Meg's Apartment …
Meg made dinner for herself and Benton. She wasn't unable to cook, just uninterested. The lady Mountie had stopped by the market and gathered the supplies to fix steak, baked potatoes and a salad for dinner. Everything was ready by seven o'clock when Benton arrived.
"Hello, come on in and have a seat." Meg greeted her fiance' with a smile, an bowl of salad in her hand.
"Would you like some help with dinner?" Benton set his Stetson on the coffee table before joining her in the kitchen.
"I'm almost finished, you can set the table though." Meg didn't mind letting him help in the least. She wanted to establish a fifty-fifty relationship early on.
Ben opened cabinets and drawers until he found everything he needed to set the table. It felt strange to be poking his nose into her space but he noticed that she didn't say anything.
"I hope you like you steak done, I wasn't sure how you wanted yours. I can't handle raw meat myself." Meg scrunched up her nose in disgust at the thought of raw steak, the middle still bubble gum pink.
"Well done is fine, thank you." Ben peeked over her shoulder at the steaks as she slid them out onto a serving platter.
"There's sour cream in the refrigerator if you'd like it on your baked potato, help yourself." Meg felt suddenly shy and awkward around him. She'd never really cooked for a man before.
Ben noticed Meg's nervousness as she stood at the stove. She hadn't been nervous at the consulate only a few hours before. He supposed she'd been in her comfort zone with him at the consulate. He didn't want to make things worse by saying anything so he laid a hand on her shoulder and pressed a quick kiss against her temple before making his way to the table.
"I guess we both have a lot to get used to." Meg carried the serving platter the few steps from her stove to the kitchen table and sat down across from Ben.
"Yes, it stands to reason, I've never lived with a woman before, well, there was my grandmother, and my own mother of course, but never a …." Fraser rattled on, his tongue working faster than his brain.
"Ben, would you like some salad?" Meg cut him off gently, offering him some of the hand tossed salad she'd fixed for them.
"Yes, thank you." He held out his dinner plate for her.
"Have you given any thought to the wedding date?" Meg asked, serving Ben before herself.
"As soon as is convenient, hopefully within the next six weeks." The Mountie tried to calculate just when Meg's baby bulge would begin showing.
"Who is on your guest list, I put mine together already." The lady Mountie had given the whole affair far more thought than she knew Ben had.
"That is a dilemma, the bulk of my family is deceased." Ben tried to think of who would be appropriate to invite.
"There's Ray and his family, or families to be more precise, perhaps Sgt. Frobisher could fly down." Meg suggested hopefully. She'd only met Buck Frobisher briefly, during the Musical Ride fiasco. She hoped meeting him again wouldn't be as adventurous as the train ride.
"Yes, he was my father's oldest friend, I'll telephone him tomorrow. I'll put together a complete list later this evening." Ben's mind began compiling a list as he expertly cut his steak, done to perfection.
"I talked to my mother this afternoon, she's coming down in a few days to meet you, she's excited about the baby and our engagement." Meg laid her fork down, her brown eyes shining as she took Ben's hand. For a moment he had the deer in the headlights expression Meg had seen before.
"Don't worry, Benton, she's not going to eat you alive." Meg laughed. "Not all mothers-in-law hate their daughters' husbands, I promise."
"Yes, let's hope so." Ben gave her a smile in return.
The pair returned to their meal, talking over a few things from the consulate. After dinner they settled down on the couch with cups of tea.
"I spoke to Ray this afternoon, he's agreed to serve as my best man at the wedding." Ben edged into the subject of the bachelor party. "He's offered to plan my bachelor party." Meg turned on him, her dark eyes glinting with suspicion.
"He mentioned having pizza and a poker game, for candy of course." Ben rushed to explain before Meg could ask any questions.
"That sounds innocuous enough." Meg relaxed. Still, her Mountie senses were tingling. She didn't quite trust Ray to plan a kid's party for Ben.
"Perhaps Francesca Vecchio would host a bachelorette party in your honor." Ben tried to shift the subject away from himself.
"I was thinking of having a baby shower actually, to get ready for our little one." Meg laid her hand over her still flat stomach. It amazed her how something that started out so small could make such big changes in her life. Ben laid his free hand over hers, capturing her fingers.
"Our little one." He repeated softly.
The Next Day ….
Meg had finally finished all the paperwork for her leave of absence. There would be someone from Ottawa coming in a few weeks as her replacement. Until then there was still plenty of work to be done; planning the wedding and finding a larger apartment. Benton too had several things to do, such as calling Buck Frobisher.
"Hello, is Sergeant Frobisher available, this is Constable Benton Fraser." Ben asked the young officer on the other end of the line. After a moment Buck answered.
"Hello, Benton, it's been a while, how are you?" Buck asked, glad to hear from the younger man.
"I'm fine, Sir, I was just calling to share my good news, I'm getting married." Benton hadn't said the words out loud yet.
"I bet I know who the lucky girl is, it's that Inspector isn't it?" Benton could just see Buck shaking his head.
"Yes, Sir, it is actually, Margaret and I are getting married quite soon, I was wondering if you'd like to come to the wedding?" Benton asked, hoping he'd say yes.
