This is my last rec and I will shortly be switching off posting access for the last time. Thank you, everyone, for all of your lovely comments over the past month. crack_van has been a labor of love these many years, and it's really gratifying to know that it has meant so much to so many people. ♥

Fandoms: ONE DIRECTION / HARRY POTTER
Pairing: Harry Styles/Nick Grimshaw, OT5 Friendship
Length: ~99,000 words
Author on LJ: waspabi
Author on AO3: waspabi
Why this must be read:

I spent a good few years in Harry Potter fandom, and have read a lot of crossovers since then, but very few have been as fully-fleshed and whimsical as the best of the fics written in that fandom. This is an exception.

It's 2010, twelve years after the defeat of Lord Voldemort, and the biggest problems in Harry's life (that's Styles, not Potter) are the fact that he's apparently hooked up with his new DADA professor (Mega Fit Nick From the Club), and Louis' seeming determination to drive Gryffindor's rivalry with Slytherin over the cliff of no return. Includes appearances by many of the Harry Potter characters, and a backstory that makes the 1D/Radio 1 characters' presence feel organic.

In which Harry makes too many Care of Magical Creatures similes, Liam is a facsimile of a sham of a lie of a Prefect, Zayn is handy with the hexes, Louis thinks petty rivalry is for winners, and Niall divines the future (and the future is chaos).

Fandoms: RÓMEÓ ÉS JÚLIA / LA VIE PARISIENNE - OFFENBACH
Pairing/Characters: Mercutio/Métella, Raoul de Gardefeu/Tybalt, Bobinet with implied Bobinet/Gardefeu/Tybalt/Mercutio/Métella
Length: 3 drawings
Artist on Tumblr: apfelstrudelz
Artist Website: most art is under the atovision tag (note: sometimes gory) | other art on DeviantArt at ruberoidz, although nothing Rómeó és Júlia as of this post
Why this must be seen:

Alas, there is no crossover fic for this fandom yet, but there is some glorious crossover art, and perhaps someday it may inspire fic! Atov's art all has an energy that I love, with interesting compositions, beautiful coloring, and distinctly drawn characters.

"Veronai élet" ("Veronese Life") is a series of gorgeous drawings depicting the results of a somewhat cracky crossover where Mercutio and Tybalt somehow find themselves in late 19th century Paris, entangled with the wacky lives of the dandies and courtesans of Offenbach's comic operetta La Vie parisienne. Instead of everyone dying, Métella finds Mercutio helpful for more than one purpose, Gardefeu flirts shamelessly with this weird angry guy who looks remarkably like his friend and rival Bobinet, and everything ends in champagne and probably orgies.

Veronai élet

Title: Catherine's Fairy-Tale by ryfkah
Character: Catherine Morland Tilney
Length: 1091 words
Author Website: at AO3

Why this must be read: It's a great merge between the two canons.

Catherine is now grown and a married lady, but she hasn't lost her spirit of adventure. When a giant beanstalk shows up inexplicably in the middle of her garden and her husband gone to town, she has to weigh her options. Enjoy.

Catherine's Fairy-Tale

If you like this, take a moment to tell the author. Feedback is precious and appreciated!

Fandom: Dark Angel/Supernatural
Title: By Firelight
Pairing/Characters: Dean, Ben
Author on LJ: tigriswolf
Length: 530
Author Website: on AO3 by firelight

Why this must be read: Author's summary: “Call me Dean,” his older self said, covered in gore. “It’ll keep things simple.” A delicious snip with the power to stay with you for a long time as we get a glimspe of wee Ben with Dean.

Fandom: Dark Angel/Supernatural
Title: To Conceal a Fox
Pairing/Characters: John, Wee!Chesters, X5-494 (Alec)
Author on LJ: lori_leaf
Length: 11,639
Author Website: on LJ To Conceal a Fox

Why this must be read: Author's summary: John only has two sons. So why is there a boy who looks just like Dean, only several years too young? I loved this series! The premiss, character voices the whole nine yards. Pre series on both Dark Angel & Supernatural. Personally love that John's a good guy and rescues X5-494. A fun read!

