I've had a blast driving the van for Justified, and this will be my last rec.  I've mentioned some other places you can find Justified fic and recs in the comments on this post, so check it out if you're not sure where to go after you get off the van.  I'm also willing to put together a recs list of my own with other great Justified stories as I find them, if anyone's interested.  Otherwise- so long, it's been great!

Fandom: JUSTIFIED
Characters: Boyd Crowder
Length: 311 words
Author on LJ: halfshellvenus
Author Website: N/A

Why this must be read: It's a brand, spanking new Justified fic- short, but very good.  It takes us into Boyd's head at the end of the first episode.  It captures him amazingly, and though Raylan technically doesn't appear he is very present- or, at least, Boyd's probably somewhat skewed vision of him is.  I want to finish with this fic because a) it's just out, and supporting new fic in this smallish fandom is very important, and b) it's sweet, warm and very hopeful.

Tin Star Salvation
 

Vidder: Luminosity
Music: "Henry Nearly Killed Me" by Ray Lamontagne
Length: 4:15
Vidder on LJ: sockkpuppett
Vidder's Website: unfortunately no longer available

Why this must be viewed: Of course, for my vid rec I have to do a Boyd Crowder character study, and this one is gorgeous, haunting, and extremely well put-together.  The build of it is magnificent.

It's a Shame
 

Fandom: JUSTIFIED
Pairing: Raylan Givens/Tim Gutterson
Length: 1,995 words
Author on LJ: linndechir
Author Website: at AO3

Why this must be read: With the month coming to a close, I want to rec at least one Raylan/Tim fic, and this is a lovely little one.  Here, Art sends Tim and Raylan on a trip, and the author captures their dynamic at its best.  And there are lines like this one, which I think speaks for itself:

They had spent the first half hour of the trip chatting about various kinds of firearms, which had led Tim to the conclusion that Raylan, as good as he was with a handgun – and Tim acknowledged without any envy that Raylan's quick draw was a thing of beauty – the man just had no proper appreciation for rifles. Tim found it almost personally insulting when people didn't appreciate rifles.

Counting the miles

Fandom: JUSTIFIED
Characters: Ava Crowder, Boyd Crowder, Raylan Givens, Winona Hawkins
Length: 7,502 words
Author on LJ: N/A
Author Website: at fanfiction.net

Why this must be read: It concerns the supremely awkward situation of Ava, Boyd, Raylan and Winona all stuck in an elevator together.  There's only one thing that could make this even more awkward than implied by canon- and so Boyd and Winona also have a connection here, from before she even met Raylan.

This connection is a complete surprise that I don't want to spoil- but surprising as it is, now that I've read the story I have trouble believing that it didn't happen that way.  It's really great.

Stuck in the Middle
  

Fandom: JUSTIFIED
Pairing: Ava Crowder/Boyd Crowder/Raylan Givens
Length: 1,045 words
Author on LJ: postcardmystery
Author Website: at AO3

Why this must be read: For two such different men, Boyd and Raylan really do lend themselves to life-swap A.U.'s, and this is a great one.  You have to be light on your feet, because in just over a thousand words the author rewrites most of the Justified canon- but it's absolutely worth the effort.

Boyd the marshal and Raylan the crime boss are the stars here, of course, with a lovely side appearance by Ava- but it's the role Winona plays, though small, that really takes this fic to a new level.  It's a truly brilliant A.U.  

this is the life of an outlaw
 

Fandom: JUSTIFIED
Characters/Pairing: Ava Crowder/Boyd Crowder/Raylan Givens, Loretta McCready
Length: 17,840 words
Author on LJ: norgbelulah
Author Website: at AO3

Why this must be read: A Justified meets the zombie apocalypse fic needs no- er- justification.  I should mention that this isn't strictly an A.U., but rather a well thought out 'What if'- what if the next thing to happen to these characters was the end of the world- plus the undead?

It's a wonderful Loretta-centric fic, with some equally wonderful third party POV Ava/Boyd/Raylan development.  The author strikes the perfect mix of chilling horror and odd sweetness in this story, and never more so than with this OT3.  Because really, this is one of the happier endings they could reasonably expect.

The Whirlwind in the Thorn Tree
  

Fandom: JUSTIFIED
Pairing: Boyd Crowder/Raylan Givens, Ava Crowder/Boyd Crowder/Raylan Givens
Length: 11,197 words
Author on LJ: N/A
Author Website: at AO3

Why this must be read: It's a five times fic style A.U. showing the different things Boyd and Raylan could have been to each other if circumstances had been different.  It's gorgeous and evocative, packing a huge amount of punch into only five scenes.  There's one where Raylan and Boyd are partners in the marshal service and one where they were both born girls (this one, my favorite in the end, has a wonderful appearance by Mags Bennett) to name only a few.  Each and every one is lovely.

