CHAPTER 2.

That afternoon, just as Fraser had expected, Inspector Thatcher called him into her office and berated him for missing the call from the German Ambassador.

"Turnbull tried to cover for you!" exclaimed the Inspector. "You can imagine now successful that was. So do you want to tell me what was so important that you felt it was acceptable to disobey my orders?" She folded her arms across her chest and waited for an answer.

"Um, unfortunately I'm unable to do that at this juncture," replied Fraser.

Inspector Thatcher was taken aback by his refusal to answer her questions. Luckily for Fraser, though, she had had an exhausting day and was really not in the mood for an argument, so she simply shook her head and dismissed him from her office. The Inspector was slowly learning to trust his judgement and she really hoped that an explanation would be forthcoming eventually. And it had better be a good one, she thought.

Fraser walked back to his own office, stunned that he'd got off so lightly. Throughout the duration of the lecture Fraser had been thinking about Silvina. He had managed to get her to eat a small amount of the soup he'd made her before he left Stella's apartment and she'd also sipped some water infused with a combination of dried roots and herbs that would hopefully work to bring down her fever.

That evening, Ray called. "Hey. Missed ya today," he said. "I wanted to run over the, er, the Molton case with you. His lawyer's an asshole."

"Ah. I'm sorry about that, Ray," replied Fraser.

"So…where we ya?" prompted Ray. "Turnbull didn't seem to know when I called the Consulate."

"I'm afraid I'm not at liberty to divulge that information," Fraser answered. He hated keeping things from his friend, but it was necessary on this occasion. Fraser was deliberately overlooking Silvina's legal status, but it would be unfair of him to ask Ray to do the same and besides, Ray was the last person that Stella wanted becoming involved.

"Oh," said Ray. He knew that sometimes his buddy worked on confidential RCMP business and he assumed this was one of those occasions. "Ice Queen got you on a top secret mission, huh?"

"Er, something like that."

"Are ya free this evening? Wanna get something to eat?" Ray asked.

"I'm sorry Ray, but I can't this evening," Fraser replied uncomfortably.

"OK," Ray shrugged. "See you tomorrow then."

"Er, possibly," mumbled Fraser. "Goodbye Ray."

Ray was slightly puzzled by Fraser's odd manner, but Fraser could be odd at the best of times so he wasn't that concerned. Ray figured he would tell him all about it when he could. "Just you and me for dinner again, then," he muttered to his pet turtle.

xXxXx

For the next four days, Fraser spent as much time at Stella's as he could. Stella was very grateful for his help with Carmen. Even when Carmen slept Stella couldn't seem to relax and Fraser was growing increasingly worried about her. The stress of taking care of the baby and her concern for Silvina - who, despite Fraser's best efforts, appeared to be growing weaker – was taking its toll. Fraser and Stella tried desperately to persuade Silvina to see a doctor, but she steadfastly refused and they had no choice but to respect her wishes.

Fraser was careful to avoid Inspector Thatcher at all costs. He didn't want to get saddled with any official duties that would take up his time. He ensured his daily reports were on her desk to keep her happy and made excuses for his absence.

The Inspector was used him being away from the Consulate liaising with the Chicago PD, but this time she had a niggling feeling that something was wrong. She couldn't put her finger on what it was though.

Ray grew increasingly suspicious. He quickly realised Fraser was avoiding him and, Canadian national security or not, he wanted to know exactly what it was his buddy had got himself involved in.

"Vecchio!" Lieutenant Welsh's voice broke into Ray's thoughts. It was early in the morning and Ray hadn't had enough caffeine to deal with what he knew was coming. Ray let his head drop onto his desk with a thud. Welsh had Molton's lawyer in his office. Conrad Bennett was trying to get his client released without charge, despite the fact that Ray had found him with his hands around the other guy's neck.

Slimy bastard lawyers, thought Ray.

"Close the door, Detective," ordered Welsh as Ray shuffled into his office. "You remember Mr Bennett."

