Author's website: http://www.angelfire.com/weird2/lauriestrodeisa0/index.html

Disclaimer: I don't own anything, and thank god I don't or all of us would be screwed.

Author's Notes: I'd like to thank my beta, doesn't mean I will. :P

Story Notes: Spoilers for pilot and entire series. A 'cover video' can be found at my music video page: http://www.angelfire.com/electronic2/ps2gamers/indexlaurievid.html
There isn't much mention of the CSI crew in this part, that of course will change for part 2.

"So you see Captain, the bomb wasn't really a bomb, it was just some play dough. And look, they had this remote control, but it doesn't do anything." Dewey demonstrated the non-bombness of the bomb by pressing the button. But, of course, the building blew up. Knocking everyone on their feet.

"Oops."

Lea got up and helped Kowalski to his feet.

'How in the hell did I get here?'

It all started when a man with kayaking experience passed her up for a promotion. She was so angry with him, but at the same time he just lost his father, which made her pity him, but not that much.

She didn't have much, but she did have the job she wanted, and he took that away. She lost it all one day she was pulling over someone for a traffic ticket. She worked in a decent sized town. Not as small as any of the towns Fraser worked, but she knew most of the people there. She pulled over a man she actually didn't know and proceeded to write him a speeding ticket. The next thing she knew she was on the ground in the snow with three bullets in her stomach. She should have died, and was left with all three, still in her.

She gave him menial tasks, like sealing 500 envelops, and standing on sentry duty, but after a while it was no longer payback, it was just plain mean. So she stopped. She gave him the same jobs she had to do, every task split 50/50 between them. He of course didn't say anything about the change in his work and she wanted to thank him for it.

Over the first year little was said between the two. Of course once and a while he would drag her on a case involving him and his 'partner' Ray. He said it was because he needed someone with her skills. Making coffee was a skill? She complained every moment she could about it, saying she had better things to do. But of course she didn't, she was just saying that so they couldn't know that she really knew no one in Chicago. She didn't actually bring anything dyer to the group. She mostly, at least in her own minds eye, cracked wise ass jokes with Ray, then made fun of his 'Je ne sais quoi'. She, like Benton, had no permit for any guns in the States so she of course was useless in the gunfire that almost always ensued.

The second year was when something weird happened. She started to join Benton and Ray without being invited by Fraser. It wasn't one of those awkward situations where someone invites himself or herself along and you really don't want to be there, it was almost the opposite. Both men never brought up the fact that Fraser didn't ask her to come anymore; more they all accepted that she was part of the team, which was weird for her. No one really liked her before, mostly because at first glance she seemed cold and distant, which was of course for self-preservation. She may have never spent days in the woods, or licked things off the floor, but she did know about survival. They were the musketeers, actually stooges would be more accurate, but then of course something happened. Or actually someone happened.

#&#&#&&#&#&&#&&#&#&&#&#&

Victoria.

It all started when Fraser promised he would be there to play pool with the boys. I remember because Ray looked over to me after and was about to say something until I beat him to the punch. I said something along the lines of, "Don't worry, surrounded by so much testosterone, you know I seriously don't want to be here. You guys have a nice time doing manly things, like belching the ABCs, I will be home, having fun."

Which was a lie of course. Ok, not every Canuck is Fraser, we do on occasion lie. But I didn't want that awkward, 'uninvited even though you were never invited in the first place' conversation. But then Fraser didn't come. I don't see why Ray didn't ask me for the money to buy the food, I guess he might feel bad about not inviting me then asking me for money for it, but I understand sometimes they just want the guys.

Fraser was late for work, which I didn't mind. He is my friend; I want him to be happy. And by that smile that was plastered on his face when he came in, I could tell he was. But then he made the cardinal mistake. I don't know about where he is from, but where I come from they have this thing called 'Bros before Hos'. Obviously Fraser didn't get the memo.

