There are chilli dogs nearly everywhere that hotdogs are sold around the world, but none of them were as good as the ones Maggie and Ben ate while they sat along the third base line at ? Stadium. The mystery meat delights were covered in thick, spicy chilli, onions, and relish. A third, plain hotdog just had to be bought for Aurora.
"You're picking up bad habits from Diefenbaker, aren't you girl." The off-duty RCMP set the dog down on the cement at her feet. Aurora looked up at her with an excited, thankful expression on her white and caramel features a moment before tearing into her treat. Ben sat back, his feet propped up on the empty seat in front of him, eating his own mystery meat delight.
"Aunt Maggie, what's the deal with you and Fraser's friend, Ray?" The boy asked, watching her reaction from the corner of his eye.
"Pardon?" She nearly choked on her chilli when she heard Ben's question. "Ray, we, he.."
"Fewer pronouns and more verbs there Aunt Maggie." Ben provided.
"Ray and I have a complicated relationship, I work in the Yukon while he's a lieutenant here in Chicago, both of us are very dedicated to our jobs." Ben nodded as he listened to what his aunt told herself to get to sleep at night.
"Yeah, I'm sure that's it." The boy looked down at his feet then off to the Cubs' game.
"Have I missed much of the game?" Fraser asked innocently. It was the first time Ben had seen his father out of uniform. He wore a pair of jeans and a dark scarlet button down shirt beneath a leather jacket. Even out of uniform he still managed to wear red.
"It's only the third inning." Maggie answered, glad to be off the subject of her love life.
"I thought you'd be knee deep in consulate stuff." Ben looked up at Fraser as he took a seat to the boy's right.
"Turnbull has the whole matter in hand." The senior RCMP officer glanced at the boy seated beside him, his posture parallel to his own.
"So, why is it you're in charge of planning a big deal for the guys from Ecuador or wherever?" The boy squinted against the afternoon sun, his green eyes bright against his fair skin and dark hair.
"As the junior liaison officer it is my duty to assist the chief liaison officer..." Ben rolled his eyes before interrupting Fraser,
"The Cliff Notes version, please." Maggie had to bite her tongue in order not to laugh out loud. She knew she spoke just like Fraser, but it was still funny.
"It is just one of the duties of the consulate to entertain other dignitaries when they arrive in Chicago." It was the most efficient answer he could formulate.
As the third inning wore on the three Canadians sat in silence. Every so often Ben would ask a question about the game or Wrigley stadium. Fraser listened intently to the boy, wondering what would have happened if he'd been able to spend time with Ben since birth, regardless of his relationship with Victoria. Fraser felt lost as to what to do. There was still the matter of how Maggie had come to find the boy. Had Fraser been an influence in the boy's life he knew Ben never would have felt the need to steal in order to find him. Fraser didn't feel comfortable punishing the boy, he was only his father biologically, not in actuality. It was quite the conundrum.
"Son, when you've lived as long as I have..." Robert Fraser began seating himself as comfortably as possible in the stadium seat to his son's right. Maggie and Ben both turned to see the elder Fraser seated beside Benton.
"I am considerably closer than I used to be, Dad." Fraser spoke with a tired sigh. The days were beginning to catch up to him.
"Mister, you're too damn close." A man of about Robert Fraser's age looked over at Fraser from three seats down and gave him a warning glare. To the casual observer it looked like the off-duty RCMP had been talking to an empty chair. With a lovely, dark pink blush, Fraser apologized and turned back to watching the game.
"Did you get caught, there..?" Ben stopped short of calling Fraser by name.
"Yes, I'm afraid so." The boy grinned up at the grown man with the cherry red face.
"Does it happen often?" A faint snicker began to well up in Ben's voice.
"More often than I care to mention, yes." A bit of a smile pulled at the corner of Fraser's mouth, his eyes crinkling slightly. All three began laughing.
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