Frannie's Lament
by Tanya Reed
Disclaimer: I do not own Due South or its characters, and I am not making any profit off of this story.
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It was on their third day in England that they returned from a morning of prowling fog covered, ancient streets and riding double decker buses to find an unknown car in their host's driveway. It immediately caught the attention of the Rays because it was an American classic. Ben smiled slightly as he saw their faces light up like children on Christmas morning. They eagerly bounded over to it, each taking a side, and gently touched admiring hands to the hood.
"Lookit the lines on that baby."
"Oh, yeah. If I wasn't a Riv man..."
It took several minutes of drooling over the vintage automobile before they were satisfied enough to go in and check out the owner. As they approached the door, a young woman came out. She was very pretty, lithe with long dark hair and laughing green eyes. She smiled at them shyly as she passed and Vecchio turned to watch her departing movements.
As soon as she was out of earshot, he commented, "Now that is one fine looking woman."
"C'mon,Vecchio, she's not your type. You like 'em blond, 'member?"
Vecchio rolled his eyes. "You're never gonna let me forget that, are you? Listen, Stella was a mistake. I know she was a mistake. Can we move on?"
Ben just shook his head patiently as the two Rays descended into a familiar argument. He opened the door for his friends to enter, and then followed them inside. Their friendly bickering stopped when they saw Mr. Lawrence talking to a guest in the foyer. The Americans both smiled in embarassed apology for interupting, and Vecchio said a friendly, "Hi, man. Nice car."
Mr. Lawrence's face broke into a grin and he said heartily, "Hello, gentlemen. Come in and meet my friend, Mario Williams. Mario, these are the men I was telling you about--Ben Fraser, Ray Vecchio, and Ray Kowalski."
"Nice to meet you," Williams said warmly. Ben guessed him to be an American from the southern region of California.
As Williams stepped forward to shake hands with Ray and Ray, Fraser quickly studied him. He was a small, dark, middle aged man with non-descript features. His clothes were obviously well made and expensive, and he gave off an air of money. The smile he gave was as warm as his voice, but the warmth didn't quite reach his eyes.
At his turn to shake the man's hand, Ben noted that he had a firm grip, one that said he was sure of himself. "Pleased to meet you, sir."
"And I you."
"Mario was just leaving," Lawrence informed them, "But I'm glad he got to meet you."
"So am I," Mario agreed, "And I'd like to speak with you further. Scott is going to be visiting me after tomorrow's service. You're welcome to join him."
"Us?" Kowalski asked incredulously.
"Yes, please do. I grew up around Chicago and would love to hear stories of home."
"No problem," Vecchio grinned. "That is, if it's all right with you, Mr. Lawrence."
"Of course it is. I love spending time with you gentlemen. It makes me feel young again."
Ben listened to them absentmindedly as they small talked for several minutes. Most of his mind was lost in puzzlement. How could he have gotten Mr. Williams's place of origin so wrong?
After the pleasantries were over and Mr. Lawrence was accompanying Mr. Williams to his car, Ben and his friends went upstairs to his room. Kowalski had rented a James Bond movie--a character Ben had come to know through his grandmother's library even though he had never seen a film version--and was looking forward to seeing it. Vecchio often grumbled that he had gotten enough excitement while he was under cover for two years and preferred horror, but for once he hadn't complained.
The three of them got comfortable in Ben's huge room, the two Rays settling in on the silk comforter and Ben taking up residence in a nearby well-padded chair.
Looking around, Vecchio sighed heavily. "Well, I guess it's off to the bed and breakfast tomorrow, guys. I'm gonna miss all this comfort."
"Yeah. A guy could get used ta this," Kowalski agreed burrowing deeper into the soft bed.
"That he could."
"Would you two stop whining?" Ben asked good naturedly. "You're worse than Diefenbaker."
Both Rays gave a snort, and Ben shook his head, rising to put the tape in the VCR.
"Actually," Vecchio admitted grudgingly a few moments later, "It's been quite a good vacation. Relaxing."
"Takin' in da sights my good buddy James grew up on."
"Yes, I will admit, it has been rather calm and uneventful. Despite the sombre circumstances, I'm glad we came."
The opening advertisements started on the movie, so Ben hardly heard Vecchio whisper, "But what are we gonna do when we get home?"
That was an extremely good question. They had exhausted every lead and were still no closer, so what were they going to do? They had two choices, to quit or to go on. Both would be difficult to do and impact those around them. Here in another country, it seemed so simple, but in Chicago they would be surrounded by reminders of their failure. And there was Ma.
Ben could not keep his mind on the opening Bond stunt as he thought of the woman who had adopted him as one of her own. She met each day with the firm belief that her youngest child would be coming through the door at any minute. It hurt to see her like that, and it hurt even more to see Ray have to deal with it day after day.
"Look at that, Frase. Ain't it cool?" Kowalski's excited voice brought Ben back to the present.
He filed all of his negative feelings away far back in his mind to look at later. Even so, it was a sad Mountie who tried to live in the moment and enjoy the show.
