Disclaimer not mine

Dead?

Meg felt like she had been hit by a truck. The pain in her chest compounded every time she took a breath. She opened her eyes slowly to see Fraser sat next to her, sleeping quietly as he held her hand in his. She smiled slightly as she watched him sleep. It was then she noticed another man in the room.

"Who are you?" Meg couldn't help but think the older man looked familiar. Something about him made it feel as if she should know who he was.

"Ah, you are awake. Hello" He smiled "Inspector Thatcher I am his father" He nodded to the sleeping Mountie. "Sgt Fraser, pleased to meet you" He smiled again as confusion crossed her face.

"You are dead"

"Yes" He looked mildly offended "Technically yes I am"

"How can you be technically dead? Either you are or you aren't" Meg was beginning to think this was the most surreal conversation of her life so far. She stared at the dead Mountie as something occurred to her.

"Yes well" He continued.

"You died before I met Ben. Benton came to Chicago on the trail of your killers" She smiled at the story she had heard a million times before but never repeated.

"True" He returned her smile "And for reasons which do not need exploring at this juncture decided to stay" The ghost completed the story. Meg sighed; he was so much like his son that it was uncanny,

"I'm dead too. Aren't I? That's why I am able to see you"

"No" He shook his head. "Not yet. It is up to you at the moment. The doctors have asked my boy if you are an organ donor. You really are that unwell. My boy. My poor boy has lost everyone that has ever meant anything to him in one way or another. Yeah I mean he has the Americans but family. He has lost us all. His mother when he was a baby, his grandparents, Victoria. Mind you I did not like that girl. Selfish, abusive little witch if you asked me. Hurt my boy." He shook his head. "I told him he could do better, and he has."

"He has a sister" Meg argued.

"Maggie. My Maggie. She wasn't brought up with him; you know they only found each other when I died. Both adults by then. My biggest regret not telling them about each other when I was alive" He closed his eyes for a moment. "Anyway, that isn't the point here. Stop distracting me"

"Sorry" Meg bit her bottom lip

"Do you want to be with him?" He nodded towards his son who slept on oblivious.

"Yes"

"Then wake up girl. Because I am telling you what I told him. I see Grandchildren in my future. Yes I tell you, I see Grandchildren" Meg stared at him wide eyes as she felt Fraser squeeze her hand. She glanced back to see the ghost had simply vanished.

"Meg?" Benton stared as she turned to look at him. The oxygen mask on her face made it difficult to talk; she noticed that hadn't been a problem when Fraser senior was talking to her.

"I" She stopped and took another breath "Love you"

"Sshh" Benton smiled as he kissed her forehead. "It's ok. It's going to be ok"

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Kowalski threw himself in to his sear in the bullpen as Vecchio leant against his sister's desk. Elaine looked suitably dejected as she fed Diefenbaker a piece of bacon from her sandwich. The half-wolf was never one to turn down free food. The bacon was gratefully received, although even he seemed subdued. All were quiet as Francesca and Lt Welsh approached them. It looked as though Francesca had been crying as she dabbed her eyes with a scrunched up tissue.

"Any news?" Lt Welsh stared at the assembled detectives. Huey shook his head as everyone else stared at the floor. Diefenbaker barked once, as if voicing his disapproval.

"Well" Francesca sighed "Lewison isn't exactly singing like a budgie" She folded her arms and shot a look at Huey. She knew she would have got the information out of the odious little man but Lt Welsh had sent the more experienced detective to interview him.

"Canary" Vecchio corrected her "Franny, the expression is sang like a canary" Francesca was about to launch in to a full scale rant when Lt Welsh raised a hand to stop her.

"I don't care whether this jerk sings like a canary, budgie or Pavarotti himself. The simple truth of the matter is we have nothing on this schmuck. We are no nearer to catching the gun man. I am not happy people. Find this jerk. That would make me happy. It is Christmas Eve people. I want to be happy" He gave them all a long hard glare as they all mumbled and nodded. Kowalski grabbed his jacket.

"Where are you going?" Vecchio called after him.

"Talk to Fraser. Why don't you take Francesca and talk to Lewison. See what we don't know" He left before Vecchio could follow him.

"You ready for this sis?" He turned to his younger sister who stood to her full height.

"Oh yes" She narrowed her eyes "I'm ready"

"Right then" Vecchio made a show of letting her pass. "Lead the way"

Elaine and Huey glanced at each other as Diefenbaker stood up. For a moment Elaine felt sorry for the man Francesca was about to interview but then she remembered her friend in the hospital and decided that it didn't matter how they got the information they needed. If Francesca puzzled the man to confess as only she could there was no way they were not going to catch the man responsible. Huey sighed as he stroked Diefenbaker behind his ear.

"What do you reckon Elaine?" He smiled.

"Against the Vecchio siblings? Lewison aint got a chance" Elaine folded her arms.

"Exactly. How about we head down to the Consulate? See what we can get from the science geeks? I reckon we should have a case for Beckett to prosecute as soon as possible" Huey straightened his tie as Elaine nodded.

"Yeah but we need to find our suspect first" Elaine grabbed her denim jacket.

"Oh we will." He smiled as he led her out of the door.

A/N thankyou for the reviews. Not much more left now.