FIC #31, Maggie/Meg, prompt: "Tell me again why I followed you here?" for wintercreek
Title: Trust
Author: Aingeal
Pairing: Maggie/Meg
Word Count: 1788 (whoops...)
Rating: G
Prompt: FIC #31, Maggie/Meg (or Maggie-Meg gen or friendship, if that's easier), "Tell me again why I followed you here?" for wintercreek
Notes: Thank you to miss_zedem for encouragement, title suggestion and beta. Set post-COTW with Meg staying in the RCMP doing what she does best.
Trust
Meg Thatcher was not a field officer. Granted she had spent time in the field but her career has been forged more among the political environment of desk work. It had been there she had made a reputation for herself of being able to getting things done. This was why she had been surprised to have a request for help from Constable Maggie MacKenzie. However, she was never one to refuse a request for help from a fellow officer so she had flown up the Yukon at the earliest opportunity.
Maggie met her at the airport. Meg found herself comparing her to her brother. She had obviously inherited the Fraser good looks. Meg found her a good looking woman as much as she found Fraser attractive. It must be something about the eyes, she mused. Maggie's deportment matched that of her brother; straight, unswerving. Meg was disappointed that Constable Mackenzie had her hair up. It was regulation but she couldn't help but think she;d look more attractive with it down. Despite this she had a warm smile and a firm handshake for Meg as a greeting.
“Inspector Thatcher.”
“Constable MacKenzie,” Meg replied, returning the handshake, gripping back in a way that perhaps belied her nervousness.
“If you like we can pick up your luggage and then go somewhere private to talk.”
“That sounds, good, Constable,” Meg replied, wondering if she should be so formal. Should she call her MacKenzie? Or was that too impersonal to call another woman? Meg wasn't technically on duty, perhaps they should be a little less formal. “You can call me, Meg,” she offered.
“Maggie,” Constable MacKenzie said, a slight awkwardness in her voice.
They collected Meg's luggage and headed to Maggie's small cabin. Like her brother her tastes were simple. It wasn't overly furnished. There was a wardrobe, a bed, a couch, a table and chairs, a throw and a rug. It was simple, neat and tidy.
Meg was offered a seat in the kitchen area whilst Maggie fixed them both a warm drink.
“You didn't say what you needed my help with,” Meg said as Maggie sat down, passing her a warm mug of tea. Their hands brushed lightly and Meg saw the hint of a blush.
“I wasn't able to speak freely on the phone,” Maggie explained. “There are a few things I have noticed about one of my fellow officers. He's been acting suspiciously.”
Trust Maggie to notice something like that. Perhaps it was in the Fraser genes.
“You can't report him to your superior?” Meg asked, taking a sip of the tea. It was warming, much like the company.
“He is my superior,” Maggie explained. “I needed outside help.”
“Why me?” Meg asked.
Maggie took a sip of her own tea before answering. “I needed someone I can trust.”
“And you feel you can trust me?” Meg was surprised. Their previous interactions were not ones that she would have thought would engender trust. Although she was pleased by the thought.
“My brother says you are a fine officer who serves with honour. I trust his opinion of you.”
Meg smiled. “Your brother is very generous,” she replied, smiling. She tried not to stare at Maggie. “There is a family resemblance.”
“Thank you kindly,” Maggie said.
This time Meg found herself blushing lightly. “So, what's the plan of action?” she asked, clearing her throat.
“I've noticed Sergeant Bothwell often visits an abandoned mineshaft at the same time every Tuesday. I was thinking it would be a good lead to follow him there. I believe he's hiding stolen goods.”
It made sense, there weren't many places to hide things and mineshaft was logical.
“Tomorrow is Tuesday,” Meg said.
“I was hoping you would accompany me,” Maggie said. “To see if we can find any evidence,” she quickly added.
“I'd be happy to,” Meg replied, reassuring the other woman.
“Thank you kindly,” Maggie said.
“It's my pleasure,” Meg replied.
Meg slept fitfully that night. Maybe it was because she hadn't been out in the field for so long. Maybe it was nerves about implicating a fellow officer for conduct unbecoming of an RCMP representative. Perhaps it was the unfamiliarity of her surroundings. Or perhaps it was that at 2.05AM she found herself imagining what it would be like to kiss Maggie MacKenzie, sleeping just feet away.
It wasn't that she had never had thoughts like that before. At depot there had been some interesting moments where she had found herself experiencing such impulses. One of the women she went through basic training with had haunted her dreams for months afterwards. Most of the time Meg suppressed those feelings, just as she suppressed, or tried to suppress any feeling she might have about her fellow officers. She simply didn't have time for romance in her career.
