Playing Wolf, Penny Serenade, Family Portrait
Title: Playing Wolf
Author: Kellie Matthews (kelliem)
Pairing: Fraser/Kowalski
Rating: NC-17
Length: 517K
Why I'm reccing this fic: It's hard to talk about this fic without spoiling too many plot twists. Suffice it to say, it's a long tale rooted in Ray and Fraser's relationship, living together in Chicago a few years after their adventure. People and events reconnect Fraser to his youth in the Northwest Territories, and new acquaintances eventually expand their family across two countries and multiple generations. The story is flavored with police action, Ray and Fraser married love and Inuit culture and history, though not much in the way of little kid kid!fic. But children, parenting, family and babies are all part of the story.
"You want to go home?" Ray asked.
"Very much so," Fraser said, tight-voiced. "It's been a long time, and this weekend just served to remind me of that fact."
Fraser was obviously answering a different question than Ray had asked. Already a little off-balance, the answer only made him more so. It had been a long time since Fraser had called the Territories 'home.' Well. He shouldn't make too much of it. It was understandable, really. Completely. He would probably always think of them as home, no matter what. Right. He cleared his throat. "Guess we'd better start doing some planning, then. In the meantime, did you have anything you need to do while we're out running around, or should we head back to the house?"
Fraser finally turned and looked at him, and Ray saw comprehension in his eyes. "Ah. I'm sorry, I mistook your meaning. Home, certainly."
Ray nodded and started the engine. "No problem. I could use a vacation myself. Maybe we can get out the maps and start coordinating dates."
Fraser nodded. "I'd like that."
Playing Wolf
Title: Penny Serenade
Author: Colleen Kane
Pairing: Fraser/Kowalski
Rating: PG
Length: 4,250 words
Why I'm reccing this fic: This is pure, unadulterated kid!fic, with glimpses of how Fraser and Ray came to adopt, and all the attendant trials and joys of being the parents of a willful toddler. Poor Fraser, subjected to kid logic! He gets a tad frustrated. Ray rolls with the toddler mind fairly well, but has his own hurdles to face.
"Come on. Back in the tub." I take a step in that direction and Isabelle screams, right in my ear, and flings her arms tightly around my neck.
"I... don't... WANNA!"
It takes a small bribe (blueberry pancakes for breakfast) and no small amount of child psychology, but a half hour later, Isabelle is washed, dried, pyjama-ed and tucked in, with her nasty old drool-stained stuffed otter and her precious Pooh nightlight. In the hallway, Ben leans tiredly on the wall and stares at the ceiling.
"Good Lord, that was an ordeal."
I wag my finger at him. "Uh-uh. Don't even start with me, Daddy. You're the one who picked up the baby from the crime scene."
Ben gives me a tired smile. "And I pay and pay and pay..."
Penny Serenade
Title: Family Portrait
Author: Journey
Pairing: Fraser/Kowalski
Rating: NC-17
Length: 446K
Why I'm reccing this fic: This is an AU in which Stella dies, leaving Ray with their two small children. Two years later, when he meets Fraser, Fraser slips under the shell of isolation Ray has drawn around himself and his family. Journey gets those subtle differences that Ray the single dad would have -- a little less "kick in the head" and a lot more pragmatic. She also does a great job of portraying a Fraser who has never found a true sense of place, and is unsettled about the connections the two small children and their father seem to form with him so easily. The story leans towards babysitter!Fraser versus crimefighter!Fraser, but the emotional plot is a winner.
Ray showed no sign of hearing Fraser since his head was bent down to listen to something that Stevie was saying in a whisper.
"What? Say that again." Ray listened again. "Oh." He looked up to meet Fraser's eyes. "He wants to know your name. I told him already but he's forgotten now that he's face to face with you. Speaking of which, what do you want them to call you? Mr. Fraser?"
Fraser shook his head in automatic denial. He'd never thought of himself as Mr. Fraser, if anyone was Mr. Fraser, it had been his grandfather. "They can call me Fraser," he answered slowly, almost...reluctantly.
"His name is Benton. That's what we should call him. That's what his daddy called him." Katie, dressed now in shorts and a shirt that almost matched, twirled into the kitchen and sat in the chair next to Fraser's.
"Katie, Fraser can choose. He might not want you to call him Benton," Ray admonished her.
"No, that's fine," Fraser said quickly. "Actually, I think I'd like it. It's been a long time since anyone has called me that." He stopped himself talking by main force, afraid of revealing too much to this perceptive child or to her father.