And then Deif got shot. Thats something I admire about Ray, he can be totally pissed off at Fraser, but then something like Dief getting shot happens and he totally forgets the anger. Heck he gave Fraser's girlfriend a place to stay. Then the shooting of the clown guy happened, and IA interrogated all of us. I of course was asked if I knew Ray and Fraser's plans, which I promptly answered, 'Plans to what? Marry?' They then decided that I must be in on it.

After the questioning Fraser went to the 'canteen' as he called it, while most Chicagonians would just call it a 'break room'. Ray nervously twitched for a moment then said that maybe he should get something. Of course because I felt useless like always, I volunteered to go. As I approached I heard Fraser. He was talking, to no one. That didn't surprise me, he did that a lot at the office, but what he did say made me stop in my tracks. 'Do you want to know something? I mean you never saw who she was. You never saw her when she was angry, you never saw her when she was frightened, you never saw her when she was brave or when she was petty. You never saw her.' He paused, then went on, 'No she didn't, She deserved you. I'm not going to make the same mistake. Victoria is in trouble.... Now, she scares the hell out of me. I don't even know if I can help. But I know I need to be here and I know who she is.'

I soon left, I... there are no words for what I felt. And when I saw him running after the train I couldn't stop him. I just stood there. Half of me doesn't know what came over myself. But a part of me wanted him to be happy. Screw what was right, the law, even Ray. My friend was so desperate to love, to be loved. I just let him go, and in the process let him get shot. It was my fault and I knew it.

I stopped talking to Ray, I didn't go and see Fraser in the hospital, I didn't deserve their friendship. But then Fraser was lucid, and awake, and Ray started to leave messages on my answering machine practically begging me to go to the hospital. In one of his later messages he cussed me out, calling me names even I didn't know.

Twelve minutes later he left me a message saying, and I quote, 'I'm sorry. Just... Please come to the hospital. Please Lea, for Benny.' Ray has never begged me to do anything. Ever. I just couldn't say no. Well I didn't actually have to respond since it was a message on my answering machine, but I went to the hospital. I was lucky it was a time when he was asleep. I scratched Dief on the head and sat in his chair. I looked out the window for a while, looking at the trees... Ok, I was looking in the windows, waiting for Benton to wake up. Forty minutes passed and I decided to leave, I was at the door when I heard him,

"Lea?"

I walked back over to his bed and back into his sight. "Yeah. You were sleeping. I sat for a while, but I didn't want to wake you."

"I'm awake now."

"I noticed." I nodded. I didn't know exactly what to do, tell him how sorry I was I failed him?

"You came."

"Thats why you're the smart one. I hear Ray comes here a lot."

"Yes, he does."

"Well, I didn't want to come when he was here, you know all that guy stuff you guys gotta be doing. And, three is a crowd, you know that kinda thing."

"You are never a crowd. Wait, I mean you are never what makes a crowd... I mean-"

"I know what you mean. Thanks. So how have you been? They aren't mistreating you, are they?"

"No."

I snap my fingers in mock dissapointment. "Darn."

A long while passes before either of us says anything.

"I'm sorry." I say, suddenly not able to look him in the eyes.

"You have nothing to be sorry for."

"I do. I.... I .... I saw you; I know you were running to be with her. I should have stopped you. I didn't. I betrayed Ray, the force, my duty, even you. I should have stopped you, I should have done anything other than what I did, and now because of it Ray shot you and here you are. All because I couldn't help you when you needed it the most...... I should go."

I practically raced out of that room, hearing Fraser calling after me, but I knew he couldn't chase me and I just ran.

I then didn't get as much messages from Ray, I actually got a lot from Fraser. He asked me to come by again, just to talk. I soon caved again, feeling I owed him a heck of a lot; the least I could do was do as he asked. This time I wasn't as lucky, he was fully awake and looked as though he expected me. Damn you Benton Fraser. I smiled as best as I could.

"Hey."

"Lea, I've been thinking a lot about what you said. I've come to a conclusion. You're a moron."