Additional snips in this verse: The Care abd Feeding of Your New Family Pet, When I Find Myself in Times of Trouble, The Relucant Big Brother, 15 Winchester Family Secrets, Just Another Day at the Park, More Winchester Family Secrets, The Scientific Theories of Alec Winchester, Alec's Name is Mud, Test, 1, 2, 3..., "An Apple a Day" and Other Childhood Myths

( excerpt )

Fandom: Dark Angel/Supernatural
Title: Through the Looking Glass
Pairing/Characters: Dean, Joshua, Alec, Sam
Author on LJ: dolimir_k
Length: 1,199
Author Website: on AO3 Through the Looking Glass

Why this must be read: Author's summary: Dean falls through the looking glass. For a brief crossover I adore the picture she created, especially of Joshua caring for not Alec. It's endearing with strong voices.

( excerpt )

Fandom: Dark Angel/Supernatural
Title: Bedpans and Brothers
Pairing/Characters: Alec, Adam, Max, Logan, Dean, Sam
Author on LJ: mandraco
Length: 10, 264
Author Website: on AO3Bedpans and Brothers

Why this must be read: Author's summary: On a routine supply run at a hospital, Alec stumbles upon a crazy guy who insists that Alec is his half-brother Dean. mandraco takes on a couple of prompts mixes and creates a deliciously fun premise. We don't just get one Winchester brother we get all three. However the true gem of this fic is Adam and Alec - all I can say is I want more ;)

( excerpt )

Title: Recharging by Khaleesian
Characters/Pairing: Brian O'Conner, Dean winchester, Sam Winchester, Bobby Singer
Author on LJ: khaleesian
Author Website: AO3
Why this must be read: Brian looks for a new charger he can give to Dom. His search brings him to Singer Salvage where Sam and Dean are taking a short break from all the end of the world stuff for a little while. I love this set up and the title is perfect. This story shows these very different characters doing some very much needed recharging. Brian's quest just warms my heart and even though Dom isn't physically present in the story, he's still very much there.

Dom sacrificed the Charger to save Letty...where will Brian find another?

Title: A Catch
Pairing: Neal Caffrey/Sherlock Holmes
Length: 5k
Author on LJ: ariadnes_string
Author Website: On LJ
Why this must be read:

I love the setup: Neal and Peter are on their way to London to consult on an art forgery, and when they meet with Lestrade and his own Consulting Detective, well, it won’t shock you to learn that Neal and Sherlock already know each other. How they met years ago and their interactions then and now are the highlights of this sexy little story. This is one of the most delightful crossovers you will read in these or any other fandom. The characterizations are spot-on, the dialogue sparkles, and about the only bad thing that can be said about it is that it ends!

A Catch

Title: Bonnie And Clyde Didn't Work Alone
Author: Maidenjedi
Characters: Boba Fett, River Tam
Length: ~1k words
Author on LJ: maidenjedi
Author Website: AO3 and FFN Profile and LJ Tags
Why this must be read:

Two scruffy 'verses are these, nice and dirty and plagued with everyday concerns from our galaxy: how to make a living, survive and even thrive. River and Boba are bruised and alone, and they connect tenuously. Their characters need someone, and they are there for each other. Life doesn't require much more than this.

Bonnie And Clyde Didn't Work Alone

Title: Leap of Faith by TamIsMyFather
Pairing: Gen (Mike, Donna)
Author on LJ: not that I know of
Author Website: AO3 profile
Why this must be read: For my last fic rec for this reccing period, and the last Suits fic rec here, how about some fusion crack where Donna can jump off of buildings with the greatest of ease, and there are random haystacks?



Mike first noticed on a Wednesday.

He'd skipped breakfast that morning, and he'd spent his first five hours at work finishing a project for Harvey, so when he finally finished dotting the last i and crossing the last t all he could think about was rushing out of Harvey's office as fast as he could in his quest for food. He'd waved to Donna, hurried to the elevator, shot outside, and got in line at the nearest hotdog stand—behind Donna, who, judging by the three people after her, had been there for several minutes at least.

“What—” Mike spluttered. “How did you get here so fast?”

Donna turned and smiled. “Oh, hi Mike. Want me to get you something?”



