Fandom: GRIMM
Pairing: none; gen
Length: 2,103 words
Author on LJ: dizzydrea
Author Website: AO3
Warnings: spoilers for episode 22
Why this must be read:

Author's Summary: Kelly Burkhardt has one last bit of business to finish before she leaves town: a meeting with a stranger that turns out not to be a stranger at all.

With the premier of Season 2 being aired early by NBC tonight, I felt it appropriate to shine a light on a piece that speculates on the plot lines of the Season 1 finale. Not only does it flesh out that finale a bit, but it makes the reader contemplate plot points of Season 1 that were never answered and motivations that were never explored. I've got to say that I never thought of the ideas presented in this fic, like the truth behind Marie's death order and Nick's family tree, until I read Dizzy's fic. However, they make such sense when she presents them that they're head canon for me until canon shows us different.

It was intriguing to see what Dizzy did with Kelly's character. She's been such a big mystery of Grimm. I really liked seeing a possible personality for her and some history about her actions that this author gave us. I can almost guarantee that this characterization of Kelly probably won't stand the test of canon from some of the snippets of the Season 2 opener we've been shown. Yet, it's fascinating possibility. We can start to see where Nick gets his personality and ethics and see where he might end up in the future. All together, this is a fic that will get the thought juices flowing for the Season premier tonight. Enjoy and join me tonight for more fresh Grimm-y goodness.

The Price to be Paid

Fandom: Sherlock
Pairing: Sherlock/John
Length: 1,129 words
Author on LJ: luthier
Author Website: Stories on AO3
Why this must be read: John is being held at gunpoint by a crazed suspect while Sherlock and the Yarders look helplessly on. As the events of the story unfold it's Sally Donovan who finally stops seeing and observes what was in front of her all of the time.  I found this to be a quietly powerful story with just the right amount of drama, angst and tenderness.

The Sum of One Bond

Fandom: Buffy, the Vampire Slayer
Pairing: Dawn/Xander
Length: 3,685
Author on LJ: snowpuppies
Author Website: Fic Masterlist

Why this must be read: This story is set in a universe where everything magical has been sucked out of the world, leaving Dawn and Xander to pick up the pieces. Dawn/Xander is a new 'ship but this goes back to 2008, before anyone believed it would ever happen. Snowpuppies does a fantastic job of communicating what its like when you've lost everything and you're the only ones left. She portrays the sadness, the guilt and the acceptance in a very human way. The characterisations of both characters are wonderful and her writing is something to behold. It's also won a few awards, if I'm not mistaken. 


Epilogue

Fandom: BANDOM (Empires and Fall Out Boy)
Pairing: Sean Van Vleet/Patrick Stump
Length: 3530 words.
Author on AO3: lalejandra

Why this must be read: The entirety of the Come and get me, come on Sean/Patrick series lalejandra wrote for this year's Kink Bingo round is fantastic. But if I had to pick my favorite of the group, it would be Stretched. I love the difficult mood evoked in the story and how it's carried through to the end in a sort of cathartic release, and how the pairing it's done with is extremely unconventional, but somehow familiar at the same time. I'm sure it would help anyone who hasn't read Empires fic before that half of the ship is from one of the bigger bandom bands, anyway.

( Summary and excerpt. )

Stretched