Halfway through the tour, folks. Are we having fun yet? ;-) Hang on now, it’s Collision Day!

Fandom: STARSKY AND HUTCH/RIPTIDE
Pairing: none
Length: 8,611 words
Author on LJ: tinx_r
Author Website: tinx_r at AO3
Also, tinx_r at the Starsky and Hutch Archive
Why this must be read:

Why? Not one, but two pairs of handsome, dashing men, that’s why.

What, you need more incentive than that? :) Well, alright then. Here we have a case story, whereby our Bay City boys have taken up some private investigating work after their retirement from the force, post-Gunther. They meet up with a couple of Vietnam vets, former MPs who still haven’t quite figured out what they’re going to do with the rest of their lives.

I love how this just makes so much sense to me. It slides in oh so nicely in the space between post-S&H canon and pre-Riptide canon, and is lovingly faithful to both. Tinx writes primarily in the Riptide fandom (and marvelous writing it is), but there’s no denying she knows her S&H as well, making for a story that is a delight to read for fen of either show.

( This is what happens when worlds collide~ )

Oh, and remember the Screaming Mimi? The other love of Nick’s life, that big pink helicopter? Don’tcha want to find out how she got her name? Go read and see! :D

Up, Up and Away

(Full disclosure: this story was written, in part, as a gift for me, but even if it wasn’t, it would still be my crossover pick *g*)

Vidder: Catyah
Musical Artist: The White Stripes
Pairing: Nick Ryder/Cody Allen
Vidder on LJ: catyah
Vidder's Website: Youtube page
Why this vid kicks ass:
This is a beautiful vid. Perfectly matched to the music, it simply shows Nick watching Cody with an old flame and breaking his heart over it.

It's heart-breaking and incredible. I can't recommend it enough.

On Youtube

Vidder: Jekesta
Musical Artist: Patty Loveless
Pairing: none
Vidder on LJ: jekesta
Vidder's Website: Here
Why this vid kicks ass:
Oh my. Some of the most beautiful scenes from Riptide, interspersed with short snips from various other shows and movies. PERFECTLY matched to the music (You're All I think About These Days).

I watch this thing over and over, it's hilarious and beautiful.

Embedded (on LJ) from BAM Video Vault
Download link

Fandom: RIPTIDE
Pairing: Nick Ryder/Cody Allen
Length: 350 words
Author on LJ: oddmonster
Author Website: riptide_asylum

Why this must be read:
This is future!fic for Riptide, and it's a New Year's Eve story. A story about a very special party, just for two. It's not porn (well, there's some porn) but it's far more poignant than that. It's a moment of reflection that's far larger than the brief words oddmonster uses to show it to us; it's a window into their lives.

It's sweet and sorrowful, hopeful and filled with love. Go join the boys for their very special New Year celebration, courtesy my dearest oddmonster.

This Time Is Different

Fandom: RIPTIDE
Pairing: Nick Ryder/Cody Allen
Length: 400 words
Author on LJ: valis2
Author Website: Author tag on Pier56
Why this must be read:
This is a sweet piece of future!fic, beautifully introspective. valis2 conjures up a perfect atmosphere and moment. It's a story that embraces Cody's relationship with the sea, as well as his relationship with Nick.

It's a beautiful moment, the kind that stays with you long after the fic itself is forgotten.

Night Voyage

Fandom: RIPTIDE
Pairing: Nick Ryder/Cody Allen, Murray Bozinsky
Length: 1700 words
Author on LJ: carodee
Author Website: Carodee's Insatiable Site

Why this must be read:
This is one of the first fics I read in the Riptide fandom, and remains one of my favorites. It features Murray Bozinsky as accidental voyeur (well, audio voyeur) of Nick and Cody's relationship.

It's a beautiful picture of Nick and Cody together from an outside viewpoint. It's also a poignant moment for Murray, hearing what he doesn't have, and it's a small window into Murray's personal understanding of sexuality--his own and others--and what that might mean for the future.