"Excuse me? I'm a what?" Ok, I was, and I knew it, I just didn't want him to say it out loud.

"You can't be held accountable for anyone else's actions."

"I can be held accountable for my lack of action."

"Lea, no one expected you to do anything. You aren't responsible for anything either Ray or I did. You may feel bad about not doing anything but no one is going to blame you for anything that happened. We are too busy blaming ourselves."

"Oh, so you're too busy blaming yourselves you have no time to blame me?"

"Exactly."

And that was the end of any discussion on Victoria, or the events that happened because of her. Ray and I started to talk again, and things got a lot better. Ray told me they needed someone to help them re-build Fraser's Dad's Cabin. Of course that turned into a disaster, it left Fraser over Ray's shoulder, me caring all the bags, and Dief leaping through the woods.

The rest of the year was odd, as usual. We got a new Inspector, who made me stop hanging out at the 27 so much, and stopped Fraser from wearing the uniform he liked. I of course used the defense that when I am off duty I can liaise my head off as private citizen. She ended up giving me a warning, while she fired Fraser. Oh, yeah. She liked him.

At first I can say he absolutely hated her. But then something happened, I don't know what exactly, but she apparently warmed up to him. Warm enough to make out on top of a moving highly explosive train. Which leads me to my next, very scary point.

Apparently when Fraser was talking to no one he was actually talking to his father. Buck accidentally told me he was seeing him too when we were making our way to find Fraser and the Inspector. I hadn't actually seen the dead guy, but it was freaky nonetheless.

But the worst part of the year was when Fraser and Ray got in that fight over the publicity. I felt like a child in one of those ugly divorce cases, being pushed and pulled by their father and.... well father. Not that I look to Fraser and Ray as my fathers. Just that they were in an argument and every time I tried to say anything both shushed me.

I started to get mad as well, I may be a third wheel, but this wheel has feelings Damnit. Then we had that freaky fight thing, without seeing each other, I guess we just knew how the other was going to respond. Then Ray and Fraser were tied to the same bomb, while I got my own. Lucky me. I was still tied to the two idiots that couldn't get along!

I can't help but love the look the Inspector gave us as we walked into that courtroom. They finally untied me to them, which didn't help any, cause we all still had bombs on. Of course we got out of that, because we are alive now.

But on another disturbing note, Fraser got amnesia and hit on every woman at the precinct. He even said something to the effect that it was bad he didn't sleep with the Inspector. A bank-robbing woman, who killed her partner, then leads you around breaking all your ties to everyone in Chicago so you can runaway as outlaws I get. Wanting to sleep with the Inspector I don't, at all.

The next year, well considering that odd is normal for us, this was extra freakily weird. A man that looks and acts nothing like him replaced Ray. Fraser went on a quest for the holy ray trying to prove this guy wasn't the real Ray, and ended up actually liking the guy. Me on the other hand, well I didn't actually like him all that much.

It was like he expected to be one of the gang; it took me almost a year to warm up to Ray Vecchio and Fraser, what made him think I would just be all buddy buddy within a few days? I didn't come by as much, and Fraser got angry with me for not giving the new guy a shot.

Then he got really angry with me. I just accidentally on purpose didn't go to Ray's birthday party. He lectured me that my not going could give up the game, and hurt the real Ray Vecchio. I don't actually remember having a real argument with Benton, and if they were anything like this one I would. Even now, looking back at it, I still can't believe we screamed at each other like that. Of course we didn't see each other for a while, which oddly enough made Lieutenant Welsh talk to me. After that happened I went over to Fraser's. He opened the door and was actually surprised to see me.

"Hello Lea, what brings you here."

"Umm... Ok, I don't like fighting with you. You and Vecchio, you guys are the only friends I have here, without you I'm alone. I'm not saying I'm sorry, or that anyone besides me was right, I'm just saying.... God I don't know what I'm saying. I.... I miss you. Having Ray gone is bad enough, but being without you too, its just that much worse."

