Special thanks to Jen, Karen, Jo, and Jules who have been a great help with this.
Rated PG-13 to R (can't decide) for violence and language.
by Rebecca
It was getting late. She decided that as tired as she was becoming, no more work would be done tonight. It *had* been an extremely long day at the consulate, even for her. She had been in meetings all day and then there was the call from Ottawa which ended in her having to do four more hours of work. She decided that the rest could wait until morning. It was almost midnight now and she had been there since seven am. "The hell with Ottawa. If they needed that report so badly, they could have at least called earlier," Meg said to herself. As she shut down her computer, she realized because of this annoying report that Ottawa wanted, she would have to come in even earlier than she had planned. "Oh well, that's nothing new," she thought. She was determined to not let it ruin the plans she had for the following evening. The more she thought about it, the more she could not wait for tomorrow evening when he would return from his vacation. It had been a long, boring, and most of all, lonely two weeks. "Well after tonight, it will be a long time before he is gone that long without me," Meg said as she prepared to turn out the lights.
As she was reaching for the switch, the phone rang.
"Hello, Canadian Consulate Liaison Office, Inspector Thatcher speaking. How may I help you?" Meg asked wearily.
When no one replied, she repeated her greeting only this time she added, "Is anyone there?"
Again no reply.
As she was hanging up the phone, she heard the gruff voice at the other end say sarcastically, "Goodbye Inspector."
As she brought the receiver back up to her ear, the only sound she heard was the line disconnecting.
"Great, just what I need right now. *More* prank calls. That's it, I'm going home," she said emphatically as she turned off the lights to her office and closed the door.
While she walked to her car, Meg thought about how the number of prank calls she received had increased in the past week. Normally, she would get one every three to four weeks, generally nothing more than a wrong number, but this made ten in just a little over a week. "When Ben gets home, maybe I'll ask if he wouldn't mind staying over a couple of nights to see if that stops them. If not, I guess I'll just change my number," she thought to herself. She could just hear the concern in his voice and see the worried look on his face as he asked her why she hadn't reported the calls to the police. She had no idea how she would respond to that because she wasn't sure why she hadn't reported them yet herself. The only thing she could come up with was that she, herself, was a police officer and she was capable of handling this sort of situation. "Well that's a good way to get him to spend a few nights at my place," she chuckled to herself.
When she arrived at her car, she thought she heard someone behind her. She turned and as she suspected, she saw no one. "It has been a long day. Now I'm starting to hear things." After spending a minute fumbling with her keys, she was finally able to unlock the car door. As she was getting into her car she discovered that she had been wrong. Very wrong.
*****
Ben and Ray were returning after two weeks of hard work on Fraser's cabin. During the time they had been there, Ben had thought about telling Ray his news, but he just didn't know how to bring up the subject. As they were waiting for the plane, he realized that Ray had to be told so Ben finally told Ray about his developing relationship with Meg. Ray's reaction was the one that Ben had been expecting, he just didn't realize it would be so loud.
"WHAT ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT?" Ray didn't realize that he had screamed those words but what the hell, Benny and The Dragon Lady? It was just impossible. It had to be.
All of a sudden, everyone who was near them stopped talking and just stared. Fraser immediately regretted his decision to tell Ray at the airport, but it was too late now. He thought that maybe if he tried to explain, Ray would calm down some. Or at least quiet down.
"Well Ray, you see, as it happens, one night we were both working late and since we were leaving at the same time, she asked if I might like to get something to eat with her since neither of us had taken time for dinner, and then she would drive me home," Ben said calmly.
"I thought she absolutely hated you."
"No Ray. As you know, when she was assigned to this post, I was just returning to duty after the mess with Victoria. You have to see how that might have affected her judgement of my capabilities." As Ben said
this, he looked at Ray. Much to his surprise, Ray seemed to be thinking over what he had just said, even though he still looked shocked.
"Well I could see why she might have acted that way at first, but Benny, she has always been so, oh what's the word I'm looking for, official, no that's not it. Uncivil, well she is that too, but that isn't the right one either. Nasty, nah that's not it. Damn. What is the word I'm looking for. Ah yes, cold. That's it. Cold. She's always been so cold when she is around you. I mean there have been times when I got frostbite just listening to her talk to you. Can you explain that to me?"
"Really Ray. That wasn't entirely necessary, was it?"
"Not really, no," Ray said, grinning.
Ben tried not to let his friend's comments about Meg's attitude bother him because he just didn't know her. In an effort to change Ray's opinion, he explained, "Oh, and I can explain about her attitude. It seems that while she was assigned to the RCMP office in Ottawa, she received the rather unwanted attentions of her superior officer, Henri Cloutier, and when she was posted here, she wanted to make sure no one approached her in a similar manner."
"Ok. Tell me something though. Why didn't she just report this Cloutier guy for sexually harassing her?"
"She did. She was transferred to Chicago as a result." Ben stated this as they were getting ready to board the plane that would take them back to Chicago.
Ray was still shaking his head at what his friend had just told him. As he was getting used to the idea, he had to admit that she was an attractive woman.
"Alright, I'm over the initial shock of this news of yours, so tell me, how long has this been going on?"
Ben believed Ray's last statement since his voice had now returned to a normal level. So he proudly continued, "Well, I believe it has been about three months now."
"THREE MONTHS! You've been going out with this woman for three months and you're just telling me now. No wonder you haven't been bumming a ride off of me as much lately. Gee, thanks buddy." Ray began mumbling to himself, "Three months. I don't get it, I thought I was his best friend. Guess I was wrong." Ray kept glancing up at Ben to see if he might be kidding. Nope, he wasn't kidding. All Ray could do was shake his head.
Once again the people around them looked up, and once more, Ben tried to get Ray to calm himself. This time Ray noticed the people staring and said, "What, don't you people have something better to do than sit and gawk at us?"
"Ray, calm down. I really didn't mean to keep it from you, but the subject has never come up before and as she is my superior officer, we do have to keep this quiet. And if you remember correctly, you have been rather busy with an over abundance of cases lately. It just worked out that when you were free, Meg was in Ottawa, so the subject just never came up. Besides, you have never been overly fond of my choice of girlfriends, you know."
"Benny, that's not fair. I had every reason to hate Victoria. Look, she set you up to take a murder rap and she caused me to shoot and almost kill you. Not to mention the money, which caused Internal affairs to investigate me as well. Doesn't that give me the right to question your judgement about women?"
"I suppose Ray," Fraser acknowledged quietly.
