Wow, did this month fly by! Time for my last recommendation.

Fandom: THE SENTINEL
Pairing: Jim/Blair
Length: short
Author on LJ: t_verano
Author Website: Gen fic at her Pleasance site and Slash fic at her LJ site

Why this must be read: Although I normally wax poetic about the story, I really want to touch on the genesis of this fic first. Just a year ago, we lost a most supportive fan and lovely lady: Bee, aka slipperieslope. She always had encouraging words and enthusiasm for everyone. She passed quite suddenly; coincidentally during the month she was the TS recommender here.

Bee also was a great supporter of the Moonridge Zoo charity auction. This set of drabbles was written to fulfill Bee’s bid, because she loved Larry the Barbary ape (from the episode The Debt). T, as always, did a masterful job. From her comments, Bee obviously loved them; I do too.

Summary: Jim is upset because Blair is thinking of Larry when he should be thinking of Jim. Does that sound selfish? Well, in this case, I think Jim may have a point.

The Larry Drabbles

And because drabbles are, by definition, very short, I’m giving you a bonus drabble, written for another Moonridge for Bee. A bit more poignant and just as good. Enjoy, and see you next time around.

Mornings After

Feedback makes the world go ‘round. Giving some will make you and the author feel great!

Fandom: The Vampire Diaries
Pairing: Stefan/Elena/Damon
Length: 1000 words
Author on LJ: youcallitwinter
Author Website: fic tag

Why this must be read: It's my last recc of the month and it's a good one. youcallitwinter truly has a way with words and this piece is absolutely stunning from beginning it end. It is Elena writing her own story, the story of the boys who loved her, with tragic, sharp self-awareness.

Excerpt She’ll write a story someday. A girl. Two boys. Their names starting with a ‘D’ and an ‘S’, because she’s not original, really, never has been. Look at her face.


a little less conversation

Fandom: SUPERNATURAL
Pairing: none; gen
Length: about 24,000 words
Author on LJ: vail_kagami
Author Website: Masterpost on LJ

Author's Summary: When John Winchester is possessed by the yellow-eyed demon and asks his son to kill him, Sam does so and disappears, leaving his injured brother behind in a hospital. As a result of the demon's early death deals are never made and a lot of bad things never happen - but Dean doesn't know that. All he knows is that Sam killed his father and abandoned him. Looking for answers, Dean chases his brother all through the United States while Sam solves cases he couldn't possibly know about and always remains one step ahead. When Dean finally catches up with him, the answers he gets are not the ones he expected and it looks like no matter what he does, he's only going to lose Sam in the end.

Why this must be read:

Another lovely example of a well written time travel story, this one brings together a severely damaged Sam, a confused Dean, and a protective Castiel for a fascinating examination of what might have been's and brotherly affection. Told from Dean's POV, we get to see his utter shock as Sam shoots his possessed father down in cold blood in the Season 1 finale. Afterwards, Dean wakes up to find his brother gone with all his explanations, a deep sense of utter betrayal, and a vague sense that something is just not right here. vail_kagami really gets into Dean's head as he ponder's Sams motivations and tries to find answers when he finally finds a broken and battered Sam and a strange man in a trench coat that just feels different. In the end, it's all about his love for Sam and his determination to help ease the rest of Sam's days, short though they may be. The ending is bittersweet and tragic, just like many in SPN fandom, but it's well worth the journey getting there.

Look Back in Anger

A little late, since I wanted to get permission...

Vidder: SpySyd
Musical artist: Coldplay
Pairing: Brad Colbert/Nate Fick
Vidder on LJ: iwillrememberu
Vidder's website: iwillrememberu
Why this vid kicks ass:

This vid starts off with a perfect depiction of Nate at the end of the mini, despairing at what they've wrought. It then shows us why - pulling from all the shit that went down during the war and interspersing it with lovely quiet moments of Brad and Nate trying to fix each other. Great use of the song and dialogue, with a fantastic inclusion of the rest of the guys. An inspired piece.

Fix You (password: iceman)

I hope you've enjoyed the stories this month. I've very much enjoyed rereading them. For the final rec it seemed fitting to go with hackthis' final work in the fandom.

Fandom: GENERATION KILL
Pairing: Brad Colbert/Nate Fick
Length: 37,383
Author on LJ: hackthis
Author Website: LJ
Why this must be read:

hackthis marries superb concept with exquisite execution; it's why she's recced so often. This story is no exception, a La Femme Nikita-style AU where we see Brad plucked from his life by Nate and trained as an assassin. The result is tremendous: epic and detailed and utterly magnificent. The competence!porn is off-the-charts. As is the actual porn. The story is full of the mini's dark humor, with a gorgeously badass, inscrutable Nate and a Brad just itching to figure him out. The rest of our guys are here, too, as trainers and law enforcement and Management, all wholly themselves and perfect. In a word, it's glorious.

There's a series of rights and lefts and ups and downs and stairs and doors. Every now and then they even see another human being, mostly armed guards, and every last one of them gives Brad a very wide clearance.

"Your reputation precedes you," Ray explains. "You are the Iceman. The one. You are motherfucking Neo and this is your Matrix."

You Will Be For Me and I Will Fight For You

Fandom: SUPERNATURAL
Pairing: Castiel/Sam
Length: 1,225 words
Author on LJ: wanttobeatree
Author Website: Masterlist on LJ
Why this must be read:

Author's Summary: 'Dean gives Castiel all his lame pick-up lines and Castiel keeps trying to use them on Sam

To finish out our month of Supernatural recs, let's get a few laughs in after all the pain, angst, despair, and heavy emotions I've put you through. Anyone who watches the show knows about Castiel's common blunders when it comes to human phrasing and interactions. wanttobeatree takes that a step further with a Cas who is trying various pick up lines on a very confused Sam with an amused Dean in the background. Just the way this story is told and presented had me rolling on the floor in stitches, at times almost literally. I could just picture Misha Collins' very serious face as he delivers these cheesy lines with such a serious and intent look and then his head cock of confusion when Sam doesn't react as expected. XD With a sweet ending, the fic will make you smile from more than one reason, and it's a fitting end to this rec cycle as it leaves a smile on your face and in your heart.

I'd marry your cat just to get in the family