Disclaimer: Rights to The Pretender world and all its characters belong to creators Craig Van Sickle and Steven Mitchell. NBC owns a share, as do Twentieth Century Fox and MGM.
Due South was created by Paul Haggis and produced by Alliance Atlantis, BBC, CTV television and Pro Sieben Media. It's a wonderful show, mixing action and humor together into a delightfully quirky detective drama. If you've never seen it, I highly recommend the DVDs.
The point is I'm borrowing someone else's creations. No profit is being made and no copyright infringement is intended.
Defining Connection 6
By Phenyx
05/29/2006
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Ray Kowalski drummed his fingertips against the steering wheel as he watched the traffic light. There was a pattern to the rhythm and his head bobbed to a beat that only he could hear. When the light above the car changed from red to green, the car's powerful engine roared and the tires squealed as the automobile shot forward.
"Callahan's has the best burgers in the city," Ray said. He turned towards Miss Parker and smiled.
The grin was so bright, so open that the blond detective seemed to glow with honest delight. Sitting in the passenger seat beside him, Miss Parker couldn't help herself. She smiled in return.
"It had better be," she said. "We never did get any lunch. I'm starved."
"At times, the pursuit of justice must take precedence over personal comfort," the Mountie said from his seat behind Miss Parker.
Ray snickered. "That's Canadian for 'When the lead is hot, you've gotta follow it.'"
Miss Parker glanced over the seat at Jarod. He sat behind Ray, where she could easily see him. Evidently he and the Mountie had decided that courtesy demanded she ride shotgun. Jarod's eyes met hers and he grinned.
She knew what he was thinking. Jarod liked this pair of detectives. He liked the Mountie's honesty and optimism. He liked Ray's enthusiasm and directness. There was nothing hidden about the blond detective, every thought and emotion were written across his face like a banner. And those emotions could change in the blink of an eye.
Miss Parker realized that she was beginning to like these men too. They were good, honest men doing their best to make the world a better place. They were so contrary to Raines and Lyle that Miss Parker wondered what would happen if this pair were ever let loose upon The Centre.
A sudden vivid image of Thomas lying on her porch squelched that thought.
"We're here!" Ray exclaimed. He parked the car at the curb and hopped out. He stood on the dark sidewalk, bouncing slightly on the balls of his feet as he waited for the others to join him.
"You should switch to decaf, Kowalski," Miss Parker chided him.
"Hey!" The blonde's grin widened. "We did good work today. That was an awesome bust. And you, Parker, kicked some serious ass. You decked that guy with one punch and didn't even break a nail! Endangered turtles everywhere are rejoicing. Bad guys are going to go to bad places 'cause we rocked!" His fists came up and Ray boxed with his shadow for a moment. "Days like this make up for the ones that suck, ya know?"
Miss Parker nodded. Constable Fraser held the restaurant door open for her as though doorman was his second calling in life. She stepped over the threshold and looked around as Ray continued to talk.
"Some days," the detective was saying. "You're just peeling dead girls out of a frozen puddle in some alley, trying not to notice how young they are or that they've got track marks up their arms. Other days, you're arresting some two-bit whore and her pimp for rolling their johns only to realize that their four-year-old kid is watching you do it.
Some days this job just sucks," Ray said. He waved to a waitress, held up four fingers to indicate the number of diners, and continued. "Sometimes this job sucks so bad you can't sleep at night."
"There are worse occupations," Jarod said in a voice low with barely concealed menace. Miss Parker nodded. In her real life, she held one such occupation.
Ray shrugged. "I suppose being the pimp would be worse," he said.
"Or being the whore," Miss Parker added.
"Way to bring down a room, Parker. Jeez," Ray said.
A middle-aged waitress approached them, wiping her hands on her apron as she walked. "Evening boys," she said.
"Hi, Lizzie," Ray said with a grin.
"Good evening, Elizabeth," Fraser added with a nod. "Allow me to introduce Detectives Parker and Malloy."
"Please, call me Jarod."
Miss Parker rolled her eyes. "I take it you've been here before," she said.
The waitress laughed as she showed the group to a table.
"You bet," Ray crowed as he slid into a chair. "Hell, this is the first place we came when we got back from our adventure, wasn't it Frase?"
"Yes, Ray."
Ray continued. "I didn't mind freezing my ass off in the great Northern ice fields. But not being able to get a decent burger was killing me!"
"Ray," the constable said testily. "We have hamburgers in the Territories that are just as good as those you find in Chicago."
The blonde detective glowered at his partner with a frown of disbelief. "Do you know that they put mayonnaise on their fries up there? They don't even call them fries, they call them chips." Ray's mood abruptly changed again and his face lit up with excitement. "But it really didn't taste so bad."
