that's where all the gangsters live

Fanfiction
Title:	that's where all the gangsters live
Author(s):	minervacat
Date(s):	2005
Length:
Genre:	slash
Fandom:	Due South
External Links:	online here
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that's where all the gangsters live is a "RayK gen with a side of Kowalski/Fraser" story by minervacat.

It has 153 comments at LiveJournal:

• minervacat: FIC: that's where all of the gangsters live 1, ^{Archived version}
• minervacat: FIC: that's where all of the gangsters 2 live, ^{Archived version}
• minervacat: FIC: that's where all of the gangsters 3 live, ^{Archived version}

Reactions and Reviews

I'm honestly not sure how this story has been overlooked for so long, because it's really one of those where you read it and end up realigning your knowledge of a canon character to include this new information. It is Kowalski speaking, and this is the story of his love affair with Chicago, the one thing that he's come to rely on in his life. This story articulates for me the reasons why I can't imagine Ray staying in Canada after his adventure with Fraser. In my head, the two of them always come back.

I'm from Chicago myself, so this story made me so happy. And now, granted, its reference to the Sox never winning a World Series is a bit dated (since, uh, they just did), but there's so much of Chicago's culture represented. The Taste, Comiskey, Old Style, Lake Shore Drive and even Giordano's Pizza. Ray's love of the Cubs and Wrigley also matches the feelings of every Cubs fan I've ever met. Every Cubs fan can remember their first time at Wrigley Field. My mom still busts out the pictures of mine taken when I was six months old, and through most of my formative years my only goal in life was to play second base like Ryne Sandberg. Callum Keith Rennie's accent is pure South Side, but he likes the Cubs in canon and not the Sox, so that discrepency is the show's fault and not minervacat's.

Ray's voice is perfect, as are his wistful, painless memories of Stella and his interactions with Fraser. Read it and enjoy.

Ray Kowalski. This is the Due South fic you MUST read. This is Ray Kowalski, and Chicago, and just - you HAVE to read this, if you have any love whatsoever of Due South in your heart. Every word is perfect; every moment is necessary; every memory makes my heart clench, and soar, and break for Ray Kowalski.

Ray loves Stella like he loves breathing, loves Fraser like he loves his tattoo, loves Chicago like he loves everything permanent in his life.

It's perfection, and it's important. Read.