"You let me know the day and I'll be there with bells on, Benton. I was your father's best friend for nearly forty years and I know he'd want me to be there since he can't, unless he can, you know what I mean?" Buck asked. Strangely enough, Benton did know what he meant. His father's ghost had come along for the runaway train ride. It had been weeks since he'd seen the old ghost.
"Margaret and I are also expecting our first child." Benton changed the subject.
"You always were a fast worker, Benton. Congratulations again." Buck marveled. He'd known on the train that Benton and the Inspector had more than a professional relationship, even if neither of them could see it or would admit it.
"Thank you, Sir." Benton and Buck talked for a few more minutes, the younger Mountie promising to send him an invitation soon.
"Hey, Fraser." Margaret tapped on his office door, smiling. A bright smile spread over his face as well.
"I just spoke to Buck Frobisher, he'd be delighted to attend our wedding." Ben stood up to give Margaret his chair behind the desk. She shook her head but saw the stubborn glint in his eye that meant he'd argue if she refused to take his seat. Part of her was thrilled at being treated like his princess.
"That reminds me, we need to set the date." Margaret laid the planner she'd carried in on the desk blotter and motioned for Benton to come around and look.
"I assume you'd like the ceremony to take place as soon as possible." Ben laid his hand on the back of the desk chair as he leaned over the desk beside Meg.
"Yes, it won't be long before the baby makes his or her self known, besides, I'd like to get settled before labor begins." Meg tilted her head back to look up at him.
"One month from now would be an ideal date, it would give us two weeks after Inspector Perry arrives to plan the event." Ben flipped the page over to see what Meg had planned.
"I agree, I wish I didn't have to take a leave of absence but Dr. Milton was clear that this was a high risk pregnancy." The lady Mountie didn't like to think of having another miscarriage. She wanted a baby, especially Benton's baby, so badly.
Ben laid a reassuring hand on her back, the warmth easing her tension. He didn't want to think of losing the baby either, or just as bad, losing Meg. If she lost the baby it would be both physically and emotionally devastating to her.
"Have you been able to get an obstetrician's appointment yet?" Ben asked, knowing she dreaded going to the doctor again so soon.
"Yes, my gynecologist referred me to Dr. Keith, she's in the same building, I have an appointment for day after tomorrow." Meg answered, referring to a block on the previous page of her monthly planner.
"I'd like to go, if you're agreeable." Benton offered, searching Meg's face for a reaction. She took his hand off the blotter and held it in both of hers, nodding.
"We should tell Turnbull about what's going on, this afternoon." Margaret dreaded telling her junior officer.
"I agree, we've waited too long as it is." Benton sighed, knowing he couldn't leave this chore for Meg to do alone.
"I'll call when he arrives, we'll have a meeting in my office." Meg stood up to leave, there was still a forest's worth of paperwork to keep her busy.
Ben caught her hand, stepping closer when she stopped. "Come here." He whispered, pulling her into a warm embrace. He wasn't overly affectionate but when he was, Meg felt every bit of the love he had for her. It was in his voice, his words, his kiss, the way he held her, even the way he watched her as she worked. Meg had never felt so loved by anyone.
"I love you." Ben whispered as he laid his cheek against her silky hair.
"I love you too." Meg sighed, her troubles gone for a moment as she stood there enjoying Ben's hug. She didn't want to let go, she wanted to freeze the perfect moment and live in it forever.
A tuneless whistle brought Ben and Meg back to reality. They broke apart a split second before Ray walked up to Fraser's office door.
"Hey, there's the happy couple." The blond detective grinned devilishly.
"Good afternoon, Ray, what brings you to the consulate?" Fraser asked, adjusting his red serge.
"Just thought I'd drop by and take you out to lunch, I'd ask you but ….." Ray trailed off, quitting while he was ahead with Meg.
"Male bonding, I understand." Meg looked from Ben to the detective and back again.
"Would you like anything while I'm gone?" Ben offered, taking Meg's elbow gently.
"No, I'll be fine, thanks." She shrugged.
"Are you certain, you've been craving peaches lately." Ben asked again.
"No, I'm fine, I brought a couple in my purse this morning." Meg answered.
"I could bring you an assortment of jelly beans, you like those." The expectant father persisted.
"I also have a bag of those in my purse, now go." Meg shooed him, edging toward her 'Inspector' voice.
"Perhaps I should stay until Constable Turnbull arrives from lunch." Ben frowned, hating to leave her alone even for a moment. He remembered all too well how he'd found Meg on the floor of her office.
"Benton Fraser, go, I'll be fine, Turnbull will be back any moment." Meg growled, annoyed on one hand but pleased that Ben cared so much.
"Come on, buddy, I gotta get back to the precinct sometime before dark." Ray urged, grinning like the Cheshire cat.
"Call Ray's cell if you should need anything, Margaret." Ben took a deep breath as he headed out the door toward the hall.
"I'll be fine, Benton." Meg shook her head, rolling her eyes as she watched them leave.
"Sheesh, buddy, I thought she'd keep you on a short leash but you're just a lap kitty aren't ya?" Ray teased as he opened the door.
"Ray!" Fraser's voice trailed off as the door closed behind them. Meg walked slowly to her office. She'd already accepted that loving Benton meant accepting his friends and his unofficial partner, as well as the wolf. He loved them so she tried to see the gang of the twenty-seventh precinct through his eyes. It would take some practice but Meg was trying.
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