Fandom: HIGHLANDER
Pairing: Duncan/Methos
Author on LJ: Don't know
Author Website:Carson Kearns Highlander fanfic
Why this must be read:

I remember reading this story as the chapters were "mounted" on the web back in 1998. Set in a post Archangel universe, almost chronologically at the end of the Lost in the loving series but written almost in the beginning. Still my favorite part of this universe.

A broken, very human, emotional Duncan goes back to Scotland to bring home Richie and Tessa. Methos keeps the Highlander together. Funny, dramatic, a little over the top in some parts. It's a wonderful weekend read. The beer game still makes me smile.

Lost in the loving - Coming home

Fandom: KNIGHT RIDER
Pairing: None
Author on LJ: dknightshade
Author Website: Knightshade's Garden

Why this must be read:

Rated R for violence, "Reeling" is a dark -- yes, DARK -- and angsty story that'll leave you breathless. It's packed full of emotion, from beginning to end, it is relentless. You won't see it coming, you won't know what to think when it happens, you won't know how to react when it's over... This fic is all about the reactions it causes in its viewing audience. And you will react, there is no way you couldn't.

For the sheer emotional power, the kind that will leave you reeling in your seat, you can't pass this up. There's only one other thing I can say about it: Sensitive Readers Beware. Oh, and maybe to have your favourite comfort fic on standby to read immediately afterwards. (I get the shivers just thinking about it. I love this fic! :P)

Link to Story: Reeling by Knightshade

Fandom: seaQuest DSV
Pairing: None
Author onLJ: N/A
Author's Website: AT Jackson-Never Forgotten
Why this must be read:

H/C is a subgenre that crosses fandom lines, and it seems like most fandoms have one character as the favored victim in both h/c scenarios and torture wallows. In sQ, that character is Lucas Wolenczak, and the genre itself is known as ELF (Evil Lucas Fanfiction), as its aficianados are known as ELFs (Evil Lucas Fans).

Needless to say, ELF has led to a lot of out-of-character epics in which Lucas is subjected to enough torture to give even Clark Kent pause. However, it has also led to some excellent stories exploring the murky past history of my favorite teen genius. Among the best of those are the two stories written by AT Jackson, which extrapolate a special forces contingent of the UEO known as the Outriggers, and which have Lucas and Tim O'Neill both temporarily assigned to a unit of these special forces. Not only does Lucas get to be his sarcastic, brilliant self under pressure, but Tim also gets to stretch his own wings, honing more of that wit we saw flashes of aboard the seaQuest.

There are a few warnings to go with these stories. First, they're both incredibly long. They're broken down into parts on the site for ease of reading, but I once copied and pasted TD in a word document, and I seem to recall it was about 700 pages, single-spaced at Times New Roman 12. They're also incredibly addictive, so I'd recommend waiting to read them until you have a fair chunk of time on your hands, or can make one.

Second, the stories feature quite a cast of OCs. I personally love them, especially Rodriguez, but I usually don't enjoy OCs in major roles in my fanfiction, so I thought I'd better warn for it. Third, the author had a beta who was fond of attributive clauses, so there are a lot of them in both stories. Along with this, some of the dialogue is very repetitious. Fourth, Tim's last name is spelled O'Neil throughout the stories, and Dr. Westphalen's characterization is very much based on the premiere episode, which will only throw you if you've watched all of season one recently enough to remember the changes in her character.

All of the above but the length usually put me off a story on their own, so it says something that I love these stories so madly when they have them in combination. I'd recommend giving the first part of the first one a try. If you don't like it, chances are you'll want to pass on the rest. If you do like it, it only gets better from there.

Sadly, the author died in a car accident in February of 1999, while working on the third installment of the Outrigger series. The link for the author's website is actually a tribute created by a friend of hers, and if you check out the site, you will see several quotes from her fellow fans. I joined the fandom several months after AT's death, and so missed out on the chance to discuss the stories with their creator. Lucky for me, her friends are making sure the stories remain online and available for new fans to find and enjoy.