Neither man spoke as they boarded the plane and took their seats. Even as the plane took off, Ray and Fraser remained silent, each thinking about what the other had said. Ben was somewhat surprised that Ray had thrown Victoria back at him, but he was right. She had set him up and Ray did almost kill him. Ben had already forgiven him for the shooting. It was just a horrible mistake. Maybe Ray still felt guilty about it. Fraser hoped not.
Ray was still somewhat in shock over Ben's announcement, but the more he thought about it, the more he realized that when he had the chance to see Ben recently, Ben had seemed much happier. Or if not happier, at least not as lonely. It just never occurred to him that the reason was that Ben had a girlfriend. Fraser was even going so far as to let Diefenbaker have anything that he wanted, within reason, that is. Ray decided if Meg Thatcher really made Ben happy, then his only option was to be happy for his friend. He just couldn't imagine it because she still seemed so openly hostile towards him, but Ben had a logical explanation for that as well. They did have to keep it a secret. If her attitude had suddenly changed, it probably would have raised suspicions. The more he kept thinking about it, he realized that her attitude *had* softened somewhat, but not so much that anyone would take notice. If Benny meant half as much to her as she seemed to mean to him... "Damn," he thought, "she has to be one hell of an actress."
They had been in the air for about a half hour when Ray turned towards Fraser to question him more about his developing relationship with her. The look on Fraser's face sent a sudden chill down Ray's spine.
"Hey Benny, don't worry, I won't say anything about this to anyone, OK?"
"I know that Ray."
"Then what's with the look on your face? What's bothering you?" Ray asked worriedly.
"Oh, it's nothing Ray."
"It's not the plane is it?" Ray asked as he started nervously looking around the cabin of the plane for even the smallest sign of trouble. Ever since they had been in the plane crash, the last thing he *ever* wanted to see was a worried look on Fraser's face while they were on a plane.
"No Ray, there is nothing wrong with the plane. It's something else. Don't worry the feeling will pass."
"Well at least it's not the plane. You're sure it's not the plane."
"The plane is fine Ray." Ben said absent-mindedly.
"Good. Wait a minute. What kind of feeling? This isn't like a 'Hmm' or an 'Ah' or an 'Oh dear' is it?"
"Why do you ask?"
"It's just that I hate it when you say those particular words."
"Why is that Ray?"
"Because every time you say something like that I generally end up feeling guilty or it ends up costing me another suit. Did you realize that the total number of suits that you have ruined because of those words now comes to around 40?"
"Oh dear. I'm sorry about that Ray. You know it's not my intention to ruin your suits. If you want, I will reimburse you for your loss."
"Oh dammit Fraser, I don't want your money. I know you don't mean to do half the things you do, it's just interesting how *my* clothing always gets ruined while you look like you just came back from the cleaners whenever you drag me wherever you're going. So anyway, do me one small favor, would ya?"
"Certainly Ray."
"Benny, until we land in Chicago, you are to keep your feelings of impending doom to yourself, understand?"
"Understood."
"Ok. Now let's talk about something else." Ray thought that by introducing another, more pleasant topic might get Ben to liven up a little bit. Otherwise it was going to be a very long flight to Chicago.
"Like what Ray?"
"Well tell me more about this thing you have for your boss."
"Ray," Ben's tone was less than amused. "It is not a *thing* as you so put it. It is a relationship."
"Well that's one way of putting it Benny," Ray interjected.
"Just so you understand it is definitely NOT a thing."
"Whoa. Calm down. I'm just interested in what the two of you have to talk about, you seem so different." Ray said while trying not to laugh at how touchy Fraser was about this particular subject.
"We have a lot to talk about and I'm sorry Ray, but this is not a subject I take lightly and it is not something to laugh at. I really care about her."
"I can see that. Sorry Fraser, I was just trying to take your mind off of that bad feeling you had."
"I do appreciate that, but really Ray, this is not a matter to joke about."
"Ok. I promise. No more smart-ass comments, but I would like to know more about how all this came about."
"Very well. How much do you want to know because this will take close to three hours to relate."
"How many Inuit stories does it involve?"
"None. Why do you ask?"
"No reason. Just go ahead and start, it's a long flight."
"Fine. I don't know when the feelings began to surface but nothing actually happened until we were on the train that was hijacked.
"Something happened? What sort of something?"
"When we were on the top of the train, we, um, kissed."
"You're kidding me. On top of the train?"
"Yes Ray, on top of the train."
"On top of a moving train."
"Yes."
"Did you by any chance go under a bridge or into a tunnel or something like that?"
"I'm not certain, as I was not concentrating on the surroundings, but we may have. Why do you ask?"
""Well, it would explain the stetson's missing top."
"Yes, I believe it would at that ." Ben blushed at the thought. It had been one thing deflecting his father's question, but Ray just hadn't let it drop until something else had distracted him. "Would you like me to continue with the details now or later."
"Might as well make it now, we still have a long time on this plane and there's no movie on this flight."
"Ray, if you would rather I not..."
"I said go ahead Fraser."
"Certainly, well anyway, since the train incident, we have gradually begun to get to know each other until one night, as I have already stated, she asked me if I would like to get something to eat and I said yes." With that, Ben continued the story of how their relationship had begun.
As the plane was descending onto the runway at O'Hare airport, Ray asked the only question that Ben had not answered during his rather long narrative.
"So Benny, you slept with her yet?" Ray asked with a grin the
Cheshire cat could *not* possibly have matched.
"Um, Um. Well Ray, I don't see what difference that could possibly make?" Ben didn't realize that he had just turned the same shade of red as the uniform that was waiting for him at his apartment.
"You don't have to answer that. By the color of your face, I have my answer." Ray could hardly keep himself from laughing.
Ben just sat there sheepishly as Ray kept grinning at him. The more Ray grinned, the more red Fraser became until it felt as if his face was actually on fire. All that Ben could think of was getting off this plane, escaping Ray's knowing grin, and getting back to the relative safety of his apartment. Meg had said she would be there waiting for him tonight when he returned. He did not comprehend until that very moment, how much he had missed her in the two weeks he had been gone. He started to think about the night before he left on this trip with Ray. He had been at Meg's apartment for dinner. When they had finished the dinner she had prepared, they had gone into the living room, sat down on the couch, and just started talking. It had been such a nice evening. When it had gotten late, Ben told her that he should probably leave, but she asked if he would stay. And Ray had wondered why he was tired the next morning. As he was thinking this he suddenly heard Ray's voice.
