Disclaimer: not mine, I'll put them back.

Author's Notes: thanks to Lisa, she makes me.

Story Notes:

This story is a sequel to: Victim: Benton Fraser

Q&A

"How many times must we go through this Maria, you are not getting an Annulment." "Ma, the man is a pig he brings me that thing that I cant even say being a catholic woman."

A loud knock came at the door as every one was sitting down to eat at the Vecchio house. It was suprising when Welsh, Stella, and soon to be Det. Elane Bebris.

"Hey I'll get it Ma, and if its Ed McMan than I'll make sure he stays for dinner too." Ray said as he walked to the front door, when he opened it his jaw dropped to the floor.

"Raymando, is it Ed McMan?"
Ray smiled from ear to ear, "No Ma, much better."

Mrs. Vecchio turned to Francesca, "What could be better than a million dollars and a nice handsome man?"

Ray walked in with his arm around Fraser, "I dunno Ma, how about a nice handsome YOUNG man?" Ma Vecchio looked at Fraser as though he hadnt been seen for the past 10 years. She hugged him soo tight that he could barley breath. The rest of the dinner guests stared in awe at the peverbial ghost that just re-entered their lives. "I am sorry about not asking to come over but the truth of the matter is I knew you would make me some and have Stella bring it over anyway. I thought I would save her the trip."

"So how have you been Constable?" Welsh came over and shook his hand.

"Just as well as I have always been." he said with a smile. He knew Stella was watching every one elses expressions so that she could tell him later every ones first reactions.

After dinner was done, and every one had paid attention so they wouldnt pay attention to Fraser, he talked to Stella in the hall as they were leaving. "You know I know of this group, I mean you wouldnt have to talk about what happened but sometimes seeing people who have lived similar to yourself, helps. you think you want to go with me? I mean I would only go to the first meeting with you, you know moral support. But if you dont want to thats allright too." "Stella that would be nice, but you dont have to go if you dont want to, I can go by mysel......."

Before Fraser could finish his sentance 100 lbs of wolf had knocked him down to the floor, licking his face relentlessly.

"Deiw.....I bissed ew tobb. pweeff Deiw ged opp."

"Sorry abouth that Benny, I told him you were here and you were going to bring him home with you." Ray said deeply worried that the half wolf had hurt his friend. Once Fraser was finnaly able to pry Deif off him, he rubbed the fur on top of the playful wolfs head and began to laugh. "well Deif you seem happy now but how happy will you be when I tell you no more Jelly filled doughnuts?" Deif barked,"Silly man, I dont care about doughnuts....wait what am I saying. what I mean to say is I care about you slightly more than the doughnuts." "Alright Deif, How about we go home and I'll pretend I dont smell the meat lasanga and feed you any way, deal?" "Now you are talking, I'm hungry, I havent eaten in like an hour, I might starve!!" Deif barked as he practicaly flew out the front door.

I just got a call from Stella, she said that she cant come to the meeting she invited me to since she has a date. Its just as well I guess. I might as well confess I was growing to like her more than a friend but she is too diffrent from me, we wouldnt have worked out anyway.

Well I am nervous about tonight, its my first meeting, and I probably will be the only man there. For all I know Stella could be sending me in the lions den of a 'she woman, man haters club'.

I called earlier, they asked me what I wanted on my name tag. I was just about to say 'Constable Benton Fraser' but I fogot, I am no longer a member of the RCMP.

It wouldnt hurt me that much that I am no longer a Constable if it werent for the RCMP. They are not knocking down my door begging me back, they havent called, hell I havent heard from the Inspector or Turnbull.

Not hearing from Turnbull especialy suprised me, even when I saw him on the street. I was about to say something so he would look my way but when he did look twards me he looked away, as though he were ashamed. That truly shows you, you dont really get to know anyone.

"You can call me Fraser." I say to the plump elderly woman in the middle of the room. "So..ah Fraser, you been raped?" I dont see who says that. "EMMA! You dont have to be so rude!"
"Rude? who said anything about being rude, I asked the man a question. I mean that is the reason we all are here right?" I finnaly catch a glimps of the woman who said it. she is medium build, brown hair, deep brown eyes, glasses, and a multi colored scarf. "Its alright," I say. I clear my throat,"yes I was." "By a woman?"

"No, a man." nervous Benton? no. Petrafied? of course. "Oh, so you are gay then?" she says too matter of factly for my taste. "No I am not."
"So what happened?"
"That is enough!! My word Emma, have you no respect for self privacy?!?!" "I do Myrtle, but the man comes here, he is going to have to spill his guts sooner or later so why dont we save him the time and the rest of the girls some money. Cause God knows most of you are going to gamble your money away guessing how, when, and by who; and I would hate to have Tina miss all that money she hides in the knife box above her sink that she thinks no one else knows about."

