All Due South characters belong to Alliance.

Thanks to Corrinne for inspiring me to write a pregnant Fraser story. This story is written from RayK's POV.

Rated PG-13.

Feedback is welcome here Albertacr@home.com

Pickles and Ice Cream

by Alberta

I promised Fraser I'd be home early today, but that was before Welsh told me he wanted all this paperwork done. I guess I better call and tell him I'm gonna be late. He ain't gonna like this. He's been so emotional lately...I guess it really got bad in his sixth month. That's when he started to show. I thought he looked kinda cute with that little belly, but damn, he just started cryin' at the drop of a hat, and I didn't know what to do. Finally I went out and got him lots and lots of his favorite new...um, snack, I guess you'd call it. Let's see, it was snicker doodle chocolate marshmallow ice cream with walnuts and double size extra sour garlic pickles. Whoa! I sat there and watched him gobble that shit....uh...food down 'til I had to leave the room. I woulda tossed my cookies if I watched him one more minute. Even Dief couldn't stand it...I swear I heard the wolf gag before he ran into the bedroom. I'm startin' to feel sick again just thinking about it when I realize my phone's been ringing.

"Vecchio."

"Hi Ray." It's Fraser...and he sounds happy.

"Frase, I was just gonna call ya."

"I'm cooking a special dinner tonight, Ray, but I'd like you to pick up some oreg....."

I interrupt him. "Um, Frase, 'fraid I hafta work late....." He doesn't even let me finish.

"How could you do this to me, Ray?" He's crying already. "I spent all afternoon cooking your favorite meal, standing at the stove. And it wasn't easy with my swollen ankles."

"Fraser....Frase....Fraser!" I try to get his attention.

He stops crying and he's sniffling and blowing his nose.

"What Ray?"

"I'm real sorry, but you know Welsh...he wants this paperwork done tonight. Tell ya what...I'll pick up yer favorite snack on my way home...that snicker ice cream and those nasty...uh, extra sour pickles."

Oh jeez, I musta said something wrong cuz he's cryin' again.

"Fraser baby...Frase...Fraser! Tell me why you're crying now." I say, trying to sound soothing.

"How could you forget what my favorite snack is, Ray? I thought you loved me," he says.

Oh shit. What's his favorite snack this week? I remember I got it written down somewhere. I make a mess going though the papers on my desk 'til I finally find it.

"Okay, Frase, I'll bring you home some double crunch peanut butter and extra spicy triple size hot dogs." I'm cringing as I read this off the paper.

"The kind that plump when you cook them," he says to me.

I write that down so I don't forget. God help me if I forget.

"Sure, Frase. Yer favorite. So, I'll call you before I leave, 'kay?" I say.

"Okay, Ray. I love you."

"Love you too, Frase."

I hang up. Love my little....uh, big Mountie. He looks so cute in them moo-moo things my Mom bought him. And that shirt I got him that says "Baby on Board". He loves wearin' that. But it wasn't always like that. The first time he couldn't button his jockers....um, jodhpurs....it took me almost an hour to calm him down. He said he looked like a musk ox with puffy ankles. But I finally convinced him that he was beautiful and got him to stop crying....with the help of extra buttered jiffy pop popcorn with double whipped cream.

********************

I finally get home around eight o'clock. Not as late as I thought. I got the peanut butter and hot dogs and some flowers. Flowers are just about the only non-edible thing that still cheers him up. As I get closer to the apartment, I hear the TV playing inside. Ever since he got pregnant, Fraser's really been into watching TV. His favorite show is the Teletubbies....those big fat fuzzy things that talk in some kinda foreign language....I can't understand a damn thing they're saying. But Fraser thinks they're cute. Personally they give me the creeps. He sits there and watches them, laughin' away. Man, it's amazing how being pregnant can change a guy.

I use my key and when I walk in I see him sittin' on the couch with Dief and he's crying. I quick put the stuff on the kitchen counter and run over to him. He's wearing that other shirt I bought him, the one that says, "Baby" and has an arrow pointing down to his belly. He cried when I gave it to him. So what else is new. He looks co cute I just wanna squeeze him, but first I gotta stop the water works.

I sit down next to him and put my arm around him...well as much around him as I can. He starts sniffling and hiccupping and trying to talk while he's pointing to the TV. I start rubbing his back 'til he can talk.

"Fraser, baby, what's wrong?" I say.

"Oh, Ray, (sob)...Ricky...(sniffle)....won't let Lucy...(hiccup)...be in the show." And he's crying again.

"Whaaa? I look at the TV. Oh, jeez, he's watchin' I Love Lucy.

"Frase, honey, this is supposed to be funny....yer supposed to laugh at this stuff," I say.

He looks at me like I just told him I got Turnbull pregnant.

"You....you...husbands are all alike. I have no doubt you wouldn't let me be in the show, either....well, if you had a show." Now he's mad at me.

"Frase, sweetie, if I had a show, you'd be the star...the beautiful star. Shit, yer already star of my life," I say, smiling real big, trying to cheer him up. Hell, he is star of my life. And we're gonna have our own little star real soon cuz of him and the love we share.

"Really, Ray?" he says and his eyes light up and they get that sparkle thing I love.

"Yeah, Frase. You know I love you."

"I love you too, Ray." He's smiling back at me. I lean forward and give him a real sweet kiss. And he kisses me back, but it's more, um.....hot.

"Uh, Frase......."

"Yes, Ray?" Now he's looking at me like I'm one of them extra spicy triple size hot dogs that plump when ya cook 'em.

"Uh, you wanna.....I mean.....you in the mood for....um......?"

I can't believe this. We've done it in every room in this apartment in every possible way you can imagine...and probably some you can't imagine...and I'm having a hard time even sayin' it now. Maybe it's cuz he's gonna be a father soon....and so am I.

