*looks at the time*

Whoa, here we are at the end of my stint at the wheel for Torchwood, already. The month went by in a flash, didn't it? I swear, it's like someone has been fiddling about with the space-time continuum again. Just as well we're all used to that sensation!

I hope you've all had fun, because I sure have. It's been a delight to share some of my favourites with you -- and thank you to all those who left comments. It makes me happy to know I've spread fannish joy. :)

I'm just going to duck out the back now, rather like Superman into a phone box, and change reccing capes, as I'll be back again shortly, with some Songvid Oddities for your delectation during small fandom December. But in the meantime, I'm leaving you with one of my favourite post-Children-of-Earth stories. I'm sure it will come as no surprise to you by now if I reveal that it's somewhat timey-wimey. Ah, the sweet smell of a paradox unravelling!


Fandom: TORCHWOOD
Pairing: Jack/Ianto, Ianto/Lisa, various others
Length: novella
Author on LJ: nancybrown
Author Website: Torchwood tag
Why this must be read: One of the things I love most about this story is that it takes the hard lessons of Children of Earth, and turns them into something unexpected, life-affirming and completely convincing. This is about Jack, making one more sacrifice, and what comes to pass as a result. And it is, indeed, a wonderland. *happy sigh*

Wonderland: one, two, three, four, five

Fandom: BANDOM
Pairing: Pete/Patrick, declining Pete/Ashlee marriage
Length: about 2800 words
Author on LJ: leviticus_lied
Author Website: n/a
Why this must be read:
This is a beautifully written, angsty (but not too angsty) fic. One of my favorites.

( Excerpt )


Hand In Unlovable Hand

My final rec, requested by eleanordarling. Thank you, It's so nice to know someone was reading. Happy Holidays!

Fandom: Naruto
Pairing: Naruto/Sasuke
Length: Epic, Giant, Huge - 73 Chapters
Author on LJ: zrina
Author Website: Zrina@AFF.net
Why this must be read:

When betrayed by the Konoha council elders, Naruto sets out to save Sasuke and kill Orochimaru. Unfortunately, he didn't count on the Snake Sannin's body transference jutsu. But Naruto loves a good challenge.

zrina's The Sound of Dreams is an almost perfect blend of adventure, humor, tragedy, romance, and revenge. It's a grand re-imagining of the Naruto/Sasuke dynamic so addictive, I'm sure Kishimoto only wishes he had thought of it. ;/

Tsunade stared at the reports in front of her without really seeing them. ... What had both alarmed and gave her hope was the one line from the message: '..the snake ate the fox, but his meal keeps coming back up.'

The Sound of Dreams

Especially as there may be a sequel in the works, please feed the author. :-)

Fandom: FIREFLY
Pairing: Jayne/other
Length: Ficlet
Author on LJ: no
Author Website: FireflyFans.net
Why this must be read:

There's all kinds of romance. Some of it more...interesting than others.
This is part of a series of ficlets but this one stands alone just fine. It's a very nice piece, that sets a mood and draws a delightful mental picture.

Mal stared at the empty doorway, feeling the Firefly taking off under his feet. Sometimes, he thought to himself, he’d never understand Jayne Cobb.

Better than Good

Fandom: HELLBLAZER
Pairing: gen
Length: 3k
Author on LJ: dexfarkin
Author Website: ?
Why this must be read: It's pure Hellblazer with a touch of Sandman; I could almost see the illustrations and the layout as I was reading - and the ending has just the right tone.

Paying For It

Fandom: MARVEL COMICS
Pairing: Gen
Length: 8,700 words
Author on LJ: amonitrate
Author Website: palpable obscure
Why this must be read: There's a scene in the Iron Man movie where Tony Stark arrives back on American soil after escaping his captors in Afghanistan. He's met at the airstrip by Pepper Potts and Happy Hogan. They get into the limo. Pepper tells Happy to go to the hospital. No, says Stark. He wants two things: a cheeseburger and a press conference. Cheeseburger first.

Cheeseburger First is the story of that day, from the POV of Happy Hogan. It is a look at a man who has been so sure of himself, so arrogant, so invulnerable -- and who is no longer that man. It is an almost uncomfortably intimate look at Tony Stark at a time when he is vulnerable. Were it not fiction, it would be a horrifying invasion of privacy. It is a beautifully crafted character piece.

Cheeseburger First

It's the end of the month, and the end of my turn driving the Crack Van for Marvel Comics. It's been fun! I've got one last rec before turning the wheel over to the next driver.

