Notes: I needed an 'icky Vicky' story to go along with Sarah McLachlan's
song "I will remember you". After much thought this what I was able to
come up with. Heavy on the angst. I think she got a bum wrap in all of
this and did it out of spite. I know there are a lot of Vicky haters but
who know there could be a warm and gentle side to her too. I know some are
laughing now. I truly don't think she meant to be evil, I'm seeing the
good in all people with those rose colored glasses like the Mountie. Takes
place after COTW. Helps if you seen COTW and VS.  

Disclaimer: Not mine, just borrowed them for some fun and I'll put them
back when I'm done.  

Rated: PG   

Fallin' Snow  

 By Rebecca W.	 

 "Great there's a movie on too." Ray said as he plopped down on the bed of
the Hotel that they were staying in. 

 "I didn't know you were into old movies Ray?" quickly glancing at the TV.


 "Sure me and Stella were into all the classics there was much more
dancing in them." 

 "I know." Benton said finally taking a seat on the bed next to Ray. 

 The two of them had been out in the wilderness for awhile now. There
excursion had started two months earlier in which they deemed it to search
for the Hand of Franklin. Ray thought it was great for awhile living off
the land, the adventure of traveling through the snow and ice, but every
once in a while wanting that taste of "civilization". He longed for a
microwave or McDonald's, a TV or radio. So once they reached Inuvik,
Fraser promised they could stay inside with a TV and beds. 

 It didn't take Fraser long to realize the movie they were watching. He
hadn't seen it since...."Oh my God..." he covered his mouth and ran to the
bathroom. 

 "What's going on with...." he stopped he could hear the Mountie retching,
"he's throwing up?" 

 Benton came out of the bathroom changed and slide under the covers. "Are
you feeling okay? Your not sick are you?."  

 "I'm okay, Ray. Just tired." 

 "Tired has nothing to do with throwing up. Did you finally eat something
that didn't... never mind you eat plenty of things that would upset my
stomach." 

 "You heard that?"  

 "Yes. So what's going on with you?" 

 "Nothing... well Victoria." 

 "Victoria?" 

 "She was the last one I watched this movie with." 

 "Who's Victoria?"  

 "I thought you got all the files that Ray and I worked together on?" 

 "Apparently not that one." 

 "Good night." 

 "Good night? You tell me a name and say good night?" 

 "Finish watching the movie Ray I don't want to talk now."  

 "How can I? You throw up watching it. So what happened?"  

 "I promise, I'm finished vomiting for the evening, you can watch the
movie Ray. Good Night." 

 "Fraser you better tell me in the morning." Ray said.. 

 "I will.." 

 Ray changed the channel anyway. " That's okay it wasn't a favorite of
mine either." 

 Ten minutes into whatever the show that Ray decided on watching, he could
here the soft snoozing of Ray and knew he was asleep. Benton Fraser was
far from slumber as he arouse from bed, him mind bogged down by feelings.
Feelings and emotions, he thought. He stood near the window looking out on
the vast snowy tundra of their second story hotel room, watching the snow
fall softly on the ledge. It was dark and lonely place out there if you
let it. It was like how he felt at that moment....lonely. There was an
emptiness that would creep in every night they were out on there
adventure. He would shrug it off as not having to hear his dad's crazy
advice at the most inopportune times. But he missed him terrible, his
ghost anyway. He finally got to know him better dead than alive and now
even his ghost was gone. He felt worse now than at his father's funeral.
He got to talk to him and know him, even if it was just his ghost. Even
though he couldn't touch him. He was there, that's all he ever wanted from
him. He tried to reason with himself tonight that these feelings were
coming out as a result of the reemergence of his feeling for Victoria. He
wanted advice from his father who was no longer giving it to him. Although
'why in God's name do you want her?' kept floating into his brain. She had
a obtrusive personality on the outside which if what most people saw, but
once you got to know her she was warm and friendly. She was fun to talk
to. It reminded him of Ray Vecchio when they first met. Ray was very brash
but once you got to know him, he would bend over backward to help you. He
thought of Ray. He was like a brother to him, kind of part of the family.
His family accepted him as one of them and would help him out at anytime,
he felt needed there and got to know and appreciate the importance of
family since his own mother and father weren't there most of the time when
he grew up. It was there that he started thinking of what it would be like
if he started a family but yet it seemed so impossible. Its even more
remote now with just him and Ray in this vast tundra of ice and snow.
Tears streamed down his face as he grabbed a blanket off the bed and
wrapped up in it. He cried about what it would be like if he and Victoria
were together instead of being shot or what would have happened to Ray.
How could he even think about that. He cried quietly to himself till he
couldn't cry anymore. 

