Fandom: DUE SOUTH
Pairing: Benton Fraser/Ray Kowalski, Benton Fraser/Ray Kowalski/Ray Vecchio
Length: 25,000 words
Author on LJ: nos4a2no9
Author Website: Her fic masterpost.
Why this must be read: Set several years after the show, Ray Vecchio has a run-in with the Mob.  Fraser and Ray Kowalski come down from Canada to help.  This story deals with some pretty heavy stuff--violence, PTSD--but what it's about is the slow, careful working out of everything that is fucked up, together, as a team.  I really like the way the relationships build and come together, and I like that the story does pay attention to everyone's damage, not just Ray Vecchio's issues. It has a happy ending, but it doesn't wrap everything up perfectly.

Breaking the Waves (the link goes to the fic masterpost on her journal. You can also read it on her website in one piece, using the Wayback Machine)

Last Inception rec of the month! I do hope this fandom manages to hobble on and survive for a long while. There's still great fic to be read.

Fandom: INCEPTION
Pairing: Eames / OFC, Arthur/Eames
Length: 5521
Author on LJ: veritas_nescio
Author Website:
Why this must be read:
Eames only slides out of his armour for one person.

Told from the perspective of an unknown woman who goes to Spain and meets Eames. It almost seems like practice of fandom no’s with an OFC that meets and starts a relationship with a canon character, a meandering POV narrative that’s so vague it almost reads like 2nd person.

What this fic does by the end though, what it’s woven throughout, is an ending that’s at once tragic and joyous as it throws everything on its head. I would beg anyone thrown off by the premise to give this fic a chance because it’s so much more than what it seems that it seems haunting and beautiful.

this dream called life

So, last posts of the month, and my last month of reccing after 4 months of crackvan steering for (9?) different fandoms. I do hope people have enjoyed some of fic. If anyone wants to contact me for any reason, or would like to judge me for my insane fic reading habits and raise an eyebrow at my pinboard I’d be happy to reply. :)

Fandom: AVENGERS
Pairing: Loki/Tony
Length: 44,519
Author on LJ:
Author Website: Ao3
Why this must be read:
Whatever the number or value may be, the answer stays the same.

There’s currently 3 parts to this story. The author might be working on another part soon. But the 3 fics stand together as a complete story (or as standalones too) and they work beautifully.

I’ve recced a lot of Tony/Loki fics this month, and I’ve tried to get them all in different styles (hopefully with interesting background story for people who aren’t into the pairing) but this is almost purely relationship fic, and it is one of the best. It’s one of the ‘Loki is forced to live in Avengers tower to make amends’ sort of stories, where he is stripped of his magic until he is ‘worthy’ of regaining it. And for the most part, he doesn’t want to see or deal with anyone else, just seethe by himself. Only Tony isn’t content with leaving him alone, and drags the former god down to his lab to introduce him to sushi, physics, and math. (It’s the earth version of magic anyway.) They bond over their genius and their issues.

The first part is the slow buildup of their relationship, Loki coming out of his shell and learning to see the world in more than just shades of anger. The 2nd part is mind of non-pwp pwp? In that there is Disney movie watching and a large amount of extreme public flirtation. The 3rd part involves Loki racing across the universe to find something to save Tony’s life.

Theorems (series)

This is my last rec! Sadface. :( It's been an absolute blast reccing you all my favourite stories (so much so that I may or may not be off to sign up for another round), and I hope y'all got something out of it too. :) I'm leaving you with one of my absolute favourite favourite fics, I must have read it a dozen times by now, it would be a little embarrassing if I still had any shame left. See you around! :)

Fandom: TEEN WOLF
Pairing: Allison & Stiles bromance (with Stiles/Derek and Allison/Scott in the backgroud)
Length: 8683 words
Author on LJ: magneticwave
Author Website: AO3
Summary: For their tenth birthday, Stiles had gotten Allison a mug from a kiosk at the mall with AREN’T YOU GLAD WE EVOLVED OUT OF NEIGHBORING CELLS on one side and a picture from their school trip to the zoo, the one where Allison was hitting a goat trying to eat Stiles’ shirt, on the other. It’s such a metaphor for their entire existence that Allison puts it on the mantle of every subsequent house that they live in, next to their parents’ wedding portrait.

Why this must be read: I love pairingfic, it's great, it's awesome. But sometimes you just want to read something that doesn't have all those clichéd romantic story happenings, you know? At least, I do. This story has Stiles and Allison as canonical twins, which is highly impossible but works so. fucking. well.

I love their relationship, typical sibling bickering and fierce protectiveness. I love that there's some relationship stuff in the background but it's not the main part of the story, I love the fact that there's backstory (explained in author's notes) that makes everthing make sense and most of all I just really love Stiles and Allison and their crazy sibling relationship. Did I mention that already? ♥

Really, the only thing not to love about this story is that there isn't more of it. :( Go forth and enjoy!

( Are you seriously suggesting we just not tell Dad that we saw Mrs. Hale at the grocery store? Are you? )

you were there and so was i

Before I wash and fuel up the van (truck) for the next driver, I'm offering a really long story for your enjoyment -

Fandom: THE SENTINEL
Pairing: gen
Length: 159950 words
Author on LJ: Not known
Author Website: At Brothers in Arms, here
Why this must be read: - In a world where Sentinels are all male and almost all Guides female, the occasional male Guide is born. In addition to being guides themselves, male guides are often 'guidefinders'; that is, when they see them, they know which sentinels and guides 'match'. When seventeen-year-old Blair comes online as a guide, he is kidnapped by the army, and presented to four unbonded army sentinels.