Leap of Faith

Title: ART: Neal vs. Minions by Kanarek13 (G)
Pairing: None – Neal, Peter, Moz, and some Minions
Length: N/A
Author on LJ: kanarek13
Author Website: On LJ
Why this must be seen:

This is perfect for today, Crack Van Collisions! Kanarek13 is one of those wonderful people in fandom whose personality is truly reflected in the clever and fun manips she creates. I know it’s all smoke, mirrors, and Photoshop, but these are so well blended and hilarious, you will wonder/hope that Neal and Peter might be in Despicable Me 3. Here’s a preview:

( Sample behind a cut... )Here are the rest

Fandom: THE EAGLE/DOWNTON ABBEY
Pairing/Characters: Esca/Marcus, Violet Crawley
Length: 10896
Author on LJ: n/a
Author's Website: AO3
Why this must be read:

Whenever I read fusions, I'm always blown away at how seamlessly the author is able to mix two very distinctively different universes together.  Especially when it comes to something like The Eagle and Downton Abbey, which is done so wonderfully in Belle Époque .  But perhaps the best thing about this fic is the spot on voice of Violet Crawley, which is both lovely and hilarious and her perspective on what blossoms between Esca, her nephew and Marcus, the Crawley's new chauffeur.  And I especially loved how Esca and Marcus are portrayed here in Edwardian times and even through Violet's eyes there is so much going on beneath the surface between these two.  There are some amazing details and just wonderful characterizations all around and even if you don't know either fandom, it's a great read.


Belle Époque

Title: We Seek Only to Answer
Pairing: Ned/Chuck, but basically gen
Length: 5600
Author on LJ: black_eyedgirl
Author Website: fic tag at LJ
Why this must be read:

I know we're only supposed to rec one crossover per month, but considering that neither I nor anyone else will ever get another chance at it, I simply couldn't resist sharing this gem. (Also, I only discovered it in the past week.) The scientists in Eureka attempt to explain Ned's ability. This fic clashes the fairy tale logic of Ned's magic finger with a colder reality, and raises some interesting questions in the process. On top of that, we get great character voices all around, and an excellent blending of the two shows' tones.

( Excerpt )

We Seek Only to Answer

Still celebrating? How about a drabble appetizer? Bon appetit.

Fandom: Fairy Tales: Little Mermaid, Cthulhu Mythos (HP Lovecraft)
Pairing: Ursula/Cthulhu
Length: 100 words
Author Website: at AO3

Why this must be read: Just a little cracky drabble that cracked me up. Enjoy.

Squidipus Rex

If you like this, take a moment to tell the author. Feedback is precious and appreciated!

Vidder: skyenapped
Musical artist: Various (Lady Gaga, Aretha Franklin, REO Speedwagon)
Pairing: Harvey/Mike
Vidder on LJ: not that I know of
Vidder's website: Tumblr
Why this vid kicks ass: This is a clever mashup of scenes from Suits and 30 Rock. Harvey and Mike go to a therapist to work out their work-related issues. skyenapped is able to back up the 30 Rock therapist's claims using Suits footage. It really does seem like the therapist is shipping Harvey and Mike in this.

Harvey/Mike couples counseling (you & i)

This was the runner-up for crossover day. In honor of the new DW happenings today and a farewell nod to the current Doctor, I thought this appropriate. Happy Christmas to those who celebrate it and an extraordinarily good day to all.

Fandom: Fairy Tales: Cinderella
Characters: The Eleventh Doctor, Amy Pond, Rory Williams, Cinderella
Length: 603 words
Author Website: at AO3

Why this must be read: Just a little silliness as The Doctor, Amy and Rory interfere for the good. Since so many of my recs are on the heavy side, this is a little cream puff. Enjoy.

The much adapted tale of Cinderella and her fairy goddoctor

If you like this, take a moment to tell the author. Feedback is precious and appreciated!

Fandom: THE HUNGER GAMES/THE LITTLE MERMAID (HANS CHRISTIAN ANDERSEN)
Pairing: Lavinia (Avox), Katniss Everdeen/Peeta Mellark (Everlark)
Length: 4829 words
Author on LJ: N/A
Author Website: Author on AO3 | Author  on FFN | Author on Tumblr
Why this must be read: When I first read this story I instantly fell in love. Author Mejhiren has a beautiful prose style and it lends itself perfectly to this Hunger Games story by way of Hans Christian Andersen's The Little Mermaid. Avox Lavinia stands in for our mermaid, who trades her tongue to the witch-king for human legs. Anyone familiar with the original story knows where this one is going but there's enough deviation to make this one extra special.


