Disclaimer: Due South, all it's related characters and anything associated with it are all property of Alliance. No copyright infringement intended. All errors are my own.

Please direct any feedback to tuktoyaktuk@hotmail.com. I'd especially love to hear what people think of this particular piece! :-)

Entitled

by Hsu-Lyn Yap

"Hey, Benny! Is today Diefenbaker's day off? Haven't seen him around for a while."

"I have left him with Willy. I did not want him hanging around with that wild bunch anymore. Not after what happened the last time."

"Oh? I guess he's not talking to you again, huh?"

"He's just so temperamental ever since we came here to Chicago. He never listens to me anymore, and persists in eating all sorts of junk food."

"Don't look at me that way! He steals my donuts. I do not feed him voluntarily..... what?! Okay, I did give him the pizzas..... and he promises that he won't ask again."

"Ray, you spoil him!"

"Okay, I admit I do. But you must remember this, Benny. I have never had a pet before. Well, not a pet wolf anyway!"

"Ray....So, that prickly facade is just a mask after all!"

"Don't get all mushy on me, Benny!"

"You never show this side of yourself to anyone! I wouldn't have......"

"Do you mind letting go of the topic for now? I'm feeling sort of uncomfortable here."

"All right, Ray. Why are we going to Chinatown?"

"Some officials are visiting the precinct from Mongolia. Can't imagine why they are in Chicago. Holiday, I guess."

"More likely to be on business."

"Why Chicago? Anyway, Welsh is having lunch with them in Chinatown. I have a message to deliver to him. Wonder what they are having for lunch. They eat horses, don't they?"

"No, they don't, Ray. Horses are a prized commodity for the Mongolians. They don't eat them."

"Didn't the Chinese build the great wall of China to keep them out?"

"Yes, they did. You know the nursery rhyme about Humpty Dumpty?"

"The giant egg?"

"Yes, Ray. I always thought that the wall he was sitting on might be the great wall. It's big enough."

"But what about all the Queen's horses? I didn't think they would have Queens ruling China."

"It was King's horses, Ray."

"King's horses?"

"Yes. All the King's horses and all the King's men, could not put Humpty Dumpty together again."

"Of course they couldn't. They were soldiers, weren't they? Not egg men."

"Who are the egg men?"

"I said they were NOT egg men."

"Then who are the egg men?"

"I don't know! We're not getting anywhere with this."

"We are the egg men? You make no sense, Ray!"

"You are right. And neither do you!"

"I was talking about the King's men in Humpty Dumpty."

"I don't believe we are discussing this!"

"They did have Empresses in China, Ray."

"Yeah? I thought with their culture and all that, they wouldn't let a woman rule them."

"Well, us white men can't jump to conclusions like that, Ray. There is a lot we don't know about them and their culture yet. And we are just learning more about other people everyday."

"Ray, they found your witness."

"The man who knew too much?"

"No, the man who knew too *little*. He's not going to be of much help at the trial. Huey interviewed him. Turns out he never really saw anything. It was too dark. St. Laurent says that evidence will not stand up in court."

"I bet he's lying. Probably afraid. Can you detain him for a while longer? I'll be right over. Oh, and page Welsh. I'm going back to the station."

"Is Fraser there?"

"Yes, what do you want with him, Elaine?!"

"Hello, Elaine."

"Hi, Fraser. I was just wondering..... I have an invitation to...."

"Romance over the radio, Elaine? You can talk to him when we get to the office."

"Thank you kindly, Elaine."

"What witness is this, Ray?"

"Some guy we have had a manhunt on for a while now. Apparently he knows the identity of the guys who shot this girl, Juliet. It was really bad, Benny. I got to the scene, right? And this girl, Juliet, is bleeding all over the place. She died in hospital."

"And this man says he saw who they were?"

"We were told that he was part of the group, but chickened out when things got bad. We think that if we can get him to testify against the others, we might be able to cut him a deal. You know, for a shorter sentence, maybe."

**************************

"What's this?! A cop? A Mountie? and......."

"A baby?!!! What is a baby doing in here?!"

"Shh....you'll wake her! I couldn't get anyone to baby-sit. She was crying a while ago, and I couldn't get her to calm down. I wonder what Victoria's

secret is! She never cries when Vicky holds her."

"Well, buddy, you are going to have to hand her over to someone. We can't conduct a proper interview with a baby present! Elaine!"

"I tried to take her away, Ray. She started crying."

"Well, you are going to have to take her away, crying or not. I will not have a baby in my interview room!"

"You are over-reacting, Ray."

"I'm over-reacting?! I don't care what you guys do up North, but I will *not* have a baby in my interview room!"

"See, she's started crying again."

"Elaine!"

"Careful with her! She's so precious to me, I'd do anything for her. Even move heaven and earth!"

