Standard Disclaimer: due South and it's characters belong to Alliance. I just use them for fun. Hopefully they will return to their world unharmed and ready for other people to play with them.

WARNINGS: NC17 Romance

PAIRING: Fraser & Thatcher

Sequel to 'Ice Queen'.

Special thanks to my beta Meg Fraser (Jen LG - RSY listmom).

Originally posted to RedSuitsYou@onelist.com - March 2000.

Checking From Behind

Thatcher stepped out of her office and looked down the hall. A small smile made it's way to her face as she saw Fraser standing with his back to her, talking to Turnbull. Her eyes settled on his butt. She mentally peeled his jodpurs off, the vision of that tight pale rear with the water from the shower running over it filled her thoughts. She shivered in delight, remembering the feel of his skin as her fingers ran over his ass. Fraser must have sensed her penetrating stare, because he turned to look at her. A slow blush crept up his face as he noticed where she had been staring. His blush deepened in color as she hungrily gazed at his crotch. Fraser gave her a shy smile as he tucked his head down. *He may be shy, but at least I know he can get over it with the proper stimulation.*

Striding down the hall toward him, she let her face mold itself back into the consummate professional that she was. Stopping directly in front of Fraser, she glanced at Turnbull. He was looking at her and then back to Fraser's flushed face. He grinned, but it faded as she turned her head to glare at him. Without breaking eye contact with Turnbull, she spoke. "Constable Fraser, I need to see you in my office please." Her tone was curt and dry. "Turnbull...sentry duty...now." She felt a sense of satisfaction run through her as Turnbull cringed slightly at her words. "Yes Sir." Turning smartly on his heal, he walked down the hall away from them and out of the building.

She walked away from Fraser and headed back toward her office. She listened to Fraser's booted heel walking directly behind her. She couldn't resist adding an extra sway to her hips for his benefit. Sitting behind her desk, she looked up at him. He stood stiffly at attention waiting for her to speak. "Fraser, you can relax." He moved from his stiff stance to a relaxed parade stance. "Fraser...I said you can relax." He gave her a puzzled look. "I am relaxed, Sir." Pushing the hair back from her face she gave an exasperated sigh. Fraser continued to look at her, his head cocked to the side. "Is there something wrong?"

"Yes there's something wrong. I asked you to relax and you're standing there like a cadet on review." Fraser nodded his head slightly in agreement. "I don't mean to sound disrespectful, but if I recall after our...contact...in the..." He cleared his throat nervously. "You requested that we remain professional while we are on duty." She squinted slightly as she thought. "Yes, I did say that, but we're in my office and there isn't anyone here. You can relax." He shifted from foot to foot. "Define relaxed."

She rested her head in her hands and then suddenly stood. Walking quickly around the desk, she stood only inches from his face. "Relaxed means you don't have to be so stiff." Grabbing him by the cross strap of his Sam Browne, she pulled him against her. "Relaxed means we will remain professional outside of this office, but when that door is closed you may act as though we were off duty. Do you understand?"

"Yes Sir." She glared at him and tightened her grip on the leather strap. "Understood...Meg." He smiled and leaned down to kiss the tip of her nose. Smiling back, she reached up and pulled his head down to hers for a slow lingering kiss.

Once she released him, she walked back and sat behind the desk once more. He still stood in front of her desk at attention, but she could see by the set of his shoulders that he was completely relaxed. *Damn that man has great posture.* Picking a pencil up, she began to rolled it between her fingers. "Fraser...I was wondering...would you care to come over this evening and watch the game with me?" She found herself holding her breath. After their locker room antics, Fraser hadn't gone home with her that night after dinner. It was a mutual decision that it would be better if they didn't spend the evening together. All they had ended up doing was groping each other to death in her car before he had finally gotten enough control over himself to go up to his apartment. Alone. It had been all she could do that night to not leave her car and follow him. Now she anxiously waited to see if he would accept her offer to come to her apartment, knowing full well that their being alone together could lead to further physical interaction.

"The game?" "Yes Fraser...the Leafs are playing the Blackhawks. I have cable and thought that maybe you would like to come over this evening and watch it with me. We could analyze their passing." His small smile told her what she wanted to know even before he answered her. "I believe that I could come over tonight...to study the plays." "Good. The game starts at seven thirty-five. You can come over anytime before that." She smiled at him before composing herself back into Inspector Thatcher. "Dismissed." Fraser's posture immediately stiffened. "Yes Sir." Turning, he walked out of her office, feeling 'that' stare on his backside again.

Ray Vecchio picked Fraser up from the consulate and was driving him back to his apartment. He could see that his friend was in a good mood, but he also knew that Fraser wouldn't tell him why. *Time to butt in.* "Hey Benny, any reason for you being in such a great mood?" "Mood, Ray?" "Don't play stupid with me. Yeah mood. You seem pretty happy tonight. What, did Thatcher ask you out on a date or somethin'?"

Fraser's head snapped to look at him, cutting off his teasing smile. Just as quick, Fraser looked forward once more. Once Ray recovered, he grinned broadly, his voice incredulous. "She asked you out?! The Dragon Lady and you are goin' on a date?" Fraser cracked his neck and didn't answer him. Ray continued smiling as he stared at him. "You've gone out with her before haven't you?" Fraser turned his head to look out the passenger window.

Ray started laughing loudly. "You dog you!" His laughter quickly stopped as he realized that Fraser had been hiding the fact that he and Thatcher were involved. *Hey wait a minute!* "I can't believe you! You've been seeing her and you never told me? Don't you trust me? Am I not your best friend?!" Fraser turned to Ray, seeing his hurt expression. "Ray...we...I mean Meg and I..." "Meg?!" Fraser sighed. This wasn't going very well.

