Fandom: ANGEL
Pairing: Doyle/Faith (though this is gen rather than het)
Why this must be read:

I love Doyle. It's as simple as that. Doyle was the character that caught my attention and sucked me into the world of Angel and Buffy. Doyle was the character that made me write and read Angel fanfic. And like so many other fans, I looked for ways to hold on to him when he was suddenly killed off after only nine episodes (probably the fastest demise ever for a main character on a show with only three regulars). Doyle Investigations is one of the most thought-through and creative reworkings of the show fans have made to give us more of our beloved Irish half-demon, and I find it irresistible.

This series is set in Los Angeles as it might have been in the Wishverse - the universe created in the AU Buffy episode "The Wish", where the Master rules Sunnydale and most of our heroes are killed or turn evil (see the BtVS overview here on crack_van). "In a world without Buffy or Angel," ask the fic writers, "who will help the helpless?" Their answer is the perhaps unexpected but totally kick-ass combination Doyle, Faith and Wesley. Doyle's character is a bit darker here than in canon, he has a somewhat different background, and he's certainly a better fighter, but on the whole, he's the same witty, near-alcoholic, vision-stricken being we know from the show. His first-person narration is a wonderful exercise in old-fashioned noir, and his interactions with the force of nature that is Faith and the embodiment of British correctness that is Wes are a joy to read.

Doyle Investigations functions in the same way as A: tS itself does (or at least did in the beginning) - it's a series made up of episodes with their own completed stories. As far as I can tell, it's still being worked on, but since the individual parts work excellently as standalones, I wouldn't call it a WiP. Though I am looking forward to more parts.

Have fun at the lovely DI site, and while you're there, don't forget to take a look at the wallpapers and other stuff that belong to the project - Glenn Quinn, rest his soul, was a remarkably beautiful man, and I doubt I have to tell anyone that Eliza Dushku and Alexis Denisof are pretty sizzling, too.

Doyle Investigations

Fandom: Due South
Pairing: Fraser/Vecchio
Author on LJ: Not on LJ, to my knowledge
Author Website: http://www.cs.virginia.edu/~acc2a/fic.html

Why this must be read: This is, to the best of my recollection, the very first due South story I ever read, before I was even in the fandom; but that's not why I'm recommending it. It's an astonishing portrayal of human pain, of the anguished and brutally lonely man behind Fraser's Mountie facade. It's also a wonderful depiction of Vecchio, with his loyalty and his inner conflictedness. This story will, basically, rip your heart out, set it down on the pavement, and stomp it flat. What higher praise can I give? *g* (Well, I'd also add that it's beautifully written.)

Direct link to the story

I shall, honest, be recommending stories that are not all about the Fraser-Pain. And I shall endeavor to divide the recs fairly equally among RK/F, RV/F, gen, and so on, although it is true that RK/F has a rather larger on-line presence. As always, ds_flashback is an excellent resource for dS recs of all stripes, for those wishing to explore further.

Fandom:BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER
pairing: Willow/Tara
Author's website: http://melymbrosia.gatefiction.com/

Why You Must Read This:

Melymbrosia is a fabulous writer, everything she's written is amazing but Truly and Forever just blew me away the first time I read it.

There are spoilers for Seeing Red, the story is Willow and Tara and things aren't quite what they should be.

"I do this because I love you."

http://melymbrosia.gatefiction.com/buffy/truly.html