Outside, Looking In

Fandom: RIPTIDE
Pairing: Murray Bozinsky/Lt. Ted Quinlan
Length: 4000 words
Author on LJ: little_tristan
Author Website: Tanzer on Double Your Pleasure
Why this must be read:
There's plenty of onscreen UST between everyone's favorite geek, Murray Bozinsky, and hardass Lt. Ted Quinlan of the King Harbor PD. But until recently, there was no slash fic!

Fortunately, little_tristan has stepped into the breach. This story is the first of the Catbread series. Ted's been injured, and Murray does him a favor--and despite Ted's bad grace (competely in-character and awesome) Murray helps him just as much as he needs.

And then both Ted and Murray figure out that they both need a little more. little_tristan does an awesome job with these guys. The story is told with a certain objectivity which works incredibly well for Murray's POV--you can *feel* the little guy holding himself at arm's length, almost being an observer, and as the fic goes on he becomes more and more involved.

You can find the whole Catbread series here.

Power to the Catbread People

Fandom: RIPTIDE
Pairing: Nick Ryder/Cody Allen
Length: 2000 words
Author on LJ: oddmonster
Author Website: riptide_asylum
Why this must be read: This is an AU fic. But not just any AU fic: a SPACE PIRATES AU fic! And it is awesome. Hilarious and poignant by turns, oddmonster brings her not inconsiderable skill to describing a holiday from Murray's planet... Wikkmas :) There are many strange traditions, but: "Your holiday celebrates home invasion?" Nick asked.

And, if that's not enough? Cody gets new space-leathers. White ones.

Home for Wikkmas

Fandom: RIPTIDE
Pairing: Nick Ryder/Cody Allen
Length: 1600 words
Author on LJ: tnl
Author Website: Author tag on Pier 56
Why this must be read:
This is a Christmas story, and also the awesome culmination of Cody finally admitting to himself and to Nick just exactly what it is he really wants. Plus, it's illustrated :) Who doesn't want beautiful pictures for Christmas?

tnl makes an excellent job of two guys who know each other better than they know anything or anybody else trying to talk about their feelings. Sex gets in the way: they're boys, and it's awesomely done--but what's important is addressed. Their need for each other is, as always, true and clear, and this is an excellent picture of how things get in the way. It's a brilliant interpretation of Cody (also of Nick, but tnl does a beautiful complicated!Cody which is extremely dear to my heart).

And like I said: Pictures!

Upon A Midnight Clear

Fandom: RIPTIDE
Pairing: Nick Ryder/Cody Allen
Length: 1600 words
Author on LJ: seraphina_snape
Author Website: thewordyplague
Why this must be read:
Well, first of all, it's Christmas time, so it's time for some Christmas fic.

This is a pretty story. At the Pier 56 Christmas party, Nick and Cody really can't leave early... but they can't wait either. Murray is very Murray, which is awesome. It's a PWP, but it's beautifully drawn--the party's very real--and the tiny details, from Cody's Christmas sweater to Nick's thoughts about Sunny's tits are all perfectly in place.

If you're looking for a Christmas warm-up, this is the place to go :)

All I Want For Christmas

Fandom: RIPTIDE
Pairing: Nick Ryder/Cody Allen/Murray Bozinsky
Length: 8000 words
Author on LJ: arouette
Author Website: Double your Pleasure
Why this must be read:
I'm a Nick/Cody girl myself, but I read every pairing (or threesome!) in the fandom, and this is one of my favorite OT3 stories. The OT3 dynamic in Riptide often involves Murray in need of protection: one of the things I enjoy most about this story is Nick and Cody setting out to protect Murray and having their eyes firmly opened.

Knots is a kinky story about the birth of a three-way relationship. It begins in a bondage club, with Nick, Cody and Murray undercover--and Murray suddenly discovers, in a most intimate way, that bondage is something he *really* has a thing for.

This story is smokin' hot. From the beginning with Murray up on stage, to the end with Murray up on the table, it's an awesome ride. But the emotion's not left out: how Nick and Cody discover that protecting Murray is exactly the wrong thing to do, and that, in fact, he's the perfect third for their games, is very well drawn.

