Fandom: The West Wing
Pairing: CJ/Josh
Author on LJ: khohen1
Author Website: fanfiction by kHo
Why this must be read: This is a really lovely look at Josh's place within Bartlet's staff once he's left the White House to work for Santos, in particular his relationship to CJ. The smut is hot and the conversations are filled with Sorkin-esque banter.

Excerpt:
She looked at him, taking a deep breath as his eyes remained on her exposed leg for just a moment too long. “Did you never maybe want to kiss me?”

His head jerked up, his eyes widening. “Wh-- what?”

“I just thought…” She paused again, chewing on her lips and looking down at her hands in her lap. “I thought maybe over the years I might have seen you looking at me.”

Absolutely Incredible

Fandom: STARGATE: ATLANTIS
Pairing: Sheppard/McKay vibes
Author on LJ: icarusancalion
Author Website: Icarus.Slash.Fiction

Why this must be read:
After some inner debate, I realized that I wanted to end the month on a light note, so my last two SGA recs will be ones to leave you chuckling, or at the very least, with a big smile.
This story by Icarus is delightful.

Breeding Ground

Fandom: STARGATE: ATLANTIS
Pairing: Ronon Dex/Rodney McKay
Author on LJ: ficbyzee
Author Website: Author Website: Pardon Our Nerds

Why this must be read:
I chose this one because it's an adorable Ronon/Rodney story, which probably my current favorite pairing. Going by the fact that none of my favorites were in the Memories, the pairing has been under-rec'd here in crack_van.

Toasty

Fandom: POPSLASH
Pairing: JC/Lance/Nick/Jesse
Author on LJ: topaz119  and without_me 
Author Website: Just For Fun and kittenfic
Why this must be read:This is one of my most favorite stories ever. My comfort fic. It's long, it's a foursome, it's hot. You wouldn't think it would work, but you'd be wrong. I always wish there was more. *cough*




Something So Right

Fandom: DC COMICS
Pairing: Tim/Kon (Robin/Superboy)
Author on LJ: someinstant
Author Website: SomeInstant's LJ Memories

Why this must be read:
I've said before that Tim/Kon is my happy pairing in DC comics, and that's how I want to end my recs this time around. (Yes, I know they have more than their share of the angst, but they can be happy, so there!)

This story is a perfect illustration of what I mean: two best friends who also love each other. No matter the fandom, I can't get enough of that dynamic.

Breast Side Up

Fandom: La Femme Nikita the Series
Pairing: None
Author on LJ: shrift
Author Website: Bifictional Bedlam

Why this story must be read:

First, a mea culpa. I've been a terrible van-driver for my favorite little fandom. I'd blame RL for throwing me more than I expected, but that's a bit of a dodge. I'd also blame the problem (ha!) that there are WAY more than 12 LFN stories worth recc'ing and I got frozen by the need - as the first LFN driver - to rec the 'very best' in all genres.

So, I've accepted that the best I can do is rec the stories that *I* like to re-read, and hope that a fellow LFN fanficfan will take the wheel another month and add to the list.

On to the recs.

For this, one of Shrift's stories, "Heaven" - a tight, painful (in the good hurty way) exploration of one possible past for Michael and Jurgen while Michael was Jurgen's "material."

Heaven

Fandom: LFN
Pairing: Michael/Nikita, Madeline/Paul
Author on lj: not that I know of

Why this must be read:

This longer fic is one of the outpouring of stories written at the end of S4 in anticipation of S5. This story has plenty of action and scheming, as well as a lovely, gentle hand with the difficult place that Michael and Nikita were in personally at the end of S4. I must say, I much prefer Phoenix's elegant and tightly plotted version to most of what TPBT actually gave us!

Coming out of Total Eclipse

Fandom: La Femme Nikita the Series
Pairing: Michael/Nikita
Author on LJ: not that I know of
Author Website: none that I know of

Why this story must be read:

Following along in a series of 'what if' story recommendations, this is beautifully written, novella length story is Claire Gabriel's vision of the post S5 future. There is a sequel as well, which is also worth reading, but I like this first installment best.