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"Is my lanyard straight?" Ben asked for about the third time that morning, this time asking Kowalski.
Ray sighed. "Ya asked Vecchio thirty times already. What'd he say?"
"No need to be snappish, Ray. I'm just trying to look my best for the services."
The truth was, the Mountie looked nervous. If Ray hadn't found it so annoying, he would have been amused. Sometimes Fraser could be one of the most irritating men on the planet. Plus, Ray wasn't too happy that Vecchio had deserted him some time before, leaving him to deal with the nervous Mountie on his own.
"Well, ya look fine, buddy. Perfection."
"Do you think so?" Fraser turned back to the mirror, scrutinizing his reflection.
"Yer actin' as if the queen will be there. It's just a funeral."
"She will be, Ray."
"She will?" Ray's eyes widened. "Too bad Turnbull couldna been here. It would have made his life."
"True." After one last pensive rub of his eyebrow, Fraser nodded to himself in the mirror. "I'm ready."
"Good. Now get goin'."
"Are you sure I can't persuade you..."
"I wasn't invited. 'Member?"
Ray got behind him and gave a gentle push. The Mountie moved with the momentum, going down the hall towards the stairs. On their way, Ray saw Vecchio chatting up that Andrea girl that he found so attractive. Both of them were smiling widely and it looked as if the girl were blushing.
"Great," Ray muttered, steering Fraser down the stairs.
"Pardon?"
"Nothin'. If you don't hurry, you're going to be late. What kind of Mountie image would that be?"
"You're absolutely right, Ray," Fraser agreed, finally moving on his own. It was so quick, Ray stumbled and almost fell down the stairs. "Careful." Fraser caught Ray and steadied him before hurrying on.
Ray followed more slowly, watching as his friend joined a somberly dressed Mr. Lawrence in the foyer. The two of them spoke, and then Ben turned to give Ray a little wave. He waved back and stood there on the steps as the Canadian and the Englishman left.
"What am I gonna do now?" he grumbled, thinking about the uneventful afternoon to come. he supposed he could go back upstairs and get Vecchio and asked him if he wanted to do anything, but the Italian had looked quite busy flirting with Andrea.
"This sucks."
With a sigh, he finished his journey down to the foyer and grabbed his jacket from a nearby closet. Nobody would notice if he went out for awhile, and he was feeling edgy. Uneasy.
He reflected on this as he passed nice, neat houses. His ears heard children chattering and laughing somewhere nearby but his mind didn't register the sound. All he could see and hear were the warning signs in his head. Something was going to happen. He wasn't sure if it was going to be good or bad, just that it was coming. His instincts were practically screaming it, and his instincts were rarely wrong.
He stopped for a minute with his eyes closed, listening to the feeling in his gut. For the first time, he felt the breeze on his skin as it kissed his face and rustled his jacket. Oh, yeah. Definitely something. So much for a calm, uneventful vacation.
Opening his eyes, Ray took the sunglasses out of the pocket in his shirt. He grinned evilly as he slipped them on, thinking, All right. Bring it on.
Still wearing the smile, he listened as his stomach said something else. He wondered how far he was from a place that sold fish and chips; he had never been that fond of the dish at home, but there seemed to be something in the UK air that made it delicious. And besides, if they were going to once again face earth shattering events, the least he could do was face them with a full stomach. His stomach agreed.
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The butler that met them at the door led Kowalski and his companions through the hallways of a huge and sombre looking manor. Ray didn't think that he'd ever seen a house so big, but Vecchio and Fraser hadn't even blinked when they were led inside. Everywhere around them was tasteful beauty and rich elegance. Ray knew his mouth must be hanging open, but he couldn't help it. The place must have cost a bundle!
"Wait here," the stiffly polite butler ordered coldly before going into one of the rooms.
Kowalski studied the carving adorning the door and was quite impressed with the details in the little pictures. He had tried whittling once when he was a kid, and he'd been just horrible at it, so he could appreciate the effort involved in obtaining this much skill. He looked closer and noticed that the pictures weren't just men on horseback. The had guns, and dogs bounded at their feet. Here and there, another animal slipped through the picture, usually hidden by a bush or a tree.
Ray was so intent on what was going on on the door that he didn't notice it opening. The only thing that saved him from getting a sound smack on the forehead was Vecchio roughly shoving him away just in time.
"Thanks."
"Welcome."
"Mr. Williams will see you now."
The three men entered a very ornate study where Mr. Willaims and Mr. Lawrence, who had arrived earlier, were talking. The study was lined with books, most of them very old, and Ray couldn't remember ever seeing so many outside of a library. Colors of burgandy and navy dominated the room, making it dark but comfortable. An antique writing desk stood against one wall, huge and as intricately carved as the door had been. Six expensive and pretentious chairs were scattered around the room, two of them very close to the unlit fireplace. Williams and Lawrence sat in these, one smoking a pipe and the other drinking what looked like coffee.
