crack_van | I Fought the Law, by Andi and Charli Charleville (PG-13)

i love cross-overs, and think it's completely unfair that we only get to rec 1 crossover a month! ::pouts:: be that as it may, i hope you enjoy the following reccomendation:

Title: I Fought the Law
Fandoms: Magnificent 7: ATF AU/ The Sentinel
Pairing: N/A, Gen
Authors on LJ: Unknown
Authors' Websites: Unknown, but Fic for both available at Lady Angel's Library
Length: (Est) 150k, broken into 5 parts

Why this must be read:

I'm a big fan of Mag7:ATF/ Sentinel crossovers, and i do mean a *big* fan. I love the interaction between Jim Ellison and Chris Larabee, and I love watching them deciding they can 1) work together and 2) piss everyone off in the process with glee. It can be the most serious fic in the world, but that interaction dynamic still makes me giggle happily.

This story is one of my favorites. I like long, plotty, action/adventure type stories, and this one is longish, and plotty. It's a little light on the action, although given the characters involved, that's not necessarily a bad thing. Face it, competent people don't really screw up all that much, and are adaptable to quickly changing situations. And all of the characters here are canonically competent, so smoothly executed strategies like the ones featured in this story are par for the course. Andi and Charli focus more on the team interactions, between members of the same teams, and members of the two different shows, all showcased against the backdrop of a case story.

While I came into the Magnificent 7 fandom via a cross-over from Cindy Combs' Refuge, this story should work in the opposite manner, being a good transitional bridge/ introduction to The Sentinel universe. And as Sentinel is my first fandom, my beloved alma mater of fandom, so to speak, I can't help but think that's a good thing.

First Impressions:

The members of team 7 had gathered in the room that Chris and Vin where sharing, finishing up the last of the coffee from breakfast, when a knock sounded on the door. Nathan opened it to reveal a short, balding man in a black suit. His already pale complexion seemed even more washed out due to the color of the suit. His appearance screamed "Fed".

"Agent Larabee?" he asked. Nathan pointed to Chris. He walked over to Chris, ignoring the others in the room. "Agent Larabee, I'm Special Agent Donohue, your liaison. Sam Alders asked me to lend you my expertise in dealing with the local police."

"Have you worked with Captain Banks and his people before, Agent Donohue?" Chris asked. Something about this man was setting Chris' nerves on edge. Chris' innocent question started Donohue off on a tangent that only increased the team leader's opinion that he hated working with the FBI.

Donohue snorted. "Unfortunately. They're all a bunch of screw-ups, especially Jim Ellison and that so-called 'partner' of his. Ellison thinks he's hot shit, just because he supposedly survived more than a year as an MIA in some South American jungle."

"What?" Chris and Buck both chorused, the last statement having gotten everyone's attention. Donohue smiled as he enlightened the ATF team with his 'expertise' of the local police. He was so caught up in his tirade, that he didn't notice the glance Chris threw at JD. The young agent nodded and quickly booted up his laptop and began typing. Soon, Chris could hear the sound of pages of information being printed out on the printer that they had hooked up to the laptop. Donohue hadn't stopped his monologue.

"Yeah, the Army claims his chopper was shot down and he was the only survivor. They say he connected up with some local tribe and survived for eighteen months. Sounds like a cover-up to me. He probably connected with some little tribal bimbo is what really happened, but of course they can't release that. So they make up some story and proclaim him a 'hero' and put his picture on the cover of 'News Update' magazine."

"Wait a minute, he's that Jim Ellison?" Chris asked.

More of I Fought the Law can be found here.

-bs