This is a long and very satisfying read as the four sentinels set out to take Blair back to Cascade, Jim and Blair bond and get to know each other properly and Blair's Guidefinding skills are tested. They meet understanding and prejudice, some of it almost casually unthinking.

The story is in 12 linked parts (the last two numbered 11a and 11b). Although it's open-ended enough for more to be added, it does seem to have reached a fairly natural conclusion; the reader isn't left wondering 'So what happens next?'

Edit - the links aren't currently working, but if you change the number in the URL from 1 to 2 to 3, etc, the parts will come up.

For a Male Guide

You can also find it here

Last stop for the crack_van.  Hope you enjoyed the ride.  If you'd like to read more, please join tennisslash.

Fandom: MEN'S PROFESSIONAL TENNIS RPS
Pairing: Rafael Nadal/Richard Gasquet
Length: ~ 1300
Author on LJ: amnoturmonkey
Author website: amnoturmonkey
Why this must be read: So you're in a fandom for some time and you're bored one day so you go digging through the archives for older fic.  All of a sudden, you find an author you'd never encountered before.  You read the fic and the notes and begin wishing you were in the fandom when this author was around because this is a kindred spirit.

That's basically what happened when I read this fic, written back in 2007.  amnoturmonkey had been engaged in a challenge with a fellow author, which led to their Monster Slash Project.  This dialogue-only fic has Rafa in the locker room with Uncle Toni lurking around when he gets a phone call from Richard, who wants payback for a gift Rafa sent him.  Richard's voice was, ahem, meant for that type of payback.

Untitled

Fandom: BANDOM
Pairing: Bob Bryar/Mikey Way, past Mikey/Alicia, canon side pairings
Length: (30K)
Author on LJ: arsenicjade
Author Website: http://tasteofpoison.inkubation.net/index.php

Why this must be read:
My note:Not sure why this month became a Mikey-fest, but here's another Mikey rec. I could have spent the whole month reccing nothing but arsenicjade fics. She has such solid grasp of all the characters and a deft way of mixing humour and drama. This one really gets inside Mikey's head, and although it is kid!fic, and she's adorable, she doesn't take over the story. The parts with Alicia are heartbreaking. But at least there's always his brother and the guys in the band to keep Mikey going.

Author's note: This was started before Bob and MCR parted ways and before Frank announced Jamia's pregnancy. Canon is based accordingly.
Mikey & Alicia have a baby. And a divorce. The band pitches in to help Mikey. Especially Bob.

( Excerpt )

What to Expect

Fandom: BANDOM
Pairing: Brendon Urie/Jon Walker
Length: 763 words
Author on LJ:sunsetmog_fics
Author Website: On AO3
Why this must be read: This is tiny and adorable! It even includes sad cupcakes!
Summary: "I think you've really captured my spirit," Jon tells him. He has his feet up on the seat. He's wearing socks; it looks funny when he wiggles his toes.

On LJ
On AO3

Fandom: STARGATE ATLANTIS
Pairing: none
Length: 1,577 words
Author on LJ: inocciduous
Author Website: unknown
Why this must be read:

Author's Summary : Senbazuru: a group of one thousand origami paper cranes held together by strings. An ancient Japanese legend promises that anyone who folds a thousand origami cranes will be granted a wish by a crane. It is commonly said that folding 1000 paper origami cranes makes a person's wish come true. They can also be gifted to a new baby for long life and good luck. Hanging a Senbazuru in one's home is thought to be a powerfully lucky and benevolent charm. (Wikipedia)

MIKO KUSANAGI

This is an absolutely beautiful piece on Miko that gives us some backstory on her, a glimpse into her heart and how she remembers, and the sheer love she has for those around her and her adopted city. I was moved to literal tears when Miko released the cranes both times. This fic is loaded with emotion and visual imagery to delight the senses.

Senbazuru

Well, this brings to a close my turn @ the Stargate crack van. While it's been a bumpy ride, I hope you enjoyed something of the tour. Don't forget to sign-up for a spin around the block!

Fandom: STARGATE SG-1
Pairing: none
Length: ~900 words
Author on LJ: maranya14
Author Website: Masterlist on LJ
Why this must be read :

COLONEL DAVE DIXON AND SG-13

To finish out our round of tributes to minor characters, here's a light and humorous piece on SG-13 and their cynical and hilarious leader, Colonel Dixon. I love how this fic shows how blasé the members of the SG teams get about the weirdest stuff. Radioactive hamsters? Robotic sphinxes? Huge ass flying dinosaurs that like to eat paleontologists for lunch? No prob for Dixon and his team. The author has their voices down wonderfully, and I chuckled all the way through.

Routine Mission

Fandom : Sherlock Holmes
Pairing: John Watson/Sherlock Holmes
Length: 8,146 words
Author on LJ: N/A
Author Website: on A03
Summary: On the second Thursday of March John Watson tumbled out of his bedroom window, and into the third Thursday of March.

Why this must be read: For the authors’ ‘casefic in reverse which is really a magical realism character study or is it actually a romance?’ approach. The whimsical idea done well makes an enjoyable read for John fans, because it's always fun when John knows something Sherlock doesn't, even if he is putting a calm mask on total confusion.

John Watson and the Door to Next Week

Fandom: Hannibal (tv)
Pairing: Will/Beverly
Length: 2700 words
Author on LJ: ???
Author Website: on AO3
Why this must be read:

Perfect Beverly voice, with her almost abrasive friendly directness. I want to roll around in basically everything she says. The natural banter between Will and Beverly is great (“God, you look awful.” “Thanks.” “No problem." - I can actually hear their voices in my head). It's a very vivid fic, and it makes me happy.

This Rabbit Heart