"Meg and I have only been out together once." "Oh yeah? Where?" "At a hockey game and dinner." "You took her to a Black Hawks game?" *Oh dear.* "No...we play on the same team. We went out to dinner afterwards." "Wait a minute! You 'play' hockey? Since when do you play hockey?! You don't tell me shit!" "I'm sorry Ray, I didn't think you would be interested in knowing that I play hockey." "I'm hurt Benny. You don't tell me anything."

They drove in silence for a few minutes before Ray spoke again. *I'll fix his ass.* "So how many times have you done it with her?" "Ray!" Fraser stared open mouthed at him. Ray's eyes widened in shock. He was only going to torment Fraser, but this bit of information was bigger than he had expected. "Oh my God! You've had sex with her, haven't you?" Fraser turned a bright red. "I can't believe you! You had sex with Thatcher!" Ray shook his head and grimaced. "That is gross, Benny."

Fraser fidgeted in his seat, looking down at his clenched fists. "There's nothing wrong with it Ray." "Ah ha! You admit it! You had sex with her!" Ray began laughing as Fraser dropped his head down further. "Dear Lord." "I wasn't really sure, but since you say you did...well you don't lie." Ray snickered again. "So you two have finally crossed the line haven't you?" Fraser refused to answer him. "Aw come on Benny. I happy for you O.K.? I mean, you need someone. Why you picked Thatcher is beyond me, but I guess everyone has different tastes."

Fraser closed his eyes and counted to ten. "Ray..." "O.K., I won't say another word. Just be careful. I don't want you gettin' hurt." "She's not going to hurt me, Ray." "Uh huh. She's your boss, she can hurt you." Ray pulled the Riv in front of Fraser's apartment building and put it in park. Fraser quickly opened the door and got out. "Thank you for the ride Ray." "Aw come on Benny, don't be mad." The door closed in Ray's face. As Fraser walked up to the building, Ray rolled the passenger window down and yelled out to him. "Give Meg a kiss for me!" Laughing, he drove off.

Thatcher picked up a bag and pulled some magazines out. Looking around the room, she spread them out on the coffee table by the sofa. She gazed around her apartment. It was spotless. It was lifeless. The magazines were all new ones that she had purchased at the grocery store on the way home. The rooms were tastefully decorated, but it appeared as if no one lived there. And she had to admit to herself that it was true. She didn't live here. She existed.

Walking to the kitchen she began making some popcorn. *Extra butter.* For some reason she remembered that Fraser had mentioned once that he liked extra butter on his popcorn. As the popcorn heated up, she went back to the living room and turned on the pregame show. Nervously looking at her watch, she began to fidget. Fraser would be there soon. The door bell rang startling her. *Damn it!* Taking a deep breath, she went to the door. She ran her fingers through her hair and adjusted her sweatshirt. *Shit! Bra...I forgot to wear a bra!* She danced slightly in place. Should she run to the bedroom and put her bra back on or should she just forget about it?

Looking through the peep hole she smiled. Fraser stood there patiently waiting for her. She knew he would wait several minutes before he would ring the doorbell again. Always the gentleman, he wouldn't incessantly ring it to annoy her. *Forget the bra.* Taking another deep breath, she opened the door. Fraser gave her a shy look and held out a small bouquet of flowers to her. "Good evening Meg." Taking the flowers, she smell them and ushered Fraser into the apartment. "Thank you Ben. They're beautiful."

She watched him as he took off his leather jacket. He was dressed casually. A pair of old faded jeans, hiking boots and a black turtleneck. As she looked at him, she felt like purring. She could smell the warm leather of the jacket and she could smell him, that clean woodsy smell that was uniquely his. *Hell...he could make rags look good if he wore them...but I'd rather see him wearing nothing.* She felt her face turning hot as she continued staring at him. When she looked into his eyes, she felt a wave of embarrassment. He caught her ogling him again.

She frowned. *What is that smell?* "Oh no!" Shoving the bouquet of flowers in his hands, she ran to the small kitchen. The popcorn was burning. Grabbing the pan she flung the flaming contents into the sink and turned the water on. "Shit!" Fraser cautiously entered the kitchen. "Do you need any help?" "Um..yes...could you put the flowers in a vase for me? There's one in the corner cupboard." By the time he had the flowers arranged, she had thrown out the charred remains of the popcorn and was starting on a fresh batch.

She could feel him looking at her as she moved around the small space. When she went to reach past him to get a bowl from a cabinet, he didn't move out of her way, forcing her to brush up against him. She could feel the heat from his body and felt herself growing warm. *Calm down Meg. You're not seventeen.* "Um...excuse me...I just need..." Leaning against her, Fraser reached above her head and pulled a bowl out. Handing it to her, he gave her a small smile. She smiled in return. It looked as if the game was already beginning in her kitchen. *Two minutes for interference, Ben.*

Once the popcorn was buttered, they went back into the living room and sat on the sofa next to each other. Grabbing the remote, she turned the volume up. Fraser sat the bowl on the coffee table so that it was between them. The game came on and to Thatcher's disappointment, Fraser paid more attention to the game than he did to her. He made comments about shots and passes as he mechanically ate the popcorn. She watched as he brought his butter coated fingers to his mouth and popped a kernel of corn past his lips. A sly smile came to her face.

