Title: “Cold Heart” by Dorothy Marley
Pairing: Fraser/Vecchio, Fraser/Cooper
Author on LJ: dmarley
Author Website: http://dmarley.mattachine.com
Why this must be read:

I must confess that the major attraction this story holds for me is the presence of FBI Special Agent Dale Cooper from the short-lived but beloved series Twin Peaks (***SUBTLE HINT*** a show which I hope to write up for crack_van someday ***SUBTLE HINT***). But as the author says in her notes, “This is primarily a Due South story, and refers only obliquely to events in Twin Peaks,” so it can be read and enjoyed by people who have no idea who Laura Palmer is and don’t give a damn who killed her.

A few weeks after Fraser and Vecchio’s first meeting, the Mountie is taking questionable steps to combat his growing feelings of homesickness:

( This was what he needed. )

Meanwhile, Dale Cooper has come to Chicago for two purposes: to review an old case of Vecchio’s in the hope of finding a lead on a killer; and to look up Benton Fraser, a former lover. Cooper once kept Fraser from literally freezing to death, but could not save him from the creeping chill of loneliness. As Fraser tells Ray, describing what it’s like to recover from hypothermia, “there comes a moment when it's actually far more painful to live, to be warm again--to feel again--than it is to die in the cold...Dale and I could never get past that moment.”

Dorothy Marley vividly evokes both cold (the way it can cut and sting, the seductiveness of its false warmth and lulling torpor) and heat (which also has its pains and pleasures). She also does a great job depicting Vecchio’s reactions: his growing worry for Benny; astonishment when he barrels into Fraser’s apartment and finds Cooper; curiosity and jealous anger after hearing about their ill-fated relationship; grudging sympathy when faced with Cooper’s genuine concern and remorse. And once Ray applies himself to thawing out Benny, it’s enough to steam up the windows.

“Cold Heart”

ETA: Since Dorothy’s page seens to be down at the moment, here is another link for the story:

http://www.squidge.org/dsa/cgi-bin/convert.cgi?filename=romance/coldheart.html&wraplen=75

Fandom: BTVS
Pairing: Spike/Xander
Author on LJ: shrift
Author Website: shrift's fanfiction

Why this must be read:
This is set somewhere around season 3 of BtVS, and it's a "spell made them do it" story, that tried-and-true gimmick for making characters do wacky things that's so often canon in the Buffy 'verse. Shrift's short piece stuck with me because Xander and Spike are so much in character.

It should be clear now that I don't like my Spike/Xander romantic, so don't be surprised that this encounter is all about the hot m/m sex with a side of good dialog.

Never-Ever Land

Title: The Key's Watcher by Tara Keezer
Pairing: None; Gen
Author on LJ: elementalv
Author Website: Elemental Vision

Why this must be read:
A lengthy, detailed AU from the end of season 5, "The Gift," Giles and Dawn find themselves in Laurell K. Hamilton's Anita Blake universe.

I like the father/daughter relationship that this Dawn and Giles develop once they are marooned in this new universe together. Dawn was never one of my favorite characters, although I liked her in season 7. However, Tara takes season 5 Dawn and shows me another side of the charcter, and I find her appealing.

There is plotty goodness along with the familial domesticity, and I happily read the series as a WIP. Fortunately for you new readers, it's complete, so you get it all at once.

Tara has done something interesting with the series: she has a slash storyline that complements the gen story, Dark Haven (NC-17), Giles-Jean-Claude, which begins after The Key's Watcher 3: Hunter's Moon. You don't have to read the slash--the gen story stands alone--but Dark Haven makes a good addition to the crossover universe Tara has created. Dark Haven 3 is a WIP, but Tara has been posting regularly.

