Friday Afternoon- The Consulate Car ….
Meg's cell phone screamed from her purse. She found it quickly in her modest, patent leather handbag.
"Hello, Inspector Thatcher speaking." Meg said quickly, holding her breath. A pair of light eyes watched her carefully in the rear view mirror of the long Lincoln.
"Yes, I can be there in twenty minutes, thank you." Meg punched the off button and maneuvered onto the edge of the seat.
"Constable Fraser, turn to go downtown." Thatcher rattled off the directions to Windy City Women's Clinic. Her dark eyes danced as she studied Fraser's for a moment. Quickly, he made the necessary course correction away from the Australian Consulate.
"I assume that was the clinic on the line." Fraser stated as he stopped at a red light.
"Yes, that was doctor Milton's office, the iron is hot." Meg smiled, leaning back against the seat.
"Have you spoken to your mother, recently, Inspector Thatcher?" Fraser broached the subject from the side.
"Yes, she still isn't supportive of my decision but she'll get used to it, especially when my baby is on the way." The lady Mountie crossed her arms over her chest, her gaze a thousand miles away.
"Best of luck, Sir." Fraser wished her genuinely. Part of him was jealous of Meg. In his own way, the lone Mountie wanted children; he wanted a family. As close as he was to Ray and Diefenbaker, nothing would come close to the feeling of holding his own child. Benton wanted to hear someone call him 'Daddy' and to teach them the lessons he'd been taught as a child. Inspector Thatcher would be a good mother, of that Benton was absolutely certain. Tolerating and training Turnbull was proof of that.
"Thank you, Constable Fraser." Meg's voice sounded a little softer than usual as she met his earnest gaze in the rear view mirror for a split second.
"Oh, here we are." She spotted the clinic's large sign along the street.
"What shall I tell the Australian Ambassador?" Fraser asked as he found a parking spot around the corner from the doctor's office.
"Tell Mr. Julian, ah," Meg paused, wondering what to tell the stodgy, old man she was scheduled to meet in twenty minutes. "Tell him I had to go to the doctor, but for Pete's sake, don't tell him the reason. Don't lie, but don't tell him either." All she could do was pray that Fraser didn't spill the beans.
"Understood, Inspector." Fraser nodded, turning the car off to get out and open her door. She'd already thrown the door open by the time he got to the handle. They stood face to face for a moment. Meg adjusted the strap of her purse over her jacket. Fraser could smell her unique scent as a car passed, stirring the air. Standing so close to him, Meg felt small and a bit giddy.
"I'll find a taxi and meet you back at the consulate, Constable."
"I could pick you up if you wish." Fraser offered. He didn't like the idea of Meg going alone.
"If I need you I'll call the Australian Consulate." Meg saw the concern in his eyes but waved it away. Fraser had an overprotective streak, which was nice, but she didn't want to show weakness.
"Yes, do, Inspector, I'll see you at the consulate then." Benton peered at her, a faint crease to his brow.
"Yes, at the consulate." Meg turned before she could stop herself from doing something stupid, like smiling at him or hugging him.
Later, at the Consulate ….
"How was the luncheon with the Australian Ambassador, Constable Fraser?" Turnbull asked as he walked back through the building toward the kitchen. The junior officer's kitchen privileges had been restricted to coffee and the microwave until Inspector Thatcher decided otherwise.
Fraser sat at his desk, staring at the filing cabinet along the opposite wall. He roused out of his thoughts at the sound of the other Mountie's voice.
"Oh, Constable Turnbull, the luncheon was quite interesting, Ambassador Julian had very informative slides of the Great Barrier Reef." Fraser answered, trying to recall the slides but coming up blank. He'd been uneasy not knowing the Inspector's condition.
"Did Inspector Thatcher enjoy the menu, she usually comes back to the consulate and takes an antacid afterward." The younger officer knew his superior officer's every habit. Anticipation made his job easier, when it worked anyway.