"Ben...your fingers are all buttery." He ignored her and jumped in his seat as one of the Leafs took a shot on net. She slid over so that she was sitting against him. As he reached for the bowl again, she grabbed his hand. He gave her a curious look as she brought his hand up to her face. When she began to slowly suck and lick the butter off of each finger, she smiled inwardly. He was no longer watching the game. He was holding his breath as his eyes followed her lips and tongue. When she suckled his index finger, he smiled.

Leaning forward, he pulled his hand from her face and kissed her butter-flavored lips, feeling them slide against his. When her warm velvety tongue touched his, he greedily sucked it. Thatcher pushed Fraser away from her so that he lay back on the sofa. He gave her a questioning look. With a wicked smile on her face, she reached down and calmly undid his jeans. Pulling the zipper down, she reached a hand into his jeans and grabbed his semi-erect penis.

"It looks like the game has gotten you a bit excited Ben." He grinned at her, but he blushed as she pulled his length free from it's confinement. Thatcher had a thoughtful look on her face, which was replaced by a teasing smile. "Fraser, can you help me here?" He gave her a blank look. She tugged at one of the belt loops on his jeans. "A little help if you would Constable." A look of comprehension finally appeared on his face. "Ah."

Lifting his hips, he pulled his jeans down to mid-thigh. Thatcher looked exasperated as she released him and then yanked his boxers down. "That's better." Grasping him again, she chuckled as he pushed back slightly on the sofa. Letting her eyes run over him, she was pleased to see him blushing again. "You know Ben...the butter on the popcorn was nice don't you think?" He looked confused. "Yes..."

Taking her free hand, she held it up, looked at it, smiled at him and then she dipped that same hand into the near empty bowl of popcorn. His eyebrows went up as she swirled her hand in the bowl before bring it out. The greasy shine of the butter coated her hand. Wiggling her eyebrows suggestively, she let go of him with the one hand and replaced her hold on his now swollen member with the buttered hand. Sliding her fingers up and down, she let the butter coat his entire length. She took her time when she palmed the head of his penis and rolled it around, making sure every surface of the sensitive organ was glistening with butter.

Without giving him any warning, she dipped her head down and began sucking at the tip, letting her tongue run over and under the rim of his head. She heard his sharp intake of breath the moment she did it. Taking her time, she began to move her mouth over him, taking him in and sucking at him with long hot pulls as she would move away. Her head bobbed in a slow rhythm, her hair teasingly brushed his tight stomach. When she gently cupped his balls and softly rolled them in her hand, a low moan erupted from deep within his throat.

His hands wound through her hair, gently pulling and tugging at her to stop. She could feel him tightening beneath her lips' caress. His voice was a strained whisper as he spoke to her. "Meg...please stop." She ignored him and continued her lazy assault on his turgid flesh. "Meg..." This time he didn't wait for her to answer or ignore him. Placing a hand under her throat and on her shoulder, he pushed her away from him. She looked into his eyes seeing what she knew he was seeing. A figure with dark eyes, breathless with desire.

He pushed her back and crawled on top of her, leaning down he placed soft kisses on her lips and throat. As they kissed, they stripped each other of their remaining clothing. A shirt was tossed haphazardly over the sofa arm, pants joined the magazines on the coffee table, boots clunked noisily to the floor. Pulling back from a passionate kiss, he looked down at her as he pushed her legs apart and settled between her. She pushed against him, feeling the hardness between her legs that she wanted within her.

"Ben...do you have anything handy?" "Um...they're over in my jacket." With an embarrassed look, she reached under the sofa and pulled a Lucky13 out and gave it to him. He smiled at her and shook his head. "Always prepared for a sneak attack, Meg?" "I wouldn't call this a sneak attack. It would be more like...war games." He sat up and rolled the condom on. He moved between her legs, gently pushing against her entrance and as he slid into her, she gave a sigh of pleasure.

Their coupling soon became frenzied. Hot kisses and bites were exchanged, hands roamed over heated flesh. With each thrust of his hips, she brought hers up to meet him. Suddenly he slowed their pace down, surprising her. Clasping her hands above her head, he nuzzled and kissed her neck. Pulling back, he stared down at her as he smoothly entered her warmth. She could see his love for her which each touch of his body against hers. It was something that she had never seen before and she welcomed it. She knew that there would be no more empty nights alone in this apartment.

Reaching up, she took his face between her hands and drew him down for a gentle kiss. He stiffened in her grasp and she felt him cum as he thrust into her, with each push, she could feel his release. His look of ecstasy was soon followed by her own as he continued moving inside her, in deep smooth thrusts. Staring into her eyes, he smiled softly and gave her another kiss. As he moved to pull out, the announcer's voice screamed out from the television set. "He shoots! He scoooorresss!" Fraser slid away from her and they both began to giggle uncontrollably. Thatcher shook her head and gave Fraser an evil look. "I know you're thinking the same thing that I'm thinking." He didn't answer, but he squeezed in behind her on the sofa and wrapped his arms tightly around her waist as he laughed. "I thought so."

Thatcher felt a strange feeling of contentment settle over her as they went back to watching the game. Fraser was gently caressing her stomach. As he kissed the back of her neck, she stretched against him. Taking a nervous swallow and a deep breath, she blurted out a question that had been on her mind the entire evening. "Ben...would you like to move in with me?" He stopped kissing her neck and lay still. *Crap! I knew I shouldn't ask him. It's too early.* He shifted a bit. "Here?"

