Fandom: THE X-FILES
Pairing: None
Length: 10k
Author on LJ: unknown
Author Website: Joann’s Fanfic (waybacked); Author page at Gossamer
Why this must be read:

This is a stand-alone part of what the author calls “an occasional series - short stories set on the anniversary of Samantha's disappearance. [...] Maybe not everything [Mulder] thinks or does comes back to Samantha but maybe there are times when her shadow looms that little bit larger.”

This fic is told from Teena Mulder’s pov (if that doesn’t grab you, it’s a fascinating look at Mulder as a teenager, as well) and the wonderful thing is, this is a Teena Mulder who is different from the flaky Teena Mulders we often see and read about. This is a Teena Mulder who knows exactly what is going on.

( tiny excerpt )

Half Life – 1976

Fandom: MARVEL COMICS
Pairing: Ultimate Wanda and Pietro (A teensy bit of implied Wanda/Pietro incest, because, hey, it’s Ultimate.)
Length: 2,200 words
Author on LJ: resolute
Author Website: N/A
Why this must be read:

I usually try to shy away from reccing Yuletide fics on crack_van, because they’re recced all over the place. But I wanted to give some representation to the Ultimate Marvel Universe, which doesn’t get nearly as much fic as the 616 Universe, and this fic is so good that it deserves to be recced at least one more time.

This fic is a fairy tale. It’s a self-aware fairy tale, with a narrator – highly stylized, with beautiful fairy tale language. It’s also brilliant, and original, and shows a glimpse into what Wanda and Pietro’s childhood might have been like. How they might have discovered their powers, and what wolves may have been lurking in the shadows, getting ready to pounce on their prey. I won’t spoil the guest star in this fic, but he’s certainly an important figure in the Ultimate universe, and his appearance here makes perfect sense. It’s also a lovely portrait of the twins, and of their relationship with, and dependence upon, each other, particularly Pietro’s love for his sister. I wholeheartedly encourage anyone who’s read an Ultimate comic to check this out, but I also encourage 616-only fans, because the relationship portrayed here transcends canon.

Not so long ago, but very far away, there once lived a boy and a girl. I would start the story another way, you understand. But there is no other beginning for these two. They were brother and sister, born at the same moment, though the boy was the smallest bit older. First into the world he came, and forever after his sister was his charge, for their father had left them long ago.

Prologue to a Wolf

Fandom:STAR WARS
Genre: Drama
Length: 1178 words
Author on LJ: polly_moopers
Website: Ficlist
Why this must be read:

Is it more fanon than canon that Obi-Wan turned into a drunken Ben on Tatooine? I don't know, but if anyone can rec completed stories to me with this theme, it would be really nice. Canon has a few drinking scenes with Obi-Wan as a toper, so any fic with him enjoying Happy Hour I enjoy. More power to him! He needs the stuff to stay sane. This fic by an up-and-coming author to watch has a slew of characters with pithy characterization: Beru, Owen, Biggs Darklighter and his dad. I particularly liked Beru's diverting Luke's attention from the incident in the last paragraph as it shows her parenting skills that we see displayed in A New Hope. In this Intertrilogy story, Ben saves Luke from unpleasantness in a bar; his guardianship never stops.  This fic is written in the style of Frank McCourt's memoirs, a challenge well met.

Ashes

Fandom: THE MUMMY
Pairing: Rick/Evie
Length: 46,000+ words
Author on LJ: unknown
Author Website: Eve @ ff.net
Why this must be read: I was going to save this fic for the last rec, but I couldn't help myself. This is THE BEST MUMMY FANFIC I HAVE EVER READ - if ff.net crashed and you could only recover one fic, this is the one you pick. I think Eve is the best author in the fandom, hands down. I'll be reccing a few more of her fics later on, but let's start with the best first.

This fic, IMO, is exactly what happened after The Mummy, it's that perfect. While juggling wedding plans and issues with their relationship, Rick, Evie, and Jonathan are pursued by a gang of thieves in search of an important piece of papyrus...What can I say, it's an adventure fic like the rest, but it does a great job balancing both Rick and Evie and the adventure. The dialogue is superb, the plot is well thought out, it has some awesomely funny bits that could have been straight from the movie, and it's smolderingly hot with much discussion over whether the engaged Rick and Evie should just do it already. MMmmmm. Eve also covers Rick and Evie's wedding, and she does an excellent job.

( excerpt )

I'm going to stop drooling over this story and let you read it already.

Never Spellbound by a Starry Night

Fandom: POPSLASH ('NSYNCSLASH)
Pairing: Justin Timberlake/Chris Kirkpatrick
Length: Novella
Author on LJ: N/A 
Author Website: N/A 
Why this must be read: As you can tell, I have a penchant for Justin Timberlake angst. Well, here's another delectable favorite of mine b/c of the twisted nature of the fic.  It has non-con themes throughout so if that quirks, please skip over. If you're fine and dandy with the darker theme, then read on and enjoy one of the best Justin Timberlake angst driven fics.


Brothers

He got no answer but instead felt his head being slammed against the ground.  Blinding light covered his eyes. He reached out, pushing away hands that groped him. Sheer panic settled in and he began to flail wildly, just wanting to get away. Another pair of hands firmly grasped his arms as he felt a weight sit on his legs.

