Fandom: Stargate: Atlantis
Pairing: John/Rodney
Length: ~8,100
Author on LJ: wojelah
Author Website: Woj's Fic

In the third and final of the boating!AUs, John Sheppard has been living in Bar Harbor, Maine, for seven years, hearing of Rodney McKay only through his sister. Suddenly, McKay decides to buy a restaurant in town and comes back to the surprise and gossip of most in town.

What I like about this is the unusual way John and Rodney meet. Based on McKay and Mrs. Miller, John and Jeannie got along fairly well, and it's nice to see the idea that they could be friends fleshed out. I also like the subtle references to John missing flying despite loving the sea. It's got great characterization, humor, hurricanes, John and Madison being all adorable, John and Rodney both being socially awkward, and Ronon is a chef. With knives. What else could you want? More? Well, the art made by beeej which inspired the story is stunning.

( Mini-Teaser )

Bar Harbor's Best

Fandom: THE PROFESSIONALS
Pairing: Bodie/Doyle
Length: 26,992 words
Author on LJ: halotolerant
Author Website: Halotolerant on AO3
Note: Art by norfolkdumpling

Why this must be read: This story was recently posted for the 2011 Pros Big Bang at ci5_boxoftricks. I really like this author's writing. She's presented a good case story here, with Bodie determined to keep his partner safe after his recent brush with death, and Doyle determined to save the world once again. *g*

Summary from the author: A month after being shot through the heart, Raymond Doyle disappeared from hospital. Bodie was told in no uncertain terms to leave things alone, but there was no way he wasn’t following him, even as the trail lead to shady arms deals, CIA entanglements, notoriously cruel entrepreneurs and the city of Venice, deceptively idyllic in a summer holiday that is about to take a dark turn.

Only just beginning to understand how he feels about his partner, Bodie is determined to save Ray from whatever web he’s become entangled in, but he isn’t expecting Ray himself to resist his help, any more than he’s expecting the other secrets that reveal themselves in the City of Masks.

( A teaser this way... )

Orpheus Turns Around

Fandom:STARSKY AND HUTCH
Pairing:Starsky/Hutch
Length:31,000+
Author on LJ:unknown
Author Website:http://meandthee.shahrazad.net/author.php?authorid=98

Why this must be read: This story is part of the first ever Starsky and Hutch Big Bang challenge. It is such a great story. Starsky and Hutch are assigned a case that strikes too close to home, endangering their carefully kept personal secret. This story takes place early in their new found relationship as lovers. Dana writes the best love story, case story, relationship story that I've read in a long time.
Starsky's wariness grew as Hutch opened the door to let Dobey lumber into the apartment and he saw that the captain was followed by an, unfortunately, familiar face. William Dryden of Internal Affairs was nattily dressed, as usual, and there was nothing in his manner to indicate the discomfort he ought to be feeling as he crossed the threshold. A stranger would be hard pressed to believe that only a few months ago, this same IA officer was doing his level best to prove Hutch guilty of the murder of his ex-wife. A stranger, however, wouldn't have been likely to notice the brief, bitter glance Dryden threw toward the kitchen table.

"Captain. Dryden." Hutch greeted the interlopers in a cool tone that fell barely the right side of polite inquiry. "Something we can do for you?" A pointed glance toward the clock added a silent "at this time of night" to his question.

"You can both sit down and listen." Dobey dropped into the easy chair with a weary sigh. "I'm too tired to drag this out, and I'd like to get home in time to kiss my wife goodnight."

Obviously, not an emergency. That left a dirty job or... Obediently, Starsky followed Hutch to the couch where they sat side by side and focused their attention on Dobey.

"You'll have to bring in a chair from the kitchen," Hutch suggested innocently to Dryden who still hovered near the door.

Starsky coughed to cover his laughter at the sour expression that crossed Dryden's face. Score one for the home team.

"I'll stand if it's all the same to you," Dryden rejected the offer.

"Gentlemen, if you'll stop playing schoolyard games and pay attention, maybe we can all get some sleep tonight." Dobey's reprimand was aimed at both his own subordinates and the IA officer.

