VICTORIA'S RETURN

by Susan Treat

Constable Benton Fraser climbed the stairs of his apartment building with a little more enthusiasm than usual. He should be tired after standing duty at the consulate all morning and helping Ray with some things this afternoon, but he wasn't. His adrenalin was beginning to pump. Fraser had been looking forward to this day for a while. He was to escort Commander Thatcher to a consulate meeting in Canada this weekend and they were to leave tonight. Benton knew that his real excitement was not the trip itself or the mundane meetings, but the possibilities that a few hours alone with the commander might bring. Ever since their encounter on the train a few months before they had been dancing around their feelings. He was beginning to wonder if they would ever be able to move forward and this might be an excellent opportunity to explore the possibilities.

As he reached his apartment door, all of his senses became alert. Diefenbaker, trailing behind as usual, also sensed that something wasn't right. He began to growl. "It's ok, boy." Benton whispered. He edged to the partially open door and eased in, all his defenses on guard. As he peered into the room he saw her and felt a wash of emotion pour over him. It was hard to pinpoint exactly what he was feeling. He stepped into the room. "Benton." She said. She raced toward him and threw her arms around him. Hugging him tightly she said "They said you were ok, but I knew I had to see for myself. You don't know how long I've wanted to come!"

"Victoria, "Benton said, finally able to make his mouth work. "Where . . . when . . . how did you get here?"

"I had to come . . . I waited as long as I could. I knew they'd be watching, looking for me. I had to wait 'till things calmed down. Oh' Ben I'm so glad you're ok. I thought . . . "

"I know, its ok."

"How are you, is your back ok? You look great."

"I'm fine. The bullet is still in. They couldn't remove it, its too close to the spinal cord."

"I'm so glad you weren't paralyzed or something. You don't know the hours I've spent . . . "

"It's ok. I'm ok. Victoria, where have you been? Why are you here?"

"I had to come. Come with me Ben. They've stopped looking for me. We could go away together . . . start over."

"Victoria . . . "

Just then another sound came from the hallway. "You know you really shouldn't leave the door open. I mean in this neighborhood . . . Oh! I'm sorry . . . excuse me."

"Commander . . . wait . . . " called Benton as he watched her quickly back out the door and hurry down the hall.

"I'll be back, Victoria." Benton said as he hurried after Commander Thatcher.

"Ben!" Victoria called, but it was too late. He was already down the stairs and running down the street after the commander.

"Margaret, wait!" Benton called.

She slowed and allowed him to catch her but continued to walk quickly toward the consulate. As Benton caught up with her he put his hand out to grab her arm.

"Commander. Please, I can explain."

"You don't owe me any explanations, Constable. I should have knocked. I can wait for you at the consulate."

"I need to explain . . . I . . . "

Turning to look at him, she said, "Fraser, I know who she is. I know the story. I've read the reports, seen the mug shots. I understand more than you think."

"You do?"

"Yes. Now I think you need to go back and deal with the situation, don't you?"

A look of understanding came across Fraser's face as he realized that he had left Victoria standing in his apartment. The ramifications of her presence were just beginning to hit him.

"You're right. I'll call you later, sir." He said as he turned to go back.

Margaret didn't answer as she turned to hurry toward the consulate, but her face showed the concern she felt as she walked away.

Back in his apartment, Fraser saw that Victoria had begun to cook supper.

"I thought you might be hungry."

Ignoring this he said "Where's Dief?"

"I guess, after our last encounter, he decided he doesn't like me and decided to leave."

Fraser looked out in the hall again and noticed that Dief had taken up a position in the flat of the stairs. Why he hadn't noticed this on his way up, he didn't consider.

"Victoria, what are you doing here?" He asked.

"I came for you. You're better and I thought you could leave with me now. You have nothing here, you were coming with me before . . . "

"Victoria, things are different . . . "

"Fraser, I know I did some terrible things. Ten years in prison will change a person, but, I love you. I need you. We belong together. You were coming with me before . . . you can come with me now."

Fraser's face showed the terrible pain he was feeling.

"Victoria, I . . . How can I explain? So much has happened."

He hesitated and Victoria came toward him putting her arms around him. "Ben, I know, but I love you." She began to kiss him.

He pulled away. "Don't . Stop. Victoria, I need to explain."

Suddenly, she turned angry. "Stop? After all this time . . . I know you love me. You were coming with me. I've dreamed of the day when we could go away together. Don't tell me no!"

