This happens sometime after the episode in question and you need to suspend your disbelief totally, dear reader.

I wrote the first part of this before I saw the ending of WAtE

As it is a while since I saw this episode I apologise for any inaccuracies. The characters are Alliance's I am borrowing them in a temporary fit of insanity. No infringement intended.(of anything) And no profit made.

Rated PG

Do not copy or archive without my permission.

Eggs. by Lyn C

"Constable, remove your jacket!"

Benton Fraser froze for a moment. He always obeyed every order from his Superior Officer, Inspector Margaret Thatcher without hesitation and without question. Well except for that one time... But this was a rather peculiar order and he could see no logical reason for it.

Fraser drew his attention back to the matter in hand. He dragged his hand across the inside of his collar. It was getting rather warm. Maybe she was thinking about his comfort. He removed his jacket automatically and was relieved when she took it off him and searched through it until she triumphantly found what she was looking for. A short piece of wire which she waved before his face. He let out a breath in relief. Thank heavens she wasn't going to ask him to remove anything else. Mind you she did have a thorough knowledge of the contents and make up of every part of an RCMP uniform. She did, after all, occasionally wear red serge, like he did. Who knows what else he might be wearing that she might consider a necessity in their escape plan?

Fraser shook his head again.

Was it the heat that was making him so easily distracted from the task in hand? He did not normally suffer from a poor attention span. So why did his mind insist on wandering now? It had to be the heat and the noise of the chicks.

He took the wire from her hands and felt a jolt of electricity flow from her fingers into his. Surely it was his imagination.

Turning to the heavy door, he admonished himself,concentrate, Benton, on getting us out of here.

As he inserted the narrow wire into the electrical circuit an uncharacteristic thought insinuated itself to the forefront of his awareness. What if we were trapped in here for a couple of hours? What would happen? Would she still insist on him forgetting that moment on the train if she thought they might be spending their last hours together? Would she continue to deny her feelings? Would he have the courage to tell her how he felt about her?

Maybe he should test her reactions now. Maybe he could pretend to be electrocuted. See how she would react if she thought he were hurt. If she reacted with indifference then he would know to back away and not pursue her any longer. If she showed concern then he would know that she really cared about him.

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Fraser inserted the 7cm piece of wire into the e tech electronic lock in order to bypass the release mechanism. Suddenly his body jerked as if a huge electric force had taken hold of all his nerves. From Meg's point of view it looked like someone was shaking him.

"Fraser!" she exclaimed, her fear apparent on her face.

As he collapsed on the floor she fell beside him and grasped his hand. "Fraser" she repeated. She felt at his throat and sighed her relief when her fingers detected the pulse in his vein. She wiped the sweat from her brow and sat back on her knees considering her options.

"Constable, wake up now. That's an order."

No; that did not work. She stroked the sweat from his forehead, letting her hand linger on his cheek. Maybe? She thought. No she must remember her high Mountie ideals. Then again what good were ideals if you were a dead Mountie? No she couldn't, she daren't. Dare she?

If they ever got out she would have to get a new career anyway after the scene in the restaurant. So what would one little kiss matter?

"Constable Fraser, if you don't wake up, I shall have to kiss you."

No reply.

"All right then."

She bent over and kissed him gently on the lips, thinking, if this doesn't wake him nothing will.

Feeling a pressure on his lips Fraser opened his eyes slowly and met her gaze. She pulled back quickly.

"Inspector, sir?" he questioned, innocently.

"Ah Fraser, that was a new er..."

"A new technique for rousing victims of electric shock, sir? Yes I read all about that in a recent RCMP memo. And I think the customary method of thanks is this." He reached up and pulled her face towards his, gently returning the kiss.

This time she did not pull away. Fraser smiled to himself. Here was his answer.

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Fraser jolted awake, drenched in sweat. It was a warm Chicago early summer's night, he was in his room on his bed not in a late model Atcheson type incubator at Cicero Dairy Corporation. He had not kissed his Inspector. Well not then, that had come later, on a train. Maybe this dream was a message to him. The heat had been the trigger that had made him remember the discomfort of the 50 degrees Celsius they had endured together in the incubator. Unfortunately he had not had the courage to fake unconsciousness, he had just grinned at her instead.

"Just joking," he had replied to her frightened look. She had looked worried though.

Maybe if they had kissed then things would have turned out differently. Maybe then she would not have commanded him to forget the kiss on the train. Two kisses could not be forgotten. This dream was a message to him to seize the next opportunity to kiss her. Tomorrow he was going to be interviewed by the press about the train business. She would be there. If an opportunity presented itself for him to show her his feelings he would do. "Carpe Diem"-that would be his motto from now on.

Fraser smiled to himself and pushed Dief off the side of the bed so he could stretch out and feel more of the cool air. It was no use; it was still unbearably hot in the apartment. Ray was right; he needed air conditioning. He turned on his side and closed his eyes, before long he was dreaming again.

"Ma-am?"

"Constable, take off your tunic. That's an order!" Fraser sighed. "Oh dear."

The end.

Lyn C 1998

Do not copy without author's permission. Characters belong to Alliance. I am just borrowing them.