Twisting around to face him she gave him an exasperated look. "Yes, you moron! Where else do I live?" She cringed when she realized what she had yelled at him. *Shit.* To her surprise he smiled and nodded his head yes. "Yes, I'll move in with you. Not yes, I am a moron." She gave him a weak smile. "Sorry." Fraser suddenly frowned and looked concerned. *He's changing his mind already.* "Do they allow animals here?" Laughing softly she felt herself relax. "I'm sure they'll make an allowance for you." His low chuckle was followed by her being held tightly and hugged to his body.

"No, I'm, talking about Diefenbaker." Feigning surprise, she began to run her hands down his back as she spoke. "Yes, they do allow dogs. I'm sure we can pass him off as a husky." "Meg, we can't lie..." "Do you want Diefenbaker to be here or not?" When he didn't answer her, she smiled. "You and your pet 'husky' will be allowed to move in." They settled back again, but she could tell that Fraser wanted to say something else. She sighed and touched a finger to his nose.

"What's wrong?" He gave her an uneasy look. "Are you certain about this? They'll eventually find out about us in Ottawa. What will happen when that occurs?" Laying her head on his chest she trailed a finger over a nipple, smiling as it hardened under her touch. "I don't know what will happen. We'll have to deal with it I guess. After all, what can they do to us that could be worse than being posted in Chicago?" He pushed her back, to see her grinning at him.

"Meg, I'm serious. This could affect your career." "I am serious." She sighed. "I'm tired of worrying. I want to get on with my life. I can't worry about something that I have no control over. We'll deal with it when they question us about it." Resting her head against his shoulder, he stiffened up again. "What now?" "It's nothing." "Fraser if you don't tell me what's wrong..." She reached a hand down and tightly grabbed his crotch. His answer was rapidly spit out. "I'm not looking forward to telling Ray this news and could you please let me go." She snickered and released him.

"What does Vecchio have to do with any of this?" "He figured out that we are involved and he teased me about it this morning." "So tell him it's none of his business what you do." "Meg, Ray is my best friend..." "Are you moving in with him?" He looked at her and squinted. "No." "Are you sexually involved with him?" Fraser's eyebrows shot up. "Dear Lord no!" "Then there's no problem." "But he will..." "Ben...shut up. Ray will get use to this. I know he doesn't exactly...like me, but he'll learn to tolerate me." "He doesn't hate you, he just doesn't know you."

They settled back and watched the teams skate across the screen. Her mind really wasn't on the game. She smiled as she thought about her current position. She was lying naked on the sofa in her living room with her equally naked junior officer watching a hockey game. If someone would have told her a month ago that she would be doing this, she would have laughed in their face. Now that it was a reality, she couldn't believe that they hadn't done it sooner. All of those empty nights could have been like this. She brought his hands to her face and kissed them, feeling a light kiss placed on her neck in return. This was life at it's simplest and best.

She felt another soft kiss on her neck and then her hair was brushed back to be followed by several kisses trailed along her skin. Each kiss made her shiver. Leaning back, she pressed against him. His lean body wrapped itself around hers, an arm around her waist, a hand caressed a breast. Arching against him, she let out a moan as the hand that cupped her breast, trailed between her legs to caress her sex. Reaching back, she let her fingers lightly stroke his cheek and when she touched his lips, he took her fingers into his mouth and suckled them. "Ben..."

He continued caressing her with his lips and fingers. She tried to turn and face him, but he held her tightly in place. He whispered in her ear. "We don't have to rush Meg. We have all night." Another moan, louder this time, came from her as she tightened. A finger slid into her moistness and then pulled out, only to be replaced by two. His thumb gently rubbed against her small pearl and she tightened again as she pushed against his hand. Hot kisses on her shoulder and neck added to her pleasure and she felt herself peak, the convulsions of an orgasm flowed through her. She cried out his name and clutched at his arm to stop.

Panting, she tried to twist out of his grasp to face him and was once again held in place. He held her tightly against his chest, his breath hot against her back. She felt him slide his hardened length between her legs. She froze as he gently pressed himself against her opening. Without even thinking, she opened her legs further, giving him better access and he pushed into her heat. He held her against him as he rolled his hips against her ass.

She inhaled sharply as he began to thrust against her, her wetness letting him move in and out of her with ease. This time the whisper in her ear sent a chill down her spine. "I love you, Meggie." As he smoothly pushed into her, she twisted her upper body so that they could kiss. Tongues touched and lips caressed flesh. This was what she wanted. Fraser and herself together like this. They moved against each other like they had been lovers forever.

Rolling her beneath him, he held her by the hips, letting his hand caress her back and ass. His thrusting grew more urgent as he came within her. She could feel each pulse and throb in time with his moans. His breathing was heavy as he continued to move into her, not stopping until she cried out again in her own pleasure. He quickly pulled out and lay back down, taking her into his arms. Laying her head on his chest, she smiled, wondering what Ray Vecchio would think if he could see them now.

They curled against each other and returned to watching the game. Thatcher grinned, a teasing tone in her voice. "I think you should go to the penalty box." "Excuse me?" "Trigger...two minutes...checking from behind." She snickered. Fraser's voice was tinged with laughter. "That was not a check Meg, that was...several pushes. I wouldn't be penalized." "No, but 'I' was penal-lized." Fraser groaned. "I never knew you had such a sick sense of humor." "There's a lot about me that you don't know. Are you sure you want to move in with me?"

She held her breath. She was joking, but she really didn't know what his reaction would be. "Yes, I'm sure. Are you positive you want 'me' moving in. You know as much about me as I know about you." They snuggled tighter against each other. "Yes, I'm sure. We can get to know one another. It's a rather unusual way to do it, but I believe it's the right way."