"Elaine will take care of her. Now, you have some questions to answer."

"I told you, I didn't see anything. I'm a pilot. When I got back that night, I had just been on a 14 hour flight. I was tired. I heard shooting downstairs, and it woke Cassie up. I got up to keep her quiet. I never saw anything. I don't know what you have been told. You must have the wrong witness."

"Do you know Lorenzo Germano?"

"Yes, but..."

"Are you denying that you had made a deal with Lorenzo to leave your Vicky and Cassie alone while you are gone on your long flights?"

"What deal?! There was no deal! We had some sort of a *duel* over Vicky, I admit. But it was in high school! I took him one on one at basketball and I won."

"You won your wife at a basketball game?!"

"We were young. I was foolish. I have never told her."

"Wise move!"

"Ray, can I talk to you for a minute?"

"What is it, Fraser? I was getting along nicely with....."

"He's telling the truth, Ray."

"What?!"

"He might know the other felons, but he's one good man among them, Ray."

"Why are you telling me this? How can you tell from just this few minutes?"

"His body language, Ray. He's not trying to hide anything, and he's being as open about it as he can. His body language does not read defensive."

"So, you think that Lorenzo's fingering of him is like for revenge? Sort of like a, what do you call it? Eye for an eye?"

"Revenge?"

"Yeah! For losing that basketball game, and consequently that girl, Victoria."

"I hardly think so, Ray. It must be for something more recent."

"Well, lets go find out!"

********

"...... there was a robbery at a jewellery store. It was going to be Valentine's Day. I was there to get a gift of......the wheelman........ I saw him. It was one of Lorenzo's men. He tried to......."

"You testified against him?"

"I didn't dare. I was afraid of what he might do to Victoria and Cassie. I guess Lorenzo never forgot that. Did he say that I was involved in this case?"

"Yes, he did."

"He told me that he would harm my family if I ever testified against him. I didn't dare. But this time, I really did not see anything. I have never seen Lorenzo since that robbery last year."

"Were you part of the same gang at school?"

"Yeah. We were the 'Black Hawks'. We did little stuff. Minor crimes. Never got caught. Our symbol was a hawk....and a handsaw was used once. That was the only time I remember using something resembling a weapon. I broke off later, and went on to be a pilot. I never saw them again, until I saw Lorenzo last year. He was still living on the edge. I told him to give it up, but he wouldn't listen to me."

"Okay, Joey. There is nothing more I have to ask you."

"Can I go?"

"Yes. Just sign this statement on the blue line. It simply says that you have nothing to contribute to this case. Elaine will have Cassie outside."

"Thank you kindly, Joey."

"Say, aren't you the Mountie who's always in the papers?"

"I'm not aware of that."

"Yes, you *are* that Mountie! What's his name, now? Vicky keeps telling me about him."

"My name's Constable Benton Fraser."

"Fraser! That's right! Constable Fraser. Hey! You are practically a star, man! I have one question though. Why is your uniform such a bright red?"

"Well, I'm not too sure myself. I guess when they were deciding on the colour, most of...well, some liked it red."

"Yeah. It was probably a choice of either red, white or blue!"

"Well, they do use blue now, Ray, for the normal working uniform. Red is just for ceremonial purposes. As for white..... I don't recall that ever being an option!"

"Do you have to take everything so seriously?"

"Can I go now?"

"Yes, Joey. And don't forget to collect your baby on your way out!"

"Well, looks like I'm back to square one. No witness, no concrete proof that he did it, no.......Diefenbaker!"

"Diefenbaker? What's he doing here? Why is he free? Willy?"

"We went for a walk in the park, and Dief found......."

"Is that a bird in your hand?! What is this? Birds, babies...what next?!"

"Dief and I found this sparrow. It's wing is broken. I was wondering if Fraser knew what to do with it."

"He's a Mountie, Willy. Not Dr. Doolittle! Then again, it *is* Fraser we are talking about here."

"Let me have a look at it, Willy."

"Dief! Stay away from my donuts! Have you forgotten the promise you made yesterday?!"

"Geez! If I want to actually have something to eat, I should have them locked up in a vault!"

"I told you he doesn't listen anymore, Ray."

"Yeah, yeah! I'm having flashbacks of your lectures! I'm even starting to see some sense in them!"

"You know, Ray. Sometimes, when I look at the city's influence on Dief, I wonder if heading due south was such a good idea after all!"

THE END

(c) copyright 1997

Hsu-Lyn Yap

tuktoyaktuk@hotmail.com

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NB. I had to doctor a few titles so that they fit in grammatically with the rest of the sentence. But I tried to make sure that as much of the original remains. And I think ALL the titles from Season 1 and 2 are in there. YHL