Chapter 7
"Do ya wanna go over the plan again?" Ray asked. He was on his feet; even though it was almost four o'clock in the morning, he was a bundle of nervous energy.
"No," replied Stephanie firmly. "The instructions in the note were very clear: he wants Heidi and me to meet him at the dockside at ten o'clock in the morning with the money and then he'll give me back my baby."
Fraser looked at her with admiration; he was in awe of her strength and dignity at this time. "Heidi did very well when she spoke to him on the telephone," he said, "she sounded confident and relaxed; Dushku has no reason to suspect that anything is amiss."
Stephanie nodded. "But what if he looks in the bag and realises it's not real money?" she asked.
"We'll have him in cuffs before he gets the chance," Ray reassured her.
"The note said no Police," Stephanie reminded them. "If he sees you hiding there he might...he might hurt Mia..." she trailed off and took a deep breath, trying to retain her composure, before adding, "He might have already hurt her."
Fraser took her hands in his and looked into her eyes. "We will remain out of sight until you and Mia are safe," he promised. "Dushku is an opportunist. He has no reason to hurt Mia; his only wish is to extort money from you. If he cannot return her to you safely then he will not get what he wants."
"We know he's violent, though," continued Stephanie. "I actually feel sorry for Heidi, even after all of this."
"Well ya know we already have a Plan B," Ray pointed out. "Say the word and we'll mobilise a team."
"A SWAT team, you mean," scoffed Stephanie. "I don't want anyone firing a gun anywhere near my daughter. Besides, we don't know where he is; he could have taken Mia anywhere."
"Heidi gave us some suggestions," Ray reminded her. "We've got people out there now checkin' 'em out. If we find Dushku, ya only have to say the word and we'll go in."
"No, we'll stick with the plan," replied Stephanie determinedly. "I'm not risking my daughter's life. Like you said, Benton, this guy is an opportunist; he just wants my money, although I have no idea where he thought I'd get that kind of money from? Even if I had access to Daddy's accounts..." she trailed off as a yawn overwhelmed her.
"You should try to get some sleep," Fraser urged. "We still have a few hours before we have to leave."
Stephanie shook her head. She couldn't possibly sleep while a violent stranger still had her daughter... or so she thought.
Less than half an hour later, Stephanie was stretched out on the couch in Lieutenant Welsh's office, with Diefenbaker standing at her feet protectively.
xXxXx
"You don't have to do this," said Fraser, handing a holdall filled mostly with cut up newspaper to Stephanie.
The sun had already started to heat the day, but Stephanie felt cold inside. "Yes, I do," she replied, firmly. "What's the time?"
Fraser glanced at his trusty watch. "It's ten minutes to ten," he replied and Stephanie nodded, allowing herself a glimmer of hope that this would all be over soon.
"Remember what I said," Ray spoke to Heidi. "No funny business. Just, er, just do what he expects; we've got your back."
"And then he never hurt me again?" Heidi looked from Ray to Fraser, begging for confirmation.
"Never again," Fraser reassured her. "We will protect you."
Heidi nodded. She couldn't quite bring herself to look Stephanie in the eye. Pavel Dushku was a violent bully, but she still couldn't help but blame herself for what had happened; she wished she'd been strong enough to stand up to him.
"He's not gonna be doin' anythin' to anyone from his jail cell," noted Ray. "Now c'mon buddy, we'd better get outta sight."
Fraser and Ray got into position behind some discarded packing crates. They could see Huey and Dewey on the opposite side of the path hiding behind a large yellow shipping container and Fraser made a thumbs-up sign to the other detectives, which Tom Dewey returned with a nod.
Stephanie and Heidi walked up the path and sat on a bench as they had been instructed, looking out across the lake. A huge lake freighter had recently docked and cranes were starting to unload its cargo, while in the distance another ship was heading out into open water, probably bound for Saulte San Marie.
The two women waited in silence. Heidi struggled with feelings of guilt and shame and she tangled and untangled her fingers. She knew it was her fault that Mia had been taken, but she had been too afraid of what Dushku might do to her that she never questioned him.
Every second that went past was a second too long for Stephanie. She was trying to keep terrible thoughts at bay. What if he really has hurt Mia? What if this was a trick and he was never going to give her back at all?
Finally, a car pulled up and a man got out. Without saying a word, Heidi got to her feet and Stephanie realised the man must be Dushku. She quickly followed Heidi, but feelings of panic washed over her as she realised he appeared to be alone. Where is my baby?