( Excerpt: )

Knots

Fandom: RIPTIDE
Pairing: Nick Ryder/Cody Allen/Murray Bozinsky unrequited
Length: 4000 words
Author on LJ: catyah
Author Website: Catyah on Double Your Pleasure
Why this must be read:
This is a really nice story of the three guys all lusting after one another while imagining each other in love with a nameless woman. There's some really hot owner-operator action (:D) plus some wonderful insights into the feelings of all three boys, and their feelings for each other.

This is way more than a PWP, and way more than an introspective UST story. By combining the two elements, Catyah ends with an awesome whole which really shouldn't be missed.

What They Don't Know

Fandom: RIPTIDE
Pairing: Nick Ryder/Cody Allen
Length: 500 words (5 drabbles)
Author on LJ: seraphina_snape
Author Website: thewordyplague
Why this must be read:
This is an awesome series of drabbles that follow Nick and Cody's relationship from pre-slash to slash. It *tastes* of summer and the beach; sera brings the story alive.

It's short, but it's perfect; it's a story of summer love. The tone and the images reflect canon perfectly and the whole thing is a delight.

5 Things To Do On The Beach

Fandom: RIPTIDE
Pairing: Nick Ryder/Cody Allen
Length: 1300 words
Author on LJ: tnl
Author Website: More fic on tnl's LJ; Here is his author tag on pier56
Why this must be read:
tnl explores something that is rare in the fandom but definitely suggested by canon: that Nick and Cody do in fact date girls, and that Cody, anyway, at least likes to believe that he's going to marry a girl some day. But the bond between the two of them is far too strong to really allow anyone between them for long, despite macho posturing.

tnl handles it in an incredibly awesome way. It took me some time to decide which of his fics to rec, but in the end, I decided on this one, which is gently angsty and incredibly sweet. It purely describes the *pull* between these guys.

They're Vietnam vets; they're a little fucked up; they like girls; but they belong to each other. This is an swesome story of the two of them on their way to working that out.

The Early Morning Charter

Fandom: Riptide
Pairing: Nick Ryder/Cody Allen (one sided)
Length: 8500 words
Author on LJ: hardboiledbaby
Author Website: On AO3
Why this must be read:
This is an absolutely wonderful fic, and Baby is an outstanding writer. Her style sucks you in and holds you for the ride. Told in the first person, it's easy to believe you're with the boys all the way through this emotional and beautiful story.

The First Thing You Want Never Comes is set pre-canon, while Nick and Cody are in the Military Police, and is a beautiful look at what happens when Cody meets up with an old flame. It answers the moment in Smiles We Left Behind where Nick tells Murray he and Cody "ran into Janet in Washington while we were on furlough"; and that he had to watch Cody "go through hell". But it is not necessary to have seen this episode to enjoy this fic.

Added to Cody's mixed feelings for his old flame, Nick's feelings for Cody are coming to the surface.

As well as this awesome fic, there is also fantastic banner-art by the outstanding quoshara

This story is a beautiful creation of angst, h/c, a little romance and most of, true friendship.

Excerpt:

That’s all I meant for it to be, too—just friendship. Cody’s my best friend. I love him and I would die for him. He knows that and he feels the same way. But somewhere along the line, that relationship, that bond, has come to mean more. It's everything, to me. Cody’s taken up so much of my heart, there ain’t much room for anyone or anything else. I don’t know how to change that, not without cutting him out of me. Open-heart surgery—I’d never survive.

So that’s the way it’s been, 'til now. But it wasn't going to last forever. Cody's tour was going to be up soon, but I still had a ways to go before I’d be done. We’d talked some about what we would do once we got out, vague pie-in-the-sky stuff, mostly, but Cody seemed to think we could find something to do together. I wanted that more than anything, but he’d have to know the truth, first. Maybe he could love me back that way, maybe not. Maybe we could still go partners in some kind of business, regardless. In any case, it was time to lay it on the line and let the chips fall where they may.

But that was before today. Now, I wasn't sure it would ever be the time.


The First Thing You Want Never Comes

Fandom: RIPTIDE
Pairing: Nick Ryder/Cody Allen
Length: 300
Author on LJ: katikat
Author Website: Fic tag on LJ
Why this must be read:
In Vivid Detail is a short snippet of pure perfection. It's another voyeur!Murray fic, giving us a tiny glimpse of the boys through his eyes.

