Two Men in a Boat (due South story)

Fanfiction
Title:	Two Men in a Boat
Author(s):	Sihaya Black
Date(s):
Length:
Genre(s):	slash
Fandom(s):	due South
Relationship(s):	Fraser/Kowalski
External Links:	online here online at AO3
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Two Men in a Boat is a Fraser/Kowalski story by Sihaya Black. It has the subtitle: "Or, Adventures on the African Queen."

Reactions and Reviews

Note: AU, way AU. Think Fraser. Think Kowalski. Settting...the movie The African Queen (You know the one with Humphrey Bogart and Katherine Hepburn on a boat). Which is why the story is subtitled, Or Adventures on the African Queen. Like I said: AU, way AU. A good AU though. Duh! Like I'd be rec'ing it if it sucked. Like I said above: Fraser and Kowalski thrown into the movie the African Queen. Never in my mind would I have pictured that. CKR (Callum Keith Rennie who plays Kowalski, should have just said the blonde) is in the role Humphrey Bogart played, though he keeps his name. Fraser is in the role Katherine Hepburn portrayed, he's still a guy don't worry. So Kowalski is a ship's captain who does deliveries for the local mine, I think. Fraser is a missionary with secrets who is basically hiding out in Africa. He used to be a Mountie, but some circumstances that he placed a lot of blame on himself for sent him running to Africa. Kowalski at first seems like a man who is only out for himself, but true to character he really does care a great deal for other and is willing to risk himself for a good cause. Fraser is still getting him into trouble and risking his life 'in wildly, dangerous ways'. I think the style of speech she uses is what sets the whole thing off, what makes it what it is. The very proper speech she uses as Fraser narrates it really gives you a feel for a different time and place. For a time in our not so distant past (early part of this century) when manners were everything in polite society and knowing how to speak well made a rather large impact on how people viewed you. I can so see Fraser being that stuffy in that time setting, he is anyway, magnify that by an even more proper upbringing and the thought is staggering. Kowalski is there to lighten him up though and, of course, provide a rather large temptation for him. I really liked this one, it's a nice long read (which I love) packed full of a great plot (borrowed as it might have been), some very hot sexual tension and romance. I knew before I even finished this one I was going to rec it. Sihaya wrote one of my favorite Sentinel pieces too, called Those who can.

This story is an AU. I mean like way AU. Remember the movie The African Queen with Boggart and Hepburn. Well, this is Fraser and RayK set in that movie. It's that AU. Yet, it works. It absolutely works. The guys are spot on in character even though the are in a completely different time period and situation all together. The ability to throw the characters into a situation so different from canon and have them completely recognizable is the mark of a good AU to me and Sihaya hit it dead on. This is an AU story I point people to when I want to show them an example of how to do it right. It's one of my favorite AU's of all time. I'd recommend anyone to read it whether a Fraser/RayK fan or not. Just to see how to create and amazing AU.