Originally posted on RedSuitsYou at Yahoo!Groups.
Sunday morning, 7:53 a.m.
Meg Thatcher awoke to the pleasing sensation of a pair of strong arms encircling her waist and warm, soft lips kissing her shoulder as gentle hands pulled her closer to him. "Hmm, that feels good. Don't stop Ben."
"I won't. I don't think I could, even if I wanted to, which I don't. In fact, I plan to keep kissing you for the rest of my life."
"Oh!" She turned in his arms so she could look at him. When she fully faced him and started to speak, he immediately took advantage of her parted lips and kissed her deeply. When he lifted his head, all Meg could do was repeat her early exclamation. "Oh, my! You're going to spoil me Constable. I don't think anyone has ever affected me the way you do with just one simple kiss."
"You think that was simple?" He asked incredulously. "I had intended that as a prelude to what was to come and to... to..."
"Arouse me?"
"Yes. But if you only consider it a simple kiss, perhaps I better improve my technique."
"Ben, there's nothing wrong with your technique. In fact, I have every intention of letting you continue with that same technique with perhaps a few alterations. However, the simple kiss I was referring to was the one that started all this in the first place."
"Ah! You mean the one like this?" Bending his head towards her again, he placed a feather light kiss on her cheek. "Is that the one you mean?"
"Yes." Her reply was spoken softly and all he could do was smile as he bent his head once more. He kissed her cheek again with the same tenderness before moving to place a similar one on her lips. Meg responded immediately to his touch and began returning his kiss with a more passionate one of her own. When she felt his reaction, she pressed herself even closer to him and had the satisfaction of feeling him respond even more. Before long, everything else was forgotten as Ben improved his technique with his wife.
Four days earlier,
Wednesday, February 14th, Valentine's Day
Meg paced back and forth in her office, a hint of desperation and distress etched in her features. She didn't know what to do and that bothered her more than anything else could or would. She didn't like feeling so lost and not in control. She always, up until today, knew exactly what to do in any given situation, emergency or otherwise. However, today was a whole other story and she had no clue on how to deal with all the emotions that flowed through her. Emotions, that no matter how hard she tried to control them, she just couldn't contain them anymore.
She knew that part of the reason she was finding it so hard to keep them at bay, was the day itself and the rest of it had to do with the feelings of hopelessness and loneliness that assaulted her every year at this time. Valentine's Day only succeeded in making her aware of just how isolated and alone she was. She was in a strange country, working with strange people, far away from her home, family and friends and there was no one to share her life with or this day.
It didn't help any that every time she left her office, the excited whispers of the female office staff would reach her ears and even if she couldn't make out what they were saying, she could guess what the topic of conversation was about. Their discussions probably included what their spouses and/or boyfriends got them for Valentine's Day, the evidence of which she could see lying about in the form of bouquets of roses and boxes of Chocolates.
Seeing all the signs of significant others displaying their affections for the ones they loved, only added to her hurt and frustration. Her last trip out of her office to the copy machine had left her physically and emotionally drained and by the time she had returned to the safety of her office, she had to struggle hard to keep the tears at bay. But she had succeeded knowing it would not do her reputation any good if her staff saw her become so emotional. Barricading herself in her office for the rest of the day, she determined to bury her feelings once again, until now that is.
She stopped pacing and flopped down in her chair. She had to face facts, the real reason she was feeling so... so... out of sorts was because the only person she most wanted to receive some recognition from on this day had decided it was better to just avoid her. He had made himself scarce most of the day and for most of the week. Whenever she had caught a glimpse of him and he saw her, he high-tailed it in the other direction. Even when he appeared in her office as part of his duties, he never looked her directly in the eyes, but only stared at some point above or beside her head.
*Damn that man.* Meg turned in her chair and stared into her laptop, hoping by some miracle it held the answers to her current dilemma. *I suppose I have finally succeeded in driving him totally away from me. He obviously wants nothing more to do with me and now, he can't even face me any more.*
Tears of frustration and hurt stung at her eyes and she squeezed them shut, swearing to herself that she would not cry. She had no one to blame but herself and if probably served her right. How could an intelligent woman, such as herself, keep an equally intelligent man, such as Fraser, guessing at her feelings for him for months on end and not expect him to get tired of the game and move on.
And he apparently had, moved on that is. When she had gone to lunch yesterday, she had caught a glimpse of him and Francesca Vecchio in the mall. She had a hold of his arm and was dragging him into a gift shop that was loaded down with Valentine Day gifts. Feeling a pain that was beyond words and another emotion that was very similar to jealousy, but was extremely more intense, she had fled the shopping center without purchasing what she had gone there for.