"Sorry. What was that Ray?"
"I said we can get off the plane now."
"Oh, very well."
Once inside the airport they went to the baggage claim area and retrieved their bags and Dief. Fraser felt bad about having to crate Dief up again, knowing that he would have to give the wolf something drenched in sugar just to make up for it, but it couldn't be helped. The airlines did have their rules, after all. Ben also knew that they would have to take a cab because Ray had flatly refused to leave the Riv parked in the airport parking lot for more than thirty seconds. He wouldn't even let someone in his family drive his car to pick them up. It was funny the lengths that Ray went to in order to protect his car. He had even taken the keys with him just to make sure no one would drive it. His protection of the car was not surprising though, considering how many of them he had gone through lately. As they were approaching the terminal exit, Ben suddenly saw two very familiar figures. They did not look happy.
*****
Ray had seen them as well. "Great," he thought, "I can't even be back in town for five minutes before I have to go to work."
As the figures approached, Ben leaned over to Ray and said, "I told you I had this feeling..."
"Shut up Fraser. I don't need to hear this now Ok?" Ray said sarcastically.
"Understood," was all that Fraser replied because the men had come to a stop and were now directly in front of the two returning men and the wolf.
"Lt. Welsh, Huey, what a surprise. Gee, I thought I was on vacation until tomorrow. I guess I was wrong, huh?" Ray's mocking tone did not even begin to express how he was feeling at this moment.
"Vecchio, Shut up! I'm not here for you." As the lieutenant said this he looked over at Fraser. "Fraser, I thought that you might like to know this right away so I came down here myself to tell you."
"Thank you sir. What is it that you have to tell me?" Ben said.
"There was some trouble at the consulate late last night."
"What kind of trouble, sir?"
Lt. Welsh began, "At approximately 12:10 am, there were screams heard coming from the garage at the Canadian Consulate. At 12:15 am, the security cameras in the garage recorded a car leaving at a very high speed. Further inspection of the area the screams had come from revealed that there had been a struggle in the garage and that someone had been taken against their will."
With each word, Fraser felt the knots in his stomach tighten. He had known there was something wrong. Ray hadn't wanted to believe him, but he had known. And now here he was getting information about something that had happened at the consulate late last night. Something had happened to someone he worked with, perhaps someone he cared for.
"Sir, was anyone hurt during the incident?" Fraser asked the question not really wanting to know the answer for fear that something horrible had happened.
Jack fielded that question, "There was a little blood at the scene, but not a lot."
"Do you have any idea who was abducted yet sir?" Ben asked this and hoped the name he was about to hear was not hers.
"Yes we do Fraser. It appears the person abducted was Inspector Margaret Thatcher."
As he heard this news, Ray turned to look at his friend. He had only seen Benny that pale one other time and that was when they were taking him to the hospital after Ray had shot him.
"Benny, are you alright? Do you need to sit down?" asked Ray.
"No Ray. Thank You, but I will be fine. Are you positive it was the Inspector who has been abducted?"
"At first we weren't sure, even though the contents of her briefcase were found on the garage floor. She never arrived at the consulate this morning and around 3 pm, this was dropped off at the station." At this point, Huey pulled an envelope addressed to Ray from his coat and handed it to Ray.
The lieutenant continued, "I hope you don't mind Ray, but given the situation, we went ahead and opened it."
Ray looked at the contents of the envelope and knew the news Benny was waiting for was not what he was about to receive.
"As you can see, the envelope contains a cellular phone, a photo, a letter, and a brooch." When Welsh finished his list of the envelope's contents, he noticed that Fraser was holding out his hand to Ray.
"May I see the envelope please Ray?"
"Yeah, here."
Fraser went to sit down on one of the nearby benches and once seated, he poured the contents of the envelope into his lap. He glanced quickly at the photo and then turned to the brooch. Diefenbaker, sensing Fraser's distress, went to him, and rested his head on Fraser's knee and whined.
Fraser looked down at his wolf and scratched his ears while saying, "No, really Diefenbaker, I'm fine." He then looked at the three men staring at him and with no emotion in his voice, stated "This is her brooch. It is the one that was stolen earlier this year. You remember, don't you Ray. It was one of the times that I dragged you somewhere and ruined one of your suits."
"Yeah Benny, I remember, and that somewhere was a sewer. Are there any clues as to who did this?" Ray asked the lieutenant as he continued to look at Fraser.
Welsh replied that they had gotten the license plate number of the car from the security tape as it exited the garage, but the car had been stolen earlier in the day.
"We found the car about an hour ago," Huey reported. "There was more blood in the car, but not enough to assume that someone has been seriously wounded." Welsh noted the look of relief on Fraser's face after Huey had given the details of what had been discovered in the car.
"Have there been any demands for ransom in order to get her back and are there any suspects?" Ray asked.
"Yes." Welsh said this but as he did, he looked at Ray. The look was one that said "I don't think this is going to end well."
Ray looked back at his commanding officer and gave him a questioning look, as if to say that it had to be ok. For Fraser's sake.
"Sir, what were the demands, if I may ask." Ben was hoping that it would be something reasonable even though he knew they probably would not be.
"They want one million dollars in small, unmarked bills. They also want you to deliver the ransom. Once you arrive with the ransom, they will release the Inspector. The problem is that they plan to exchange you for her."
"WHAT?!" Ray couldn't believe what he had just heard. Why in the world would anyone want Fraser to deliver ransom and then take him hostage. It was just insane.
"Do you ha_-dea who might have committed this crime?" Ben wasn't sure how he managed to get those words out, but he did. He didn't realize that Ray had asked the same question a few minutes before. He felt like his whole world had once again been turned upside down. He didn't care what he had to do, all he knew is he would get her back. Her safety and well-being were more important to him than his own and he swore to himself that he would not let this situation turn out like the ones with his father or Victoria. Meg had to be ok, he just couldn't lose anyone else.
"Well Fraser, no one has taken direct responsibility for this as of yet, but yes, we do have an idea as far as a suspect goes," the lieutenant replied.
"And who might that be?" Ray asked. He was very concerned about his friend. Fraser still looked really pale and he looked like he could be knocked down by a feather. All Ray could wonder was when would Ben would stop losing the people he loved and finally be able to enjoy a nice, quiet life.
"Nicholas Picard."
At the mention of this name, Ray said "Who the hell is Nicholas Picard?"
Ben had a horrified look on his face when he venomously stated, "Nicholas Picard is someone I arrested for robbery and murder. He swore that if he ever got out of prison, he would find and kill me, but first he would be sure to make me suffer."