Ray flashed a smarmy grin at the lawyer, but said nothing.

"Mr Molton has expressed some concerns about his treatment by this department," continued Welsh, through gritted teeth.

"In particular, my client is very concerned about his treatment by you, Detective Vecchio," explained Bennett with a smug look on his face.

"Me?" Ray tried his best to sound surprised. Molton was a violent thug with a rap sheet as long as his arm and he'd thrown the first punch – and the second – as Ray had tried to arrest him. Ray may have kicked Molton in the head in return, but the guy had been resisting arrest and he deserved it. His victim survived the attempt on his life thanks to Ray's timely arrival on the scene and that was all that mattered to Ray.

"Yes, Detective," replied Bennett. "My client is talking about filing assault charges."

"What!" exclaimed Ray.

"I'm attempting to talk him out of taking such drastic action," smiled Bennett condescendingly.

"Oh sure you are," replied Ray sarcastically.

"Vecchio," warned Welsh. He didn't want to have to suspend Ray for punching a lawyer, even if the guy did deserve a black eye.

Ray sighed. "What do you want me to say?" he asked. "Come on, sir," he turned to Welsh and pleaded for some back up.

Welsh shook his head. As much as it pained him to do so, he had to remain neutral. He couldn't risk a major incident – Bennett had too much influence over certain people that Welsh wanted to avoid upsetting at all costs. He would, of course, support Ray in any way he could, but only through the proper channels. That way Bennett wouldn't have any advantage – not if he wanted to keep his license. Welsh had dealt with this man before and others like him and he knew the best way to deal with slimeball lawyers like him was to let him believe he had the upper hand for as long as possible. The Lieutenant did not want Ray to explode and jeopardise that now.

"Thank you for making us aware, Mr Bennett," said Welsh in the most polite voice he could muster. "We'll be in touch."

"Thank you, Lieutenant," replied Bennett and he slithered out of the office.

Ray opened his mouth to speak, but Welsh got in first. "Keep your mouth shut, your head down and your nose clean until this blows over, Vecchio," he said. "Let the legal team deal with him."

Ray hated doing all three of those things. "But…" he began, but Welsh didn't want to hear it.

"Don't worry, Molton is not going anywhere while I'm in charge of this department," said the Lieutenant, gruffly.

Ray nodded silently. He trusted Welsh, but he didn't trust the Chicago PD Legal Department. They'd screwed up in the past and they would most likely screw up again.

"Where's the Mountie?" asked Welsh. It was at times like these that Fraser was very useful for keeping Ray from doing something he might regret.

"Er, dunno, sir," replied Ray. "He's tied up with some secret Canadian stuff, or, er, something."

"Pity," said Welsh. "Go home, Detective," he ordered.

Ray sighed. He knew Welsh was trying to protect him, but it felt to Ray like he was being ordered to run away and hide. He would rather stay and fight his corner, but he knew the safest thing, if he wanted to keep his job, was to obey orders. "Yes, sir," he said reluctantly.

xXxXx

"Oh Fraser, thank god you're here. I think I need to call 911." The look on Stella's face exhibited her concern as she opened her door to the Mountie.

"What happened?" asked Fraser urgently as he entered her apartment.

"It's Silvina," explained Stella. "She's burning up and she's barely conscious. I don't know what happened? I thought she was starting to get better. She was talking and laughing with me yesterday."

Fraser ran through to the back bedroom with Stella close behind. They found Silvina slumped back on her pillows, breathing heavily. Fraser took one look at her and nodded to Stella. "She's hyperpyrexic, call an ambulance," he said, seriously. "Hurry."

Carmen had woken up by the time the ambulance arrived and she was screaming as the paramedics loaded her mother into the back of the vehicle. Fraser held her in his arms and tried to calm her. He caught the look Stella gave the crying infant; it was a confusing mix of anger and sympathy. Stella had found the last few days so difficult. Now she was desperately worried about her friend, but she also felt a huge responsibility to look after the baby.