Out here though time was different. It ran by the seasons rather than an appointment book. People were different too. Maggie was kind, polite, welcoming and attractive. She was everything Meg wished she had made room for her earlier in her career. She never did get to kiss her fellow cadet at depot and she didn't want to miss the opportunity with Maggie. Perhaps there would be time in the morning, she mused.
She drifted off to sleep dreaming of Maggie, her hair down, smiling and thanking Meg. When she dreamed of the kiss this time she didn't wake up, but let it continue.
The next morning they set off for the mineshaft. Maggie was much more experienced at tracking and knowing how not to alert the person they were tracking. They followed the Sergeant to the abandoned mine shaft without any trouble. They watched him enter with a package of some sort and some time later leave without it.
“We should see if there's any evidence,” Maggie said, as soon as the Sergeant was out of sight.
“Shouldn't we report our suspicions to the local Inspector first?” Meg asked. She had an uneasy feeling about this.
“We should make sure the evid4ence is there before we involve our superiors,” Maggie replied.
Her argument was perfectly logical. Just as Fraser's arguments were always perfectly logical no matter what the situation. Meg trusted Maggie as much as Fraser, she wasn't even sure why. “All right,” she agreed.
Maggie went first down the shaft. At first Meg stayed outside, keeping a lookout in case the Sergeant should return. After five minutes or so though she began to worry. She couldn't hear Maggie in the mineshaft and she was concerned something had happened to her. She sighed and followed Maggie into the darkness.
It took awhile but eventually she caught up to Maggie who was busy examining what Meg presumed were stolen goods. “There's plenty of evidence here,” she said. “I worked on the case where this was stolen,” she held up a silver platter.
“We should take photographs,” Meg said. “Do you have a camera?”
“I left it in the jeep.”
They were about to leave when suddenly there was a rumble and the floor began to shake.
“We need to run, Maggie said.
However, before they got the chance the walls tumbled in around them. Meg felt a sharp pain in her leg as she fell to the dirt floor. She closed her eyes as dust fell all around her. She coughed as the tremors subsided.
She opened her eyes to find Maggie examining her leg. There was no light but Maggie had somehow managed to light a lantern. Ever resourceful, Meg thought.
“I'm afraid your leg is broken.” Maggie said. “I can splint it until help arrives.
Meg nodded agreement, anything to stop the pain getting worse.
Using a piece of fallen wood and some twine Maggie to managed to make a respectable splint. Meg noticed she had a cut on a cheek but otherwise seemed to be unharmed. Considering there had been a cave in they had been incredibly lucky. Still this was not how she had planned this.
"Tell me again why I followed you here?" Meg asked as they sat in the darkness.
“I apologise for involving you in this,” Maggie said. “I am sure someone will come to our aid.”
She sounded just like her brother, annoyingly optimistic yet aware of the facts.
“Out here?” Meg asked.
“I'm sorry.”
Meg shook her head. “Don't be, I allowed this course of action. It was my decision to follow you down here.”
“Does your leg hurt?” Maggie asked.
Meg nodded.
Without warning Maggie slipped a hand into hers. “I'm glad you came after me,” she whispered. “I wouldn't want to be alone down here.”
Meg squeezed the hand, not because of the pain in her leg but in reassurance. Maggie was warm and reassuring and there for her. “I wouldn't want to be alone either,” she said.
They sat there for a long time. Maggie talked to keep Meg's mind off the pain in her leg. She told stories of life in the wilderness to Meg, who shared the odd story about her own, different, upbringing. They talked like old friends. Maggie's hand in her own never let go.
“I like your hair down,” Meg said, she felt so tired.
Maggie's hair was down, dislodged by the mine collapse it hung down loosely now, softening her features. Her face was smeared with dirt and dust but she looked wonderful to Meg.
“I like yours,” Maggie replied.
Meg felt an echo of what she had felt on top of a train. They leaned in together and she felt Maggie's lips on hers. Perhaps that night had been a premonition not a dream. Not that she believed in such things but Maggie's lips, her mouth, felt wonderful. Meg felt the pain in leg easing as she concentrated solely on the kiss.
Abruptly Maggie pulled away from her. Meg was hardly aware of the sound of voices and the noise of digging machinery.
“They've found us,” Maggie said.
Sure enough they were brought out into daylight, rescued. Meg could have thought of relief, of happiness at being alive but she felt disappointment that Maggie's hand was no longer in hers. She heard words about a hospital and treatment but wasn't paying attention, she was busy looking for Maggie, but she never saw her before she was loaded up into a helicopter and flown to the nearest medical facility.
It was on her second day in hospital, when she was dozing light, that she realised she could feel a hand slipped into hers. She cracked her eyes open. There was Maggie sitting by the side of the bed, and her hair was down. Meg smiled. Maybe she wouldn't be going back to the city so quickly after-all.
