Title: Running to Glacier Point
Author: Julesmonster
Fandom: due South
Pairing(s): Benton Fraser/Ray Kowalski
Rating: Teen & Up
Warnings: Injured Ray
Genres: Angst, First Time, Romance, Hurt/Comfort
Word Count: 18,403
Summary: After being injured in the line of duty, RayK heads to Canada to get away from the pity of his friends and family and to find something more with Fraser. Post-CotW. Slash.
Why You Should Read This: I’m not normally a hurt/comfort type person, though this fic will fit the bill nicely for some of you out there that are into the genre. The thing about this particular fic is that it is, in a word, haunting. Why? Because there is something about it that just clicks, and you can’t get it out of your head. Okay, well maybe it’s just me. I first read this on November 20th, 2016, and have since re-read it four more times in the six weeks since.
Fraser and Kowalski separate after their adventure, though it comes out that neither wanted to go their separate ways. And when Ray is shot, then further injured on the job – because Fraser isn’t there to cover his ass – he goes into a coma, and comes out of it with a bit of brain damage. And when nobody – not his parents, Ma Vecchio and Frannie, nor Stella and Ray Vecchio – listens to him or his wants, he decides to skip town and go up to Canada to see what Fraser (who he figures was never told about Ray’s accident) is doing, and if they can maybe live together.
The thing about this fic that I love is how you watch Ray progress from his “Can function on his own, but has trouble” through to “almost completely healed.” Not only that, but as he heals, his relationship with Fraser grows – and it’s just a thing of beauty.
One word of caution – stay out of the comments. Now I was not around for the “Ray Wars”, but it is there in the comments. To me, Stella and Ray Vecchio are portrayed exactly how I think their characters are on the show. However, I understand that there are some people who detest how Ray Vecchio and Stella are treated by Fraser/Kowalski people. This fic does a good job of broaching the issue, and I think handles it wonderfully. However, I know not everyone will agree with me on that.
In all, this is a completely wonderful fic, and deserves a read for those who like Fraser/Kowalski.
*adds fic to the list of things to read*
I disagree that this author portrayed Ray Vecchio and Stella exactly how they are on the show, particularly RayV, whom we got to know much better than Stella. The author makes RayV into much more of a snob than he is on the show and diminishes his canon friendship with Benny to make her case for F/K. Fraser even acts as if he’s not happy to see RayV. If authors tear down the friendship to make Kowalski the “better Ray” for Fraser, then it’s either out pure hatred for RayV, little knowledge of the first two seasons of Due South, or acknowledgement that there’s not enough canon evidence for F/K. (I’ve personally never found it a believable pairing, because Fraser would not be attracted to Kowalski’s selfishness and clingyness), so they have to make the friendship less than it is. That is why RayV fans may detest how certain F/K authors write him, and write the friendship with Fraser. F/K is much easier to enjoy if RayV and the friendship are written as they are in canon – and that means, in this story, Fraser and RayV would be very glad to spend time with each other and Fraser would even defend he and Stella against the terrible woman who sneered at them being “city people.” It’s also pure fanon, not canon, that Kowalski adjusts better to living in remote Canada than RayV. RayV did much better in the pilot episode and “North” than Kowalski did in “COTW.” But F/K shippers ignore that, as well as much of canon, to prove Kowalski is better than RayV. 🙁
Your views duly noted on multiple websites in multiple comments. Please take your negativity elsewhere; it’s not appreciated here.
As a F/K shipper, you should try to understand what non F/K shippers feel about treatment of other characters – in this case, Ray Vecchio. That starts with listening and not saying that these concerns are negative. Did I bash Kowalski? No – I just said I found the pairing of he and Fraser not believable, and I said why I felt that way. Ignoring a problem won’t make it go away. Think of how you would feel if you think F/V shippers treated Kowalski or another character unfairly to build up F/V as a pairing.