The Key's Watcher index page

Title: Homesick by Jae
Pairing: Ryan/Rory
Author on LJ: jae_w
Author Website: I will not be afraid of boybands

Why this must be read: Well, I read it because I'll read pretty much anything Jae writes, and I know how much she loves those Gilmore Girls. But it's a great crossover crack offering because even though I've only seen a handful of Gilmore eps, the use of Ryan's POV and an elegant, sincere storytelling style made it come alive anyway, made me feel like I knew Rory and what Ryan saw in her. OC-wise, this takes place in an AU departing from show canon after the season one finale. I have no idea where or if it fits into GG, but Rory is in LA, too. This story is filled with Ryan's regret, his lost life in Newport, his determination to make sure his kid has more choices than he'd gotten. It seems to make perfect sense that a girl like Rory brings all that to the surface, even just in one conversation they have in bed, late at night, watching the cars go by on the highway.

( Excerpt. )

Homesick

Fandom: THE SENTINEL
Pairing: Jim/Blair
Author on LJ:don't know
Author Website:Web site
Why this must be read:

A Sentinel too fix it. Written before Sentinel too part 2 aired. One of the first Sen2 fix it I read. I came into the sentinel fandom after it was announced that the series was coming back and the cliffhanger from Sentinel too part 2 would be coming to a tv screen near you. So I didn't experience the angst of will Blair live or not. But I read a lot of stories dealing with the cliffhanger. I like this one for the all out evil Alex, the author doesn't try to redeem her. I liked that.

I liked the bruised and battered Blair and needy!Jim. No panther and wolf merging in this story but angst and some clever Sentinel lore.

The Bridge Back
with somewhat of a sequell Language Barrier

---

Comments always welcome
Please send feedback to the author

Title: Star Voyager by Iejasu and Miklinar
Pairing: Gen, with hints of Vader/OC
Length: 42,000 words
Author on LJ: miklinar
Author Website: Bast Castle

Why this must be read:

Unlike many other fandoms, it is very difficult to find a good crossover for Star Wars. There are excellent crossovers for Highlander, Buffy, and Stargate aplenty, but not so with Star Wars. Indeed, such fandoms practically invite and create opportunities for crossovers. The very fact that Star Wars occurred "a long time ago in a galaxy far, far away. . ." impedes crossover potential. Of those that exist, I have found but two or three good ones.

The one fandom Star Wars is consistently crossed with is Star Trek, but the stories are rarely any good. Such crossovers have been done to death, mostly with the idea of pitting the two types of technology (and the two fandoms) against each other. This is not one of those stories.

The crossover story I am recommending this month stars Darth Vader, naturally. In this story, Vader survives the second Death Star, but ends up on a different shuttle from his son. The blast of the Death Star exploding creates a wormhole, sending him far into a different galaxy and possibly into the future or even an alternate universe. Who finds the severely injured Vader but the Federation Starship Voyager, which is stranded and alone in the Delta Quadrant of the Milky Way Galaxy?

On Voyager, Vader finds himself mostly among other humans, but he thinks, acts, and reacts very differently from them. Janeway and crew do not know what to do with him. Vader is stuck with them, and they with him. He must learn to work with people again, not just order them around. What is more, there may be a force on board the ship seeking his destruction.

I find the portrayal of Vader in the story to be very interesting. The authors seem to think that his deathbed return to the light at the end of Return of the Jedi was not all that it purported to be, and so Vader is not as changed as we may think. He gradually changes over the course of the story, and the reader gets a sense that this is just the beginning of his journey.

* * *

( Excerpt )

Star Voyager

Title: Orturmoriwen, by Twinkledru J.
Pairing: none
Author on LJ: twinkledru
Author Website: I’m Not Bitter
Why this must be read:

The origins of the Slayer was one of the misteries of the Buffyverse for a long, long time. This tale – written before the episodes of the First Slayer were aired – explains it, giving us a fresh, interesting look at the beginnings of Slayers around the world. The best part is that it fits, it works, blending these two dissimilar worlds together perfectly.

