This is "Trouble And The Riv", the second story to The Trio Series. Actually, the first piece of DS fiction that I ever archived and sent to the DSF-L. Anyway, enjoy. Again. : )

Trouble And The Riv
Number Two in The Trio Series

SmileyFace

Email: LSky84@aol.com

Flames will be used for toasting marshmallows, otters will given to my friends as Christmas presents. Nice comments will make me smile.

______________________________________



"Benny, we're in trouble."

"In what sense?"

"Fraser, the Riv has a flat, I don't have a spare, and it's about to pour in any minute! Does that mean ANYTHING to you?"

"Ray, calm down. I'm sure some foot patrol will come by on our unhappy situation!"

"On the middle of a dirt road?"

"Yeah, Benny! On the middle of a dirt road in Illinois, USA? Has it ever occurred to you that your now in the States? We don't have foot patrols down here, Fraser!"

"Well, as I recall, you do have ---"

"Shut up!"

"Understood, Ray."

Ray Vecchio slumped on the steering wheel of his 1971 green Buick Riviera. Meg Thatcher sighed in the passenger's seat next to him as she stared out the window. Benton Fraser closed his eyes in the back seat and tried to think of a plan, while his wolf, Diefenbaker, slept next to him, as if he didn't have a care in the world.

"Well, we could always walk," Fraser suggested. Meg raised her eyebrows, and Ray turned to his friend.

"Thirty miles, Fraser? Thirty miles of road and no shelter within that range? And besides, I'm NOT leaving the Riv. You can go. I'll rot here first," Ray answered, tapping his fingers against the smooth wheel cover. "Wish we never took the back route!" he added mostly to himself. Meg ran her hand through her silky hair.

"Why are we here again, Ray?" she asked, a bit annoyed that she had come along. Then again, she didn't have a choice.

"Remember? We had to go to this 'official meeting' Agent Ford wanted us to attend because of the bank robbery," Ray reminded. Meg sighed.

"Ah, yes. The wonderful Ford," she said under her breath. Agent Ford had moved his office 30 miles away from Chicago. Fraser shifted in the back seat. Meg looked back at him. "Do you want to switch? I'm a bit smaller, and you look kinda..." She searched for the right word, "...cramped."

"As long as you don't mind Diefenbaker, Ma'am."

"Nah. As long as he doesn't mind me." She smiled kindly at the wolf, who moved over when his master shifted again. Meg opened her door and looked up to the sky, which was turning blacker by the minute. Fraser got out, and she climbed back in the car, letting him sit in the front seat. Ray didn't move through it all. He just sat in thought.

"It's gonna pour any minute--" Meg started. Just as Fraser shut the door, it started raining in blinding sheets of grayish white. "--now," she finished. Ray frowned.

"This is great. I bet no one bought anything from the vender while we were at the gas station!" Ray exclaimed. Meg bit her bottom lip. How long were they to go without food? How long would the storm last?

"I didn't think of it, Ray," Fraser said. He rubbed his temple with his left hand. He pulled his leather coat around his shoulders tightly. Ford had told them all to dress, "casual" and that's what they did. Meg had a sweater on with a pair of light blue jeans, and Fraser had a light blue collar-less shirt with a dark pair of jeans, and Ray? Well, Ray was just Ray. His normal, flashy clothes that were Armani brand.

Fraser looked out the window. "The rain's so thick, you can't even barely see outside the windows!" Meg exclaimed softly. She shivered a little. The air was turning cooler as the rain got thicker. Dief rested his furry head on her leg. She patted the wolf on his head, and hugged her shoulders to try to warm up. There was no heat in the Riv, since Ray hadn't brought it to the repair man when the heating "died" a week ago. Fraser looked back at Meg.

"Are you cold?" he asked. She shook her head.

"I'm fine. Thank you," she replied, immediately letting go of her shoulders. Fraser nodded his head, and turned back around. She didn't want him to know. *Why, I don't even know,* she thought to herself. She studied the window again.

Ray leaned his head on the cool glass of his window. He shut his eyes for a minute. *When I'm with Benny, things always go wrong. But now that there's two Mounties in my car, it's double trouble!* Ray thought, fixing his position of his head against the glass.