Fandom: NCIS
Pairing: Leroy Jethro Gibbs/Donald 'Ducky' Mallard
Length: 2,813
Author on LJ: artyartie
Author Website: None of which I am aware
Why this must be read:

Artie is another writer for whom this is her first (and thus far only *eyes Artie) Gibbs/Ducky story. It was written for the 2008 Gibbs/Ducky Yuletide Exchange and filled the 'wants' of another writer, which was: having the 'kids' be more perceptive about Gibbs and Ducky's relationship but pretend to be oblivious as not to 'waste' the two lovers efforts to keep things quiet.

However, Artie added a twist to that aspect - the kids are all keeping secrets from one another two.

It's set pre-season three, so we get to see Kate in this story, which is always nice. It's full of varying emotions and team spirit and caring for one another and for Gibbs and Ducky. It made me smile, laugh and sniffle - but in a a good way. The characterisation is good, the voices clear and we get to see Gibbs in full 'mother hen mode', something we get more than one hint of in the series - as far as Ducky is concerned.

It's an excellent read.

( Extract )

---

Something To Talk About

Fandom: EARTHSEA
Pairing: none
Length: ~500 words
Author on LJ: silverwerecat
Author Website: On ff.net & Skyehawke
Why this must be read:

One of the themes running through the Earthsea series is the importance of the connection between humans and other animals. In A Wizard of Earthsea, Ged has a familiar, a small silent mammal with brindled fur called an otak or hoeg, which is depicted riding on his shoulder in a gorgeous illustration of Ged by Ruth Robbins. The otak licks Ged back to life when he travels too far into the afterlife, and the scene in which he finds its frozen body in the snow is one of the most moving in the book.

In the 'The Song of the Silent', Werecat literally gives a voice to the silent, and the result is an unusual & equally moving short.

( Excerpt under the cut )

The Song of the Silent by Werecat

Fandom: MAN FROM U.N.C.L.E.
Pairing: None
Length: 4,464 words
Author on LJ: Unknown
Author Website: File 40

Why this must be read:
Another gen rec from me - that's two in a row! This one I only read for the first time recently when it was recommended on the fic-finding community mfuficfind , but it brought such a smile to my face I keep re-reading it and still love it. There's a lot of sarcasm and witty humour in this one. Illya has been naughty and published some scientific research and he's been asked to attend a conference.

Mr. Waverly is not very happy about this and harrumphs a great deal when he needs to issue Illya some protection. Who better than his partner Napoleon Solo? The twist in this tale is that there's a rookie agent who's also been assigned and does not know that Illya is an UNCLE agent.

Oooh it's just so delicious an idea I wonder why it wasn't done before! Napoleon being paired up with a rookie protecting an Illya who has to play innocent. Plus of course the snark potential is enormous. Rosie's writing meets and far surpasses the snark requirements and yet still makes a good read. There's drama, a good plot and it's very well put together. The banter between Napoleon and Illya is superb. My favourite part is when Illya is bored in his hotel room and wants some ice for his vodka. I'll say no more, here's an excerpt....

( Excerpt )

And it also has one of the best single-liners in any fic I've read....
"Now, if you have finished causing trouble, I suggest you be a good little Russian and pass out."

Brilliant :-)

The Bodyguard Affair

Fandom: HEROES
Pairing: Implied Sylar/Danko, Sylar/Luke
Length: ~2600
Author on LJ: moorishflower
Author Website: Author's fic tagged here
Why this must be read: Because Danko isn't just an antagonist there to be the bane of the lives of the our heroes. Or, you know, not all the time. Because after shaking hands with Sylar counting fingers may be the least of his problems.

An alert sends the agents of Building 26 chasing after Sylar. Finding him does not make Danko's day when he's found 'useful' and, unwilling, they start off on a long distance drive. Danko is as professional, bitter and driven as ever - especially in his rivalry with Bennet, and the sketching out of Robinson and life in the agency.

Sylar is both amusingly petty and threatening, and Danko spends an awful lot of time thinking about it. I really think the reciprocity of the Sylar/Luke hit their canon well, and have much awww for the stuffed bunny shortouts.

( Excerpt )

Road Trip (To Hell)

Fandom: FINAL FANTASY VII
Pairing: Gen (Vincent-centric)
Length: About 5000 words
Author on LJ: nineshadows
Author Website: FF.net Account
Why this must be read:

Fandom portrayal of Vincent/Lucrecia/Hojo-triangle tends to set the Vincent/Lucrecia couple against villainous Hojo, while the original canon portrays Vincent as the true outsider in the triangle. This story strips Vincent's unrequited love for Lucrecia from its usual romantic shine and represents Vincent as an obsessive, deeply flawed man who is out of his league with Lucrecia, yet keeps the reader's sympathy on his side without over-villainizing either Lucrecia or Hojo. The realistic approach to the dynamics between the characters is what really makes this story.

Something Borrowed

Fandom: BANDOM
Pairing: Bob/Frank/Jamia
Length: 5,000 words
Author on LJ: 7iris
Author Website: 'fic' tag
Why this must be read:

I love the way the relationships develop in this story.  It's not always easy to make a threesome believable, but 7iris does a great job of integrating Bob into the existing Frank/Jamia relationship.  Plus, hot threesome sex.  What more could one want?  ;)

He woke up slowly. Frank had his face pressed up against Bob's shoulder. Jamia was spooned up behind Frank, one arm looped over his waist, fingers tucked inside Bob's waistband, warm against his skin.

In that moment between sleep and consciousness, Bob wanted to roll over into their embrace and go back to sleep. That was when he realized the full extent of his problem.

Fuck, he mouthed, staring up at the ceiling. Fuck, fuck, fuck.


Third Wheel