"She was called away before we arrived at the luncheon." Fraser gave the standard answer he'd given throughout the boring affair.
Thankfully, the phone rang before Turnbull could fire off another question. Fraser snatched up the receiver and gave the official greeting. He was halfway through the French section when he heard the Inspector's strained voice on the other end.
"Constable Fraser, take a cab and get over here ASAP." Without explanation, she hung up the phone. Puzzled and more than a little concerned, Fraser laid the receiver back on the cradle and stood up.
"I have to leave, Turnbull, I'll check in before your shift is over, if I haven't returned before then, lock the door." Fraser grabbed his Stetson and woke Dief out of a dream.
"Is everything alright, Sir?" The blond Mountie's eyes widened in concern as he edged toward Fraser.
"Hold down the fort, Constable Turnbull, everything is fine." Fraser sounded more sure than he felt.
Windy City Women's Clinic ….
"Ms. Thatcher, there's a gentleman here for you." A nurse said softly as Meg sat leaned back on the exam table in a small, cold room.
"Good, Fraser's here." Meg said with a distinct slur as she gathered herself up and tried to find her feet.
"Here, let me help you." The nurse, a woman in her thirties offered Meg a hand as she swayed unsteadily on her feet. The numbing medication they'd given her had sent her for a loop. She'd never taken anything more than an extra strength Tylenol in years. Meg glared at the nurse but let her escort her to the lobby where Fraser stood with his Stetson in his hands.
"Inspector Thatcher, I came as soon as possible." The Mountie studied his superior officer for a moment. She was barely more than a limp dishrag with a sour expression.
"Get me out of here, Fraser." Meg said just at a whisper as she straightened herself, blinking rapidly and taking deep breaths. The nurse handed the Mountie a sheaf of papers before turning them loose.
"The cab is waiting at the curb, Inspector." Fraser offered her his arm for support but she glared at him and walked on ahead through the double doors. She found her way across the sidewalk alright but had to stop and lean on a parking meter for support.
"I think I should go home." Meg ran her fingers through her hair, making it stand up in a hundred different directions.
Fraser nodded in agreement. He wished he'd stayed with her instead of attending the luncheon. Quickly, he helped her into the back of the cab and gave the driver Meg's address.
Inspector Thatcher lived in a moderately pricy neighborhood. The doorman opened the door for them as Fraser half carried her into the marble tiled lobby and toward a gleaming set of gold elevator doors. Her apartment was on the third floor, overlooking the south side of the building.
"I don't know what they gave me, but I haven't felt like this since, well, since I don't know when." Meg handed Fraser her keys after they stepped out of the elevator.
"Which key is it, Inspector?" The Mountie peered down at the six or seven keys on the simple ring in his palm. One of them he recognized as the consulate's front door key, another was to her locking desk drawer and a third to the consulate safe. The remaining four were a mystery.
"Not sure." She slurred, trying to get the hallway to focus correctly. The beige carpet was fading into the sandstone walls around her.
"I'll figure it out." Fraser succeeded in opening the apartment door with the second key he tried. Once inside, the Mountie fumbled for a light switch near the door as he tried to keep Inspector Thatcher upright.
"There's a lamp somewhere." She mumbled as she leaned on the door frame.
"Ah, here we are." Benton found a table lamp on the entertainment center along the wall beside the door. Warm, yellow light created a circle just big enough for him to get his bearings.
"Once I'm on the couch, I'll be fine." Meg lurched forward toward the wall opposite the door. A dark blue, velvet sofa waited with open arms for her. She flopped down and leaned back against the luxurious material. Fraser followed her inside, stepping carefully so as not to find her coffee table with his shins in the dim room. Silently, he knelt down at Meg's feet and took her black pumps off then helped her off with her blazer.
"Fraser, why are you here?" Meg asked as she drew her feet up on the couch and pulled a throw pillow under her head.