"Yes, Ray, I am." He says, smiling real sexy now.

Wow. It's been a while since we been together...ya know, like that. I'm a little nervous, but even though he's nine months pregnant, I still think he's the sexiest guy I ever saw. And I'm so ready. I stand up and put my hand out for him. He takes it and I help him... uh...pull him...uh...lug him to his feet. We walk together to the bedroom, and he's kissing me so passionate I ain't sure I can make it.

********************

Holy shit. That was unbelievable. I can't remember Frase being that turned on in a long time. I guess after not being in the mood for so long, it all came spilling out tonight...so to speak. We're lying in bed together and his head is on my shoulder and I'm stroking his beautiful, soft, silky hair.

"That was wonderful, Ray," he says. And he kisses me on my chest.

"Yeah, Frase. It was incredible. My hot Mountie," I say. I know he likes to hear me say that cuz he's upset about his weight. So, I make sure I always tell him how sexy he is. And he is.

"Ray?"

"Yeah, Frase?"

"Let's talk about names again," he says. Oh jeez. Every time we talk about baby names, Fraser ends up getting mad at me. There ain't no way I'm naming my kid Innusiq. But if I say I don't wanna talk about it, he'll get upset, so I say okay.

"Well, I've been thinking about it, Ray, and I have some lovely names in mind," he says.

I wince. Good thing he's not looking at me.

"Okay, Frase. What are they?" I'm pretty sure I don't wanna know.

"If it's a girl, I was thinking Barbara Caroline....and if it's a boy, I thought Robert Damien would be nice. What do you think, Ray?"

"Gee, Frase. Those are really nice....you wanna name the baby after both our parents?"

I'm getting choked up here.

"Yes, Ray. Do you like them?" He's looking up at me waiting for an answer.

"Yeah, Frase, they're great." And he gives me a big smile. Frase is so beautiful when he smiles. Now he's moving up and he's kissing me again...hmm, nice. And his hand is moving down....oh yeah, Frase. If he told me now that he wanted to name the kid Diefenbaker, I'd say okay.

********************

I'm sitting at my desk trying to get some work done, but all I can think about is my sexy little...uh, big Mountie. He was so hot for me last night....and this morning too. But right before I left he said he had some cramping, and I didn't wanna leave him. He told me he'd be okay and made me come to work. I already called him three times today, but he keeps saying he's good.

"How's Frase?" I hear, and I look up to see Frannie staring at me.

"Hey, Frannie. He's good, but, um, he said he had some cramping this morning," I say.

Her eyebrow goes up. "Cramping, huh?"

"Yeah, why, does that mean something?" Now I'm worried.

"Well...it can mean he's starting labor...but it can also mean he ate too many hot dogs with peanut butter last night."

"No, Frannie, he didn't eat any of that shit." I'm getting real nervous now. "Do ya think he's in labor?"

"Well, when is he due?" she asks.

"Um....the doctor said May 15^th...but today is only....." I look at the calender and I almost fall off my chair. "Oh jeez, that's two days away."

The phone rings. I pick it up fast.

"Vecchio." It's my little...uh, big Mountie.

"Ray, I think it's time," he says, real calm.

"Time? Time? It's time?"

"Yes, Ray, it's time. My contractions are about eight minutes apart. I think you better come pick me up," he says.

Before I say anything, I hear him breathing that way we learned in birthing class...ya know, those fast in and out breaths.

"Frase?"

"I'm..hee hee...having..a..hee hee...contraction, Ray," he's saying. Oh shit.

"I'm on my way, Frase. Keep breathing," I yell. Francesca's saying something to me but I can't hear her cuz I'm out the door.

********************

Fraser and I been in the labor room for twelve hours and he's been working really hard. He's in a lotta pain and I been begging him to take something for it. But he keeps saying he wants to go natural. The breathing exercises aren't working anymore and I don't know what to do. The nurses said he's doing fine and he's almost ready to deliver. I'm wiping his face with a damp cloth and putting ice chips on his mouth. He grabs my arm.

"What is it, Frase?" I say, stroking his hair.

"Ray...are you sure you want to go through with this?" he says.

I'm looking at him, blinking. What the hell did he just ask me?

"Uh, Frase....isn't it a little late to be thinking of that?"

"No, I don't think so Ray," he says. He's starting another contraction and I help him breathe. A minute later he's talking again.

"Perhaps you'd like to choose Steve because of that actor you enjoy so much, or Pamela, after that actress with the big....."

"Fraser. Yer talking about names?"

"Why, yes, Ray, what did you think I meant?"

I smile. My beautiful Mountie....always surprising me.

"Never mind, Frase. The names you picked are great. I love them...and I love you."

"I love you too, Ray." He's smiling, but I can see it's hard for him cuz he's really hurting now.

The doctor comes in and examines Fraser. He tells us that he's ready and they're gonna take him to the delivery room. I'm having a real hard time standing now...I've wanted this for so long, I can't believe it's finally happening. But I know I gotta be strong for Fraser and little Barbara Caroline or Robert Damien.

********************

I'm standing next to Fraser and watching him. He's lying there with a beautiful smile on his beautiful face. I lean over and kiss him on his forehead....then I move down and kiss our beautiful little baby. I never seen such a gorgeous baby in my entire life. The bluest eyes I ever saw...bluer than Fraser's. A lotta hair for a newborn...real light brown...sorta spikey too. I like that.

"I love you so much, Ray," Fraser says to me and he's looking up at me and he's got tears in his eyes.

"Love you too, Frase," I say. Now the tears are rolling down my cheeks. "And I love you, little Barbara Caroline."

The End

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