Fandom: MARVEL COMICS
Pairing: Henry Hellrung/Tony Stark
Length: 3,700 words
Author on LJ: harmonyangel
Author Website: Angel of Harmony on FF.N
Why this must be read: This is set just after the events of Marvel's Civil War. Two of Henry Hellrung's closest associates, Tony Stark and Pepper Potts, have lost friends, family, loved ones. Henry is a nice guy, Henry wants to help, and he's used to helping. He's just not prepared for the kind of help his grieving friends want. A Widow's Toast is a wonderful portrait of all three characters at a difficult time.

A Widow’s Toast

Fandom: STARSKY AND HUTCH
Pairing: Starsky/Hutch
Length: 5,200~
Author on LJ: veronicaluv
Author Website: ooh, shiny
Why this must be read: Because I’m closing out my month here with one of my favourite writers in all of fanland. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, no one writes a first kiss quite like her, so we’ll end on this gorgeous piece of post SR, Christmassy slash. There’s an injured Hutch, Starsky doing a deal with a kid over a box of mistletoe in the ER, and an omelet cooked together... This hits every one of my domestic, hurt/comfort, post SR, first time buttons. And in the most warm-fuzzy way.

The first brush of their mouths was a little awkward, both of them unaccountably clumsy, given their vast and combined experience. Their noses bumped as Starsky's palm slid off the counter and he had to grab Hutch's belt to steady himself, but all was forgotten when their mouths found the perfect angle, both of them sighing with the glorious imperfection of finally getting it right. Though far from a passionless kiss, it had a breathless innocence to it. Starsky concentrated on the texture of Hutch's mouth, the dips and planes, the soft skin and the prickly edges of a five o'clock shadow. It was all terrifyingly wonderful, the fulfillment of a promise they'd made without ever knowing it.

Everlasting

Well, we have come to the end of my driving time here at the Crack Van. I wish I'd had time to rec so much more. If the powers that be give me another chance to drive again, I'll have lots more for you to read and enjoy from our guys. Peace.

Fandom: MAN FROM U.N.C.L.E.
Pairing: none
Length: 11,476 words
Author on LJ: spikesgirl58
Author Website: http://www.fanfiction.net/tv/Man_From_UNCLE/
Why this must be read: This is actually the third in a series of Napoleon's family stories. You don't really need to have read the first two, as characters are explained as they appear in the story. Well written and very timely for the period, Uncle Charlie shows us an ugly side of some of Napoleon's family and gives a glimpse of what many people would have thought of Illya in the height of the Cold War that the show never addressed. All of this wrapped in a family crisis.

The Take Me Home Affair

Fandom: HEROES
Pairing: Sylar/Luke Campbell
Length: 9,562
Author on LJ: jaune_chat
Author Website: Fic List

Why this must be read: If you're going to read one bloodplay/knifeplay fic, in any fandom, ever - this is it. It's basically perfection. The way it builds and just brings you deeper and deeper into the play and the relationship... It's weird that this fic should be heartwarming but it is, and it's intense and captivating how the pair grows more and more dependent on each other. One of the things that really grabbed my attention was the visual of the scars looking flattering on the body, it's not just hurting, it's an actual permanent body modification that really means something to the people involved. The sadism/masochism theme in this is just plain beautiful.

One of the best Luke/Sylar fics out there.

( Excerpt )


Rekindle All Your Dreams

Well this is it from me! It's been a wonderful month and I look forward to doing it again next month when I will be doing The Boondock Saints fandom for small fandom month!

Fandom: DUE SOUTH
Pairing: Benton Frasier/Ray Kowalski
Length: about 38,000 words
Author on LJ: [Bad username or site: @ livejournal.com]
Author Website: More due South fic!
Why this must be read: It just does. Yes this one is rather long and that's part of the reason I saved it for last another reason is because I had forgotten how good it is. This story has it all drama, humor, love, sarcasm, and most of all it's well written and something I could see happening in real life. WARNINGS: smoking!RayK


"I am not kidding, Lieutenant." Ray paused for a sip of coffee. He let it sit in his mouth for a moment and then swallowed it. It was slightly too hot, so it burned his throat, and he felt it burning all the way down into his stomach. He looked up at the Lieu. "This is serious."

"Kowalski, this is just stress. How long has it been since you've had a vacation?" Lieutenant Welsh took a sip of his own coffee and grimaced. "I can't believe I'm going to say this, but I actually miss Francesca and her infernal machine sometimes."

"Here, sir, have an M&M," said Ray, and held a few out in his hand. The candy-coating was starting to come off from the heat of his palm; his fingers were red and green.

"Kowalski..." Welsh stopped and sighed. "Okay, tell me again what's going on."

"Everywhere I go, I'm running into Vecchio. And it's kinda disturbing. In that bad way."

"There's a good way to be disturbed?" asked Welsh. "Nevermind, I don't want to know. You do know, Detective, that Ray Vecchio is dead."

Surviving

This is the last rec I have for this month. I had a good time and I hope you all enjoyed some of the fics I recced.