( Excerpt )



Sea Child by Mejhiren

Fandom: ONE DIRECTION
Pairing: Harry Styles/Marcel the Marketing Guy
Length: ~8,600 words
Author on LJ: threeturn
Author on AO3: threeturn
Why this must be read:

When One Direction released their music video for Best Song Ever, the fandom exploded with fic featuring Harry's alter-ego, the uber-dorky superfan Marcel the Marketing Guy. I may have read all of it, and this is by far my favorite of the bunch.

This story is set immediately following the video; the other boys are riding the high of trashing a Hollywood studio, but Harry is starting to feel a bit bad about it honestly. He returns to help tidy up, and ends up comforting a devastated Marcel instead. It turns out they are the exact same weirdo.

"Fuck me," Marcel whispers, and then, with more conviction, "Ah, god, please fuck me."

(And here's the music video for Best Song Ever. Zayn's turn as sexy assistant Veronica makes it worth a watch as well.)

Fandom: THE OFFICE/HOW I MET YOUR MOTHER
Pairing: Pam Beesley/Ted Mosby
Length: 4636 words
Author on LJ: care_says
Author Website: Dreamwidth
Why this must be read: Believe me when I say that it takes a LOT for me to rec a story that goes against my OTP...and even more when the story goes against two! But I love me a good crossover—and I *really* love fics that show Pam coming into her own without having that evolution be in relation to Jim (or Roy). This fic has both, and it's more about Pam and her new friends and life than the shippy stuff anyway. And wow, Pam fits right in with the McLaren’s gang like you wouldn’t believe.

( Becky puts her in touch with her cousin, who gives her the phone number of her ex-boyfriend, who refers her to his grandmother's second husband's grandniece, and finally she gets to this woman named Robin. )

Red Letter Day

Title: Lost Travellers
Length: ~2000 words
Rating: PG
Characters: Chewbacca, Hephaistion Amyntoros
Author on LJ: daegaer
Author Website: Fic Mems
Why this must be read:

You'll think your critical faculties are skewed, because the prose is like poetry, rich and metered. Really, this remarkable piece weaves two places far, far away into a mesh of in character events. Sorry not to be more eloquent, but the crossover visits my two favorite places and it's hard to be dispassionate. Just read it.

Lost Travellers

Title: dust and pies by margottenenbaum
Pairing: gen (Ned-centric, with background Xander/Cordelia and Willow/Oz)
Length: 2733
Author on LJ: margottenenbaum
Author Website: her fic tag at LJ
Why this must be read:

Fresh out on his own for the first time, Ned sets up shop in Sunnydale (he chooses it for its low real estate prices), and proves himself to be at once the person best and worst suited for life there. The tone of this story is absolutely perfect for both shows, with rock-solid characterization for all involved. Ned is the only Pushing Daisies character to appear, but he's the main focus of the story, and the author makes excellent use of him.

( Excerpt )

dust and pies

Title: electus by cathedralhearts
Pairing: Jeff Carter/Mike Richards, Patrick Kane/Jonathan Toews
Length: 18,757 words
Author on LJ: cathedralhearts
Author Website: Author page on AO3
Why this must be read:
I was amused by this BtVS fusion story, even with the general lack of hockey. I hope you like it, too. In this fandom, there's a lot of magical/fantasy stories, but not so many actual crossovers.

electus

Title: Ten Impossible Companions Before Breakfast by distaff exile
Pairing/Characters: Sleeping Beauty/Ten, Sleeping Beauty/Prince Phillip

Fairy Tales/Literary characters: Snow White, Cinderella, Sleeping Beauty, Alice (in Wonderland), Tinkerbell (Peter Pan), Ariel (Little Mermaid), Belle (Beauty and the Beast), Mulan, Rapunzel (Tangled), Merida (Brave), Prince Phillip (Sleeping Beauty).

DW characters: One, Four, Seven, Nine, Ten, Eleven, 8 1/2 (The War Doctor), Ace McShane, Romana II, Susan Foreman, Rose Tyler, Clara Oswin Oswald

Length: 809 words
Author Website: at AO3

Why this must be read: It's a series of vignettes showing the intersection between the lives of The Doctor with those of ten Disney heroines. Appropriately, the story bounces around in The Doctor's timeline rather than linearly. Written just a few weeks ago, it also includes The War Doctor (played by John Hurt), called Eight and a Half. Ranging from light to dark; there is a non-con warning for one.

