Three o'clock …..
After lunch and a visit to the very grateful Mr. French, Meg and Cara arrived at the consulate just in time for tea.
"Good afternoon, Inspector Thatcher." Turnbull greeted his boss happily.
"Constable Turnbull, allow me to introduce you to my daughter, Cara Lawrence." Meg smiled, proud to be able to say Cara was her daughter.
"Miss Lawrence, hello." The junior Mountie shook her hand politely.
"Pleased to meet you, Constable." Cara smiled up the tall Mountie.
"Where's Fraser?" Meg asked Turnbull, shrugging out of her coat.
"He's in his office, shall I tell him you wish to see him?" The junior Mountie inquired, taking Meg's coat.
"Yes, please tell him we'll be in the sitting room." Meg thanked him and led Cara into the sitting room, a formal, but still comfortably appointed space. A row of four windows lit the cream colored room with afternoon light.
"I'll go make some tea, I think I hid a pack of Oreos from Turnbull last week." Meg said to herself. She stood up to leave the room, trying to remember where she'd put the cookies when she heard Fraser's tap at the door.
"Come in, Constable Fraser." Meg opened the door and admitted the Mountie. Diefenbaker trotted in behind him.
"Good afternoon, ladies." Ben greeted them, his Stetson under his arm. Diefenbaker trotted over to Cara and allowed her to run her fingers through the fur down his back.
"Constable Fraser, hello." The teen greeted him, a cheerful smile brightening her features.
"Do you still wish to sketch Dief and myself?" Ben seemed nervous while Dief sat calmly at Cara's feet.
"Yes, if you don't mind." Cara motioned for him to take a seat on the sofa, Dief at his feet.
"I was just about to make tea, would you like some, Fraser?" Meg offered, still on her feet.
"Yes, if it wouldn't be any trouble." He turned to answer as Cara took a seat in an arm chair across from the couch.
"Have you and Meg worked together long?" Cara asked, her eyes darting between her open pad and the Mountie on one side of the hunter green couch.
"A year and a half, she's a fine officer." Ben admitted without reservation. He stared straight ahead. Diefenbaker sat off to the side, proud and regal.
"What do you think of her, off-duty?" Cara persisted, concentrating on Dief's fur.
"She's a remarkable woman." Ben swallowed hard, wondering what Meg had told the girl.
"I can tell she thinks you're 'remarkable', as well." Cara smiled, remembering the way Meg's eyes lit up when she saw the Mountie walk into the bull pen and the way she hadn't taken her eyes off him.
"She does?" Ben's brows lifted, surprised, despite Meg's revelation of the night before.
"She does what?" Meg said, entering the room carrying a tray of tea and Oreos.
"Constable Fraser was just telling me you two have worked together for over a year now." Cara answered before Ben could.
"Eighteen months and two weeks." Meg clarified, fussing with the tea on the coffee table. She shot Ben a sideways glance, seeing surprise in his green eyes.
"Hardly a moment in the grand scheme of things." Ben said, the side of his lips twitching to smile.
"Sit down and I'll sketch the both of you." Cara leaned forward, pointing to the seat next to Fraser. Meg complied, taking the seat on the opposite end of the couch.
"Come on you two, closer." Cara motioned with both hands for them to close ranks. Meg scooted over, nearly a foot still separating them.
"Oh, come on, act like you like each other." Cara persisted, pursing her lips in annoyance. Meg shot her a reprimanding glare but scooted over more.
"That's better." The girl returned to her sketch, Diefenbaker almost finished.
"How do you take your tea, Fraser?" Meg asked, pouring from the porcelain tea pot.
"Two sugar lumps, no cream, thank you kindly, Inspector." Ben answered, taking the cup she offered him. Their hands touched for a moment, catching them both by surprise.
"You're welcome, Fraser." Meg smiled, pulling away.
"How do you take your tea, Cara?" The lady Mountie wondered aloud, catching a knowing twinkle in her daughter's eye.
"Cream and two sugars, please." The teen answered without looking up from her sketch. Meg handed her a cup and saucer with three cookies on the saucer.
"When do you leave for Winnipeg, Inspector Thatcher?" Ben asked, his mind working ahead.
"Late tomorrow evening." Meg answered. She hated leaving the consulate, even knowing Fraser would be there to take care of it in her stead. She didn't want to leave him, not since their relationship had begun to grow, slowly, but grow just the same.
They sat in silence for a while as Cara concentrated on her sketch. Their silence gave her time to watch them, the way they'd sneak glances at each other, how stiffly Fraser sat next to Meg and the way she sipped her tea coquettishly.
"Finished." Cara unfolded from the arm chair and turned the portrait around to show the both of them.
"It's so lifelike." Meg marveled as her eyes drank in the details.
"This is quite excellent, Cara." Ben agreed, noting the detail she'd taken with his uniform's insignia, down to the crest on his buttons.
"Thank you, I enjoy sketching, I'd love to learn oil painting and maybe graphic design." The teen smiled brightly.
"I'm proud of you, Cara, this takes talent as well as time and determination to draw with such detail and accuracy." Meg handed her daughter back the sketch pad.