Fandom: HIGHLANDER
Pairing: none
Length: 2655
Author on LJ: [Bad username or site: @ livejournal.com]
Author Website: Fanfiction.net Profile
Why this must be read: The word I use to describe this fic is joyful. marbleglove writes a fic portraying four snapshots that demonstrate the power ones gains through Quickenings. Past, show's present and future, all from the POV of Methos and providing an explanation for why older Immortals and those who've taken a lot of Quickenings, might have given up on life. The sheer joy Methos feels in the past and the future fairly leaps off the page. And the patience he exhibits in the present is almost but not quite heartbreaking. Sparsely written but full of descriptive emotions, this is one of my favorites by marbleglove

A Taste of Flight

Title: But for the Grace, by AmberDiceless
Pairing: gennish
Author on LJ: amberdiceless
Author Website:
Why this must be read: Good Omens and Hellblazer don't exactly have what could be called similar mythology - which is why this crossover is extra impressive. The callback to Chantinelle and Tali really made this fic for me, but I imagine it's just as good coming from a purely Good Omens standpoint, too.

But for the Grace

Fandom: BASEBALL RPF
Pairing: Tom Glavine/David Cone
Length: 18,489
Author on LJ: americanleaguer
Author Website: americanleaguer's masterlist
Why this must be read: I decided I'd finish off my run at crack_van with one of the more underappreciated fics (in my opinion) in fandom. It involves players that the more casual fan might not be familiar with, or wouldn't be interested in reading, but don't let that deter you. (americanleaguer even includes a handy guide to who's who!) The story is strong and the cast of characters is colorful and engaging. And the writing is, as usual, impeccable. americanleaguer took a theme-- the apocalypse-- and did something with it that was fresh and unique, and still true to the heart of the challenge.

( Excerpt )

Strike Out Looking

So that's it for me! I hope you've enjoyed what I had to offer, which doesn't even begin to scratch the surface. Please come check us out sometime!

Last rec of the month! It's been fun, guys. I'm sorry there weren't more BoB recs -- life kinda ate me, and I didn't have time to post as much as I should've. But I hope you've enjoyed the fics here!

Fandom: BAND OF BROTHERS
Pairing: Speirs gen
Length: one-shot
Author on LJ: falseeyelashes
Author Website: Fic tag on LJ
Why this must be read: Speirs remains an enigma for the entirety of the series -- ruthless, fearless, and extraordinarily proficient as both soldier and leader. This fic highlights the qualities we already know while maintaining that extremely effective distance between the man and the persona he allows to build up around himself. Fantastic character study.

( excerpt )

The Green Grass Stretches

Fandom: NUMB3RS
Pairing: none
Length: 56,503 words
Author on LJ: unknown
Author Website: ALEO on FF.net
Why this must be read:

Don is a control freak. So when a mysterious man maneuvers him into giving up control over and over, even over his own life, it shakes him to the core.

'Vigilante Terrorist' is the central story in a set of three. At first I couldn't quite buy into the difference between the bad guys' convictions and their actions, but by the end I was convinced. And even if a lingering doubt or two remain, the intricate plots, psychological insights, and taut storytelling is well worth a little suspension of disbelief.

( Take the Controls )

Failure
Vigilante Terrorist
Disarmed

Fandom: NUMB3RS
Pairing: none
Length: 61,985 words
Author on LJ: unknown
Author Website: OughtaKnowBetter on FF.net
Why this must be read:

I seem to have a government conspiracy theme going here. 'Come in from the Cold' is a crossover with 'The Unit.'

An NSA codebreaker stepped in front of a bus just after decoding a very important message and before he could brief his handler. Coincidence? The team is assigned to guard the consultant who will be the next to tackle the message, sequestered in a secret bunker with military guards on the perimeter. Don's instincts are on alert and some things don't seem to be adding up. Is it just paranoia? Oh, and the consultant ? Charlie, of course.

OughtaKnowBetter is great at action and the wry turn of phrase. 'Come in from the Cold 'is an exciting read, and to double the pleasure there is a parallel story told from the POV of 'The Unit.'

( Test the temperature )

Come in from the Cold: Numb3rs
Come in from the Cold: The Unit

Fandom: NUMB3RS
Pairing: none
Length: 74,132 words
Author on LJ: unknown
Author Website: Lisa Paris on FF.net
Why this must be read:

It's nice to see Charlie taking a turn at being a hero.

The brothers have been going through a difficult period, but when Charlie receives some devastating news, it's Don he turns to first. He invites Don for a weekend of camping and fishing, hoping it will bridge the gaps in their relationship. Unfortunately, the resistance both have to bringing up difficult subjects compounds the misunderstandings. But when trouble comes calling, both brothers will do anything to save the other.

Also, there's a bear.

( Try it out )

Superheroes