****  

 "Frasier...Frasier..Frasier I'm bored and hungry. Aren't you going to get
up?"he shook him. 

 Benton rubbed his eyes and looked up. "What time is it?" 

 "Almost 11." 

 "That late?" 

 "Yes... you look like hell. Are you okay?" 

 "Fine." He said rolling over noticing he was on the ground. 

 "You would sleep better on the bed. Sure it's a little hard to get use to
the comfort but it's nice. You would probably look and feel better." 

 "I'll try that Ray." He got up and stretched. 

  

 "Let's go get breakfast now, I'm staving" Ray said. 

 "Sure." 

 "They went to the diner next to the hotel. Ben was very distant at
breakfast. He just stared out the window. 

 "What's up with you? Are you sick, you barely ate anything. Anyway,
shouldn't you be happy, your home in this vast cold wilderness. I mean not
cabin home but home." 

 Ben quickly looked down at his food he barely touched. "I said something
that bothered you. I could be wrong, I'm usually wrong about these things.
I was no good at this with Stella unless she came out and said it." 

 "I'm fine, no you really didn't say anything bad." 

 "I didn't say anything bad Frasier, I asked if I upset you." 

 "Oh." 

 "Did I?" 

 "No..well..the cabin was burned down a couple of years ago" 

 "It did? Where were you? Here? In Chicago? 

 "In Chicago." 

 "How did it start, the fire I mean?" 

 "Victoria." He started to play with his eggs. 

 "Victoria again. Are you making this up? Never mind you never make things
up. So what else did she do?" 

 "I rather not say." 

 "Come out how bad could it be?" 

 "Real bad." 

 "So tell me more." 

 "Not now. Not in here." 

 Ray knew that meant he needed a huge crowbar to pry that information from
him. "Are you finished?" 

 "Yes Ray." Benton put down his fork. 

 "So what do you want to do today?" 

 "I want to stop at the RCMP office." 

 "As if I had to guess.... I'm not in the mood to chase game poachers from
here to Alaska today. Can't we relax? You know a hot bath sounds great.
The bubbles (he closed his eyes), the warmth, ah the relaxation." 

 "You can do that while I'm there." 

 "That's great. Is there a store around here that sells bubble bath?" 

 "Not the foggiest" 

 They walked around till they found a General Store. "Any bubble bath." 

 "There's one left on the shelf over there." 

 "Great its mine." 

 He snatched the bubble bath and headed back to the hotel. "I'll met you
there Frasier." 

 "Okay." And off they went their separate ways. 

 Benton came back to the hotel a few hours later to find Ray sleeping on
the bed with the TV on. Benton sat on the bed and stared out the window.
It was a gray sky. Snow clouds were moving in. The conditioned were
getting much worse and that was fine with both of them.  

 When Ray awoke he found Benton sitting in a chair, totally consumed with
his fathers journals. "There are still things in there you haven't read?"
He said sleepily, rubbing his eyes. 

 "I guess I'm looking for something that's not in here.." He paused
wondering whether to go on. "You see everybody has experiences Ray,
hardships, good times things like that but its all in their own personal
way. I'm trying to find something that may help." 

 "Okay." he said absorbing all that information. "Two questions: one, what
is your problem you need help with Was it Victoria? And two, was he always
right." 

 "That was Three . No, no not all the time. That's the nice thing about
reading. It's like history the more you know the more you won't repeat
what didn't work the first time or at least you hope anyway." 

 "So what is the problem you need help with? Victoria" he said not
dropping the subject. 

 "Yes."he said holding a piece of paper. 

 Ray looked puzzled. "That's not a marriage certificate, I mean you didn't
get married while I was sleeping, did you?" 

 Benton laughed a little again. "No Ray." 

 "Then what's that in your hand." 

 "Paper." 

 "Frasier!?" 

 "Okay, Its the whereabouts of Victoria." 

 "The reason you got sick last night and the one that burned down your
fathers cabin? Victoria?" 