"Fraser, what the hell did you do to piss him off like this? Did you tell him one too many Inuit stories?" Ray worriedly asked.
"Really, Ray. When I went to arrest him, he was trapped, but he still thought he could escape and so I was forced to fire at him in order to make him stop."
"You actually fired a gun at someone?"
"Yes Ray. Anyway, the problem was that his younger brother Marc, who was also wanted in connection with this same crime, was with him and when I fired, Marc pushed his brother out of the way and I ended up killing
Marc."
"You really killed someone? I don't believe you."
"Yes Ray. I really killed someone," Fraser said in a rather exasperated tone. "To continue, I then fired again and hit Picard in the leg, which slowed him down enough for me to catch up to, disarm, and arrest him." As Ben finished, Ray noticed Ben was staring at the floor and playing with Meg's brooch.
"So you not only fired a gun, you fired it twice and you killed someone?"
"Yes Ray. Why do find this so hard to believe? I am a police officer, after all."
"No Fraser. You're a Mountie. I'm a cop. There's a big difference."
"There is not that much of a difference Ray. And I'm not proud of this, but it had to be done."
"I just can't believe that YOU actually fired a gun at someone. I thought the motto stated that you always got your man, but he was brought back alive."
"No Ray, our motto is 'Maintain the Right' and I don't really see what the motto has to do with the situation at hand."
"Shut up, both of you." Welsh shouted. He couldn't believe these two. He had come down here to tell Fraser something of importance, and the idiots had ended up arguing about the motto of the RCMP. Unbelievable. The headache Welsh had was now starting to get worse but he continued, "Anyway, it seems that Picard managed to escape from prison a little over two weeks ago. No one has seen him since."
It now made a bit more sense to Ben why the kidnapper or kidnappers had wanted him to deliver the ransom. But why did they take Meg? How could they know?
"When will they be calling with the location and time of the exchange?" Ray asked, hoping that there would be time to set something up so no one was hurt or killed. Remembering the picture in the envelope, Ray amended that wish. He hoped that no one would be hurt any worse than they already were.
"They will be calling at 11 pm," Welsh said.
Ray looked at his watch, "It's just a little past eight now. That will give us time to go home, change, and get ready for this."
As Ray finished his statement, Ben suddenly stopped playing with the brooch, looked up and said, "Has anyone gone over to Meg's to feed her cat?"
"No Fraser, but I'll have someone take care of it right away." Welsh gave Ray a surprised look when he heard Fraser call Thatcher by her first name. He was shocked because he had never heard him refer to her as anything other than Inspector, Sir, or Ma'am.
Ray whispered to his boss, "I'll explain later," and then in a normal voice, asked if and how the ransom was being raised.
The Lieutenant informed both men that her family had been informed and they had assured him the money would be ready when it was needed. This information surprised both men because they were not aware that Meg's family would be able to raise that kind of money so quickly.
"I didn't realize her family had access to those kind of funds. She never really talked much about her family."
Ben said this to no one in particular. Ray, however, noticed the last sentence Fraser had spoken. Two words in particular stood out in Ray's mind. Never and talked. Past tense. He leaned over to his friend and said, "She'll have plenty of time to tell you about her family Fraser. It's gonna be ok. You have to believe that."
"I'm trying Ray." As he said this, he looked down at the picture. He noticed the bruises on her face and the cut on her forehead. To himself he whispered, "I'm trying but I already know what he is capable of doing."
"Come on, we've gotta get moving if we want to be ready for that call at eleven." After Ray said that, Welsh helped the men gather their things and they left the airport.
*****
She was slowly regaining consciousness. Her head felt as if someone had used it for a punching bag. "Well actually, I think it was," she thought. Meg had regained consciousness once earlier in the day only to be drugged again after they had asked her questions about Ben. Whenever the answers she gave were unsatisfactory, the would punish her, or at least that's what they called it. As she tried to get her bearings, she heard footsteps approaching. Meg quickly pretended to still be under the effect of the drugs. The door opened, a man came in, checked on her, and he seemed convinced she was still drugged. As the man was leaving, she heard him tell someone outside the door that the drugs should begin to wear off soon. When she heard the door close, she slowly opened her eyes to make sure he really had gone. When she was positive she was alone, she slowly raised herself up in order to better examine her surroundings.
"What are you doing here Meg," she asked herself ruefully. "What does this have to do with Ben and how the hell are you going to get out of here."
Meg began to look around the room for a possible way to escape. The room was dark with only the one door. The only furniture in the room was the bed on which she was now sitting. The only other feature of the room was a small window which was not big enough for her to climb through, even if the bars had not been there. Once she had examined the room, she began to work on the ropes that bound her hands together. She had just started to get them loosened some when she heard the footsteps in the hall growing louder. Quickly, she laid back down and began to act as if she were just beginning to regain consciousness. The door suddenly opened as the man came back into the room and stopped just short of the bed.
"Well, well. Look who's finally awake," the man said sarcastically.
"Who are you and what do you want with me?" Meg asked, scared to look up at him for fear he would strike her again.
"You'll find out soon enough, but first you have a call to make."
"And who is it I'm supposed to call?" was her cold reply as she mistakenly looked up.
The man raised his hand and brought it down swiftly across her face. To her, it felt as if he had slapped her more than once, the pain was so intense. She noticed that he had struck her so hard, the cut she had received earlier in the afternoon, opened up again. She could feel the blood begin to run down her face as she saw him getting ready to hit her again. He wanted her to shrink back from him, but she wouldn't do that. She couldn't. She just sat there and stared at him defiantly. Another blow was what she received for her defiance. After spending a few more minutes trying to resist him, Meg finally gave up. She could no longer take the punishment she was receiving. Her left eye was now so swollen that she could barely see through it. She was also beginning to wonder if he had broken her jaw. It now hurt just to open it. Most of all, she just didn't want this man to touch her again.
In a more submissive and quiet voice she asked, "Who am I supposed to call?"
"That's much better. Well, I'm going to let you think about that for a moment while I check on the time. We don't want the call to come earlier than we said it would, now would we?"
"Why is that?"
"I want to make those who care about your well-being suffer as much as I possibly can before I let any of them talk to you." With those words, he left the room. This time, Meg noticed that he hadn't closed the door all the way. As she heard his footsteps recede, she thought, "This is probably a trap, but it may be my only chance to escape." She had been able to get the ropes around her wrists undone and was now working on the ropes around her feet. When she finally untied them, she ran quietly towards the door. As she grabbed the door knob and opened the door, the man suddenly appeared in front of her.
