Author's disclaimer: Standard

Disclaimer: Benton Fraser, Ray Vecchio and the other members of the 27th Precinct are property of Alliance. All other characters are mine. No infringement of any copyrights is intended. This story is written for the private enjoyment of Due South fans and not for monetary profit. Permission to use this story for profit is not given.

Title: Revelations
Author: Kali Sandison
Rating: PG in most (NC-17 in a few) Spoilers: Mild for JIB, SLIR, VS and HaaH Pairings: Ray/Female (Abbey)
Sequel to: A Debt to Repay

Abbey Barnes sat contentedly in the Boeing 747 jet that now taxied toward the terminal at Chicago's O'Hare Airport. When the aircraft came to a gentle stop, she elected to remain seated and gaze out the window, while her fellow passengers sprung out of their seats like jack-in-the-boxes. Once the crush of humanity was past, Abbey stood up in the aisle and stretched. She had cashed in her frequent flyer miles to get an upgrade to first class on this flight. While the service from the flight attendants was better, she couldn't really find much difference in the physical accommodations.. Despite her petite size, she still found airline seating to be cramped. And several storm cells between Atlanta and Chicago had necessitated that the passengers remain in their seats during most of the flight.

Next to her a man was reaching into an overhead compartment to retrieve a flight bag. As she stood up from stretching down her to touch her toes, she felt something soft but heavy come crashing down on her head.

"Yeow!"

"Oh, I'm so sorry," the man said, picking up his bag from where it landed. "Are you all right?"

Abbey looked up into a face that seemed slightly familiar. Expressive hazel eyes rested under a brow that was furrowed with concern.

"I'll probably have a whopper of a headache but it's nothing that a couple of aspirin won't take care of."

"You're sure? I'd be happy to take you to a medic if you require." The man's accent was thick and it took Abbey just a second to recognize it.

"Are you Sicilian?" she asked.

"Yes, I'm Lou Scagnetti," he said offering his hand.

"Hi, I'm Abbey," she replied accepting his gesture. "And really, I'll be fine. I've got a pretty hard head."

Abbey reached above her to collect her bag and walked toward the gangway to enter the terminal. Lou followed closely behind.

"So, do you live here in Chicago?" he asked as they walked out.

"No, I'm just visiting a friend for a few days. How about you?"

"I'm on business. I have to change planes here before I go on."

"Must be a profitable business if they send you first class."

"Yes, the business does very well."

It wasn't long before they both had their luggage collected. Abbey turned to make her way to the car rental counter when she saw a black suited chauffeur standing near the baggage carousel. He was holding a small sign that had the name Dr. A. B. Barnes stenciled on it.

"Is everything all right?" Lou asked as she stopped suddenly.

"Oh, I just wasn't expecting my friend to send a car for me."

"She must be a generous friend."

"Yes," Abbey agreed absentmindedly. "Well, I hope your business continues to be profitable," she said as she walked toward the driver.

"I'm sure it will."

Abbey watched the man for several minutes as he departed for another section of the airport. Finally she introduced herself to the chauffeur.

"I'm Dr. Barnes."

"Right this way, ma'am."

She followed the gentleman who took her suitcase to a Lincoln stretch limousine. Once her baggage was stored in the trunk, he opened the passenger door and assisted her into the car.

"There are snacks for you in the basket," he told her pointing to a wicker picnic basket, "as well as an assortment of soft drinks. The controls to the TV and stereo are on your left. If you need me for anything, just pick up the red phone."

"Thanks."

Abbey was a bit overwhelmed. She couldn't believe that Ray had gone to such lengths to welcome her. She was certain she had told him that she'd be renting a car so as not to inconvenience him by needing someone to meet her at the airport. But this was totally unexpected.

Seeing what was available in the basket, she picked out an apple and munched it while listening to the stereo and watching the scenery fly past the tinted windows. Once finished with the fruit and completely knackered by her early morning flight, she rested her head against the back of the seat and closed her eyes for a few minutes.

She thought about Lou. Those eyes and that smile were enough to make her dizzy with desire. But when she shook his hand, her unfailing bullshit detector, as she called it, sounded alarm bells in her head and she knew that there was something false about this man. She wasn't sure just what it was. His accent was so heavy that it was almost fake. And she wondered if Lou was his real name. Smiling to herself, she wondered if, just as she was about to return to a position with the Federal Bureau of Investigation, she had just encountered a mobster. What were the odds? Well, with her luck, anything was likely to happen.

She hadn't realized that she had fallen asleep until she awoke with a start. The motion of the car slowing to a stop had alerted her. At first she didn't recognize where she was. They weren't at Ray's house and they weren't downtown anywhere. Then she saw the large stone house and knew instantly that Ray had not arranged for this car.

Seething with anger Abbey tried to control her temper but she wasn't sure just how long that was going to last. She took several deep calming breaths and, at least outwardly, had the appearance of being cool and composed when the chauffeur opened her door.

"Mr. Zuko is waiting for you in the study. Go on inside."

Grabbing her purse, she slid across the leather seat and planted both feet on the pavement before standing up. Trying to maintain the casual faade, she walked slowly to the front door and entered the house without knocking. The study, as she well knew, was just ahead to the right of the stairway.

Entering the room, she saw that the chauffeur was indeed correct. Frank sat at his desk, arms folded on the heavy piece of furniture awaiting her arrival. Abbey felt a small prickle of fear race down her spine. She knew that as a Federal Agent, she could have taken her gun with her on the plane. But since this was a pleasure trip, she had chosen to have it shipped off to Quantico to be waiting for her arrival there next week. Now she sincerely regretted that decision.

"Abbey," he greeted her all smiles and good will.

"Frank," she responded neutrally as she entered the room.

The crime boss stood up to meet her and give her a hug. Then he ushered her to the chairs that sat across from the desk. Somewhat uneasily, she took the seat he indicated.

"Can I get you anything? Water? A soda? Cheese and crackers?"

"Just an explanation, Frank."

Zuko sat in the adjacent chair and looked every bit the lord of the manor.

"I was hoping you'd give me one."

"Meaning?" she asked.

"The last time you were here, you failed to mention that you were an FBI agent."

"The last time I was here, I wasn't an FBI agent." She let that piece of news sink in while carefully studying his face.

"Boy, Frankie, where are you gettin' your information? Cuz if you've got somebody stuck inside the Bureau, they're hopelessly behind the times. I left the Violent Crimes Task Force nearly a year ago and took a position at Emory University. I've spent the last nine months teaching Psychology and working as a therapist."

The look that flashed across his face showed that she had hit fairly close to the mark.

"So the Feds weren't tryin' to help Vecchio run off with my sister?"

"Oh hell no," Abbey responded truthfully. "I didn't even see Ray until the day after Irene was shot."

Zuko didn't look entirely convinced and Abbey thought for a moment about just how truthful she should be with him.

"You're sure?"

"Frank, have I ever lied to you?" Abbey's conscience prickled with that question. Though she had never told him an outright fabrication, there had been times when she had kept some of the facts from him.

"I guess not. So how'd you know about Irene being here?"

"Pat Scarpetta. I talked to him the night of your birthday party. He told me about the altercation you'd had with Ray and his buddies."

Abbey could tell that Frank was looking for more information than she had given him so far.

"Frank, Irene wasn't running off to see Vecchio. She was coming to spend some time with me."

"With you? Where? Why?"

Abbey took a deep breath and settled deeply into the leather wingback chair. She chose to answer the last question.

"The day before she died, I'd had a premonition that she was in mortal danger. I flew up here from Atlanta to try to convince her to take off for a few days and keep her out of harm's way."

"A premonition?" Frank sounded skeptical.

"Yeah, a premonition."

"What? You're part of the psychic friends network or something?" he asked sarcastically.

Abbey laughed. "No, though I'd probably make more money that way. I prefer to think of it as a finely tuned sense of what your mother would call 'woman's intuition'. Anyway, when I came over here that Friday afternoon, I asked her to come away with me. She told me that there was no way you'd let her go. Later on, she called me and said she'd changed her mind. I was just pulling up when I saw Ray carrying her out the door."

A long silence hung between them.

"Why didn't she tell me that she was going to see you?" he asked.

"Would you have believed her? No. You've already accused me of a duplicity that had no bearing in reality. Besides, if I'd known Ray was gettin' cozy with Irene, I'd have probably done the same thing to him that I did to you after I learned you were extorting Tim's lunch money."

Frank shifted in his seat and crossed his legs at that memory. "You mean you and Ray...?" He let the question hang there unfinished.

"Frankie, you have got to get a better source of information. Yeah, Ray & I, shall we say, 'renewed our acquaintance' when I was in town last summer. Though there was nothing actually said between us, I thought we had an understanding. I guess I never figured on Irene comin' back into the picture."

"Yeah, and with my sister so conveniently out of the picture, you two were able to just pick up where you left off."

Anger flared through Abbey at that statement. But she managed to keep it under control.

"Ya know what? I don't understand you. Everybody in the neighborhood knows that you and Ray haven't gotten along since... well since forever it seems like. And I'm sure that with him becoming a cop and you taking over your father's 'business' the tension between you two has just gotten worse over the years. So I understand why you wouldn't want Irene makin' time with him. What I don't understand is why you begrudge me a little happiness. You know Ray and I were buddies for six years while we were in school. What concern is it of yours if we happen to find some comfort in each other's arms?

"And may I remind you that you were the one who shot Irene? Not me. Not Ray. Now I've managed to make peace with myself over my part of the misunderstanding that got her killed. I made peace with Ray for his actions in the week that followed the funeral. Can you say the same? Or are you so full of hate and anger that you're still lookin' to lay blame everywhere but the place it belongs?

"You know what Ray told me? He promised Irene that he'd end the feud with you. He didn't have to do that, you know. He could very easily have told the investigators that you shot her with intent. In fact, according to what I heard from the precinct, some of the other detectives were pressuring him to say just that. The only reason you're still sitting here in your big old family house a free man and still carrying on business as usual is because of that promise. Now I don't know about you, Frank, but if I were in that position, I'd be grateful."

The dressing down left Frank uncomfortable. He recalled at the times he'd done 'favors' for people and then told them to be grateful. Unexpectedly, the gratitude chicken had come home to roost. And to mix the metaphors, the shoe certainly felt different when it was on the other foot.

Abbey sat back into her chair, aware that during her diatribe she had moved forward to the edge of her seat. She let the silence settle around them unbroken. Now that the edge was off her anger, the fear that she had experienced when she first entered the room returned. Trying to squelch it, she chose to continue their conversation.

"So tell me, Frank, why am I here? Why are you risking criminal confinement charges by bringing me here against my will?"

"Abbey, you're free to go whenever you like."

"Wonderful. That still doesn't answer my first question. What did you hope to accomplish from this?" Abbey fell back into her therapist mode.

"Well, you're right. I've got some less than reliable sources of information out there. But the truth is that I'm considering getting out of the family business. This whole mess with Sorrento and Irene's death has made me take a hard look at what my life's become and I don't like it."

"Glad to hear it. But what does any of this have to do with me?"

"Do you still have friends at the Bureau?"

Abbey laughed. "I'm not sure I ever had any real 'friends' when I worked for the Feds," she began, knowing it was a bald faced lie but not willing to reveal that much of her personal life. "I still keep in touch with a few of my former co-workers. Why? You lookin' to cut a deal?"

"Somethin' like that," he responded reaching into his pocket. He pulled out his wallet, plucked two hundred dollar bills from it and then handed the money to Abbey.

She stared at the money as if it were a poisonous snake. "What's that for?"

"I want to hire you."

"What?"

"You said you were a psychologist. I want to hire you. This is payment for this afternoon's 'session'."

"And then anything you tell me is covered by priviledge?" she added as the light bulb went on over her head.

"You catch on quickly, Doctor."

She took the bills from Zuko's hand. "Okay, out with it."

Abbey sat for another thirty minutes listening to Frank's plans to clean up his act. She could tell that he had actually put a lot of thought into this but he was still going to need help from the Justice Department. Though he thought the 'fee' he had just paid her would keep her from running to the cops with any details of his current activities, the the truth was that 'priviledge' only meant that she couldn't be compelled to testify. There was nothing there that said she couldn't volunteer the information. And Father O'Reilly's place could use a little extra cash.

When she stood up to leave, Frank extended his hand to her. "There's a car waiting for you outside. Your luggage should already be in it. Have a good time with Ray."

"Who said I was in town to see Ray?" she inquired, schooling her features into a look of pure innocense.

"Well, have a good time with whatever you're doing."

"Thank you, Frank. And when I'm finished with the car?"

"Oh hell, drive it back to Atlanta or drive it into Lake Michigan for all I care."

"I'll return it before I fly out," she promised.

Frank walked her to the door and in the driveway she saw a brand new, red, Volkswagon Cabrio convertible. She looked back at him skeptically.

"I remember once you told Irene you'd like to own a convertible. The keys and the title are in it."

"Frank, 'hiring' me as your therapist is one thing. But this... I can't accept this from you."

"It's not from me. It's from Irene."

"Irene?"