 "Yes." 

 "You didn't know where she was?"' 

 "No." he laughed a little again. "It's along story Ray." 

 "Okay you better spill it. The weather is turning crummy and what else is
there to do except spill our guts. Besides you know everything between me
and Stella from wetting myself to the break up, how bad can it be?" 

 "Real bad Ray." He looked serious. I can't believe they didn't tell you."
He said standing up and looking out the window. "Although only Jack and
leftenant are the only ones left that have some idea of what went on." 

 "Now that I think about it, I heard one of them mention something about
Victoria and you but I thought they were joking or something. I don't
remember even what they said." 

 "I guess I have to start at the very beginning." He began with the
robbery in Alaska and ended with him on the platform after being shot. "I
was going with her Ray, but in all the reports it says I'm trying to
apprehend her." He had tears streaming down his face. He wiped them off.
"Sorry Ray, I don't mean to be so emotional." 

 Ray too, was wiping the tears away. He had no idea of what Victoria
looked like so he put Stella in her place. He loved Victoria as much as he
loved Stella. "I had no idea, you her, wow." 

 "Ray would have lost his shield and his home. He and his family would
have been screwed had he not shot you." 

 "I know." 

 "How do you feel about her now? Time sometimes has a way of evening the
playing field. Emotions aren't so fresh." 

 "I still care about her. I can't believe I found her. Your right, maybe
the playing field is even now. I have no reason to turn her in and she has
no reason to treat me bad." 

 Ray shook his head an laughed. 

 "What?" Benton asked. 

 "I'm sorry. It's hard to picture you having feeling that way about the
opposite sex in general. I thought you were well..." 

 "Either a virgin or gay" he said quietly. 

 Ben laughed. "No, no It's just the words don't come to me when I'm around
the opposite sex. I don't know why. Shy I guess." 

 "Shy? No Frasier you are the farthest thing from shy. Socially acceptable
well..." 

 "I'm not polite enough?" 

 "No Frasier you are too polite, its like hanging around Dudley do right
you know." 

 "Dudley do right?... I am not.." 

 "You are, you are always using good manners. Hell, I didn't think you had
unpure thoughts." 

 "Unpure thoughts?" 

 "Yeah you know sex, drugs, beer and woman oh and sports." 

 "I like sports." 

 "Curling is not a sport, it housework end of discussion." 

 "Ray I think about woman too." 

 "Then why don't you... never mind. Okay when's the last time you where
drunk enough to be hung over?" 

 "I can't recall a time.." 

 "Exactly, why?" 

 "Because the effects of alcohol on ones body especially the brain, is
appalling and why would I want to do that.." He said stepping away from
the window. 

 "How, never mind.." 

 "What Ray?" 

 "Sorry I'm having trouble picturing what you and her together, well,
sobber. You are so uptight about things like that I can't image you doing
them knowingly." 

 "I loved her Ray it was emotions." 

 "You mean passion. I guess I did a lot of stupid things with Stella that
were just on emotion. I thought I had it rough with her. I can't image
going through even half of that with her. 

 Fraser went back to the window and watched the snow fall. "Its something
I suppress. I learned to suppress many things through the years. I would
say it was self taught to hide things from my grandparents. They didn't
believe in emotions. They told me they only get you into trouble." 

 "Your grandparents were weird." 

 "Ray." 

 "How did they meet? Was there marriage arranged by any chance?" 

 "I don't know it could have they were both in some Inuit tribe at one
time." 

 "I can't believe you fell in love with someone so unlike you. She's as
evil as you are good." 

 "I know." 

 "Did she do time for her last crime?" 

 "No. She's using her sisters as her alias again. It appears the Canadien
authorities don't know about that yet." 

 "Did you think she would be here?" 

 "No I thought I would give it a try. I didn't expect to find her first
off. She could have used anything as an alias and then again she could be
anywhere in the world." 

 "Is she far away?" 

 "No about a day and a half away." 

 "Would you arrest her for the last crime?" 

 "No, I do believe her that Jolly was trying to kill her. Its not her
fault, she out smarted him. They did recover the diamonds so there's no
real case" 

 "The shooting." 

 "Of me? That was Ray." 

 "Of Dief?" 

 "That was her or Jolly I can't be sure." 

