Fandom: FARSCAPE
Pairing: John/Aeryn
Author on LJ: oneyethedrd
Author's Website: none

Why this must be read:

Another uber angsty fic, this is taken from a "Worst Nightmares" challenge issued after Fractures in order to see what fans could come up with as a resolution to that very intense and bleak episode.

One Eye steps up and really yanks your heart out.  We've all read fic that deals with John torture in some way, shape, or form.  It's almost an sub genre in FS fic.  Here, One Eye shows us the ramifications of all the torture that John's suffered.  Expecting a human man to come out clean as a whistle after the Aurora Chair, the Scarran intrusion into his mind, among other things is silly.  And what One Eye draws is truly harsh and bleak.

John is dying slowly, Aeryn is still not herself after the death of the other John, and there is nothing either of them can do to help this situation. 

I like this fic because it gives us a broken John and Aeryn together, John and Aeryn alone, and it makes you (or at least it made me) want to smack them both so they'd see that they needed each other to survive this ordeal.  Of course, they didn't hear me but alas...

This story is through the eyes of a desperate crew looking for their lost friend and through the eyes John himself, wanting to die alone so he can't hurt anyone else with his death, so no one else will mourn him.  One Eye draws you in, makes you hurt right along with them.

Perish Twice

And the prequel, which you might want to give a quick read:

No One Left Behind

Fandom: Firefly
Pairing: None
Author on LJ: mona1347
Author's Website: The Red-Walled Cave.

Why this must be read:
River is a very hard character for most writers to handle. Many authors have her doing random things for no reason (and, in fact, there's several fics I've chosen not to post here because, while otherwise good, they don't handle River well). Yes, River is crazy, but there is always a reason behind the insane things she does, even if it isn't apparent at first glance. Mona seems to have a good idea of what it must be like to live in River's head. Both stories are on the same page, which is why I am recommending both.

Hard to Tell/Wrestling with Angels

Fandom: Firefly
Pairing: Kaylee/Simon, River/Kaylee
Author on LJ: dirty_diana
Author's Website: Shocking Pink.

Why this must be read:
You can't escape dirty diana in the Firefly fanfic world - which is perfectly fine, because she's a great writer. Other of her stories have been recommended here in the past. This one comes in three parts. It's sexy, and angsty, and the sort of story where no one winds up getting what they want.

Rock and a Hard Place: River
Rock and a Hard Place: Simon
Rock and a Hard Place: Kaylee

Fandom: Firefly
Pairing: none
Author on LJ: Unknown
Author's Website: Unknown

Why this must be read:
Sometimes I like my fics full of action and laughs, and Fish and RSB deliver with another fun, fast romp. It's plotty and funny and full of running gags, and focuses on Zoe, Wash, Mal, and Simon.

Just Business

Fandom: YAMI NO MATSUEI
Pairing: Tsuzuki/Hisoka
Author on LJ: unknown
Author Website: archived at Phantom Moon
Why this must be read:

Watari makes Hisoka a potion to dampen his empathy around crowds so that he can enjoy the office party with his co-workers. A good idea in theory, until Tsuzuki drinks the rest, with unexpected consequences. This fic is a fun romp through a standard plot device (Watari's potions gone awry) that manages to pull off a very sweet look at the Tsuzuki + Hisoka relationship. The author deftly keeps all of the characters *in* character and maintains the lighthearted-but-slightly-angsty tone of the early manga series. In a fandom where pain and suffering are the norm both in canon and in fanon, it's nice to find a fic that can be charmingly funny, but still maintain that little edge of darkness without slipping into parody. Also, it's very romantic. <3

(Brief caveat: this fic is well written and nicely plotted, but did not escape the Eye Color/Description fairy which occasionally runs wild in YnM fandom.)

Outside Looking In

Fandom: BUFFY
Pairing: --
Author on LJ: seraphcelene
Author Website: Essential-Imperfect
Why this must be read: This story takes two of the genres Buffyfic is best at -- alternate universe and horror -- and squeezes them together into a deliciously creepy what-if. (For more horror, try the Campfire Tales archive.)

This is about Dawn. This is about Dawn and her mother who was dead and now isn't, because Dawn did a spell and brought her back. This is how she came back wrong, and what exactly that means. What it's like when the thing that goes bump in the night wears the face of someone you loved and what happens when they stick around for everyday life, for years. It's about living with your mistakes and its sharp, singsong rhythm will stick in your head along with Joyce and Spike voices so perfect you can hear them. This is what would have happened if Dawn hadn't ripped up Joyce's picture in "Forever".

Yours, Eternally