fields of the Yukon. The wind howled like an angry wolf, echoing around the lone sledder that had dared to ride through the storm. The excited barking of the huskies was lost in the moaning air and the elderly man hunkered down more in his coat, feeling more and more thankful for the fur lining. He urged his team onward with shouts of encouragement, knowing he was only a few miles away from a warm fire and family.
His eyesight may have been failing in his older years, but it didn't miss the dark blur on the horizon. The sledder gave a yell and the team of dogs slowed, a few whining in protest of stopping and the man gave another gruff shout. The dogs quieted, laying down in the snow. He wiped a bit of snow from his goggles before pulling them off, letting them dangle around his neck. He saw once he had gotten closer that the black blur had become three bodies, half hidden in the falling snow. Bright red blood had melted the snow around their heads where the dark circle on each of their foreheads told of a bullet wound.
The man looked around him, feeling the chill of fear mingling with his already cold body. He couldn't see anything in this weather and quickly scrambled back to his sled, giving another shout at his team of dogs that leapt into action, all wanting to return home. The sledder slapped his goggles back on and sank down, allowing his team to move forward through the storm, missing the pair of binoculars that watched his every move.
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The Detective rested one hand on the table, leaning forward, his eyes dark as he glared at the red haired woman across from him in the appropriately dubbed Interrogation Room of the Police Department. He gave a nod before straightening, tugging at his suit to make it settle across his lean shoulders. "All right, I'll ask you again, what is your name?"
"Sarah Sattler, sir," replied the woman who had now been divested of her pack and coat, both sitting on the table in front of her. She sat awkwardly in a metal chair, left leg at an angle, allowing her canine to rest beneath it and the table, the dog's liquid eyes watching Vecchio's every move.
Fraser felt the cool water on his face but it didn't seem to help ease the troubled mentality as he looked up at his reflection in the Men's bathroom. Blue eyes stared back, the same as that woman's. That was impossible; there had to be another conceivable conclusion to why that woman... why that woman looked exactly like his mother. It was like seeing a ghost. He could still feel the prickling of tears against his eyes.
"Where are you from?" Ray sat down in a chair, eyeing the woman. She looked to be in her late twenties or early thirties; it was hard to tell with her baggy and loose clothing. He could have sworn she had just walked in from a blizzard by the way she was dressed.
Sarah glanced behind her at the large window that reflected everything in the room then back at the man. "Paulatuk Canada. It's in the Northwest Territories." She rubbed a hand down her left thigh, running down the metal brace. It was beginning to ache again but she said nothing about it. Her other hand found the end of her braid and tugged on the end with uneasiness.
"How'd you get here?" It took everything he had to not look down at the dog. Huey and Louis had tried to remove it from the Department but it had snapped at them, nearly taking a hand and a few lower limpbs. Neither one made a second attempt.
"I used my sled, then I walked, then I took a train and then I walked again." Though the answer was phrased in a sarcastic way, there was no mockery to her soft voice.
Ray raised an eyebrow; so far the woman seemed Canadian enough. "You said you went to the Consulate?"
"Yes sir. A very polite Mountie gave me directions here..." She trailed off as if she wasn't sure she should continue. "He seemed a bit high strung."
Turnbull. Vecchio could only imagine the directions the woman received from that neurotic Canadian. Hmm, neurotic Canadian, two words he didn't think went together. "So you're saying you walked all the way here? How long did it take you?"
"Well I... well, my team of dogs average about thirteen miles an hour and that's only if I don't run into any obstacles. Then I can walk about three and a half miles an hour, taking into account of rests and-"
"I don't need the problem, just the answer."
"A week and five days. I did get lost." Sarah felt like her head was swarming, the glaring lights felt warm against her skin making her fur lined pants stick to her in the most uncomfortable way. The room felt like it was slowly closing in and the man; presumably Detective Vecchio, was making her unhinged by the second with his constant questioning. She never did like small rooms or being interrogated of how she had arrived at the police station.
Benton tugged at the hem of his Serge even though it wasn't out of place then set his Stetson on before taking it off and placing it in the crook of his arm. He then looked himself over before exiting the Men's bathroom. He had regained composure, reasoned with himself. He was probably tired; he had been spending more time awake working with Ray on the newest case of drugs that were leaking in from the North.
Stepping back in the moving sea of bodies, Fraser looked around for his partner and the woman. Not seeing either, he turned to the nearest Officer. "Excuse me Elaine, have you by chance seen Ray?"
The Civilian Aide looked up from her computer. "Yeah, he's over in one of the Interrogation rooms with some woman."
Huh. Why would Ray be in Interrogation? "Thank you kindly Elaine." Ben offered a friendly bow of his head and headed off down the halls. Reaching the first one he knocked, but didn't receive an answer. Peering inside he found there was no one there and went to the next.
Knocking again he was acknowledged by his partners voice, "Yeah come in Fraser."
Upon entering he found the woman was practically squirming in her seat, boot scuffs evident on the floor, her hands folded so tightly her knuckles were turning white. His immediate reaction was concern for welfare of the woman. "Ray," he scolded. "This is no way to treat a lady." He turned his attention to the woman "I'm terribly sorry ma'am. You must forgive my rude behavior."