"Yeah. I swear to you on my sister's grave that the money for that car came from Irene's insurance policy. There's no blood money involved."

"Frank, you never cease to amaze me."

"Yeah, yeah. Now go on. Get outta here before I get all misty on you."

If it had been anyone else, Abbey would have kissed him but she just couldn't bring herself to that.

"Thanks," she said simply before walking to the driveway.

As he had told her, the keys were in the ignition and there was a manila envelope on the passenger seat that contained all the legal documentation. Firing up the engine, she backed out onto the street and swiftly drove to Ray's house.

Arriving at the Vecchio home, she found Ray sitting on the porch swing waiting for her. She knew she was much later than she had planned to arrive and considered if she would tell her friend exactly why. Hopping out of the car, she practically skipped up the walkway to the porch.

"I have had the most amazing morning," she began.

"Oh, you have?" he asked.

"Yes, I have," she replied as he pulled her into a warm embrace.

He led her to the porch swing while he began to question her.

"I was starting to get worried about you. Was your flight delayed? I heard there was some freaky weather between here and Atlanta."

"Oh Lord, the weather was incredibly bad but it cleared up just north of Indianapolis so we weren't delayed too long. No, the incredible part happened after we landed."

Abbey took a minute to consider which parts of her story were going to be deleted. Certainly Frank's desire to clean up his act didn't need to be aired. And the fact that he had given her this car was also a tidbit that she didn't wish to share at this time. Instead, she talked about being picked up at the airport by the limousine and being taken to Zuko's house. She saw Ray bristle at the mention of his long time nemesis.

"Ray, it's okay. He just wanted to talk about me and Irene. I know you're suspicious, and quite frankly so am I, but I honestly believe her death has gotten to him."

Ray exhaled slowly, not realizing until that moment that he'd been holding his breath since the mention of Frank's name.

"Yeah, it's been rough on all of us," he said.

"It has. But I really think this has hit him hard. Of course, I had to set him straight when he accused me of working with the Feds to sneak Irene out of the house just to see you."

"But I thought that's what you were doin'."

"My goal was to get her out of that house. When you had found out where she went, that was going to be the icing on the cake. And I was not officially working for the Bureau. They just agreed to help me out."

"But, of course, you didn't tell him any of this."

"Of course. I was the very model of tact and discretion." She smiled at the memory of the dressing down she'd given him; something else she chose not to tell Ray.

"So what are the plans for the weekend, Detective?" she asked changing the subject.

"Well, fortune has smiled upon us. We have the house all to ourselves this weekend. Ma & Frannie went to Gary for a wedding. One of the cousins is getting married. Little Tony went to Washington DC for a field trip to the Smithsonian and so the rest of the family joined him. The school was so excited that there were parents who were willing to be chapperones, that they said Sophie could join them."

"Maria, I can see as a chapperone. But Tony?" Abbey laughed and shook her head. "Boy the school must be desperate."

"Yeah well, I wasn't gonna argue when I knew it would get everyone out of the house this weekend."

He pulled her into his arms and kissed her softly, arousing in her a tingle that coursed through her body.

"I've missed you, Abbey."

"I can tell. I've missed you too."

"It's good to be missed."

"So back to my question. What's on the agenda for the weekend?"

He leered at her suggestively.

"Yes, yes, I assumed that part. But we can't spend four entire days in bed."

"We can't?" he asked innocently.

"You know better. I heard on the radio coming over here today that there was a big concert tomorrow at Grant Park. I think that would be a great way to spend an afternoon and evening. We could even invite Fraser to join us."

"I thought this was supposed to be a weekend for just the two of us."

"Ray, are you going to force me to call you a selfish bastard again?"

"I guess not."

"Look, I don't have to leave until Tuesday afternoon. There's no reason why we can't spend one day with your best friend."

"I guess," he pouted.

Abbey pulled his head towards her to whisper in his ear. "I'll make it worth your time and effort," she said, sealing her promise with a very passionate kiss.

It was all Ray could do to keep himself from sweeping her up in her arms and carrying her to his bedroom a la Rhett Butler. He settled for returning her kiss with such desire that she was practically dragging him inside.

Once in the house, they didn't bother with going upstairs. Clothes flew off bodies with astonishing speed. Ray was somewhat surprised at the responsiveness Abbey exhibited to his overtures. It seemed she was even more passionate than she had been the first night they'd made love nearly a year ago. And it wasn't long before they were both satiating their needs in each other's bodies.

A while later, two semi-naked bodies adorned the living room floor. Both were breathing deeply and rapidly. A groan escaped Abbey's lips as she rolled over and tried to get herself back together.

"You okay?" Ray asked.

"Man, I'm way too old for this."

"Tell me about it. I think I've got a rug burn on my knees."

Abbey positioned herself to look at the affected joints. "Just a small one. And I'm sure it's no worse than the one on my back," she replied.

"So, you wanna go upstairs, take a shower and tend to our wounds?"

"Sounds like a plan to me."

Forty-five minutes later Abbey descended the staircase; her dark curls still slightly damp, and a soothing salve that Fraser had made for the Vecchio grandchildren's injuries smeared on her shoulderblades. She had dressed in the jeans and cotton sweater that she'd worn for the trip up. May in Chicago was a strange month. It could be blisteringly hot or cool and damp. Only God and the weatherman knew which from day to day. The storms that had blown through early that morning had left the temperature seasonably cool and so long pants were in order.

Abbey's eyes were drawn to a photo album on the coffee table. She had barely noticed it when she first came into the house, but now it captured her attention. Gingerly opening the book as she sat down, she was entranced by old black and white baby pictures. She assumed they were probably of Ray's parents. Flipping through the pages, she found more baby pictures and these appeared to be Ray and his siblings.

Abbey smiled as she continued to pore over the album. She had so few pictures of her own family. Yet here was the Vecchio family history portrayed so well on film. There were few pictures of Ray's father so she assumed he had been the photographer in the family. But one picture displayed the entire family; Frank, Sylvia and all four children. She couldn't tell what the occasion was, possibly Maria or Francesca's first communion, judging by the way the girls were dressed.

Footsteps from the foyer interrupted Abbey's musings. She looked up to see Ray entering the room. Feeling somewhat guilty, she quickly closed the book and slid it back to the coffee table.

"Umm, sorry. Didn't mean to pry," she apologized, pulling her hands back into her lap.

"It's okay. I'm glad you were lookin' at it," he said, joining her on the sofa.

"Really?" Abbey could sense something different in Ray.

"Yeah." He seemed withdrawn and a little nervous. "I got a confession to make."

"Okay. I'm listening."

"Well, I asked you to come up because I knew everyone would be gone and I really didn't want to be alone this weekend."

"That's nice to know and I certainly appreciate the invitation. But why not just hang out with Fraser? I'm sure he and Diefenbaker would enjoy the company."

Ray opened the album again and pointed to a picture. Abbey stared at it for several minutes clearly not quite sure what Ray was talking about. Her brows furrowed together in puzzlement, she looked up at her friend.

"Nicky?" she asked.

"Yeah, Nicky. My ever lovin' juvenile delinquent baby brother."

"Ray, there aren't even two years difference in your ages. I hardly think that qualifies as 'baby brother' material."

"God, you're starting to sound like Benny." He slammed the book shut and propelled himself off the couch.

Abbey knew she had just committed a serious faux pas but wasn't sure just what the problem was.

"Ray, I'm sorry. Something's obviously bothering you about Nick and I shouldn't be making jokes. Please, talk to me."

The detective paced the room for a few seconds before sitting down again.

"Do you know what day this is?" he asked.

"Friday, May 26th. Beyond that, I'm not sure what you're talkin' about."

Ray stared off into the distance as if to pull back his story from far away.

"May 26, 1979. This place was a mad house. I was graduating high school that afternoon. Ma was preparin' for a big party afterwards with relatives comin' in from all over. She'd spent all week makin' pies and cookies and cakes. And now she had big pans of lasagna and manicotti ready to go into the oven when we got back."

Abbey smiled wistfully at his memory. There had been no such celebration for her after commencement.

"Ya know what I remember most about that day? I remember walkin' across that stage, being handed my diploma and there was this burst of applause. I looked up and saw my family sittin' there cheerin' me on. And it felt so good. The whole family was there; even Pop. Somehow Nick had managed to keep him out of Finelli's long enough to put on a shirt and tie and show up to my graduation."

"That was Nick, always the charmer. He could get anyone to do anything. So what's he up to these days anyway?"

Ray continued as if she hadn't spoken. "I remember comin' home afterwards and being greeted like some conquering hero; Raymond the Great. All the aunts and uncles were there along with the cousins. There was this big feast and we stuffed ourselves silly. There was only one thing missing; my brother."

"Nick?"

"He said he was gonna catch a ride home from commencement with one of his buddies. When he didn't show up for dinner, we were a little concerned. I suppose, considering that a good part of the previous eight years of his life had been spent in some sort of correctional facility or another, we should have been more worried. But we just chalked it up to Nick being Nick. The folks were kinda used to being called down to the police station to deal with him.

"Ya know, that night at Lucy's party? I kept wonderin' what could have happened that he didn't come home for dinner. I mean, it was my graduation but Mom had fixed all his favorite desserts. Even if he didn't want dinner, there was more than enough there to guarantee his sweet tooth would make an appearance. But it never did, and neither did he." Ray's voice faded out during his last sentence and silence hung between them for a long time.

"He never came home?" Abbey asked.

"Haven't seen or heard from him since."

Abbey was aghast at this news. Her own personal sense of tragedy was fed by Ray's sense of loss. All the times she had accused him of being incapable of understanding her sense of abandonment by her family, and all the times he had tried to reach out to her and let her know that he could, finally congealed into this one picture in the album of a smiling 16 year old boy.

She picked up the album and stared once again at the photograph. Abbey had no idea where it had been taken. The boy was standing with his feet planted firmly about shoulder width apart, which was not wide for the slightly scrawny teen-ager, and his fists planted on his hips. He was shirtless and wore a pair of cut-off jeans. A wide triumphant smile cut across his face and shined from behind his bright hazel eyes.

Abbey closed her eyes as another image tried to form in her brain. Try as she might, it wouldn't coalesce into anything more than an amorphous form that was vaguely human shaped. Giving up, she opened her eyes and saw Ray watching her. She looked at the picture once again and then stared at her friend.

"I never really appreciated how much you two look alike," she pronounced. "Same eyes, same smile..."

"Same receding hairline?" Ray asked with a mirthless chuckle.

"I was not going there," Abbey insisted. "Besides, you know what they say. Some men use their hormones for growing hair. Some put them to better use." She smiled wantonly at him.

"You have a one track mind," he accused.

"And you love it," she responded before kissing him a reminder of their earlier activities.

Saturday Abbey and Ray pulled up in front of Fraser's apartment building just before noon. Abbey had opted to drive since she had her new car and the beautiful spring day just begged for driving a convertible with the top down. With the Canadian and his wolf safely ensconsed in the back seat, the trio headed across town to Grant Park. Abbey was impressed that Fraser knew the history of the park and that it was built on top of the debris that was shoved out into Lake Michigan after the great fires of 1871.

"Yeah, he's a walking encyclopedia," Ray chimed in when Abbey expressed her amazement.

"Well, considering that he was raised by his librarian grandparents I can understand that. I just figured his knowledge would be limited to things more... Canadian."

"You gotta watch this guy. He's full of surprises."

Abbey glanced at Fraser in the rear view mirror. "Is that true Ben? You seem pretty straight forward to me."

The Mountie tugged at his shirt collar and blushed slightly as his friend turned around in the seat and winked at him. Abbey stared at Ray for as long as the traffic allowed her to take her attention off the expressway. The two had obviously shared some sort of adventure recently but neither of them seemed to be willing to tell the story.

It wasn't long before they had the car safely garaged and were walking to the park. The grounds near the amphitheater were swarming with people. Abbey had not expected an international music festival to draw such a crowd. But soon they were seated on the large blanket Ray had found in a linen chest. Abbey had packed a big picnic basket full of goodies for them to munch on even though she knew there would be food vendors at the park. Fraser studied the program and listed off the various groups that would be performing. One name sounded very familiar to Abbey.

"They're billed as playing 'crazy Russian folk & roll'," Fraser prompted.

"Oh my God, I know these guys!" Abbey shrieked, snatching the flyer from the Canadian's hands.

"You do not!" Ray challenged.

"Yes, I do. I met them in East Berlin just before the Air Force sent me back to the states."

"What were you doing in East Berlin?" Fraser inquired.

"Smuggling in copies of 'Playboy', getting drunk and picking up men," Abbey replied as if it were the most normal thing in the world. The uncomfortable look on Ben's face caused her to dissolve into peals of laughter.

"Oh man, Fraser, I was kidding. Loosen up." It was obvious to Abbey that their brief time together in March hadn't prepared him for this side of her. Back then, she'd kept her gregarious nature in check due to the seriousness of the situation but now she didn't feel the need or the desire to hide her light under a bushel basket.