Then, when she had returned to the Consulate she had shut herself up in her office and had not come out until she was sure he was no longer out and about. She knew she couldn't face him, the emotions she had been feeling were just too raw and she knew she could not keep them from him, despite her 'ice queen' facade.
Now, here it was, 4:55 on Valentine's Day. She would be leaving in one hour and five minutes and then go home to an empty apartment and spend her evening watching TV and eating a Healthy Choice frozen entree. There would be no flowers, no sweets or even a plush Teddy Bear to wish her Happy Valentine's Day for there was no one she knew that wanted her to be their Valentine.
Hearing laughter outside her office door, Meg felt it was the last straw. Doing something she rarely did and in an unusual act of 'kindness' or at least that's what her staff would think although in reality it was an act of self-preservation, she had dismissed her staff at 5:00, giving them an extra hour to prepare themselves for their evening ahead. Turnbull, who was also given the time off, decided to stay until 6:00 so he could finish the report he was working on. Meg had only nodded and returned to her office.
Once inside the sanctuary of her office, she put her own personal misery aside and began to work on her own reports. At five minutes to six, she heard a knock on her door and raised her head. "Enter." She waited expectantly, but no one did. Puzzled, she stood up and walked over to her door and opened it to discover no one there. Meg looked around the Consulate and saw no one about and wondered who could have knocked.
"Maybe I'm imagining things. After today, I wouldn't be surprised if I were." She had just begun to turn back around when something caught her eye. Sitting on the front desk was a huge bouquet of red roses. *Odd, I don't recall seeing those earlier today and if they did belong to one of her staff why didn't the person take them with them when they left for the day.* Curiosity and wishfulness getting the best of her, she walked over to the desk and fingered the delicate softness of one of the roses. They were beautiful.
Meg was about to retreat when the name on the card caught her eye. It was her name. Meg gasped in surprise as she slowly reached out her hand for it. Pulling it from it's holder, she opened the card and caught her breath for the only words written there were 'Red Suits You.'
As her mind processed the words, her heart began to beat a fast tattoo against her chest. There was only one person who had ever said those words to her and she couldn't believe he was responsible for this. *But he had to be, right?* Meg looked down the hall towards his office and knew it was true. He had given her flowers for Valentine's Day. *Now what should I do? Did he expect her to come running down the hall and throw herself in his arms? Even if that was what she wanted to do, she couldn't, or could she?*
'Red Suits You' wasn' exactly a declaration of love, but it was, she was sure, his special term of endearment for her. Suddenly, it didn't matter why he did it or what he had meant, all that mattered was that he had and he obviously picked today for a very good reason. Feeling a sense of peace come over her as well as determination, she decided that if he was willing to make the first step, then she would take the next. She would not hurt him or let him down again. Picking up the roses, she headed down the hall in purposeful strides.
5:45 p.m.
Fraser paced back and forth in his office; a worried frown creased his forehead. *I can't do it, I can't go through with it.* He looked at the plush Teddy Bear on his bed and shook his head. *I can't do it. What if she rejects me and throws the flowers in my face? I don't think I can take that kind of agony again.*
"Yes, you can son. You can do anything you put your mind to."
"Dad? Why are you here? This is hard enough without your particular brand of advice. In fact, it was your advice that had me go and make a complete fool of myself when I offered to father her child when she had only meant adoption."
"Now, Benton. You can't blame me for your misunderstanding. Besides, even if I was wrong about that part, I wasn't wrong in knowing that woman has feelings for you."
"And how do you or I know that? Ever since that misunderstanding she has been farther away from me, emotionally I mean, than she ever has the entire time I've known her, excluding the first few months of her arrival here. I don't know if I want to risk opening myself up to her and have her close the door in my face."
"Benton, I know I'm asking a lot by saying this, but will you trust me, just once more?"
"I don't know if I can. I don't want to be hurt again. I love her too much to keep losing her over 'misunderstandings'."
"I know son, but believe me she's having the same misgivings about you. This is Valentine's Day, for pete's sake. What better time to show the woman you love how you feel than today? Do you know what she has planned for this evening?"
"No. I assume she has a date with Sven or that Spanish ambassador or someone else. I can't believe she'd be spending it alone."
"Well, she is."
"How do you know this?"
"Well, I... ah... stopped in to see her earlier today while she was doing what you were doing a few minutes ago. Pacing."
"Are you sure?"
"Yes. I'm very sure. I know what pacing looks like ..."
"No, I mean how do you know she's spending the evening alone?"
"That's not important, the important thing is she has no plans to spend this evening with anyone, so now is your opportunity to grab the moment, seize the day, so to speak."