Author: Aingeal
Pairing: Maggie/Meg
Word Count: 1788 (whoops...)
Rating: G
Prompt: FIC #31, Maggie/Meg (or Maggie-Meg gen or friendship, if that's easier), "Tell me again why I followed you here?" for wintercreek
Notes: Thank you to miss_zedem for encouragement, title suggestion and beta. Set post-COTW with Meg staying in the RCMP doing what she does best.
Trust
Meg Thatcher was not a field officer. Granted she had spent time in the field but her career has been forged more among the political environment of desk work. It had been there she had made a reputation for herself of being able to getting things done. This was why she had been surprised to have a request for help from Constable Maggie MacKenzie. However, she was never one to refuse a request for help from a fellow officer so she had flown up the Yukon at the earliest opportunity.
Maggie met her at the airport. Meg found herself comparing her to her brother. She had obviously inherited the Fraser good looks. Meg found her a good looking woman as much as she found Fraser attractive. It must be something about the eyes, she mused. Maggie's deportment matched that of her brother; straight, unswerving. Meg was disappointed that Constable Mackenzie had her hair up. It was regulation but she couldn't help but think she;d look more attractive with it down. Despite this she had a warm smile and a firm handshake for Meg as a greeting.
“Inspector Thatcher.”
“Constable MacKenzie,” Meg replied, returning the handshake, gripping back in a way that perhaps belied her nervousness.
“If you like we can pick up your luggage and then go somewhere private to talk.”
“That sounds, good, Constable,” Meg replied, wondering if she should be so formal. Should she call her MacKenzie? Or was that too impersonal to call another woman? Meg wasn't technically on duty, perhaps they should be a little less formal. “You can call me, Meg,” she offered.
“Maggie,” Constable MacKenzie said, a slight awkwardness in her voice.
They collected Meg's luggage and headed to Maggie's small cabin. Like her brother her tastes were simple. It wasn't overly furnished. There was a wardrobe, a bed, a couch, a table and chairs, a throw and a rug. It was simple, neat and tidy.
Meg was offered a seat in the kitchen area whilst Maggie fixed them both a warm drink.
“You didn't say what you needed my help with,” Meg said as Maggie sat down, passing her a warm mug of tea. Their hands brushed lightly and Meg saw the hint of a blush.
“I wasn't able to speak freely on the phone,” Maggie explained. “There are a few things I have noticed about one of my fellow officers. He's been acting suspiciously.”
Trust Maggie to notice something like that. Perhaps it was in the Fraser genes.
“You can't report him to your superior?” Meg asked, taking a sip of the tea. It was warming, much like the company.
“He is my superior,” Maggie explained. “I needed outside help.”
“Why me?” Meg asked.
Maggie took a sip of her own tea before answering. “I needed someone I can trust.”
“And you feel you can trust me?” Meg was surprised. Their previous interactions were not ones that she would have thought would engender trust. Although she was pleased by the thought.
“My brother says you are a fine officer who serves with honour. I trust his opinion of you.”
Meg smiled. “Your brother is very generous,” she replied, smiling. She tried not to stare at Maggie. “There is a family resemblance.”
“Thank you kindly,” Maggie said.
This time Meg found herself blushing lightly. “So, what's the plan of action?” she asked, clearing her throat.
“I've noticed Sergeant Bothwell often visits an abandoned mineshaft at the same time every Tuesday. I was thinking it would be a good lead to follow him there. I believe he's hiding stolen goods.”
It made sense, there weren't many places to hide things and mineshaft was logical.
“Tomorrow is Tuesday,” Meg said.
“I was hoping you would accompany me,” Maggie said. “To see if we can find any evidence,” she quickly added.
“I'd be happy to,” Meg replied, reassuring the other woman.
“Thank you kindly,” Maggie said.
“It's my pleasure,” Meg replied.
Meg slept fitfully that night. Maybe it was because she hadn't been out in the field for so long. Maybe it was nerves about implicating a fellow officer for conduct unbecoming of an RCMP representative. Perhaps it was the unfamiliarity of her surroundings. Or perhaps it was that at 2.05AM she found herself imagining what it would be like to kiss Maggie MacKenzie, sleeping just feet away.
It wasn't that she had never had thoughts like that before. At depot there had been some interesting moments where she had found herself experiencing such impulses. One of the women she went through basic training with had haunted her dreams for months afterwards. Most of the time Meg suppressed those feelings, just as she suppressed, or tried to suppress any feeling she might have about her fellow officers. She simply didn't have time for romance in her career.