Reaching up, Fraser pulled the quilt from the back of the sofa and covered them. Thatcher picked up the remote and turned the volume of the television down. "We've missed most of the game Meg. I don't think our study date has been all too successful." "I wouldn't say that. I got a lot of personal interaction with my line mate. We did work out." She felt a light kiss placed on her shoulder as Fraser wrapped an arm possessively around her waist. They lay quietly together, their breathing slowing, eyes struggling to stay open. Before the third period was over, they were fast asleep.

When he awoke, Fraser blinked his eyes several times, trying to clear his vision. He felt a warm body in his arms. It all came back to him. He was with Thatcher, his commanding officer. Another thought made him smile. This was how he would wake up from now on. Holding her in his arms, feeling warm skin beneath his fingers. He gave her a kiss and watched as her eyes fluttered open. A slow smile came to her face as she looked at him.

"Morning Ben." "Good morning Meg." She stretched. "What time is it?" Looking at his watch, Fraser stiffened up. "Oh dear. It's almost five." He began to sit up, but Thatcher held him down. "Where are you going?" "I have to get back to my apartment. Ray will be expecting me to be there. He usually comes by around six to pick me up."

She shook her head and laughed. "Call him and say you already have a ride to work." She laughed harder when Fraser gave her a shocked look. "I can't do that. He'll know." She grinned. "He'll know what?" "You know." "No, I don't Ben." He hesitated and then lowered his voice. She could see that he was obviously embarrassed. "He'll know that we..." He gestured at her naked body.

Thatcher gently laid a hand on his cheek. "So, he's going to know that we had sex. I think when you move in with me, he'll be making the assumption that we'll be doing 'this' a lot." He blushed at her comment, but he did manage to smile. "Yes, I do believe that is highly likely that we will be doing that."

She watched him as he got up from the sofa and walked out to the kitchen to use the phone. Sitting up, she rested her chin on her arms, letting her eyes roam slowly over his body as he punched in Vecchio's number. She started laughing when he turned to look at her. He blushed a bright red when he saw how she was staring appreciatively at his naked form. He turned his body slightly, trying to hide the object that she was giving the most attention to. He called out to her. "Meg, please stop staring at me."

She stood and walked slowly toward Fraser, noticing the way he was staring back at her as he began talking on the phone. "Hello Ray? Yes...well...no there's nothing wrong...no...I'm fine..." Thatcher pressed her body against his and wrapped her arms around his waist. "What Ray? Oh, I'm sorry. Well...no you don't have to pick me up this morning. No I am not sick." Fraser sighed and then gasped as Thatcher flicked her tongue out and licked one of his nipples. "No...I'm fine Ray...really...yes, I'll see you later this afternoon. Yes...fine...goodbye."

Fraser hung the phone up and gave Thatcher a worried look. "He knows Meg. I can tell by the way he was laughing on the phone." Letting a hand trail down his back, she pulled him tightly against her, clutching his ass in her hands. "Are you going to tell him, you're moving in with me?" She reached up and kissed him. "I...Meg...Ray will tease me to death." "It won't be easy Ben, but it will be worth it don't you think?" Fraser hugged her to him. "Yes it will be worth it."

One month later...

"Meg! Have you seen my jersey?" Fraser was digging through the closet, looking for his jersey and socks. The Wolves had a game in a few hours. *I know I washed them and hung them here.* Thatcher looked into the bedroom and grinned. All she could see was Fraser's ass and feet sticking out of the closet as he frantically dug though it.

"I put them in my bag." Fraser backed out of the closet and fell to the floor, giving her a pained look. "Meg...I've asked you not to do that. Your equipment..." He quickly closed his mouth and reached in the closet to grab his boots. He leaned against the bed as he laced them up, feeling her stare at the top of his head. "What about 'my' equipment?" He cautiously looked up and took a deep breath. "There's no way I can be nice about this Meg. Your equipment reeks." He stood and walked to a dresser to pull out an R.C.M.P. sweatshirt. He pulled it on or at least he tried to. He had managed to push one arm halfway through a sleeve before his arm stopped. He had one of Thatcher's sweatshirts. Yanking it off, he folded it and put it back. Digging further down in the dresser he took another sweatshirt out. He checked the tag before putting it on. While he did this, he and Meg continued talking.

"What do you mean, my equipment reeks? Excuse me, but your bag isn't all that fresh." "I'm not the one who doesn't air out their equipment after each game. How many times have you left your things in the bag and just pulled them out to wear the following week? When was the last time you even bothered washing your equipment? When was the last time you washed your jersey?!"

"Oh be for real Ben! Who washes their equipment?" "I do." "You would." Fraser stared at her for a second and shook his head. "The pros have their equipment 'and' jerseys washed after each game." She crossed her arms and smiled smugly at him. "Might I remind you that 'we' are not professionals." Fraser looked exasperated. "That doesn't mean we have to...stink." "If you think I 'stink' then why don't you wash it for me?"

She walked out of the bedroom, hearing him follow her down the hall. Smiling, she went to the equipment bags by the door. Unzipping her bag, she dug through it and pulled out a wrinkled jersey and rolled up pair of socks. She tossed them back at Fraser who managed to catch the jersey, with the socks landing at his feet. He held the jersey up to his face and quickly thrust it away. "Dear Lord!" She snickered. "It's not that bad."

Fraser gave her a dirty look as he folded the offensive smelling jersey, snatching the socks from the floor he went to his bag and neatly packed them in. "Please Meg...don't ever put my gear in your bag again." "Fine. You can wash your own next season." "I'll do that. I'll wash 'all' of 'our' gear next season...after 'each' game." "I bet you will." She leaned over and kissed him before walking over to sit on the sofa.