"Why you apologizing Fraser? Don't apologize. Besides we treat female criminals the same as guys."
"Yes Ray, but she's not a criminal."
"We don't know that."
"Ray we can't assume she is a criminal. We would be in the wrong, second that would a illegal in jurisdiction under the law of the Chicago Police and the RCMP, and third that would be just rude."
Vecchio made an odd sound, blowing the air through his teeth. "Since when do Chicago cops care about being rude."
The red haired woman felt like she had been pushed aside by the argument the two were having when her large dog finally stretched and moved to it's feet slowly, giving a low growl towards Benton and Ray. His fur rose along his back as he took a menacing step forward, moving to stand guard in front of his master.
"Skyler, akropiyok," came the voice of the woman and Fraser felt a tug of a smile at the familiar language. The canine then dropped deferentially, eyeing the two men across from him. The woman then rested a hand against his head. "I'm sorry," she replied softly, scratching behind the torn ear. "He doesn't like a lot of noise."
Glancing between the two men she continued quickly, "I didn't mean to cause any trouble, perhaps I should leave. I can go back to the Consulate." She felt defeated and worn out, the last couple of weeks hadn't exactly been kind to her.
A wince crossed the woman's features and Fraser's eyes immediately went down to the metal brace on her leg that jutted out from the side of the table. As soon as he did, she must have sensed his gaze and the leg slowly moved back and forth, attempting to pull it back under the table.
"Ma'am, if I may be so bold, may I inquire the reason you're here?"
Sarah lowered her head and pulled a folded piece of paper from her coat pocket. "I'm looking for someone... my brother." She stumbled over her words, "He's apart of the RCMP, stationed here in Chicago." She unfolded the paper, smoothing out the wrinkles. "... His name is Benton Fraser."
"I'm Benton Fraser."
Sarah looked up at the soft spoken words, her fingers splayed over the paper. Again she caught his gaze and held it, before slowly lowering as if noticing every detail of him for the first time. "I'm Sarah... Sarah Sattler."
Ray's eyes did their retake of Fraser's, widening as he glanced back and forth between the two Canadians. Ben had a sister? He sure didn't tell him about her and by the looks in his partner's eyes, it was apparent he didn't know either. "You mean to tell me, that you're Benny's sister?"
The woman's eyes snapped back to the detective. "I, I don't know." Her fingers returned to smoothing out wrinkles from the paper.
"Yeah?" Vecchio asked, his posture growing ridged. "I don't buy it. You sure don't look like each other."
"I hardly believe it myself." Sarah pushed the paper forward, allowing Ray and Ben to see it. "I was adopted, it's rather complicated but my grandparents, they're my legal guardians, passed away and wrote in their will that," she stuttered, her lips quivering. "That they found out who my real family was." She closed her eyes, refusing to look up as tears stung her eyes. She wondered how she would react when she found him; this wasn't quite what she had planned.
Fortunately for her a distraction intervened. The door of the Interview room opened with a bang, startling Skyler that was beginning to doze off and he growled deeply but remained under the table. A golden badge flashed in the bright light. "Hey, we just got a lead on those smugglers at the pier. Lt. Welsh wants you two to head out there."
"Yeah," Ray stood up, feeling a satisfied smirk coming on at the slight bitterness in the other man's tone. "We'll be there in a sec Huey." The detective moved towards the door, pausing at his partner's side. "Fraser?"
The Mountie who had remained silent turned his gaze to the Italian, his expression unreadable as so many other times before settling back on Sarah. "Miss Sattler, I'm afraid I must be called away by duty." As if out of thin air, he pulled a pad of papers from his Serge, followed by a pen which Ray couldn't figure out from where it had come from and jotted down something. He folded it and held it out towards the woman.
"Taking into your attire, I'm presuming you just arrived today in Chicago. This is the address of my home; the building isn't very far from here. I'm positive Elaine would be very kind and give you directions if need be. Normally I wouldn't be so forward, but taking into today's revelation I would like to speak more with you. There is privacy to relax from your long trek."
"All right, lets go Benny," Ray's voice signaled he was getting tired of the pleasantries; they had a case to crack. He, however, did grab the sheet of paper the woman had pushed towards them and scanned the contents, realizing it was a copy of her grandparent's will.
Sarah accepted the folded paper, holding it like a fragile bird's egg then looked up at the Canadian. Appreciation and awe swirled together in the blue eyes. Before Ben could see anymore he was nearly pushed out of the room by his partner and the door closed, sealing away the woman.
Raymond placed the will on his desk before tucking his hands in his pockets and strolled towards the stairs. He knew he should keep quiet but everyone knew that wasn't going to happen. "So... she really your sister?"
Benton placed his Stetson on his head, fixing it in place before heading down the stairs in silence.
--Notes from OMWOS--
My Inuvialuit, Inuktituk, Eskimo, etc is a little rusty... so hopefully these really do mean what I think they mean. I'll try to spare you from my horrible translations
"Skyler, akropiyok"- Skyler Sit/lay down
Credit due here
Sattler was suggested by a good friend and I loved it, so kudo's to her
Skyler is based off my own dog... but smarter and different name... and smarter