Bands in a Spectrum
 

I dub this A.U. week; there are some amazing ones to showcase in this fandom.

Fandom: Justified
Pairing: Boyd Crowder/Raylan Givens
Length: 36,329 words
Author on LJ: N/A
Author on Website: at AO3

Why this must be read: If ever a real-world show lent itself to a supernatural A.U., it’s Justified- and this story, which gives it a dark, unquantifiable, Stephan King-esque horror treatment, is absolutely amazing. It follows the story of the pliot- except where it doesn’t at all, rewriting the story into something as beautiful as it is horrifying. It’s long, well-rendered, and fantastic.  

To Call the Darkness Home
 

Fandom: Justified
Characters: Art Mullen
Length: 1,083 words
Author on LJ: N/A
Author on Website: at fanfiction.net

Why this must be read: Despite the clunky title (about which there seems to have been some confusion; you'll see what I mean), this is a very effective and poignant look at Art.  In just a couple little vignettes, the author establishes a great deal about the character, and all of it makes perfect sense.  It's a lovely look at some of Art's troubles before the start of the series- none of them quite so bad as being Raylan Givens' boss.

Five Things That Aged Art Mullen Before His Time
 

Title: Right Shade of Blue by jessicalynn8383
Pairing: Raylan Givens/Winona Hawkins, pre-Javier Esposito/Kevin Ryan
Length: 3,089 words
Author on LJ: jessicalynn8383
Author on Website: at AO3

Why this must be read: It sells the idea that Raylan and Javier Esposito knew each other while Raylan was working in Florida so well I have trouble believing it didn't happen.  It also gives a effective look at Raylan just after his marriage ends and is smart, funny, and very well rendered- also there's a bit with Raylan getting drunk and singing Brad Paisley songs.

Esposito is newly partnered with Ryan and angsting deeply about his developing feelings for the man.  He pays Raylan a visit and finds that Raylan's wife has just left him.  Though this is primarily a Castle fic- and a prequel to a larger Castle series- it's well worth a look.

Right Shade of Blue
  

Fandom: JUSTIFIED
Pairings: Helen Givens/Mags Bennett, Loretta McCready/OFC
Length: 1,265 words
Author on LJ: norgbelulah
Author on Website: at AO3

Why this fic must  be read: Justified femslash is thin on the ground, and this gorgeous, which in my book is reason enough, but I'll continue.  Harlan Country obviously isn’t a great place to be queer, and everything about this story is as careful, secretive, and indefinable as such a relationship would have to be. It’s a lovely story all around, but this take on Helen and Mags’ always interesting dynamic is a great one.  

I also haven't seen any takes on Helen Givens that capture how she must have been as a young woman half as well as this one does in a snapshot.

Ties

This week I'm going to focus on some of the smaller characters on Justified- and on getting out of my comfort zone a little bit.  If you've hoping for some fics with Raylan and people named Crowder in secondary roles, this is your week.

Fandom: JUSTIFIED
Characters: Ensemble, emphasis on Tim Gutterson and Rachel Brooks
Length: 4,115 words
Author on LJ: N/A
Author on Website: at AO3

Why this must be read: It's a great Tim-centric fic, wherein he gets help from Rachel- and, reluctantly, Raylan- to help stop an old army buddy from killing a protected witness.  It's also a wonderful look at how the marshals function as a team, full of lovely characterizations, and lines that are absolute gems, like this one:

She grimaced.  "I know calling Raylan for backup is like bringing a nuke to a knife fight, but those guys your friend was hanging out with are Russian mafia."

Justice, Integrity, Service
 

Fandom: JUSTIFIED
Pairing: Ava Crowder/Boyd Crowder/Raylan Givens
Length: 14,167 words
Author on LJ: someotherstorm
Author on Website: at AO3

Why this must be read: It has a truly standout depiction of Ava.  She's strong and confidant, but not without her scars from her terrible marriage.  This is technically the sequel to a lovely (read: scorching) Boyd/Raylan fic: there's a devil waiting outside your door, which I also highly recommend.  I happened to read love was shrewd and bold first, though, and while there were references to the first story it still read fine on its own- so whether to read both is up to you.