"I didn't smuggle anything. The truth is that I had just received my transfer papers and I knew I wouldn't be in Germany for much longer. I had a bunch of leave time saved up so I decided to do something wild and crazy. I rented a car and drove across country to see East Berlin. One night I went to this 'night club', for lack of anything else better to call it, and this group was playing there. They are fantastic. After the show we went out and had a few drinks. I got so drunk. The guys carried me back to my room and made sure I was okay before they left."

"I thought the Air Force had taught you how to hold your liquor," Ray chimed in.

"It did. I just wasn't used to the stuff they call liquor over there. Man, it had a kick. I learned my lesson that night. No more strange booze in strange places."

Abbey continued to peruse the program announcement and finding no other familiar names, she handed it back to Fraser. Looking at the blue eyed Mountie, she wondered again about those surprises Ray had talked about. She made it her goal to find out what the story was behind the remark.

"So have you guys worked any interesting cases lately?" she asked, knowing that the majority of the time they spent together was work related.

Fraser choked on the cookie he had just bitten into and Ray became nearly hysterical with laughter. After making sure that the Mountie was breathing normally again Abbey turned a quizzical stare at her friend.

"Okay, out with it. What's so funny?"

Ray continued to grin and Fraser's face turned several shades of red as he tugged on his ear.

"Fraser had an undercover assignment last week."

From what she had gathered, Fraser spent most of his days pushing paper across his desk. The fact that he'd actually gotten to do some real undercover police work intrigued her. "Really? Tell me about it."

The Mountie's blush deepened as he tried to stutter out an explanation. "I assisted Ray with a missing persons case at a Catholic school."

"That sounds interesting."

"It was very satisfying to be able to help."

"I'm sure it was," she replied blandly. "So what'd you do? Dress up as a nun and attend all the school functions in order to gain information about the missing person?"

Ray's laughter welled up again and the Mountie just continued look uncomfortable.

"Um, actually I was an art teacher."

"Really? I wasn't aware you were artistic."

"Oh yeah," Ray added, "real artistic; especially with cosmetics."

A picture of a tall woman with long auburn hair and a teal blue dress suddenly popped into Abbey's brain. "Fraser, did you go undercover in drag?" she asked incredulously.

"Yes, I'm afraid so."

"How cool. I bet a lot of guys wouldn't have the balls to do something like that. So did it work? Were you able to find your lost person?"

Realizing that she wasn't going to tease him like Ray had, he opened up to her and told her all about the case. She smiled as he told her about winning the confidence of Celine's roommate Melissa and how they had not only managed to solve the case, but also find a stash of antiques on the school grounds that would keep St. Fortunata's running for several years.

"That is so great. I've always wanted to work undercover but I never got the chance. Well, maybe now that I'm returning to police work, I'll get my chance."

"And you'll never guess who we met in the process of all this," Ray added.

"Who?"

"Annie McCreigh."

"No kidding?"

"No kidding. She's the principal at the school."

Abbey recalled her short stint in a Catholic school and the administration thereof. "Then that would make her a..."

"A nun," Ray finished.

"Come off it. Annie? A nun? Ray, what did you do to her?"

"What do you mean?"

"Well, weren't you the one that was getting' all hot and heavy with her when her father walked in?"

"Yeah, so?"

"So, I'm thinkin' maybe she was so traumatized by your advances that she chose the celibate life."

Now it was Fraser's turn to laugh though he managed to restrain himself to a small chuckle at his friend's discomfiture.

"No, miss smarty pants. She was not traumatized. And she's doing very well for herself, thank you."

"I'm sure she is," Abbey chuckled along with Fraser. "But boy, I sure don't envy her. I don't think I could ever live like that. Just think about what she's giving up."

"I believe she feels she's getting something much more spiritually satisfying in return," was Fraser's response.

Abbey took a long hard look at the Mountie, unsure of what to make of his remark. Did he not believe that there could be a deeply spiritual component to fantastic sex? Had he forgotten her confession that Ray had touched her soul when they'd been together last year? She knew that he'd had one ill-fated love affair. Ray hadn't been especially forthcoming with all the details but she could read between the lines. She wondered if that had been his first and only sexual experience. It would explain quite a few things.

The idea of a roll in the hay with him crossed her mind again. She'd had several thoughts of this nature since she had returned to Atlanta from her last visit. Certainly he was more than handsome enough to attract any woman's attention. The dark brown hair, chameleon grey eyes that seemed to change to soft blue depending on his mood and his wardrobe, the finely delineated muscles of his upper torso, the hands that were strong and roughened from years of outdoor work in a cold, harsh climate all combined to make this man more than just noteworthy.

Abbey combined her natural talents with the people reading skills she'd honed for years in law enforcement to come up with the assessment that Fraser would be one blazingly good fuck. Perhaps not as 'fun' as Ray but, in his own way, equally passionate and willing to please his partner. She sighed as she realized that this was one time where she'd just have to believe that he'd be a 10 in bed and not prove it. Though she refused to rule out the possibility that some day she might be able to break through that veneer of politeness and formality and convince the Mountie to give in to his lust and passion. She certainly wasn't going to change her behavior just because he was in attendance. And she did enjoy watching him blush at some of her more outrageous comments.

"Well, pardon me for getting all 'new-age' on you here but I believe that the mind, body and spirit are inextricably linked. Therefore doing something that is physically satisfying would also have positive effects for the others."

"It's been well documented that intense aerobic activity releases endorphins that produce what's commonly referred to as a 'runner's high'. However..." Fraser began.

Abbey laughed as she got to her feet. "Fraser, you know, I love you dearly but some days I have to think that you're not human." She dropped a kiss on the top of his head as she stood up. "I, on the other hand am very human and in need of a trip to the porta potty."

Fraser looked absolutely stunned. Very few women had ever treated him in the casual matter-of-fact manner that Abbey displayed. He looked frantically at his friend, hoping for answers to the questions he couldn't yet voice but Ray only smiled at the confused Mountie.

"Ray!" Fraser persisted.

"What can I say? That's the way she is. What you see is what you get."

Diefenbaker added a bark as he watched his packmate's new friend wander off. He considered joining her but decided to stay where the food was.

It was obvious to Abbey that the promoters of the festival had not anticipated the crowd either. Toilet facilities were in short supply and heavy demand. Long lines snaked out from the temporary water closets. The woman ahead of her noticed that most of the people in the queue were also female. Abbey had to laugh as she saw two guys veer away from the line and head towards a row of bushes.

"God, it's times like this I wish I were a guy. Then I could go pee behind a bush without baring my ass," Abbey admitted.

The dark haired woman agreed with her. "Men have it so easy and they don't even know it."

"Tell me about it. My ex would put himself to bed for two days with a paper cut. It's no wonder God gave the hard stuff like childbirth to the women. No man could live through it."

The two fell to chatting to pass the time and it soon became a great male bashing festival as other women in the line chimed in with their viewpoints. The nearly ten minutes that Abbey waited for her turn at the facilities passed quickly as she listened to the various stories of how men were the truly weaker sex.

As she left the area where the facilities had been assembled, she thought she saw a familiar male face but the man turned and headed toward one of the food vendors and she lost sight of him in the crowd. She stood still and shook her head for a moment trying to make the identification but the glimpse had been too brief.

"Are you okay?" It was the woman from the line.

"Yeah, I saw somebody who looked familiar but he got away before I got a good look at him."

"Oh, on the look-out for a guy?"

"No. I did that once and now I'm quite happily single. How about you?"

"Same thing. Been there. Done that."

"Are you here by yourself?"

"Yeah, I was supposed to meet my sister here but her daughter came down with an ear infection."

"Why don't you come sit with me and my friends?"

"I wouldn't want to intrude."

"Oh pooh, the more the merrier with this crowd. C'mon." Abbey nodded her head in the direction where she had left the guys. "Oh, by the way, I'm Abbey Barnes."

"Angela Martelli."

The two women shook hands and then walked off in the direction Abbey had indicated.

Shortly after Abbey's departure Ray wandered off to pick up a few bottles of water for Diefenbaker. They had packed a thermos but the wolf seemed to be intent on filling his bladder as much as possible. Ray noticed a very pretty young girl trying to convince a much older guy to buy her a beer. It seemed to Ray that the man was looking for a graceful way out of the situation.

"You know, if he actually bought you that beer, I'd have to arrest him for contributing to the delinquency of a minor but I'd also have to bust you for underage alcohol consumption."

"You're a cop?" she asked.

"Yes, ma'am," he responded in his best Fraser imitation.

"That is so lame. My parents could buy beer when they were my age. What difference does a couple of years make, anyway?"

Ray took a long look at the pretty blonde. He never would have believed that she was 19. She didn't look old enough to be out of high school. "Yeah, I know. But the State of Illinois, in its infinite wisdom, decided to change the law in 1979 so that you have to be 21 to purchase or consume alcohol. I really do sympathize with you. I turned 19 just after that law was passed. Now go buy yourself a soda and don't you dare let me catch you with booze," he admonished.

The girl tossed her head disdainfully and stalked away.

"Thanks a lot," the man said. "Her dad's my boss and he'll buy her booze whenever she wants it. I've been at their house when she's been drinking and I've never said anything cuz I didn't feel like it was any of my business. But now, I'm thinking that maybe I should have spoke up a long time ago."

"It's okay, man. You looked like you were in a tight spot. I just figured I'd give you an easy way out."

"You really are a cop, aren't you?"

"Chicago PD. I've been a detective for over nine years. After a while you just develop a sense for sticky situations."

"I know what you mean. I used to be a cop. Nobody ever wanted to listen to me when I said I had a hunch but damned if they didn't turn out to be right about ninety percent of the time."

"I heard ya. I live by my hunches. So what do you do now?"

"I'm a manager for Blaine Enterprises. We provide bouncers and private security for bars and most of the big concert venues in the area. That was Jenny Blaine."

"Ooh, man. Now I really do see what a bind you were in."

"Yeah, her old man is not only my boss but he also owns the company."

Ray whistled long and loud at the guy's predicament and then offered his hand in greeting. "I'm Ray Vecchio."

"Howdy Ray. Name's Alan but most everybody calls me Al."

"You wanna join me and my friends or are you here on business?"

"Nah, the promoters thought this wouldn't draw a big enough crowd to warrant private security. They just figured they'd let the police take care of it. I decided to come out and see what it was like so maybe we can make a better offer next year."

"Good idea. I'm here with some friends. You wanna join us?"

"Sure, lead on."

Abbey returned to the spot where she and the guys had made camp. She noticed there was another man sitting with Ray and Fraser but he was looking off over his shoulder and his face was obscured from her view. Walking up behind her old friend, she dropped a kiss on Ray's smooth pate as she returned, totally missing the look of surprised recognition on Fraser's face.

"Hey, cutie. I'm back and I brought someone with me. Scoot over and make room."

She walked around him to sit by his side and motioned for Angela to join her.

"Angie," Ray acknowledged, surprised but civil.

"Ray," she replied.

"Slut," was Alan's less than civil greeting to his former wife.

"Eunich," Abbey responded in kind.

There was a dead silence for several long seconds before Ben, ever the master of protocol and understatement, came up with something to say.

"Well, now that everyone's been introduced..."

Alan and Angie were on their feet immediately making their excuses and trying to beat a hasty retreat. Both Abbey and Ray instantly tried to get the two newcomers to rejoin the group. Fraser knew that Ray and Angie could probably co-exist peacefully but he wasn't sure about Abbey and Alan.

Abbey had to dampen the animosity that welled up at the sight of her ex-husband. She knew that he was not responsible for their divorce but she did hold him responsible for his less than mature behavior during the actual legal proceedings. She stared directly into the eyes of the former Marine; something very few people had ever done and gotten away with. Finding a hint of humanity, she took a deep breath.

"Well, that was an awkward beginning. I'm willing to put aside our differences and call a truce for an afternoon. How about you?"

Knowing he'd look like a horse's ass if he declined, he nodded his head. "Yeah, I'm willing."

With everyone seated once again, Ray, Alan and Fraser picked up the conversation where they'd left it before the girls had joined them. Abbey and Angie were amused at the male posturing that was going on between the two American men and talked quietly with each other.

"Angie, I'm so sorry. I had no idea Ray was your ex-husband."

"Don't worry about it. I suppose it was as amicable as a divorce can be. I was just a little surprised cuz I didn't know Ray was involved with anyone."

"Oh we're not 'involved'. We're just old buddies."

Angie was clearly not convinced. "Uh huh. And you kiss all your old buddies and call them 'cutie'?"

"Actually, I do. I'm an outrageous flirt. Something that Alan never got used to."

"So that's why he called you..."

"A slut. Unlike you and Ray, we didn't part so chumily."

"Yeah, I can see that."

"Truth be told, if we'd met on the street instead of here in the park with Ray and Ben, I'm sure he would have reacted differently. But there's a little bit of a caveman left in him and you see how he reacts."

"Uh huh."

Their conversation was stopped by the sound of a voice issuing from the public address system.

"Ladies and Gentlemen, thank you for your patience during the break. I'd like to introduce our next group. They're here on their first tour of the United States so put your hands together for a very warm welcome. Direct from Scotland, The Battlefield Band."

