Disclaimer: Alliance owns Benton and Ray. I apologize for this. Tired by Rae ****** He brushed aside the paper on which his name had been hastily scribbled and pushed down the play button on the recorder. *click* There is silence first. Then a voice, familiar and slightly softened begins to speak to him. "I wanted to write this, 'cause somehow that seemed more personal, but I,er, couldn't. I kept staring at that paper and wondering just what hell I was supposed to say. Don't know what makes it so hard. Normally I feel like I can talk to ya, tell ya anything. But since I can't seem to write it down, I'm gonna put it on tape instead. I don't have many friends.Actually, yer probably the only one. Everyone else just screws me over, walks away.....or looses interest. And I have to ask myself, how long before you do too? You don't think you ever will, Fraser, but you will. You'll loose interest. Who knows, maybe ya already have. It isn't your fault. Just like it wasn't Stella's fault, or Dad's or Sam's. There's not much good about me. I have..nothing to offer. When I look myself, and try to find what's good about me, I can't see a single goddamn thing. That's probably not much of a surprise to ya though, is it? S'okay. Everyone I ever knew, in my whole life, considered me a joke. Maybe that's all I've ever been. If any of them knew how close I've come to just...fucking...ending...it. But they never took me seriously then. Had their reasons, though. I'm such a goddamn coward. But, again, ya already knew that. What I'm trying to say, Frase, is that you were one of the really good things in my life. And I want to, um, thank ya for, um, putting up with me. 'Cause no one else did. Well, guess that's it. There are other people, but, er, you're the only one I owe an explanation to. I'm not doing this to hurt ya, partner. I'm doing this 'cause I am so tired of living. Sorry for not doing this person, but I'm afraid to face you. Couldn't-- --couldn't risk havin' you do something we're both gonna regret later. Bye, Fraser." *click* Benton Fraser sat at the dinner table for several seconds, running his fingers back and forth over the brim of his stetson. He raised the small tape recorder to his lips and closed his eyes. "What have you done, Ray?", he whispered softly. End.