"It's alright," Fraser said supportively. "Go with Silvina. I'll take care of Carmen; you don't have to worry about her."

Stella nodded and a wave of emotion almost overwhelmed her. She squeezed Fraser's forearm. "Thank you," she whispered and climbed into the ambulance.

Fraser had always been puzzled by Stella. Ray often talked about her, but he sometimes he found it difficult to express how he truly felt about her and he found it even harder to explain his actions when he was around her. Fraser had some difficulty imagining Ray and Stella being together for so many years, but he knew that many of those years had been happy so he could only assume that they had both changed a lot as they'd grown older and ultimately, grown apart.

Fraser had spent a lot of time with Stella over the past week, but he was only just beginning to understand a little more about her. One evening, they'd talked a briefly about her marriage to Ray, although Stella had been very guarded about what she'd said.

"Ray wanted kids, but I didn't," she'd explained with a shrug. "I thought he knew that, but I guess he thought he could change my mind, or something."

Fraser couldn't imagine anyone being able to change Stella's mind about something so fundamental to who she was.

"I imagine that must not have been easy for either of you," Fraser had noted.

"There was a lot of friction over it," Stella had admitted. "It wasn't the only reason our marriage ended, but it…well it's difficult to see a future for two people who have such opposing ideas."

Fraser busied himself in Stella's apartment feeding Carmen. He was very worried about Silvina and he couldn't help but feel that he should have insisted she seek proper medical attention sooner. He and Stella had talked about calling out a doctor, but Stella had been adamant that she did not want to go against Silvina's wishes and Fraser respected her decision. Stella still felt guilty about not having the legal paperwork in place to prevent Silvina being threatened with deportation and she was determined not to let her friend down again. Besides, Silvina hadn't been seriously ill up until this morning and she had even started to show some signs of improvement.

Fraser played with Carmen for a while - entertaining her with the puffin face and a polar bear toy he'd made out of string - before settling her back into her crib while he waited for news from the hospital.

xXxXx

Ray sat on the couch in his apartment for less than five minutes before he realised he couldn't spend the rest of the day like this, let alone however long it was going to take to deal with Molton. He leapt up and made himself a coffee, flicking on the radio as he waited for the coffee machine to do its work.

"Maybe I should go hang out at the Consulate?" he said to the turtle. "Even if Fraser's busy I could watch some curling with Turnbull…oh jeez, what am I saying?"

Ray downed his coffee at lighting speed, grabbed his jacket and went out for a walk. He rarely walked anywhere, but he had to get out of the apartment and he needed some fresh air. He figured the busy Chicago traffic wouldn't do him any good anyway; he was likely to punch someone if they dared to cut him off, or even look at him at the lights. As he had predicted, he ended up at the Consulate.

"Detective Vecchio," beamed Turnbull as he let him in. "It's good to see you."

"Where's Fraser," scowled Ray.

"I'm sorry, I'm not at liberty to divulge that information," smiled Turnbull.

How is this guy so goddam cheerful all the time? Ray wondered.

"And…when will he be back?" asked Ray, determined not to lose his temper.

"I'm afraid I'm not…"

"OK, I get it. You can't tell me," Ray interrupted the young Mountie. He narrowed his eyes and stared at Turnbull. "You don't know where he is, do you," sighed Ray. It didn't take a great detective to be able to read Turnbull's expression.

"Um, er…" stammered Turnbull.

"Forget it," said Ray and turned to leave only to be met by Inspector Thatcher walking in the door.

"Ah, I'm glad you're here," she said to him sternly. "I really need to speak with Constable Fraser so when you see him could you please send him over here."

"I haven't seen him for days," admitted Ray. "I thought you knew where he was?"

"No I don't," replied Thatcher, frowning.

There was an awkward silence. Ray's mind started working overtime. What the hell are you up to, Fraser?

"Oh dear, I do hope he's alright," said Turnbull with a worried expression.

"When did ya see him last?" asked Ray, urgently.