Fraser and Ray observed from a safe distance. "Where's the baby?" hissed Ray.
"She's in the vehicle," replied Fraser. "I can hear her; she doesn't appear to be distressed, but perhaps a little hungry."
Stephanie had obviously heard her daughter's cries too as she started walking towards the car, but Dushku grabbed her by the hand to stop her, shaking his head. He clearly wanted to stay in control of the situation. He took the bag from Stephanie and dropped it on the floor; then he crouched down, undid the zip and started looking at the contents.
The bag had been packed very carefully so the first thing he came to was bundles of genuine US Dollar bills and Dushku's greedy eyes lit up as he picked up one of them and leafed through it. Satisfied, he nodded towards the car and Stephanie was finally allowed to run to her daughter. Heidi tried to leave too, but Dushku wasn't about to let that happen and he grabbed her arm, tugging her hard so that she almost lost her balance.
Fraser desperately wanted to intervene now, but he knew that although Dushku did not appear to be armed, he may have a concealed weapon so they didn't want to do anything that might cause him to get spooked. They had to stick to the plan: wait until Stephanie and Mia were safe and then move in. Fraser could feel his heart pounding in his chest as he counted down the seconds until he could be sure that Stephanie was going to be OK.
Ray was in charge of the operation and he knew exactly when the time was right. With a hand signal to Huey and Dewey they ran forward; surprising Dushku who reacted by pushing Heidi to the ground and trying to run away, but he wasn't going to get far with the three Chicago Police Detectives and a wolf hot on his tail.
Fraser ran to Stephanie who finally had Mia safely in her arms and hugged them both tightly. "I'm OK, she's OK," sobbed Stephanie through tears of joy and relief.
Fraser looked over his shoulder at Heidi who was still on the ground.
"Go and help her," pleaded Stephanie. "We're fine."
Fraser ran to Heidi who was a little groggy after hitting her head when she fell, but largely unharmed. He glanced up ahead to see Dushku face down on the ground with Ray's knee firmly in the small of his back as he slapped handcuffs around his wrists while Huey and Dewey re-holstered their weapons.
Fraser breathed a huge sigh of relief and glanced over at Stephanie. She smiled at him, but Fraser saw something different in her. Something had changed; he wasn't sure what it was, but at that moment he felt something splinter inside.
xXxXx
It was evening before they'd been able to leave the Two Seven, but at last they were alone and back at the house.
"She's asleep," whispered Stephanie, closing the door behind her as quietly as she could. Fraser was waiting for her on the sofa and she settled herself beside him, wrapping her arms tightly around his middle and nestling her head against his shoulder
Fraser felt her finally relax against his body and she stroked her hair tenderly. "You should do the same," he suggested. "It's been a long day."
"I…I never want to go through anything like that again," said Stephanie. She let out a long, slow breath. "It's all my fault; I was being selfish. Mia is my daughter; I should be the one to take care of her, not a stranger. In the village where we lived back in Kenya, the women took their children everywhere with them no matter what they were doing. These women work hard, Benton. There is so much to be done in the village, but they just strap their babies to their backs and carry on."
"The traditional Inuit tribes have a similar attitude," explained Fraser. "It seems at odds with the general philosophy of our modern world, but it's worked for them for hundreds of years."
Stephanie laughed. "The girls I went to school with wouldn't dream of raising their children without professional help," she said. "Until you've lived with people who have different ideas, then you have no concept of how rewarding a different lifestyle can be."
"Who are we to judge, or impose our ideas onto other groups of people?" Fraser pondered.
"Everyone helped each other. It was such a wonderful place," sighed Stephanie, smiling at the happy memories. "The other mothers were so good to me when Mia was born. I was so scared, but they brought me into their community and we all looked out for each other."
They sat in silence for a while, lost in their memories. Fraser closed his eyes and thought back to the many times he'd lived amongst the Inuit. His own upbringing had been a largely lonely affair, made bearable only by the local communities they lived in as his grandparents moved around the Territories and he'd learnt to embrace many of the traditional ways of life. His heart ached for home.
Stephanie yawned and sat up, gazing at his peaceful face. She wondered how she'd ever have got through the last few days without him by her side.
Fraser opened his eyes, leaving his memories behind once again.
Stephanie smiled and kissed him warmly. "You are going to stay tonight, aren't you?" she asked, hopefully.
"If you'll have me," replied Fraser. He had been waiting for her to ask, not wanting to impose himself on her. He would have understood completely if she'd wanted to be alone tonight.