There was a great swell of applause and the performance began. It was a blend of Celtic music from the Highlands along with some folk/rock sounds. Abbey was amazed by the fact that they had both bagpipes and a synthesizer. It wasn't long before the music had her enthralled.

For the next forty-five minutes Alan watched his ex-wife closely. All the things that had initially attracted him to her were still there. Her bright, easy smile, her dark yet expressive eyes, the direct, no nonsense attitude and the outrageous sense of fun and enthusiasm for life hadn't changed in the intervening years. In many ways she had grown more attractive with maturity. But he didn't understand her interest in the balding detective.

It was obvious to his trained eye that they were on intimate terms with each other. He could tell by the different ways in which she reacted to Ray and Fraser. She didn't tease the Canadian the way she did his friend. Though she sat between the two men, she never touched Ben. But she frequently made physical contact with Ray, even though they were just small things like a shoulder bump as she made some humorous comment or a light touch on his knee when she wanted to emphasize a point. And it didn't seem to bother her that the guy's ex-wife was sitting with them.

When the band took their final bows, Abbey was on her feet clapping and whistling her appreciation. As the applause died away she remained standing and looked at her companions.

"I'm gonna go get a beer. Anybody else want one?"

"I'll go with you," Alan offered.

Abbey was surprised to see Fraser stand up as well. "You want to join us?" she asked.

"No, I thought I'd find those, uh, 'facilities' you were mentioning earlier."

Alan wondered if he would hear her trademark line, 'hope everything comes out all right'. But when she remained silent his assumptions about her and Vecchio were strengthened.

She looked at the other two people. "Are you sure I can't get something for you while I'm up?"

Both Ray and Angie waved her off. "Nah, we're fine," he said.

"Okay, we should be back before Kitka takes the stage. If not, send Dief to find me," she instructed.

"So, you're looking well," Alan began as they walked towards a nearby beer vendor.

"Thanks. So are you."

"I take it you're not in the Air Force any more?"

"No," she chuckled. "I've been out for several years now. But I'm still in law enforcement."

"Oh? Is that where you met the boyfriend?"

Abbey's brow furrowed as she looked at her ex-husband. "Boyfriend?"

"Yeah, Vecchio, the cop. I thought maybe that's how you met him."

She stopped and let out a long hearty laugh. "I met Ray in seventh grade science class. We were pals all through high school. Granted he took me out on my first date but I don't think that qualified him for 'boyfriend' status even back then. We hooked up again last year when I was in town on business. He's had a rough year; saw two of his friends get killed less than a week apart from each other. And this is the anniversary of the day his younger brother ran away from home 18 years ago. So I said I'd come spend the weekend with him and try to keep his mind off melancholy thoughts."

"So you two aren't...?"

Abbey knew full well what he was referring to and bristled at his implication. "We aren't doing anything immoral, illegal or fattening. So don't gettin your boxers all in a bunch," she poked at him gently.

Alan knew full well that Abbey's definition of immoral wasn't the same as many people's so he still believed that she and Vecchio were more than just the buddies that she described. But they were at the vendor and he didn't want to pursue that line of conversation anymore. Instead he ordered two beers and then protested when Abbey pulled out a ten dollar bill to pay for them.

"What? I can't buy my ex-husband a beer?" She looked at the man behind the counter. "Is that illegal in the state of Illinois?"

"No ma'am. Not that I'm aware of."

"Okay then, it's settled. I'm buying this round since I'm the one who got up to go in the first place." She handed the counterman her money and then handed Alan his beer.

"So, you seeing anyone?" she asked as they walked back.

"No, I just recently moved to Chicago and I haven't had much time to get to know people yet."

"I hear ya. The Bureau has kept me so busy that just about the time I think I'm gonna put down roots, I'm headin' out again."

"The Bureau?"

"Yeah, as the the FBI, Federal Bureau of Investigations."

"You're a Fed?"

"Yes, Alan. I'm a Fed. I'm a G-man. I'm an FBI goon. I'm Special Agent Dr. Abigail Barnes at your service. And come Tuesday I'm going out to Washington D.C. for some special training; after which I have no idea where they'll send me. I might stay there. I might go back to Atlanta. Or they might even send me to Hawaii, though I doubt I could get so lucky."

"Sorry, I just never figured you for the type."

Several tart rejoinders rolled around on Abbey's tongue but she chose to remain civil. "Yeah well, sometimes people surprise you."

They were nearing the spot where Ray and Angie sat and Alan put a hand on her arm stopping her. She turned and looked up at the man she was once married to.

"Look, what I said back there," he nodded his head in the direction of the blanket, "I'm sorry I called you a slut. It was rude and insensitive and totally uncalled for."

Abbey considered his words thoughtfully. "Your apology is accepted." She paused just a beat before adding with a wicked grin, "But I'm not sorry I called you a eunich."

Angie and Ray watched as the other three went off on their separate ways. An awkward silence hung between them.

"So, how's the Riv?" Angie asked, not knowing what else to say.

"It's okay. How about the Mustang?"

"Al keeps it in good shape."

"That's good."

"Abbey seems nice," she said, switching the subject to something a little more personal.

"She's been a good friend."

"Oh?" Angie asked.

"Yeah, if it hadn't been for her and Benny, I'm not sure how I would have gotten through the last few months."

"Oh, the Zuko thing. I remember hearing something about that." The truth was, that with her new position in the Chief of Police's office, very little of what happened in the Chicago Police Department escaped her notice. She knew all about the deaths of Louis Gardino and Irene Zuko. She also knew better than most just how close the Windy City had come to a mob war that would have rivaled the skirmishes of the early part of the century. "I'm really sorry for your losses. But I'm glad that you had friends you could count on."

"Thanks. So how are you doin'?"

"Not bad. Being shot is no fun, as you know. But fortunately it was just a flesh wound."

"Ya know, I always wanted to say that."

"Doesn't every cop? Trust me, it's not all that fun. But the new assignment downtown is not too bad. Most people around there seem to value my perspective as a former beat cop."

"That's good. Sometimes I think the people in the big offices have forgotten what it's like to actually been down on the streets workin' cases."

"Some of them have. They try to make decisions based off of numbers and statistics and don't really understand what it takes to close a case and bring in a crook."

"Yeah, well, it's really good to see you. I'm glad that bullet didn't do any permanent damage."

"It's good to see you too, Ray. And I really am glad that you've got your friends to count on. That kind of support makes a world of difference."

"It sure does," he agreed.

Fraser had quickly found the facilities that Abbey had spoken of. The line was much shorter now and once he had finished, he decided to take a short walk before returning to his friends and their ex-spouses. He'd met Angie before but Ray rarely ever spoke of her. He wondered about the circumstances that led to the dissolution of their marriage. They seemed civil enough towards each other now. What had caused them to choose a divorce instead of trying to work out their troubles?

Abbey and Alan were an entirely different kettle of fish. Their words, though casually spoken, were ones of deep anger and distrust. Neither she nor Ray had ever spoken to him of her ex-husband. He surmised that Alan had misinterpretted Abbey's openness and demonstrative affections to be a lack of moral turpitude.

He could see how it could happen. She'd had no difficulty admitting to him that she and Ray had been lovers. In fact she'd been very honest and matter-of-fact about it. The memory of her standing up next to him as she had left earlier suddenly flashed through his mind. When she'd bent over to kiss him, it had put him on eye level with her considerable cleavage. But it wasn't a deliberate gesture meant to flirt with him. He'd seen enough of those to recognize one. In fact, it was as if she didn't even realize what she was doing. She was that comfortable with herself and her physicality.

Now as he stood at a slight distance from his friends, he watched her as she flopped down on the blanket and casually placed her head in Ray's lap. He couldn't hear them over the noise of the the other festival participants but whatever she said had prompted Ray to bend over and get face to face to respond before he dropped a grape in her open mouth. All four of them laughed as she sat up again. He watched her shake her dark curls into place and something in that gesture made him think of another woman with dark curls.

It was the only trait that Abbey had in common with Victoria. Physically, spiritually and emotionally they were as different as chalk and cheese. Victoria was taller and far more slender. Her features, though delicate, were still sharp compared to the roundness of Abbey. Whereas Abbey was quite obviously a 'giver', Victoria only sought to take. In that instant his memories were suddenly transported to a time when Victoria had shared his bed.

She had been a skillful lover. And though her actions seemed passionate, he knew now that they were fueled by a dark motive. Everything she had done to him in bed that night had been for one purpose, to entangle him in a web of lies and deceptions.

"She's very beautiful. No?"

The unfamiliar voice startled him out of his thoughts.

"Excuse me?"

"Your sister. She's a very beautiful lady."

Fraser turned and looked at the man who had spoken to him. He was slightly taller than the mountie with dark hair, a pencil thin mustache and expressive hazel green eyes. There was something familiar about the man that he couldn't quite place.

"I'm sorry. Do I know you?"

"Pardon me," replied the man with the thick Sicillian accent. "I'm Lou Scagnetti. I've been sitting near you and your sister for most of the afternoon. I couldn't help noticing how lovely she is."

"Are you referring to the young woman wearing the blue silk tank top?" he asked trying to make sure he knew what the man was talking about.

"Yes. She is your sister, no?"

"No."

"Oh, 'scusa. I assumed that she was a relative."

"No she's just a friend."

"Oh, I hope I haven't offended you. I was just so taken with her charm and her bright smile. She is very lovely."

Looking again at his friends, he saw that Abbey was not looking at him. Lou was right. Even at this distance, her smile was a beacon that called him from his loneliness. There was playful mischief in her eyes as she grabbed Diefenbaker and appeared to be speaking directly into his ear.

"Perhaps you would like to join us?" Ben offered.

The brief look of panic that flashed through the man's eyes were not lost on the Mountie. But he had no understanding of why it was there.

"No, thank you. Such a generous offer too. But I won't intrude on your party."

"Really, it would be no intrusion. And you could meet Abbey."

Though he wanted to learn more about this woman he'd seen the day before, he knew this was not the time or the place. "No, thank you anyway. Really, I must be going. Enjoy your day."

Ben stood and watched as the man disappeared into a small crowd of people. Shaking his head, he noticed that Abbey had released Diefenbaker and that the wolf was running directly towards him. He squatted like a catcher at home plate and let the wolf run into his arms, then ruffled Dief's fur in a gesture that surprised Abbey as she watched them.

When he returned to the group, he sat down in his vacated spot and immediately found Abbey's head in his lap. Had he not seen her act out this behavior with Ray, he would have been far more startled and uncomfortable.

"Okay Fraser, you're the only one here who hasn't offered this goddess a tribute. What are you gonna give me?"

It was apparent that he'd walked in on some kind of joke that the others had started in his absence. Emulating what he thought he had seen before, he leaned over and kissed her smiling lips.

Abbey could not recall a time in all her nearly thirty-six years that she had ever been so surprised. She was stunned motionless. Had this been any other man, she would have wrapped her arms around him and pulled him closer. But this was incredibly proper Benton Fraser of the RCMP. His playful invasion of her lips met with neither resistance nor compliance.

Fraser sensed immediately that something was not right. Blood rushed to his face and he could feel the blush that stained his cheeks bright red. He pulled away and saw Abbey's shocked stare boring into his eyes.

"Oh dear," he said quietly as he tugged on his left ear.

It was Alan who broke the silence. "Gee Fraser, the rest of us just fed her some fruit. Or is this some sort of friendly Canadian thing?"

Everyone laughed at his comment except for Ben and Abbey. The Mountie was too busy being embarassed and she appeared to be still dazed. Ray quit laughing when he saw the wide-eyed vacant look on his old friend's face and snapped his fingers under her nose.

"Abbey. You okay? Earth to Abbey..."

She blinked twice and then fixed a deep stare on Benton's face. "Have you and Ray ever been to Mexico?" she asked.

The men turned puzzled looks at each other and then both of them looked back at Abbey.

"No, why?" Ben asked.

"It was so weird. I just had this momentary vision of you wearing a poncho."

Both men were keenly aware of the significance of Abbey's visions but neither of them wanted to say anything in front of Angie or Alan.

"Okay Abbey, that's it. I'm cuttin' you off. No more beer for you," Ray joked.

Appreciating the easy 'out' Ray had just handed her she joined in the laughter and sat up again as Kitka took the stage.

The quintet remained together for a few more hours until Angie, claiming the desire to see her sister and her niece, excused herself. It wasn't long after that Alan also chose to make his exit, leaving just the three friends as they started.

"Okay, Abbey," Ray nearly pounced on her, "what's the deal with the poncho?"

"I don't know for sure, Ray. When Ben kissed me I had this brief flash of the two of you standing side by side wearing a poncho. And it left me with a sick feeling in the pit of my stomach."

There was a pause as both men stared at her.

"The vision, not the kiss," she added hastily.

"Okay, kiss her again, Fraser."

"What?"

"Ray!"

"Look, we don't have time to argue about this. Kiss her again."

"Absolutely not!" Abbey insisted. "Ray, you're being ridiculous. You know this isn't something I can force at will. It just happens. Now I'm telling you that I've seen something that bothers me. So in the future you'll know to avoid a situation that would put you in a poncho. Okay? So let's move on."