Orturmoriwen

Title: Northern Vacation by Tayla
Pairing: Gil/Greg, Jim/Blair, Greg/Blair, Gil/Jim
Author on LJ: Unknown
Author Website: Tayla's
Why this must be read:

My two favorite May/December couples. Pure PWP. Great character voices. Lots of hot slashy sex. Fun, lots of fun.


Northern Vacation

Fandom: CSI
Pairing: Greg Sanders/Nick Stokes
Author on LJ: Unknown
Author Website: dragonmuse's lair
Why this must be read:

An innocent Nick, trying to be good for Greg. An experienced Greg, helping Nick find his way. Yep, PWP, but a good read.

The Education of Nick Stokes

Fandom: GUNDAM WING
Pairing: Heero/Duo, Quatre/Trowa, Wufei/Hilde, the list goes on...
Author on LJ: N/A
Author Website: MistuGallery
Why this must be read:

Alright, I'm sure I'm breaking a rule here, but hear me out!

This is not a crossover, as such. There is no fandom, exactly, that it is combined with. Except for the fact that technically, there are historical fiction fanfics and novels.

But, more to the point, this story is so realistic, and such a perfect alternate universe fic, you can almost forget that there isn't some other massive fandom here that Mitsugi is drawing all of her information from.

( What the heck is she talking about? )

Bridlewood Manor

Fandom: STAR WARS
Pairing: Gen
Length: 3,500 words
Author on LJ: fernwithy
Author Website: Vader's Mask, Fern's Humongous Bighead Site

Why this must be read:

In this slight AU, Anakin manages to survive for a few days after the destruction of the second Death Star. He awakens to find himself unmasked, alive, and in a medical facility, much to his surprise. His children are there, and they have many questions for him, especially about their mother.

This bittersweet tale explores the familial connections of the Skywalker family. Leia is understandably unwilling to forgive and Luke is too willing to do so. Anakin knows he is dying and refuses to take offense at any of Leia's harsh words. He knows they are well deserved. He tries to tell his children about their mother, but he keeps fading in and out. By the end of the story, all three--father, son, and daughter--come to a better understanding and are able to let go.

No author writes a better Darth Vader or Anakin Skywalker than Fernwithy. She has his voice down, whatever his incarnation. Every character is in character as we saw them at the end of Return of the Jedi. The reader can almost hear the characters saying the dialogue. You may get a little choked up after reading this short story -- it's that powerful. Highly recommended.

* * *

( Excerpt )

Anniversary

Title: The Night of the Missing Cattle Affair by RAC
Pairing: Napoleon Solo/Illya Kuryakin, James West/Artemus Gordon
Author on LJ: none
Author Website: http://www.visionsofprettyboys.com/home.htm
Why this must be read: It says a lot about how much I enjoy Rac's writing that I'm reccing a story that includes WWW. I remember enjoying the show when it aired years ago but the slash pairing has never done anything for me. Yet, while it's Napoleon and Illya I read the story for, I was able to somehow get just as involved with what Jim and Artie were going through. Almost a hundred years separate their worlds, yet both pair of men must face the same problems a relationship like theirs engender.

But that's only half the story; there's still the Affair itself. And it works, the entire scenario as to how the men happen to meet and join forces. Both shows tended toward the fantastic, so it wouldn't have been much of a stretch on either show for their protagonists to end up in exactly the situation they do here. It's like an episode I missed and am only now reading about. A long and truly enjoyable story.


The Night of the Missing Cattle Affair

Fandom: QUEER AS FOLK: US
Pairing: Gale Harold/Randy Harrison RPS
Author on LJ: rhiannonhero
Author Website: http://www.rhiannonhero.net
Why this must be read:

Yes, it's RPS (Gale plays Brian Kinney, Randy plays Justin Taylor). Yes, it's fictional. And yes, you will love it. I promise. Rhi writes the story from Gale's perspective, about a feeling of intense need and longing with an unending hint of unfulfillment. There's plenty of smut if that's what you're looking for, but there's also that intense emotional edge that draws you in and makes you really feel something as you're reading. If I ever had to rec an RPS in the QAF: US fandom, this (and its sequel from Randy's perspective, More Than You) would be it.

