Fandom: GRIMM
Pairing: none; gen
Length: 4,151 words
Author on LJ: laylabinx
Author Website: Fanfic.net
Warnings: spoilers for episode 8
Why this must be read:

Author's Summary: Nick is hurt, Nick has unknowingly become part of Monroe's pack, and the protective wolf instincts are now rushing in like a hurricane

I really liked the comfort in this one, one guy who has been beat to hell and another who knows just the right combination of company, Arnica salve, vinegar, and cuddling required to help soothe the pain. Nick gets the snot beaten out of him by a troll Wesen, Oleg Stark, in epsiode 8. The actual episode doesn't give us a lot of comfort coming down from the traumatic event, so enter the lovely LaylaBinx ready to rectify that. Monroe comes over at just the right time to cuddle on the couch with Nick after applying soothing salve and vinegar to Nick's numerous ouchies. Wonderful comfort all around.

I also like how Layla touched on the violated feeling one feels when your home has been violently broken into and your family threatened. Everyone treats you differently (like the police force with Nick). You can never feel that homely comfort again, that feeling that once you've walked through your front door the entire world retreats and you're in your comfort zone. Layla lays that out starkly and even draws in elements of Grimm with Monroe's blutbad senses picking up the lingering scents of Stark and the police who tramped through Nick's home as they processed what became a crime scene. Against this backdrop of violation and broken safety zones, Monroe's comforting ways are even more needed and appreciated.

Close Comfort

Fandom: STARSKY & HUTCH
Pairing: No pairing
Length: 1,563 words
Author on LJ: n/a
Author Website: DJJBlack on the Starsky & Hutch archive
Why this must be read:

DJJBlack, according to her bio, has been watching the show since first run, but only recently started posting fic. If The Zookeeper's Lament is an example of her or his work, we can't wait to see more. This short but powerful piece is written from Captain Dobey's point of view, something we don't see very often. And his view of "his boys" is worth reading. It seems that working with S&H has earned him the nickname among his peers of "The Zookeeper," because they're so hard to handle.

DJJBlack carries the analogy of Dobey managing S&H as if he's keeping fierce animals under control all through this well crafted fic. It's never overdone, and there's never a wasted word. Dobey reads true, especially the way he works the volatile pair, all the while respecting a unique relationship and its unusual talents.

Starsky's just back on duty after an injury. They've been working too much, and Dobey has to call in them after a promised weekend off. Hutch is ready to bite the captain's head off. The few moments we spend with them in Dobey's office tells us reams about their working relationship not only with Dobey, but with each other. By the time the story is done, you're sitting in the office with them, stealing Dobey's donuts, and watching him handle "his boys" in the way you know he'd have to. And best of all, this is a punch-line story, one of my favorite kinds. And the punch line is perfect, absolutely perfect. Don't miss this story. And keep an eye on this writer.

The Zookeeper's Lament by DJJBlack

Fandom: STAR TREK REBOOT
Pairing: Leonard McCoy/Jocelyn McCoy
Length: 2264
Author on LJ: boosette
Author Website: AO3
Why this must be read:

For her painfully tragic and realistic description of the breakup of the McCoys marriage. And because it's a gorgeous piece of writing.

I've read some amazing remixes in the reboot ST fandom and this story is one of the many examples.  It's a remix of igrockspock's Love is a Losing Hand (which is also wonderful) and boosette takes the piece and turns into a journey from the very beginning to it's painful end in a precise and at times poetic way. The realism though is probably why I really enjoyed this story.  I could see people I know in the voices of Jocelyn and Bones. People who fall breathtakingly fast into love and those who slowly grow apart because of time and work or something else. People who stay on because of duty or the for the sake of their child thinking that it will get better or somehow they can endure it.  And boosette manages to convey all that perfectly in a few snippets. 

The Moment Our Greatness Flickers (The Love is a Losing Hand Remix)