"This morning," replied Turnbull. "He left very early, just as I arrived."

Ray allowed himself a small sigh of relief.

So he's not missing, that's good…but he is deliberately avoiding everyone. Oh Fraser, what are you doing, buddy?

He didn't want to get Fraser into any more trouble with Inspector Thatcher than he was already in. "Oh, right, I just remembered," he said, slapping his forehead theatrically, "er, he's workin' on this, er, thing with me, but he wanted to, er, go check out some…by himself, y'know. I, um, forgot all about it. I'll see you Canadians later."

And with that, Ray ran out of the Consulate, leaving a confused Turnbull and an even more suspicious Thatcher in his wake.

xXxXx

It was late afternoon before an exhausted Stella arrived back at her apartment. She'd already phoned Fraser to let him know that Silvina was stable, but still in a serious condition. She walked in the door and almost collapsed on the couch.

"How is she?" asked Fraser, handing her a cup of bark tea.

Stella hated bark tea, but she was so thirsty that she drank it anyway. The vending machine coffee at the hospital was worse than the bitter stuff you got in court, she decided and she hadn't been able to stomach it. "She looks terrible," replied Stella. "But the doctors assure me they're doing everything they can. They said this type of infection can cause sudden deteriorations."

"As we witnessed," agreed Fraser.

"I stopped by the office on my way home to pick up the rest of the forms I need to file for her visa," Stella explained, pulling a brown envelope from her bag.

"Let me help you with those," offered Fraser. "I do have some experience in the field."

Stella smiled, but shook her head. "Thanks," she said, "but it's the least I can do for Silvina; I owe her this much. I kept meaning to do it – I was going to ask someone to mail them to me – but every time I sit down I either fall asleep, or Carmen starts yelling. Where is Carmen, by the way?"

"She's asleep," replied Fraser. "I took her for a walk. I think the fresh air tired her out. Oh…" he reached down and picked up two large carrier bags. "I took the liberty of visiting the baby store. I spoke to a very helpful assistant who advised me about the various products available." He started to unpack the bags. "These bottles are specifically designed to prevent colic and you might find this particularly useful at night – it's a bottle warmer." Fraser explained to Stella how she could make up the feeds in advance and store them in the refrigerator, then just quickly reheat them in the middle of the night.

"That could be really useful, thank you Fraser," smiled Stella. Night feeds were the worst. Stella never realised how much she needed a good night's sleep until she had a baby to look after. She picked up the box and read the instructions on the back.

Fraser surveyed his haul. He started to wonder if the store assistant hadn't taken advantage of his ignorance on such matters to sell him products he didn't really need. "You know, the Inuit don't use any of this equipment," he pondered.

Stella laughed. "I don't suppose they do," she said. She really was grateful to Fraser for being so thoughtful and the bottle warmer would definitely be put to good use.

Just then there was a knock at the door. Stella got up to answer it. Fraser could see how exhausted she was as she walked across her apartment with her shoulders slumped.

"Ray!" Stella was surprised to see her ex-husband on her doorstep.

Ray was just as surprised. He hadn't planned to come here, but he'd been walking around the city asking if anyone had seen Fraser and, at the same time, worrying about what Molton was cooking up with his lawyer and somehow he'd ended up here.

Why do I always go back to Stella when I can't get my head around the crap going on in my life?

Ray hadn't got any leads on Fraser - which was disconcerting because there was always someone who knew where 'The Mountie' was - and the thing with Molton was starting to take over his head. That Bennett creep could do something and Ray would lose his badge, or worse. Ray couldn't just sit around at home and rely on the Legal Department to fix things. They'd be more likely to make it worse, if his previous experience with them was anything to go by. So here he was – again – at Stella's apartment. Perhaps in the back of his mind he thought she'd be able to help? He wasn't sure why he was here. Perhaps he just needed to see her face.

"Hey, Stell," he said and gave her a quick kiss on the cheek. "Can I come in? I've got this problem…it's a kinda legal problem and I figured who's the best person to talk legal stuff with than, er, than you?"