Fraser grabbed her by the shoulders and looked her in the eye. "Things have changed. I've changed. I've had time to think. I've discovered some things about myself. All the years you were in prison I dreamed of you. I felt so guilty about what I'd done that I couldn't think straight. Victoria, I did love you. I fell in love with you in that cave, but now I realize that it could never work. We are too different. You and I never could have a life together. If I had gone with you that day on the train I would not have been happy. For a while maybe, but eventually I would have had to leave you. I am a Mountie. I believe in right and wrong. I have to follow certain rules. My Grandmother ingrained certain things into me that I cannot change. There are some things that even love cannot overcome."

Staring at him, Victoria finally burst "It's her isn't it?"

Confused Benton answered "Who?"

"That girl, the one who was just here, she turned you against me didn't she?"

"No, Victoria. Didn't you hear what I've been saying?"

"I know you love me. We could have a life together. That witch turned you against me."

"No, you don't understand. It doesn't have anything to do with anyone else. It's just us, you and me. We don't belong together. We never did. I realize that now."

"Don't say that, I know we can make it work. I know we can!"

"Calm down Victoria. We can talk some more. There's time for that."

"No, I've been here too long. That witch will tell the police. They could be on their way now. I've got to go."

Benton watched as Victoria ran from the apartment and disappeared down the street. He was stunned by her behavior. She seemed even more irrational that she had before. When he thought of her actions at their last encounter; shooting Diefenbaker, shooting Jolly, setting up Ray and himself for taking the money, he had begun to realize that she was becoming unbalanced. It was understandable after all of those years in prison, her mind filled with hate for the man she had once loved. Today she had at first seemed normal, but the way she changed when he tried to explain . . . Well he could only hope she would eventually understand what he had tried to say.

He turned to call Dief. "It's time to go. I've got to get to the Consulate to pick up the Commander."

Commander Margaret Thatcher was waiting at the Consulate for Ben to pick her up. She paced the floor of her office trying to reconcile her feelings. She knew she was attracted to Fraser. She had been for a long time. She was beginning to think she might be in love with him. She knew it would be hard, a relationship with a subordinate, but somehow she had thought it could work. But now this. She had read the reports on Fraser when she first came to work here. She had thought him a renegade officer, capable of anything, but she had learned that he was actually a dedicated, capable person, worthy of high praise for outstanding service. She had begun to trust him and feel that her first impressions had been wrong. What was the reappearance of Victoria going to do to him? Would he decide to leave with her and turn his back on the RCMP and his life here? What of his feelings for her? "I really don't know what he feels." She thought.

"I can't stand this anymore." She said aloud. "I'm going for a walk."

She left the Consulate and began to walk aimlessly, hardly paying attention to where she was going.

As she was walking along, a car pulled up beside her. Startled, she turned to look just as the door opened and a pair of arms grabbed her. The smell of chloroform registered in her mind just before unconsciousness claimed her.

Fraser and Dief were walking toward the Consulate. Fraser was replaying the scene with Victoria in his mind trying to figure out how he could have handled the situation better.

Just as he turned the corner toward the consulate the sound of tires screeching made him stop. "The next street over." He thought. He ran toward the noise just in time to see a plain blue sedan speed away. "RCW 139" he read. He turned back to the Consulate.

"Where's Commander Thatcher?" he asked Constable Turnbull when he reached the Consulate.

"She went out for a walk, sir." He answered. "But, she should have been back by now."

Worried and sensing that something was wrong, Fraser went out to look for Margaret. As he walked along the street where he had seen the car, he noticed a shiny object on the sidewalk. He bent and picked it up. "Her broach." He thought. More worried than ever he ran back to the Consulate.

Fraser went into his office and phoned Ray.

Running into the Consulate and up the stairs carrying a piece of paper, Ray burst into Fraser's office.

"Just after you called, I found this on my car."

Fraser took it and read: "I've taken her away so she won't interfere with us again. I know that you really love me. Meet me at our special place and run away with me. I'll wait for you as long as it takes."

Fraser looked up at Ray. "What have I done to her?"

"She's lost her mind. We knew she was a little warped the last time she was here, but she's really lost it now." Said Ray. "Where's your "special place?"

"The cave in the mountains where we sheltered from the storm, I guess." Said Fraser.

"Do you think she's got Thatcher with her there?" asked Ray.

"I don't know. Run a check on the license plate of the car, RCW 139. Maybe it'll give us some clues."

Ray called Elaine at the station and asked her to run a check.

"The plates belong to a stolen car, Fraser. Stolen this morning from a lot not far from here. We've put an APB out on it. We should know something soon."

"I can't sit around here doing nothing Ray. I've got to go find Margaret."

Ray looked a little surprised, but pleased. Ever since Victoria he had worried that Benny would never be able to get over her and let himself love again. It seemed now that he cared more for Commander Thatcher than he had let on. Ray had suspected things were developing in that direction, but he was surprised that Fraser seemed more concerned with Margaret than Victoria.

