Fandom: THE SENTINEL
Pairing: Jim/Blair
Author on LJ: merryish
Author Website: Any Road
Why this must be read: This time there is no outside event pushing them together, just a critical mass of feelings that cannot be denied any longer. Once again, all about characterization and a nice smutty ending too. This story hits a lot of Sentinel cliches, but only in a good way.
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Major Crimes

Fandom: POPSLASH
Pairing:  JC/Lance (not really pairing orientated)
Author on LJ: misadventure
Author Website: Sweetheart Stories
Why this must be read: I seem to have delevoped a theme with my last rec and this one. Death fic. I really am not this morbid all the time. But uh yeah. Why this should be read is because it's AU and one of the best out there. It's dark and depressing and insane and weird and fucked up. It's powerfully written with great characterization, especially Britney and Chris. Just read and see for yourselves.

1 2 3 4. Suicide fic.

Fandom: DUE SOUTH
Pairing: Ray Vecchio/Ray Kowalski; Benton Fraser/Ray Kowalski
Author on LJ: estrella30
Author Website: Estrella's DS Fics

Why this must be read:
In the dS fandom, there is a divide between the angst (including hurt/comfort) and the happy (ranging from realism to schmoop). Being true to canon means not forgetting that the show has its dark side. Some stories take one from angst to happy ever after. And some just leave you knowing that eventually most pain heals. This story is in that latter category: there's pain, but there's healing, too.

I also love the police stuff in the beginning. Too many writers have the guys working as detectives, but the reader never gets the feeling that they are working detectives.

Noise

Fandom: BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER
Pairing: Warren/Jonathan
Author on LJ: jenoofer
Author Website: Subdued
Why this must be read:

This pairing rarely works for me, but Jen makes it work so well in this fic that I had to rec it. It's AU but only slightly so and remains entirely convincing throughout. I love both Warren and Jonathan in this fic - they are true to the characters on the show and yet we see them interact as we never did (which is a shame).

After the bell-tower fiasco and the subsequent moment in the spotlight handing Buffy her umbrella at the Prom, Jonathan finds himself dateless and annoyed, and finds Warren in a similar situation. There follows drink and drunkenness and hanging out in a parked car...

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Dancing on a Friday Night

Fandom: SMALLVILLE (AU)
Pairing: Lex/Hudson
Author on LJ: aelora
Author Website: Smallville: An Alternate Universe
Why this must be read:

This is the most anachronistic post ever, as it's a Thanksgiving story that I'm posting a rec for in December. But it's one of my favorites ever. It's schmoopy and cute and filled with lots of awwwwwwwwwwwwwwww.

Surely most people in the Smallville fandom have heard of Aelora's Girl!Clark AU starring Alessandra Ambrosio as Hudson Clark Kent in a universe that answers the question, What if the Kryptonianette sent to Earth had been a girl?

When this universe was recced to me, my first thought wasn't Clark is a girl? but rather, Lex is straight??? What? Who? *confused* But Aelora makes it work. Her Lex is easily one of the best written in Smallville fanfic. She manages to get into his head so perfectly that you'd think you're actually watching a good ep of SV.

...Where Clark just happens to be a girl. And that's another thing. Hudson isn't an OC. She is Clark Kent as a girl. She has all the asshat moments Clark does and all the heroic moments Clark does and she even has an itty bitty crush on Lana. Talk about realism.

Additionally, okay. I'm an unapologetic slash fan. Some het can be considered acceptable to me, but for the most part? Clark/Lex, OTP. But this sex is HOT. And not just the sex, but all the UST that comes before. Aelora has a talent for the pornographic written word which cannot be denied, when even her innocuous "innocent" scenes are absolute chair sliders.

Now, as for this story specifically, it's future fic, G-rated, Hudson and Lex with kids visiting the Kent farm during Thanksgiving. Read it for the cuteness factor and then read the rest of the universe for the beauty.

Tom (no, not Welling) is here. And be sure to leave aelora feedback!