Shooting the Moon

Fandom: BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER
Pairing: Buffy/Xander
Author on LJ: secondalto
Author Website: Katy Hart on LiveJournal
Why this must be read:

Lots of Buffy fans, after the end of the series, have speculated about the possibility (or probability!) of a Buffy/Xander relationship, especially after the early s7 glimpse we were afforded of them living in apparent domestic bliss (for about five minutes, before the Hellmouth reared its ugly head.) Katy explores one possibility of how Buffy and Xander would have found their way to each other at long last.

Far Away (1/2)
Far Away (2/2)

Fandom: La Femme Nikita the Series
Pairing: Michael/Nikita
Author on LJ: not that I know of
Author Website: none that I know of

Why this story must be read:

New Life is one of my all time favorite stories by one of my favorite authors. This story is another take on a possible future for Michael and Nikita, this one written before S4 and so it launches from a different point.

Kate has a lovely way of taking the ordinary and making it real and beautiful, conveying worlds of hurt and pain with a simple gesture or a gentle look.

On Kate's author page in the LFN archive, you can find both a prequel (written later) and a sequel - I like both, but this one is the one I re-read.

New Life

Fandom: Buffy the Vampire Slayer
Pairing: Buffy/Xander
Author on LJ: entrenous88
Author Website: Just Between Us
Why this must be read:

Everybody knows Buffy has a... thing for bad boys. She likes her men at room temperature, with no pulse to speak of, and sometimes the only excuse she has not to look at Xander twice is because he's, well... good and alive. It stands to reason that if he wasn't quite so alive, Buffy might finally be interested.



That Way

Fandom: KING ARTHUR
Pairing: implied Arthur/Lancelot/Guinevere
Author on LJ: countesscole
Author Website: same
Why this must be viewed: usually I see something in Crack Van where the mods let the posters know they can rec videos. I didn't see anything like that this time (I could be crazy due to work) and I've seen a few other vids rec'ed, so I'm including one here as it's the last day of my month. If this isn't okay, just take it down.

Cole does awesome editing. I don't think I've seen a fan vid done better than she does them. The song fits perfectly and I was so impressed by the quality of this video and the editing that I saw new things about a film I've seen many, many times. That to me is the mark of a quality vidd'er.

Here's So Cold by Breaking Benjamin. Visuals edited by countesscole.

Fandom: KING ARTHUR
Pairing: Arthur/Lancelot
Author on LJ: amari_z
Author Website: same
Why this must be read: I'm being a bit selfish and for my last rec I'm posting a fic that was written for me for my birthday last year.

No one does a Lancelot voice like my friend A here. This fic suited my day and my mood perfectly and it captures the typical Arthur and Lancelot day - Arthur being his obtuse, melancholy self, and Lancelot being a brat - and then showing he does have more than his own interests at heart.

And actually I think that is part of Lancelot's downfall in the end, and his greatest feature - the hidden self sacrificing friend and loyal soul mate that is buried under layers and layers of bitchiness, loneliness and sarcasm. Arthur reacts perfectly to this - thus the reason they work so well. Both so silly and never making anything easy for one another.

(although don't tell Lancelot I said that. He'll have me for breakfast - and not in the good way. :p)


Here's Fates Weave.

I want to let y'all know I've had a really fun time this month, and I hope all of you have enjoyed delving into the small, relatively wank-free fandom that I love like a second home. I'm very very glad that crack_van chose King Arthur as a small fandom at last and I look forward to speaking to any of y'all that are interested in the fandom beyond what you've seen here.

I have several links on my user info page and feel free to leave a comment.

Cheers, everyone, and I raise my wine to you all.

Fandom: The West Wing
Pairing: CJ/Toby
Author on LJ: warlordkittens

Why this must be read:
Oro is one of the best West Wing writers out there, and all of her fic is excellent, but this is one of my favorites. It's an insightful look at CJ and Toby's relationship over the years, and the writing is gorgeous.