"Dad ..." Before he could say anything else, Fraser realized that he was suddenly talking to himself, Bob Fraser was gone. Shaking his head, he flopped down on his cot and picked up the bear. He didn't know why he let Francesca talk him into getting this for Meg Thatcher, but she had. It was also a complete mystery to him how Francesca herself had finally stopped pursuing him and then started to make getting himself and the Inspector together as her own personal crusade. He supposed it had something to do with the fact that she and Turnbull, having gotten together during the time Tracy Jenkins was here, and their apparent happiness.
Hugging the bear to him he smiled. He had no idea how Inspector Thatcher would react to it, but a part of him wanted to find out while the other part of him was still fearful of being rejected. Looking at his watch, he saw that it was now too late to undo what was put in motion earlier that day. Soon there would be a knock on her office door by Turnbull and Meg Thatcher, finding no one there, would come out of her office to investigate. And, if all went as planned she would discover and take possession of a bouquet of two dozen red roses (Francesca had insisted that one dozen would not be enough and made him purchase two) and then discover who had given them to her. At least, that's what the plan had been.
He knew there was now, no one left in the Consulate but himself and the Inspector, and he also knew that it was time to put step two of his plan in motion for it was too late to back out now, no matter how much he feared the outcome. After taking a steadying breath, he stood up and with the Teddy Bear in hand, headed for his office door. He hadn't gone more than a few feet when there was a knock right before the door opened admitting one, slightly nervous, but determined Inspector.
They both stopped in their tracks and looked at each other. Ben saw that she held the flowers in her hands and she was clutching them as if they meant everything to her. A small part of him started to allow himself to begin hoping that she was pleased while another part of him hoped she wasn't about to throw them in his face.
Meg tightened her grip on her bouquet and as her eyes traveled to what Fraser held in his hands she felt her heart begin to soar. The plush white Teddy Bear had red paws, ears and a red bow, but it was what the bear held between its paws was what caught her attention most. It was a giant red heart that read, 'Meg, Be Mine'.
The two Mounties stared at each other once more, taking in the emotions that played across each of their faces. Meg, after having worried and fretted about whether he was involved with Francesca Vecchio were all for naught because his feelings were obviously still for her and she couldn't think of a single reason why she deserved it.
Fraser, wasn't sure what to do or what to say. Meg Thatcher bursting into his office had not been part of his plan and he now had to decide what his next move should be. He knew he should say something, but he couldn't, for what was perhaps the first time in his life, he was speechless.
Meg watched the play of emotions that ran through his eyes and saw his fear and anxiety. He was definitely worried about something and it was probably about what she was going to say or do in reaction to the roses and the bear. She knew the next move was up to her and she had to do something to alleviate his fear and to let him know that she wasn't angry or upset, but was delighted beyond words.
As the silence continued, she smiled slightly and then took a few steps towards him. Speaking softly, she said, "Fraser... I ah... see that you have a bear in your hands."
"Ah ... yes Sir. It's ah ... well it's suppose to be ..." His courage left him momentarily and he dropped his head down. He was not good at this, laying his heart out on the table. He had tried it once before and it had been stomped on and the remembered pain was making it very difficult for him. Meg seeing his struggle and realized that part of his hesitation must be coming from the misunderstanding over the adoption issue. She had to help him.
"Is it suppose to be another Valentine's day surprise, for me? One that is to accompany these very beautiful roses?"
Ben lifted his head at her words and smiled hesitantly. "Yes, that is what I intended, but it appears that I have also received a surprised. I ah ... hadn't expected you to come here, I had wanted to bring it to you. I apologize if I have caused you any inconvenience."
Meg frowned. His tone and demeanor had changed and he was now being the perfect junior officer. Apparently, he felt as though his surprise was not warranted or wanted. Well, he was wrong and she had to prove it to him.
"No apology necessary, Fraser. I came here to find out if these roses were indeed from you and to thank you."
"You did?" His tone began to lighten.
"Yes. I... ah... am touched that you thought of me today and thought of me in the terms that that bear represents." Fraser narrowed his eyes, hope beginning to overshadow his fears and doubt once more. Seeing her come a little closer, he caught his breath at the expression in her eyes and the smile that played around her mouth. "Do you really want me to be yours, Ben?"
Fraser couldn't believe the softness of her voice as she spoke his name and his heart began to fill with an immense joy from the love he saw in her eyes. "Yes, I really want you to me mine. That is, if you want to?"
"Oh, Ben. You have no idea how much." Before he could formulate a reply, Meg placed the roses on his desk and launched herself at him, flinging the Teddy Bear out of his arms at the same time she wrapped her arms around his neck and hugged him tightly.