"Nice try," were the last words she heard as everything went black.
*****
The ride back to his apartment from the airport seemed to be one of the longest in Fraser's life. His thoughts kept floating back to the crime scene at the jewelry store on the day of the robbery. Picard and his brother had taken all of the store's staff and locked them in the vault where the precious stones were kept. To this day, he still wondered what could have possessed them to blow up the vault with all those people inside. It was completely senseless. They had the money and the loose stones, they could have just left, but they had to go and blow it up. All those innocent people dead and for no reason other than the fact that the Picard brothers were completely insane. When he went to arrest them, he had to admit that there was a small part of him that had hoped he would have to fire the gun. That feeling still bothered him today, but he just couldn't help feeling relieved when he saw that one of them was dead. At the time, it had taken all his will to keep from killing the elder Picard. Now he wished he had. If he had, Meg would be waiting for him at the apartment. She would be safe. She wouldn't be in the hands of a deranged killer bent on destroying him.
Ray's voice cut through the horrible thoughts going through his mind.
"What?" was all Ben managed to say.
"I said get movin'. We still have to go back to my place yet so I can get my badge and guns."
"Guns?"
"Yes, guns. Remember, I left them all here this time instead of having them confiscated by some clerk at a Canadian airline counter."
"Yes Ray, now that you mention it, I do remember that you left them here this time. I'll be right back." Ben jumped out of the car with his belongings and went inside. When he reached his apartment, he threw his things on the bed and allowed himself a moment to think about what he would do next.
"How are you today son?" asked the ghost of Robert Fraser.
"Dad, must you really come up behind me like that?"
"Sorry son, but you know even the dead can enjoy a good joke now and again. After all, I am a ghost. Aren't I supposed to scare you, just a little?"
"No, Dad and right now is not a particularly good time for a chat, so if you don't mind..."
"Well, you conjured me up, so what's troubling you?"
"Dad, as I said, I don't really have time for this right now. I'll tell you later, OK?" Ben said this as he was staring down at the trunk at the foot of his bed.
"Fine, I was just trying to help. Now don't go and do anything you'll regret later," and with that, his father's apparition was gone.
"What do you mean by that?" Ben looked around and saw that his father's ghost had gone. "I really must time his visits better. As if that were even remotely possible."
Ben was still standing there looking at the trunk, trying to decide whether or not to take his gun with him. Had his father know that was what he was thinking? If he took the gun, were it necessary to fire a weapon, he would have one ready. On the other hand, if he took it and Picard suspected that he was armed...
"Probably better to just leave it where it is," and with that Ben left his apartment. When he got back down to the car, he had been gone about ten minutes.
"I was just about to send a search party for you," Ray stated.
"Why Ray."
"I just thought you would be back sooner. It doesn't make any difference since you're here now. Ok, now to my place."
Ray was driving, even though it was Welsh's car, so it didn't take long to get there. Along the way, he managed to run four red lights and almost run over a group of pedestrians, which resulted in Lt. Welsh screaming at him to slow it down and watch what he was doing, while Huey sat there with his eyes covered, hoping he wasn't about to die.
When they reached Ray's house it was just past 9:15. "I'll be back in a few minutes," Ray said as he got out of the car. Ray hoped that he would be able to run in and then come back out, but his family waylaid him. When he was finally able to tell them there was an emergency that he had to help with, they allowed him go upstairs.
While Fraser, Huey and Welsh were waiting for Ray, Welsh told Ben that he was working on getting him a special permit so that he would be able to carry a gun in order to protect himself.
"Sir, I appreciate that, but I know this man. If he thinks I have a gun, he would not hesitate to shoot Inspector Thatcher and that is a situation I would rather avoid." Ben said.
"I would really feel better if you had one, but if you think it best not to carry a gun for your own protection, I will abide by your decision. However, I will be requiring both you and Vecchio to wear bullet-proof vests."
"I don't..."
"No arguments Fraser," Welsh's tone indicated he meant what he said.
"Understood."
"Sorry that took so long, but you know how my family is." Ray stated as he jumped back into the car. "What's understood Benny?"
"Well it appears that the Lieutenant has requested a special gun permit for me."
"That's a good idea."
"No, Ray , it's not. I have already explained why it would be best if I go in unarmed and I believe that Lieutenant Welsh agrees with me on that point. He also made it clear to me that we are to be wearing bullet-proof vests, a point on which he wants no arguments."
Ray looked back at his commanding officer and started to object, but the look on Welsh's face told him it was pointless to argue. "Ok then, lets go to the station and wait for the call."
It was just past ten when they reached the precinct. Once inside, Fraser and Ray went to get the vests that Welsh ordered them to wear. The entire time they were putting them on, all Ray did was complain about how much he hated the stupid vests.
"Well Ray, would you rather be shot and have bullet possibly kill you or wear something uncomfortable for a couple of hours."
All Ben received for his statement was a glare to which he simply responded, "Sorry."
**********
If anything, the throbbing was more intense as she woke this time. She felt the side of her head where he had struck her. The size of the bump took her by surprise. She quickly became aware of the stabbing pain in her ankle. To her horror, she saw her ankle was very swollen and bruised. She tried to stand, but was unable to put any pressure on her leg. "I guess that ends my plan of trying to escape," she thought as she once again heard the footsteps coming closer.
The door swung open once again and the same man appeared in the doorway. He looked at her with disgust and said "I really wish you hadn't tried to escape, but I guess we won't have to worry about that mistake repeating itself, will we?"
Meg just sat there and stared ahead of her, not really seeing anything.
He grabbed her by the hair and yanked her head so that she was looking directly at him. "When I speak to you, I want you to answer me, do you understand?"
"Yes," Meg whispered. Her swollen jaw made it difficult to speak.
"That's better. I just want you to understand that I don't really want to hurt you, just yet that is. Someone is still missing."
"Who might that be?"
"Oh, I think you might have an idea, Inspector."
"I honestly don't. I don't even know who you are or what you want with me."
"Somehow I don't believe you, but in case you are telling the truth, allow me to introduce myself. My name is Nicholas Picard."
For some reason Meg thought the name sounded familiar, but she was unable to place it. The look of confusion on her face angered Picard.
"You really don't know who I am, do you?" he spat.
"No. As I told you, I don't know who you are or what you want with me. Why won't you believe me?"
