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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