Feeling slightly stunned, at having her suddenly in his arms, he hesitantly wrapped his arms around her and held her close He was just about to make a comment on her embrace when he felt and heard her sobbing into his shoulder. His concern was immediate and he slowly stroked her hair as he spoke softly into her ear.
"Meg, darling. What is it? What has you so upset? If it's the roses or the bear, I'll take them back."
Through her tears, she spoke brokenly. "You... will not... take... them back and... they're not... what... I'm crying... about."
"Then why? Please tell me."
"I'm crying... because... I'm so... happy."
Ben chuckled and held her tighter as he slowly stepped backwards until his legs touched his cot. Picking her up in his arms, with her head still buried in his shoulder, he sat down on the bed and continued to hold her close. When her tears began to subside he pushed her slightly away from him so he could look into her eyes.
Brushing the hair out of her face with a gentle hand, he used his handkerchief to mop up her tears. The ones he missed, he kissed gently away and Meg was tempted to begin crying again at the immense tenderness he was showing her. Satisfied that she had sufficiently recovered from her bout of tears, he smiled into her eyes. "Do you want to explain your last statement and tell me how you can be so happy when you were crying so hard?"
Meg returned his smile with one of her own and then caressed his cheek with a trembling hand. "I thought I had lost you. I thought that after the 'misunderstanding' and the pain I caused you, I had finally succeeded in pushing you out of my life."
"Meg, what made you think that?"
"Well, you have been avoiding me lately and whenever we have been in the same room together, you won't look at me. And then... and then... I saw you at the mall yesterday with that Vecchio woman and I thought that you... and she... were..." Meg stopped her words as amusement tugged at the corner of his mouth and lurked in his eyes. Thinking he was laughing at her, she became defensive. "Well, what else was I suppose to think"? I mean, I know I hurt you badly, and I am truly sorry that I did, and I thought that she had consoled you. After all, she had been throwing herself at you ever since you've known her."
"I see, then that was why you were crying because you're relieved I'm not seeing Francesca?"
"No, at least that's not the sole reason. When I noticed that you were avoiding me and it seemed that you no longer wished to be around me, I felt lost. I missed you and it hurt thinking you disliked me and that you wanted nothing more to do with me. And to top it off, I didn't blame you if you did hate me for all my coldness and aloofness. I felt that I deserved all of it. When I received the roses and read the card, I knew they were from you and for the first time in weeks I began to think that I was wrong. I began to think that the reason you were avoiding me was not because you hated me, but because it hurt you too much to be around me. So when I came bursting in here and saw you holding that wonderful, adorable bear, I knew I was right. I also knew that it was taking all the courage you had to open your heart to me once more and to risk being hurt again. Knowing that and seeing the look in your eyes made me love you all the more. I've been so miserable for so long with keeping what I felt for you inside, I couldn't hold the tears back any longer."
She buried her head against his chest once more as her tears began to fall again. "Oh, Ben. I'm so sorry for hurting you for causing you so much pain. Please forgive me. I promise, I will never do anything to hurt you again."
He couldn't believe what he was hearing. She had and was crying for him and not for herself. And did she just say she loved him? Ben crushed her against him as he placed kisses in her hair and along her cheek. "Oh, Meg, Meg. Don't cry any more. Of course I forgive you. I know you never intentionally meant to cause me pain and I've never hated you. I couldn't, I love you too much."
"Wh-what? You love me?"
"Yes. I've loved you for a very long time."
"Oh, Ben. I thought I would never hear you say those words and I've wanted to for so long."
"Well, you have and I need to hear them from you as well. Do you love me, Meg?"
"Yes, oh yes, Ben. I love you with all my heart and if you still want me to, I'll be your Valentine."
Ben's heart reached new heights in joy as he not only heard her words but saw the love she spoke of shinning from her eyes. Lowering his head, he claimed her lips in a kiss that had her clinging to him.
A long time later, he lifted his head and began to place kisses along her brow and jaw line. "Meg, Meg, my beautiful Meg. I never dreamt that when I put this plan into action that it would turn out so well."
"You didn't? Then what had you hoped for?"
"I had hoped that we would could begin a new, start fresh and forget the past, at least the immediate past. I wanted to see if we could at least pick up where we left off after our initial 'contact'."
"When I told you that the most wonderful kiss I ever received could not be repeated. Yeah, that's a good place to start."
"No, I mean from the time I told you that I had been unable to erase our 'contact' from my memory and the look on your face that told me you hadn't been able to forget it either. If we hadn't been interrupted and if we had been alone in that room, I was going to see about doing something that would make it happen again."
