Chapter
8 – A new place and new acquaintances
Two
blocks away from the Canadian Consulate in a nice neighbor hood Stine
and Benton chose a three room apartment, with their own bathroom. It
didn't take them more than half a day to move in since the apartment
came with furniture. It also had a lot of modern things like internet
and a landline for the phone. They had gotten the day off both of
them and couldn't help but ended up in bed in the afternoon. When
they woke up they dressed and went out for some grocery shopping and
after that went home to cook dinner together “This is much easier
than at the other place” Stine said as they moved around in the
kitchen “But I miss the closeness” Benton said “Oh we can stand
close anyway” Stine said and stood on her tiptoes and kissed him.
He took her by the waist and lifted her up on the counter. “I love
you so much” he said nuzzling her neck “I love you too” she
answered and pulled him closer.
A
couple of weeks later Benton and Stine were sitting in the living
room watching the early news on TV. Summer had arrived in Chicago and
after dinner Benton had showered and put on a pair of faded jeans and
a perfect white t-shirt. No shoes or socks, he longed to feel the
free open nature that was around the cabin left to him from his
father. “What are you thinking about?” Stine asked as she laid
down with her head in his lap. He toyed with her hair “How I miss
the great nature, I've been thinking about going to the cabin for
some time now” she smiled at him “So, why don't we?” “You
want to come with me?” he said softly “Of course I do, you always
talk about the cabin with such passion” “But you know we don't
have any facilities, no indoors bathroom, no electricity, no heating
but the stove and the fireplace and it's not that warm in the summers
as it is down here” She sat up straddles his legs and looked him
straight in the eyes “We shared bathroom with others in the old
apartment, can't be that bad to go outside. We don't have to bring
any computers or cellphones, and for keeping warm I know a few ways”
she raised an eyebrow at him and gave him a passionate kiss. Ben had
long time ago forgotten about the news, making love to his wife was
much more interesting.
There
were a ringing sound in the apartment that Benton couldn't really put
right when he woke up on the sofa with Stine in his arms. When he
located it to the door phone he got up and pulled on his jeans.
“Benny my friend, you took your time” he heard Ray's voice over
the phone “Hello Ray, care to come up?” he asked “Sure, got
Stan with me” Ben buzzed them in before he returned to the living
room “Stine, the guys are coming up, maybe we should get dressed”
he buttoned his jeans and found his t-shirt under a pile of her
clothes. She quickly pulled her clothes on too but it was obvious to
anyone what they had been up to. A few seconds later the doorbell
rang and Benton opened the door to his friends “Come on in guys”
he said and took a step to the side. “What brings you by?” he
asked “Well...” Ray started as he saw Stine “Hi Stine” “Hi
guys” she said and went into the kitchen, the usual routine when
the guys came by was coffee “Well what?” Ben asked Ray “We
really could use your help with a case, but you seem otherwise busy”
“Yeah, busy” Stan added in his own way.
Benton
tried to look surprised “We're not busy, we were watching the news”
Ray looked at his wrist watch “The news ended an hour ago Benny”
he grinned and walked into the kitchen where he with the ease of
feeling like home helped Stine with taking four mugs out of the
cupboard. “Do you mind if we steel Benton for a bit?” he asked
“Would it do any difference if I did?” she asked back laughingly
as many times before “I guess it wouldn't” Ray said. They all had
coffee together before the guys got ready to leave “Will you bring
Dief?” Stine asked “Or shall I take him out for a walk?” Ben
looked over at Diefenbaker who already was laying at the door “I
guess he'll come with us” he bent forward to kiss her “I'll try
not to be late”
In
the end of July Benton and Stine both had a week off at the same time
and made the trip up north to Ben's cabin. It was sparsely furnitured
with a kitchen table and chairs that were handmade, a worn down sofa
in front of the fireplace and in a small room at the back there were
a bed, a drawer and a closet. “I love it” Stine said and looked
at Ben “It's so much you” Ben let himself relax, he had been a
bit nervous what she would think about it. He was also very happy
that the fire someone had tried to set to it once hadn't caught on
and the cabin had been saved. As it was already late afternoon Benton
started a fire in the stove so they could cook something to eat and
Stine dusted off the table and chairs “Have your father made
these?” she asked about the set “No” Ben shook his head “You've
bought them?” she asked surprised and again he shook his head and
modesty said “I made them” “You did?” she smiled at him “I
didn't know” “How could you, I've never told you” he smiled at
her.
The
days that followed they went on hikes, Ben showed her a lot of his
favorite places among them a wonderful waterfall. The day was hot and
they were sweaty from the hike and didn't resist taking a swim in the
water that was refreshing. Swimming towards the falling water Ben
dove under and Stine followed. Behind the water-wall a smaller cave
opened up. When they got back to the cabin Stine changed into
something more comfortable than her hiking clothes and Ben went
outside to get some more firewood in. Every evening when Ben had gone
outside in his father had been there to talk to him but not this
evening. He found it strange, happily he returned inside just to be
met by Stine with a scared look on her face “There's an older
Mountie standing by the fireplace” she pointed and Benton looked
over to see his father “Has he said something?” he asked “No,
should he? I mean....” she was really scared “...he wasn't there
when I came out from the bedroom and now suddenly when I looked up he
was just standing there” Ben was confused “Please Ben, tell me
you see him” Stine pleaded and Ben pulled her close “Yes I see
him, it's my father” he explained “But your father is dead, you
told me that, that's how you ended up in Chicago... on the trail of
his murderers” she said in shock “Yes, he's dead but he shows up
from time to time, what I don't know is why you're seeing him?”
Fraser Sr still hadn't said anything, he hadn't wanted to scare his
daughter-in-law. “What do you mean?” she asked “So far it's
just been me and Maggie that's been able to see him and....” he
paused “talk to him” “You talk to your dead father? Isn't that
...” she didn't know how to explain this. “Son” Fraser Sr said
and the young couple looked over at him “Stine” he added and she
looked from son to father to son again “He knows my name?” “Of
course I know your name, I've been around you for quite some time now
and I see how happy you've made Benton” “But...?” Stine had all
kinds of questions and didn't know where to start. “Why haven't I
seen you before?” she felt strange to ask but had to. Fraser Sr
smiled “I guess the connection's not been there before, I've longed
for this day for a long time now” he said and the penny dropped for
Ben “Could you please leave us alone father?” he asked “I think
I need to explain a few things to Stine” and like that Fraser Sr
disappeared and Ben lead Stine to the sofa to sit down. “As I said,
before it's just been me and Maggie that's been able to see him,
which was kind of nice when she came to look me up in Chicago, I
didn't know I had a sister, but father explained it all, how he had
cheated on my mother when he had been away on a three months long
assignment when I was about two years old” Maggie had told Stine
this story when she had been over at their new place for the first
time “He once told us that only true descendants of his could see
him” Benton who already had his suspicions about what had happened
that afternoon behind the waterfall took both of Stine's hands in his
and looked at her “But I'm not one...” she said “No, but I
believe you've got a connection to one” Ben smiled at his wife “Of
course I do, I'm married to you aren't I, but why haven't I seen him
before now if he's been around all the this time?” and then it came
to her and her expression said 'Do you think?' but she couldn't say
the words “Really?” she asked “Under the waterfall?” she came
with short questions. Ben nodded “It's the only answer I could come
up with” both of them were smiling broadly and at the same time
said “We're having a baby”
Disclaimer/Copyright
2013 and forward: I don't own anything from the series Due South,
it's just borrowed for your entertainment. This is my story though
and I feel I own that.
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