Publicly Aired
By Postcard
Rating: PG. Angst. Mild Fighting. Romance. Humour.
Disclaimer: - The characters in this story from Due South are not mine and anything else Due South isn't mine either. The Jerry Springer Show and Jerry Springer are also not mine. I do not mean to cause any offence in the way I have portrayed Jerry Springer in this story. This story is only fictional and so Jerry, if you happen to read this, no offence is intended. I do not mean to infringe on copyrights held by any copyright holders for Due South or The Jerry Springer Show. The story "Publicly Aired" however is mine (copyright December 1999/January 2000 by Postcard on all original story content.) Please do not reproduce for anything other than personal reading without the written consent of author. This story is not written for profit and the author does not give permission for this story to be reproduced for profit.
Author's note: - This story is set on the chat show, The Jerry Springer Show. After noting the numerous chat shows on TV, I thought it would be interesting to have the DS characters going on one of the chat shows. I chose The Jerry Springer Show because it's appropriately set in Chicago and in my opinion it is the liveliest one, due to all of the catfights. The character of Meg Thatcher gave me the idea for the title, when she said in RWOB, "Our 'contact' in my opinion is not something that is needing to be publicly aired." I hope that you enjoy this story and any constructive comments are welcome at postcard@manutd.com
The cameras rolled and Jerry Springer stepped into the limelight. Holding his microphone and prompt cards, he smiled into one of the cameras.
"On today's show, we have guests who are in love with someone. But the love of their life doesn't want anything to do with them romantically. Today's first guest is Benton Fraser." Ben was already sitting in one of the chairs on stage and one of the cameras zoomed in on him. He was wearing his red serge uniform, minus the Stetson, which he was rotating nervously in his hands. "Ben is in love with Margaret, who is a colleague of his and his Superior Officer. They have kissed once. But she has told him that it couldn't happen again. And has since cut any romantic ties with him." Turing to face Ben, Jerry said, "So tell us about it Ben."
Ben sat up as straight as was possible, and every bone in his body looked tense. "Well, Jerry it, erm, started with Meg and I going out for coffee. And we really seemed to get on well. Then not too long ago, we were touring with the Musical Ride and we shared some…er…'contact,' on top of a moving train."
"Contact?" Jerry pounced, while raising his eyebrows. "Do you mean you kissed? Or do you mean some other 'contact?' Because I'm sure the audiences' minds are whirling about that. I know mine is."
Ben pulled at his collar. * Gosh, it's getting warm in here. It's probably the studio lights! * "Erm, yes. By 'contact' I am…referring to us kissing. I think that we would have carried on kissing for good, if Sergeant Frobisher hadn't have interrupted us. And who knows where it would have led to! And then afterwards she told me it couldn't repeat itself again, unless the exact same circumstances occurred. You know," Ben let out a short nervous laugh. "I've even thought about if it's possible to arrange those exact same circumstances again. Just to be able to kiss her once more. I know it sounds ludicrous, but that's how strongly I feel for her. I'm sure that she feels the same way as I do, but she won't admit it."
"What makes you think that?" Jerry prodded.
"Various reasons. One reason in particular is because when Ida was talking to me at the Consulate, Meg happened to pass by and she looked…well…jealous."
"Let's bring out Margaret Thatcher and see what she has to say," Jerry suggested, whilst indicating backstage with outstretched arms. Meg walked out, dressed in a smart green suit and sat down next to Ben, in the chair on his right.
"Ok. Now Margaret, or should I call you Meg?"
"Meg, will be fine."
"Ok, Meg. Now Ben has told us that you and he have been out for coffee together. Is that right?"
"It was just coffee. That's all. Nothing more and nothing less."
"Alright. Ben also tells us that you have both kissed on a train. And he says that you told him that it couldn't happen again, unless the exact same circumstances occurred. Is that correct?"
Meg glared at Ben. "Yes. That's right," she admitted, through gritted teeth. "But Ben knows that I didn't want that publicly aired. And so what does he do! He brings me on TV to broadcast it to the world. Ben, you moron." She shot him another cold glance and Ben slid down slightly in his seat. Ben couldn't bring himself to look her in the eye for fear of another wintry look, and so he concentrated intently on his boots.