Katikat packs a huge punch in a tiny amount of words. She slices straight to the heart of the relationships between all three boys, sparing nothing, taking the reader with her every step of the way. The picture she creates here is incredibly hot and incredibly sweet, and packed with emotion.

This is a fic you can't miss. It'll take you less than a minute to read it, and believe me, it's the best minute you'll ever spend.

In Vivid Detail

Fandom: RIPTIDE
Pairing: Nick Ryder/Cody Allen (pre-slash)
Length: 9500 words
Author on LJ: valis2
Author Website: Author tag on Pier56
Why this must be read:
Canon tells us Nick Ryder and Cody Allen met in Vietnam during the Vietnam War, and have remained best friends, coworkers and roommates ever since. One of the most wonderful benefits of Riptide fanfiction is the ability to go back to Vietnam and watch these two men begin to form the bond they have today.

Valis is an excellent writer, and manages her subject with delicacy and honesty, a hard mixture to get it right, but she does it awesomely. Lay Your Hands on Me uses a mixture of present day and flashback to tell a story from Vietnam, showing the tenderness between these two and where it all began. It also highlights how the cases these boys work can affect them due to things that happened in the war. It's an awesome look at results of PTSD, friendship and love.

( Excerpt under the cut )

Lay Your Hands on Me

Fandom: RIPTIDE
Pairing: Nick Ryder/Cody Allen
Length: 2000 words
Author on LJ: sara_merry99
Author Website: Sara's Fanfiction

Why this must be read: This is an extremely hot little story in which Murray Bozinsky indulges his voyeuristic tendencies. Through his eyes we are able to watch Nick and Cody together at a very early point in their relationship.

It's hot, sweet and in-character throughout. Sara's an awesome writer, and brings the scene she has created here completely to life.

This is a story not to be missed.

The Wall

Fandom: RIPTIDE
Pairing: Nick Ryder/Cody Allen
Length: 17,000 words
Author on LJ: oddmonster
Author Website: The Riptide Asylum (on livejournal)

Why this must be read:
Oddmonster is one of my favorite writers in this fandom. She gets the voices of the boys just *so*, and infuses her fics with an awesome yearning quality that perfectly sums up what we see between them in the canon. This story is a perfect example.

Gray. Safelike. is a case-fic that could have been pulled straight from the show's script - well, apart from the slash :) It's a pre-slash-to-slash, hurt/comfort fic that deals with Nick's yearning for Cody, his best and closest friend. As they solve the case, the guys protect each other as always, until Nick realizes, with a little help from Murray and the Roboz, that the time has come to speak up.

The story is sweet, sad, poignant and joyful by turns, and in Oddmonster's inimitable way, there's *plenty* of action. There's one moment that brings a tear to my eye no matter how often I read it. She nails the love between these boys perfectly, and I can never recommend this story enough.

( Excerpt under the cut )

Gray. Safelike. Part One
Gray. Safelike. Part Two
Gray. Safelike. Part Three
Gray. Safelike. Part Four

Riptide ran on NBC for 3 seasons and 56 episodes, beginning in 1984. All are now available on DVD for the discerning viewer.



( Pink helicopters, orange robots, beautiful boys and slash )

Fandom: THE A-TEAM/RIPTIDE
Pairing: Murdock/Face, Nick/Cody, mild Murray/Murdock, Murray/Nick/Cody (no explicit content)
Length: 4,191 Words
Author on LJ: catyah
Author Website: Fic can be found on the Author's livejournal.
Why this must be read:

I've found it's hard to find completed, good fics of The A-Team crossed over in any fandom. I'm sure there are tons of good crossover A-Team fanfic out there, but I've only stumbled across a few.

For a first time writer of The A-Team, Catyah writes the team dynamic in such a way, you're wondering if the tv show was planted onto the screen in written form. A long-time writer of the Riptide fandom, she brings the two shows together in a typical A-Team fashion you can't help but wonder what kind of crazy stunts are going to happen with two teams of trouble magnets.

( Fic Excerpt )

Five Times Murdock Kissed Murray