Fandom: HIGHLANDER
Pairing: Amanda/Richie

Author's website: Cindy's Place

Why this must be read:
Amanda shows up at the dojo. Trouble ensues. What else is new? Well, in Cindy Hudson's delightful short story, everyone's favorite schemer snares Richie into her latest plot, instead of Macleod. There's a stolen necklace, a shotgun (or should that be sword's point?) wedding, and the tables get turned more than once. A fun and amusing romp with two characters who didn't have a whole lot of screen time together, and maybe should've had a little more.

Worse

MacLeod cleared his throat on the other end of the line. "No, it's okay. I'm awake now. What's wrong?"

"Amanda's here."

"Whatever she wants, tell her no! No, wait, better yet, run for your life. And whatever you do, _don't_ tell her where I am."

"Mac." He drew it out into two syllables. He sighed. "She wasn't looking for you. She was looking for me."

"This is bad. Take some of the emergency money and get on the first flight out of town."

"It's worse."

I'm running with a light-hearted Amanda story theme today, apparently...

Fandom: HIGHLANDER
Pairing: none

Author's website: Haven't been able to find a personal page or an LJ for her.

Why this must be read:
As far as we know, Amanda and Methos didn't meet until Highlander S3 (1994-95) - but hey, they're both cagey, who's to say they didn't meet earlier, and just haven't mentioned it? Catherine puts Amanda, Methos, and Duncan on a deeply boring day in a game of Truth or Dare, and manipulates a little English folklore for an amusing anecdote of two thieves plying the road to London during Richard I's reign. And thus the legend passed into history...

A Lytell Geste

At any rate, it is an unfortunate fact of life that even immortals can get staggeringly bored some days.

This is one of those days.

FandomBLAKES7
Pairing:None
Author on LJ:?
Author Website:?
Why thismustbe read: At holiday time, it's inspirational to think of rendering good for evil. The Harvest of Kairos is a bloody *useless* episode (it's the one with Jarvik AND Brian the Spider), but out of this most unpromising material Dan has assembled a deadpan classic where Carnell counsels Avon, Tarrant and Servalan. Avon: regrettably is intent on something resembling a granite sculpture of a bath sponge, which he is holding in both hands and submitting to such contemplation that he might draw it.

All is not well for his coadjutors: Tarrant has been feeling like that a lot lately--a man in ill-fitting trousers. He's never sure if he's the alpha male or the sex symbol, a brilliant tactician or the team-leading strategist. He thinks he's in charge of the Liberator, but he should probably check with Avon. Avon's good with this sort of thing.

And poor Servalan, lamenting the drab clothes she has to wear to the office, the need to behave like the machines she surrounds herself with...never to flirt, be coquettish, just enjoy her womanhood...

The Harvest of Kairos Encounter Group

Fandom: The Man From U.N.C.L.E.
Pairing: Napoleon Solo/Illya Kuryakin
Author on Livejournal: N/A
Author’s Website: http://users.frii.com/wanderer/fanfic/reach.html
Why This Must Be Read: Amnesia may be old hat, but I think that Taliesin does a great job with a well-used (and often abused) plot device. When Napoleon gets hit on the head while undercover and loses his memory, Waverly and Illya take on the roles of stern father Alexander Stratford and worshipful younger brother Nicky, hoping to lure out the villains Napoleon was pursuing. The story’s told mainly from Illya’s perspective, as he worries about the web of lies being constructed about his already-confused partner, but the conflict Napoleon is feeling about Illya’s assumed identity, is perhaps more interesting; it's downplayed and well-presented. It takes another fandom staple, the abandoned love nest, to reveal the source of Napoleon’s angst, but this cliché is handled admirably as well:

"Illya," Napoleon rolled the name around his tongue, testing its feel. "Not brothers," he repeated after a moment, as if not able to quite grasp the concept. Finally, finally, his head came up and Illya at last caught a glimpse of his face. "You have no idea how glad I am to hear that." And he smiled brilliantly.
"What? I don't understand." Napoleon should be mad, or sad, or.... well, something other than happy, at any rate.
"I was beginning to worry about myself, you know," Napoleon murmured conspiratorially, advancing on Illya, who suddenly found himself caught up in a pair of disquietingly strong arms. Napoleon kissed him, hard and fast. "Homosexuality is one thing; incest quite another. You have no idea how glad I am." He bent his head and kissed Illya again, this time slow and soft and oh so sweet. Enchanted, Illya found himself succumbing to Napoleon's seductive spell and had neither strength nor will to fight it.

And the sex, oh yes, the sex! Mirrors are wonderful! And there’s plenty of post-coital meditation to satisfy any angst fan.

Taliesin’s work is a staple in the fandom, and though this isn’t the story I see rec’d most often, it is my favorite of the stuff she’s released online. A friend once observed that “A Family Affair” was like an episode with sex, and I agree with that description: it gets both the mood and the feel of the characters. So read, enjoy, and go find her other stuff, if you will.

http://users.frii.com/wanderer/fanfic/familyaffair.html

Fandom: FIREFLY
Pairing:  Simon/Jayne
Author on LJ: sffan
Author Website: Sffan's Firefly Obsession
Why this must be read:
 
Ever get in the mood for smut? Sometimes I just ... well, want smut. And here we go.

It's All a Matter of Perspective is a bit of a twist on the typical Simon/Jayne pairing. There is a tendency among slash writers to always make the smaller, less macho guy the bottom in every single fic. So why not twist that pre-conception? Especially if you consider the canon characters in this case. (Watch the end of Trash, if you don't believe me.)

A few D/s overtones, but the sex is awesomely hot.

Some Things Ain't Right
Whipped
Wrapped Around His Finger

Fandom: FIREFLY
Pairing:  Mal/Simon
Author on LJ: tynantblue0162
Author Website: No fic site.
Why this must be read:
 
Because it's emotional, sexy, and fits beautifully into canon.

Because it has a ".5" chapter which is just great.

Because I said so.

(Seriously, why else are you reading crack_van?
The Company of Strangers
Ship of Fools
Army of One
Terms of Surrender
Later