Since this was inspired by artwork, you get a twofer today!

Ten Impossible Companions Before Breakfast

If you like this, take a moment to tell the author. You will absolutely make her day!

Title: Package Deal by Aurum
Pairing: Harvey/Mike, Eliot/Hardison
Length: 7,571
Author on LJ: not that I know of
Author Website: FF.net profile, AO3 profile

Why this must be read: Finding good Suits crossovers is a hard task. That said, I was amazed at how this fic didn't transplant Harvey and Mike into another fandom's environment without them interacting with it, or write them in a crossover that could feature any characters from any fandom. In this fic, Mike needs Hardison's help to hack into a Harvard alumni database (something maybe Mike really could use in the show right now). Hardison and Eliot don't feel out of place in Suits' New York in all, and this story could easily take place between any episode of Leverage.



"Mike, my man!" says the hugger, patting him on his back with rather more force than necessary. "Long time no see. Looking sharp!"

"Yeah," Mike responds weakly, trying to catch his breath. He smiles as soon as he's released from the embrace. "Thanks so much for coming to see me, Alec."

"Sure, man. Just let me get a coffee, I'm still half-asleep."

Mike remembers the time when he could afford to be half-asleep at noon with a certain amount of longing. He goes to find them a table in a secluded corner. Hardison joins him after a few minutes, holding a plastic cup filled mostly with whipped cream.

"You want to catch up first, or straight to business?"

"I... kind of have to be back at work soon. Sorry."

Alec waves a hand. "No problem. I managed to get two weeks of vacation, so we'll have time for that later. What do you need?"

"I need a hacker," says Mike.

The other man smiles widely and sprawls back in his chair. "Then you're lucky. You've got the best there is."



Package Deal: FF.net, AO3

Title: "There Is No Seven" by Tesla
Pairing/Characters: Fox Mulder, Dana Scully, Alex Krycek, Walter Skinner, the Lone Gunmen, Spike, Angel, Cordelia, Wesley, Gunn, Lilah Morgan, Willow Rosenberg. Hail, hail, the gang's all here.
Author on LJ: tesla321
Author Website: Author's page at Gossamer.
Why this must be read:

This is so good it should have already been recced, but I scrolled and scrolled and I couldn't find it. "There Is No Seven" is a witty, well-plotted, sexy (though not explicit), AU, crossover fic. Tesla explains it best: "There is no miracle pregnancy. It takes off where Mulder wasn't abducted by aliens, but by Wolfram & Hart, contracted out by the Consortium. Drusilla vamped him. Hijinks ensue." Mulder gets to hang out with Spike, while being pursued by Angel, who naturally plans to kill him. That's what Angel does. Scully gets to hang out with Krycek while she plots to get Mulder's soul re-installed so he doesn't get offed by Angel. Tesla writes the best dialogue for these characters—all of them. It's uncanny. If you have even a passing acquaintance with either of these fandoms, you will love this fic. Link is to her website, waybacked, but I think the plain text at Gossamer is easier to read by far.

Read There Is No Seven.

It’s time for Crack Van Collisions!! This one's a real treat:

Title: Intelligent Designs by Auburn
Fandoms: White Collar, Chuck, Fringe
Pairing: Author notes none, but I’d call it Neal Caffrey/Bryce Larkin
Length: 117k
Author on AO3: auburn
Author Website: Auburn’s works on AO3
Why this must be read:

This fic is an epic merging of three fandoms so diverse I wouldn’t have thought it possible in a hundred years – in fact, when my pal winterstar95 recommended it to me I initially resisted it, citing the fact it couldn’t possibly work – yet it does! And very, very well.

The author’s premise is an amazingly imaginative one, particularly for fans of the actor Matt Bomer, who portrays Neal Caffrey on White Collarand Bryce Larkin on Chuck : imagine all of the characters Bomer has ever played (Neal, Bryce, Luc from Tru Calling, Jay Burchell from Traveler, and more) are all clones based on the same “stock,” an experiment overseen by Fringe’s Walter Bishop many years ago to produce super soldiers, and one that has failed mightily. Imagine also that rogue scientist David Robert Jones knows about the Intersect from Chuck and wants to use it to find the tech that made those clones. Imagine again that Bryce Larkin never died on Chuck, and he’s out to stop Jones at all costs. Now mash it all together. The result is part adventure/casefic, part horror show, part family relationship story, and 100% excellent.