Though he would never admit it to anyone, and even had trouble admitting it to himself, Ben wanted to kiss Abbey again. He'd felt something in that contact that puzzled and intrigued him. Obviously there was more to this woman than met even his trained eye and he wanted to learn all about her. But he knew that she and Ray were quite close and to do so would be a violation of their friendship, just the way that responding to any of Francesca's overtures would be.

"Ben, are you okay?" Abbey asked noticing the pensive look on his face.

Startled back to reality he noticed both Ray and Abbey were staring at him. "Oh yes, I'm fine. Just lost in thought for a moment."

Ray, used to this behavior in his friend, accepted his explanation at face value but Abbey felt there was something deeper going on inside him and she wasn't sure she wanted to let him off the hook so easily. Her nine months of working in the student counseling center at Emory University had honed her skills as a therapist. She knew from the things that Ray had said as well as what she'd picked up from him on her own, that Ben had some deep seeded issues when it came to intimacy and relationships, especially those with the opposite sex. The question was whether or not he realized it.

She touched Ben's leg gently as she leaned toward him to speak quietly. "I'm willing to listen when you talk about what's bothering you."

"Understood."

Abbey then turned her attention to the four legged furry creature who lounged at her feet. She started rubbing behind his ears and down his neck. When she got to his withers he let out a deep breath that mimicked a sigh and completely relaxed under her touch. She smiled and continued to work her way down his back, to his back legs. She flipped him over so that all four paws stuck straight up into the air and his head drooped to one side. She massaged deeply into his well muscled hips and watched as Dief never flinched under the considerable pressure she applied to the joints.

"How do you do that?" Ray asked.

"Do what?"

"Make him so..."

"Submissive," Ben finished.

Abbey shrugged. "He trusts me. He knows I'm not gonna hurt him and that once I get through, he's gonna feel a lot better. Aren't you boy?"

She addressed her last comment to Diefenbaker who was now so relaxed that his eyes were closed and his tongue hung limply out of the side of his mouth.

"Well, I guess that's answer enough for me," Abbey stated as she looked at the supine lupine.

End of Part 11

It was late that night when Abbey pulled her new car up to the curb in front of Fraser's apartment building. Though the Mountie exited quickly, Diefenbaker seemed quite content to stay in the back seat. Repeated commands from Benton to get out of the car went unheeded. Finally Abbey turned in her seat to look at the wolf.

'Woooowwr' he whined.

Abbey stared at him for a few minutes and the pictures in his head became quite clear to her.

'Yes sweetie,' she thought, 'I'd like that too. But the timing isn't right. Maybe some other time.'

'Arrf' he responded.

'Wonderful. You do your part and I'll do mine.'

"Oh come on now, don't tell me you can understand him too." Ray's nasal whine interrupted her thoughts.

"And if you ask me, 'do you speak rhinocerous?' I'd say 'of courserous. Can't you'?" Abbey sang.

"All right Diefenbaker, I think you've taken up enough of Dr. Barnes' time."

Abbey could feel the Mountie distance himself from her by the use of her professional name. She wondered if he had understood Dief's thoughts as clearly as she had.

"Don't you mean Dr. Doolittle?" Ray grumbled.

Ignoring the bad tempered Italian, she focused her attention on his friend and leaned towards him to speak softly. "I wasn't kidding about being willing to talk about what was bothering you earlier today. When you feel the need to bend my ear, just let me know."

"Thank you kindly."

"Now Dief, out you go. I've gotta get Ray home before he turns into a pumpkin."

'Pumpkin' was not the image that was in Dief's head but Abbey would never share with anyone how the wolf actually had come to think of his pack leader's friend. Once he was safely out of the car and on the sidewalk with Fraser, Abbey put the car in gear and drove off.

"So what's wrong with the furball?" Ray asked once they were several blocks away.

"Oh he just wanted to spend the night with us. Nothing serious."

"With us?" Ray sounded incredulous.

"Well, with me, specifically. Believe it or not, you aren't the only one who enjoys my company."

The minute the words were out of her mouth, she knew they were the wrong ones. The pinched look on Ray's face reinforced the feeling. Something had unsettled him during the last few hours but Abbey wasn't sure what. Not knowing just what to say, she remained silent for the rest of the drive to his home.

It wasn't until she passed Ray in the hallway as she was leaving the bathroom, dressed in a comfy red night shirt, that he said anything to her.

"I'm sorry, Abbey."

"For what, Ray?"

"Actin' like a jerk."

She feigned a look of disbelief. "You? Act like a jerk? Never!"

"Hey, I'm tryin' to apologize here."

"I know you are, sweetie. But there's no need to. I wasn't exactly on my best behavior today either."

"Yeah, but..."

"Don't, Ray." She put a finger over his lips. "Let me take responsibility for this one. I know we both understand that you and I aren't necessarily about 'forever'. But that doesn't give me permission to act like a bitch in heat when other men are around."

"You weren't a bitch," he insisted, this time putting a finger over her lips and holding it there to keep her quiet. "I guess I wasn't exactly expectin' to see your ex-husband today and it really threw me for a loop. Ya know, I always thought if I ever met him, I'd punch him in the face or somethin' but I kinda like the guy. He seemed decent enough and you two seemed to get along well enough once you had some beer in you."

Abbey smiled and tried to say something but Ray's finger remained on her lips.

"And of course, havin' Angie there to witness it all, didn't help the situation. When we split up, she really couldn't have been nicer, all things considered. But it just floored me to see you walk up with her like you'd known each other forever. And then she starts askin' about you and it really made me think I should say that we're something more than just friends."

Abbey could stay silent no longer. She slipped Ray's finger into her mouth and rolled her tongue around it sensuously. Feeling no resistence to her gesture, she repeated the treatment to the other fingers of his hand until she was aware that he was getting weak in the knees.

"Now that I have your undivided attention," she began, "I don't believe in 'just' friends. As far as I'm concerned, anyone I call 'friend' is very special to me. I guess I've learned not to use that word lightly. But think of it this way. We're also lovers. We've been co-workers in a sense. And we've been a lifeline for each other. That's more than most people can say."

"Yeah, I suppose it is. So, do you wanna spend the night in my room or do you wanna sack out across the hall?"

"Your room is tempting but I'm feelin' kinda restless. I'm afraid I'd keep you up all night."

He leered at her engagingly. "That's what I was hoping for."

Abbey playfully shoved him away from her. "Ray, I'm serious. I can tell I'm gonna be suffering from twitchy legs and you probably don't want to be kicked a dozen times tonight."

"Okay, but if you need anything or change your mind, I'm just across the hall."

She stood on tiptoe to kiss his cheek. "Thanks Ray. I'll remember that."

Lou Scagnetti stood in the penthouse high atop Watertower Place. Looking at the window, he knew that Lake Michigan was far below him but he saw only his reflection in the glass.

Why had they sent him here? Didn't they realize how dangerous it could be? Dangerous in many ways, and the one that pounded in his head right now was the memories that flooded his brain. Chicago. The Windy City. Some said the name came from the Native American word for Land of the Broad Shoulders. Others claimed it translated to Land of the Stinking Onion. All he knew was that once upon a time, he had called it 'home'.

Lou thought of Abbey and their chance meeting. He'd purposely kept himself from female companionship for many years. His work was too dangerous and too time consuming. He knew that a woman would distract him from what had to be done. But damn it, he wanted to know more about this one. Something about her told him that she could be the one. She would understand. He could tell her everything, be totally honest and open with her and she would never judge his actions. She was an open and accepting woman.

And he wanted her in the physical sense as well. He'd watched her at the park, surreptitiously from behind the cover of both his sunglasses and his concert program. She was so different from the bimbo that Mando had gotten attached to. Everything about Candie was fake and plastic. From her bleached blonde hair to her fuschia acrylic nails to her silicone boobs. She seemed to take pride in the fact that she shared a plastic surgeon with Michael Jackson and that the doctor had sculpted her face and body so deeply. But Abbey, she was very real. Her beautiful curls and her ample curves were given to her by God. The silk blouse she had worn was scooped in the front, low enough to reveal a hint of cleavage. The thin fabric had draped sensuously across her body.

Questions swirled through his brain. Who was this woman? What was it that made him think he could trust her? And most of all, what was she doing at the park with him? Out of three million people in Chicago that she could have attached herself to, why did it have to be that one? Was this the 'friend' she claimed she was visiting? Was he truly just a friend? Or was there more to it?

Lou stared at the Waterford crystal tumbler in his hand and the drink that it contained. Irish whiskey in Irish crystal. Two things the damn leprechauns were good at were things to drink, and things to drink out of. He knew it amused many people that he rarely touched a glass of wine. It was a taste he never developed. But whiskey was one drink he'd never turn down. Sadly the amber liquid held no answers but only caused him to pose more questions. Setting the drink down on the glass topped table, he went to bed.

Abbey had barely knocked on the door twice before it opened and she was pulled inside. Once past the portal she found herself locked in a strong embrace, her lips captured in a passionate kiss. Strong hands pressed against her back, one moving up to entwine itself in her dark curls. She heard her name moaned as he released her mouth and began to cover her face and neck in kisses.

"Gee, are you surprised to see me?" she asked in her driest tone.

"Of course not. I've been dreaming about this moment," he admitted.

Abbey felt his hands grab anxiously at the hem of her shirt, pulling it over her head in one swift movement. Her delicate lace bra dropped from her body at his deft touch. His kisses trailed down her neck, across her collarbone and ended with his lips fastened eagerly to her breast. She gasped at the feel of his tongue on her nipple and arched her back in response. Her breath escaped her in ragged exhalations and excited moans. She felt herself being lifted into his arms and carried to his bed.

With two feet on the floor again, she divested him of the one piece of clothing that he slept in. And he acted in kind by sliding her shorts and panties over her hips to the floor and letting her step out of them. They fell to the bed together, arms and legs entertwined. She managed to pin him underneath her long enough to cover his body with kisses.

When she made her way to his groin, she stopped to marvel briefly at his thick uncut length. And it was only briefly before she had it in her mouth, running her tongue around and around it as she slipped her wet lips up and down.

The small part of his brain that was still able to think rationally and dispassionately told him that this was wrong. He should not be in bed with Abbey. But the rest of him didn't want this to end, though he knew that if he let her continue much longer, it would end very quickly.

"Abbey, please, stop."

"Hmm?" she responded continuing.

"I'm too close." He had to force his hands to reach for her and pull her up so that she was face to face with him. Though she was still on top of him and now pressing sensuously into his arrousal, the urgency he had felt seconds ago abated.

"What's wrong, Ben?" she asked.

What was wrong, indeed. He had hoped that by stopping the physical stimulation she provided that he would be able to think more rationally about his actions and stop them before they'd gone too far. But now with her lying on his chest, her soft brown eyes peering deeply into his face, he found that he still wanted her as much as he had when she walked in. It had been so long since a woman had arroused this kind of physical passion in him. But one thought wandered through his brain.

"Ray," he said.

"Ben, this isn't about Ray. It's about you and me and what we feel for each other at this moment. We both know what we want. There's nothing wrong with that."

"But--," he interrupted.

"But nothing. Ben, right now you have a woman in your bed who wants nothing more from you than this night of passion. No strings. No commitments. No regrets. No recriminations. Isn't that what you want too?"

His answer was a tight moan as he rolled over and let her gently slide from his body. He kissed and caressed every square inch of her, intuitively knowing the exact spots that would bring her the most pleasure and exploiting them shamelessly. Soon she was gasping so hard that he thought she might hyperventilate.

Abbey's body hadn't felt so alive in a long time. She felt like there were thousands of tiny bolts of lightening coursing all through her skin and meeting a one central location. Knowing she had to quench that fire soon, she concentrated all her strength into flipping Ben onto his back and straddling his hips. In one fluid motion, she captured him inside her and began moving her body up and down. He assisted by thrusting his hips in rhythm with hers.

Ben was certain he hadn't felt anything so exquisite in all his life. Not only was his body responding to her expert touch but his soul was filled with love and joy as he'd never experienced before. It was as if she were broadcasting her emotions and his heart acted as an antennae that sent the signal through space.

Soon their bodies were spent and their emotions were sated. Ben held Abbey in a loose embrace and kissed her gently.

"Thank you, Abbey."

"You're welcome, Ben."

It was Diefenbaker's incessant barking and whining that caused Ben to open his eyes. He rolled over expecting to see Abbey next to him but found himself to be the sole occupant of his bed. His heart sank at the thought that she had slipped out the door while he was asleep without so much as a 'good-bye'. Dief whined once more and Ben realized that he was not naked, rather that he was clad in a white t-shirt and starched white boxer shorts. When he noticed that the front of the boxers were damp, he realized that it had all been just a dream; a figment of his imagination.

A knock and a voice brought his attention to the door.

"Ben, are you in there?"

Dief barked a reply before Ben could open his mouth.

"Uhh, just a minute."

Quite embarassed at his current appearance, he quickly pulled on a pair of sweatpants.

Ben yanked open his apartment door to find Abbey, dressed in a t-shirt, shorts and tennis shoes, leaning against his door frame. In her hand she held a paper bag.

"Want some breakfast?" she asked holding up the sack.