"Let's go." Ray said. Fraser looked at his friend gratefully. He knew he could count on Ray, even in impossible situations.

Ray and Fraser had tracked Victoria to a cabin just across the border in Canada. The car had been abandoned in the woods nearby and it had been easy to follow the tracks Victoria had left. Fraser was a little worried about Margaret. It seemed that Victoria was pulling her on something and there didn't seem to be any signs of a struggle. He hoped she wasn't hurt.

As they approached the cabin, they began to plan their attack. Fraser would go in and try to talk to Victoria, while Ray waited for a signal to go in.

Fraser approached the cabin carefully. Unsure of Victoria's state of mind he knocked on the cabin door.

"Victoria? Are you in there?" he called.

"Fraser, you came. I knew you would." She said as she opened the door.

Fraser looked around for signs of Margaret.

"Of course I came." He said. "What have you done with Commander Thatcher?" he asked.

"Commander Thatcher is fine. She is enjoying the scenery and getting back to nature."

"Where is she?" Fraser asked again.

"Why do you want to talk about her? I've taken care of her. She'll never bother us again. Now we can go away together."

"Victoria, I never said I'd go away with you. I can't do that. Don't you understand? It would never work."

"Don't say that. I love you. We can make it work. Remember the nights in the cave, when you held me and kept me warm. We kept each other from dying!"

"Yes, I remember. It meant a lot to me too, but things have changed. Too much has happened. It wasn't meant to be."

No! You mean everything to me. I know we can work it out."

"No! Victoria. It's over. It's finally over." Fraser turned to the door and signaled to Ray and Dief. They came in.

"How could you do this to me again? You brought the cop here? Are you turning me in again?"

"No, I just want to know where Commander Thatcher is. Victoria, you have to tell us where she is. You can't let her die. I understood why you shot Jolly, but you can't let an innocent woman die!"

"Innocent, Ha! She isn't innocent. She has come between us. I can see it now. You're in love with her."

"Let me at her, Benny." said Ray. "I told you if you hurt him I'd kill you, didn't I." He said to Victoria.

"It's ok, Ray." Said Benny. Cuff her and keep her here. Dief and I will find Margaret."

Ray stayed behind to take care of Victoria and Ben and Diefenbaker headed out to find Margaret.

"Here Boy, I brought her scarf so you can get the scent." Fraser said to Dief.

Dief picked up the scent and headed off into the nearby mountains. At last they came to a cave. Deep inside they could hear scuffling sounds.

"Almost got it." She said.

Benton called out "Margaret!"

"In here, It's about time" she responded.

Just as Benton reached her, she finished untying the ropes that held her.

"Are you ok?" Ben asked.

"Yeah. Just a little sluggish from the drugs she gave me. Do you always inspire such devotion in your female friends?"

"No Sir, I hope not." Benton laughed. "Let's get you out of here."

Just then he heard Dief whining. "What is it, Dief?" Fraser asked.

He looked out to see the threatening sky. "Looks like a storm's coming. I don't think we can make it back tonight. It'll be dark soon."

"Fine, we can stay here. Let's get some firewood. Did you bring provisions?" Margaret answered.

"No, but I have my firearm. I'll go see what I can find." Ben answered.

While Margaret gathered wood and made the fire Ben hunted and killed a rabbit. They feasted on the rabbit and then settled down around the fire.

"It's getting colder." Said Benton.

"Yes."

"I suppose we'll have to conserve body heat."

"Yes."

As they moved closer together their eyes met. Fraser leaned in to kiss her. He stopped close to her face.

"We aren't on a runaway train filled with nuclear explosives headed for disaster."

"No."

"But, these do seem like extraordinary circumstances."

"Yes."

"Still, I wouldn't want to disobey a direct order from a superior officer."

"Fraser."

"Yes."

"Kiss me."

"Is that an order?"

"Yes."

"Yes, sir." He said as he leaned in to claim her lips. Tender caresses lead to a more passionate embrace.

Fraser pulled back and said "Margaret, there are some things we should talk about."

"You don't have to . . . "

"Yes, I do. You need to know."

"Ok."

"I thought I loved her. I guess I did love her for a long time. I realized later that I never could have had a relationship with her. We were too different. Our values just weren't the same. Lately I've realized that I need someone who is more like me. Maybe someone who also graduated at the top of their class, someone who earned medals for field work, someone who wears red serge . . . "

Margaret smiled, "I graduated at the top of my class, I earned medals for field work and I wear red surge."

"Yes, and red suits you." Benny smiled and bent to kiss her again.

THE END