 "Do you want to see her?" 

 "I don't know. She's probably doing fine without me. I wouldn't want
to.." 

 "You need to see her." Ray just wanting to see this woman. 

 "I got shot in the back remember, the last I saw her." 

 "That was by the other Ray I promise I won't. I still can't believe you
are still friends by the way. You'll never put this behind you. It will be
an open chapter in your life forever, Frasier. It will haunt you forever."


 Fraser was quiet again, the snow was coming down harder now as he looked
out the window. 

 "So." Ray said patiently waiting for an answer. 

 "Just thinking." 

 "Come on what do you have to lose?" 

 "My life." he mumbled and Dief sighed. 

 "Frasier she'll be too shocked to see you. Come on." 

 "What if she is still doing thing against the law, I'll have to arrest
her again and I can't bring myself to do that." 

 "Has she done anything illegal under her sister's name?" 

 "Not that I see." 

 "Let me think about it... The weather got to improve greatly first." 

 They walked to the café down the street and they were the only ones in
there. Ray continued to badger Ben about going to see Victoria.. 

 "Okay, we'll go." He decided. 

 There was silence. "But Ray, I'm scared. I'm scared of what to say to
her. There's so much...emotional .... yet I just can't come out and say
it." 

 "It will come to you. Don't worry about it you are going to say what you
are going to say. Hell I do. I use to worry that I will offend Stella and
everything I say she takes offense too anyway." 

 "Woman." they both sighed  

**********   

 The next morning was good enough to start the journey to see Victoria.
"Ray could you please drive the sled." 

 "Sure thing." He looked at the uneasiness of the Mountie. Fraser looked
worse than yesterday. "You didn't sleep well last night did you?" 

 "No Ray, I was going over scenarios in my head to be prepared. 

 "Have a seat an we'll get this show on the road." 

 "There is no road." 

 "Just sit and relax." 

 Fraser sat inside the sled as Ray commanded it. He drifted off to sleep.
Ray was use to driving the sled now and finding his way pretty good
without Fraser. It wasn't often that Fraser would let him do it on his own
but just listening to him he picked up a lot. Ray commanded the sled most
of the day only stopping basically to eat and go to the toilet. Finally
they set up camp for the night. Ray was exhausted and went right to sleep
after supper. 

 Benton paced the campsite, He felt jittery. Since he slept most of the
day, he knew he wouldn't sleep again tonight . Just him and his thoughts.
What did he feel for her? What if he had gone with her? What would life be
like for him and for Ray Vecchio? How could he have gone on thinking about
that, leaving him to take the rap. Would he have been happy? Would she
stop her evil ways? "Dad I could use your advice now?" He said out loud.
"It would be like you no to show up now, only after the fact." 

 'I guess there are some things you have to do and learn on your own. I
just wish I knew if it were a mistake' he thought he looked down at
Diefenbaker sound asleep and cried. 

 The next morning Ray woke up early . "Come on let's get going." He tapped
Fraser on the head. 

 "It's too early." he said wiping what looked like ice off his face. 

 "Frasier its 7 am your usually up, eaten and left by now. "Are you okay
with this?" 

 "I slept too much yesterday. I'm okay.." 

 "You are going to be nervous. That's okay, we'll see how you are when we
get there." 

 "Fine." 

 "You want to drive today?" 

 "No, go ahead you did a good job yesterday." 

 They packed up and Fraser curled up in the shed again and fell asleep.
The winds were picking up as they kept on, dark snow clouds moved in and
it started snowing. Fraser awoke his stomach violently off. "Stop please!"
he shouted. 

 Ray heard him and they halted. Fraser bent over and vomited out the side
of the sled 

 "Are you okay?" 

 "Yeah just nerves. The winds are picking up. How close are we?"  

 "Not long couple of hours at the most. " 

 "We'll see if we can't beat it, there's no place to set up here." 

 "Okie dokie." he got the team going again.  