Excerpt:
They meet in a small restaurant in Sausalito, where they have fantastic view of the blue ocean, penetrating their being through the transparent glass window. She orders a salad and he orders steak, but she ends up eating his food too anyway. They haven’t seen each other in years, but it doesn’t matter because in his book, she’s allowed to do that anytime she wants. It’s not just because she’s beautiful (well, partially it is, but no one’s keeping score or anything): it’s because she’s CJ, the feisty girl who became an older version of herself and is now the boldest and most poignant woman he’s ever known.

And the Ocean, Like Her Eyes

crack_van needs a few new full-time fandoms to replace those that have been retired over the last few months, or appear likely to be retired soon due to lack of drivers. So what do you guys want to see here?

[Poll #937460]

Feel free to pimp this to your flists. Thanks!


ETA: If you're requesting Doctor Who? Please to be signing up already. Same goes for Supernatural.

Fandom: LFN
Pairing: Michael/Nikita
Author on LJ: msgenevieve
Author's Website: unknown

Why this story must be read:

Because if you like hot, hot, sweet, het-lovin' smut - Miss Genevieve is the author who delivers.

What does Michael want after weeks away in the field?

Click the link to find out!

Kiss and Make Up

Fandom: THE MAGNIFICENT SEVEN
Pairing: Chris/Ezra
Author on LJ: cycnus39
Author Website: Cyc Fic Inc
Why this must be read:

I have to rec this fic on on simple fact - it just cracks me up. Every time I read it. It's fun and the dialogue is fantastic.

And thankfully, in a sequel we do find out what the mystery object is - but I'm not going to spoil that for you ;)


Cock and Bull Story

I couldn't find a rating for this story, and so ballparked one myself.

Fandom: QUEER AS FOLK UK
Pairing: Stuart/Vince
Author on LJ: almostnever
Author Website: almostnever's Fic Index
Why this must be read:

This story takes place several years in the future. Stuart takes Alfie to the grocery store and suddenly realizes that he's old. Vince isn't actually in this story, though his presence is felt. Plus, adorable young Alfie makes up for his absence.

( Excerpt )

Uncool

Fandom: LFN and The Pretender
Pairing: Madeline/Paul, Madeline/Ms. Parker
Author on lj: unknown
Author's website: unknown

Why this story must be read:

I missed the cross-over posting window, so I know this may be lost - but if I had to choose just one crossover to recommend, it would be this one. Athena captures so much of what I love about two wonderful women, Madeline and Ms. Parker, and then she tosses them together to see what happens.

Sleight of Hand

Fandom: STARGATE SG-1
Pairing: None
Author on LJ: cofax7
Author Website: Alchemy, Mouldiwarps and Coprophagy
Why this must be read:

This is one of those pieces that always gets me, no matter how many times I read it. It's a short character piece – Sam and Rya'c memorializing what they've lost in one possible future – but it creates a vivid and enticing suggestion of the larger story that must have led to the small glimpse Cofax gives.

( Excerpt )

Unforgotten

Fandom: LFN
Pairing: Michael/Nikita
Author on Lj: unknown

Why this story must be read:

Because this story is that one story that takes the AU idea that should be horrible - Michael and Nikita in highschool - and shows us all that there is a reason we hold as a mantra, "anything can be done well in the right hands." And amw's hands are skilled indeed. This long fic pulls you in in the first few paragraphs, and from then on the setting is utterly captivating. As are amw's sympathetic portraits of all the familiar LFN faces.

Finding the Way

Fandom: THE X FILES
Pairing: Mulder/Scully
Author on LJ: n/a
Author Website: Penumbra's X-files Fanfiction
Why this must be read:

I probably gave a little too much thought to my last rec for the month. It seems like cheating to recommend more than one fic by the same author. So I was left with a little dilemma, as much of my comfort fic comes from the same sources.

In the end I've decided to give you the very first fanfic (of any fandom) I ever read and, consequently, one of the works I hold all others against in comparison. Again, I'm very surprised this hasn't already been rec'd, but perhaps the length is inhibiting.

