Disclaimer: I don't own these guys, I'm not making any money off them, who sues my purse sues trash, etc.

Story Notes: Done for LiveJournal's ds_snippets challenge community, for the prompts gun, heartbeat, carried, and "another promise I couldn't keep."

Gun, his whole life starts there in the bank the first time he yells it, and ever after he's just carried along in the echo, into a life where he has to yell it over and over, he doesn't even know how many times, get down, take cover, rack that bad boy and cover me. Into a life with Stella, Stella who was in the bank, and every time they're curled up heartbeat to heartbeat he thinks, you got out, I didn't know what I was doing but I got you out. Into a life with Fraser, Fraser that he took a bullet for the first day, I didn't know she wasn't gonna take a head shot and take you next, I didn't know if I wanted her to take a head shot but I knew I didn't want her to take you next, I didn't know what I was doing but I got you out. Promises to Stella he couldn't keep, as long as we both shall live, and he meant to, he really meant to, even after she stopped. Promises to Fraser they both knew he couldn't keep, promise me you'll never get hurt again, Ray. That's stupid, Fraser, I'm a cop, things happen, you know that's stupid. I know, Ray. Say it anyway. And now Fraser's turned away, laughing with the check-out girl about something, and the kid's gun is coming out from under his jacket at Ray, and Ray's not even carrying, and there's no way he can get Fraser's attention fast enough and Fraser's never gonna forgive him, he meant to keep that stupid promise, he really did, but that's Ray's whole life, in between the first time he yelled it and the first time he didn't yell it in time, gun.