Fraser crossed his arms in front of himself and with one of those boyish looks he always had said, "I know, me too."

"So what, we agree to be not wrong or right?"

"Yes. That is as long as you give Ray a chance."

"Ok, I'll try."

So then I gave Ray a shot. We never got along all that well, but we tried at least, which seemed to please Benton. When Vecchio and I teased it was nothing like what this Ray and I did, we went for blood. All right, figurative blood, but blood none the less. I didn't like him, and he sure as hell didn't like me.

Then I went to Vegas for vacation, when I came back, well I didn't expect what happened to happen. I came back and I heard from Hewy and Dewy (aka the duck boys) that Benton had died. At first I didn't know what to do. So I did the one thing that everyone else was doing, I was going to see it for myself. I saw him lying there, lifeless.

I felt so sick; I felt like I wasn't even standing there, I felt numb. I was pushed to the back of the room where I sat in one of the empty pews. I've never really cried. Not in front of people anyway, another survival skill, and there I sat tear after tear just coming out silently. The last friend I had in Chicago was gone. I've only had three friends in my entire life. One was lying dead in the casket in front of me.

Frannie came running up in a wedding dress; and well, that convinced me never to go on any vacations. Frannie was getting married? She started to scream, then there was this gun thing then the weirdest thing happened. Fraser just jumped up. I watched as everyone in front of me fainted. I wished I could've fainted. I think I was too shocked by what was happening in front of my face.

I got up and quickly ran out before anyone noticed me. The last thing I needed was to be seen sitting in the back of the room bawling like a baby. I went home and curled up in my bed. One of my worst fears just happened that day.

The doorbell rang and I got up and went to see whom it was. Fraser's red serge showed through the peephole. I guess he decided not to change from his burial shroud. I opened the door and went to making dinner not saying a word to him.

"I remember you came back today. How was your vacation?"

"Alright. I went to Las Vegas; saw a friend and a show. We saw a couple of ball games, you know, the usual. I bet you boys had fun while I was away. Well don't bother me with the details, it would probably be belching and talking of girls anyway. You gonna stay?"

"Do you mind? Dief was wanting to see you after your trip."

"He wants the present I got him." I went over to my bag and got out the stuffed white tiger and handed it over to the wolf.

"And before you start whining, yes they both signed it." I looked over to Fraser who was shaking his head at the wolf.

"You didn't have to do that you know. He should get used to the fact-"

"Do you want your present too?"

"You got me something?"

"Well I thought you might be jealous if I got Dief something and not you. Apparently I was right." I walked over and gave him the wrapped present. He looked down at it and touched the wrapping paper a bit.

"You are going to open it, aren't you?"

"Yes. I just... I thought you would be too busy to buy anything-" "Ahhh. You sir, are trying to get information out of me about my friend."

"I would never dream of interfering on your privacy.' I smiled a bit and replied, 'Hnn. Well I guess you wouldn't want me to talk about him then."

"Its a he?" I laughed.

"Yeah." I went back to making dinner.

"So.... What is he like?"

"Hummm.... He likes bugs, has a doctorate in Entomology. He rides roller coasters, and gets this twinkle in his eye whenever someone says the word 'experiment'. He also is a huge baseball fan."

"And.. He is..."

"What?"

"Just a friend?" I looked over at him genuinely perplexed.

"What would make you ask a question like that?"

"It was Ray's idea. I tried not to pay any attention to it, but I must admit I'm curious to know." He looked back down at his present, playing with the wrapping paper again. I began to make dinner again a little angry with him.

"And why do you care?"

"You're my friend. I just... You haven't said all that much about yourself over the years, I wanted to know more about you."

"You know, I know how you feel. I would like to know some information about you. Like.... Hmmmm.... What can I ask about.... Oh, yeah. How about why the hell didn't you tell me anything about you pretending to be dead?"

"So that was you."

"Yeah, it was. You scared the crap out of me Benton! I thought you were dead! You don't think that maybe that might be something I'd want to know about?"

