Recent Entries 
15th-Dec-2011 10:59 am "Reality in 21st Century Bohemia" by PythonFan (T)
Happy Crossover Day!

Fandom: Musical Theater / Rent crossover with The West Wing
Pairing: Gen (background Josh/Donna)
Length: One-shot
Author on LJ: Unknown
Author Website: At FFN

Why this must be read: Roger Davis and Josh Lyman walk into a bar. Is that not reason enough?

Seriously, though, this one-shot is actually a fairly worthy look at the gap between the good-hearted, well-intentioned D.C. types (I promise, they do exist outside of fiction) and the people they mean to help but never quite do. PythonFan has an intimate knowledge of both fandoms, and it shows. Roger is right on the money here--rife with potential and apathy--and if Josh seems a little nicer than usual, we can chalk it up to the influence of his Midwestern spouse. This fic was written well before most people had heard the name Barack Obama, but the author even manages to bring the clear (and partially intentional) parallels betwene our President and Matt Santos to bear.

Mark was out running around somewhere with his camera, trying get film of Santos for some nefarious purpose. )

Reality in 21st Century Bohemia
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31st-Oct-2011 12:41 pm snakes in the white house by magisterequitum (G)
Fandom: THE WEST WING
Pairing: none
Length: 1,217 words
Author on LJ: [livejournal.com profile] magisterequitum
Author Website: masterlist
Why this must be read:
An intruder of the reptilian kind in the office of President Matt Santos's Chief of Staff reveals interesting things about the West Wing team -- from Ainsley, who, though small and ladylike, is no damsel in distress, to Josh, who, though neither small nor ladylike, is a damsel in distress, to Santos, who is the coolest president ever. Entirely worth reading for anyone who likes the intelligent humor that's a trademark of this show.

snakes in the white house
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31st-Oct-2011 11:41 am Blurred by Priya/Baked Goldfish (G)
Fandom: THE WEST WING
Pairing: none
Length: 701 words
Author on LJ: n/a
Author on LJ: [livejournal.com profile] baked_goldfish
Author Website: website, list of stories at N-L (scroll down)
Why this must be read: Because this is one of the most convincing portrayals of John Hoynes found in fanfiction, and seeing his perspective of the events of the episode "War Crimes" helps understand his motivations and contradictions. It's a portrait that captures the essence of the character, painted with some truly haunting and evocative imagery.

Blurred
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30th-Oct-2011 10:36 pm A Thousand Tomorrows by Baked Goldfish (PG)
Fandom: THE WEST WING
Pairing: none
Length: 1,009 words
Author on LJ: [livejournal.com profile] baked_goldfish
Author Website: list of stories at N-L (scroll down to the author's name); website
Why this must be read: This is an angsty, bittersweet glance into Sam's mind after his crushing defeat in Orange County, and an attempt to explain why he didn't return to the White House. It rings true. Maybe losing that election was merely the culmination of a long slide down the slippery, filthy slopes of politics, and after he had landed in the dirt, very far from the pristine idealism he'd once had, he finally found the courage to do what he needed to do to start the journey back to himself.

A Thousand Tomorrows
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29th-Oct-2011 11:11 pm A Season in Hell by N. Y. Smith (PG-13)
Fandom: THE WEST WING
Pairing: Josh/Donna
Length: 11,055 words
Author on LJ: n/a
Author Website: profile
Why this must be read: The plot! The clever, unpredictable, angsty plot worthy of a thriller. And because it's a good study of Josh's personality and the depth of his loyalty to President Bartlet... and his unspoken love for Donna.

