Fandom: Stargate SG1
Pairing: Sam Carter/Carolyn Lam
Author on LJ: amatia
Author Website: amatia@acherontia.org
Why this must be read:

Good femslash is hard enough to find in fandom most of the time, good femslash alternate universes are even rarer. In this fic, we get a good (and rare) pairing coupled with an equally interesting AU. Sam Carter as a cop on the last case her father ever worked, Carolyn Lam as the medical examiner working the same case, add in meddling superiors, the FBI, and things get fun.

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Fandom: SMALLVILLE
Pairing: Clark/Lex
Author on LJ: kelliem
Author Website: Kellie Matthews Home Page
Why this must be read: Kellie Matthews is well-known in a number of fandoms, but this is her only Smallville story as far as I know. It's a classic tale from early in the show's run. Set after Lex's heroism in "Jitters", it has a Clark who's caught between being the "good boy" that he is and wanting something that's probably bad for him ... namely Lex. The story explores the idea that the Lex Luthor of Smallville's early days is trying SO HARD to be a good man even when temptation is thrust in his path. The author handles Clark's conflicting emotions well, and with a deft hand shows how he can be aggressive and naive all at the same time, which is partly what endears him to Lex. It's a first-time story with nice details that give insight into the characters and the experience including Lex's realization that he doesn't have to be as careful with Clark as he thinks. With the Leonids bursting in the background, what more could you ask for?

( If it wasn't so goddamned sad it would be funny, Lex thought ... )

Read the story: meteOros
There's a short sequel here: Eos

Don't forget to feedback the author!

Fandom: THE MAN FROM UNCLE
Pairing: Gen, Napoleon and Illya
Author on LJ: not on LJ as far as I know
Author's Website: Chajka's Stories
Rating: PG-13 for descriptions of historical violence (particularly St. Valentine's Day Massacre)
Why this must be read:

The archivist is as vital to fandom as Lisa Rogers is to our favorite section 2 agents; they sort through all the paperwork and organizational mess to give us what we need when we need it.  MFU is blessed to have Chajka, an incredibly talented, witty and intelligent author who helps promote the works of so many other great writers over at File 40.  As with the Ransom of the UNCLE Chief and the Plumed Serpent Affair (previously recommended here at crack_van; the former is easily one of the funniest literary parodies I've ever read), Chajka brings her fresh-voiced characters, OCs and canon alike, into a meticulously real sense of time and place.  Many of her stories are AU as they are set in other time periods, but her portrayal of Napoleon and Illya are timeless, and it's fascinating to see how they creatively adapt to these unforseen situations. 

"The Chicago Underworld Affair" could well be the unfilmed third part of "the Concrete Overcoat Affair" - if only we had a time machine to make this canon and salvage the rest of season three!  There's a lot more adventure and sharp wit than most of the episodes from that season, counterbalanced by a thoughtfully understated examination on the meaning of death in the agents' line of work.  It's amazing what wonders we have in our archives, finally unclassified for all to enjoy.

Please waste no time diving into the Chicago Undeworld Affair.

Fandom: House
Pairing: Gen with a focus on House
Author on LJ: pwcorgigirl
Author Website: Malignant Procrastination

Why this must be read: There are a lot of theories about what House's childhood was like. In this story, we get a look at a seven year-old House spending time at his Oma's house while his mother recovers from a miscarriage. While there, he meets his great-uncle, a man that he only knows for a short time, but is obviously a man that House respected and learned a lot of his later mannerisms from. The original characters are finely developed in just a few words and we get a look at a John and Blythe that are loving and happy - though the obvious friction between John and Greg is there even at Greg's young age.

There are just so many reasons to read this story - the dialogue, the characters, the plot. In the end, this story is about the little things that shape a person and how when guidance is needed, it can be found. And that's something that Greg House always needs.


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