"I'm sorry to have scared you. My intention was to solve the case Ray and I were on, I didn't ever expect anyone to find out about it, let alone you. And you were on vacation. I wanted to call, but Ray said you might be... otherwise occupied."

"God! If I didn't know any better I'd say you were jealous. You.... lets just forget about it Fraser."

"Lea... Are you going to just leave it at that? Forget, and that's it? I want to talk to you about who you are, who your friends are and you just pretend you didn't hear it. God forbid one of your friends wants to actually know you."

"We've known each other for years Fraser, you know who I am."

"I don't. I know nothing of your upbringing, your schooling, just anything about you. You know if I was asked what your parent's names were I wouldn't be able to answer. Or if you had any brothers and sisters. You maybe alone, but its of your own doing. You build these walls and let no one past them."

"You're one to talk! You talk at length about everything that has happened to you so you can cover up the stuff you don't want anyone to know. Like Victoria, and how in some deep down twisted way you loved her. Not only that, but you knew she was going to pull you through the wringer and a part of you wanted it, and in a really perverse dark part that you don't want to even acknowledge you liked it. You needed it."

I look in his eyes and I realize exactly what I've just said. "Benton, look I'm sorry. You're right. I put up walls. I shouldn't. I should trust you enough to be able to say anything to you. Randy and Marge."

"Who..."

"My parents names. That is if they've avoided that whole misunderstanding with the nice tax people. I don't have any brothers or sisters. I don't actually ever talk to my parents. I talk to my Nanny every Sunday. I went into the RCMP because I wanted to show them I could do something that didn't involve money. And although it isn't the best pay in the world that's not the reason you have a job like this in the first place. And my friend, he's not just a friend. He's... I don't exactly know how to put it. Is that enough for now?"

"Of course."

"So are you going to help me? You can make the salad."

"Alright.... How do you make salad?"

"Funny. Oh look, Iceberg lettuce. Have you two met before? Maybe on an ice flow somewhere. Wait, you haven't opened your present yet."

"That's alright. I'll open it later."

"You're crazy, you know that?"

"Actually it is a possibility. There seems to be some incidents in the family... well that's not important now. What is important is what exactly are you making?"

"Something Ma Vecchio taught me. Don't worry, it won't kill you.... At least I hope it doesn't. It is a possibility."

&#&#&&&#&&#&#&#&

She waits until a smile forms on her friends face before she begins to laugh as well.

Time went by and partnerships were tested. The one between Kowalski and Fraser particularly, especially when they handled a case involving pirates and the dead men of the Robert Mackenzie. Ray punched Fraser, Fraser punched Ray, they made up while sailing in a vessel, which was an exact replica of the HMS Bounty. Things were certainly back to normal.

&#&#&#&&#&#&&#&#&&#&#&&#&

Then Fraser asked me to do a favor for him. Which wasn't weird at all. The only thing that was weird about it was he said it was urgent. So I took it very seriously. My one mission, get one dozen red roses.

So I grabbed a cab and went to the florist shop I knew. I was lucky to buy the last roses he had, and grateful he kept them fresh. But once I got outside the shop I heard an old lady screaming so I looked to see a guy trying to steal her purse.

I ran after the guy, roses still in hand, and followed him through the worst allies in Chicago. Once I caught up to him I grabbed the old lady's purse and pulled it away from him the flowers flew over the fence and into the street where the street cleaner ran over them.

"Awww fuck," I exclaimed as the man tried to squirm away from me. After returning the purse and purse-snatcher to the right people I headed to the closest phone booth to try to find another florist. I waited for the guy to get done yelling, hanging up, then calling again which took about thirty minutes. I went for the yellow pages, but once I got to the FL section they were all torn out.

I decided to call information, but of course they only gave me the name to the place I had been already. I decide my next course of action was to get a cab, which I did, and ask for them to drive to the nearest flower place. When I got there the guy offered me a deal, if I could get some ice for the cooling system and bring it back within half an hour he would give me the roses for free.