( Excerpt. )

Inside My House

Fandom: QUEER AS FOLK: US
Pairing: Brian/Justin
Author on LJ: reinabelle
Author Website: N/A
Why this must be read:

Season four ended with a lot of questions about what would happen to Brian and Justin in the days to come. In this beautiful story, Reinabelle dares to answer just a few of them, but does so in such a heartwarming and comfortable way. Everytime I read this story, I get a feeling that I can only describe as "coming home."

( Excerpt. )

I Stop Somewhere Waiting for You

Fandom: QUEER AS FOLK: US
Pairing: Brian/Justin
Author on LJ: seperis
Author Website: http://seperis.illuminatedtext.com
Why this must be read:

Guh. So hot. I honestly don't have words. This was one of the very first QAF stories I had ever read, and I remember it like fireworks going off in my brain. I read it in the summertime, when I could literally feel the heat in the story as Brian and Justin cope with a broken air conditioner. I love how jenn combines a sense of humour with amazingly descriptive prose and ohmygodsohot sex. This story just rules.

( Excerpt. )

Those Who Favor Fire

Title: Just Another Song by Belladonna
Pairing: Joe Dick/Alex Krycek
Author on LJ: abelladonna
Author Website: Fanfic by Belladonna

Why this must be read:

Because it's rough, and it's nasty, and there's something very appealing about Joe meeting someone tougher than he is. It's nice to see some HCL crossovers that don't play on Callum Keith Rennie's other roles, and Joe/Krycek isn't as much of a stretch as it might initially seem. An assassin meets a washed-up punk rocker in a bar, stop me if you've heard this one...

( You can either drop your pants or start swallowing teeth. )

Just Another Song

Title: Constable Joe by Sister Wolf
Pairing: Joe Dick/Ray Kowalski
Author on LJ: sister_wolf
Author Website: Fanfiction by Sister Wolf
Why this must be read:

(And now for something completely different...) There are a few other Due South/Hard Core Logo crossovers out there. Most of them are vaguely meta, relying in one way or another in the resemblance between Billy Tallent and Ray K, both played by Callum Keith Rennie.

sister_wolf doesn't even try.

Instead, she takes a... unique, AU-style, fusion approach.

Meet Constable Joe Dick.

( Yeah, like something off a Christmas tree, with Tourette’s? )

Constable Joe Dick

Title: Opposites And Choices by Wendi
Pairing: Clark/Lex, Superman/Lois, Chloe/Wally
Author on LJ:
Author Website: Worship
Why this must be read:

This serie is fantastic! There's Clex with Lex not knowing Clark is Superman. There's Superman/Lois, while there's Clex. Ooh, the tension. It also has Clark going to therapy. There's Wally, who I think is a favourite character of the author because she writes him really well. There's Chloe with twins. And there's the Justice League. Now, that's only at the beginning of the serie. In the middle of the serie, problems happen in the form of Mxy, a god from another dimension. Forget everything you've seen in 'Jinx', Wendy's Mxy is a thousand time better. He's a Clex fan, to begin with. And, he also looks like Pacey Witter. Come on, how can you resist. Opposites And Choices is probably by favourite Smallville fanfic. If you've never read it, do it now. You won't regret it.

Just to show you how much you'll like Mxy:

"See, you're forgetting the entertainment factor, for me, in Clarkbar's life." Mxy shrugged, easily explaining it. "Lex finding out the truth that his favorite farmboy is his very own Warrior Angel? Comedic gold. Guaranteed sweeps hit!" Making a face, he squinted down at her. "Lana Lang? Completely void of entertainment." Mxy paused, then added. "There was that one time when a pipe exploded. Threw her fifty feet, and the look on her face as she shot through the air?" He launched a hand, letting it bump along with a fond smile. "Ahhhh, now that was priceless."

Are you convinced, now?

Opposites And Choices