Fraser double checked his bag, making sure that he had all of his equipment. Unlike half of the team, he had never forgotten a piece of his equipment because of his thoroughness. He smiled when he felt her staring at him again. He was finally getting use to the idea of Thatcher constantly looking him over. Glancing up at her, he felt the hairs on the back of his neck rise. Something was wrong. He got up and walked over to the sofa, to sit beside her.

He could feel his chest tightening. Something really was wrong, because now she wouldn't look at him. Taking one of her hands in his, he spoke softly to her, afraid of what she might say. "Meg...what's wrong?" She glanced up at him and quickly looked away. "Nothing." "It's not nothing Meg. Something isn't right." She clasped his hand tightly.

"I wasn't going to tell you until after the game, but I guess you should know. I went to the doctor earlier this week...and I have the results." He felt himself grow cold as she spoke. She looked like she was on the verge of crying. Every fiber in his being was on edge. What if she were sick? What if she were going to...die? He held his breath, waiting for her to continue speaking.

She turned to look him directly in the eye. "I'm four weeks pregnant. I calculated that it occurred the night we watched the game. We didn't use anything that second time. Anyway...I wasn't going to tell you, but I thought I had better do it. You have to promise me, you won't play any differently tonight." She looked at his face. He was shocked, she knew he would be, but she also saw relief written on his handsome features. The relief was soon replaced by a stubborn look.

"You're not playing." She stared back at him with her mouth open, feeling the anger build inside of her. "What?!" "I said you're not going to play tonight." She was too angry to see the unshed tears in his eyes. "I am so playing tonight! How dare you say that to me! Don't you think I've thought this over? I talked to my doctor and she said it would be all right for me to continue playing up to my third month." *Barring complications.* Before Fraser could respond, she continued.

"Tonight is our last game before playoffs. I'll be missing part of next season because I'll be big as a house by that time. I'm playing tonight and I'll be skating in the playoffs and there's nothing you can do about it!" Her chest heaved with emotion. She couldn't believe that Fraser of all people would have reacted like this. She moved to stand, only to have him reach out and hug her tightly to him. His voice was a horse whisper.

"I'm so sorry Meg. I thought you were going to tell me that you..." He held her tighter as he placed his cheek against her hair. She hugged him back, feeling the confusion and anger slowly give way to understanding. "You thought I was going to tell you that I was going to...die?" His nod of yes brought a relieved laugh from her. She rubbed a hand down his back. "No, I'm not dying." Pulling away from him, she was startled to see a tear had tracked it's way down his face.

Reaching a hand out, she wiped it away with her fingers. "So you're not upset with me being pregnant?" He gave her a shaky smile and shook his head no. "Are you?" "I thought I would be, but I'm not. I'm ready for this." She looked at him and smiled again. "I have been for some time." He smiled back at her, remembering their inadvertent discussion on the matter a few months ago. "Meg, are you sure the doctor said that it was safe for you to play?" Brushing a hand though his hair, she looked seriously at him. "If my doctor had told me that I couldn't play, you wouldn't see my equipment by the door. I'm not going to take any unnecessary risks with our baby."

He hugged her again, this time laughing softly. "We're going to have a baby." Thatcher snickered. "A wolf cub." Diefenbaker who had been laying on a chair across the room from them, lifted his head, cocking it to the side. She started laughing at him. "No Diefenbaker. I'm not having a wolf." Dief snorted once and curled back up.

They leaned back on the sofa hugging each other. Resting her head on his shoulder she sighed. "If Ottawa doesn't know about us now, they will when I begin filing my medical claims." "What do you think they'll do to us?" Thatcher patted his chest. "I think we have more important things to worry about." He placed a hand on her stomach and smiled. "I should think so." Covering his hand with her own she snickered.

"Yes this is important, but I was referring to tonights game. We had better get moving or we'll be late. I want to do some extra stretching before I dress." As she stood, Fraser scooped her up and hugged her again. He placed his lips against her ear, causing her to tuck her head. "Promise me you won't get into any fights tonight." "Ben..." "Promise me." She sighed. "I promise, I won't punch anyones lights out. You have to promise me, you won't tell anyone that I'm pregnant. I'll make the announcement 'after' playoffs."

"You really should tell them." "And have Don try and bench me? No thank you. Now could you please put me down. We have to go." The moment Thatcher went to pick up her equipment, Fraser grabbed it from her. "What do you think you're doing? Give me my bag back!" "You can't be lifting this." Grabbing the straps, she yanked the bag away from him, falling to the floor in the process. The bag lay across her chest. Fraser yelled at her, clearly in a panic.

"Meg!" He heaved the bag off of her and leaned over her, his eyes wide with concern. "Are you all right?" Shoving him back so that he landed on his ass, Thatcher stood up and angrily grabbed the bag, throwing it across her shoulders. "Of course I'm all right you moron! I'm pregnant, not incapacitated!" She yanked the door open and walked out of the apartment, leaving him sitting on the floor. Her voice yelled at him from the hall.

"Fraser! Come on! We're going to be late." Shaking his head he picked up his equipment bag, seeing Diefenbaker calmly looking at him from across the room. "Not a word out of you mister." Taking a deep breath, he picked the keys to Meg's car off of the small table by the door. In her haste to leave, she forgot them. He smiled knowing that she now had to wait for him to open the trunk before she could put her bag in.

