Fandom: X-FILES
Pairing: Skinner/Mulder
Author on LJ: xanthefic
Author's Website: Xanthe

Why this must be read: I love Xanthe. She gives good Skinner. I love how she explores the many aspects of the man, making him come alive for the reader. Oh, as if you haven't guessed from the title, this all revolves around Skinner.

Many Skinner stories that I adore tend to be angst-ridden. And I must admit, this story has its share. But what I like about is that it not as heavy as you would think, since this centers around a murder investigation in Skinner's hometown that involves someone close to him.

There is an undercurrent of fun and whimsy in this fic. This is encouraged by populating the fic with quirky, interesting characters (his family is a hoot!), and creating a backstory for Walter that is both hilarious and poignant. And while this is all happening, Fox Mulder is there; at first a confused, unwilling participant, but soon after, he becomes an involved observer. He sees his boss in a whole new light as he gets a peek into a Skinner that many in the FBI don't know, and he is fascinated.

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And just like Mulder, we can't help but want to see and know more about Walter S. Skinner.

A whole lot more.

Walter-Watching

Fandom: CSI
Pairing: Grissom/Sara
Author on LJ: Nope
Author Website: The Crass Menagerie
Why this must be read:

This fic takes a beautiful and angsty dive into the world of the Grissom and Sara relationship without all the cliched plotlines and sentiments that a lot of GSR fanfic seems to be rife with. There's no unnecessary schmoop or fluff, no gratuitous sex scenes and the emotional journey of the two characters is written with a depth and commendable progression throughout.

Fic: The Butterfly Series

FandomX-MEN MOVIEVERSE
pairingXavier/Magneto
Author on LJEmerald Blue
Why this must be read

Xavier/Magneto seems to be pretty much taken as fanon in X-Men movieverse. You know this when non-slash writers even assume a sexual relationship between the two. It's always interesting to write and read the takes on younger!Xavier/Magneto. The characters aren't easy to write. And anyone who has seen X2 (especially) knows where their love is heading. theirloveissopainfullytragicorheadedthere.

Emerald Blue, in Shattered, Rebuilding, has given us a story set years before the events of the movies. One of the most interesting things about the story is the use of first person pov (Erik). Now, first person pov can be insanely difficult to pull off well. First person pov of Erik Lehnsherr I thought damn near impossible. Not only does Emerald Blue pull it off she does so splendidly, giving us insight into Magneto and Xavier. The individual characterizations are right on and so is the sweetness and prickliness of their relationship. This story is like hugging an aloe vera cactus-soothing and painful at the same time. It is sweet and sad, painful and hopeful and all the more tragic because we know where it's all headed.

Magneto visits Xavier in the aftermath of the accident that crippled him. Long before the X-Men and The Brotherhood of Mutants they try to pick up the peices of their relationship, their egos, and their dreams. They are still just Charles and Erik. Read a brief excerpt.

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Shattered, Rebuilding

Fandom: BLAKES7
Pairing: None
Author on LJ:?
Author's Website:?
Why this must be read:

The PGP--Post-Gauda Prime--is a, perhaps the central genre of B7 fiction. These "Fifth Season" stories come up with a remarkable variety of alternatives to the series finale as presented in canon. Usually, given the subject matter, there's a heavy dose of angst.

Not here. It certainly isn't a farce or a satire, but this story, while building suspense with a well-done B Plot (and with a hefty measure of suspense coming from the canonically believable limited amount of information the raiding party is working with), handily averts tragedy. There are credible explanations of why certain characters aren't quite as dead as you might have assumed. Some intriguing one-off characters get interesting developments. And even at the end there are fewer dead characters than one might have guessed. All wrapped up in a satisfying conclusion where the bad guys are thwarted by, and for, being themselves.

Delayed Reaction

Continuing with my theme of "not everything's sunny and bright" ;) let's have two wonderful stories about Hutch.