"I was sure you would have seen it in his files or that he might have at least told you himself."
"Whose files? Who would have told me whatever it is that you think I know?"
"Benton Fraser, that's who."
"What does this have to do with Constable Fraser?" Meg asked.
"Maybe I should let him explain when he gets here."
"What do you mean," Meg demanded. "Is Fraser the person you want me to call?" That would explain all the questions Picard had asked her earlier she thought.
"You're very perceptive. Come to think of it, it's almost time to make the call."
"I can't possibly do that."
"And why not?"
"He doesn't have a phone."
"I've already taken care of that little problem. You see, earlier today I sent an envelope addressed to that annoying detective Fraser calls his friend. The envelope contained a cellular phone and a few other pieces of evidence to prove that I was holding you."
Meg looked down at her jacket and for the first time, noticed that her brooch was missing. "Let me guess, you sent my brooch in this envelope?"
"That's correct. Now let's move. As I said, you have a call to make." With those words, he pulled her roughly to her feet and dragged her out of the room.
************
Fraser looked at the clock on the wall. 11:05. He looked at Ray and said, "Didn't the note say they would call at 11."
Ray looked at Fraser wondering if there were anything he could do to just get him to sit still. The money had been delivered to the precinct about 10:30. Ray had only seen that much money in one place at one time in a bank vault and when he had to deliver the ransom Bolt had demanded. Now all they had to do was wait for the call. He understood the gravity of the situation, but Fraser's pacing was only making everyone nervous. "Yes Fraser. They said they would call at 11. Did you ever think the clock might be fast?"
"Sorry Ray. I hadn't thought about the possibility of the clock being wrong. Thank you for pointing that out."
As Fraser finished the statement, the phone rang. Ben looked at Ray nervously as Ray picked it up and answered, "Vecchio."
The voice on the other end said, "Put the Mountie on the phone."
Ray handed the phone to Fraser, who took a deep breath before saying, "Constable Fraser speaking."
Ray tried to hear what was being said, however, Ben kept walking away from him.
"How do I know that the Inspector is still alive," Fraser queried.
Picard handed the phone to Meg and said, "Don't do anything stupid."
"Hello, Fraser is that you?"
"Meg, are you alright? Where are you?" Ben asked, trying to get a sense of whether or not she had been severely hurt. He noticed that she seemed to be having problems speaking.
"Fraser, for the time being, I am alright. Sore, but alright."
"What has he done to you."
"Ben, that's not important at this time. What I am about to say is extremely important so I want you to listen very carefully to me." The next words came out in a rush. "You are by no means to do whatever this man says and that is a direct order because he plans to kill..." As Meg said the last word, the phone was ripped from her hand.
As Picard slapped her again, he screamed, "I told you not to do anything stupid, didn't I? Why won't you listen?"
Ben heard her scream and then he heard Picard screaming at her. When he put the phone back up to his ear, Picard heard Ben screaming Meg's name. "She can't talk to right now, Constable."
"I swear Picard, if you do anything else to hurt her..."
"You'll do what? Kill me like you killed my brother?"
"That's a good place to start."
Ray couldn't believe the look he was seeing in Fraser's eyes. He had never seen this kind of hatred in Ben's eyes before. Not even when they caught Gerrard. If this Picard guy would have been in the same room with them, Ray honestly thought Ben would kill him with his bare hands.
"Now, now Constable. Don't you even want to know what you have to do to get this lovely lady back?"
"I know your demands. When and where do you want me to bring the money." Ben was trying to remain calm, but he had heard Meg's screams when
Picard took the phone from her and he could still hear her crying softly in the background.
"That's better. In two hours you are to go to..."
Fraser leaned on Ray's desk writing down Picard's instructions.
"One other thing, I already have people there looking out for any, shall we say, increased activity. In other words, if one of my men sees anyone but you, that's it. Oh, but I suppose that annoying detective will probably want to come along, won't he? So if anyone other than you and he arrive, believe me, when you get inside, the only thing you'll find is one very dead Inspector. Do you understand?"
"Yes," Ben replied as he closed the phone.
"Alright Benny, where does he want the money delivered," Ray demanded.
"Ray I'd rather not tell you for your own protection. He said he has people at the location already. He is expecting both of us, which means he plans to kill all of us, so I would rather you stay behind. I can deal with him and if something bad h about you as well."
"Fraser, I will not allow you to walk into the hands of a lunatic without backup."
"Ray, I have no choice." Ben looked at his friend and started to turn to leave.
"Fraser, you are not going alone."
"Ray, please don't argue with me. I have to worry about getting Meg out of there, I just don't think I could handle worrying about you as well."
"Fraser, I can take care of myself. By the way, how do plan on getting there, are you gonna walk?"
"Ray..."
"No arguments. I'm going. Now where is the location of the exchange?"
With resignation Fraser told Ray the information he wanted to know. When he was done, Ray looked at him and Ben noticed Ray was smiling.
"Ray, this is quite serious. I can't believe that you can smile at a time like this."
"Benny, you're mistaking this smile. I'm smiling because as it happens there is a very busy bar just around the corner from this place. And not just any bar, it's a cop bar. It's where all the off duty cops go before they go home. Those who drink anyway."
"I don't see what difference that makes."
"Don't you? Well let me explain it. You've used a wire before, right?"
"Of course."
"Well, all we have to do is wear a wire and have the Lieutenant and some other men waiting in the bar. Then when things start to happen, help will be on it's way. What do you think?"
"I don't know about this Ray. What if he..."
"This is the only way I am letting you out of the station."
"Alright, but I still don't know about this."
"Your objection is duly noted. Let's go talk to the Lieutenant."
Ben and Ray went into Welsh's office and Ray told him what he thought they should do. For once, Welsh completely agreed with Vecchio and the arrangements were made. Within an hour, they had enough manpower at the bar to be prepared for whatever might happen. It was all done so carefully that the man Picard had placed in the bar didn't even realize that something was going on.
***********
Picard looked at his watch. Soon Fraser would be there. He couldn't wait to see the look on his face when he killed everyone close to Fraser. "I think I'll start with that detective and then next..." he was looking directly at Meg when he stated the word "next".
"This isn't going to happen the way you want it to, I hope you realize that."
"And why don't you think so."
"Once you fire at Ray, that will be your only chance. Ben will immediately try and stop you. If you miss Ray, he'll kill you. I know how he feels about Ben. It is almost like he feels the need to protect him, no matter what. So that one shot that you fire had better be a good one because it will be the only one you'll get."
