Fandom: Horatio Hornblower
Pairing: Horatio/Bush
Why this must be read:
Because Khaleesian undertook the task of rewriting the final two chapters of Lieutenant Hornblower and made it even more enjoyably slashy. While this isn't the exact vision I have of these men (a unique hybrid of the C.S. Forester book characters and the A&E production), I love that Khaleesian gives more of a voice to Lt. Bush. Also, backstory is provided and alluded to, drawing the reader further in - which I love in a story. And, again, the trypich of Bush-Horatio-Archie is placed in the spotlight (I wonder if Khaleesian's next endeavour might be an A/B/H story *G*)

"You will find one Archibald Kennedy on your list and I suggest that you send for him at once. Then these three will be stealing the stars from the sky in a month’s time."

The Gambler

Fandom:Horatio Hornblower
Pairing: Horatio/Archie
Why this must be read:
So many Hornblower stories hinge on the action in the story -- the explosion on the French bridge leads to declarations of true love, the mutiny and trial leads to honest declarations -- but this story is quiet and introspective. Horatio observes the ship on make and mend day -- when the sailors do their laundry and mend their clothes -- and reflects on what he has seen and experienced. And how Archie has begun to fit into new places in his life ... and heart.

Hornblower watches Kennedy too often. Even as he looks down, concentrating on his task, he can imagine the shape of Kennedy's body beside him, supple and no longer drawn taut with strain.

Make and Mend

Fandom: THE PROFESSIONALS
Pairing: Bodie/Doyle
Author on LJ: n/a
Author Website: Pamela Rose's stories are available at the Circuit Archive
Why this must be read: After the head of CI-5 is killed and the organization disbanded, Bodie and Doyle find themselves conducting a very risky (and unofficial) murder investigation. While Where the Worms Are is a long, plot-driven story, it doesn't skimp on the developing relationship or character arcs. It has a little bit of something for everyone: hurt/comfort, angst, romance, and a complex case drawn directly from elements of the series.

Where the Worms Are

Fandom: X-FILES
Pairing: Not really any
Author's Website: The Underground
Author on LJ: runpunkrun

Why this must be read: It's fiction, but ... it's not. Not a traditional story, anyway. Our Mulders is a look at the many ways Mulder has been treated and mis-treated by fanfic writers. It'll make you think, and smile, and maybe even make you sad. I guarantee you won't forget it.

Our Mulders

Two companion pieces:
Our Scullys
Our Kryceks

Fandom: BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER
Pairing: Angelus/Drusilla, Angelus/Spike
Author on Lj: shrift
Author's website: http://bifictionalbedlam.slashcity.net/shrift/

Why you must read this:

Sometime back Nestra put out a 7 virtues challenge "write the 7 virtues, 100 words for each, any character, any fandom." A lot of good fanfic came out of this challenge and Shrift wrote Spike for the first time. No Title to Virtue goes through Season 5's Fool for Love.

Some of the drabbles are the opposite of the virtues and others fit the virtues but perhaps not in the exact manner which we think. Each tailored to Spike's personality as it was up to the point in the show.

The last drabble, Hope, ends with my favorite line of Spike's and my hope for Spike.

No Tilte to Virtue

Fandom: Firefly
Pairing: Simon/River
Author on LJ: molly36
Author Website: http://www.voyeuse.net
Why this must be read: On a completely separate note, this story explores a very different area from the other stories I've recced. Rather than being light and funny, (ab)normal iteration is dense and somewhere between dark and sad. The relationship between River and Simon is, on the show, close, loving, isolated and primary to the two of them; they are stuck in the universe all alone with only each other against everything around them, especially with River's damaged mental health and their status as fugitives. The need and devotion in their relationship can lend itself further to wrong or disturbing places, and Molly's story is a delicate and careful one showing the lines where nothing is right.

(ab)normal iteration

Fandom: ROSWELL/BUFFY/MILLENIUM
Pairing: Maria POV (some michael/maria)
Author on LJ: n/a
Author Website: n/a
Why this must be read:
i should have posted this on crossover day... it's a whole multitude of worlds mixed up here - Roswell, BtVS, Millenium - and while it's nice to have an understanding of the three universes, you really don't miss out on anything if you don't.

" You know everything has to get put through the Maria filter." - Alex Whitman

ever since maria was younger, she saw visions - dark, gritty visions that she had to train herself to acknowledge, but not approach. shimi delves into maria's psyche, giving her this lush and chilling existance - wondering what and who she is, even after she gets some answers from Frank Black.


in "geometry of trees," maria recounts her past few days to Samiel, a guardian of sorts that Frank Black brought upon her - a guardian that she both doesn't want and doesn't want to lose. maria travels to sunnydale with her mom and finds an unexpected resource in tara - but returns feeling more separate from her friends than ever.

if you haven't read any of shimi's work - go, go, go now and do it. she's amazing. these stories are also connected to "body shots" and "choke" and take you into this place that you want so much to understand and ends up twisting and turning you until you find yourself deeply entrenched in the maria filter.

the maria filter
the geometry of trees

Fandom: HIGHLANDER
Pairing: Duncan/Methos
Author Website: Aristide
Why this must be read:

This is one of my all-time favourite stories, for the humour, the playfulness, the hot sex and the emotional rollercoster of joyful bliss and angry desperation. Go, read, laugh, cry and enjoy yourselves. You won't find many fics better than this one in any fandom.

A Miracle Every Day

Fandom: ROSWELL
Pairing: Kyle/Maria
Author on LJ: marej
Author Website: n/a
Why this must be read:
dear god, this is a haunting fic. kyle's got secrets, maria's got secrets - there's a lot of secrets going on. but marianna almost blindsides you with the biggest things they both hide: just how deeply one can love another, and just how strong one can be.

it's one of those stories that ends with an ache of sorts, leaving you to stare at the screen for a few moments longer.


Come And See The Notre Dame

Fandom: ROSWELL
Pairing: alex/kyle
Author on LJ: liviapenn
Author Website: http://www.debchan.com/livia/library.html
Why this must be read:
oh, when i first read this, it made my heart hurt. it takes place after alex's death, when kyle gives his father some letters the two boys had exchanged.

livia chooses to tell this story from Jim Valenti's point of view - which seems odd until you read it. it's honest and without flourish (and with some sincerely funny moments), which makes the abrupt ending of a sweet love even more heartbreaking.

too well

Fandom: EVERWOOD
Pairing: Colin/Amy, Colin/Ephram, Ephram/Amy, Ephram/Madison
Author on LJ: parkergray

Why this must be read: It's all Amy, all the time in this one. But, it's good. Can you believe it? Parker Gray manages to make me actually feel sympathy for Amy, and fills in the blanks since Colin died with some surprising revelations.

But she does know that she’s not going to be another point on a useless triangle; she’s not going to watch the other points want each other and know she’s in the way.

Proof of Life

Fandom: BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER
Pairing: none
Characters: Buffy, Faith
Author isn't on lj nor does he have a website
Why you should read this:

On dymphna.net you can find the Dead Letters Archive, it's kind of a challenge, a character dies and they can write one last letter to anyone they want. You get to choose who dies and who to write the letter to. They are great letters in the archive.

You, Me, and Shania Twain is Faith's letter to Buffy.

The story has an interesting structure, it may throw some people at first but don't let it keep you from reading. The story doesn't keep the strict letter format, it's stream of conscious, with disjointed thoughts.

This is Faith telling Buffy about her life, what's made her, how she's like Shania Twain and what made she and Buffy so different.

Very, very good insight to Faith and Buffy.

You, Me, and Shania Twain