Fandom: Starsky and Hutch

Pairing: Starsky/Hutch

Fic Link: http://www.geocities.com/jat_sapphire/SH_stories/notabang.htm

Why this must be read: Hutch has many different sides to his personality. He's also got a little bit of depression/burnout running through him during the fourth season. Jat realizes this, she uses this, and she uses this well. The story jumps from the past to the present, back to the past, and speculates on the future. They're screwbuddies, which makes me connect with Hutch more, because they're they're perfectly in sync and there for each other when they need it...but Hutch is falling out of the circle of saving. It's a dark future and it's not certain if the light will ever return.

This is shocking, but I'm reccing a GEN story. It's perfectly summing of what I see as a possible future for two partners that love each other more than anything else in this world.

Fandom: Starsky and Hutch

Pairing: Starsky/Hutch

Fic Link: http://www.geocities.com/shwritersblock/Maine.htm

Why this must be read: Hutch made a request and Starsky's gonna fufill it. With a simple statement, Starsky and his family travel to a state across the country, simply because Hutch said:

"Never been to Maine."

Starsky will protect him and try to save him until the end of their lives. It just comes sooner than anyone wanted to admit. And if his partner wants to go to a state where time is slow and peaceful, then Starsky's gonna be right there to oblige.

"Starsk, promise me something."....."You won't forget…" ..... "Me."

He will never forget him, he will always love him, that's what partnership is all about.

Fandom: THE PROFESSIONALS
Pairing: Bodie/Doyle
Author on LJ: unknown
Author Website: Dorinda's Bare Bones Page

Why this must be read:

Keeping with the holiday theme, we're moving on to specific winter holidays and a few looks at how our pair of CI5 agents might spend them. Dorinda's story is the only Pros Chanukkah story I'm aware of. Not a theme one might readily think of in connection with these two characters, but it works because of the delightfully apropos "festival of lights" the agents have to deal with. In this case, candles aren't lit day by day, but, rather, lights switch off in an ominous count-down. During the tense procedure, while perched between life and possible instantaneous death, Bodie and Doyle come to an understanding about their feelings.

The story takes one of my favourite approaches, presenting the action through a third-party viewpoint. We see everything that happens through Cowley's eyes. Dorinda does a lovely Cowley, which isn't all that common in Pros fiction. Cowley is often either entirely neglected or distorted out of recognition to serve a story's purpose. Not in Dorinda's takes on him, though. Her affection for the wily old Cow shines through.

Festival of Lights

Fandom: The Sentinel
Pairing: Jim/Blair
Author on LJ: unknown
Author Website: http://caralil.slashdom.com/
Also available at the 852 Prospect archive
Why this must be read:

Action, angst, drama, danger, Brackett, love, sex, characterization - all wrapped up by a talented writer in a long story. Tell me one single reason why this should *not* be read.

Quarry

Lick It, Slam It, Suck It by girlnorth (NC-17)

Fandom:ALIAS
Pairing: Sydney / Weiss
Author on LJ: girlnorth
Author Website: Girlnorth's Fiction
Why this must be read:

It's everything you want in a Drunk Fic - sexy, fun, and earnest . . . And don't forget the hole in the wall or the buttercup bathrobe!

Sydney’s distraction disappears when Weiss’ mouth ascends on her neck, his tongue leaving a wet spot.

"Body shots," he says, his lips brushing against her neck.

"Mmmm," she agrees, succinctly. She tilts her head toward her shoulder, giving him better access to her neck. He wets it one more time for good measure, then shakes salt over the damp spot, some of the crystals not sticking and rolling down into her cleavage.

"I’ll get those later," he murmurs.

"Is that a promise?"

"Oh hell, yeah," he says, his left hand traveling up her leg and skimming her ass to rest on her waist. He pulls her even closer, the contact proving to her that he means it. She leans in to kiss his neck.

Lick It, Suck It, Slam It