Family Portrait
Author: Kellie Matthews (kelliem)
Pairing: Fraser/Kowalski
Rating: NC-17
Length: 517K
Why I'm reccing this fic: It's hard to talk about this fic without spoiling too many plot twists. Suffice it to say, it's a long tale rooted in Ray and Fraser's relationship, living together in Chicago a few years after their adventure. People and events reconnect Fraser to his youth in the Northwest Territories, and new acquaintances eventually expand their family across two countries and multiple generations. The story is flavored with police action, Ray and Fraser married love and Inuit culture and history, though not much in the way of little kid kid!fic. But children, parenting, family and babies are all part of the story.
"You want to go home?" Ray asked.
"Very much so," Fraser said, tight-voiced. "It's been a long time, and this weekend just served to remind me of that fact."
Fraser was obviously answering a different question than Ray had asked. Already a little off-balance, the answer only made him more so. It had been a long time since Fraser had called the Territories 'home.' Well. He shouldn't make too much of it. It was understandable, really. Completely. He would probably always think of them as home, no matter what. Right. He cleared his throat. "Guess we'd better start doing some planning, then. In the meantime, did you have anything you need to do while we're out running around, or should we head back to the house?"
Fraser finally turned and looked at him, and Ray saw comprehension in his eyes. "Ah. I'm sorry, I mistook your meaning. Home, certainly."
Ray nodded and started the engine. "No problem. I could use a vacation myself. Maybe we can get out the maps and start coordinating dates."
Fraser nodded. "I'd like that."
Playing Wolf
Title: Penny Serenade
Author: Colleen Kane
Pairing: Fraser/Kowalski
Rating: PG
Length: 4,250 words
Why I'm reccing this fic: This is pure, unadulterated kid!fic, with glimpses of how Fraser and Ray came to adopt, and all the attendant trials and joys of being the parents of a willful toddler. Poor Fraser, subjected to kid logic! He gets a tad frustrated. Ray rolls with the toddler mind fairly well, but has his own hurdles to face.
"Come on. Back in the tub." I take a step in that direction and Isabelle screams, right in my ear, and flings her arms tightly around my neck.
"I... don't... WANNA!"
It takes a small bribe (blueberry pancakes for breakfast) and no small amount of child psychology, but a half hour later, Isabelle is washed, dried, pyjama-ed and tucked in, with her nasty old drool-stained stuffed otter and her precious Pooh nightlight. In the hallway, Ben leans tiredly on the wall and stares at the ceiling.
"Good Lord, that was an ordeal."
I wag my finger at him. "Uh-uh. Don't even start with me, Daddy. You're the one who picked up the baby from the crime scene."
Ben gives me a tired smile. "And I pay and pay and pay..."
Penny Serenade
Title: Family Portrait
Author: Journey
Pairing: Fraser/Kowalski
Rating: NC-17
Length: 446K
Why I'm reccing this fic: This is an AU in which Stella dies, leaving Ray with their two small children. Two years later, when he meets Fraser, Fraser slips under the shell of isolation Ray has drawn around himself and his family. Journey gets those subtle differences that Ray the single dad would have -- a little less "kick in the head" and a lot more pragmatic. She also does a great job of portraying a Fraser who has never found a true sense of place, and is unsettled about the connections the two small children and their father seem to form with him so easily. The story leans towards babysitter!Fraser versus crimefighter!Fraser, but the emotional plot is a winner.
Ray showed no sign of hearing Fraser since his head was bent down to listen to something that Stevie was saying in a whisper.
"What? Say that again." Ray listened again. "Oh." He looked up to meet Fraser's eyes. "He wants to know your name. I told him already but he's forgotten now that he's face to face with you. Speaking of which, what do you want them to call you? Mr. Fraser?"
Fraser shook his head in automatic denial. He'd never thought of himself as Mr. Fraser, if anyone was Mr. Fraser, it had been his grandfather. "They can call me Fraser," he answered slowly, almost...reluctantly.
"His name is Benton. That's what we should call him. That's what his daddy called him." Katie, dressed now in shorts and a shirt that almost matched, twirled into the kitchen and sat in the chair next to Fraser's.
"Katie, Fraser can choose. He might not want you to call him Benton," Ray admonished her.
"No, that's fine," Fraser said quickly. "Actually, I think I'd like it. It's been a long time since anyone has called me that." He stopped himself talking by main force, afraid of revealing too much to this perceptive child or to her father.
Family Portrait