 There wasn't much left to go as the weather worsen. Fraser was staring
into space not even paying attention to the weather. The snow was blinding
and tough to see through at times as Ray tried to maneuver around
different obstacles like rocks and fissures. The snow blankets concealed a
large area of rocks that Ray didn't detect. The sled hit those rocks and
flipped over and slid down a ravine. Ray was lucky enough to jump off,
barely missing hitting the rocks. Fraser flipped and hit the rocks. He was
knocked unconscious and the sled was very damaged. Ray went right to
Fraser. "Wake up buddy." He shook the Mountie. Benton had a big gash on
his forehead that was bleeding, his arm looked like it was laying funny.
"I sorry Fraser, I'm sorry, I didn't see the rocks. Why didn't you tell me
to stop?" Finding something to cover the Mountie and setting up the dog
sled team to sit next to Fraser to keep him warm. Then he set the damaged
sled up to protect him." he said finding something to cover the wound "Oh
my God what do I do now." He looked around. Dief barked at him. "Lead me
Dief for Fraser's sake." 

 Ray heeded after the bounding wolf. He could see a cabin in the distance
and was excited and relieved at the same time. "I just hope I'm not seeing
things for Fraser's sake." He said to Dief. 

 The closer he got, he could see smoke coming out of the cabin. He was
getting more excited. Finally getting to the door, he knocked. A slender
woman with brown curly hair answered the door. "Hello?" she said quietly."


 "Sorry to bother you but my friend is badly hurt back there and I need to
get him some shelter and tended to." 

 "She looked at him. He could only imagine what she was thinking being
from Chicago and if a stranger was to appear at there door. "Please we are
both cops would you like to see my badge?" 

 "No I um..I have a little boy sleeping in her and I don't want to leave
him. Would you like to take my snowmobile and the pull sled?" 

 "That would be great!" 

 "They are in the barn here take the keys and you can bring him back in
here." She looked at the dog, he looked awfully familiar but it couldn't
be could it. 

 He ran to the barn and got the snowmobile and attached the sled. He
steered it to where Fraser was laying and placed him in the sled. He
detached the dogs so they would follow Dief back to the cabin.. Once there
he carried Fraser over his shoulder and into the cabin. 

 "Ah warmth" he said. "Thank you." 

 "You can put him down anywhere you want." 

 He set the snow covered Fraser on a chair as he stripped from his coat.
Fraser's face was covered in snow and blood obscuring any of his facial
features. "I'll get some towels and bandages." she said. 

 "Is there a hospital nearby?" 

 "It would take forever to get there in this weather. About two hours in
decent weather." She brought him back some towels and bandages. "What's
your name if you don't mind my asking?" 

 "Ray... well Stanley Raymond Kowalski but everybody calls me Ray. 

 "I can see why, somebody have a thing for Brando?" 

 "Yeah my father." 

 "Well my name is Anna..Anna Metcalfe." 

 Ray cleaned off Fraser's face. "Thanks for the towels. I think his arm is
broken. My driving is not too good. I wanted him to drive." He continued
on as she brought some magazines to wrap his injured arm in it. 

 "So what were you guys doing out there during a storm like this?" 

 "Well we where out for some adventure early on. I'm from Chicago
originally and I convinced him to take me along on an adventure. To search
for the 'Hand of Franklin' but we got side tracked for the moment..." he
finished wiping off his face and was going to bandage it up when she came
over to take a peak,.as Ray continued. "He was looking for someone. I
guess it ended badly but I talked him into seeing her then this..." 

 Her face when white. "Benton Fraser of the Royal Canadien Mounted
Police." she said putting her hand to her mouth as tear started to stream
down her face. 

 "Hoe did you know that....Oh my God your not Anna are you?" 

 She shook her head no. "He found me, after all this time he found me. I
can't believe he's still alive after I last saw him." She cried. "Is he
going to turn me in after all this time?" She had to ask. 

 "No, no he says you really didn't do anything that would cause you to go
to jail.." 

 "He did, not even the shootings." 

 "No Ray did one and you where being threatened by the other." 

 She relaxed and looked at him some more. She touched his face and helped
Ray bandage his head wound. She brushed her hand up against his injured
arm and wrapped it in a magazine and taped it good. 

 Just then. "Mommy I'm up." He looked around. "Who are the people?" 

 "These people need help and we are helping them." 

 "Is he sleeping?" 

 "He bumped his head and is resting." 

 "Book on his arm?" He looked quizzically at her." as she held him.' 

 "We are trying to keep it still so it will heal better. We think its
broken." 

 "Broken." 

 "Yes, you have bone in your body and if you fall the wrong way they break
and they hurt a lot." 

