Frannie's Lament

by Tanya Reed

This section is for AEM1 because you were just saying you were looking forward to this chapter.

It's a short one, sorry. I think there are only two more after this one. Thanks to everyone who's stuck with it.

Disclaimer: Due South and its characters belong to Alliance Atlantis. I am not making a profit from this story.

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Ben moved stealthily through the estate, his years of survival in the wild making his passage as silent as a deer's. Though he had not heard any more gunshots, he still moved steadily in that direction. In the distance, he often heard the angry shouts of men, and each time he wondered if that meant they were chasing Francesca.

Suddenly, a sound to Ben's left made him hurry to use the side of a nearby building for cover. He peeked around the edge, hugging as close to the wooden wall as possible. His eyes followed a man as he hurried noisily by. Right after he passed Ben, he turned to call behind himself. At least five voices answered that shout, and the Mountie knew with certainty that they would soon be passing him as well.

Not wanting to take the chance of being seen, he slid towards the door that was almost close enough to touch. With relief, he grabbed the doorknob and turned it, slipping inside and shutting the door behind him.

Ben slowly started to relax, feeling more secure with four walls around him. He turned to survey the small building he had wandered into, taking in the gardening tools and homey feel. His eyes widened slightly as he also took in the crumpled form on the floor. Dark hair covered its face, but the litheness of its body made him positive it was female. A slow movement near its ribs showed that it was still alive.

Puzzlement was driven back as the smell of blood mixed with northern flowers in spring reached his nostrils. The smell made him hurry forward, something niggling at the back of his mind.

He knelt by the still body, which was warm to his touch, turning it slightly to brush soft strands from its face.

Ben froze, his body momentarily forgetting how to move as he stared into a face he thought he'd never see again. No one had mentioned her; Ben had never even considered the possibility that she might be involved. Meg Thatcher. The woman who could play his emotions like a flute, making them respond any way she liked with a word or a gesture. The woman whose beautiful face haunted his dreams. How she came to be in this shed, lying on the cold dirt floor, wounded and alone, was a mystery to him. The odds were that she was the Ice Queen, Francesca's named partner, but that explained next to nothing.

His heart refused to beat as he took in how pale her skin was beneath its coating of dirt and blood. Gently, he touched her face again, assuring himself that she was there. Reality came rushing back as Meg responded with a soft moan. Ben's mission and duty hit him like a hammer to his gut, and suddenly, he found he could move normally again.

"Ma'am?" he asked softly, his voice cracking slightly. Why hadn't someone told him she was involved? Then he repeated, "Ma'am?"

She stirred before opening her eyes. They blinked several times, holding confusion and uncertainty.

"It's all right, ma'am. It's just me. No one will hurt you."

Her eyes focused on him. "Fraser?"

"Yes, ma'am. I must say that your presence here surprises me."

"Likewise," she whispered, the hint of a smile touching her face. "How did you find me?"

"We are all here—Ray, Ray, and I. Francesca might have told you how we discovered her. We have come to aide her and her partner in their escape. I assume the partner would be you."

She nodded then coughed and winced. "It's cold in here, Fraser. Are there any blankets?"

Fraser looked around, though he already knew the answer. Finding no more blankets than he had expected, he took off his jacket and prepared to wrap it around her. Before he did, his eyes took in the dirty, blood dyed, make-shift bandage Francesca must have put there. The amount of blood in the material frightened him, and his shirt followed the jacket.

At the sound of tearing cloth, Meg turned her head slightly. "Whatr you doin'?"

Her words were slightly slurred, and Fraser didn't want to acknowledge what that might mean. "That's not important. What is important is that you tell me where Francesca is."

"Not sure. Went to find a way out."

"Understood," he replied, reaching for her bandage.

At his touch, Meg let out a strangled cry. Ben made soothing sounds to quiet her, noting that her breathing was getting more shallow and sweat had broken out on her skin. His stomach fluttered with worry as he ripped his shirt into two pieces. One, he gently wiped her face with; the other he used to reinforce her bandage.

"Fraser," she asked several moments later, after he had finished with the bandage and wrapped her in his jacket.

"Yes, ma'am?"

"Where is Turnbull?"

"Turnbull?"

"Yes, and why haven't you finished that report on the train incident? It was supposed to be on my desk an hour ago."

"I'm working on it, ma'am," he told her, playing along with her hallucination and feeling his intense worry turn to fear. He had to get her out of there. If something happened, he would never forgive himself.

Reaching into his belt, Ben took out the radio stashed there. Remembering the trouble they always had with covert names like the stallion/penguin farce of so long ago, he simply said, "Ray?"

"Yeah, Benny?" came one, and "Here, Buddy," came the other.

"I've found..." Ben's voice threatened to shake, so he paused briefly to strengthen it before continuing. "I've found Francesca's partner."

"And Frannie?" This was Vecchio.

"I don't know, Ray. They're not together. Francesca is on her way to the wall."

"Which way?" This was Kowalski.

"Unknown. She's supposed to return here, though. If I give you my coordinates, one of you can come and wait for her, while the other patrols the wall."

Vecchio sounded puzzled as he answered, "What about you?"

Ben looked at his former superior officer and answered, "I've got to get...her partner to a doctor. She's been shot."

There was a pause, then, "Where are you? I'll be there as soon as I can."

"I can't wait, Ray."

"It's all right. You go. Kowalski, can you head towards the wall?"

"No problem."

"Great."

Ben gave them directions, then turned his attention back to Meg. Tenderly, he took her into his arms, holding her precious form. She moaned again, causing his teeth to clench and his heart to lurch painfully.

"Everything is going to be all right, ma'am. I'm going to get you out of here."

With that promise, he held her closer and moved to the door.