Anniversary Story by Francesca (rating: PG at most)

[unbelievable2.livejournal.com]

<b>Fandom:</b> THE SENTINEL
<b>Pairing:</b> Jim Ellison/Blair Sandburg
<b>Length:</b> about 5,000 words
<b>Author on LJ:</b> cesperanza
<b>Author Website:</b> http://www.trickster.org/francesca/

<b>Why this <i>must</i> be read:</b> Hello, I'm Ann, and I have the honour of driving the Van for The Sentinel during this lovely month of May.
I'm pretty new to TS, literally just discovering it and the reams and reams of glorious fic that goes with it, sometime last year. Furthermore, now that I have found Jim and Blair, I have grabbed hold of them tight and don't intend to let go!

I came into the fandom in perhaps an odd way: I found the fics before the episodes. I had no idea The Sentinel even existed until I stumbled upon Allaire Mikhail's wonderful "Storyteller's Campsite", looking for something else, and found  fantastic recs for a whole pile of fandoms, TS included. Francesca's work was some of the first stuff I read, and so I am starting with a fic from amongst her many and varied, but always excellent, work.
Francesca is rightly famous for her series, but actually I prefer her stand-alone stories. Anniversary Story is a treat from start to finish. The voices are absolutely spot-on, the dialogue hilarious, the scenario entirely believable. But I also adore the way that she has completely captured the mess of contradictions that is Jim Ellison, a man so up-and-at-'em in his professional life but in his personal life so cursed by doubt and hesitation. In this story a chance remark jolts Jim out of what he believes to be his comfort zone and into contemplating a massive step forward. The whole story is told from Ellison's POV, a spot-on inner dialogue of doubt and frustration mixed with exasperation in equal measure.

Completely adorable. Oh, and it has the best mountaineering joke in all of fanfic.    

http://www.trickster.org/francesca/Anniverstory.html

Comments

[unbelievable2.livejournal.com]

Apologies to all for the horrible formatting of this entry. I seem to have a problem with lj at the mo.
:((

Edit: I've managed to tidy it *a bit*

[laurie-ky.livejournal.com]

It must be LJ being a butt. Your coding looks right to me. Maybe delete the coding and do it over. Sometimes that works for me. One thing I learned when I drove the van was to first do a private post to just me on my LJ. It helped me find the goofs before I posted them to the public.

I love her stories, thanks for the rec.

Laurie

[unbelievable2.livejournal.com]

Thanks for the advice!

[snailbones.livejournal.com]

You sound like you arrived in the TS fandom exactly the same way I did *high fives you* *g*

Thanks for the rec, and I'm looking forward to the rest of your month's recs too.

[unbelievable2.livejournal.com]

It's hard to find stuff not recced before, when I've not been in the fandom that long! Already blew it with the one, ah well. Hopefully I'll get better at it!

[snailbones.livejournal.com]

LOL - I'm having the same problem with the van in the Professionals at the moment - I think I'm pretty much doomed to rec something that's been done before... but it's all fabulous writing, and I'm sure people don't mind being reminded of something a second time *crosses fingers*

Good luck - I'm sure you'll dig up all sorts of wonderful things.

[unbelievable2.livejournal.com]

Oooooh, you have reminded me I am neglecting my Pros reading! I am off to read your recs!

[snailbones.livejournal.com]

LOL - it's terrible, being torn between fandoms... so many nice things to read, so little time in the day!

[laceymcbain.livejournal.com]

Isn't it great to discover a new fandom? I was thrilled when I found TS, and there's a ton of good fic out there. And good for you for volunteering for crack_van.

Your coding is showing, but that's not a huge deal. It happens to everyone at some point. Maybe check the entry to see if there's anything before the first bold marker. Even spaces can sometimes mess things up. Or quotation marks. The preview option is good for checking that stuff out - it seems whenever I opt not to use it is when I post and realize half the entry is missing, or the links don't work, or something. (It's not just you!)

[unbelievable2.livejournal.com]

Thanks for the reassurance! I'm defo going to do the practice shots on my journal next time!

[magician113.livejournal.com]

\0/ \0/ Yay, your first posting! I still remember how nervous I was the very first time I posted here. It gets better and better, I promise!

I think most people who've come to the fandom in the last decade got here through the fanfic--many times through a crossover. What's amazing to me is how many continue to be loyal to the guys for years. And the wealth of wonderfully written stories is phenomenal. You recommended one of the stories I love to re-read and recommend. I love when they are both a little clueless but sincere. Hooray for Sandburg Appreciation Day!

[unbelievable2.livejournal.com]

Thanks again for the helping hand!

[kernel1.livejournal.com]

This is one of my favourite stories,too. Every time I'm in Wagamama's I think of yucky udon and it cracks me up.

[unbelievable2.livejournal.com]

Thanks for the comment! Dont you find this reccing is nerve-racking stuff?!

[kernel1.livejournal.com]

Yes, I found it nerve- racking, too but it gets a lot easier by the end of the month. Let me know if there is anything I can do to help.

[unbelievable2.livejournal.com]

Ta!

[mab-browne.livejournal.com]

I wouldn't worry about the whole coming to TS through fanfic thing. I did exactly the same. And the mountain climbing joke always makes me go 'oh, ffs, Jim'. But from a place of love, of course. *g*

[unbelievable2.livejournal.com]

He was distracted, you know. *g*
Thanks for the comment!

[stargatesg1971.livejournal.com]

I re-read this story not long ago, its so sweet. Lovely first rec, I look forward to the rest of your month.