"Just trying to be a good host," Hutch defended himself with that same false innocence.

Dobey glared a moment, then apparently decided that Hutch might be entitled to his petty revenge. He transferred the glare to Dryden and pointed at the kitchen chair, but didn't wait for the other man to obey the silent command before he turned his gaze back to the partners. "How would the two of you like to catch a dirty cop?"

Something to Talk About

Fandom: SUPERNATURAL
Pairing: Gen
Length: ~6,000 words
Author on LJ: holli
Author Website: hollimichele on AO3
Why this must be read:

This story is really, really funny. It's focussed on original (teenaged girl) characters, but you shouldn't let that discourage you from reading it because they are honestly the best part of the fic. Let me give you the author's summary:

Some Goth teenagers accidentally resurrect John Winchester. No, seriously.

Accidents Will Happen

Fandom: MARVEL COMICS (specifically AVENGERS/CAPTAIN AMERICA/IRON MAN)
Pairing: Steve Rogers/Tony Stark
Length: 4,000 words
Author on LJ: muccamukk (author prefers DW)
Author Website: AO3 Account

Warning: None. Woohoo.

Why this must be read: One of the first fics I ever read in this fandom and still one of my favourites, this fic skillfully weaves together vignettes from many different points in comics and film canon that deal with the various physical scars Tony Stark carries related to his damaged heart, while also commenting on the mental and emotional scars that fragile organ also bears. All rolled in with some scorchingly hot sex with Steve Rogers that again touches on those hidden depths. It's just a wonderful piece all over.

That One Man, Scorned and Covered with Scars

Fandom: A-TEAM MOVIE!VERSE
Pairing: Hannibal/Face
Length: 40K
Author on LJ: indigo_angels
Author Website: Indigo-Angels’ LJ
Why this must be read:

Dirk Benedict once summed up Templeton Peck in one word: vulnerable, and Bradley Cooper infused this characteristic into the character as well. indigo_angels explores this theme in her stories quite often. Her Hannibal isn’t omnipotent, either, like you see in some other stories. He doesn’t quite always get things right, especially when it comes to his relationship with Face, and sometimes, it gets them both in a lot of trouble.

In this story, the team believes that Face has royally screwed up a mission. Hannibal gets quite upset with him, and Face reacts by pulling a runner. The story deals with the fallout of Face’s decision to leave, and the team’s effort to track him down. It also encompasses another of my favorite themes from indigo_angels’ stories, where Face and Hannibal’s relationship hasn’t quite taken off the ground yet, where they’re both very much in love with each other, but neither man has yet admitted to it yet. Watching the separation eat away at everybody here is riveting stuff. This is the kind of angst you can physically feel. It’s long, almost novel length long, but just the thing for a chilly Thanksgiving weekend.

Face had always been good at sealing little bits of his life or himself away into safety deposit boxes in his head. Any unwanted memory or experience, any unpleasant personality trait, he could easily wrap them up and seal them away. Sometimes they crept out again in his dreams, nightmares, but he could live with that. So that's all he had to do again. He could package up this life he had here, these friends, any thought or memory concerning Tasha Coleman, seal them off and move on. New opportunities, new horizons.

Nowhere Man

And for those of you who, like me, desperately need a sequel when this one’s over, you’re in luck! It’s about the same length as the first.

The Long and Winding Road

Fandom: SUITS
Pairing: Mikey/Harvey
Length: 2.9k
Author on LJ: grim_lupine
Author Website: fic masterlist and masterlist on delicious
Why this must be read:

The characterization of Mike in this is so spot on with snark and confidence that authors rarely manage to hit in this fandom. Harvey's well-drawn too, and the fic is just damn clever for being about something so every day as dealing with the unexpected beginning with a relationship. Also, hot. There's a lot of these two accidentally sleeping together in this fandom, and trying not to have it happen again, but this is very much the best among those fics and that alone makes it worth the read.

( Excerpt: )

Disturbing the Peace