* Oh dear! She's obviously annoyed with me for bringing her on here. That's the last thing I wanted. But I didn't know what else to do. I've been miserable for months and Ray finally managed to coax out of me why. It had been his suggestion that I come on this show to sort things out. I'm not certain that it was a very good idea to come on the show. I can't help wondering now whether Ray's suggestion to come on the show, was somehow his idea of a sick joke! *
"Well, why don't you want people to know, Meg? And why did you say that it could only happen again, under those exact same circumstances? Do you not fancy Ben?"
"It's not that simple, Jerry."
"So tell us about it, Meg. Why isn't it that simple?"
"I'm his Superior Officer." Meg nervously bit her bottom lip. "No matter what my feelings are, I can't be with Ben. It wouldn't be proper protocol."
"So are you saying that you do have romantic feelings towards Ben?"
"I never said that," Meg pointed out, a little too quickly.
"But you never said that you didn't have either. Alright, if you don't have feelings for him, then why did you appear jealous of Ida talking to Ben outside the Consulate?"
"She wasn't just talking to him. She had her arms all over him," Meg blurted out fiercely.
"And that made you jealous?"
"No. I…I was just…annoyed that she was mauling him on duty. I mean, who the hell did she think she was touching him?"
"Ah. Now were getting somewhere. Tell us Meg, why did that make you angry? Is it because you wanted to touch him yourself?"
The colour scarlet rose to Meg's cheeks. "No," Meg denied vehemently. But the expression on her face said the opposite.
Jerry shuffled the cards he was holding. "Ok, let's bring out our next guest, Anita Cortez." Anita walked out and sat next to Ben, in the empty chair on his left. "Anita, tell us what Meg did in Lt. Welsh's office."
"I went to wipe some fake blood off Ben's face, and Meg pushed me out of the way. She said that she 'cleans her own personnel.' It was obvious from the way she did it, that she didn't want anyone touching him but herself. And that she was jealous as hell of anyone else touching him. You could tell that she fancied him."
"That's a pile of crap. I don't fancy him," Meg fibbed.
"Oh, really? So why do you push everybody off him if you don't want him yourself?"
"I don't."
"Ok. I'm sure the audience have something to say about all of this!" Jerry looked around at the raised hands and chose a stunned looking man wearing a Mountie uniform in the front row. Jerry held the microphone out to Turnbull.
"I, well, I had no idea about any of this. Sir, did you and Constable Fraser really…kiss?" Turnbull looked amazed that such a thing could have occurred and hurt that they hadn't told him. Meg just nodded at Turnbull and then looked away embarrassed. Turnbull's mouth gaped open in astonishment and he stared at Ben in awe.
Ovitz was sat next to Turnbull and he snatched the microphone and smiled wickedly at Meg. She stared in horror at Ovitz holding the microphone. * Oh God no! This is going to be bad. Please don't let Ovitz speak on TV. He'll embarrass the hell out of me. He's definitely going to extract revenge on me for anything I've ever done to him. *
"Hi Meg!" Ovitz smirked. "Well Jerry, I also work with Meg and Ben. And I can tell you; it's obvious from the way she acts that she could do with a man, if you know what I mean! She's so uptight. And we all know who the man is that she wants, right everybody!" In response the audience applauded and whooped loudly. "I always wondered why she calls Ben into her office for no reason at all. Now I know why." Ovitz sniggered.
Meg wanted to sink through the floor. * He's deliberately making it sound like I call Ben into my office to have my wicked way with him. If Ovitz thinks that I'm uptight now, just wait until we get back to the consulate. I'll show him uptight. *
Taking the microphone back, Jerry sarcastically said to the audience, "Well that's a turn up for the books. By any chance is they're anyone else in the audience who works at the consulate?"
"WOOF!" Answered Dief.
Jerry shook his head. "I'm not gonna go there. Erm, now to bring on our next guest, Francesca Vecchio." Frannie came out from backstage, wearing a black skirt that was far too short and a yellow coloured top. She sat down next to Anita and smiled at Jerry. "Ok, Frannie, tell us how you feel about Ben."
"I love the guy, alright? He's sexy and kind. He's totally different from any of the guys I've dated in Chicago."
"Did you know that Frannie felt this way Ben?"
"I had a rough idea," Ben quietly admitted.
"The problem is Jerry, that he's besotted with that bitch Meg. I mean, if she doesn't love him, then she should stop leading him on, and let him get on with his life. She's got him twisted around her little finger. I mean, if she really doesn't want him, then why can't I have him?"