I want to focus on love was shrewd and bold, rather than both fics, because of the lovely depiction of Ava.  It's only fair that, since she died in my last rec, she should have some fun in this one.  Ava wants to convince Raylan to have a threesome with her and Boyd.  It isn't easy, but worthwhile things often aren't.  Both fics are rated mature, and admittedly they could be more graphic, but they are mostly smut, and the Boyd/Raylan parts are fairly violent.  Prepare accordingly.

love was shrewd and bold
 

Fandom: JUSTIFIED
Pairing: Boyd Crowder/Raylan Givens
Length: 7,680 words
Author on LJ: N/A
Author Website: at AO3

Why this must be read: It's one of my favorite Boyd/Raylan stories, but I recommend it with a grain of salt.  I was very unhappy with this fic for a) killing Ava off and b) not making much of it in the warnings.  However, I got over it because in the text Boyd's mourning is handled very well, and his developing relationship with Raylan is even more so.  I'm wary of fics for this pairing because they sometimes oversimplify their complex in-canon relationship to 'This?  It was always about sex.  Always.'  This story doesn't do that, and yet it also makes it seem like they were always headed this way.

Boyd moves in with Raylan (in a platonic way, despite there only being one bed) but things slowly change.  The appearances by Raylan's fellow marshals- as they assume that Boyd and Raylan are involved long before they are and try to tell him, in their weird way, that they are okay with it- are gold.  The author rated this general audiences, and admittedly it is not graphic- but I'd call it teen at least, if for nothing other than language.  Keep that in mind- and also know that there are sequels which I haven't read, and which have much higher ratings.  Personally, I was happy with the ending just as it was.

Living Arrangements  
  

Fandom: Justified
Pairing: Ava Crowder/Boyd Crowder
Length: 37,860 words
Author on LJ: N/A
Author on Website: at fanfiction.net

Why this must be read: This is a long, well handled, wonderful Ava/Boyd fic post "Bloody Harlan."  It occurs to Boyd that he's a danger to Ava and so decides to remove himself from her life- by removing himself from Kentucky for while.  He's looking for his mother's relatives out of state, but he finds some folks in a trouble a long while before that- and Ava's right on his tail.

This fic takes a little while to warm up, but is a 100% worth it.  Boyd and Ava are both wonderfully rendered, as are the many OCs.  Raylan's appearances are brief, but perfect.

Crossfire      
 

Hi, all!  I'm potentiality_26 and I'll be your first Justified driver.  Though I love most things Justified, I favor Boyd, Ava and Raylan (mostly in that order), the Ava/Boyd/Raylan OT3, and most gen, het, and slash permutations therein.  Since I'm first, I've been trying to branch out a bit, but my preferences will still probably be reflected in my recs.  

Fandom: JUSTIFIED
Characters: Raylan Givens, Boyd and Ava Crowder
Length: 5,675 words
Author on LJ: N/A
Author Website: at AO3

Why this must be read: It's a great place to start, in my opinion, because it's the first Justified fic I ever read, and it's still one of my favorites.  It's fairly old, so some of the details are no longer valid.  Nevertheless, it remains the happy ending for the series that I actually believe could happen, and I still like to cradle it close whenever I feel down.  Though never overly fluffy or sugary, it sells that one day there might actually be peace.

Raylan gets shot and decides to transfer into Witness Protection, figuring he might live longer.  Boyd and Ava offer to give up all their criminal contacts- including the Dixie Mafia- as long as Raylan is the marshal assigned to them.  All the characters are well drawn here, but the observations on Boyd and Raylan's dynamic are some of the best I've seen.  It's sometimes funny, sometimes sad, but always wonderful.

I Have Always Lived in the Moment
 

Justified, really best described as a modern day western, is based on a short story by the great Elmore Leonard.  It follows Raylan Givens, a Deputy US Marshal who spent most of his life trying to get out of his home state of Kentucky but has now been sent back there, as he tries to do his job while dealing strange friends and dangerous enemies, old and new.

It's a bit late in this complex and layered series for me to do it- um- justice- in anything less than a novel, so I'm going to keep this pretty bare bones.  Spoilers for Seasons 1-3, but most espcially the pilot.

( I see them long hard times to come )
      

Fandoms: FRINGE, JUSTIFIED
Pairing: Lincoln Lee/Tim Gutterson
Length: 3,200 words
Author on LJ: cadiens
Author Website: unknown
Why this must be read:

For all of Fringe's mad-science premise, it's an easy series to cross over with other shows set in the real world. Here, Lexington, Kentucky becomes the focal point of a Fringe event. The local marshals, including Raylan Givens and Tim Gutterson, are pulled into an investigation far beyond their experience. And Lincoln Lee meets up with someone he never thought he'd encounter again. I love how naturally this flows, and the entirely real reactions between the characters from very different worlds.

Most of Us Prizefighters


(ETA: Now that there's a Justified tag [thank you, mods!], I hope someone steps up to rec fic for that magnificent show!)