Due South - Assignment Europe 09

Chapter 9 – Keeping it a secret?

Ben and Stine decided to keep their happy news to themselves for a while, it meant that when they came back they went to a drugstore away from their neighborhood, as everyone there knew them, to get a pregnancy test and to no surprise it was positive. At Friday lunch three weeks after Ben and Stine had gotten back she couldn't hold it in anymore but told her friend about the news. “Tillykke Stine, I bet Benton is happy about this too?” he friend congratulated her “Yes, we're both over the moon, but you can't tell anyone and I mean anyone, not even Dan” Dan was Betina's boyfriend “Of course I won't” she promised and the girls toasted with their water glasses.

"Constable Fraser" Margret called her senior officer into her office "Yes, Sir" Ben said "I have to ask if everything is alright with you" "Yes Sir it is, why do you ask?" he asked "I can't really put my finger on it but there is something distracting you from time to time even Turnbull had the answer for some questions at today's morning meeting before you" "Sorry about that. It won't happen again" "I don't mind I just wanted to see that everything was OK there's nothing wrong with Stine either is there?" Ben couldn't hold back the smile, they had gotten the results of the blood test the day before and it felt official "No, Sir, nothing wrong at all" he took a deep breath he had to tell someone and both Ray and Stan had been sent out of town on a mission "As a matter of fact every thing's great with Stine" again he paused "Sir, can I tell you something in confidence?" Margret looked puzzled at him "But of course Fraser" "Stine's pregnant, we're having a baby" he grinned from one ear to the other and Margret got up, usually not showing emotions but Stine had become a good friend of hers, she gave Ben a hug "Congratulations Benton, to the both of you" "Thank you kindly, Sir" Ben said "Is there anything else, Sir?" "No constable you're dismissed" Ben went back to his office and got ready to release his sister on the guard. Before Ben left the Consulate that afternoon Margret popped her head in his small office "I just wanted to know, have you told Detective Vecchio about your good news?" "No Sir, we've said we'd keep it to ourselves for a while. Why?" there were something that had passed by Ben "Oh nothing" Margret who usually didn't show any emotions blushed "Are you and Ray??" he asked "How long have you been seeing each other?" he asked boldly. She stepped inside "Promise not to tell the others just yet" she looked him in the eyes "Of course I won't do that Sir" he said "Alright then..." she paused "It's been serious since around the time you got married to Stine. We have been seeing each other on and off since you left for Denmark" Ben felt a pang in his heart there had been something between him and Meg one time, but they had never allowed themselves to act on it. The closest they'd gotten was to a few kisses, one of them on top of a speeding train filled with sedated RCMP's, their horses and lots explosives. The only thing that had gone really bad at that time was that Benton's hat had been cut off as they passed a bridge. Ben smiled at his superior officer “I'm happy for the both of you, you should make it official” he saw something in his eyes and knew what it was “You're afraid of Ma Vecchio?” he asked “Not so much afraid as I don't want to go that far yet, you heard her yourself when she found out about you and Stine” Ben thought back to the sweet old lady that he had become to see as a mother, she would be over the moon when Ben and Stine told her the good news. The Inspector left his office and Ben typed up the weekly report in his usual efficient way, it was one of his weekends to be off, the three officers shared them equally, although there would be something happening at the Danish Consulate that acquired Stine to work Saturday. But it gave Ben a bit of time to himself, he loved his wife and his married life but sometimes he needed to be alone.

Saturday evening Benton took Diefenbaker for a walk just in time to arrive at the Danish Consulate when Stine finished work. It was a really nice summer evening and although Stine had been feeling a bit tired during the last part of the day the walk back home was refreshing. When they arrived Ben made the some tea and took out a plate of ready made sandwiches "So this is what you've been doing all day" Stine teased him as she sat down on one of the stools at the kitchen counter. It was mostly for proper dinner or when they had guests over they used the big dining table. "Well that and..." he just then realized she was teasing him and not fishing for the full report on how he had dusted and vacuumed the apartment. She lent over to him as he sat on her right side and kissed his cheek "I love you, you know that don't you" she smiled softly "I know and I love you too. So did you have a nice day, felt OK all day?" he was so concerned about her. So far she hadn't felt anything but good "Yes I've had a good day I just felt a bit tired in the afternoon but that's expected I think" she had read some of the brochures she had gotten at the doctor's office when she had been in for the blood test. She put her teeth into her sandwich "Mmmm I needed this" she said and hungrily finished it. They small talked during the meal and both confessed to have told someone about the baby "I must admit it's strange you blurted it to Margret and not your sister" "Me too" he agreed "But apparently she thought I had been a bit absentminded during the morning meeting, but it feels good to have told someone" "I agree and Betina's so happy for us" she looked up at Benton who rested his elbows on the counter "What are you thinking about" he turned his head "That maybe we should invite our friends for dinner and tell them?" "Yes that might be a good idea" she said "When should we do it? You are working next weekend aren't you?" he nodded "And in two weeks I need to work again the Danish Prime minister will visit" she had taken down the calender from the wall and was flipping thru it before she looked up at him "It doesn't have to be a weekend, does it?" "Of course not" he answered "What about this Thursday coming, I get off already at two that day" Benton reached for his pocket calender “Looks good to me, I don't have guard that day” 

 

Sunday morning Ben and Diefenbaker walked Stine to her workplace and then went on for a long walk, they just walked and walked and when Benton realized how far they had walked they turned back and went home where he sat down to call their friends inviting them for dinner on Thursday. The last ones on his list was Stan and Ray and since he knew they were on their way back into town he called Ray's phone and hoped there would be a signal where they were. “Vecchio” he answered “Hey Ray, it's Ben” he said “Hi Benny” he looked at his partner “It's Benny” and Stan just shook his head “Duh, tell him hi” “Ray, come back to me” Ben said “Oh sorry pal, I'm not driving and it's driving me crazy” they had a rental car as the two never could come to terms with who's car to take “I thought so. Can you ask Stan what I'm going to ask you now?” “Sure” Ray was a bit puzzled “This goes out to you both, can you come to dinner at our place on Thursday?” Stan accepted at once, Ray thought about it, Thursday would be his first day off and he had hoped to spend it with Meg “Inspector Thatcher is coming” Benton added his boss name “It's rather important to us” he then said. “As the others are coming who am I to say no” Ray said “So, what's happening in Chicago otherwise? Anything big?” Ben laughed “No, you and Stan are out of town so the bad guys took a vacation too” he tried to joke “You try a bit better now days” Ray complimented his friend and got a nod from Stan who had heard everything as Ray had put the phone on speaker. “Anyways we're closing in on some mountains and I bet we'll loose signal, see you Thursday if not before” Ray said “See you” Stan added. After Ray hung up Stan quickly looked at Ray “What was the importance of the 'Ice-Queen' (that was the nickname for Meg Thatcher) were coming” Ray shrugged his shoulders “I don't know” he said “But it made you change your mind, are you and... you are!” he exclaimed “For how long have you and the Ice.. the Inspector been seeing each other” Ray shot him a look “About the same amount of time that you and my sister have been at it” he said a bit disgusted “I know you don't like to think of your sister that way, but it's not like she's a little kid” Stan said in his defense “So I guess we both got lucky at the same time as Benny did, I mean you have to admit that both your sister and the Inspector's had a thing for the guy” Ray sighed “I don't know what they see in him” he said and turned ironic “Always being polite, opening door, helping older ladies over the road, and that half-wolf of a dog, no charm at all” the guys laughed.

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.