Having no collar to adjust, he tugged on his ear and tried to stammer a reply while a deep blush stained his cheeks. The emotions that rolled off him hit Abbey like a tsunami.

"On second thought, maybe this wasn't such a good idea," she stated as she backed away.

"No, wait," he said grabbing her wrist to stop her retreat. "Please, come in. I'd like some breakfast very much."

"You're sure?" she asked.

Ben took a deep breath to try to settle his nerves. "Yes, I'm sure."

He led the way into the kitchen, indicating that she could put her parcel on the table. "Would you like something to drink? Bark tea, perhaps."

"Sure, whatever goes with bagels and cream cheese."

Soon they were seated at the table eating their meal.

"You know, Ben, when you opened the door, you looked surprised to see me but I don't think you really were. What's up?"

The Mountie blushed again. This time he stared down a the table and mumbled his reply. "Actually I was dreaming about you."

"Were you? That's interesting."

"Actually it was most... uh."

"Uh what, Ben?"

She knew the answer but wanted to see if he'd say it. He continued to visually inspect the tabletop.

"Ben, remember what I told you a couple of months ago in that diner? You can be honest with me. I can take it. In fact, it would be unwise to try and lie to me cuz I'd know anyway."

After a few more minutes of contemplation he looked into her brown eyes. "Abbey, I find myself very attracted to you in ways I don't understand. It's not like anything I've ever experienced before."

She stood up and flipped the chair around so she could sit and lean her arms against the back. "I can't say I'm surprised. As the author Richard Bach once wrote, 'like attracts like'."

"I thought the axiom was that opposites attract."

"Then it seems we're covered on both accounts."

"I don't follow you," he stated furrowing his brow.

"You and I, well, we're not as different as it may seem. Your mother died when you were very young, and your father was hardly ever around while you were growing up. My parents were killed just after I turned 18. Granted I had the benefit of their love and parental influence a little longer, but I was still devastated by their deaths. You joined the RCMP. The Air Force was my choice. But in the end, we both joined a highly disciplined organization to become cops. You hid in small outposts, far away from most human contact. I decided that globe trotting would keep me footloose and commitment free. I took every transfer that was offered to me and even asked for a few along the way."

"An interesting theory, but that doesn't explain why I've stayed in Chicago. I'm sure Ray's told you about my experience in Moose Jaw."

"Oh sure it does. The problem in Moose Jaw was personal, not geographical. But despite that, I think that Moose Jaw was wasn't too big. In fact, it wasn't big enough."

"How's that?" Ben seemed stunned that she seemed to know about his disasterous relationship with a fellow Mountie at that posting.

"You're only beginning to learn what I snagged on to a long time ago. It's just as easy to disappear in a big city as it is in a remote wilderness. In a town the size of Chicago, it's not hard to become invisible. Okay, from what I hear, you find that a little difficult some times but not always. Yesterday, for example, you were at the park, enjoying a concert, just like thousands of other people. You were dressed in jeans and a t-shirt and you just blended right in. There was nothing, other than your incredibly handsome features, to make you stand out in any way."

"Hmm, blend in, you say."

"Yep. Ben, think about it. When you boil it all down, we both have issues with abandonment and commitment."

"I certainly do not," he protested

"Yes, we do. What makes us different is that I cover up my insecurities by over compensating. I open myself up to anyone and practically everyone.

"You, on the other hand, maintain a polite acquaintanceship with people. Your neighbors, the guys at the precinct, your fellow Canadians at the consulate, those are casual, borrow-a-cup-of-sugar, kind of relationships."

She put one hand over his. "Another way in which we're alike is that I'm attracted to you too. And not just sexually, though that part is there."

Ben surprised her by not blushing at her comment though he did continue to stare at the table.

"A few hours ago, I was certain you had come here last night to share my bed. And when I first woke up, I thought you had slipped off without saying good-bye," he admitted.

"And how did you feel about that?"

"It made me very sad. Then when I realized it was just a dream, well, I'm not sure just how I felt."

"I once had a psychology professor say that all human emotion can be summed up in one of four words; sad, mad, glad or scared. Try picking one of those and see where it takes you."

Ben folded his arms across his chest and leaned back in his chair, stretching out his long legs in front of him. Abbey noticed that while he no longer stared at the table, he also still didn't feel comfortable enough to look at her either. Instead, he shifted his gaze to the opposite wall.

"I felt conflicted. At first I was sad that what I thought had happened was only a dream and not real. Then, when I saw you standing at the door, for a brief moment I was so happy. It was just the way I had dreamed it. And then I saw that bag in your hand, and I realized you weren't here for any physical activity. I suppose I felt ashamed of my assumption."

Abbey took a moment to think back to their encounter at the door. Guilt, sorrow and joy were the words she would have used to describe what he was feeling.

"Ben, would you look at me please?"

Reluctantly, he complied.

"All you have to do is say the words and I'll be in your bed faster than you can say 'Jack Robinson'. Like I said before, I'm tremendously attracted to you, too; physically, emotionally, spiritually, intellectually. But I won't push it. You're gonna have to be the one to initiate it."

"What about Ray?" Fraser forced himself to ask.

"What about him?"

"I thought you two were... intimate. Don't you feel that would be a violation of your relationship?"

Abbey smiled. "We are intimate. We share a bond that will last across several lifetimes. But in this lifetime, I'm not Ray's 'forever girl'. She's still out there waiting for him. She's strong, self sufficient, domestic. And she'll challenge him; challenge the way he thinks about a lot of things. And they'll have some real trials to get through, both separately and together."

"Sounds to me like you're describing yourself."

Abbey laughed out loud. "Oh hardly. I don't challenge Ray and I'm certainly not domestic. No, his forever girl will give him everything he wants; a stable home life and children."

"You sound so certain. How do you know?"

"Ben," she chided gently, "remember who you're talking to. I've seen them walking hand in hand along the shore of Lake Michigan, two children in tow and a third one on the way."

"Anything else you wish to share about this?"

"Yeah. For one thing, don't tell Ray. He needs to discover this woman on his own. Though it's funny. I get the feeling he's already met her."

"Could it be that you're seeing Angie?"

"No, I don't think so, though she does fit the type to some degree. And it seems that they are still amicable. Has he ever told you why they split up?"

"No, in fact, it was by accident that I even found out that he'd been married."

"Hmm, he's been a real clam about the subject around me too. But at any rate, I don't think it's Angie. I think it's someone else."

There was one other question Ben wanted to ask but couldn't quite bring himself to inquire directly.

"What about you? What does the future hold for Abbey?"

"God only knows and he ain't tellin'."

"No visions of any future relationships?"

"No. Though I'm hopeful that some intensive training with the folks at OSIR will allow me to use this talent a little more proactively. I mean, well, you know what I said when Ray insisted that you kiss me again yesterday. It would have been nice if I could have complied and known that it would have revealed the entire scenario. But I guess we'll just have to wait and see what they're able to train me to do."

"It would have been nice to kiss you again, no matter what the reason. I felt something during that brief contact and well... never mind," he said quietly as he realized that he'd begun to babble.

Abbey stood up and left her chair to stand by Ben's side. Bending slightly at the waist, she leaned toward him and and tentatively touched her lips to his. Prepared to feel him jerk away, she was surprised to feel him lean into the kiss and return it whole heartedly. She was even more shocked to find herself pulled into his lap; his arms holding her tightly against his body. He kissed her passionately and skillfully.

It was several minutes before they parted. Benton continued to hold her close to him.

"Does Ray know where you are?" he asked.

"No, his bedroom door was still closed when I got up this morning. When I started my walk this morning, I had no idea I'd end up over here. I just wanted to get some exercise and clear my head after everything that happened yesterday. The more I walked the more I knew I wouldn't get my head cleared unless I talked to you about what happened between us."

"You walked all the way over here?"

"Yup."

"Just to talk to me?"

"Guilty as charged. I knew there was something on your mind after Ray insisted you kiss me again. And then when Dief made his assertions that you and I should, uh, well, spend the night together, I figured I'd better take the bull by the horns or else I might never find out how you felt."

Ben looked down and shook his head. Feeling a long story coming on, Abbey took that moment to slide from his lap and return to her chair.

"I've not had much experience with the opposite sex. It was so different growing up in the Territories. There were so few people of my age around that we were all friends. It didn't seem right to pair off with anyone in particular. And since we were all friends, none of the girls looked at me the way others have. I think that's one of the reasons I was comfortable with you from the beginning. You never looked at me that way. Even though I'd heard stories from the officers Ray works with that you were quite, uhh, flirtatious. You never came on to me. You acted like I was just another friend of Ray's.

"Yesterday, you were so casual with me. You didn't treat me differently than anyone else. You made me feel like I actually belonged. That I wasn't an outsider looking in. Or some stranger in a strange land like I normally do. You shared your openness and your joy in living with me in equal measure without ever putting me on the spot with your antics."

"Oh I don't know. That whole head in the lap thing sure put you on the spot."

"That wasn't your fault. I had seen you do the same thing with Ray. I thought I saw him kiss you before he fed you. So when I was in the same position, I just did what I believed was expected. I hope I didn't embarrass you."

"The truth is, I enjoyed it very much. I was just shocked that you would even contemplate doing such a thing. And when you stopped, I had that blasted vision of you in the poncho. As I've said before, I'd like to explore what you felt at that moment but I won't push. I'll wait until you're ready. And if it never happens, I understand that as well."

He held her hands in his for a moment as he gazed into her dark brown eyes. "I'd like to explore it now, Abbey."

Both of them stood up and wordlessly turned to walk toward the bedroom. Pounding at the door stopped them.

"Benny! Benny, you home? I need your help."

Ray burst through the door just as Abbey and Ben dropped each other's hands. Both tried to keep a guilty look off their faces. Abbey was more successful than Ben. Fortunately, Ray didn't understand Diefenbaker's vocalizations or the whole story would have been made crystal clear.

Before she realized what had happened, Abbey found herself engulfed in Ray's tight embrace. She wrapped her arms around him loosely, returning the hug with some confusion.

"Good to see you too, Ray," she said in a strangled voice. "Now, can I get some air here please."

He released her and then looked at Fraser. "Have you two been here all morning?" he asked.

"Uhh, yes, Abbey dropped by and brought breakfast with her." He nodded at the table where the remains of the bagels and bark tea could be seen.

Abbey immediately began to apologize. "I'm so sorry Ray. I never dreamed you'd be worried. I just went out this morning to take my walk and try to get some things worked out in my mind. Next thing you know, I ended up in Fraser's neighborhood. So I picked up some bagels and cream cheese and decided to come talk to him and see if he could help."

"Yes," inserted Fraser, "and it's a good thing she did because I was wrestling with some issues myself."

Ray virtually ignored Fraser but instead held Abbey's hands and stared holes into her. "And you didn't think you could talk to me about your problems cara? I thought we were best friends."

She could hear the hurt in his tone. With one hand she reached up and caressed his cheek. "Oh Ray, you've been so patient with my whining. I didn't want to bore you with my troubles. I was just looking for some fresh perspective. Besides, as Benton said, he was trying to deal with some things too so it was nice to be able to help him out."

Ray looked at his Canadian friend. "Oh and what was keeping you up last night Benny?"

"I'm afraid I was," Abbey answered.

Both men looked shocked at her admission. Ben thought she was going to tell about his dream. And Ray was afraid he would hear something he wasn't prepared to learn about his friends.

"It seems Ben really took to heart my vision about the poncho. I gave him as much detail as I could but you know how this works. It's like looking into a room and getting a quick glimpse before someone slams the door in my face. But hopefully, armed with this knowledge, you two can stay away from any situations involving a poncho."

Both men's faces showed relief but for different reasons. Ben noticed that Ray had not let loose of Abbey since he'd first entered the apartment. He wondered about her assessment of her relationship with his friend. To him it seemed that Ray was quite posessive of her.

"Well," Fraser stated, "thank you kindly for breakfast, Abbey."

"My pleasure. Thank you for taking the time to talk with me."

Abbey removed her hand from Ray's grasp long enough to turn to Fraser and reach out to give him a hug. He bent over to return her embrace and was rewarded by a kiss on the cheek.

"Are you sure you're not the forever girl?" Ben asked quietly as he hugged her.

"I'm sure. But it looks like I've still got to convince Ray."

"Thank you for your discretion earlier."

"You're welcome."

Ben released Abbey and straightened up. He watched as Ray protectively put an arm around his petite friend and walked with her out of the apartment. Diefenbaker voiced the frustration that the Mountie so keenly felt.

"All right, Ray, just what the hell was all that about?" Abbey demanded as they exited Fraser's apartment building and got into his car.

"What are you talking about?" he asked.

"Tracking me down and escorting me out of there like I needed some kind of protection from Fraser. Or worse yet, he needed protection from me."

"I don't know what you're talking about. I came over here to see if Benny and Dief could help me find you. I was afraid you'd gotten mugged or something. You'd been out since dawn."

"So what? Is that some sort of crime?"

"And why in the name of God did you go see Benny?"

"Because I wanted to fuck his brains out. What did you think?" she replied sarcastically.

