Fandom: RAFFLES / SHERLOCK HOLMES
Pairing: none
Length: 2,856 words
Author on LJ: belmanoir
Author Website: belmanoir's fanfiction
Why this must be read:

Considering that Arthur Conan Doyle was E.W. Hornung's brother-in-law, and considering that Raffles was written thanks to Conan Doyle's suggestion, it's surprising that there aren't more crossovers involving Sherlock Holmes and A.J. Raffles. This one gives the crossover a funny twist in more than one way. It turns out Bunny is a fan of Dr Watson's writing. And Raffles discovers a shared interest that insures the great detective won't likely be unmasking any gentleman thieves or their rabbits any time soon.

The Red, Red Rose and the Briar

Fandom: Riptide
Pairing: Nick Ryder/Cody Allen (one sided)
Length: 8500 words
Author on LJ: hardboiledbaby
Author Website: On AO3
Why this must be read:
This is an absolutely wonderful fic, and Baby is an outstanding writer. Her style sucks you in and holds you for the ride. Told in the first person, it's easy to believe you're with the boys all the way through this emotional and beautiful story.

The First Thing You Want Never Comes is set pre-canon, while Nick and Cody are in the Military Police, and is a beautiful look at what happens when Cody meets up with an old flame. It answers the moment in Smiles We Left Behind where Nick tells Murray he and Cody "ran into Janet in Washington while we were on furlough"; and that he had to watch Cody "go through hell". But it is not necessary to have seen this episode to enjoy this fic.

Added to Cody's mixed feelings for his old flame, Nick's feelings for Cody are coming to the surface.

As well as this awesome fic, there is also fantastic banner-art by the outstanding quoshara

This story is a beautiful creation of angst, h/c, a little romance and most of, true friendship.

Excerpt:

That’s all I meant for it to be, too—just friendship. Cody’s my best friend. I love him and I would die for him. He knows that and he feels the same way. But somewhere along the line, that relationship, that bond, has come to mean more. It's everything, to me. Cody’s taken up so much of my heart, there ain’t much room for anyone or anything else. I don’t know how to change that, not without cutting him out of me. Open-heart surgery—I’d never survive.

So that’s the way it’s been, 'til now. But it wasn't going to last forever. Cody's tour was going to be up soon, but I still had a ways to go before I’d be done. We’d talked some about what we would do once we got out, vague pie-in-the-sky stuff, mostly, but Cody seemed to think we could find something to do together. I wanted that more than anything, but he’d have to know the truth, first. Maybe he could love me back that way, maybe not. Maybe we could still go partners in some kind of business, regardless. In any case, it was time to lay it on the line and let the chips fall where they may.

But that was before today. Now, I wasn't sure it would ever be the time.


The First Thing You Want Never Comes

Fandom: PRIMEVAL (crossover with SPOOKS)
Pairing:
Length: 32,315 in 13 parts
Author on LJ: cordeliadelayne
Author Website: Author’s masterlist on LJ
Why this must be read: Spies and dinosaurs might not seem the most obvious fit, but trust me, this author brings the two shows together in a seamless whole, integrating the characters from both into a fascinating story of intrigue and action that gathers pace relentlessly to an explosive climax.

Links to all 13 parts.

Title: Padding by Basingstoke
Pairing: none (gen)
Length: 1,865 words (about 10k words for the whole series)
Author on LJ: basingstoke
Author Website: Basingstoke's Home or Basingstoke's Ao3 page.
Why this must be read:
This was the very first fanfic in the Sherlock fandom that I read, and I only read it because it was a crossover with Black Books which is a great show. I'd never heard of Sherlock before this fic! This fic inspired me to go out and watch Sherlock. I love crossovers and it's very hard for me to pick only one crossover to share for Crack-Van Collisions Day, but this one is a must-read.

It has been pointed out that there are marked similarities between Sherlock Holmes and Bernard Black. The black hair, the coats, the alternating manic and depressive moods, the affable men who manage them... yeah. Sherlock and Bernard are family. TERRIFYING family. This first story in the Rough Edges series is amazing, but do check out the other two, especially Eggcrate. wherein Sherlock takes John home for Christmas dinner and we discover the true insanity of the Holmes family. These stories are fabulously written, slightly cracktacular, and very fun reads.


Padding

Edited to add: There is currently no tag for Black Books, sorry!