"I am very sorry about Emma, she really dosent mean anything by what she says." "What happened to her?"
"Well you know that gambleing she was talking about? well the girls are still betting on what happened to her." I shook Myrtle's hand and promised I would come back next week. I was baffled, she wanted no one to know what happened to her, yet she wanted to hear all about what happened to me? Maybe she just wanted to hear about me because she dosent want to talk about herself.

As I walk Deif back to the apartment I am paying no attention to anything that is going on around me and suddenly hit something smaller than me. I grab the persons arm before they can fall to the ground. "I am so sorry, I didnt see you." I look and I see, its Emma, from the meeting. "Emma." I say.

She looks at me as though I were evil. "Whats your name?" "Dont you remember me I am Fra.."
"I mean your first name!! God! Who in the hell goes to a meeting with raped women and askes to be called by their last name? You want us to trust a man who dosent give a first name?"

I stare, I feel about as smart as a chimp right now. well cromagnam speak! "My name is Benton, Benton Fraser. The only reason why I asked you to call me Fraser is because everyone else dose, well that is exept my friend Ray Vecchio." "So what do you do Benton Fraser?"
"I was a Constable."
"Was, you arent now?"

These are more questions than I am used to dealing with. "Well yes, you see I decided that after what happened to me the RCMP would not want to have me any more." "And what exactly happened?"
"I was raped."
"I understand that part. why wouldnt they want you any more?" "Well you see, he was a friend of mine, a cop, I trusted him. Can I ask you a question?" "No."

This time I start to get offended.
"What do you mean 'no'? I told you about me." "Well whats your question?"
"What exactly are you hiding?"
"Excuse you? What makes you think I am hiding anything?" "I am a police officer, or rather I was, I know when a person is hiding something and that is what you are doing, you are hiding something."

She looks around than licks her top lip thoughtfully. She comes in close as if there were some one else that could hear our conversation, even thought there isnt.

"Myself." she says, she begins to turn away but I lightly grab her arm. "What exactly do you mean yourself?" she rolls her eyes than comes back in front of me in the position she was in before. "If I hide myself from the world I wont be vonerable, and if I am not vonerable than no one can hurt me."

she starts to walk away again but again I stop her. "You know being vonerable isnt always a bad thing, thats how you trust someone, you arent afraid even when you are vonerable. I assure you it is quite a beautiful thing." "How would you know, a man who wants every one to call him by his last name?" "I'll show you. Have you eaten yet?"

Ok Benton, I always knew I was a bit odd but this takes the cake. I meet some one at a meeting for people who have been raped, get drilled by her and now I am bringing her to the Vecchio's for dinner. I must admit she is rather fun to be with, although at times she makes me think I am a complete retard.

I knock and allow myself in, at any other house I would not presume to do so but this is the Vecchio house, Ma would kill me if I didnt feel welcome enough to allow myself in.

"Hello?"

"I told you Maria, Tony can ask me to get the pelenta." "That would be ok Ma, but he didnt ask, he told you to get it." "Look Maria, she is my mother in law I can tell her....."

I turn to Emma and put my finger over my lips. I go to the kitchen and when I come back she whispers to me, "Do they always fight like that?"
"Dont worry they only attack the ones they love."

I come into the dining room with the pelenta, "Maybe I should get the Pelenta?" I say with a smile.

"Hey Benny, we thought you would never show, Ma was going to send Tony out to get you." "Ray you know I would never even try to stop Tony from getting his six meals a day." "Thank you Fraser." Tony says with a smile. I can assume he didnt understand me.

"Who is she?" Francesca says with a squeaky voice. "This is my friend Emma."
"Oh dear, you look hungry, come on sit. I will get you something." "Oh no Mrs Vecchio, I couldnt eat all of that really." Ma stopped shovling food on her plate and all the noise around the table stopped. every one watched Ma and waited a reply. "first of all let me say god forbid if you eat as much as my Bentonio dose, I dont know how he dosent starve to death, and secondly you WILL call me Ma, understood.?" Emma looked around the table at frozen figures than back at Ma. "ye..ye..yes Mrs...I mean Ma."

Once Emma has finished her sentance and Ma starts to shovle food on her plate again the rest of the table unfrezes and starts right up again with their eating and arguing. "I didnt mean to insult your mother." Emma whispers to me. "Oh she isnt my mother, she just well I guess you could say she adopted me." "How long ago, thirdy years?"
"No, just a couple of years."

Me, Emma, and Deif start to walk home. "They really are terrific." she says to me "I know." I look around. "Oh I am sorry, I forgot to ask which way is your home." "You gonna walk me home?" she says, suprised, a little too suprised for my taste. "Well I wouldnt want you to go walking home all by yourself, and I thought it was to be expected of me."

She gives me a smile that, for some reason, makes my heart skip a beat. "alright." she says, and leads us down the street.

End Q&A by Andrea: squeakerb03@hotmail.com

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