Fandom: ANGEL
Pairing: Angel/Wesley
Author on LJ: fiareynne
Author Website: http://www.whedonism.org
Why this must be read:

Fia is my absolute favorite writer, in every fandom she dips her toes into. Her characters are always dead-on. I'm probably going to rec a few of her stories over the course of the month. "Over You" shows how Angel's feelings for and about Buffy would get in the way of a relationship between Angel and Wesley, in painful clarity.

"Cordy, it's not that simple."

"Sure," she agreed. "If you're one of those guys who likes to over-complicate things. Which you are, because really? You're the only guy I know who spends an hour and a half stressing over whether to wear the charcoal gray or the heather gray when he's getting ready in the morning. Now listen to me, Angel, and listen good."

Angel sighed. "Fine. I'm listening."

Cordy nodded. "You're going to apologize to him now, and fix this before he goes from being torn up over you to just plain over you."



Over You

Fandom: ANGEL
Pairing: Angel/Wesley
Author on LJ: fiareynne
Author Website: http://www.whedonism.org
Why this must be read:

I'll let the excerpt Fia posted in lieu of a summary speak for itself:

It's a game. They've played this game every night this week. Wesley says he needs to go, Angel gives an excuse to keep him a few minutes longer. Wesley says again that he needs to leave, Angel comes up with another excuse. Wesley says a third time that he needs to get home, and Angel lets him walk out. It's a game that Angel is tired of losing.

Under Your Skin

Fandom: ANGEL
Pairing: Angel/Wesley
Author on LJ: fiareynne
Author Website: http://www.whedonism.org
Why this must be read:

I'm a sucker for Angel and Wes fooling around at the office, but the real gem in this piece is Fia's characterization of Cordy. Only Fia's Cordy could get away with using the words "man-panties," "junk" and "spooge" while still remaining completely in character and maintaining a PG-13 rating.

"I hate this heat," Wesley grumbled, pulling his tee shirt over his head. "I feel like my clothes are melting to my skin. Would it really kill you to get air conditioning? It doesn't have to be the whole hotel, just the office and the bedroom."

"It's L.A., Wes. It gets hot," Angel said, smothering a grin as he took in the view. "Especially in July."

"But it's not July," Wesley scowled. "It's only May, and there's no reason it should be this hot in here. If I didn't know better, I'd swear you were running the furnace just to see how long it takes me to break down and take everything off."

It's Getting Hot In Here

Post a comment below to take a turn pimping the Heroes fandom!

A week in advance of your assigned month you will be notified with a reply to your comment. During that time, you agree to post a minimum of 1 fic per week in the following format:

Subject: Title by Author (Rating)

Fandom: YOUR FANDOM
Pairing: (no abbreviations, please)
Author on LJ: (if applicable)
Author Website: (author's fics, if available)
Why this must be read:

Emphasis should be on fics that you feel are especially outstanding and accessible examples of your fandom, e.g. it plays on a repeated theme in the show, it's a fandom or a personal favourite, it was a controversial fic, it's good smut. Whatever.

Warnings are not required beyond what the author has posted on their own stories.

Thanks for playing and remember, kids! Without you, the crack_van will run out of gas!!

(snerk)

Post a comment below to take a turn pimping the Whoniverse (Who, Torchwood, Sarah Jane Adventures, K9, etc.) fandom!

A week in advance of your assigned month you will be notified with a reply to your comment. During that time, you agree to post a minimum of 1 fic per week in the following format:

Subject: Title by Author (Rating)

Fandom: YOUR FANDOM
Pairing: (no abbreviations, please)
Author on LJ: (if applicable)
Author Website: (author's fics, if available)
Why this must be read:

Emphasis should be on fics that you feel are especially outstanding and accessible examples of your fandom, e.g. it plays on a repeated theme in the show, it's a fandom or a personal favourite, it was a controversial fic, it's good smut. Whatever.

Warnings are not required beyond what the author has posted on their own stories.

Thanks for playing and remember, kids! Without you, the crack_van will run out of gas!!

(snerk)

Fandom: NCIS
Pairing: None. It's Gen.
Author on LJ: firedragon9
Author Website: N/A

Why this must be read:

Gibbs vs. Death or What Happened? is NKDay's first attempt at writing NCIS fanfic, and she has made a superb job of it. Apart from the NCIS team, the main character in this story is Death (NKDay's own original creation). The story arose when NKDay was asking which characters had cheated Death, and I happened to make a passing comment along the lines of 'oh, I'd love to see Gibbs and Death go head to head'. I got my wish.