 "Oh." He said "is he alright?" 

 "Yes, he will be fine. Why don't you play in your room for a while." 

 "Okay mommy." he said as she put him down and ran into the bedroom. 

 "He's a cute kid. Where's his father?" 

 She pointed to Fraser. "You have to be joking." 

 "No I'm not." 

 "Wow, I just found out that he has had sex and now I find out he has a
child." He shook his head in disbelief. "I would never have thought he
would be capable of something like this. What's his name?" 

 "Brendan Fraser. Well at least on the birth certificate. Metcalfe to
everybody else. Less questions especially up here. Too many people know
his father." 

 "Fraser told me a lot about you." 

 "I'm sure he did and I know it wasn't all good," 

 "No it wasn't." They both relaxed for a moment on the couch." 

 "Where's his other partner? Are they still friends? His name was Ray
also, I think." 

 "He's still in the states somewhere. Yeah they are still friends. He went
on and undercover assignment and I got to be him for awhile. 

 Just then Brendan came out of his room. "Mommy I'm hungry." he exclaimed.


 "Would you like a grilled cheese sandwich?" she asked. 

 He shook his head yes. "And how about you Ray...Would you like a grilled
cheese sandwich." 

 "I.. Um." 

 "I know, everything you heard. I promise it's safe. I'm making it for the
two of you." 

 "Okay." 

 "Mommy who are them?" 

 "You mean there names?" She asked him and he shook his head yes. 

 "His name is Ray. Can you say hi to Ray?" 

 "Hi Ray. Where you from?" he said 

 "Um..Chicago" 

 "Is that far away?" 

 "Yes." He said 

 " Oh...What his name?" He pointed to Fraser 

 "His name is Ben." 

 "He takes long nap." 

 "Yes he is." She said not showing him her concern for Ben's well-being. 

 "I wait till he done." 

 "That's a good idea." She said preparing a grilled cheese sandwich for
him and Ray. 

 Brendan climbed into the chair as she brought them both a sandwich. She
could hear Ben stir in the other room. "You eat, I'll check in on him."
She said. 

 "Are you sure? I should really be there." Ray said thinking that he would
pass out at the sight of her 

 "I'll take care of him. Sit down." Ray was still skeptical about her
being the first he sees. 

 She went into the living room. "Hi there, how are you Ben?" 

 He was still groggy. "My heads a little sore and my arm aches a little
too." 

 "That's just like you, not telling how bad you actually feel. We think
your arm is broken." She said with a smile brushing her fingers over his
brow. 

 Ray stood in the doorway finishing his sandwich watching the conversation
between the two. Brendan was still at the table eating contently. "Really
Victoria I'm fine." He said not realizing the significance of his words. 

 "We taped it up any way." 

 Suddenly it hit him. "Victoria, oh my God, it's you!" He sat up. "I don't
know what to say. I wanted to see you but ..." 

 "Ben you don't have to say any thing, I thought I'd never see you again.
After Ray well..." She trailed off. 

 "Shot me." he helped her continue. 

 "Yeah shot you...I thought you where dead. I stayed away to cope with the
feeling of what I did to you." She sighed and sat down on a recliner next
to the couch. "I thought I was a mess when you turned me in to the police.
But that didn't hurt as much as the thought of you being dead. No matter
what I did to you, I loved you. I was an emotional wreck, I hated myself
for a long time. I thought I cried a lot when I was in prison it didn't
compare to then. There was no way to get a hold of you. I called your old
neighbor and the number was changed, I really didn't want to call the
Consulate or the police station. That wouldn't be a smart thing to do. I'm
sorry Ben. I'm truly sorry. I wanted to say that to you for so long." 

 "I'm the one that should say I'm sorry. You wouldn't have felt that way
if I..." 

 "Ben....you did what you had to do. I accept that now. I was angry, so
angry with you. You had stolen my heart and broken it by sending me to
prison. I wishfully thought that we would get married and I would finally
have a normal life. That you wouldn't send me. I cried and cried till I
couldn't cry no more, it turned into resentment. I needed to get these
feelings out that were bottled up for so long. I could only see revenge.
You can hate me for what I did and I would understand. I deserve it." She
said pausing again. "There's just one thing you need to know Ben." 

 As if on cue, "Brendan came running out from the kitchen. "All done,
Mom." He stopped and looked. "Hi Ben. Nice nap?" 