"You want to know something?"
"Not really."
"Well I am going to tell you anyway. I don't care what you think and I am getting tired of listening to you, so why don't you be a good little inspector and just be quiet."
"Go to hell."
Once again, Picard's anger got the better of him as he slapped her. He decided that maybe he should go ahead and kill her now. "You know, I am tempted to go ahead and kill you. Of course that would deprive Benton Fraser the pain of watching you die, but you are really getting on my nerves."
"Do what you want. You're planning on killing me when Ben gets here, so what difference does it make." Meg was trying to keep him off balance enough that he would not see the two men approaching from different corners of the room.
As Picard was about to slap her again, he heard the gun cock. He spun around, but had enough presence of mind to make sure his gun was aimed at Meg's head. His mind was reeling. What had happened to his men? They were supposed to call if someone approached. How had he lost control of the situation? Then he realized he hadn't just yet. He still had the inspector.
Ben had seen what Picard had done. He also saw that Meg was trying
not to show how much he was hurting her. It had taken all his will not to run across the room and kill him with his bare hands. "It's no use Picard," Ben said coolly. "Why don't you just surrender now. You know you can't win. Do you want this to turn out like the last time I came to arrest you."
"Well, Constable, I don't think it is possible for it to turn out the same was as it did before. Remember, last time my brother was with me. He's not here now, thanks to you, but maybe we can even things just a little."
"All of your accomplices have already been arrested, do you really think you have a chance of getting out of here alive?" Ray asked. Picard hadn't really seemed to take notice of Ray until now.
"You know, at this point, detective, I don't really care. But do you want to know something else, Constable?"
"What might that be?" Ben asked. He noticed that Meg almost had her hands free. He needed to distract Picard long enough for her to finish freeing them.
"As I said, I don't really care what happens to me because at least I am going to be able to see you suffer before I die."
"I wouldn't count on that," Ray said. His gun was trained on Picard, but he was worried that he might hit Meg. It was a chance he might just have to take.
At that moment, Meg finished freeing her hands and was able to elbow Picard in the abdomen and hop away from him on her good leg. When she had moved far enough away, Ray fired. The bullet hit Picard, but as he was already doubled over, Ray wasn't sure where he had hit him. Ben was going over to help Meg when Picard fired his gun. Ray fired once again, killing Picard. He then rushed over to where Ben and Meg were lying on the floor.
"GET THE PARAMEDICS IN HERE NOW," Ray screamed as Lt. Welsh and the others arrived.
****************
The hours following the shooting were difficult for Ray. When he had gone over to Meg and Ben, he could see the blood on the floor, but he couldn't tell who was injured. The paramedics had arrived and taken both Fraser and Thatcher to the hospital. When Ray finally arrived at the hospital, he found Ben sitting in the waiting room looking helpless.
"How are you doing Benny?"
"I'm alright Ray. The doctor said I have a mild concussion from hitting my head on the floor."
"You're sure you're alright? I mean other than the concussion."
"Yes, Ray. I'll be fine."
"Good. I was really worried about you. I just wasn't sure." After a slight pause, Ray continued, "How is...?"
"I don't know. They won't tell me anything. All I know is that she was shot in the upper chest and that she is in surgery right now." Ben was beginning to lose what little composure he had left. "I should have known that he would try to kill her, I just thought I could get to her first."
Seeing where his friend was headed with that line of thinking, Ray sat down and forced Fraser to look at him. "Fraser, there is no way you could have know that he was going to fire at her and not me. I was surprised myself. I figured he'd shoot at me since I had the gun."
"I know Ray, but..."
Ray cut Ben off. "Fraser, you can't blame yourself. It was an impossible situation. You couldn't have had any idea of who he was going to shoot. You did your best."
"What if that wasn't enough?"
"You can't do more than what you did. Listen, this isn't doing any good. For you or her. You're both alive. That's better than how Picard ended up."
"Is he dead?"
"Yes."
"Good," was Ben's cold reply.
The doors to the waiting room swung open and Fraser looked up expectantly. The nurse came over and told them that the doctor would be out shortly to talk to them, but she wouldn't give them any information about Meg's condition. Ben thanked the nurse and then just stared at the doors until the doctor finally appeared. Both Ben & Ray rose to greet the doctor.
"Hello. My name is Dr. Pierce. Which one of you is Benton Fraser?"
"I am," Ben stated. "And this is Detective Ray Vecchio."
Ray said hello to the doctor after he was introduced and then Ben asked him about Meg's condition.
"She is a very lucky lady. She was shot in the upper chest on the left side. The bullet missed all major organs, however, there was a substantial amount of blood loss. The next few hours will tell. Also, there was some minor damage done to the muscles in her left shoulder, but with physical therapy, she shouldn't have any problems. As for her other injuries, her ankle is broken, she has a concussion, her jaw is severely bruised and the lacerations on her face have been sutured. Right now her condition is critical, but stable."
"Can I see her?" Ben asked hopefully.
"Not yet. You'll have to wait until she is out of recovery. That could take a couple of hours so I suggest that you go to the cafeteria and get something to eat. Let the nurse at the desk know where you'll be, and
we'll come get you when you can see her."
"Thank you kindly."
"No problem. Just to let you know, she seems to be a fighter, so..."
"I understand. Thank you again," Ben stated as the doctor took his leave.
"Ok Benny, the doctor's right. You know she's a fighter. She'll pull through, but right now we should get you some food."
"I'm not hungry Ray, but if you would like to get something, go ahead."
"No. That's ok. I'll just stay here with you."
"Ray if you don't mind, I think I need to be alone for awhile. Would you mind terribly getting something for Diefenbaker to eat. I don't want him running around here looking for food. You never know what he'll find."
"Sure. No problem," Ray answered.
Fraser got up and started walking away.
"Hey Benny, where are you going?"
"The chapel," Ben said softly.
"Oh." Ray mumbled. Then looking at Dief, he said, "Come on, let's go get you a doughnut or something with lots of sugar." And with that, Ray and Dief headed towards the cafeteria, but before leaving the floor, he told the nurse where they could be found.
************
When Ben entered the chapel, the room was dark. What light there was, came from the window in the door and a few candles that had been lit on the alter. He just stood there for a moment looking around, not sure what he expected to see. As he took a seat near the back, he heard his father's voice.
"How is she son?"
"They think she will be ok, but they still aren't sure."
"It wasn't your fault, I hope you realize that."
"How can you say that, Dad? If it weren't for me, she never would have been in that situation in the first place. If I would have done what I should have done five years ago..."