Meg jumped up out of her chair. "How dare you call me a bitch? At least I'm not a slapper like you. I don't go around throwing myself at men's feet. You're just jealous, because you don't stand a chance with Ben."
Frannie leaped to her feet as well and the two women stood glaring at one another. "Hey, I'm not a slapper," snapped Frannie.
"You could have fooled me. Does the saying 'peas and chips' mean anything to you?"
"What's that supposed to mean?"
"It means you go with everything," Meg said.
"You cow." Frannie lunged at Meg. However, Meg with the police training had the upper hand. With one swift movement she dropped Frannie to the floor. As Frannie got up, Ray Vecchio who was part of the Chicago PD security detail for the show, and Ben, tried to intervene. Ben gently but firmly got hold of Meg, and Ray grabbed hold of Frannie, as she tried to scratch Meg with her fingernails.
"Get off me bozo," Frannie yelled at Ray. Frannie shrugged Ray off as the audience whooped with morbid glee at the catfight. Removing one of her stiletto shoes, she hurled it at Meg. Meg ducked and the shoe soared over Meg's head and into the audience. Hitting an unsuspecting Turnbull on the head and knocking him out cold.
"You mad cow. Have you got BSE or something?" Meg hollered at Frannie. This resulted in winding Frannie up even more. It was like waving a red flag in front of a bull. Frannie flipped out. Picking up a chair, Frannie threw it in Meg's direction. Ben quickly pushed Meg out of the way of the flying chair, while Ray tried to hold still a raging Frannie in an arm lock. Dief licked Turnbull's face, and the dazed Mountie came around. Only to be knocked out a second time when the flying chair landed on him with an almighty 'thump.'
"Ladies no more of that," Jerry said warningly. "I think that we'd better bring on our next guest now. Buck Frobisher." Jerry announced once the guests were all seated again and an unconscious Turnbull had been carted off to casualty.
Buck walked out on stage, dressed in his red serge and sat down next to Frannie. "You were on the train with them. Tell us what Meg told you, and what you saw."
"Well, Meg told me basically, in a round about way, that she had lately started to have feelings for Ben. She said that, er, her feelings were very confused."
"That conversation was in PRIVATE," Meg exploded.
"Sorry. But I think that you could do with a shove in the right direction. I didn't do a good job of it before, when I gave you advice on the train."
"Tell us what you saw Buck."
"I saw them kissing. And to me, Jerry, that was no casual kiss. She was erm…'going for it,' just as much as he was."
"Thanks Buck." Jerry turned his attention to Meg. "Did you enjoy the kiss, Meg?"
Meg looked down at her hands on her lap. "Yes. I did enjoy the kiss," Meg finally confessed.
"Then what's the problem Meg? Why are you being so awkward about this?" Jerry enquired.
"I'm not being awkward. It's not as simple as you think it is. I didn't even know if he remembered anything until now."
Ben swivelled around in his chair to face Meg. "I'm sorry about that Meg. It wasn't my fault. I got amnesia. I remember everything now. And I really want to be romantically involved with you," Ben said sincerely.
"I can't Ben. It wouldn't work out and then it would be awkward to work in the same environment together. I could also lose my job."
"Don't you love me Meg, because I love you?"
"I…I don't know." The audience booed at Meg and she felt like crying. * They don't understand. It's not that simple. I think I love Ben, but…oh, I'm confused. It's none of their fucking business anyway. *
"Alright, let's allow the audience to have a say before we bring out our last guest."
Some of the audience raised their hands, and Jerry chose a middle-aged woman. "I just think it's obvious that Meg loves Ben. But she'd sooner put her job over her feelings," the woman said.
A young guy spoke next. "I've gotta say that Ben you're one lucky dude. You've got gorgeous women falling all over you. Can I borrow your uniform?"
The audience and Jerry laughed, while Ben blushed to match his uniform colour. "Now for our final guest, Henri Cloutier." Henri slowly walked out and sat in the chair next to Meg. "Alright, Henri tell us how you feel about Meg."
"I find Meg a very attractive and intelligent woman. I believe that she has a fear of commitment and intimacy though, because I have approached her on a number of occasions and she has knocked me back."