A Season in Hell (or here)
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29th-Oct-2011 03:56 pm On The Road To The Real Thing by Roo Maphie (R)
Fandom: THE WEST WING
Pairing: none
Length: 20 chapters
Author on LJ: unknown
Author Website: unknown
Why this must be read: If you like a well-researched and well-written trauma and recovery fic, this one is worth checking out. It's written in an unusual style: stream of consciousness yet minimalist, making you read between the lines. It makes you think. Its other distinguishing features: a close-up and poignant look at how someone as excruciatingly idealistic as Sam Seaborn would have been affected by having to do ruthless and unethical little things that he didn't agree with but that are part of the political game, and a curious not quite friendship between Sam and Hoynes – between the idealist and the opportunist. This story offers a more sympathetic interpretation of John Hoynes' character than is common in fandom, but he is ambiguous enough in canon that this doesn't feel out of character.

On The Road To The Real Thing
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29th-Oct-2011 01:44 am Even Steven by Sid Mc (G)
Fandom: THE WEST WING
Pairing: none
Length: 1,570 words
Author on LJ: n/a
Author Website: profile
Why this must be read: This hilarious dialogue-only piece featuring CJ Cregg and President Bartlet fits right into the show's tongue-in-cheek spirit. Better yet, the characters' voices are dead-on. And really, didn't CJ deserve a bit of payback for the Notre Dame cap and song incident?

CJ is sassy enough to pull such a stunt, all for the good cause of increasing their chances of winning the next election. She came up with the photo op with the goat-that-was-supposed-to-be-a-cow and the "First Lady and the Muppets" gambit, and that was when she didn't have a grudge.

Even Steven
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28th-Oct-2011 03:15 pm Toby's Favorite Elephant by coffeeplease (G)
Fandom: THE WEST WING
Pairing: Josh/Donna (mentioned)
Length: 1,657 words
Author on LJ: n/a
Author Website: profile
Why this must be read: This short 90% dialogue fic gets Toby's voice exactly right, which is rare. The unique quirkiness/eccentricity of this character's thought process is tricky to grasp and even trickier to write, and hardly ever found in fanfiction.

Plus it's genuinely funny without being silly.

Toby's Favorite Elephant
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27th-Oct-2011 11:15 pm The InBetweens by daydreamer4 (Teen)
Fandom: THE WEST WING
Pairing: CJ/Josh
Length: 89,257 words
Author on LJ: n/a
Author Website: profile
Why this must be read: Other than the author's excellent grasp of characterization? This story is based on the premise that CJ is a sort of female counterpart to Josh. Both are politically brilliant, psychologically high-strung, and romantically inept, which makes a relationship between them plausible enough but surely doomed. It's a demonstration of the author's skill as a writer that the entire story takes place between the scenes and therefore doesn't contradict canon. A prequel which focuses on the beginnings of the relationship (set during the first campaign) is in the process of being written and is definitely worth reading as well.

The InBetweens (and prequel)
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27th-Oct-2011 08:47 am Campaign Snapshots by Kansas J. Miller (Teen)
Fandom: THE WEST WING
Pairing: CJ/Danny
Length: 25,486 words
Author on LJ: n/a
Author Website: fanfiction.net profile
Why this must be read: Because it's an exciting and realistic in-depth look at the first Bartlet campaign - the one we saw very little of - written by someone who knows what they are talking about when it comes to presidential campaigns in the United States. It is, indisputably, almost as good as the show itself.

Campaign Snapshots
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22nd-Oct-2011 02:20 pm Time and the Fates of Men I - "Written" by Marguerite1 (PG)
Fandom: THE WEST WING
Pairing: none
Length: 2,441 words
Author on LJ: n/a
Author Website: fanfiction.net profile
Why this must be read: While his best friend is in surgery fighting for his life, Sam deals with it in the way that's most natural for him: as a writer. This short and powerful story won first place in a West Wing contest for "outstanding characterization" and "outstanding angst", and fully earned it.

Time and the Fates of Men I - "Written"
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10th-Oct-2011 08:38 pm And The World Stood Still by SheilaVR (Teen)
Fandom: THE WEST WING
Pairing: None
Length: 16 chapters
Author on LJ: n/a
Author Website: list of stories at N-L
Why this must be read: Well-written suspense is hard to find in fanfiction, as are stories that do justice to Jed Bartlet's frighteningly brilliant, scheming, yet tormented mind.

