February    February by Catalina Dudka

  

 This story is written for the private entertainment of fans. No
infringement of any copyrights held by Due South c/o Alliance is intended.
This story is not published for profit, and the author does not give
permission for this story to be reproduced for profit. The author makes no
claims on the characters or their portrayal by the creation of this story.


 Rated PG - mf - Romance 

 February
 (by Catalina Dudka - Copyright 1997) 

 She hated February. It was depressing, cold, humid, drab, dismal,
depressing, damp, boring, dismal, and depressing. As she walked resolutely
down the busy street trying to ignore the cold, misty rain that coated
every thing, and everyone, her eyes slid over the predominantly red and
pink decorations that regaled most of the shop fronts. 

 The giant hearts, cupids, flowers, overly-sweet stuffed animals only
added to her foul mood. If there was one thing Margaret hated more than
February, it was insincere holidays. And Valentine's Day was the worst. 

 Her lips twisted into a bitter smile as she paused in front of an
especially over-burdened shop display. Several dozen white teddy bears
mingled with large, bright heart-shaped balloons, above which hung several
plump, pink cherubs that twirled slowly, as if seeking out a suitable
target for their arrows. 

 One particularly chubby fellow halted his leisurely twirl to point his
bow straight at her. 

 "Think again, buster." She muttered just before spying a flash of
familiar red reflected on the glass. "Damn! Fraser!!" That's the last
person she wanted to see right now. 

 Hastily, before he spotted her, Margaret ducked into the hated shop.
Peering out the door, she waited until she saw him enter into an equally
gaudy enterprise across the street. Now what would he be shopping for
there?? Giving herself a mental shake, Margaret waited long enough to make
sure she could make a clean getaway, then hurried brusquely to the
Consulate. Who knew what kind of trouble Turnbull and Cooper could have
got into while she was away for lunch, besides, she had a very important
meeting this afternoon as well. 

 

 In her haste, Inspector Thatcher failed to notice her progress had been
observed by a certain pair of curious eyes. She also failed to notice the
way a certain eyebrow arched when the display she had paused at was noted.


 

 Finally Fraser gave in, and admitted February in Chicago was an
altogether unpleasant month. The constant overcast skies, and seemingly
endless precipitation did nothing but sap everyone's enthusiasm. Even his
own goodwill suffered from, how had Ray put it? Ah, yes, the February
Blues. Though February Greys would be more appropriate, or maybe even
February Pewters. But that was neither here nor there, 

 Lately, however, he had noticed a change in the collective mood, almost
an anticipation. Then, he had seen the decorations and displays. That
explained it. Valentine's Day. A rather curious, if manufactured holiday.
A holiday created entirely by the Greeting Card Industry to promote sales.
He, of course, knew the actual basis of the Saint's day, having read about
it in his Grandparent's Library. But no one today remembered even a hint
of it's origins. 

 Pushing these thoughts to the back of his mind, Fraser hurried to meet
Ray for lunch. As he walked past a flower shop, he glanced in casually and
spotted his friend inside. 

 "Ray." He greeted entering the store. 

 "Hey, Benny." Ray answered then finished his business with the sales
clerk. "Just sending some flowers to Ma for Valentine's." He explained. 

 "I'm sure she'll enjoy them." 

 "Yup, she will. Do you feel like Thai?" 

 "Actually ..." Fraser patted himself down perplexedly. "I still feel
Canadian." 

 "Wha...?? That's a joke, isn't it?" 

 "I'm afraid it is." The Mountie smiled sheepishly. 

 "Yeah, yeah, smartass. Just for that you're payin'." 

 

 Inspector Thatcher couldn't wait for the meeting to end. Her face hurt
from all the smiling, and the strong cologne the Ambassador insisted on
wearing had given her the worst headache. Finally, after what seemed like
endless platitudes, she made her escape. 

 Looking at her watch, she was relieved to see it was time to go home.
Entering her office she almost made it to her desk before she stopped in
her tracks. What the hell?? There, on her desk was the biggest, fluffiest
teddy bear she'd ever seen, and next to it, a vase full of long-stemmed
red roses. 

 Eyes wide, mouth gaping she approached the items cautiously, as if
expecting them to explode. Gingerly, she searched and found a card. 

 "To the lady in red." 

 Turning the card, then scanning the envelope, she failed to find a name.
Reading the card one more time, she found herself smiling foolishly. Could
it be??? NO, no she couldn't allow this to influence her resolve! But a
small sniff couldn't hurt. 

 Taking hold of a delicate bloom, she inhaled deeply of it's fresh scent.
What a soothing antidote to the horrible stench of the cologne earlier.
Opening her eyes she found herself wondering whether the bear was as
cuddly as it looked. 

 "In for a penny ..." She murmured, and picked up the stuffed animal.
Hugging it, she buried her face in its soft shoulder. That felt good, but
not as good as ... Never mind. Putting the toy down hastily lest someone
walk in, she stepped back and thought about how to handle the situation. 

 "There is only one rational way to deal with this." She said to herself.
"I'll ignore the whole thing." 

 Content with solving yet another potential problem, Margaret prepared to
leave. 

 

 Fraser stepped into his office, ready to grab his Stetson and coat. He
paused just inside the door when he noticed the large bright red envelope
on his desk. Curious, he picked it up and noted the lack of postage.
Deducing it had been hand-delivered, he opened it and emptied its contents
out on the desk. 

 A beautiful red and gold card slid out. A Valentine's Day card, and a
tasteful one at that. Opening it he noticed it didn't have a pre-printed
message, but sported a hand-written note. The script was a formal
calligraphic style he couldn't recognize. 

 "To a brave man." 

 Turning the card, then scanning the envelope, Fraser failed to find a
name. Reading the card one more time, he found himself smiling foolishly.
Could it be??? Maybe she had changed her mind?? How to deal with this?? 

 With a sigh, he realized the only rational thing he could do was, as
always, to take his cues from her. Donning his hat and coat, Fraser exited
his office. 

 

 Margaret felt silly holding the large stuffed bear under one arm, and the
bouquet in the other. She should have left one or the other behind, but
she couldn't. As she walked down the hall, a door beside her opened, and
Fraser almost walked into her. 

 "Oh, pardon me Inspector." He apologized. "I didn't see you." 

 "That's alright, Constable." She noted the large red envelope in his
hand. 

 "Here let me help you." He caught a hold of the stuffed toy as it slipped
from her grip, and couldn't help but notice the roses she also held. 

 

 A pair of curious eyes watched the tall Mountie, holding a big teddy
bear, and the not so tall Inspector bearing red roses as they exited the
building and walked to the Inspector's car. The owner of said eyes held
his breath in anticipation and waited ... YES!! After assisting the
Inspector into her car, the Mountie walked around the vehicle, with the
bear still in his arms, and got in the passenger side. 

 After watching the automobile disappear in the busy evening traffic, Ray
started the Riv. Satisfied that he'd done all he could, he drove home. Now
that was what Valentine's Day was all about, no matter what some people
might think. 

 The End 

 Cat (cdudka@direct.ca)