Hooray! I loved this! And...I have already used my quota of exclaimation marks, because this was a sad, melancholy little story about the way people keep letting Fraser down. As shoemaster said, Fraser is 100% woobie here. And it really works. I liked the structure you chose to use, and it was neat to see the same conversation in 1992 take place again in 1998. I also liked how you didn't resolve everything and wrap up all their problems in a neat little bow - that felt very true and very realistic, and yet you still maintained the sense of hope that everything would work out okay. That's very important in a holiday fic :-)

Hahaha, and I'm glad that you called the prompt line "bullshit." Because it is, and I think we've all used it at least once. Great story, and I'm so thrilled with my holiday present!