The thing that resonates the most for me with this story – besides the sheer talent it took to write it – is the relationship between Neal and Bryce. They are brothers and yet not; they know each other with an intimacy only two beings raised within a hive-like cooperative can; and they are utterly devoted to each other in ways so touching and inspiring it will make your chest hurt. Theirs is a connection and love that almost defies description, really, and fascinates me to this day, over a year since I read the story.

Now, let me assuage the fears of any reader who might be intimidated by the fact they may not be familiar with one or two of these shows: the author takes pains to orient you in the narrative of each of them – you will not be lost. I guarantee, in fact, that you will be swept away. This is a work of genius.

Intelligent Designs

Fandom: WELCOME TO NIGHT VALE
Pairing: Carlos/Cecil overall; Cecil/Earl Harlan in this section
Length: 8 chapters, 31,160 words (part of a series)
Author on LJ: unknown
Author Website: djclawson on Tumblr; works on AO3
Warnings: unpaid internships, police brutality, terminal illness, torture, trepanation, murder, ritual sacrifice; rape and substance abuse in other sections of the series
Notes: rendered non-canon by “Cassette”
Why this must be read:

This story is part of the Child of the Cosmos series, in which Cecil is the son of a woman from the outside world and a Night Vale inhabitant, and grew up under the guidance of the previous Voice of Night Vale, a fanged, pink-furred man named Algonquin. In the first two sections, Cecil, with the help of Carlos, learns about the family he never knew; the third, “Through the Gates of the Silver Mic,” is set during Cecil’s internship at Night Vale Community Radio; and a fourth connects a dark period in Cecil’s life to the house that doesn’t exist. The series is currently listed as incomplete in the Archive of Our Own.

I’m singling out “Through the Gates...” to recommend because it’s my favorite part of the series, and can be read as a standalone work. DJClawson has extrapolated from canon and borrowed elements from the works of H.P. Lovecraft (particularly the Cthulhu mythos and the Dream Cycle) to create an elaborate, internally consistent version of Night Vale. She writes familiar folks like Pamela Winchell and John Peters in ways that make them surprising while still feeling true to her source material, and creates some interesting original characters. I’m especially fond of Cecil’s mentor, Algonquin, who manages the tricky feat of caring for his interns while fulfilling his responsibilities as Voice of Night Vale and following the dictates of Station Management — even when it means watching Cecil report for his first time in the Dark Box ...

( ‘No one’s really “all right” after these sessions,’ Al replied in a soothing tone. ‘But they’re survivable. They get easier with practice.’ )

“Through the Gates of the Silver Mic” on AO3 (link to first chapter)

Title: America Is Weird
Pairing: Gen
Length: three gifs
Author on LJ: unknown
Author Website: on Tumblr, YouTube, and Twitter
Warnings: Fast flashing gif, possible seizure trigger
Why this must be read seen:

Here is the creator’s summary, and the paragraph that accompanies the gifs in the original Tumblr post:

“An AU where the Doctor thinks he is visiting a quaint town in the southwest of the U.S., but Night Vale seems more alien than he is.”

Ladies and gentlemen, on my way to the station this morning, I found a strange man on a swing suspiciously close to the dog park that we are not supposed to know about. This man was wearing a blazer and a bowtie, which he informed me was “cool”. He is in the studio right now, trying to force a fez onto my head. He looks human, but it is painstakingly obvious he has, in fact, two hearts. More on this later. But for now, let’s go to— the weather.

“America Is Weird” on Tumblr

Title: Attack on Carlos
Pairing: Gen
Length: one comic strip, <50 words
Author on LJ: unknown
Author Website: fishfishlove on Tumblr
Notes: Spoilers for “One Year Later,” implied violence.
Why this must be read seen:

This piece of crossover fanart manages to evoke a whole saga in three frames, and made me break into embarrassing snorts of laughter at my desk.

( Here it is... )

“Attack on Carlos” on Tumblr