Temporary Duty

Weakest Link

Fandom: The West Wing
Pairing: Donna/Amy
Author on LJ: helsinkibaby
Author Website:The Band Gazebo
Why this must be read:

Jeanine often blames me for this fic, which pleases me to no end, so I might not be the most objective rec'er in the history of crack_van. Still, this is a wonderful fic that creates a believably loving Donna/Amy dynamic, a reasonable explanation for Amy running back to Josh in Jefferson Lives, and, all the while, characterizes Amy perfectly. (The Donna is lovely, too, strong-willed but understanding and forgiving, sure of what and who she wants. *happy sigh*)

All The President's Men.

Fandom: THE SENTINEL
Pairings: Gen. (Jim/Blair for Lick, Slam, Suck)
Author on LJ: No
Author Website: Kikki's Fanfiction
Why this series must be read:

Writing an original fiction character in an estabished series is incredibly hard to do, let alone done well. One has to make sure that the original character enhances the story without overtaking it, to become a part of the story without distracting from it.

Kikkimax excels at this with Detective Jay Brady. In fact, she won the 2002 Burton Award for Outstanding Original Character.

In Partners, Jay arrives in Major Crimes straight from Texas. Instead of being put off by the long haired, hippy freak, he's intrigued by him and asks Blair to join him on his first case, much to Jim's dismay.

In A Dirty Cop, Blair's been set up and Jim's powerless to protect him so he calls in some help from an unexpected source.

In Juanita and the Cowboy, Blair was in the wrong place at the wrong time. In order to keep him safe, Jim sends him to Texas to have Jay look after him, but things go from bad to worse. Jim and Megan are off to the rescue...or maybe not. *g*

In A Tinker's Dam, Brady's down on his luck and things don't get any better when he goes undercover as a hired gun.

I adore Kikkimax's sense of humor and the affection she has for these characters. It makes reading her stories a true joy. She takes her time with her plots and you never feel like she rushed through it to get to the next story. I have little doubt that you will find yourself wanting to read more in this universe once you get to the end.

I've also added a bonus, link. Not only do I adore Jay, but I also adore Jerry from another one of her series. I begged her to write a story where these two meet and she obliged me. This story, while rated PG, is a slash story between Jim and Blair. However, it will make little sense without reading the other stories first.

The Partners Series
Links to individual stories:
Partners
A Dirty Cop
Juanita and the Cowboy
Tinker's Dam

Bonus: Lick, Slam, Suck

Fandom: STARSKY & HUTCH
Pairing: Starsky/Hutch
Author on LJ: N/A
Author's Website: Starsky & Hutch Slash Archive

Why this must be read: Again, Flamingo is one of the fandom's premiere authors, any story of hers is a delight to read. But, this story is a light, romantic piece in her "Talk Dirty" universe, which has been recommended here before.

The premise is that Starsky and Hutch has finally bought a house together and on moving day, Hutch is freaking out. To soothe his troubled partner, Starsky sets about to seduce his big, beautiful blond in their new bathtub. It's more than a PWP, but still very hot and goes to prove that even established relationship stories can still be sizzling.

Just Another One of Starsky's Dirty Moves

Fandom: due South

Pairing: Fraser/Kowalski

Author on LJ: none

Author Website: none

Why this must be read: Authors Summary : An encounter with The Stella gives Fraser the push he needs. I love the way Fraser tries to find redeeming qualities about Stella. Aouda has Fraser's inner voice down perfectly. This is a must read for any Fraser fan.


Like by Aouda Fogg

Fandom: DUE SOUTH
Pairing: Fraser/Kowalski
Author on LJ: akite
Author Website: A. Kite's Fanfic Page
Why this must be read: This is a perfect little gem of a pwp. Ray is classic in his observations and Fraser's reaction is golden. All in all, it's a great little fic guarenteed to put a smile on your face!!



Impounded

Fandom: DUE SOUTH
Pairing: Fraser/Kowalski
Author on LJ: n/a
Author Website: Grey's Corner
Why this must be read: Grey writes in so many fandoms that it's very difficult for me to pick my favorite of all her stories, however, this one comes very very close. She seems to touch on Ray's loneliness and makes it heartbreakingly real. This story will break your heart and remake it into something so much wonderful than you ever could have imagined. I can't stress enough for you to run, not walk, to read this.

Namesick