Although this story and series is very well written, I'd really like for it to disappear from this archive. I fail to see what purpose that stories featuring a homophobic!Ray Vecchio add to the fandom. I think stories like these only add to the abyss between F/K fans and fans of other pairings, including F/V, and that is hardly good for the fandom! :-(
For one thing - it's always Ray Vecchio, never any other character, who uses bigoted languages toward gays and who goes ballastic when he learns, usually accidentally, that his best friend is gay and in a relationship with RayK. Even Stella, who to me is least endearing character in series canon, usually is more accepting of Fraser and RayK than RayV - and what did she ever do to be cast so favorably in fanfic?!
RayV was much more endearing and a wonderful friend to "Benny" on the series, so WHY is he always the bad guy. And WHY doesn't Fraser quietly tell him when the two are alone that he is gay and with RayK, instead of having RayV accidentally find out? Fraser should be much more mature than to hide his relationship from his best friend, instead of talking to him openly.
Bottom line - even if RayV's bigotry toward gays, and toward RayK in particular, is couched with concern and love toward "Benny," as it is in your story, I don't see any reason why any more homophobic!RayV stories should be written, made available and recommended. It's far better for the fandom if it's an original character who is cast as homophobic and who has conflict with Fraser and RayK, not our beloved RayV, whom to me would only be supportive of Fraser, would try very hard to make friends with RayK and would not use bigoted languages.
I think even if RayV had not been taught while growing up to not use that language (i.e., his father may have used it, and little Ray may have learned it from him), Ray should have learned to be sensitive through training from the Chicago PD, and from his own desire to not want to hurt "Benny" emotionally. So he would NEVER call Fraser a "fag."
From: vicki Date: 03/31/2009
Wow what a story poor Fraser what he went through and the ups and downs with Ray K. Very nice