This author sure knows the meaning of 'plot' and 'thriller'. You won't see the twists coming in this one.

The most memorable, and unsettling, part of this story is the power struggle between Bartlet and Hoynes; the author skillfully replicates the complexity of the two characters' canon relationship dynamic.

And The World Stood Still

Check out the author's other stories too - they are almost as good!
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9th-Oct-2011 06:02 pm Two Weeks by Jennifer Wilson (Mature)
Fandom: THE WEST WING
Pairing: Josh/Donna
Length: 28,497 words
Author on LJ: n/a
Author Website: her ff.net profile; her stories at N-L
Why this must be read:
Who doesn't love stories about clever people being clever? Here, Josh, who (so we are told) is a kickass strategist, does what he didn't do in canon but we've all wished he had: he concocts a plan to get Donna to join his candidate's team instead of Russel's. And Donna, with her personal brand of shrewd resourcefulness and all that trivia knowledge, is too smart not to realise Bob Russel isn't worth working for...

This is the fic that made me ship Josh/Donna when canon didn't quite manage.

Two Weeks (or here)
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15th-Sep-2011 08:06 am Lies, Damn Lies, and Agriculture by torch (PG)
Fandom: THE X-FILES/The West Wing
Pairing: None
Length: 2700 words

Author on LJ: [livejournal.com profile] flambeau
Author Website: the flambeau factory

Why this must be read: torch is well known for her steamy Krycek-centric fics. This hilarious crossover features our favorite one-armed double agent, but in a new context: making an appointment with Deputy Chief of Staff Josh Lyman to make sure that the current administration isn't about to rock the boat. Krycek's actual appearance is brief, but the banter between Josh, his assistant Donna, and his friend Sam is just terrific.

Excerpt )


Lies, Damn Lies, and Agriculture
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20th-Dec-2010 09:49 pm So It Goes by Nomad (K+)
Fandom: THE WEST WING
Pairing: Jed/Abbey, Abbey/OMC
Length: 29,270
Author on LJ: [livejournal.com profile] nomadicwriter
Author Website: Profile at FF.net
Why this must be read:

There's just something about Jed and Abbey Bartlet, definitely one of TV's greatest married couples and a favorite of mine since I first saw them on screen. It's just so easy to see how they're so in love, watching these two just makes me smile. I love background how-they-got-together stories, what can I say I'm a romantic at heart. So It Goes is a wonderful example of the genre, and has made its way into my personal canon on how Jed and Abbey first met.

Excerpt )

So It Goes
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17th-Dec-2010 04:39 pm Bedford Falls by Dee (Mature)
Fandom: THE WEST WING
Pairing: Josh/Donna
Length: ~32,000
Author on LJ: Unknown
Author Website: Stories by Dee at the National Library
Why this must be read:

Bedford Falls is one of the best Josh/Donna AUs out there, Dee has created this wonderful universe where Donna never made it to New Hampshire and meets Josh years later in a bar in DC. They're older and it shows, with everything they have been through in this alternate time line. This is a great piece and one I highly recommend.

Excerpt )

Bedford Falls
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15th-Dec-2010 08:20 pm The West Wing / Lost (R)
Title: Seven Tomorrows by falseeeyelashes
Pairing: Gen; Ensemble
Length: 7,991
Author on LJ: [Bad username or site: @ livejournal.com]
Author Website: Master List of Fanfic
Why this must be read:

Because it's dark and complex; this author is such a magnificent storyteller and she brings these two shows together so perfectly. This is a piece that all crossover fans should read.

"Josh, what’s the Dharma Initiative?"

Seven Tomorrows
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11th-Dec-2010 10:33 pm Observations At 30,000 Feet by Lattelady (YTEEN)
Fandom: THE WEST WING
Pairing: Josh/Donna, mentions of Jed/Abbey
Length: 2,414
Author on LJ: [Bad username or site: @ livejournal.com]
Author Website: Index of Stories and Music Videos
Why this must be read:

Who doesn't love Abbey Bartlet? Seeing Josh and Donna through the First Lady's eyes is really heartwarming and this piece is the perfect little one-shot for all the romantics out there.