Being alone, however, was the last thing on Stephanie's mind. She stood up and grabbed his hand, pulling him to his feet too. Then she kissed him again, more passionately this time and they both lost themselves in each other for a few blissful moments.
Fraser's body ached to be closer to her again, but he let her take the lead. She had to heal in her own way and he refused to allow his desires to take over and hinder her progress.
Stephanie finally broke away. "Take me to bed, Ben," she breathed, looking deep into his blue eyes. "Please."
xXxXx
"He's not gonna show, is he." Ray sighed and stared out into the black of the night. He and Fraser had been on a stakeout for the last four hours; sitting in the GTO waiting for a suspect to appear, but so far the only other signs of life they'd seen at the remote location were a young couple in a rusty old Plymouth station wagon which they parked under a tree. They had presumably thought they were alone as they proceeded to engage in a lascivious act. Ray had no intention of interrupting them to point out the illegality of their actions, although Fraser made a note of the licence plate anyway.
"Jeez, buddy, give the kids a break," said Ray, rolling his eyes. "I thought Steph woulda brought out your romantic side by now. It's been nearly a month."
"Romance is not the issue here, Ray," replied Fraser. "Young people need to learn that as they embark on romance, they must also develop a sense of responsibility."
Ray laughed. "I bet you're a barrel of laughs in bed!" he grinned.
Fraser blushed hard. "Ray, we've been over this already," he sighed, rubbing at his eyebrow with his thumb. "I am not prepared to discuss the intimate details of my relationship with Stephanie. It would not be chivalrous." He had been sleeping at Stephanie's almost every night since Mia was kidnapped and their feelings for each other were growing stronger all the time. He'd never imagined he could feel so comfortable sharing his life with anyone.
Ray laughed harder now. He couldn't help teasing his buddy, it was just too easy; he really didn't want to know what Fraser and Stephanie got up to between the sheets.
Ray was just pleased to see Fraser happy….at least he appeared to be most of the time, but Ray had noticed the odd occasion when his buddy seemed to be worried about something. Ray had called him on it a couple of times, but Fraser had insisted everything was fine and Ray agreed to drop the matter.
Maybe he's overwhelmed by a sense of responsibility? Ray thought, flippantly, but before he could quiz Fraser any further another car pulled up and a man and woman got out. "That's him," hissed Ray, opening the door of the GTO. "And he's with Suzanne Miles; two for one. Pitter patter, let's get at 'er."
xXxXx
Stephanie sat on the floor with Mia on her lap. Mia was playing with a toy elephant Fraser had carved for her. It had articulated joints and she giggled every time her tiny hands grasped the smooth wood and moved the animal's trunk.
"The drain is now unblocked," announced Fraser, walking into the room carrying a large spanner. "We should test the plumbing again. I'm hoping there will be a vast improvement."
Stephanie got to her feet, placing Mia carefully in her rocker chair. She gasped when she caught sight of Fraser. He was shirtless and beads of sweat were glistening on his bare chest. The excessive summer temperatures were showing no sign of abating and it had obviously been hard work fixing the drainage system. "Thank you," she smiled, tugging her lower lip into her teeth. "I think perhaps you should test the plumbing by taking a shower!" She walked over to him and placed a kiss on his lips. "Maybe I'll join you?" she added, seductively.
Fraser worked up even more of a sweat in the shower with Stephanie than he had unblocking the drains. They made love at every opportunity now and Fraser was in awe of the way it made him feel; physically of course, but emotionally too. The joy of sharing intimacy with Stephanie took his breath away every time.
Later that day they took Bessie and King for ride. Some of Stephanie's father's money had finally started to come through and as much as she loved riding bareback, she was keen to test out the new saddles and tack she'd bought. Ma Vecchio was looking after Mia; although Stephanie had initially been determined not to let her daughter out of her sight again, she had finally agreed that Francesca's mother could be trusted and had started to leave Mia with her for a few hours when she really needed time to herself.
As they rode through the trees, Stephanie's mind wandered back to something that had been occupying her thoughts over the last few days. The feelings were getting stronger, no matter how much she tried to convince herself that they weren't and she couldn't ignore it any more, no matter how hard she tried. She watched Fraser as he rode King a short distance ahead of her; he was so at home on horseback, just as she was. She loved these times they shared, just the two of them and the two horses enjoying the beauty of nature. She couldn't shake the thought that she needed to have a long talk with him though; they'd so quickly become comfortable, perhaps too comfortable.
