Further Hope      Further Hope

 by Riley

  

 

 Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters and I'm not making any
money from this story.

 Author's Notes: 

 Story Notes: This the sequel to "Hope." It is set right at the end of
"RWOB" in season 2.

 This story is a sequel to: Hope 

 

 When Fraser returned to the consulate, two cups of coffee in hand, he
went straight to Inspector Thatcher's office. Luckily her door was open,
and he cleared his throat in the threshold, getting her attention. "Come
in Fraser." Stepping over to her desk, he handed her a coffee. "Thank
you." She took a sip. "Nice work Fraser." 

 "Thank you sir." He had a drink, and then asked, "Sir, may I have a
personal word with you?" 

 Thatcher looked at him wearily. Her voice was cautious when she answered,
"Go on?" 

 "Yesterday when we were in the boardroom and discussing the contact," he
paused. 

 "Yes?" 

 "I was telling you how I have tried to erase the contact from my mind,
but have so far not succeeded. When we were interrupted I was going to ask
you...that is I was wondering..." he cracked his neck, "Have you been able
to erase the contact from your memory?" 

 She looked at him a moment, before speaking. Her tongue ran nervously
over her bottom lip. "No, I haven't." 

 "Then that leads me to my next question of 'why we need to erase the
contact?'" 

 "I think it's rather obvious why Fraser!" 

 "Forgive me ma'am, but I don't see the obviousness?" 

 "We work together, it's just not a good idea. I don't like mixing my
personal life with my professional life. It doesn't work." 

 He cocked his head to the right. "Perhaps we could give it a try?" 

 "I don't think that would be a good idea." 

 He studied her for a moment. He nodded his head. "Okay. As you wish."
Turning around he said, "Oh sir?" 

 She looked up as he spun around and caught her lips with his, kissing
her. As he had suspected, she made no attempt to resist, in fact, she
responded in kind. He was the first to pull back. "May I take you to
dinner?" 

 "I...I can't." 

 "Why not? There's something between us. Why won't you give it a chance?" 

 "Because I've done that in the past and it didn't work." 

 "But that wasn't with me. Please, give me a chance? I'm not about to hurt
you, I care deeply about you." 

 "You can't be sure you won't hurt me." 

 "I'm not like the person who has obviously hurt you before." 

 "Don't say that. He didn't hurt me. It wasn't his fault. You don't
understand." 

 "I'm sorry. I never meant to upset you. But it's true that I don't
understand. Maybe you could explain it to me, then I would be able to?" 

 "Fraser, there's a lot you don't know about me." 

 "I'd like to find out." He smiled at her. 

 "You're so much like him. I...I...this is too much. I can't be faced with
you everyday like a taunt and not...not...All right, I'll tell you. I have
too anyway. I can't take it any longer." 

 She took a deep breath. "Nearly three years ago, when I was based in
Toronto, I was engaged to a fellow RCMP officer, Ryan Hunter. Before we
could be married he was shot in the line of duty." 

 "Oh, I'm terribly sorry sir." 

 She watched Fraser's face as she told him, "There's more. I was pregnant
with his child when he died." 

 To her surprise he walked over to her, and embraced her. "I can't even
begin to imagine how hard that must have been, and is, for you!" he told
her as he hugged her. Pulling back, he looked into her eyes. "I understand
now why you are reluctant to have a relationship with me." 

 "I'm sorry Fraser. I've been very harsh with you, and I'm sorry if I've
hurt you. I really didn't set out to. It's just that you remind me so much
of him. When I first read your file, it was as if I could have been
reading his. That's what got him killed Fraser. That's why I've been so
hard on you, because I didn't want to see you get killed too." 

 "It's all right. You've no need to apologise. I understand. I'm sorry for
what I must have put you through." 

 "It's not your fault. It's who you are. And that's what I like about you,
but at the same time it drives me crazy. But I have to give you a chance.
It's only fair on the both of us. I can't keep pushing you away, I don't
want to." 

 "Then will you let me take you to dinner?" 

 "There's one last thing you should know first, it may change your mind. I
have a daughter. Her name's Hope, and she's two. She's Ryan's. Do you
still want to have dinner now you know I have a two year old?" 

 He smiled. "Yes, I would love to have dinner with the both of you." Meg
smiled back at him. "What does she look like?" 

 "Oh, here, I have a picture of her." She took a photograph out of her
handbag, and handed it to Fraser. 

 He studied the photo of the chubby two-year-old girl, with the brown
curly hair like her mothers, and dark blue eyes. "She's beautiful.
Really." 

 "Thank you. I think so, but then, I'm her mother so I'm biased." She
smiled. 

 At his apartment, Fraser was getting dressed for his dinner with Meg and
her daughter. He had just finished fastening his shoes, when he looked up
and saw a man roughly his age, standing in front of him. The man had black
hair and dark blue eyes. Fraser knew he had seen those eyes somewhere
else. The photo of Hope! Fraser was at a loss of what to say. "Erm, excuse
me, I didn't hear you come in?" 

 The stranger smiled at him. "Yes, sorry about appearing unannounced. I'm
Ryan Hunter, and I wanted to speak with you about Meg and Hope." 

 "Oh! I see." 

 "I just wanted to tell you how happy I am that Meg and Hope now have you.
It's time Meg started to live her life again. And Hope needs a good
father. I know you love Meg, and I also know that you'll love Hope and
take care of them both. " 

 The love the spirit had for his family, and the trust he had in Ben,
touched Fraser deep inside his heart. "I will take care of them both, I
promise you." The spirit nodded and vanished. 

 Fraser was excited and apprehensive about meeting Meg's daughter. He
really hoped the little girl would like him. Knocking on Thatcher's front
door, he balanced a bouquet of flowers and a stuffed toy. Meg opened the
door and smiled warmly at him. She was wearing a blue knee length dress.
"Hello Ben, come on in!" 

 He stepped inside, and held out the bouquet for her. "I brought these for
you. And may I say you look lovely!" 

 Taking the flowers, Thatcher sniffed them, saying, "Thank you. And you
may." 

 He held out the stuffed animal to her. "I erm, I brought this for Hope." 

 Thatcher's smile widened. "You needn't have, but thank you. She'll love
it. She really likes dogs. Erm, why don't you come and give it to her!" 

 Fraser nodded, and taking a deep breath, he followed Meg down the
hallway, and into the living room. Hope was sat in a playpen with some
toys. Meg went over to her, and he followed. "Hope, honey, this is Ben. He
has something for you. Look, a cuddly dog!" She picked her daughter up and
held her. Hope's eyes were on the soft toy Ben was holding. 

 "Would you like this?" Ben asked the little girl. 

 She nodded and her hands went out to touch in. One of her little hands
wrapped itself around a dog-ear. Fraser handed the toy over to the little
girl, and she immediately showed how much she liked it by putting the
other dog-ear in her mouth. "No! Don't put it in your mouth Hope," Meg
told her daughter and took hold of the toy. "Say 'thank you' to Ben!" 

 The little girl held her arms out to Ben, and leaned forward. "Ah! She
wants to give you a hug." 

 Ben carefully took Hope from Meg and hugged the little girl. He could
feel himself already falling in love with the little girl in his arms, in
the pink dress. 

End Further Hope by Riley: rileyuk1@btopenworld.com

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