"Oh, this is rich. You sexually harassed me. You chased me around a desk all-day and tried to get me into bed. I doubt that you even know my intelligence, you only want me for sex."
The audience gasped and heckled Henri. He shifted uncomfortably in his chair. "I don't. It wasn't like that Meg…maybe I did pursue you a lot. But I didn't think that I was harassing you."
"Come off it Henri! You knew exactly what you were doing and you didn't care. I tried to avoid you, and to hint that I wasn't interested, but in the end I had to blatantly tell you. How could you think that I'd be interested in you? You're old enough to be my father. And who gave you the right to insinuate that if I slept with you, I would further my career? How dare you! Did you think that I would have that little self respect?"
"I…I couldn't help it Meg. I find you extremely attractive."
"Oh, so that makes it alright then!"
"I'm sorry. I know that I shouldn't have harassed you. By the way, I thought that you were dating Fraser! If you're not, then won't you at least consider dating me?" Henri put his hand on Meg's thigh.
"GET YOUR HAND OFF ME, HENRI," Meg shouted, knocking his hand away.
Ben jumped up from his seat and stood towering in front of Henri. "Don't you touch her Henri." Looking at Meg he softly said, "no wonder you're wary of having a relationship, if he's been harassing you. I know you told me about it, but I didn't think that it was this bad. He won't come near you again, Meg. I won't let him."
"Sit back down. This has got nothing to do with you," Henri told Ben coldly. "She can do a million times better than you, a mere constable. I know Meg; she wants a career. Oh, she may think that the sex will be good with you. But she obviously thinks that her career is much better than that, or you, because she won't date you now." Henri put his arm around Meg and smiled smugly at Ben. Meg quickly pulled away from Henri and slapped him across the face.
"I told you to get off me," Meg said caustically.
Tending to his bleeding nose, Henri looked at Meg in disbelief. "I can't believe you just hit me."
"You deserved it you creep. Maybe now you'll finally get the message," Meg icily said.
Henri's muffled voice said, "Oh, come on Meg. Don't be like that. Even once will do. It will further your career."
Meg stared open mouthed at Henri. * The nerve of this man. * Meanwhile, Ben advanced on Henri, grabbed hold of his shirt collar, and pulled him out of his chair. "The lady said to 'get off her,' Henri. And I said that you won't touch her again, and from now on you won't."
"Really! And what are you going to do about it?"
"This." Ben punched Henri in the stomach. Henri keeled over and Ray rushed to pull Ben away. Meg got up from her chair and ran to Ben's side. She slung her arms around him and taking her into his own arms, he drew Meg in close towards him. Meg looked up into Ben's eyes and they both slowly moved their lips towards each other and started to kiss. Meg ran her hands along Ben's back and up to gently stroke his neck. At the same time, Ben's left hand held Meg's waist tightly, crushing them together. While his right hand tenderly caressed her cheek and then lightly touched her hair.
The audience whistled and cheered, "WOO HOO." Meg and Ben were thoroughly absorbed in one another and continued to kiss. "Somebody throw a bucket of water on them," Jerry joked.
Ending the kiss, Meg turned to Henri. "Henri, if you come near me again I'm going to arrest you myself." Turning back to face Ben she said, "I do love you Ben."
"And I love you Meg," Ben declared. Taking her back into his arms and hugging her.
"What about me? I love you too Ben," Frannie said, close to tears.
Ben looked at Jerry for help. "Hey, I don't attempt to solve peoples problems. It's just a show for entertainment purposes."
Turning to face the audience, Jerry looked straight into one of the cameras. "Well, the morale of today's show is be careful how you express your emotions, because you can hurt others and yourself. Suppressing them and expressing them can have dire consequences, as today's guests have shown. If you love someone, tell them, because life is short. But if they don't reciprocate your feelings, don't pursue them, because that constitutes sexual harassment. If somebody doesn't respond to your advances then this is a clear sign that they are not interested. Thank you for watching today's programme."
Epilogue: -
Meg and Ben started officially dating and are now engaged to be married. Henri didn't bother Meg again because due to the show, some other women came forward about him harassing them and he was up in court on sexual harassment charges. And he was later convicted. Meg went out of her way to make Oviz' life hell for embarrassing her on TV. And Frannie went to visit Turnbull in the hospital to apologise for him getting caught up in the crossfire. The hospital visit resulted in a blooming romance between the two of them.
THE END.