"I have others if you'd like to see them." Cara offered, her eyes bright.
"Yes, please." Meg scooted over and let Cara come sit between her and Fraser. The girl flipped the nearly full pad back to the beginning. She'd sketched her friends at school, various buildings in her home town and finally a whole series of sketches from around Chicago.
Ben watched Meg as she asked Cara questions, talked about different facets of the buildings and spoke of the girl's dreams to be an artist. Part of him wondered if she wanted more children someday.
Meg saw Ben watching her with Cara, his gaze open and curious. She couldn't begin to guess what he was thinking but she knew it was something concerning her.
Cara saw the pair looking at each other, both of them starry eyed. She sat for a moment,
wondering what the deal was between them. A tap at the door interrupted the scene.
"Come in, Constable Turnbull." Meg called in her 'Inspector' tone of voice. The junior Mountie popped his head in the door before the rest of his lanky body.
"There's a phone call for Inspector Thatcher from Ottawa." Turnbull informed them. "That is if you are here in your official capacity, unless you aren't here in an official capacity, unless you are here in your official capacity in an unofficial capacity." All three looked at him, confused.
"I'll take the call, Constable Turnbull." Fraser volunteered, setting his tea aside. Both constables left the sitting room, leaving Meg and Cara alone.
"You care about Fraser, don't you." Cara said softly, leaning back against the hunter green sofa. She watched Meg take a long drink of tea.
"Constable Fraser is someone I'm very fond of, Cara, he's been a good friend to me, especially this week. The way I feel for him, I don't want to jump into anything." The teen could see the strain around Meg's dark eyes.
"Because of my father?" She asked softly, trying to put herself in Meg' shoes.
"Yes, partially." Meg set her own tea aside, leaning back to take Cara's hand. "I hope you never have to find out what losing someone you love that way feels like, Cara."
"I can understand why you'd be reluctant to fall for Constable Fraser, but Grandma says that you find more happiness when you take a chance on finding pain instead." The teen looked her mother in the eye. She wanted the best for Meg; to see her birth mother happy.
"I had forgotten that, Mom told me that so often growing up." Meg's voice was soft as she thought back to her own childhood.
"I think Constable Fraser would be worth taking a chance on, it's not often you get a friend like him." Cara leaned over, nudging Meg.
"How did you get so wise so quickly?" Meg leaned over on Cara's shoulder for a moment.
"Oh, it's genetic." Cara laughed.
"It must come from Jake's side then." Meg laughed. It felt good to laugh, to feel the bond between mother and daughter beginning to strengthen. Meg knew these were the years that a girl needed her mother most.
Going Home ….
"Fraser, we could have arrived in Winnipeg by now by dog sled team, please, find a parking spot." Meg was tired of being stuck in the back seat, stuck in traffic. The sooner she could go, the sooner she could return. She felt guilty about feeling that way. It made for a grumpy Inspector Thatcher.
"Yes, Sir." Ben wove the long, dark Lincoln through traffic and into a parking spot out in the boondocks. He watched Meg take a long breath in the rear view mirror. She hadn't meant to snap at him and Ben knew it.
"We should just have time to clear our luggage through security before we board." Meg opened her door and stepped out just as Fraser neared the door, thumping him in the chest.
"My apologies, Inspector." He shuffled his feet backward to maintain balance.
"Fraser, you haven't done anything, why would you apologize?" Meg cocked one eye brow. "Never mind, if you wouldn't mind getting our bags?" She motioned toward the trunk.
Fraser dragged Meg's suitcase behind while Cara wore her backpack on her shoulders. They almost looked like mismatched twins walking behind, Meg in a black slacks, a lavender, ribbed turtleneck and black blazer trimmed in black satin, Cara in jeans and a sweatshirt.
Once through security they stopped off to one side of the boarding line. It was time to say good-bye.
"Thank you for everything, Constable Fraser, I'm sorry I caused you such trouble." Cara said bashfully. She knew she had a lot of apologizing to do and trust to re-earn when she arrived home.
"Take care, Cara, it's been a pleasure to meet you." The Mountie put his hand out for her to shake but the teen shook her head before giving him a big, quick hug. Ben hugged her back gently.
"Take care of Meg for me when she gets back to Chicago, okay." Cara wished him, taking her ticket and boarding the plane.
"I will." He turned to Meg, looking her in the eye as he slipped his hand around hers.
"I'll be back as soon as I can." She squeezed his hand and looked down at their hands.
"Take your time, I know time with Cara is precious." Ben took her hand in both of his, pressing a kiss against her knuckles.
"I've been given two gifts this week, you and Cara." Meg felt tears welling up but tried to blink them back.
"I'll be here to pick you up when you arrive." Ben wiped a stray tear away with his thumb.
"I can't wait." Meg shrugged, giving in and giving Ben a hug and kiss on the cheek. Overhead the announcer called all aboard. Meg pulled away and rushed to board the plane. She turned halfway through the tunnel and waved at Ben who was still standing where she'd left him.
Ben had been given a gift as well. Meg had finally let her guard down and admitted her feelings. It was the best gift she could have given him-herself.
The End