Ray's hands dropped from the steering wheel and his shoulders slumped visibly.

"Oh my God, that's exactly what you thought, isn't it?" she deduced.

Blood rushed to Ray's face, causing him to blush just as deeply as his Canadian friend ever had.

"Let's just say that the thought had crossed my mind, yes. I mean, the way you flirted with him yesterday and all and it made me wonder if maybe..."

"Ray, I flirt with everybody. It's just the way I communicate; like some people who always yell. And besides, we're talking about Ben here," she prevaricated.

"Yeah, Benny." Ray knew that despite the innocent Mountie act that Fraser sometimes pulled, he was no virgin. And he still wasn't sure that his friend and his youngest sister hadn't had a go at each other.

"But you know what he told me? He liked the fact that I treat him so casually, just like everybody else. I don't single him out for my attentions, he just gets them along with everyone else. He said I made him feel included."

Abbey laid her hand gently on Ray's knee. "I'm not going to lie to you, Ray. I am attracted to Ben. But I swear to you on my parents' graves that all I did was kiss him. And that shouldn't come as any shock to you."

"Yeah," he admitted grudgingly.

"Ray? Are you jealous?"

"No!"

"Ray?"

"Okay, maybe a little. No, I'm not. Not the way you think."

"Tell me."

"I'm just afraid that if you and Fraser, uhh, well, you know, you won't want me anymore."

"Ray, I can't imagine ever not wanting you in my life. You're my friend and I'll always love you. Who I choose to spend time with when you're not by my side, will never change that. Even when you're old and gray and have grandchildren vying for your attention, you'll always be my friend."

Ray reached across the expansive front seat of the Riviera and pulled Abbey into a warm embrace. They sat there for several minutes, just enjoying the comfort of their friendship before they released each other.

"I'm not too sure about the grandkids part though. Doesn't look like it's gonna happen."

"Oh Ray," she chided.

The detective grabbed her by the hands and stared at her intently. "Make a pact with me, Abbey."

"What?" she asked surprised by his actions.

"Make a pact with me. If we're both still single when we turn 40, promise me that you'll come to Chicago and we'll get married."

"Ray!" Abbey exclaimed.

"C'mon Abbey, say yes."

"No."

"Why not?"

"Ray, where is this coming from?"

"What do you mean?"

Suddenly Abbey recalled their conversation from Friday afternoon.

"Let's go back to the house and talk."

"Talk?"

"Yeah, it looks like Fraser and I aren't the only ones who have abandonment issues."

Despite Ray's urgings to talk to him, Abbey remained silent on the short drive back to his home. They settled in the living room; Abbey at one end of the sofa and Ray at the other. She sat sidways, with her feet up on the cushion and her back against the arm of the couch so she could watch her friend.

"Okay, we're here. Now will you please tell me what the hell you're talking about?"

Abbey took a deep breath before she began to relate the discoveries into Ben's psyche that she had made that morning and how they parralleled her own fears. Ray sat perfectly still throughout her discourse, never interrupting her but listening closely until she finished.

"Okay, this is all very interesting but what does it have to do with me?"

"Ya know, maybe I'd better forget the FBI. I could be makin' big bucks just analyzing my friends."

He smiled weakly and sarcastically.

"Ray, you've got the same issues going on in your life. I don't know why I never saw it before. But it's plain as the nose on your face."

He stuck his tongue out at her choice of words.

"Sorry, but it is. I'll admit that I don't remember a whole lot about your brother. As you said, he spent a good deal of the time we knew each other in various juvenile facilities. But I do remember a few times when he was around and the two of your were thick as thieves. Can you honestly say that you didn't feel abandoned when he just disappeared like that?"

"Yeah, I suppose. I guess I just never looked at it that way. You know, at first, we were sure he had just run away again. And then when he didn't come home and we didn't get a call from some police station somewhere telling us to come get him, we figured he'd been abducted. It's the only way to account for him disappearing so completely and permanently.

"Ma kept beating up on herself for letting the cops treat this like any other runaway. And Pop. Well, don't even get me started on him."

"Sweetie, you're already started. Go ahead."

"He thought this was all very amusing. You know, he almost seemed to take some kind of perverse pleasure whenever Nick got in trouble with the law. As far as I know, he never actually encouraged him. Or at least not outright. But you could tell that he was almost proud of the kid's antics."

"How about you?"

"What about me?"

"Were you ever proud of him?"

Ray exhaled slowly and ran one hand across his head. "Not too often. But I love him. And I miss him."

Abbey watched as tears began to form in her friend's eyes.

"Oh God, Abbey. I wanna know what happened to him. I just want to know if he's dead or alive."

She couldn't remain the dispassionate observer anymore; not when her friend was hurting so obviously. She reached out and pulled him to her, letting him fall over and put his head in her lap while he purged himself of his sorrow.

"I know, sweetie. I can feel it. And I'm so very sorry for treating you so poorly last year. I had no idea what you'd gone through with Nick's disappearance. You kept telling me you understood how I felt about my family abandoning me and I just didn't believe you. I wish I'd known then what I know now. I'd have certainly done things differently."

Ray's sobs had stopped but he remained where he was, letting her soothe him.

"I give you my word, as long as I'm alive and you want me around, I'll always be your friend, your lover and your confidant. I'll move heaven and earth for you."

"What about Nicky? Anything you can tell me there?"

Abbey bit her lip and remained silent.

"You know something. I can tell when you're holdin' back on me. Spill."

"Ray, I'd hate to raise your hopes and then find out that I'm wrong."

"What? Give it up!"

"I don't think he's dead. I don't know *why* I think that since I really have nothing to go on. But there's this tickling in the back of my brain that says he's alive and well and... in Chicago." Her last two words amazed even her.

"You're kiddin'."

"No Ray, I'm not.

The detective sprang from the couch and ran to the phone. "My God, I've gotta call the precinct. I've gotta get somebody on this right away."

"Ray," Abbey called to him.

"God, do you know how much I love you right now?

"Ray," she repeated standing up.

"Yeah, this is Detective Ray Vecchio. Get me missing persons," he said into the receiver.

"Ray!" Abbey shouted, pushing her finger down on the button to disconnect the phone call.

"Hey! What'd ya go and do that for?"

"Ray, listen to me. You're over-reacting in the extreme. You can't put out a city wide manhunt in a population of three million people just because I think your long lost brother might be here."

"Why not?"

"Think about it. Who are you gonna look for? Dominic Michael Vecchio? Sweetie, he's been gone nearly twenty years. If anyone still knew him by that name, he'd have surfaced a long time ago. *If* I'm right, and that's a very big 'if' at the moment, he's completely changed his identity. Let me work on this through some different channels."

"Feds?"

She nodded. "After the holiday, I'll call George and ask him to do a little discreet inquiry for me on the side. If he comes up with anything, then I'll be the first one to call the Chicago P.D. But let me see what I come up with first."

"Tuesday? You're gonna make me wait two more days?"

"I talked to George last week. I know he's outta town for the weekend and he won't be back until late tomorrow night. But I promise I'll call him first thing Tuesday morning. Honey, it's less than 48 hours from now."

"All right. But I'm gonna hold you to your promise. First thing Tuesday morning."

"First thing," she repeated. "But for now, I'm gonna go upstairs and take a shower. And then we can make plans for the rest of the day."

"Okay," Ray sighed.

"You gonna be all right? Or do I need to take you upstairs with me where I can keep an eye on you and make sure you don't do anything rash.

"Well," he said smoothly, "in order to do that, you'd have to take me in the shower with you."

"And you're objecting?" she asked with arched eyebrows.

"Not on your life."

Ray grabbed her hand and practically dragged her up the stairs to the bathroom.

Tuesday morning, Abbey was on the phone at 7:00 a.m. taking advantage of the one hour time difference between Chicago and Atlanta. Ray stood next to her listening to her side of the converstation.

"George, it's Abbey. How was your trip?...

"Really? Outstanding. Glad to hear it. ...

"Well, I need a little favor. Actually I need a big favor. You up for it?...

"Yes, I will owe you, but you know I always pay my debts. ...

"Okay here's the deal. I have a photograph of someone that was taken nearly twenty years ago. I need it aged in about three year increments up to about age 35. And I need each of those increments checked against every database you've got at your disposal. And if you can hack into a few others, I'd be grateful. ...

"Well, of course I need it ASAP. You're surprised about that? ...

"I know this isn't something you're gonna be able to do quickly. I'm not looking for instant results here. I just want to know as soon as you do. ...

"Look, I'm gonna be taking off for OSIR just after lunch. Anything you learn, you can e-mail to my Yahoo account. ...

"Thanks, George. Love you!"

Hanging up the phone she looked at Ray. His eyes seemed greener than ever.

"Don't get your boxers all in a bunch. He's gay. The trip this weekend was to meet his companion's family in Florida."

"I wasn't gonna say a word."

"No, I'm sure you weren't. You didn't have to. Your eyes changed color."

"Okay, maybe a little." Ray hugged her tightly to him. "What am I gonna do when you're gone?"

"Hmm, catch up on your reading? Take up building model ships in bottles?"

"Throw myself into my work?"

"And drag Ben along with you?"

"More likely that he'll be dragging me into cases that I have no business getting involved in."

"Well, just remember. Stay away from ponchos and you should be okay."

"I promise to never willingly wear a poncho," he said raising his right hand.

"Good boy."

"Okay, now that we have that taken care of, I'm all yours for the next five hours. What do you want to do with me?"

"Take you back to bed and never let you go."

"And the survey says 'urrrrnh'. Sorry not an option."

"Abbey, please. Just one more time before you leave," he pleaded while nuzzling her neck.

"Good God! I thought guys hit their sexual peak at age 17. Here it is almost twenty years later and you're still wanting it daily."

"I know. I'm incorrigible. But we don't know when we're going to have a chance to do this again. I mean, after all, I'm a cop. I could be dead tomorrow," he said plaintively.

"With those kinds of lines, you're lucky you're still alive," she teased.

"C'mon Abbey. A year ago, you were practically ripping my clothes off me. What's different now?"

That was a question she didn't want to answer. The truth was that while the sex was fantastic, she didn't want to bind him to her any tighter than he already was. She wanted to make sure his heart was free and available when he met his forever girl.

"You're not answering me," he prodded.

"We're both different now, Ray. A lot has happened in the past twelve months. Irene's death. My eventual return to the FBI. I'm just not sure why we're doing this."

"Well, I don't know about you, but I'm doing this because I think you're one incredibly sexy lady, with a wicked sense of humor and a 'don't bullshit me' attitude. In short, though the times may have changed, you haven't changed since I met you. You're stlll the same fireball I started making out with at Lucy SanAngelo's graduation party."

"Oh, aren't you the sweet talker?" Abbey responded in the mock southern accent she had developed from living in Atlanta.

Ray pulled her into a warm snug embrace. "How about it, Abbey? Just one more time before we have to say good-bye?"

"You are brash, bold, obnoxious, whiney, charming and entirely too sexy for your own good. Looks like you've stayed pretty much the same too."

"Is that a 'yes'?"

"That's a 'yes'."

Ray leaned over to kiss the back of her hand. When he released her from the caress of his lips, he continued to hold her hand while he bent over even farther and put his shoulder into her rib cage. Before she could even form a protest, he had her perched on his shoulder and was carrying her up to his room.

Gently he laid her down on his bed and then joined her. He took pleasure in kissing her sweet face for the longest time. All the while, his hands gently roamed over her body, caressing and stroking all the sensitive spots he'd come to know so well. Usually their lovemaking was wild, unrestrained and passionate. But today he wanted to take his time, to savor the gift she was giving him for he was certain it would be a long time before he ever had it again.

Slowly he peeled off the navy blue t-shirt she had put on after her shower. Underneath, he was not surprised to find a navy blue satin and lace bra. He knew well that she was a lingerie fiend; just as he knew that when he finally got there, she would be wearing a matching pair of satin and lace panties. He caressed her breasts through the fabric of her bra, watching her squirm with pleasure under his touch. When he finally reached behind her to unfasten the garment, she arched her back to allow him easier access.

Breasts now bared, he kissed them and nibbled over their soft, smooth countours. He smiled as Abbey moaned her approval of his actions. Her passionate noises spurred him on to make absolutely certain that there wasn't a square millimeter of her breasts that weren't covered by his kisses.

With tantilizing slowness he kissed his way down to her navy blue shorts. These he eased off her hips but left the panties in place. He chose to use them for the tactile sensations they caused as he gently stroked her belly and hips. The satin was smooth and silky against his fingers as he caressed her. The lace was soft but increased the friction that his fingers caused as they trailed their way down between her legs.

Ray knew that her ankles and the back of her knees were especially sensitive and these he exploited shamelessly. Abbey was thrashing about on the bed as he continued to love all over her body. She begged him to stop but, of course, he ignored her. He wanted, in some way, to repay her for all the joy she had brought to his life.

When he finally lifted his lips from her body for a moment, she took a deep breath and launched herself at him. She was as fierce as a badger and tried unsuccessfully to strip him of the white shorts and polo shirt that he wore. Soon he had her pinned on the bed again, her arms held above her head by his strong hands.