The story gives a completely unique take on the events during and after 'Hiatus' and we, by virtue of Gibbs telling Ducky, get to share just what Gibbs did experience in a moment or two when he actually was officially dead. We see Death and Gibbs in Death's 'lair' and then in a completely unexpected turn of events, NKDay brings Death to Gibbs's own lairs - his home and the office.

The story is a wonderful balance of emotions, light-hearted, humour, deep friendship, caring, team involvement, and we see just how much the various members of the team mean to Gibbs. She has captured all members of the team extremely well, her insight into the characters is excellent. And her original character is superb, he really is 'real', you can hear and see him so clearly. It's a wonderful little story and I'm truly honoured that NKDay dedicated it to me. The story was written in eight fairly short parts, and I'm just delighted that she managed to finish it before my month of recs was up.

( Extracts )

---

Part 1
Part 2
Part 3
Part 4
Part 5
Part 6
Part 7
Part 8

Hi, I'm Nikki (nakeisha) and I shall be driving the NCIS van this month.

I openly confess that I am a devoted Gibbs/Ducky slash fan, in fact they are my OTP (One True Pairing) insofar as I will not read about them with anyone else and with only a handful of exceptions, I only read stories in which they feature as a pairing. Thus all of my recs will feature, in some way or other, this pairing in a romantic and/or sexual relationship. Gibbs/Ducky are not the main pairing in this fandom, and they are older than the vast majority of fandom pairings, but their fans are devoted, as I hope to show with my choices of stories. I do also love Abby/McGee, and as a lot of Gibbs/Ducky writers also ship Abby/McGee, there will also be some recommendations that include both pairings.

So without further ado I give you the first of my recs.

---

Fandom: NCIS
Pairing: Leroy Jethro Gibbs/Donald 'Ducky' Mallard
Author on LJ: feenixandashes
Author Website: N/A

Why this must be read:

I confess that I may be a tad biased in respect of Twelve Ways To Say I Love You, as it was written for me, specifically to my tastes and wishes, as part of the ncis_tinsel 2006 Fiction Exchange. Nonetheless, for me this is one of the definitive Gibbs/Ducky stories; it shows two men in love without resorting to over the top and out of character actions and reactions. Ren's story is set firmly within canon and contains an established relationship, romance, love, friendship, the twelve days of Christmas, a touch of angst, team banter, sex, and this is all done without making the story soppy or over emotional. What more can I say? I just love this story.

( Extract )

---

Twelve Ways To Say I Love You

Fandom: Smallville
Title: Girls You Grow Into
Pairing: Chloe/Clark
Author on LJ: khohen1
Author Website: ...fanfiction by kHo
Why this must be read:

It's difficult to really articulate all the reasons I LOVE this story. When I recced it through my own personal recs I called it a ship_manifesto essay disguised as a story because EVERYTHING that works for me about Chloe/Clark shows up in this story. It's a beautifully crafted piece of work that you can see in your head like it was a canon scene from the series. khohen1 does a masterful job of showing us excellent characterizations of both Chloe and Clark that it's almost effortless to picture Allison and Tom acting out the story. It's one of those stories that I go back to again and again and just *stare* at because it really is just an excellent piece of writing.

Girls You Grow Into

I'm Gilly (gillyp) and I'll be crashing the gears on The Sentinel van for March and starting off with an old favourite;

Fandom: THE SENTINEL
Pairing: Jim and Blair
Author on LJ: unknown.
Author website: TV Lit101

Why this must be read:

Officially, this is a gen story, but it's ambiguity and quiet slashiness pleases me no end.

Jim and Blair are undercover, helping the feds by posing as a gay couple in the fictional Oregon city of Seacoast. It's a great case and action story with a healthy dose of smarm; I particularly love Jim's protective instincts kicking in when the bad guys threaten Blair (as they do from time to time):

"But what about your partner?" Always remind the challenger of his weakness.

"Killing him will only make me mad. And I'm not a very nice person when I'm mad," Jim said flatly.

"So now we're down to trading threats?"

"You're making threats; I'm making promises. If something happens to Blair, I will kill each and every one of you involved in this little enterprise. Apparently you didn't bother to read between the lines of my military records, did you?" Jim asked with a tense smile.

"You were in the Army. You went down in Peru. You were rescued, then you resigned. What did I miss?" Mallory recited.

"Oh, the missions that are still marked 'classified' after all these years, the sheer stupidity of the statement that I went down to Peru to help the natives protect themselves. You really think our government would waste money on teaching Indians to build better spears?" Jim laughed, rolling his eyes in disbelief. "Besides, the Chopec are better warriors than our people will ever be. The things they can do with a knife..." He gave an exaggerated shudder. "Those eighteen months were a hell of a learning experience."