"You called and told me to pick you up." He answered quietly, pulling a dark maroon, chenille lap throw from the back of the sofa to drape over her.
"No, I mean why are you taking care of me like this?" She blinked up at him, her dark eyes blurry.
"You need someone to make certain you're alright." He straightened the chenille material down over her dress slacks.
"It isn't your responsibility." She sounded confused as she settled down into the comfortable sofa, the medication making her drowsy.
"As Deputy Liaison Officer, your safety is my responsibility, Ma'am." Fraser sat squatted down on her level, his Stetson still on his head.
"That isn't in the rules, Fraser." Meg snorted softly, yawning.
"It is in my rule book, Inspector." Benton said softly, watching her drift off into medicated oblivion.
Hours later, Meg woke up, her stomach growling and her head feeling much clearer. The lamp on the entertainment center still burned, the only light on in the whole apartment. Looking around, she spied Fraser's form sitting in her arm chair. His Stetson lay on her cherry end table between the sofa and the chair. The Mountie's head lay against the back of the chair, his legs stretched out into the middle of the room. He'd stayed to make sure she was okay.
Slowly, Meg sat up, trying not to wake him. She padded barefoot back through the apartment toward the bathroom. Most of her make-up was gone and there was a crease down her face from lying on the throw pillow's hem. She washed her face and freshened up before going back out into the living room to deal with the sleeping Mountie in her arm chair.
"Constable Fraser, wake up." Meg nudged the toe of his high browns with her bare foot. He jerked awake immediately, popping to his feet.
"Is something the matter, Inspector?" Fraser tried to see her face more clearly in the dim light but her features were shadowed.
"Everything is fine, Constable Fraser, it's time you were headed back to the consulate." Meg turned on the overhead light, flooding the room with white light.
"Yes, Sir." Fraser nodded, finding his Stetson on the end table and planting it firmly on his head.
"Thank you for assisting me this afternoon, Constable Fraser, you're very …. dependable." Meg finished, so many words coming to mind.
"My pleasure, Sir, have a good evening." With a nod, the Mountie found his way toward the front door.
"You as well, Fraser." Meg said before closing the door behind him. For a moment she leaned against the door, thinking back to the sight of Fraser sleeping soundly in her arm chair. It hadn't surprised her to find him sitting there, so peaceful. Part of Meg wondered if things would change between them for the better.
Benton walked down the hallway slowly. His watch read two o'clock in the morning. Watching Meg sleep, he'd had plenty of time to think about the two of them. A niggling, nasty part of him hoped she wouldn't get pregnant. That part of him wanted her to wait until things changed between them enough for a real relationship to grow. The Mountie's heavy boots thumped against the carpet as he strolled toward the elevator. Meg had slept so soundly on the sofa, stirring very little. Her dark hair peeked out above the chenille throw, her toes wiggling as she dreamed. Benton wondered what she dreamed about, wondered if he ever played a part in her dreams. She certainly played a part in his.
When Benton arrived at the consulate Diefenbaker came around from the backyard to his side. The old wolf looked up at him, one brow cocked in annoyance for missing dinner time.
"I'm sorry, old friend, she needed me more than you did." Fraser squatted down on Dief's level. His apology didn't satisfy the lupine.
"Okay, okay, I give in, but just this once, understand." Fraser ruffled the soft fur along Dief's neck before unlocking the consulate door and letting them in.
An hour later Fraser was lying on his cot, staring at the ceiling as Dief snored on his pallet in the corner. The Mountie remembered Meg's question, "Why are you taking care of me like this?" He'd wanted to tell her the truth in his heart and not the truth he told the world.
"I'm here because I love you, because I want to take care of you for the rest of my life, I never want to leave you." Those truths he kept to himself. Not even Dief knew, though the old wolf's keen senses told him there was more than the usual, biological attraction going on between his human and the cranky female.
Somewhere near dawn, Benton fell into a dreamless sleep. It was going to be a long day nto come.
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