Skating across the ice, Thatcher felt the familiar thrill run through her. The cold air, the smooth feel of the ice beneath her skates, the sounds of pucks being hit by wood. This was where she belonged. A familiar figure skated up along side of her. "So Rat, you ready to kick some ass?" "When aren't I?" He tapped her in the shins with his stick and laughed. "Yeah, you're always ready." Don gestured towards Fraser who was shooting at the goalie.

"What's the matter with Trigger? He seems kinda jumpy." "Um...he's just keyed up. You know... the playoffs and everything. He's not used to it." "Well tell the guy to relax. He's acting kinda nuts." *Nuts?* She took a second look at Fraser. He was shooting on net, which wasn't unusual for a warmup, but the way he was doing it was not normal for him. Fraser always skated in a leisurely manner, taking smooth and easy wrist shots on the netminder. Now he was skating hard and slamming slap shots at the goalie.

Rolling her eyes, Thatcher skated over to stand behind him. "Ben." He twisted around to look at her. "Calm down." He leaned down to her so that their cages touched. "I'm trying to. It's just...I don't want anything happening to you." "Nothing has changed. Good God, I'm only four weeks along. It's no bigger than a lima bean. Nothings going to happen. If you don't calm down, I'll have a little chat with Don and he'll take you off my line. Do you understand me?" Her tone was sharp and commanding. It was the same tone of voice that she used on him at the consulate and it got the desired effect that she hoped for. Fraser immediately straightened up and backed away from her, obviously irritated. She would rather have him miffed at her, than worrying. "Understood." "Good. Now let's go win this thing."

As soon as the puck was dropped, Thatcher could tell that this was going to be a close game. That put her in an attack mode. She hadn't made it to the position of Inspector in the R.C.M.P. by being a softy. She forgot all about the consulate, Fraser and her pregnancy. Every thought centered on getting the puck in the net.

Taking a pass from Fraser, she shouldered past an opposing player. Skating to the top of the circle she let go a wicked wrist shot . Raising a hand, she did a little dance on the blades of her skates as the twine of the net snapped back. As she circled around the net, she felt and elbow slam into her ribs, sending her crashing into the boards. "Son of a bitch!" She pushed off of the boards ready to strike out at the player who hit her. She saw who the bastard was. Kyle McDermot, the Viper's star forward and her worst nemesis. Every game they played in always resulted in a scuffle or two between them. Just as she reached out to punch him, another Wolves player slammed into McDermot, sending him to the ice.

That same Wolves player proceeded to jump on McDermot, punching him repeatedly in the chest and ribs. "Fraser!" Thatcher jumped on his back, pulling with all her might on his jersey without success. She quickly locked an arm around Fraser's neck, choking him. He stopped punching McDermot as she pulled him backward, yelling at him. "Stop it, Ben!" She was joined by Don, who grabbed Fraser's by the shoulder. "Knock it off Trigger!"

Looking into Fraser's face she saw something she hadn't expected. Rage. He was seething mad and out of control. Grabbing him by the front of his jersey, she screamed in his face. "What in the hell is wrong with you?!" His face immediately went blank and he looked dazed. She shoved him away from Don and the downed McDermot, who was clutching his chest as he rolled around on the ice in pain. She repeated her question as she pushed him again. "What is wrong with you? Are you crazy? You could get suspended, you idiot!"

The ref skated up to them both. "You, twenty-seven, in the box. Five minutes for fighting, ten minute misconduct." Fraser looked at the ref and didn't move. "I said in the box now!" Thatcher glared at the ref. "He's going!" She grabbed Fraser by the front of the jersey, watching him look at her hand as she pulled him forward. "What were you thinking, huh?" He shook his head slowly. "I don't know." He stumbled into the penalty box and sat down, giving Thatcher a confused look. "What do you mean, you don't know? Because of you, we're shorthanded." She slammed the penalty box door shut. Shaking her head, she skated over to Don who appeared to be arguing with the ref.

"He elbowed her after the goal. You saw it was intentional. He was trying to hurt her. He should be out of the game!" McDermot who had been helped to his feet by a teammate skated by them, smiling as he went to the penalty box. The ref shook his head. "Two minutes for elbowing." Don opened his mouth and was cut off by the ref. "Would you care to join your teammate? I could give you an unsportsmanlike penalty?" Don gave the ref a dirty look and skated away. Thatcher followed him back to the bench.

They sat next to each other as the second line took the ice. They had to take a breather before going out to kill the penalty. "You all right Rat?" "Yes, I'm fine. He caught me off guard. Usually he hits me before I score. He must be getting slow." She grinned at Don who started laughing. "Yeah, you're just fine. If you were hurt, you'd be cursing his entire family."

Thatcher wasn't surprised when they killed off the three minutes remaining on Fraser's penalty. They ended up juggling their lines until Fraser's ten minutes were up. Luckily for them, it happened early in the first period. When he finally skated out of the box and came to the bench, the score was still one to zero. She could see the question in everyone's eyes as Fraser made his way down the bench to sit next to her. Everyone on the team knew that they were involved, but Fraser had never reacted like this before. They had seen Thatcher checked into the boards and Fraser hadn't done anything stupid like he had today. As soon as he sat down, Don nudged him.

