Fandom: Naruto
Pairing: Naruto/Sasuke
Length: Epic = 109,000+ words
Author on LJ: unknown
Author Website: Michelerene@Fanfic.net
Why this must be read:

As your driver, I must admit I'm not a fan of AU/AR in Naruto fiction. Too many read like OC high school harlequin romances; Michelerene's work is the exception. Her The Demilitarized Zone is a funny, smart, sassy reworking of the Naruto universe in a business setting.

From Summary - "Itachi Uchiha has always had a sadistic streak when it came to his little brother. Now the perfect opportunity has presented itself and he just can't let it go by. He does love him after all." Heh. When President of Uchiha Int'l, Itachi, gets feed up with the 'war' going on in the office between his 2 new VPs, his brother Sasuke & newcomer Uzimake Naruto, he sends them off to Guy's Youthful Spring Corporate Teamwork Retreat. But there is no way Itachi could have planned this result.

Like an Elmore Leonard novel, the author keeps you guessing until the very end as she mixes humor and pathos. There is always new twists. The only negative is there is no breaks btw scenes so it can be confusing if you are just skimming.

If you enjoy this AU, try her giant ER AU/AR called All the Small Things. It's well worth your time as well. But definitely try The Demilitarized Zone.

Please don't forget to leave feedback/reviews.

I like all of Oracle's fic, so here's pretty much a random, but good, one.

Fandom: X-FILES
Title: Inside The Cards
Author: Oracle
Author Page: http://www.invidiosa.com/oracle/
Rating:: PG-13
Pairing: Mulder/Scully
Length: 40K

Why It Must Be Read: Lovely details, subdued emotion, very romantic.
Read: Inside the Cards by Oracle
( excerpt )

Fandom:HIGHLANDER
Pairing: Duncan/Amanda/Methos
Length: ~4570
Author on LJ: suzecarol
Author Website: Highlander Fanfic by Suze
Why this must be read: Humorous and sexy make this fic a delightful read. Suze captures the voices of Amanda, Methos and Duncan wonderfully. Amanda wants Methos for her birthday and it's up to Duncan to convince him to agree. Along the way, he learns some startling information about Methos, which unleashes his protective instincts. Don't worry, this is far more on the humorous side of things than the angst and the tidbit he learns will have you laughing. Joe also has a small part, demonstrating how very ruthless he can be when he knows Duncan wants him gone.

( snippet )

The Rock and the Hard Place

Fandom: STARSKY AND HUTCH
Pairing: None
Length: 1,350~
Author on LJ: troyswann
Author Website: Starsky and Hutch Fanfiction (gen)

Why this must be read: Because it’s a gorgeous one-shot of Hutch coming apart and his partner there to catch him at the end of a horrific case. Vivid, lyrical prose brings every detail of the scene in Hutch’s apartment to life, and perfectly captures the intensity of how these two keep each other sane.

Starsky's here because he's seen it coming. With Hutch, the shouting and the frustration and the negotiation and the demanding that goes on in Dobey's office, that's surface, chop on the ocean, smoothed by a slow stroke of wind, and the water doesn't remember the next day when the storm's past. There's more there, though, underneath where the currents are, and it doesn't come out in the shouting in Dobey's office. It all comes out in the curve of his back.

Curve

Fandom: TORCHWOOD
Pairing: Jack/Ianto
Length: 174,000 words
Author on LJ: blucougar
Author Website: Fanfiction.net Profile
Why this must be read: This? Is one of the very best melodramas in Torchwood fandom, and I absolutely mean that as a compliment. There's something about a long, plotty, well-done melodrama, full of fast-paced action, over-the-top emotion, improbable escapes and plot-twists, and, of course, true love, that is totally irresistible and utterly satisfying. This is one of those stories. *happy sigh*

What Never Should Be
Warning: Do read the warnings on the story itself, as there's mild non-con and some violence.

Fandom: Star Wars prequel
Pairing: Qui-Gon Jinn/Shmi Skywalker
Length: not long, 2010 words
Author on LJ: penknife
Author Website: Penknife to paper

Why this must be read: This fic has a soft, inner beauty. In small parts it shows us people trying to do what they believe in and make the best they can of their situation. Each part describes a step they take and slowly those steps leads them toward their destiny. The writer herself gives as her summary: How to leave the Jedi order, in eighteen easy steps. It's AU after episode 1.


EXCERPT::

"The girl needed a doctor." Qui-Gon keeps his voice low as if that will prevent his anger from waking Anakin.

"Her mother tried bacta salve."

"She should have been in a tank."

Shmi's eyes blaze. "At the prices the Hutts charge for bacta? Her master wouldn't pay."

"We could have paid."

"And then what if Anakin gets sick? If we haven't got any savings--"

"If everyone--" He takes a deep breath. "I could have found some way."

"Maybe so," Shmi grants him. "But you didn't try."

"I didn't know," he says. It's an apology for more than this.




Rising Wind

Fandom: HEROES
Pairing: Luke Campbell/Sylar
Length: 6900
Author on LJ: missbreese
Author Website: Fic List

Why this must be read: An insanely good fic where the author has dared to step out of her comfort zone to write with a different tone and an unusual style. It deals really well with how broken apart mentally Sylar is at the end of the fourth volume and how Luke responds to that, working in their twisted relationship of hurting and helping each other along. Extra kudos goes to missbreese for taking on a scene (Luke meeting the unhinged version of his idol) that many want to see, but not many have tried to write.





Fragile. Handle With Care.

Fandom: THE MAGNIFICENT SEVEN
Characters/Pairing/Verse: All Seven - Gen, NYC AU
Length: ~44,000
Author on LJ: tipper_green
Author Website: Meg's home page
Why this must be read:
The Magnificent Seven is known for the breath of Alternative Universes(AUs) that writers have created. The boys seem to fit so well into so many different scenario's. Meg Tipper has created one of my favorite AUs, which she refers to as her NYC AU, set in modern day New York City.

In this AU, Ezra and Josiah are partners in a law firm. Chris, Buck and Nathan are their 'go to' detectives. JD is their law clerk, and Vin is their client. The story focuses on trying to help Vin clear his name, This is a familiar plot in OW stories, but I don't think I've read a better version of it in a modern AU.

The boys are completely in character and her descriptions of the city are vivid. It's just a wonderful adventure.

The fic was Co-winner of the 2004 M.O.M. Brass Mirror Award for Best Gen Non-ATF AU Fic. It also received an award for "Magnificent AU" and "Magnificent Canon Storytelling" from the Death Dogs in 2004

( Excerpt under the cut )

Equitable Action by Meg Tipper

This is the first story in the AU but you can find the rest of her series Here