Stella stood in stunned silence; she didn't know what to say to him. The last person she wanted to talk to now was Ray. She didn't want him to know about Silvina - not yet - and anyway, talking to Ray wasn't simple anymore; Ray always came with baggage. It always hurt just seeing him, seeing how different he looked now – like the Ray she'd fallen in love with, but with something missing – and that was why she usually put up barriers whenever he was around. Usually she was able to shut down her emotions and cope by giving him a good lashing with her acerbic tongue, but not today. Today she was too vulnerable, too emotionally weak and she couldn't muster the strength to protect herself.

"I can't, not today," she said, her voice barely audible.

Ray looked at Stella with a puzzled frown. It wasn't like her to be so quiet…then he saw Fraser.

"Fraser!" he exclaimed. "Where the hell have you been? I've been looking all over for ya! The Ice Queen's been goin' nuts and, er…what are you doin' here? Have you been here the whole time?" Ray was trying to figure out why on earth his buddy had been hiding out with The Stella.

"I'm so sorry, Ray," began Fraser with an awkward glance at Stella.

Then Ray noticed the huge pile of baby paraphernalia spread out across Stella's couch. "What's all this?" he asked quietly. A sense of dread had overwhelmed him. It felt like someone had punched him in the stomach and he could feel the colour drain from his face.

Fraser was instantly concerned about his friend's change of demeanour. "Ray, we just couldn't tell you," he began. He narrowed his eyes as Ray's nostrils started to flare. "Are you…are you alright?" he asked.

Ray's breathing had become shallow. He looked at Stella with a look of pain that Stella hadn't seen for a long time. "Oh my god," he half whispered as he put two and two together and made five. "I don't…I don't believe it…"

Stella was too tired for this. "What are you talking about?" she snapped.

"You…you're having a baby," said Ray. Then he looked at Fraser. "With him!"

"What? No!" exclaimed Stella. "Jesus, Ray!"

Fraser was stunned into silence.

"C'mon, don't treat me like a fool," hissed Ray.

"You're making a good enough job of that all by yourself," retorted Stella.

"This is what all the sneakin' around has been about," continued Ray as the pieces of the puzzle fell into place – at least he thought they did. Tears started to well in his eyes. "You didn't want my kids, but you'll have his!"

"Ray, please, just take a moment…" began Fraser, but Ray interrupted him.

"Everyone wants to have your babies!" he yelled. "But no one wants mine. Well, you know something, you're welcome to her."

"Ray, you've got it all wrong," Fraser insisted.

Ray wasn't listening. He'd already made up his mind that his ex-wife and his best friend – the two people he loved more than anyone else in the world – had hurt him in the worst possible way. "You just wait, buddy," Ray continued. "Just you wait. She'll get under your skin and inside your head and just when you think you couldn't be happier she'll put a knife in your guts and twist it so hard you won't know what's hit you."

"Perhaps if we could all sit down…" Fraser was desperate to explain things to Ray, but Stella was not interested.

"Get out!" she yelled. He'd hurt her too much. How dare he say those things about her?

"Don't worry, I'm goin'," retorted Ray. "You and the Mountie can stay here and build your little love nest. Just don't say I didn't warn ya, buddy." Ray turned and stormed out of the apartment.

Fraser moved to go after him, but Stella grabbed his arm and held him back. "Leave him," she spat. "Let him stew for a while. When he figures out what an idiot he's just made of himself he'll come crawling back."

Fraser was stunned by the venom in her voice. He, too, was stunned that Ray could think those things of him, but he quickly realised that something had upset Ray - something else – and he and Stella had simply borne the brunt of how that had affected him. He turned to stare at the door, hoping Ray would come running back through it so they could sort out the whole misunderstanding, but the door stayed firmly shut.

"Stella," he began, turning back to face her. He was going to go after Ray; he couldn't leave it like this, but before he could say anything else, an exhausted Stella fell into his arms and broke down in tears.