I like to read it with my rosy-pink slash goggles firmly in place, but however you take it, it's a rollicking good read.

DEEP COVER

Hallo, crack_van! I'm Zulu, and I'll be spinning donuts in your yard for House fandom all month long. I'm a multishipper but I save my greatest love for House/Wilson, House/Cuddy, and House/Foreman. (Yeah, bet you didn't see that last bit coming, did you?) You can expect some recs from every genre this March: boyslash, girlslash, het and gen. Let's get to 'er!

Fandom: HOUSE
Pairing: House/Wilson
Author on LJ: thedeadparrot
Author Website: parrotfic
Why this must be read:

One of the most fun tropes to work with in House fandom is the "medical conference that you two and you two alone must attend, far away from all that's routine". Like most well-used plot devices, many are called but few are chosen. thedeadparrot makes the most of it; I was sold on the exotic setting, the jet-lag, and the way being in a new place together can change everything. The structure works hard for the story, and the ending is hopeful, but promises nothing.

( And hey, how 'bout that characterization? )


Singapore

[Poll #938182]

Hello crack_van! I'm Rynne, and I'll be your X-Files driver for March. I've got a somewhat diverse group of recs for you--a bunch of casefiles, some romance, some friendship fic. I mostly focus on Mulder and Scully, but a few other characters will sneak in, too. But for my first rec, here's a fic that never fails to make me melt.

Fandom: THE X-FILES
Pairing: Mulder/Scully
Author on LJ: n/a
Author Website: none
Why this must be read: Because this is one of the most loving fics I've ever read. It's set in an alternate universe that takes place post-Existence, where Colonization has come and gone, and now humanity is left to pick up the pieces. It's a story of hope and renewal, set around one event--Mulder and Scully's wedding.

It's a collaboration, and told in an unusual style: there's a third-person frame story, written by one author, while interspersed in the frame are the stories of other such characters as Bill Scully, Frohike, Father McCue, and more. Through each of these characters, you get a sense of how they've weathered Colonization, as well as how they see Mulder and Scully, the love the two of them share, and the hope for the future that their wedding brings. And too, the wedding vows are absolutely gorgeous.

This is a story about romance, yes, but more than that, it's a story about love, and it's beautiful.

It has a sequel, Love Among the Ruins. The story of their honeymoon, written in similar style, also a wonderful read. Be sure to check it out if you're over the age of consent in your area.

( Excerpt )

Bare Ruin'd Choirs

Fandom: STARSKY AND HUTCH
Pairing: Starsky/Hutch
Author on LJ: troyswann
Author Website: Outside the Box

Why this must be read: Hello. I'm thayln, your designated driver for March. My tastes are somewhat eclectic so please make sure your seat-belts are securely fastened. The ride might get a little swervy. *g*

I'm going to start the month with Salieri. She is simply one of the best writers out there. Her characterizations are dead-on and insightful. Her writing is like fine whiskey and starlight. Treat yourself on this fine spring night, and go read this story. You won't be sorry.

Under

Hello all! I will be your designated driver for the Supernatural fandom this month, and I'm hoping to be able to rec a little bit of everything, from wincest (my poison of choice) to gen and het. I'm starting the month off with a little wincest, but I promise there will be other pairings and non-pairings before the month is over. In the meantime, enjoy the ride! :-)

Fandom: SUPERNATURAL
Pairing: Sam Winchester/Dean Winchester (non-explicit m/m incest)
Author on LJ: poisontaster
Author Website: PT's SPN fic list
Why this must be read:

This story is set in poisontaster's massive Every Broken Thing/Heart 'verse, but it stands perfectly well on its own. It's also pretty much my favorite out of all the fics in that universe (which is I repeat, massive, lol).

I like that it doesn't dwell on the how and why their relationship evolves to incest, but rather on the way Sam and Dean live and go through the years, work, support each other, antagonize each other, and just generally act the way we've seen them act on the show. As a result, incest becomes just one more piece of their puzzle, doesn't take on a life of its own or take over the whole story. The characterisations are fantastic and strong, the rhythm is perfect, giving the fic a haunting beat that really carries through to the end. The whole thing just flows and makes perfect sense, really.

Add to that that it's wonderfully well written, and you get a truly enjoyable read. And if after reading this one, you feel like more, be sure to check out the rest of the 'verse as well!



What I keep and what I carry