"Hello. I was wondering when you'd get here," Williams smiled. "Please, have a seat. Would you like some brandy?"
"No, thank you, sir," Fraser declined.
Kowalski and Vecchio, however, chorused, "Yeah, sure."
Instead of calling the butler in, which Ray half expected, Williams got up and poured the drinks himself.
"Are you sure I can't get you anything, Constable Fraser?"
"Quite sure, thank you."
With a nod, Williams sat back donw. "Now tell me a little about yourselves. Isn't it unusual to have a Canadian police officer working with two American cops?"
"Well, you see, sir," Ben stated, rubbing a thumb along his eyebrow, and causing Kowalski to think, Oh, no, not again. "I first went to Chicago on the trail of my father's killers, and for reasons that don't need exploring at this juncture, I've remained attached to the Canadian Consulate..."
"And to make a long story short--we don't want to be here listening for two hours, Benny--he decided to help me with some of my cases. Eventually, everyone got used to it, and it became sort of semi-official--part of his duties as Deputy Liason Officer," Vecchio explained.
Ray added, "I came in later. Vecchio went undercover and I took his place. When he came back, I remained 'attached', as Fraser calls it, to the 27th."
"And so now we work as a team," Ben finished.
"That's an interesting tale. How long have you been together?"
Vecchio sighed in mock resignation. "A very, very long time."
This caused Ray to chuckle, almost choking on his brandy. "It just seems long with the Mountie."
"Ray, Ray, please." Fraser looked slightly embarrassed.
"Just teasin', buddy."
"Are the three of you going to be staying with Scott for your whole vacation?"
"Actually, Mr. Williams," Fraser answered, "We have decided to rent rooms in a bed and breakfast so we can get out of the city. I was hoping to see some of the countryside. What we've seen so far is lovely."
"There are some great sights out here. Which reminds me, I have some sandwiches prepared. I will be getting my Italian princess to bring them in for us."
"Your Italian princess?" Ray asked, eyes widening.
Mr. Lawrence laughed. "He loves to show her off. She's not really a princess, but she's lovely enough to be."
"Looking's allowed, but no touching." Then Williams pressed a button on the intercom he kept on a table next to his chair. "Thomas, is Renata ready yet?"
"Yes, sir. She's just waiting on your pleasure."
"Then tell her it pleases me now."
"Yes, sir."
They were deep in conversation about the differences between the United States and England five minutes later when there was a knock on the door.
"Come in, my dear." As the door opened, he continued, "Gentlemen, may I introduce you to Renata Mancini, my Italian princess."
A woman backed into the room, saying something in what Ray guessed was Italian. She had shoulder length hair the color of rich chocolate pudding and a small but curvacious form. Her black skirt stopped quite short of her knees, and her blue silk blouse clung to her lithe body. Kowalski allowed himself to enjoy the view, watching the way her body moved as she wheeled the tray. He wondered idly if she looked as good from the front, then figured she probably did if he judged by the older men's praise. As he was thinking this, Renata turned, a playful grin on her dark face.
Ray's heart stopped.
Quickly, his eyes went over the young woman as he heard Vecchio gasp beside him. Every feature was familiar; he knew them in his heart and in his soul. He pushed the surprise from his face with effort, hoping that it hadn't been seen. As he tried to meet her eyes, he even managed to make his heart start beating again.
A defeaning roar filled his mind, trying to drown his thoughts. It wanted him to scream or cry or faint--anything to acknowledge the sight in front of him.
Renata's smile dropped momentarily from her face and a brief look of recognition replaced it. The recognition was gone so fast, Ray could almost make himself believe he'd imagined it. In its place, was a look of polite interest.
Beside him, Ray heard the ice tinkle loudly in Vecchio's glass, as if his body had suffered a severe jolt. On his other side, Fraser shifted in his chair as if he were uncomfortable. Ray knew the emotions going through him had to be going through them as well.
If their host noticed anything, nothing in his manner betrayed it as he said, "I want to introduce you to my guests."
"All right," The voice was heavily accented but, even so, Kowalski couldn't figure out how he hadn't recognized it at once.
She came over to shake their hands and Williams introduced them one by one. When she got to Kowalski, he could see the pleading in her eyes. A shiver went up his spine, and he knew that in this house she was in danger. He answered her look with a nod no one else could see and took her small hand in his own. Electric fire went through him as skin met skin, and there was no longer any doubt. He would know her anywhere.
"That's all I needed you for, darling. You can go back to playing with my assistant now. I have no idea what they're up to all day." This he said to his guests," But they've always got their heads together."
"Okay, Mario," she said sweetly, "See you later, my love." Then she kissed Williams in a gesture that almost broke Kowalski's heart.
Williams leered after her retreating form. "See, I told you she was a princess."
Princess or not, Ray knew that she was the something his gut had been warning him about. Of all the impossibilities that Ray could have imagined, this was the most impossible. He turned his gaze on Vecchio and Fraser, who looked to be as shell shocked as he was. The same question had to be ringing in all of their minds.
What do you do when reality turns upside down?