Back at Work ….

Meg sat at her desk, wishing she had something to do instead of paperwork. It was her first Monday morning back at the consulate. Dr. Brown had released her to work, only prescribing a new strength of her usual reading glasses. The lady Mountie was still getting used to the light so she kept her office's drapes closed for the most part. By two o'clock she had a headache from eye strain and frustration. Ben had definitely been in her files and she couldn't find anything, they were all in regulation order.

"Constable Fraser, may I speak to you in my office?" Meg said when he answered on the second ring. A moment later she heard his tap on the door.

"Come in, Fraser." The lady Mountie stood up, gathering her coat, purse and briefcase.

"You wanted to speak to me, Inspector Thatcher?" He closed the door behind him and crossed the room.

"I'm leaving early, I have a headache." Meg pulled her sunglasses out of her briefcase and slipped into her coat.

"Are there any instructions?" Ben watched her carefully, wondering if she were well enough to take herself home.

"No, just wanted to say good-bye before I left the office. I'll probably take a nap and find something to eat for supper later." She rubbed the bridge of her nose. Her eyes felt like they were trying to cross and turn backwards into her head at the same time.

"Call if you need anything." Ben said softly, buttoning her navy pea coat. Meg smiled up at him. She seemed tired.

"I have everything I need." She took his hand and squeezed it gently. The lady Mountie tapped on the back of his hand; I-L-Y, in Morse code.

"I'll see you in the morning, Inspector Thatcher." Ben said loudly, tapping his response against Meg's hand.

"Inform me if you have any questions." Meg pulled away reluctantly.

"Understood." Ben nodded as he watched her leave the office. He'd grown accustomed to Meg's presence upstairs. The Mountie had checked on her several times through out the day and evening while she was recovering. They'd taken meals together and shared conversations. It was going to be a long afternoon without her.

"Yep, definitely pinky wrapped." Dief settled himself at Fraser's feet, looking up at his human friend.

"Oh nonsense, Diefenbaker." Ben chided the fur ball.

"If she said jump you say, 'Yes, Sir, where do I land?' admit it." Dief cocked one eye brow, thumping Ben's foot with his bushy tail.

"Now do I comment on your dating habits?" The old wolf looked thoroughly put out and got up to leave.

After Supper …..

Meg sat on the sofa flipping through the television channels. She'd taken a long nap, gotten up and fixed herself a pot of homemade vegetable soup for supper. Now she sat curled up on the sofa flipping channels like a couch potato. A tap on the door nearly startled the lady Mountie. She got up and peered through the peep hole.

"Ben!" She had to stop herself from dragging him inside.

"I came by to see if you were alright." He stepped in the front door and took Meg in from her dark, loose hair, her baggy sweat shirt and Maple Leaf's pajama bottoms and her bare feet. She looked down at her clothes and looked embarrassed.

"I'm fine, it was just eye strain." She closed the door and took Ben's coat and Stetson. He seemed to fill the room.

"I've brought something." Ben fiddled in his coat pocket and pulled out Black Beauty. "We didn't finish the last two chapters. Meg laughed, lighting up her whole face. The only thing Ben had seen that came anywhere near to her beauty was the Northern Lights of home.

"Have a seat on the sofa and I'll make us some hot cocoa." Meg shook her head as she walked into the kitchen and put on the tea kettle. A few minutes later she returned with two steaming mugs of cocoa with miniature marshmallows bobbing in them. She handed one to Ben and took her usual seat on the short couch.

"Let me get my lap throw and I'll be ready." Meg set her mug down and dug a cherry red, fleece throw out of the bottom storage area of her end table and curled up on the couch beside Ben. The Mountie watched her settle down, her legs tucked beneath her like.

"What?" She said when she caught him watching.

"Just enjoying watching you." He responded, his green eyes warm with affection and satisfaction.

"Come on, let's finish the book." Meg waved her left hand at him, smiling. Ben stretched his long legs out toward the coffee table and opened the book. He started on the next to last chapter of the book, his voice taking on that melodious, measured tone that hypnotized Meg.

By the end of the final chapter, Meg had stretched out on the couch, her feet on Ben's knee. Gently, he rubbed her feet, noting that she was ticklish on the bottoms of her feet. The mischievous part of him wanted to run his finger between her toes to watch her squirm. He decided not to, knowing she'd retaliate and try to find his ticklish spots. He filed that experiment away for a later trial.

Insert last line of Black Beauty here...

"That was a beautiful story, thank you for coming over to finish it." Meg yawned, despite her long nap earlier in the afternoon. Between Ben's voice, hot cocoa and being warm and cozy on the couch, she was sleepy again.

"You're welcome." Ben set her feet aside to get up from the couch.

"I couldn't have made it through this without you, Ben." Meg curled her feet up in the fleece throw.

"Sleep well, Meg." Ben wished her as he perched on the edge of the couch beside her.

"You too, Ben." Meg caressed his cheek, feeling the bit of stubble on his chin. It may have been the last chapter of Black Beauty, but it wasn't the last chapter of Ben and Meg's story.

The End.