Due South - Assignment Europe 10

Chapter 10 – The dinner

Already around 6.30pm their friends started to drop in, Stine had been cooking one of her fantastic casseroles and now she just waited for the guests to arrive. Ben had arrived just half an hour before the guests started to come and came out of the shower as she let her sister-in-law in “Hi Maggie, welcome” the girls hugged “I came straight from work, can I change here?” she asked as she still was dressed in her red uniform “Of course you can, I think the bathroom just got free, if you want to take a shower there are towels in the left cupboard in there” Maggie smiled at her “I know, I've been here before” this wasn't the first time Maggie just popped by after work and Stine laughed “Maybe we'd set you up with a shelf in the bathroom soon” “I'm so happy you two get along” Ben said and hugged his wife from behind as she stirred in the pot where she was cooking some rice. Ben had gotten into a habit to always rest a hand on her still flat stomach “Me too, I miss my sisters from home, but Maggie is a great sister too” she turned around and kissed him, he always smelled so great, that natural soap he always used was something out of this world. The door phone buzzed “Will you get that, I have a few more things to fix here” Stine said and pushed Ben towards the door. The first besides Maggie was Betina and her boyfriend Dan, Ben had met them a couple of times before. Just after letting them inside the apartment the buzz sounded again and this time it was Ray, Frannie and Stan, talking lively as they always did, the only one missing now was his boss. They had debated wither or not to invite Turnbull and when they had gotten out of it as Turnbull announced he had a date that evening.

Maggie stepped out into the hall barefoot in faded jeans and a perfect ironed blouse. Stine glanced and thought how alike Ben and Maggie were even though they hadn't grown up together it was like they were molded in the same form. Someone who also noticed Maggie was Stan and he didn't like what he felt. He had never cheated on a girlfriend not even on his ex-wife Stella and he cursed under his breath. Frannie came up to him with a glass of something bubbly for him while sipping her own. No one had a clue to why this dinner party had come on so suddenly and everyone tried to speculate while talking to each other. Five minutes past seven Marget showed up, excusing herself as she had helped an older lady over the road and gotten caught having to chat politely with her for ten minutes. She too was handed a glass and everyone was invited to sit down at the table. Stine put the bowls that were covered with lids on the table as they had decided that they tell straight away. She walked over to Ben's place and he stood up taking a deep breath "I guess you all wonder why you are here?" he began "It is not only because you all mean a lot to us and we therefore wanted to invite you" Stine looked at him and added "And it's not that we wanted to hurry up and invite you, then we would have done that a couple of months ago" the others laughed. Ben took her hand "No the reason we invited you all is that we got some news we want to share with you all" Ben looked at Stine it was now or never this was the moment everything was about to change "Come on Benny" Ray said and everyone held their breath. Stine who knew how private Ben could be at times open her mouth and just said it "I'm pregnant" the sound of chairs against the floor was loud as everyone wanted to get up and congratulate them as they again had gathered at their places Ray took his glass and raised it in a toast "To Ben and Stine and their baby may everything work out well" "To Ben, Stine and the baby" everyone said. Stine took just a little sip of her glass and then sat down "Please Meg you start as you're sitting closest" she nodded towards the bowl "Thank you kindly, it smells lovely" after filling her plate she handed Ray the spoon. He looked her in the eyes as he took it. It had been too long since they had had a chance to meet properly and he was missing her. After dinner had been eaten and the table gotten cleared Ray search for Meg's gaze while she was talking to Betina, he nodded towards the balcony and then walked out there. Thankfully no one else were there and when Meg arrived he pulled her close before he pushed her up against the wall in the corner and kissed her thoroughly. "I've missed you” he said as they broke for air. In her heels she was the same height as him so she rested her forehead against his "I've missed you too" she confessed and kissed him again. Some minutes later they were disturbed by Ben who of course had noticed where they had gotten too "Hey you two, dessert is about to be served" he grinned. Meg corrected her clothes not that they needed to as these Canadian Mounties never got anything wrinkled. Ray was amazed by it he had always been. The evening was pleasant and it was close to midnight when every one had left. Frannie had gotten into the car with her brother instead of Stan. There were something that felt out of place and she couldn't put her finger on it. And of course she would had wanted to know everything about her brother and the Inspector. 

 

A week later Ray took Margret with him out on a proper official date. Of course it was followed by Sunday dinner with 'everyone' at the Vecchio house and Ma Vecchio was over the moon although a bit saddened, it seemed something was wrong with her youngest and Stan, it had been a long time since he'd left the house only to sneak back in when they thought she'd gone to sleep. It wasn't a proper behavior for a nice Catholic girl but it was modern times she thought and sent a small thought to her dead husband who surely wouldn't had approved but he had been gone for 15 long years by now. Stan had become a bit of the house hold too and she would be sad not to see him around. Of course the news she had received from Benton and Stine was almost over shining Ray bringing home Margret. After dinner Frannie asked Stan to come outside with her. Both sat down on a bench in the garden not saying anything at first “This is the problem” Frannie finally spoke “We're not talking, it's like we don't have anything to talk about anymore” “Yeah” Stan said in his usual way “It's not that I don't like you, but...” she shrugged her shoulders “It almost feels like you're my brother” “So is this it? Are we over?” Stan asked and looked up at her, he had loved being with Frannie, but the spark wasn't there anymore “I guess so” she lent forward and softly brushed her lips over his “No, no spark at all left” she said. Stan put his arms around her in an embrace before they got up and went back inside for some coffee.

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.