Fraser studied his window as well. He sighed as the thunder and lightning struck a near by field. Meg shivered once more, not from the cold, but from a thought that popped into her mind. *What if that was us? Is that going to be us?* The vibration rattled the car like a child's toy on a shaking table. All three felt themselves shake as the thunder crashed in the distance.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

"Where is Raymond? He was suppose to be home hours ago, and look at this storm! My poor Ray!" Mrs. Vecchio cried, hugging herself inside her house.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Ray was fast asleep, with Fraser taking watch to see if anyone would stop to help them, but the two Mounties knew Ray wouldn't leave his Riv to die out in a storm like this. Fraser thought as he stared out the window. *Are we safer in the car then outside? Of course! Right?*

He turned to the back where Dief and Meg were. Dief was still sound asleep, resting his head on Meg's thigh, while she was hugging herself, again, from the cold. It had grown colder in the two hours they spent in it. Fraser looked at her. She was staring out the window, silently praying to herself someone would come, which seemed highly unlikely. Fraser touched her cheek. She spun around, waking Dief up, who groaned and fell back to sleep.

Meg looked surprised. "Fraser, I ---"

"Shh. Hush and take this," Fraser whispered, handing her his leather coat. She looked startled.

"But I---"

"Take it," he repeated, placing the coat in her arms. It was warm from his body heat when he wore it.

"Thank you," she whispered back, searching his blue eyes. He smiled warmly, and turned back to the front window to keep watch. Thatcher wrapped the coat around her body. It was at least two sizes bigger then her, but she snuggled in it, warming her cold body with its heat. She laid her head on the Riv's back seat chair and fell asleep while the rain poured down on to the car.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

"Agent Ford."

"Yes," Mrs. Vecchio said on the phone. "Could you tell me where Raymond Vecchio is?"

"He left about a couple hours ago. Why?"

"Oh, it's nothing. Thank you." Mrs. Vecchio hung up her phone, and sobbed. Afterwards, she wiped away her tears and called the Precinct.

"Welsh."

"Is Raymond there, Lieutenant?"

"Sorry, Ma'am, but him and two other Mounties, Fraser and Thatcher, went to Portham Station for a business meeting at about 12pm. Why?"

"No reason. Thank you." Again, Mrs. Vecchio hung up the phone and grieved. Not only for her son, but for the two other people with him.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

"Anything, Fraser?" Meg asked quietly. Fraser shook his head.

"Not even an emergency vehicle," he replied. Fraser knew how she felt. Very sick. The only thing he didn't know was whether it was from hunger or fear. *Probably both,* he thought. She sighed, and stroked Dief's fur. There was nothing they could do but wait and pray.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

"Vecchio's mother called a half hour ago, Detective Gardino. I want you to make sure you keep an eye out for him and the Mounties. They'll die in this storm," Welsh ordered. Louie nodded. "Good. You and Huey go and find them," he added. As the two detectives left, Welsh said in a larger note to the other officers, "Let's hope they're alive."

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Ray, still sound asleep, tossed his head to the left from its right angle. Fraser kept his eyes open, refusing to let Meg take watch. She was too tired to even argue. She would nod, then fall back to sleep, which was anything but peaceful. Thunder and lightning would crash in the distance, shaking the green Riv back and forth, sending all its passengers forward a few inches or more.

The rain continued to pour down on top of the car, like a shower head on a bath tub toy. Except, even through all the rain, it didn't sink like a toy would. It would shake, but it didn't leak. And hopefully it wouldn't.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

"Jack, how are we going to find the three cops in this weather?" Louie asked Huey as he drove inside a police van.

"We'll take the route to Portham Station. They have to be somewhere on it." Huey answered.

"Jack, there's at least 10 ways to get there! How do we know which route Vecchio took, huh?" Louie asked. Huey shrugged and answered:

"I guess that's why Welsh sent us out here, Louis."

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Strong winds beat on the car, swerving it back and forth. Meg woke suddenly, seeing Fraser still awake, watching for a sign of a car. She touched him on the shoulder.

"I can watch, you know. I promise if I see anything I'll let you know," she said gently, hoping he would agree. "I've had a few hours of sleep. You haven't had any."

He smiled at her, and touched her cheek. "Thank you." That's all he said, but his kiss said even more. The two kissed, not knowing if it would be their last. Fraser broke away, and kissed her cheek.

"Anything," he said. She nodded, and stared out the front window, and prayed someone would come for the them.

A bit later, she felt herself shake a bit and Fraser felt it too.

"What was that?" he asked sleepily. He'd slept for about 15 minutes, but to him, it felt good.

"I have no idea!" Ray said, waking up after the shake. Dief groaned and fell back to sleep, but woke when a huge bolt of lighting crashed in the distance.

