It was the visitor's turn to pause.  Solo and Kuryakin looked at them expectantly.
"The UNCLE Olympics.  Didn't you hear about it?"
Illya rolled his eyes, issued a snort of disgust and continued to eat.
"Apparently not,'
Solo responded as he picked up his coffee mug.
"What is it, exactly?"
O'Brien answered.
"Since that Harry Beldon fiasco in Berlin it seems that the head UNCLE honchos feel we need a little team building exercise.  A team representing each of the five main headquarters will run a course, sort of a cross between a treasure hunt and an obstacle course.  What ever team gets to the last point first, wins."
"Wins what?"
"Does it matter?"

Yay! It’s Friday night Drive-in! I’ll park the van in the front row, and here’s your popcorn, sweeties and fizzy drinks. Now sit back and enjoy!

Fandom: THE PROFESSIONALS
Vidder: Sunshine
Musical Artist: Ronan Keating
Pairing: Bodie/Doyle
Vidder on LJ: sunshine4537
Vidder’s Website: YouTube
Why this must be seen: This is my favourite vid. It isn’t just a collection of screen caps but really tells a story, and the synchronisation of lyrics to the video clips is wonderful. A real, feel-good Friday vid!


When You Say Nothing At All

Fandom: SPOOKS (MI-5)
Pairing: Ruth Evershed / Harry Pearce
Length: 2 shorts, 6000 words total
Author on LJ: dweomeroflight
Author Website: Fic masterlist

Why this must be read:

Series after series, Ruth and Harry would almost, but not quite, get together. What was it keeping Ruth and Harry apart? This duet of stories explores the idea that it wasn’t abductions, explosions, or bad timing, but Ruth and Harry themselves.

Both stories are AU for series 10 but reflect (and improve upon) all of the characterization that went it. One story shows how just one choice (on both of their parts) could have brought them together; the other shows the Ruth coming to terms with the road not taken. Both stories make Ruth and Harry’s fate seem inevitable and intrinsic to the characters.

Ruth and Harry might have been star-crossed, but the fault was not in the stars, but in themselves.

Excerpt:

She was the perfect housewife; watered the plants, played foolish games with Nico, gutted the scaly fish that she knew George brought home especially for her, opened the wine and polished the glasses, got down on hands and knees and scrubbed the villa tiles. George never knew how much effort it took to do even those things at first. In a land of sunshine, of paradise, she diagnosed herself with depression.

With each kiss on the cheek, each bear hug, each night spent in George's warm bed, things seemed better, happier, it felt less dangerous to feel joy and the depression passed. She would smile rueful smiles when she cooked dinner, drink a little too much wine when she was left alone for too long, but it was a life, a real life and in the end she had grown to love it.

By the Bridge

One Crowded Hour

Fandom: SPOOKS (MI-5)

Pairing: Dimitri Levendis / Tariq Massoud

Length: 1700 words

Author on LJ: inflightdata

Author Website: Spooks fic archive

Why this must be read:

Dimitri and Tariq were about as close to normal as series 9 and 10 team members came. This story is about their emerging relationship, but also fills in the gaps after the series 9 finale left section D gutted.

In a short space, Dimitri and Tariq get some great dialogue, more characterization than they had onscreen, and some reflections on betrayal that set the scene for series 10.

Excerpt:

“We had sex, Dimitri,” Tariq says, not unkindly. “It happens, sometimes, between adults as attractive as you and I. And as for better things to do, my evening was going to consist of re-coding this database of names, drinking beer and eating chips, you tell me how important that sounds to you.”

Flight Risk