Miss Parker happened to be seated across from the Mountie otherwise she might not have seen the sudden pride that flickered across his face.
"Nothing works up an appetite like mushing across the tundra, eh Frase?" Ray smiled at his partner and gave him a little nudge in the ribs. "Have you ever ridden in a dog sled? It's a real kick, cold as a witch's tit, but a lot of fun."
"Yes, I have." Jarod answered without looking up from his menu.
"Really?" Fraser looked at Jarod with surprise.
Miss Parker did her best not to fidget. Yesterday, in preparation for this pretend, Jarod had told her that the best cover stories held a smattering of truth. The fewer lies they had to tell, the less likely they'd be caught. She'd never before realized how often Jarod had spoken the truth to the people he'd met.
"You've spent time in the North?" the constable was asking.
Jarod nodded. "Not long. I was at Ellesmere for a time. Came back via dog sled."
"Ellesmere," Fraser repeated. "Strange place. Those who live nearby say it's haunted. I understand the science station burned to the ground a couple of years ago."
"Really?" Jarod said. He didn't bat an eye as he lied with the same ease as he'd told the truth a moment ago. "Seemed like a normal enough place to me. The staff I met there were very cordial."
The waitress appeared and set glasses of water in front of each of them. She took their orders and left with an efficiency that spoke of years of experience.
"So Jarod," Ray said as he fumbled with his napkin. "Are you sure you're not from Canada?" He looked up and gave Jarod a piercing gaze.
"Relatively certain," Jarod replied. "Why do you ask?"
Ray shrugged. "Well, you speak Chinese for one." Miss Parker frowned, not quite sure what the Chinese language had to do with Canada. Ray went on. "You use fancy Canadian words like cordial and aversion. And this afternoon, when our perp went out the window, you did just like the Mountie and jumped out after him."
Jarod mimicked Ray's shrug. "It seemed the thing to do at the time."
"See that's the thing," Ray leaned forward as he spoke. "I've never seen anyone but Fraser run across rooftops like that. It's weird." He glanced at his partner. "Sorry, Frase. I love ya ta death, Partner. I'd follow you off a cliff, but you're a class-A freak."
"Understood." The Mountie didn't seem at all annoyed, but instead smiled warmly. "And point of fact, Ray, you have followed me off a cliff."
"What can I say?" Jarod grinned. "I'm an adrenaline junkie. Drives my partner up a wall."
Miss Parker nodded in agreement. "Every single day," she admitted.
Ray sat back and gestured toward her. "Why do you call her Miss Parker?" he asked.
"What?" Jarod blinked at the abrupt change in topic.
"Back at the station, you called her Miss Parker."
"Jarod's idea of a joke," Miss Parker sighed dramatically. Jarod was right. Weaving the truth into the lie made this so very easy to do. "I went to prep school as a child and he has never let me forget it."
Ray's face broke into a bright smile again. "Yeah? My wife went to prep school, my ex-wife that is. A Gold Coast girl she was; still is really. The Stella went to Lake Forest School for Girls."
Jarod grinned wickedly. "Miss Parker went to Leysin."
"Leysin?" Ray asked with a frown. "I've never heard of it."
"It's in Switzerland," Jarod purred.
Ray whistled in appreciation. "Mummy and Daddy have money then eh?" He said. "I'm sure they were thrilled when you became a lowly cop."
"I suppose you could say they were wealthy, before they died." Miss Parker met Ray's gaze unflinchingly. "And I'm sure my father would pitch a fit if he were alive to see me now."
Ray squirmed uncomfortably, "Hey Parker, I'm sorry. I didn't know about your folks."
"My mother died when I was very young," Miss Parker said. She kept the tone of her voice bland, almost bored. She did nothing to betray the depth of emotion that churned in her at the statement. Jarod's presence at her side was strong and supportive, though he moved no closer. "It was a long time ago."
"Such a loss can never be surmounted Miss Parker," Fraser said softly.
Silence fell over the table as Miss Parker and Fraser stared at one another. "How old were you?" she whispered.
"Six," Fraser answered. He shrugged and looked away. Miss Parker recognized the avoidance tactic that she had so often used herself. "My memories of her are little more than vague feelings of warmth and safety."
In that moment, Miss Parker felt a connection to Benton Fraser. She understood the stiff, overly polite Mountie and his standoffish ways. The dark-haired man was suddenly an open book, easy for her read, and his deep blue eyes spoke to her in volumes. Those eyes told her an epic of pain and loneliness much like the one she had often seen in a similar pair of brown ones. And much like the blue-gray eyes that looked back at her from the mirror each day.
"Hey Frase," Ray leaned over and put an arm around his partner's shoulders. "Are you okay?"