Fandom: THE BIG BANG THEORY / X-FILES
Pairing: Sheldon/Penny
Length: 27k
Author on LJ: ishie
Author Website: ishieland
Why this must be read:

The bigbangbigbang this year resulted in a superb collection of stories. One of them is this, to paraphrase the author, The Big Bang Theory in an X-Files world with a twist. You could call it a BBT crossover and an X-Files AU, where the roles of those two familiar FBI agents are filled by the oddball pairing of Sheldon and Penny. The world they inhabit is weird, wonderful, all sorts of moody and a huge lot of fun. There are great 'cameos' throughout from the whole Big Bang cast in key roles, and they really do fit perfectly. There's also a neat twist on the attitude towards alien abductions that was at the core of the X-Files universe. Intriguing all round, this is a great read.

( an excerpt )

Nothing Important Happened Today

Fandom: GENERATION KILL
Pairing: Brad/Ray
Length: ~ 2,700 words
Author on LJ: chemfishee
Author websites:

Why this must be read: Post-apocalypse Ray travels across America towards Brad. The descriptions, the atmosphere, the intense emotions, it left me breathless and stunned.
Loved Ray's voice here, somehow muted but still so very much him.


Singing 'Hallelujah' With the Fear In Your Heart

Title: Seven Tomorrows by falseeeyelashes
Pairing: Gen; Ensemble
Length: 7,991
Author on LJ: [Bad username or site: @ livejournal.com]
Author Website: Master List of Fanfic
Why this must be read:

Because it's dark and complex; this author is such a magnificent storyteller and she brings these two shows together so perfectly. This is a piece that all crossover fans should read.

"Josh, what’s the Dharma Initiative?"

Seven Tomorrows

Fandom: The Losers/Inception
Pairing: Clay/Roque, Clay/Aisha
Length: 5258
Author on LJ: Part of mumblemutter/mumblemutter
Author's Website: AO3

Why this must be read:
You don't need to have seen Inception to enjoy this story, but knowing the movie adds to the layers of this intense and thoughtful story.

Layers upon layers of dreams and guilt and relationships and how things change but don't change, no matter what you do, and it's all in Clay's head, except it's not, entirely, because things are happening elsewhere too.

It's a fantastic study of Clay and Roque and the betrayal between them. Where the Port of Los Angeles is just a layer to pull back, where Roque is something that might only be in Clay's head, and where revenge and planting ideas sometimes turn out differently than you expected.

Excerpt:
Roque used to say, when they'd made all their money, he wanted to retire, get married, maybe get a couple of kids or so. Clay always laughed; the job was an addiction like no other - building unimaginable worlds and scaling impossible heights. The thrill of the chase, always. Extraction isn't for everyone, but those that get into it tend to stay. There is no real way out once it becomes the only way you sleep.

"Then that isn't a choice, is it," and if his manifestation of Roque is a product of his guilt, then the obvious solution is to stop feeling guilty. Except of course Clay doesn't buy into the whole guilt thing, and Roque betrayed them, not the other way around, so possibly his manifestation of Roque is just his subconscious fucking him over for spite.

"You're getting weary, old man," he tells his reflection, and his reflection agrees, that yeah, he is.

so I keep it low, keep a secret code

Fandom: WAREHOUSE 13/HAVEN
Vidder:  xXConstantDreamerXx
Musical artist: State of Shock
Pairing: Claudia/Duke
Vidder's website:  Youtube

Why this vid kicks ass:
I still have a cold lurking in the back of my head so it's another vid for today.
ConstantDreamer has an amazing talent at mixing two different shows together. Claudia actually looks like she's talking to Duke in these scenes. My little sister who hasn't seen the second season of Warehouse 13 yet thought that Duke was a new addition to the cast.  Prepare to be amazed it's just that good..

Here to say I'm sorry by xXConstantDreamerXx

Fandom: SANCTUARY/WAREHOUSE 13
Pairing: Helen/Nikola/HG Wells
Length: 2,631 words
Author on LJ: geonncannon
Author Website: Geonn @ Sanctuaryfiction.net, Fic Tag
Why this must be read: Remember when HG Wells says she met Nikola Tesla at the 1893 World Fair? Geonn takes that line and runs with it, giving us a wonderfully well written and smoking hot fic about what happens when Nikola introduces his new acquaintance to Helen. Oh, Nikola and his little plans, grrr. I'm not into Warehouse 13, but I absolutely adore HG and wow, she fits into Helen's past perfectly. I'd love to see her character on Sanctuary, but since that's not going to happen, I'll settle for the occasional fic. I also love how Geonn uses historical details such as the Ferris Wheel at the World Fair and the real Nikola's celibacy.

Ascension at Dusk