 "You have a child?" He asked surprised. 

 "No, Ben, we have a child." 

 Ben's face went white. "We?" 

 "Benton Fraser meet your son Brendan." 

 He looked at Brendan, his big blue wondrous eyes looked back at him. His
dark brown hair tousled. He could see himself in the little boy. "Hi
Brendan." he answered. "Yes, I did have a nice nap. But my head still
hurts a little." 

 "I'll kiss it and make it feel better. Mommy does that to me and it
works." 

 "Okay." Ben said and Brendan climbed up on his lap and kissed his
forehead. 

 "I found out about a month after I was with you. I have been with no
other. May I tell him?" 

 "Go ahead." 

 "Brendan this is your daddy." 

 "Daddy?" He looked confused. 

 "Yes, he's also a police officer of Canada." 

 "That's cool. Wanna see my cars?" 

 "Sure." said Ben as Brendan ran to get his cars. 

 "I never imagined you having ..." Ben was still stunned. 

 "Him? Yeah, I know. As I said I was a mess. I ran to Austin, Texas just
to get away. I cried for a long time about you. I had you. You were coming
with me. I though nothing could go wrong this time. We were going to be
together like the first time we were together. So I was disappointed yet
again. The story of my life. I was sick all the time and finally went to
the hospital. They told me I was pregnant. It was like a light at the end
of the tunnel. I figured if I couldn't have you I would still have a part
of you. From then on I turned my life around I owed to you, for your life.
I came back to the north were I thought it would be safer for him and am
using my last name so no questions were asked although it is Fraser on his
birth certificate." 

 Brendan came out with his cars. "See them?" 

 "Yes." Was all he could say, he looked at Victoria but was speechless. 

 "How's Ray?" 

 "He's good, in Florida I think. He like s the south for some reason." 

 "Are you still friends?" 

 "Yes, still friends." He paused "Thank you." 

 "Thank you for what?" 

 "For helping me and Ray today and being so easy to talk to. I didn't know
what to say to you, I just needed to see you." 

 "I should thank you. You made my day. You finally made me see the light
and its much better from this side. You where always easy to talk to." 

 Ray had joined Brendan on the floor playing cars as the fireplace roared
making the place feel cozy. Ben and Victoria talked real late till they
couldn't talk no more as the storm raged outside.   

 The next morning she made breakfast for them. Dief was begging for some .
"Oh my the other dogs. We need to feed them. I'll go out to the barn and
feed them." 

 "Don't worry about Dief he will eat anything we don't." Ray said.  

 "In that case I will bring some back for him." I know you guys." She
teased. 

 "Good idea." Ray said gobbling down his eggs. 

 Benton's head still hurt some. He was still very dizzy and couldn't
stomach much, he poked and played with his eggs. His arm was sore too. The
make shift cast of magazines could only do so much supporting. "Don't like
the eggs?" She asked him. 

 "Stomachs off, little dizzy." 

 "Just rest then Ben you probably have a good size concussion and it will
do that." 

 Brendan was eating his eggs half asleep since he want to bed late with
the rest of them. She kissed him on the forehead as she exited the cabin. 

 Ben had just said ' I'm going to lie down,' When they heard this loud
horrendous crash from outside as the dog barked. Ben and ray ran to the
window. "Oh my God Victoria!" 

They both said. They ran outside still putting on their boots and coats to
find her. They rummaged through the barn shouting her name. They finally
heard her moans to find her trapped under a bunch of boards. Benton wasn't
much help, he was dizzy and only had one arm. Ray was a little more
helpful an finally got the board off of her. 

 "Are you okay?" He asked her. 

 "I hurt all over." She complained 

 "Ray don't move her, we need to immobilize her as much as possible. Get a
board and I'll get some tape." He said dizzily staggering back to the
house. 

 Brendan was looking out the window crying for mama. "Can you get your
coat and boots on for me?" With that Brendan stopped crying and ran to get
his stuff he was still in his pajamas. 

 "Dief, come on, time to go." He call to the wolf and for once came right
to his side. 

 "I got a board Frasier." Yelled Ray. 

 "Okay listen to me..." He went on with the instructions and helped as
much as he could. 

 He got the dog sled team ready to go. "Frasier, the sled is broken from
yesterday." Ray said. 