"Nope, not this time, Abbey. Today is all for you; all the pleasure I can coax out of you. Just let me do this one little thing for you today and then we can call it even steven."

"Even steven?"

"Yeah, it's a Canadian phrase I picked up."

"Ray, really. I'd rather you let me participate in this somehow."

"You *are* participating. I couldn't do this by myself, you know.

"I was thinking along the lines of a little more active participation."

"No way, Abbey. I meant what I said. This morning is all about you. Now just lie there, relax and let me please you."

Knowing there was no way she was going to win this argument, she did as she was told. She took a deep breath, closed her eyes and forced her body to relax. When Ray felt her muscles release their tension, he let go of her arms, trusting that she would let him proceed.

Once again he kissed his way down her body, this time peeling off her panties and tossing them aside with the rest of her clothing. Though his erection strained at the front of his shorts, he knew the only way to keep any semblance of restraint was to remain clothed. And he wanted to restrain himself long enough to give Abbey a morning of passion she wouldn't soon forget.

Abbey gasped as she felt the last piece of clothing swept away from her body. His kisses aroused her so much that she was writhing on the bed. Then she felt his hand gently stroking her thighs and pelvis and knew where he was headed. Yet she still gasped as she felt him reach between her legs and find a very hot and moist crevice waiting for him. Without conscious thought, she spread her legs and allowed him easier access. She knew from previous experience what would happen next and she looked forward to it.

Soon fingers were replaced by tongue. Abbey moaned as she felt Ray's lips kissing her most intimate spot. She had almost forgotten just how good he was at this particular act. She was already at a pinnacle of pleasure & this was guarranteed to push her over the edge. She felt herself riding the ragged edge of an orgasm and tried to resist.

As if sensing her resistence to let go and lose herself to the passion he had arroused, Ray doubled his efforts. Expertly he kissed and licked the most sensitive spot on her body and concentrated on these few square millimeters of flesh and nerve ending until finally something had to give. It did and it was Abbey. She caved in to the sensations and gave herself to a climax that surprised even him.

Her body was wracked with the shuddering convulsions that he had first seen her experience a year ago. It was as if she were surfing a huge wave that was taking a long time to dissipate and come to shore. And he knew that the best thing he could do for her right now was simply to ride it with her; not creating any further stimulation but not losing contact with her either. When her body went limp on the bed and her breathing was barely a shallow whisper, he curled by her side and held her gently in his arms.

It was a full fifteen minutes later before she felt she could pull herself together enough to form a simple two word sentence.

"You're good," she said.

"Yeah, and you always did have an amazing grasp of the obvious," he teased.

"You do realize that turn about is fair play now, don't you?"

"Nope. Not today. Like I said before, this morning is all about you."

"Ray," she protested.

"Hush, nothing gives me more pleasure than seeing you like this."

"This?" she asked disbelieving him.

"Yes, this."

"But c'mon. Maybe I'd like to see you like this."

"And you will. But we're gonna do it my way."

"Okay, but you realize that I'm only giving in cuz this is my last day in Chicago and I don't know when I'll get to see you again."

"Thank you for humoring me," he acknowledged. "Now are you ready to go at it again?"

"Can I get a drink of water first?"

He laughed at her but rolled over and allowed her to leave the room for a moment. When she returned she sailed onto the bed, attempting to pin him beneath her while she showered his body with kisses and caresses. This he allowed for only a few minutes. The truth was that the mere sight of a naked Abbey in a playful mood excited him so much that his arrousal was showing instantly.

They wrestled around on the bed for several minutes until finally she was the one who was pinned, on her stomach. Ray kneeled above her, sitting on her buns in victory. With gentle hands he stroked her back and shoulders and whispered endearments in both Italian and English. He watched as tiny goosebumps popped up on her skin in reaction to his featherlight touch and listened to her gentle moans of appreciation.

Scooting backwards he let his fingers trail down her spine to the two wonderful globes of flesh that he had just been sitting on. This, he thought, was one of Abbey's finest features. Everything about her suggested roundness and softness. And her hips and ass were no exception. They simply completed the line begun by the fullness of her breasts. And he knew that she was very sensitive right where the top of her leg met up with the rest of her body. So he spent several minutes teasing and caressing this line.

Abbey felt his arm reach under her belly, lifting her gently. She smiled wickedly as she realized what Ray wanted to do and compliantly raised herself to her hands and knees. She felt his long slender length teasing at her opening. Wriggling her butt, she teased him back, never quite letting him have a clean shot at his target. Then she felt him pressing against her tightly and she held still long enough to let him enter.

Feeling Ray thrust into her from this angle made Abbey gasp with delight. The only thing she regretted was that she couldn't see his face. It always thrilled her to watch her lover and observe the expressions that he exhibited. And with him behind her she just couldn't experience that. But it did play somewhat to Ray's advantage, Without him to look at, all her concentration was focused on her own pleasure.

And at this moment she was feeling quite pleased. She didn't know for sure just where he had gained this knowledge but she was thankful that he was willing to share it with her. He was as skillful a lover as she'd ever had and there was the bonus of the deep emotional bond that they shared. A brief moment of pain stabbed through her heart, knowing that she would not be the one who would so intimately share the rest of this life with him. But she covered it quickly so that he wouldn't pick up on it. Better to focus on the passion that they shared here and now, in the present and not worry about the future.

She felt him reach around her with one hand and stroke her breasts and roll her very sensitive nipples between gentle fingers. Moaning her appreciation, she leaned back into him and moved her hips sensuously from side to side. She could feel him so deeply inside her that she would just die from the pleasure of it. His hand traveled down her torso and gently crossed her belly. She wondered what he had in mind when his hand finally rested in that narrow crevice between her legs where his tongue had been earlier and he began to stroke her gently.

"Oooh, not fair," she gasped.

"All's fair in love and war," he chuckled.

At that moment she didn't have the capacity to argue with him. She felt another orgasm beginning deep inside her. It was as if her earlier climax had merely primed the pump and this one was going to bring the geyser. For several long seconds she did nothing but focus on the intense sensations he was causing her until the passion exploded from her in great waves of energy.

Even Ray was surprised by the intensity of her climax. And it ignited his own sensations so that by the time she was spent, he had just begun.

"Abbey!" he called as he thrust deeply into her over and over again.

Abbey smiled and managed to remain on all fours until she was sure that all his energy had been spent and then she collapsed, face first on to his bed. He barely had the presence of mind to lean slightly to the left when he collapsed so that he would not fall on top of her.

It was nearly an hour later when they both opened their eyes and looked at each other. Ray was still holding on to Abbey's wrist. But the bonds of their friendship held them closer than any physical touch ever could.

Abbey stood by the door to her new car, her luggage all stowed in the surprisingly roomy trunk, and looked at Ray. 'Damn,' she thought, 'I sure am gonna miss him.'

"You gonna miss me?" he asked.

"And you say you have no intuition," she answered. "Of course I am."

"You don't *have* to go you know. You could stay here and apply with the CPD."

"You're wrong about that, Ray. This *is* something I have to do. I've known that since last September. I tried to hide from the fact but Irene's death made it very to clear to me what I'm supposed to be doing with my life. And this is the best way for me to do it. I'll get really good with this talent that my brain has developed and then I'll work with the Bureau puttin' the bad guys away."

Ray's face showed what he thought of the FBI.

"They're not all a bunch of incompetent boobs. You seemed to like Bailey. And you have to admit George is a real whiz."

"I'll admit that when he finds Nick."

"If he's still out there, George will find him. I'm sorry that the Chicago office has turned you so against the Bureau, though I can see why. They do seem to have more than their share of assholes. But really, it's not such a bad organization to work for. And you know I can take care of myself, right?"

"Yeah, you can. But I'd still be happier if you stayed here and let me take care of you."

Abbey wrapped her arms around her friend in a warm embrace and held him for several minutes before pulling back far enough to look up into his face.

"That's very sweet of you to say so. But you've got bigger and better things to do than look after little old me. Trust me. I've got a hunch," she said wink.

Tossing her purse into the passenger seat of the car, she opened the door and started to get in. Ray stopped her for one last kiss, making sure it was more than just friendly. His tongue traced circles around her lips and probed deeply into her mouth. Abbey fought hard not to respond but couldn't resist and returned the passion to him.

"Damn, you're gonna make sure I don't think of anything else but you for the next week," she protested.

"That's the idea."

"Good-bye, Ray," she said as she got in the car and started the engine.

"Call me when you get to D.C.," he instructed.

"Will do," she replied pulling away out of the driveway.

Abbey had one stop to make before she left Chicago. Maneuvering her car down the street of the old neighborhood, she noted that there was a black Lexxus in the driveway next to the Zuko house. Fortunately, the convertible handled well and she was able to make a quick adjustment and park next to the curb in front of the house. Grabbing her purse, she exited the car and practically skipped up the driveway.

To her surprise, the door to the house opened just as she was reaching for the doorbell. Even more surprising was who opened the door.

"Hello, I didn't expect to you see you again," Frank said.

"Hi, I'm on my way out of town and I was wondering if you had just a minute."

"Not really, no."

"Okay, then I'll only take thirty seconds. I've spoken to someone in Atlanta who will talk the the folks at OCB and see if they can't help you with your request."

Abbey looked at her watch and found she still had about fifteen seconds to spare. Frank looked supremely nervous and she wondered what he was up to. She suspected there was someone inside he didn't want her to see. And he didn't seem anxious for anyone to see her. She wondered if he was having second thoughts about getting out of his father's business.

"Or I can place another call and say that I was mistaken?"

"Uh, no, you're not mistaken. I'm just very busy with a personal matter right now."

"Okay, just wanted you to be informed. But as of this moment I am officially out of the loop. If you get any help, it won't be from me."

She turned to leave but Frank caught at her arm.

"Thanks, Abbey. I'm grateful."

"I'm not doing this for you, Frank. I'm doing it because of Irene."

"I figured as much, but I'm still grateful."

"Fantastic. See ya 'round. And thanks again for the car."

"Glad you like it," he called to her as she ran down the driveway.

Frank returned to his study and poured two glasses of scotch. He sat in one of the leather wing back chairs and handed a glass to the man in the other seat.

"So, Lou, what shall we toast."

"We'll drink to a successful business merger."

Lou Scagnetti had barely left the driveway of the Zuko home when he picked up his cell phone. Punching in a two digit speed dial code, he was almost instantly connected.

"Yeah, this is Lou," he reported, his Sicillian accent completely gone and replaced by one that would more closely identify him with New Jersey. "I'm finished with Zuko. Everything went like clockwork. Well almost."

"What do you mean, 'almost'?" answered the other voice.

"Just a slight interruption. He wasn't gone for more than a minute or two tops. Some chick came over for a visit but he got rid of her really fast."

"Were you seen?"

"No way. The lay-out of the house wouldn't allow for it. And I made sure to stay away from both the doors and windows."

"Good, we can't afford to let this one go sour."

"It won't. I'm a professional here. Everything's arranged. Zuko will be totally out of business by the end of the year. And The Bookman will take care of all the paperwork."

"And he has no idea of what's really goin' down?"

"Frankie? He ain't that smart."

"Okay then. Come back home and we'll celebrate over a big dinner and a glass of wine."

"Right. I'll call you as soon as I land in Las Vegas."

As he stowed his carry-on bag in the overhead compartment of the Boeing 747 his thoughts returned to Abbey and their unexpected meeting. Thinking hard, he tried to determine why she seemed so familiar to him but couldn't. He wondered if she were one of the girls he'd met at the commune in Oregon. Sadly most of the memories of those months were lost in a drug induced haze.

Ruefully he laughed. He'd been such a fuck-up back then; back when all he lived for was the ever popular sex, drugs and rock-n-roll. He wondered if his inability to remember what should have been key elements of his earlier life was due to the way he had abused his mind and his body. But look at him now. Here he was in a very expensive tailor made suit, carrying Louis Vuitton luggage and riding first class in a jumbo jet. His position with the organization commanded respect in the eyes of many.

Silently he thanked God that Teresa Moonscrye had been the one he'd approached that day in Las Vegas. Hoping to panhandle enough cash to score some drugs, he'd stopped her to ask for some spare change. She inspected him closely, like a butcher sizing up a side of beef. Not being willing to just give anyone cash, she'd offered him quite a bit of money if he'd come back to her home with her and do some chores. Lou hadn't minded. He was used to hard work and she seemed nice enough.

"More than nice," he said to himself as he settled into his seat. She had seen the untapped potential in him. It was she who had helped him turn his life around. She had schooled him, not only in the usual academic subjects but also in the ways of the sun, the moon and the earth. It was she who had made it possible for him to attend the University of Nevada. And it was that college degree that had led him to this job.

He heard the squeak of the PA system and directed his attention to the flight attendant who gave the usual chat about flight safety and emergency procedures. He'd heard the same speech too many times in the last few months. Half way through he tuned her out and began to let his thoughts wander to a petite brunette with dark curls and soulful brown eyes.

'Yes,' he thought, 'I'll go home and talk to Teresa and see if she can divine who this beautiful creature really is.'

The End.