I took the deal, mostly because I was too stupid not to, and also I didn't have that much money to afford it anyway. So I ran to the nearest supermarket, which ended up being a mile and a half away and waiting in a line with 8 people in front of me. I finally got out of there and knew I wouldn't make it if I ran back so I spent the last of my money on a cab back to the flower shop where I delivered the now melting ice to the happy florist. He gave me the roses and wished me luck with my 'guy'. I was too exhausted to refute what he had said so I left and made my way back to the consulate which was 7 miles away.

As I finished the first two miles of my trek I was crossing one of the many Chicago bridges when I saw a woman in her twenties looking like she was going to jump. I sat next to her on the bridge, the traffic to my back.

"Hey." I started, having nothing else to say.

"I hate my life." I wanted to ask her who doesn't, but I knew that would get us nowhere so I kept my mouth shut.

"What's wrong?"

"You want to know what's wrong?"

That's when the girl went too far. She reached out and grabbed my flowers, tore them up, then threw them in the lake.

"Love is what's wrong! I hate all people in love!"

I could only watch in horror as the flowers went floating down further and further. That was it. I just snapped. I pulled her up by the hair and threw her in the first taxi I saw.

I threw whatever I had left at the driver and said, "To reality, and step on it!"

He smiled like he understood me and left. I walked off the bridge with a sense of power, which was taken away quickly by the thought that I just lost the flowers. Not only that, but I had no more money to buy any.

I walked most of the way back until I just had to sit down. It was at an old abandoned house near the consulate where I saw it. The place was covered with various weeds, but more importantly wildflowers. I picked them and used my hair tie to keep them together, they weren't roses but at least they were flowers.

I walked up the steps and cautiously walked into the consulate. Once I was sure no one was there I quickly walked into Benton's office and placed them on the desk.

I took the files that needed to be done and finished them in a closet upstairs. After a couple of hours I went back downstairs and started filing them when I heard Fraser talking to Thatcher. I put my ear to the door and heard what they were talking about. They were talking about the Inspector having a kid, and Fraser helping in that department. Shocked isn't the word for what I felt, especially when she let him down by saying she wanted to adopt.

For a moment I felt sorry for Benton, that of course only lasted a moment because the next thing he said was that he found the flowers. It was bad enough that I got flowers for the Inspector, but for him to say he found them!!

He walked to his office and the Inspector went home right away, flowers in hand. A few seconds later Fraser walked out of his office.

Would I be polite and just let him get over the Inspector's rejection, it would be the decent thing to do. Screw that, I was pissed as hell.

"Hey Ben'in, I hope the flowers were okay, I had an accident with the roses," I said sweetly.

"Ah, yes they were fine, thank you. How much do I owe you."?

"I really couldn't take your money."

"No, I insist."

"The only way you could ever pay me back is in blood, sweat, and tears. Damn you Fraser!!! You know what the hell happened to me today? Then you go and tell her you found them. YOU FOUND THEM!!!" I started to poke him in the chest with my finger repeatedly.

"You do know that the conversation between the Inspector and I was private, so anything you overheard-"

"Don't worry Fraser, I wont tell anyone about your rejection. Just everyone that has a phone. Do you think I should start with A or Zed?"

"I really wouldn't like for you to-"

"Fraser, next time you want to buy flowers for a girl, don't have me pick them up for you. I know you were born next to Santa's workshop, but you see, here in reality you don't ask one woman to buy flowers for your sweetheart!!!!! It's a very big faux pas."

"She's not my-"

"This is me Fraser, if you say what I think you're going to say I will strangle you myself. I'm going home now. LOCK UP!!" I slammed the doors and went home, my anger never cooling.

&#&&$&#&#&#&#&##&#&##&##&&#&##&##&#

Fraser stood where he had been since she started to poke him, up against the wall, afraid to move. She always seemed to be angry at him for one thing or another. Of course, he had only fought with her a total of maybe four times, while his fights with both Rays seem to be every day. He decided to write her advice in his journal, so he wouldn't ever make the mistake again. He had been writing them ever since he started to read his Father's.

