Cycle of the Seasons The Cycle of the Seasons by Vicki Disclaimer- Not mine, wish they were. Not making any cash. Haven't got any cash. Please don't sue me. I have given this an R rating purely for language. (i.e. I have used the F word a couple of times). This is the 2nd more fun ending of my Whether or Not Series. It Never RainsNC 17 rated(for straight sex and implied violence.) But it Pours (PG Rated) The Calm Before the Storm (PG Rated) The Eye of the Storm(NC 17 rated - straight sex and violence) Let it Snow(Almost G rated but PG for the final scene) Take Shelter From the Storm (PG rated) As the Wind Blows (PG rated) To cross the Great Divide?(R rated for use of the 'f' word) There are two alternate endings to the series. Somewhere under the Sun. (PG)(The light and fluffy fairy tale ending) Cycle of the Seasons(PG)(Light and fluffy but less fairy tale like.. The director's cut.)(You're reading it!!) There have apartently been one or two problems in the past finding parts of my saga but as you can see I have linked all previously posted parts from here. If, however, you have any trouble finding any part of this saga please do not hesitate to contact me via email (click on authors name to send if you have a decent browser alternatively manual emails to vicki@telinco.co.uk) Also I love comments, and eagerly await the day that some one gives me some constructive criticism. (Not got any yet...everyone is so nice... go pick me up on my bad spelling/grammar you know you want to.) Notes- The second ending of this series. Couldn't decide which so I wrote two. This is less light and fluffy than the other one... but I think it's more fun... Cycle of the Seasons. Benton Fraser of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police walked on, stopped, scanned the area and sniffed at the base of a tree. "He's close Ray." "Are you sure it's not a Lhasa Apso?" Ben laughed "You know I'd forgotten about that years ago. Ha ha. One mistake and you pay and pay and pay." "Why are we looking for the wolf anyway? Seems like a waste of time to me, he always comes home eventually." " He may be lost Ray..." "He's a Wolf." "Well I suppose that is a valid point." "How far are we from your place now anyway?" "About twenty five kilometres." "Twenty five kilometres, Sergeant, I thought you said it was a 15 kilometre trip from where we left the car." "Well I thought we'd take the scenic route... Oh Dear, " said Ben. "What now?" "Oh nothing Ray" "Oh come on, I've heard it a million times before, when you say 'Oh dear' it means we're about to be shot or locked in a confined space or eaten by cannibals or kidnapped by aliens or something." "Well, its nothing like that, Ray but I think we may have a small problem...." "Well what? Apart from being in the middle of nowhere and night is drawing in that is...?" he waited for the reply. "Well Ray, I think that you may find that the weather is about to take a change for the worse...." "How do you know?" "Well Ray, when my Grandmother used to live in..." "Oh no you don't " Ray interrupted. "Just tell me what you know ... not what any of your dead relatives, or any Inuit for that matter, said, did or advised on the matter." Fraser considered this for a moment before pointing out the black clouds in the sky and saying simply "It's going to snow, Ray." "Do you ever get the feeling we've had this conversation before?" "Dad, why do you do this to us. I wanted to go on vacation with Bill and the guys, this is so boring." "Beth you are barely 16 years old that is too young to go on vacation with your boyfriend... Honestly, young people today, you'd think that they'd appreciate some of this beautiful country, I mean you live amongst all this and you want to go on vacation. And where's your little sister...?" "Oh I let her fall down a cliff back there." "Beth!" "Chill will ya, she went to take a piss." "Language." "Mummy up." The small boy looked at Meg and then at his legs. "You're tired?" Meg asked. The seven year old nodded. "OK then Uncle Benton will carry you." Meg shot a fake grin at her friend and colleague. "Seeing he thought it was such a good idea to take the long way back. Louis go and ask Uncle Benny to carry you." "Uncle Ben?" Ben lifted the child onto his shoulders and continued to lead the party. *** It was ten years since Tor had left and she had never returned. Ben had returned to the north and taken his children with him. At long last, his old friends Ray and Meg had come up to see him in his homeland, and from the looks of the weather they would be staying longer than they expected to. *** "Home, sweet home and not a moment too soon." Ben pushed his way through the back door as the snow began to fall in sporadically huge flakes. "We're going to get snowed in right?" "Yes it would appear so." "Great! I'm going to my room." Beth stomped off up the stairs "Would you take your sister with you?" "No." "Charming" muttered Ben. "Lottie come here!" The ten year old walked across to her father and into his arms. Well at least he still had one little girl, he thought. "Right food. I'm starving. Now where do you keep the moose steak round here." Ray started searching the cupboards. "No moose steak, just good old fashioned stew that I put in the oven before I came to get you guys." "Great, I'm in." Ray grabbed the earthenware dish out of the stove and lifted the lid. "Smells great." "Beth would you turn off that row and come and get some food." "GOD I get no privacy round here." The teenager stomped back down the stairs. "Shut up and eat." Meg surprised Beth, with her stern words and Beth obliged. **knock, knock.** Ben climbed from his seat and went to answer the door. A tall, red headed woman stood in front of him, holding Pearson's collar. "Yours?" she asked. "Yes, well my daughter's actually... You look frozen would you like to come in." "Would I! My ATV's broken down, I'm 20 Ks from home and have you seen the weather!" "Well if you can put up with a neurotic teenage daughter and a jaded Chicago cop." "I heard that." A male voice shouted through from the kitchen. "See what I mean!" Ben's eyes twinkled. "As I was saying if you can put up with that and the floor for a night (We've run out of beds) You're welcome to stay the night." "If I stay the night, I'll be staying longer, the snows about to set in don't you think?" "Quite possibly, all the more reason, you shouldn't try and make it on foot, come on in." They walked back to the kitchen and Ben found another plate and set it in front of his guest. "Oh I'm sorry I didn't introduce myself. Benton, Sergeant Benton Fraser of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, and these are my two girls, Lottie and Beth, and my good friend Lieutenant Ray Vecchio and my friend and superior, Meg Vecchio, and finally their son, Louis...." "Nice to meet you." she shook hands with them all. "And you are?" Ben asked politely. "Oh I'm sorry how rude of me. Victoria, Victoria Carpenter." Ray dropped his fork and shook his head. "Oh no, oh no - not again... Mind if I call you Mary?" "What?" "Never mind, never mind." ***The End***