 "I have one if it didn't get crushed." She said barely conscious. "It's
old." 

 They found it, it was alright. They attached the dogs and got her loaded.
"Brendan where's Brendan." 

 Benton spotted him coming towards the sled. His boot were on the wrong
feet and his coat was upside-down but he had his stuff on. Neither cared
as they tossed him into the sled. Benton sat with him and his mother. 

 "Ray you have to drive. I can't my head is swimming." 

 "You trust me after yesterday?" 

 "The weather's cleared up so you should have no trouble today. Besides
I'm so dizzy that I would fall of the sled." He finished giving directions
and they were off. 

 Victoria was slipping in and out of consciousness. Ben talked to her.
"You can make it, I know you can. When I laid dying on the train station
platform, I recited that poem that you said to me at Fortitude Past." Both
of them recited it together all the way into town 

 It took two and a half hours to get to the medical facility and that
wasn't even the best. It was a cabin no bigger than Victoria's. Ray got a
staff member to help carry her in. Ben was as white as a ghost, he was
looking particularly well either. "Are you alright?" Another staff member
asked. 

 "Ray, I'm not feeling so good." And with that he collapsed. 

 The staff member flung the limp Mountie over his shoulder and carried him
in. 

 "What's wrong with her?" they asked Ray. 

 "Her barn roof collapsed on top of her. She keeps wanting to lose
consciousness." 

 "Is there anything medically wrong with him?" Asked the man bringing in
Fraser. 

 "He hit his head pretty hard yesterday, hard enough to lose
consciousness. We think he broke his arm so we bandaged it. He was
complaining of dizziness." 

 "Sounds like a concussion. He needs to rest." He laid Fraser on a bed and
came back out. "We are use to getting frost bite and fish hooks stuck
various places but these are the most critical care patients we've had in
awhile." 

 "Great." Ray said sarcastically as Brendan sat quietly next to him. 

 There old looking x-ray machine was on the fritz, as they worked on it,
her condition worsened. They took her into surgery. Luckily there was a
surgeon there today. Actually he was there to visit because he was on a
hunting trip. He opened her up to find a lot of internal bleeding. He
repaired the damage the best he could with what he had to work with. The
cold weather had slowed her circulation down probably buying her time to
get here and the help she needed. They finally got the x-ray going and
found she had 3 fractured vertebra. It was too early yet to see how or if
see was going to pull through. Ray looked at her in the room standing by
the door. She had an IV coming out of her arm and other tubing and wires
elsewhere. She was still alive for the moment anyway and Ray was looking
relieved about that.  

 Fraser finally woke up after a bit. He was feeling nauseous. He soon
found himself staggering to the bathroom to expel whatever could be in his
stomach. His face was white as he rinsed off his mouth. Dizzily he went
back to bed. "Looks like you have a concussion here." 

 "I've never felt so bad after one before." 

 "I've take you had more than one?"  

 "Yes." 

 "Well you out did yourself this time. You are to rest in bed for a week."


 Ray had turned his attention to his friend to see the face her was making
after hearing that. Bed rest, my God you would have thought that they were
jailing him for a 100 years. "I can't I got stuff to.." 

 "You do not, your first goal is to rest." 

 Ben pouted terribly, even making Brendan laugh. "He's funny." He laughed.


 Fraser laid back down. "This does feel good though." He said settling in.


 "Good." the staff person named Todd said. "We are going to look at that
arm." 

 They unwrapped the arm from the magazines and went to the x-ray room. Ray
and Brendan went to the waiting room were Brendan finally fell asleep. Ray
was tired too and he took a nap on the chair. 

 "It's broken." They told Fraser and started to cast his arm. 

 "How's Victoria?" He asked scared to know. 

 "She's holding her own right now, but its too early to say." They told
him. "There its done." Putting the final touches on the cast. 

 "Thank you, kindly." 

 "Is she you wife?" 

 "No, a friend." He said quietly 

 "Her little boy." 

 "Yes, mine too." 

 "Oh." he said. 

 "Can I see her now?" 

 "Just briefly." 

 Ben was wheeled over to the doorway. "Hang in there Victoria. " he said
to her. 

 He could see through her window it was snowing again as he recited the
poem quietly to himself holding her hand.......  

Finis 

    

      

.