Of course, she wasn't right in her accusation that Inspector Thatcher.... He had to do something, even if he had done nothing wrong. He couldn't have this interfering with their professional relationship.

He was in luck, of course, because the next day everything was forgotten. Actually, everything but the fact that he wouldn't be asking Lea to get flowers for him.

That year people were beaten, interrogated, put into walls; things a regular cop would go through. That was until there was a case involving nerve gas.

That was when everyone went their separate ways. Fraser and Ray went on a quest to find the hand of a guy named Franklin. They went with every intention of not coming back until they had found it. It became their holy grail, they just never realized that the more time they spent searching for it the less it became about the hand. It became about the quest, about a real-life adventure. That was their real reward, not some decaying, and old, frozen hand. They may never have realized it, but Lea did. The letters she got from Fraser proved it to her. At first he wrote every month, but it soon became every six months. He stopped sending letters. Every six months, Lea received two leather bound books, both hand-written by Fraser, himself.

Lea stayed at the consulate for about a month before she left for Las Vegas. She was happy there, although it was really too hot for her. She soon adjusted and found herself quite content at her new job there.

Some are meant to teach. The words they say bring inspiration into young, passionate minds. Just by speaking, they can touch something so deep inside it gives a person goosebumps. That is why Welsh stayed where he was. Although some of the students may have not been the brightest, he drove them. It's what he was meant to do. And yet this man sits behind a desk, in an office that no one had ever cleaned in the past ten years, drinking coffee that tasted more like sludge, because some heroes are unsung. That's the way he preferred it. He has always kept in touch with Lea. He found that, as soon as Fraser and Kowalski left, the others followed their example; leaving he and Lea. He knew that was the way of life, but it broke his heart to see these people he once knew, become strangers. He knew Brighton well enough to know she would want to keep in contact. So over the years, they have talked and become much closer than they were before.

Vecchio went off to Florida and got married to Stella Kowalski, Ray Kowalski's ex-wife. They owned a bowling alley for about a year, then turned it into a club that received much more revenue. Vecchio stayed in Armani, and was happy that nothing else ever touched his skin.

Hewy and Dewy, aka the duck boys, opened up a comedy club. Lea and Welsh came by every Friday night for a long time, but stopped coming by after the duck boys didn't seem to care if they came or not. The comedy club grew, and soon they found themselves buying another club, then another. They ended up with seven, and all of them did really well.

Inspector Thatcher went up in rank and found herself in the middle of over throws of multiple dictators. A little while later, she... accidentally became too violent in an interrogation and found herself an Inspector again. Not only that, but at her old job in Chicago, she went through four deputy liaison officers the first month.

Renifeild Turnbull tried to run for public office, but soon found himself run over by a bus. Francesca Vecchio decided to help him recuperate. Her children knew him as 'Uncle Ren'. But 'Uncle Ren' turned into 'Daddy' in about 8 months. Francesca became a cop soon after that. She says to this day she couldn't have done it without the help of Welsh, Lea, and the occasional encouraging letter from Fraser and Kowalski. She is now partnered up with Elaine Besbris. Elaine turned out to be one of the youngest to pass the detective exam, and helped her partner follow suit nine months after her.

Maggie McKenzie changed her name to Fraser after she returned to the Yukon, and was happy to finally know her real father. Although he rarely showed himself to Benton, Bob Fraser decided to become much closer to his daughter. Just because he was dead didn't mean he wasn't going to spend time with his little girl. Maggie followed a case to Las Vegas and soon found herself used to the heat. She stayed there, not a block away from Lea.

People move on, it's a fact of life. But these people would soon find that they really didn't have that option.

End Across the Great Devide Prologue pt1 by Laurie Strode: laurie_strode22@yahoo.ca

Author and story notes above.