"Benton!" she called out. "Shall we stop here for a while?"
Fraser pulled King to a halt. "Yes, this is a delightful location," he said as he dismounted. Then suddenly he froze and tilted his head to the side slightly.
"What is it?" asked Stephanie.
"I can hear…it's a bird; a swallow-tailed kite, I believe," replied Fraser. "It appears to be in distress." He crouched down and spoke to Dief, who immediately ran off. Fraser quickly tied King to a tree and set off after his wolf, with Stephanie following them.
They soon found the source of the noise; the bird was tangled in some dry twine and couldn't get free. It was screeching and flapping its wings as it struggled.
"Oh no," said Stephanie sadly and she knelt beside the distressed bird.
Fraser knelt beside her and together they tried to calm the bird. Fraser covered its head with his handkerchief and Stephanie gently brushed its feathers with her finger and it began to struggle less and less.
"She doesn't appear to be badly injured," observed Fraser as he carefully started to untangle talons and wings.
Stephanie watched him work. A lot of people would have just left the bird, she realised. So few people cared as deeply about wildlife as she did, but her heart melted at the sight of him talking softly to the bird as he tenderly released it from its bonds.
Soon the kite was free and Fraser gently carried it out from under the shade of the trees and into the bright sunlight so he could examine it properly. The bird appeared relaxed and tolerated Fraser fussing over it.
"Is she OK?" asked Stephanie. "Do you think she will be able to fly?"
"Apart from a few minor bruises and abrasions, this bird has been very lucky," smiled Fraser. "Shall we see if she wants to fly away?"
Stephanie nodded and they set the bird free, backing away to give it some space. At first it just walked around the dry ground, but then suddenly it opened its wings and took to the skies.
"She's beautiful," smiled Stephanie. "You were amazing with her."
Fraser shrugged, embarrassed at the praise and he and Stephanie stood hand in hand watching the kite swoop and soar before it flew out of sight.
They stood there for a while longer, taking in their surroundings, but then Stephanie turned to Fraser. She took a deep breath. "Ben," she began. "There's…there's something I need to tell you."
Fraser took her other hand in his and nodded solemnly. "I know," he replied quietly.
"You do?" Stephanie was surprised.
Fraser nodded. "When are you leaving?"
Stephanie gasped. He knew her better than she knew herself. "I don't know yet. I just know I can't stay here; I don't belong here anymore and I don't want to raise my daughter here. I want to take her back to Africa."
Fraser had known this moment would come. The realisation that Stephanie would be leaving him had become apparent a few days ago. He was used to it by now. Everyone he cared about left him eventually, but part of him had hoped she might wait a little longer, or perhaps change her mind. Deep down, though, he knew she would go.
"Come with me," she said, her eyes begging.
Those words sent a chill through Fraser. Those words…Victoria… He couldn't speak; he could barely breathe.
"Ben, please," urged Stephanie. "Come with me. Think of all the good we could do over there, all the animals we could save. This doesn't have to be the end."
Fraser forced all thoughts of Victoria away; Stephanie was not her, this was not the same. "I'm sorry, but I can't do that," he replied quietly. "I don't belong here in Chicago any more than you do, but I need to go home to the Territories and I think I need to do it soon."
Tears started to fall down Stephanie's cheeks. She'd known all along that he wouldn't be coming. He was right, he belonged in the snowy frozen landscape of his homeland. "You'd probably melt in Africa," she said, forcing a tiny laugh.
Fraser smiled. "You may be right," he acknowledged. "You should follow your heart," he continued. "And your heart lies in Africa."
"It doesn't feel like home here anymore," Stephanie sobbed. "There are far too many ghosts; Dad, Porthos, even Mom and she's been gone for eleven years. I'm sorry I let things get this far between us," she added. "I was hoping I was wrong about my feelings. I should have told you sooner."
"I've known for a while," replied Fraser. "It wouldn't have changed anything anyway; the last few weeks have been…" he trailed off. There were no words to explain how special his time with Stephanie had been to him.
Stephanie hadn't been sure how he would react and perhaps she had hoped he would yell at her; declare his undying love for her and demand that she stayed, but that wasn't the Benton Fraser she knew and loved. She would miss him forever, but she had to go.
He took her in his arms and they kissed for the final time.
xXxXx
"She's what?" exclaimed Ray. "She's leaving?" He had been surprised when Fraser had turned up unannounced at his apartment carrying pizza and he had known immediately that something was wrong.