All traces of sadness vanished from Fraser's face and he smiled at Ray in encouragement. "I'm fine, Ray. Thank you kindly."
Parker fought down a flash of jealousy. She envied the Mountie and the strong affection between him and Kowalski. The bond of friendship between the two men spoke of loyalty, dependence and an unbreakable trust. Miss Parker had never felt that close to any other living soul. Except…
Except that there had once been a boy that she had cared about very much. She had trusted him…a long time ago. Miss Parker turned and looked at Jarod only to find that he was staring at her intently.
The waitress appeared with their dinners, halting the conversation. There followed a great deal of commotion as they arranged plates on the table, passed condiments and began to dig in. The next several minutes were spent in companionable silence as the four concentrated on their food. It had been a long day and they were all hungry.
When conversation began again it was of a much less personal tone.
"So you want to try to imitate us and our solve rate, huh?" Ray asked as he took a swig from his beer.
"That's the idea," Jarod answered.
The blond man took a huge bite of what remained of his burger. He spoke around his food. "Easier said than done. Frase and me, we're like a duet. We're really different, each of us a freak in our own way. But together it just works."
"Usually," Fraser agreed.
Ray nodded. "Sometimes we want to strangle each other. But most times we click." He took another sip of his beer before continuing. "When we are really on our game, we don't even have to talk. We just communicate without saying anything."
Miss Parker shot Jarod a look out of the corner of her eye and dared him to make some wiseass remark. He didn't. But she could sense his amusement just the same.
"There's red ships and green ships, right Frase?" Ray asked.
"But no ships like partnerships, Ray," the Mountie finished.
"So," Ray went on. "You can follow us around all week. Take transposition of everything we say."
"Transcription," Fraser corrected automatically.
Ray waved a hand in air. "Whatever. Take lots of notes. But unless you've both had classes in E.S.P. you're wasting your time."
Jarod nearly exhaled Dr. Pepper through his nose.
For some unfathomable reason, Miss Parker found Jarod's surprised reaction to be incredibly funny. She started to laugh. When Jarod frowned at her response, she laughed even harder.
"Do you want to tell them, or should I?" she asked, chortling with amusement.
"What?" Ray glared suspiciously at them both. "You read minds?"
"Only mine," Jarod replied. A wry grin crossed his face as he spoke. "She freaks me out sometimes."
Miss Parker gasped with indignation. "I freak you out? Give me a break." The puzzled look on Fraser's face and the concern in Ray's caused Miss Parker to explain. "Jarod and I have known each other for a very long time."
"I know all her secrets," Jarod teased. He glanced at her and in that look Miss Parker could see the warm childhood memories bubbling to the surface.
"Yeah?" Ray leaned forward. "Do you know her first name?"
"Yep," Jarod answered with a grin.
Hunching over even further, Ray hissed an exaggerated stage whisper. "I'll give you a dollar to tell me what it is."
"Oh please!" Miss Parker glared at them.
Jarod smiled. He leaned toward Ray conspiratorially and flashed Miss Parker an ornery glance over his shoulder.
"Don't," she warned.
Delighted laughter burst from Jarod as he shook his head. "Sorry Kowalski, but if I tell you, I'd have to shoot you or risk great bodily harm."
Ray smiled. "Hey it can't be worse than 'Stanley'."
"Wanna bet?" Miss Parker grumbled.
"Don't listen to her, Stanley," Jarod said. "I think she has a lovely name."
"You would." Miss Parker shoved her empty plate away and folded her arms across her chest. "You think Cheese Whiz is gourmet food."
"Oh I love that stuff!" Ray slapped the tabletop to punctuate his words.
"But Ray," Fraser said. "It is little more than cheese-flavored paste. There is absolutely no nutritional value in it whatsoever."
"But that's why it's good!" Jarod and Ray both made the comment at the same time. A split second later, they all four burst into laughter.
Miss Parker wasn't sure why. Maybe it was the good food after a long fast. Perhaps it was the residual adrenaline rush from their earlier chase. Maybe it always felt this good to triumph over the bad guys. But whatever the reason, Miss Parker realized that she had laughed more in the last five minutes than she had in all of the last twelve months combined.
When Miss Parker looked at Jarod again, he was still smiling. But she could see the concern in his eyes. With a quick nod, she reassured him and Jarod beamed with pleasure in response. He was obviously enjoying himself just as much as Miss Parker was.
With a flash of inspiration and an unusual amount of good will, Miss Parker decided to make Jarod's day. Put the icing on his cake as they say. She turned to Ray and smiled demurely at him. "Say, I don't suppose they serve ice cream in this joint do they?"
At Miss Parker's side, the lab-rat lit up like a Christmas tree.
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End Part 6