Parabiosis is a novel-length interpretation of season seven. I lack superlatives to do it justice. It is an amazing work interweaving the beautifully evolving Mulder and Scully romance with the show's canon. I love it because the language is lyrical and there are words I had to look up; because the characterisations are true and vibrant. This is mythology and archetypes and Shakespearian sonnets; this is a story about love. It is that simple and that complex.

Read Parabiosis.

Download the zip file if you can. Print it out if you can. Take it to bed with you and read it late into the night. Let it break your heart.

Fandom: LFN
Pairing: Michael/Jurgen
Author on LJ: shanola22
Author website: Unknown

Why this story must be read:

Just because a fandom doesn't have a lot of m/m, doesn't mean that what little there is isn't awesome.

Shanola's story takes on the challenge of trying to figure out Michael and Jurgen's backstory - and gives us one incredibly plausible scenario.

Like Most Things

Fandom: Due South
Pairing: Fraser/Vecchio
Author's website: A selection of stories archived here.

Why this story must be read: Fraser's been transferred to Ottawa and Vecchio, on a whim, goes to visit him. But when they end up in bed together, Vecchio struggles to deal with the potential change in their relationship. While Fraser seems to want the whole couple thing, Ray's adamant he doesn't want anything more than a 'friends with benefits' deal. It's an interesting and different take on the pairing, admitting the love between them but without getting mushy and without the difficult shift from best friends to boyfriends.

( Excerpt )


International Relations, part one, part two and part three.

Fandom: LFN
Pairing: Michael/Nikita
Author on LJ: Unknown
Author website: Unknown

Why this story must be read:

Well, my own strong "HR" or Michael/Nikita proclivities are now clearly apparent - and with this last rec, I will also reveal my love of AU stories set into entirely different times and places.

BetsyG has a deft hand with all her fiction, but this story, told through a combination of diary entries and letters and set during the Crimean War, is particularly graceful in the way she makes use of a richly detailed historical setting to let us see our familiar heroes in a new light.

The French Lieutenant

And this brings my erratic time at the crack_van wheel to a close. I hope that I will be followed by more LFN drivers one day, as there is plenty more where this came from.

This is going to be my last rec for NCIS. I hope you all enjoyed the stories I recced and hope you'll enjoy the stories nakeisha is going to rec here for you:D

Fandom: NCIS
Pairing: Leroy Jethro Gibbs / Donald 'Ducky' Mallard
Author LJ: nakeisha
Author website: Partners Forever

Why this must be read:

After Hiatus 1 (and 2) our worlds got rocked off our socks. The assumption of Gibbs and Ducky being friends for longer than 15 years got blown to pieces, along with other little things we had thought of in the friendship/relationship of Gibbs and Ducky (not saying much here, for those who haven't seen Hiatus yet...).

Ashleigh Anpilova is a fixer. And she does an amazing job fixing things. Like fixing the enormous hole Hiatus 1 and 2 blew in her little Gibbs/Ducky universe (which is a fantastic universe!).

I'm warning you, this story holds a lot of angst, but it's fabulous. Reading Ashleigh's stories always makes me say the same things: "Brilliant!" or "WOW!" it's like... I can't say anything else LOL.

Enjoy the read.

( Excerpt: )

Past Present and Future

Fandom: Due South
Characters: Fraser, Vecchio (pre-slash, possibly)
Author's website: A selection of stories archived here.

Why this story must be read: Finishing off where I started, with a short, bittersweet story about Fraser's struggle to connect with the people around him. We know Fraser's an introvert, which means that as much as he might want to be close and emotionally open with people, sometimes he just can't, and it's that inability which makes this story so beautiful. Fraser wants to get closer to Vecchio, wants to make some kind of gesture to show how he feels, but simply can't bring himself to do it, for whatever reason. If you've ever found yourself unable to take that step of showing how you feel, you have to sympathise with Fraser here:

If I could move my arms, I could hug him. I could touch him. I only need to move my arms... but I don't move my arms. It's not that I can't. I don't.

Could, Would, Will