"Oh! I... ah... don't know what to say."
"You don't have to say anything. This is even better than I had planned." Before she could say anything he kissed her again, long and lovingly. When he raised his head this time he smiled into her shining eyes. "Meg?"
"Hmm?"
"I know you said you'd be my Valentine, but would you also do something elsefor me, become something else as well."
"If you mean lover, than my answer is yes."
Ben blushed to the roots of his hair as he caught her meaning and stammered out a reply. "Ah... that's a very... tempting offer, Meg and I... ah... would very much like to take you up on it, but that wasn't what I had in mind, at least not at the moment."
"Then what did you have in mind."
"I was wondering if you would do me the honor of marrying me and becoming my wife?"
Meg taken totally by surprise, pushed herself away from him, but not off him. "Are you serious?"
"Yes, perfectly."
"Ben, aren't you jumping the gun a little. I mean, we love each other but marriage is so... so... well it's a very big step. I'm not sure if we're ready."
"Meg, I am. I've been wanting you as my wife for a long time. When I first offered you my... ah services... I wasn't just agreeing to be the father of your children, Meg. I was also offering myself to be your husband."
Taking his hand in hers she raised it to her lips. "I knew that, and deep down I wanted it, very badly, but I wasn't ready then."
"And now?"
"And now...?" she snuggled against him once more and kissed his forehead. "I'm ready and willing. So my answer is yes. I'll be your wife."
He kissed her then, holding her as close as he could and feeling more joy than he ever thought he was capable of feeling. When they had parted for air, plans were made and implemented. After a quick trip to Toronto, they were married that evening and then flew to his cabin in the Yukon where they consummated their relationship.
Now, here they were, four days later and still at his cabin and still wrapped in the others arms. When Meg awoke this time, her head was laying on his chest and she felt his lips in her hair as his fingertips lightly caressed her arm. Lifting her head up from his chest she smiled into his eyes. "You know, if you keep kissing me like that, we'll never get back to work, and I don't think Ottawa will believe that both their Liaison officers have come down with the exact same disease that will keep them out of the office indefinitely."
"I know, but I can't help it. I love you so very much and I want to show you how much every time we kiss."
"I feel the same way, but we have to return to the office some time. If we don't, I'm sure either Turnbull or Vecchio will come looking for one of us for I don't think our cover story of an unplanned business trip will fool them for long." Kissing him fervently, she snuggled closer to him. "I still can't believe that we eloped on Valentine's Day and have been togetherfor four whole days and it's all because of those flowers and that bear you bought me. Whatever made you decide to buy them, Ben? I can't believe that it was solely your idea."
"Well, quite honestly it wasn't. Actually it was Francesca who had insisted I give you the two dozen roses and buy the bear for you and that I have it personally inscribed."
"Francesca Vecchio? The same Francesca Vecchio that has been pursuing you with such vigor since the day you set foot in her mother's house? The same woman that has thrown herself at you time and time again had you buy a Teddy Bear for me?"
"Yes."
"I don't believe it."
"Well, believe it. For some reason, that I'm not totally aware of, she has made you and I getting together her personal pet project."
"You're kidding, right?"
"No, I'm perfectly serious. I'm not sure why she has taken this course of action, but since it has led to you and I coming together, than I'm happy she did."
"So am I. I guess why she chose to do so isn't important since the results have been quite satisfactory."
"Are you?"
"Am I what?"
"Satisfied?"
"Generally, yes, but at the moment, no."
"Oh! What can I do to change that?"
Meg smiled mischievously and traced an imaginary line from his chin to his belly button with a finger tip. "I'll let you decide how to do that. I think, as my husband, you are very capable of finding a way to satisfy me."
Ben couldn't help but smile at her words and the sudden glint in her eyes. If any one had told him a week ago that he would be married to Meg Thatcher, he would not have believed them. But here he was, married to the woman he loved and honeymooning in his father's cabin.
Kissing her tenderly, he caressed her cheek lovingly before moving his hand down her shoulder and arm to her hand. Raising it to his lips he said, "I think I know of a way."
Meg closed her eyes as he felt him envelope her fingers with his mouth before placing her arm around his neck. Right before his lips touched hers again she said, "I thought you might?"
Ben kissed his wife with all the love and passion inside him and as Meg return them, all thoughts of Ottawa, Chicago, and everyone they knew, left their minds. No more words needed to be said as the couple began to explore and love each other once more before they needed to begin making plans for their new life together in Chicago.
This story was written in reply to a challenge issued by Little Spooky on RedSuitsYou at Yahoo!Groups.