Out here though time was different. It ran by the seasons rather than an appointment book. People were different too. Maggie was kind, polite, welcoming and attractive. She was everything Meg wished she had made room for her earlier in her career. She never did get to kiss her fellow cadet at depot and she didn't want to miss the opportunity with Maggie. Perhaps there would be time in the morning, she mused.
She drifted off to sleep dreaming of Maggie, her hair down, smiling and thanking Meg. When she dreamed of the kiss this time she didn't wake up, but let it continue.
The next morning they set off for the mineshaft. Maggie was much more experienced at tracking and knowing how not to alert the person they were tracking. They followed the Sergeant to the abandoned mine shaft without any trouble. They watched him enter with a package of some sort and some time later leave without it.
“We should see if there's any evidence,” Maggie said, as soon as the Sergeant was out of sight.
“Shouldn't we report our suspicions to the local Inspector first?” Meg asked. She had an uneasy feeling about this.
“We should make sure the evid4ence is there before we involve our superiors,” Maggie replied.
Her argument was perfectly logical. Just as Fraser's arguments were always perfectly logical no matter what the situation. Meg trusted Maggie as much as Fraser, she wasn't even sure why. “All right,” she agreed.
Maggie went first down the shaft. At first Meg stayed outside, keeping a lookout in case the Sergeant should return. After five minutes or so though she began to worry. She couldn't hear Maggie in the mineshaft and she was concerned something had happened to her. She sighed and followed Maggie into the darkness.
It took awhile but eventually she caught up to Maggie who was busy examining what Meg presumed were stolen goods. “There's plenty of evidence here,” she said. “I worked on the case where this was stolen,” she held up a silver platter.
“We should take photographs,” Meg said. “Do you have a camera?”
“I left it in the jeep.”
They were about to leave when suddenly there was a rumble and the floor began to shake.
“We need to run, Maggie said.
However, before they got the chance the walls tumbled in around them. Meg felt a sharp pain in her leg as she fell to the dirt floor. She closed her eyes as dust fell all around her. She coughed as the tremors subsided.
She opened her eyes to find Maggie examining her leg. There was no light but Maggie had somehow managed to light a lantern. Ever resourceful, Meg thought.
“I'm afraid your leg is broken.” Maggie said. “I can splint it until help arrives.
Meg nodded agreement, anything to stop the pain getting worse.
Using a piece of fallen wood and some twine Maggie to managed to make a respectable splint. Meg noticed she had a cut on a cheek but otherwise seemed to be unharmed. Considering there had been a cave in they had been incredibly lucky. Still this was not how she had planned this.
"Tell me again why I followed you here?" Meg asked as they sat in the darkness.
“I apologise for involving you in this,” Maggie said. “I am sure someone will come to our aid.”
She sounded just like her brother, annoyingly optimistic yet aware of the facts.
“Out here?” Meg asked.
“I'm sorry.”
Meg shook her head. “Don't be, I allowed this course of action. It was my decision to follow you down here.”
“Does your leg hurt?” Maggie asked.
Meg nodded.
Without warning Maggie slipped a hand into hers. “I'm glad you came after me,” she whispered. “I wouldn't want to be alone down here.”
Meg squeezed the hand, not because of the pain in her leg but in reassurance. Maggie was warm and reassuring and there for her. “I wouldn't want to be alone either,” she said.
They sat there for a long time. Maggie talked to keep Meg's mind off the pain in her leg. She told stories of life in the wilderness to Meg, who shared the odd story about her own, different, upbringing. They talked like old friends. Maggie's hand in her own never let go.
“I like your hair down,” Meg said, she felt so tired.
Maggie's hair was down, dislodged by the mine collapse it hung down loosely now, softening her features. Her face was smeared with dirt and dust but she looked wonderful to Meg.
“I like yours,” Maggie replied.
Meg felt an echo of what she had felt on top of a train. They leaned in together and she felt Maggie's lips on hers. Perhaps that night had been a premonition not a dream. Not that she believed in such things but Maggie's lips, her mouth, felt wonderful. Meg felt the pain in leg easing as she concentrated solely on the kiss.
Abruptly Maggie pulled away from her. Meg was hardly aware of the sound of voices and the noise of digging machinery.
“They've found us,” Maggie said.
Sure enough they were brought out into daylight, rescued. Meg could have thought of relief, of happiness at being alive but she felt disappointment that Maggie's hand was no longer in hers. She heard words about a hospital and treatment but wasn't paying attention, she was busy looking for Maggie, but she never saw her before she was loaded up into a helicopter and flown to the nearest medical facility.
It was on her second day in hospital, when she was dozing light, that she realised she could feel a hand slipped into hers. She cracked her eyes open. There was Maggie sitting by the side of the bed, and her hair was down. Meg smiled. Maybe she wouldn't be going back to the city so quickly after-all.