"O.K. Trigger, what's the deal? Why'd you go looney tunes on McDermot?" Fraser looked embarrassed. "I'm sorry, it won't happen again." "Uh...that's not an answer Trigger." "I'd rather not discuss it, thank you." Don turned to Thatcher. "Rat?" "I'll tell you after the game." She looked directly at Fraser. He cautiously looked at her as she stared him down. She spoke to him in a low voice. "If you ever pull a stunt like that again, you are 'off' the team." To her surprise, Fraser gave her a cold look in return, stood up and made his way down the bench to stand at the gate. *Oh no you don't!*

She stood and shoved her way down the bench, drawing curious looks from her teammates. As soon as she reached Fraser, she grabbed him by the front of the jersey and yanked him down onto the bench. "Just where do you think you're going, Constable?" He narrowed his eyes. "We are not on duty and I will not have you acting like this toward me." "Excuse me, but you're the one who's acting inappropriately." He appeared to relax a bit. "I did over react, but it was not intentional. What if he had hurt you?" He turned his head away from her and took a deep breath. "Ben..." She sighed. "We'll discuss this after the game, do I make myself clear?" Fraser stood and looked down at her, his face an emotionless mask. "Yes, Sir."

Don yelled at them. "Hey you two, we're up!" Fraser jumped the boards before she had a leg over. Joining the play, he took the puck and flipped a pass to Don who let go a shot that went wide of the net. Thatcher scrambled after the puck and saw McDermot heading straight toward her. With a wicked grin, she ducked past his attempted check and took a shot on net. She watched as the goalie's glove appeared out of no where and snatched the puck out of the air. "Shit!"

No matter how hard they tried, the Wolves couldn't get another puck in the net. Thankfully the Vipers couldn't score on them either. They ended up winning the game on Thatcher's lone goal. After going through the handshake line where she smiled sweetly at McDermot, she looked back at Fraser as McDermot came by him in the line. He avoided shaking Fraser's hand and cursed at him. Thatcher mumbled under her breath. "McDermot, you are a loser."

As she headed toward the bench to grab her sticks, Don came up and tapped her in the butt with his stick. "Another game winner Rat. Nice job. Now can you tell me what Trigger's problem is? That wasn't normal." She hesitated and then decided against telling him. "I'm sorry Don, but I really don't want to discuss it now." Don looked her over, seeing the tired expression on her face. "Problems on the home front?" She pursed her lips and didn't answer him.

She followed Fraser off the ice and grabbed him by the jersey to stop him from going to the locker room. Just as she was about to yell at him, another voice yelled out. "Benny!" Ray Vecchio was walking over to them, a big smile was on his face, but it faded as Fraser snapped at Thatcher. "Will you stop doing that!" Fraser looked surprised at himself. He blinked a few times before taking a step back from her. "I'm sorry...I didn't mean to yell at you."

Thatcher slowly unsnapped her helmet and held Fraser's eyes with her's as she took the helmet off. Running a hand through her sweat soaked hair, she tried to block out the fact that Ray Vecchio and half of her team was watching their exchange. "Ben...I'm not going to break." She took a deep breath. "When you lived in the Territories, did the women there sit in chairs and do nothing? What did they do?" Her tone of voice was biting and sarcastic.

Ray squinted in confusion at Thatcher. Why in the hell was she talking about women from God knows where? When she snapped at Fraser, half of the group jumped. "Answer me!" Fraser looked down at his skates and then back at Thatcher, a slight smile on his lips. "The women would go about their daily tasks as if nothing had changed." "And..." "And when the time came, they would go and have their child and resume their tasks after giving birth only hours before." She nodded. "I believe that this is settled now. Am I correct?" "Yes, Meg."

Fraser walked over to Thatcher and hugged her. Don looked at them thoroughly confused. Ray on the other hand had his mouth open in surprise. "Wait a minute! You're pregnant?!" Thatcher sighed and tucked her head against Fraser's chest. Fraser smiled at Ray as he held her and Don finally had the light bulb come on over his head. "You're having Trigger's kid? Wait a minute! You played tonight and you're pregnant?! What in the hell is the matter with you Rat?!" Ray looked at Don and then at Thatcher and Fraser, mouthing the words rat and trigger with a confused look on his face.

She lifted her head to see everyone staring at her in shock. With a tired sigh, she stood up straight and gave them a defiant look. "I am 'four' weeks pregnant. I am 'not' an invalid and I have clearance from my doctor to play up until my third month. I 'will' be playing in the playoffs. Are there any questions?" Ray spoke up. "Yeah. Why in the hell do they call you two, rat and trigger?" Several players in the group snickered. "Benny?" Fraser's face slowly turned red. "Uh...well..." Thatcher rescued him. "He'll tell you later."

Ray looked from Thatcher to Fraser and then back at Thatcher again. Fraser removed his helmet and gave everyone an embarrassed look. "I'd like to apologize for my actions this evening. I didn't mean to lose control like that." Don shook his head. "Hell, you had a good reason to freak out like that..dad!" Fraser gave them a shy smile and hugged Thatcher, who rolled her eyes. The players walked by them and patted them both on the back, congratulating them.

Ray just stood there stunned. The Dragon Lady was pregnant. And Fraser was the father. He shivered involuntarily. He knew that Fraser would make a good father. He was good with his sister's kids. But Thatcher? He was jolted from his thoughts by a sweat soaked pair of Mounties. "Ray, we're going to go and get showered. Would you care to join us for dinner? We're going out to eat with the team." Ray was amazed. "You two hang out with them?" Fraser and Thatcher gave him confused looks. "Yes, Ray."

Here was another shock for Ray. The two stiff Mounties hanging out with a bunch of loudmouthed hockey players. *Go figure.* "Sure...why not...Trigger." Fraser turned red again and gave Ray an uneasy smile. He watched as Thatcher and Fraser walked into the same locker room. One that was separate from the other players. Running a hand over his head, he smiled. Fraser would regret his invitation to ask him out to dinner. He had a ton of questions to ask him and Thatcher. And the first one would be...why in the hell did everyone call them rat and trigger?

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