"She's going to sell the estate, put some money in a trust fund for Mia and the rest will go towards the animal projects she will be involved in," Fraser explained. He placed the slice of pizza he'd been holding back in the box; he wasn't hungry.
"Just like that?" Ray was stunned. "What about you? I mean, I thought things were goin' great between you two?"
"They were," nodded Fraser and tears started to form in his eyes. "But sometimes circumstances force people apart. I completely understand her decision."
"Jeez, buddy, aren't ya even gonna fight for her?" asked Ray. Fraser was taking this too well; Ray knew he was holding his feelings inside, but that was how his buddy dealt with things. He would be here for Fraser if and when he needed to let those feelings out, just like Fraser had been there for him on so many occasions.
"I don't want to hold her back," replied Fraser, his voice cracking with emotion. "I believe she's doing the right thing for herself and for Mia. It would be unreasonable of me to make demands of her for purely selfish reasons."
Ray nodded. He knew he'd made selfish demands of Stella himself and that hadn't got him anywhere at all. "Are ya OK?" he asked gently.
"Yes, Ray, I'm fine," Fraser reassured him with a smile. "Of course I'm...sad," he continued, his smile fading a little, "but Stephanie and I will part as friends and will remain in contact. One day I hope to visit her in Africa to experience for myself the wonderful work that she'll be doing and Stephanie will return from time to time; she has family in Oregon, an aunt and cousins. They have a vineyard and Stephanie has promised to show me the mountains in the region one day."
Ray sat back in the chair and tried to take it all in. He really felt for his buddy and he slapped him affectionately on the back. "Ya saw this comin', didn't ya," he said and Fraser nodded. "What are we gonna do, buddy?" Ray asked.
"About what, exactly?" asked Fraser, tugging at his earlobe.
"About our love lives," replied Ray. "People have more luck in car wrecks."
"I would imagine that if I knew the answer to that question, I would be a very rich man," observed Fraser dryly.
"But, ya really liked her, didn't ya," sighed Ray, sadly. "And I saw ya with the kid, y'were a natural. I figured this one was for keeps."
"Ray, please, there's no point in thinking about what might have been," replied Fraser, echoing the advice his father had given him a few weeks ago. "I admire Stephanie more for having the strength and bravery to make this decision. It is, undoubtedly, the right decision for her."
"We gotta find ourselves some women," said Ray. He hadn't eaten much pizza either and he put the box with the remaining slices on the floor for a grateful Diefenbaker. Clearly the wolf's appetite had not been affected by the low mood of his human companions.
"Some?" queried Fraser.
Ray laughed. "Well, y'know. I meant one each," he clarified.
"Ah," Fraser was relieved.
"Coz I still wanna have kids," said Ray, getting to his feet and crossing to the pile of videotapes he had stacked on the floor next to his TV. "And I figure if the Stella was gonna come runnin' back to me, beggin' for forgiveness and offerin' to have my babies, she'd, er, she'd have done it by now."
"Most likely she would have by now," agreed Fraser. He had been surprised at how quickly he'd developed feelings for baby Mia and it had made him reconsider his ideas about becoming a parent; it hadn't been something he'd seriously considered could be part of his life before.
"So, we gotta, y'know, expand our social circle," continued Ray, choosing a film and putting it into his VCR.
"We have?" This conversation was starting to make Fraser nervous.
"Yeah," replied Ray. He picked up the remote control, but immediately put it down again. "C'mon, startin' right now," he said. "Forget this movie, I've seen it ten times already. We're gonna hit the town; check out a few clubs and I don't mean checkin' their liquor licences are up to date."
"We are?" Now Fraser began to sweat. He really didn't enjoy the types of establishments that Ray had taken him to in the past. "Now?"
"Yeah, now," Ray laughed and grabbed his coat. "Relax, buddy. It'll be fun."
And Ray was right. It was fun. Fraser, in particular, had great fun taking down a drug dealer who was selling his wares in one of the bars.
"This is not quite what I had in mind," sighed Ray as he dragged the perp into the Two Seven just as the sun was beginning to rise.
"I had an exhilarating evening," grinned Fraser.
Ray grinned back; it was good to see a smile back on his buddy's face, even if it was caused by arresting a drug dealer. Ray knew what it felt like to have his heart broken and he resolved to keep a close eye on his buddy for a while, but if tonight was anything to go by, he had a feeling that Fraser was going to be OK. The old Mountie spark was still there. There was a woman out there for him to share his life with somewhere and one for Ray too, he hoped. They just had to find them.
THE END