All three looked outside the front window. Meg gasped.

"Oh my god!" she cried. Fraser looked at her.

"What is it?" he asked.

"Tornado," she whispered, pointing to a large twister that was headed straight for the Trio.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

All three fixed their eyes on the twister that bounded swiftly toward the Riv. Fraser's blue eyes widened.

"What are we going to do?" Thatcher asked quietly.

"Out run it," Fraser replied. Ray glared at his friend.

"Benny, this isn't Hollywood! It isn't fake!" Ray reminded.

"We can make it, Ray. We'll head North, then cut it off by changing West...where it's coming from. We have to! There's no other choice!" Fraser replied. "And you'll have to leave the Riv," he added softly. Ray's eyes widened.

"But ---"

"You have no choice!" Meg exclaimed. "We have no choice!" Ray stared at the twister. He thought for a few seconds.

"All right. Let's get the hell outta here before we're all experts in the movie Twister!" he shouted, opening the door. Thatcher stopped.

"What about Dief?" she asked. Fraser called his wolf.

"He runs faster then you think," he replied smiling at Meg.

"We've got to find something deep and sturdy into the ground, and tie ourselves to it," she decided.

Fraser pulled them both. "Come on! We have to move. And your right, Ma'am," he said. The three ran down the opposite direction they had come. The rain beat down on them harshly as they pushed against the strong winds from the West. All three held on to each other's arm, with Meg in the middle. Dief ran behind. Occasionally, Fraser would check the status of the twister, and pull them faster.

Meg spotted an old house. "Over here!" she shouted. "Maybe they have a underground place we can hide!" The trio made their way over to the house, but Fraser was pulled from the two others by the strong winds, and thrown to the ground, hard. "Fraser!" Meg screamed, letting go of Ray. She rushed to his side, and so did Ray. Fraser was still awake, and he looked into Meg's hazel eyes.

"We've got to...go...we've...no you've...got to...leave...me," he stuttered. Meg helped Ray stand him up. Blood dripped down the side of his head.

"Nonsense, Fraser. Your coming with us whether you like it or not," she ordered. Ray slung him over his back.

"It's easier this way, Inspector," he said, carrying him to the old house. Dief barked at a basement entrance. Meg smiled, and opened the door for Ray, who climbed down with Fraser slung on his back. He laid him down, and helped Meg with the door. When they closed it, they heard the twister rolling closer and closer and closer to them. It was like the movie Twister, but in real life. Meg bent down next to Fraser's side, and wiped the blood with her shirt. He winced in pain at her touch. He kissed her hand.

"I'll make it for you," he whispered in her ear. She shook her head.

"No...make it for us," she corrected.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

"My God, Jack! Look at that tornado!" Louie exclaimed.

"I know, Louis. And that's where we're headed," Huey replied.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Ray sighed. *I hope Ma's ok...everyone,* he thought to himself. Meg rose next to him, away from the door. "He's gonna make it, right?" Ray asked.

"I don't know, Ray," Meg replied. "His wound is pretty bad." She stared at the door. "Do you think anyone will come for us?" she asked.

"I hope so, Inspector," Ray answered. Dief moaned. "What? Oh, they'll come for you too." Ray added. Meg smiled, for the first time out of that day.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Huey and Louie drove in the storm. "It's breaking up, Jack!" Louie exclaimed like a little kid. Huey smiled.

"Yep. And there's the Riviera...still in tack." Huey pointed to Ray's car. "Won't Vecchio be happy...wherever he went," he said, seeing no passengers inside the vehicle.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

"It stopped. It stopped," Ray announced. A smile spread on his face. Meg smiled too. Fraser stood with them, waking up from Ray's excited voice, and the noiseless environment above them.

"Yes it did, Ray. Yes it did," Fraser replied. Meg threw her arms around Fraser. Fraser gripped her waist as Ray opened the doors. The air was a bit dusty, but the rain stopped, and the tornado gone. All four climbed out and stood on the ground. They looked around until their eyes fell on Huey and Louie. All four, even Fraser with his wound, ran over to them.

"It's about time, Vecchio," Huey said. Louie laughed. Fraser pulled Meg over behind the car.

"We never finished our kiss," he said with a smile, and bent down to her lips. They both heard Ray exclaim:

"No one's gonna believe it! It was the wildest thing that ever happened! It was like being trapped behind the movie screen of Twister! It was most coolest phenomenon I've ever seen! It was so awesome! Although I'm *never* taking this route again!"



fin.