"Stop that right now Benton. Five years ago, you did what you were supposed to do. You went and arrested a man who had committed a despicable crime. The fact that his brother was killed, was not your fault. You had a job to do and you did it."
"Dad, don't you see, if I would have killed him, everything that happened this evening would not have happened. Instead of sitting here in this chapel waiting until I can go in and see her, I would have gone home and we would have had a nice quiet evening together. Can't you see how this is all my fault?"
"Son, you are not responsible for the actions of other people. There is nothing you could have done that would have made the situation come out differently. Now stop all this nonsense and tell me what is really bothering you."
"Dad, this is what's bothering me. Five years ago, I could have prevented what happened tonight. If I had just done what I thought about..."
"You never would have been able to live with yourself. I know you. You think that every situation has the possibility of being resolved peacefully. If you would have killed him, could you have lived with that?"
"I really don't know. It is a moot point now since he is dead."
"Yes he is dead, but you weren't the one who killed him. The Yank did. And even though you can't see it now, everything did turn out for the best. I remember how you felt about having accidentally killed the brother. It was in the line of duty, but you felt that you had failed because he was dead. You were cleared by a review board and given a commendation, but you still felt guilty."
"Dad..."
"Son, you did what you could. No more, no less. You can't ask more of yourself than that," and with that, the ghost of Robert Fraser vanished.
Ben sat there thinking about what Ray and his father had said and he realized that they were both right. Why did he always expect too much from himself? He had done everything he could this evening, but he hadn't been able to keep anyone from being hurt and he felt guilty.
He was lucky that Ray and Meg hadn't been killed and the doctor was pretty sure that she would be alright. Why couldn't he just be happy with that?
Suddenly the door to the chapel opened and Ray entered followed by Dief. Ray stopped in front of Ben.
"Fraser, they have taken her to a room and you can go and see her now."
"Thanks Ray. What room is she in?
"512."
"Do you mind watching Dief for a little longer."
"No, you go on ahead. We'll be waiting for you in the lobby on the fifth floor."
"Thanks again Ray," and with that, Fraser was off to see Meg.
************
He entered the room quietly. She looked so small and fragile with all the machines she was hooked up to. The nurse standing by the bed smiled and told him that her vital signs were still stable, her condition had been upgraded to serious, and that she should regain consciousness soon.
"If you need anything, the call button is right here," the nurse said as she pointed to a button on the side of the bed.
"Thank you."
"Your welcome," she replied as she left the room.
Ben pulled a chair up next to the bed, sat down, and then took hold
of her hand. He brought it up to his face and just held it there with his eyes closed. Time passed slowly. The only noise in the room came from the monitors that Meg was hooked up to. He didn't notice that he was crying until he heard a weak voice say, "You're getting my hand wet."
He opened his eyes to see Meg looking up at him.
"What happened?" she asked quietly.
"You were shot by Picard."
"How bad is it?" she asked as she attempted to shift her postion on the bed. The pain the movement caused was enough to make her stop the attempt of trying to get comfortable.
Ben looked at the floor when he said, "You're going to be sore for quite awhile and, I don't know how long you'll be here in the hospital. I assume the doctor will tell us when he comes in on rounds."
"Ben, look at me."
When his eyes met hers, she said, "It wasn't your fault. I should have been able to get away from him, but he grabbed me from behind. I can't believe I couldn't get away from him. Who was he anyway and why did he hate you so much?"
Ben continued to look at her for a moment and then lowered his eyes once again. "He was a man that I arrested five years ago. I was forced to fire at him to make him stop, but I hit his brother instead and the shot killed him. Picard never forgave me for that and he swore that he would get even."
"I see. Will he have another chance?"
"No. After he shot you, Ray fired again and killed him."
"Ah," Meg sighed as a pained expression crossed her face.
Instantly worried, Ben asked if she was ok.
"Yeah, just a bit tired and really sore. You know, you look like you could use some sleep as well. Are you alright? I mean, what are the bandages for?"
"I'll be ok. I hit my head on the floor in my attempt to get to you. It's just a slight concussion."
"Ben, you really should get some rest. I'll be fine."
"I think I'll stay for a bit, if you don't mind. I'll be going to Ray's when we leave the hospital. That way if you need something, I'll be near a phone."
"I'll be fine, Ben. Really, go and get some rest."
"I want to stay for a bit if you don't mind."
"Now why would I mind that," Meg replied with a faint smile.
"Well, you seem to want me to leave."
"Ben. That's not what I meant and you know it. I mean, how long has it been since you slept?"
"I don't know."
Meg studied his face carefully. It was pale and drawn. His eyes were red from more than shedding a few tears. The worried expression on his face hurt her, but at the same time it was a comfort to know that he cared.
"Ben, I'll be ok if you leave to get some sleep. I promise."
"I know. It's just, tonight I thought I was going to lose you. I didn't like the feeling."
Now it was Meg's turn to cry. He told her what he felt instead of keeping it to himself. She squeezed his hand, causing him to look at her.
"Thank you," was all she said.
He was confused. Why was she thanking him? If it hadn't been for him, she wouldn't have been in the situation. "Why are you thanking me?"
"You told me how you felt. You didn't change the subject. You didn't tell me a story. You opened up and told me what you were feeling. I don't think you have any idea what that means. Now then, I promise I will be here tomorrow when you come back. I'm not going anywhere." With a small chuckle, she added, "I don't think I could if I tried."
Ben smiled at that. "Probably the drugs," he thought to himself, but it was good to hear her laugh.
"Ok, I'll go to Ray's and try and get some sleep." He knew enough to know when he had been beaten.
Ben got up and moved the chair back to its original place. He went back over, gently kissed Meg goodnight, and headed for the door. As his hand reached for the handle, Meg said, "Fraser, I need to ask you something."
"What?"
"Did you disobey a direct order?"
"When," knowing exactly what order she was referring to.
"You know what I'm talking about. Now please answer the question," she replied, trying to keep her tone serious.
Sheepishly, with his head down, he replied, "Yes."
"Fraser, look at me when I'm speaking to you."
Meg was having a hard time keeping the stern look on her face with what she was preparing to say next. When Fraser was looking at her she said calmly, "You're fired," and then she began to laugh.
Those words brought a smile to Ben's lips as he answered, "I love you."
She couldn't help but smile. "I love you too. Now go get some sleep."
He walked back to the bed, leaned over, and carefully placed another gentle kiss on her lips and said, "Understood."