She took a few moments to digest what she’d seen. As she looked into the darkness out across the cabin, she remembered a number of things, that taken one at a time, meant nothing, but when lumped together created to a very interesting picture, especially in light of the tender moment she’d just witnessed.

Observations At 30,000 Feet
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9th-Dec-2010 06:04 pm all the walls of jericho by fated_addiction (R)
Fandom: THE WEST WING
Pairing: Hoynes/Amy
Length: 1,300
Author on LJ: [Bad username or site: @ livejournal.com]
Author Website: N/A
Why this must be read:

These two characters were anything but fandom favorites when they appeared on the show, but I always had a soft spot for Hoynes and I always thought that Amy brought out a different side of Josh, one that was fascinating to watch as a viewer. This story is dark and bleak, with wonderful imagery that makes this piece a stand out in West Wing rare pair fic.

"I’m not proud of this."

all the walls of jericho
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7th-Dec-2010 04:43 pm Solecism by Marguerite and Ryo Sen (YTEEN)
Fandom: THE WEST WING
Pairing: Josh/Donna, Ensemble
Length: 6,210
Author on LJ: [Bad username or site: @ livejournal.com] and [Bad username or site: @ livejournal.com]
Author Website: Marguerite's Fiction | The Jo & Ryo Collective
Why this must be read:

Because how exactly did Josh convince Danny, Toby, Will, and Charlie to play the bad cops to his good cop and go pick up Donna? Marguerite and Ryo are two incredible authors and this collaboration nicely fills the gap left in Inauguration (Part I) and is a must-read for all fans of the show.

Excerpt )

Solecism
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4th-Dec-2010 08:38 pm The Great Zombie Invasion of 2001 by netgirl_y2k (PG)
Fandom: THE WEST WING
Pairing: Josh/Donna
Length: 1,071
Author on LJ: [Bad username or site: @ livejournal.com]
Author Website: Fic Journal at Dreamwidth
Why this must be read:

Because this piece is awesome with its one-liners and musings about the ethical treatment of zombies. Josh and Donna's banter is just spot on and the rest of the ensemble cast also have their shining moments in this hilarious one-shot.

"Is this in the constitution?" Toby asked, as they all pelted hell for leather through the communications bullpen.

Josh didn't answer, mainly because he was still reeling from seeing Donna dispatch a zombie using nothing but her plastic salad fork.

"I mean," Toby continued as they reached the counsels offices, "can you have a president removed from office for being undead."


The Great Zombie Invasion of 2001
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16th-Jul-2010 06:30 pm No Flying in the House by tangleofthorns (PG)
Fandom: HEROES/THE WEST WING
Pairing: None
Length: 1,100 words
Author on LJ: [livejournal.com profile] tangleofthorns
Author Website: Fiction Tag on Livejournal
Why this must be read:

One of my favorite genres of Heroes crossovers is "Character X's powers are revealed to someone else," and because the Heroes verse is ostensibly set in the same universe as most other non sci-fi verses are, the chances of that happening is at the very least plausible. This story is a perfect example of that genre. Will Bailey from The West Wing meets Nathan Petrelli, Junior Congressman. It's funny, and the perfect length, and very charming. -cm

Incrementally: Will notices the way Rep. Petrelli looks one Tuesday morning in December, when the Armed Services committee is in session. He looks great, perfectly pressed and dressed and healthy and handsome, like a man who slept eight hours in a warm bed and ate a balanced breakfast. This isn't something Will would find objectionable, except that he happens to know that every airport on the East Coast was snowed under until two a.m., and Will and the other 400 members of Congress who had to fly in from their districts all look, feel, and smell what C.J. Cregg once called rode hard and put away wet.

No Flying in the House
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16th-Nov-2008 05:26 pm NCIS and The West Wing - Shades of Love by The Tenth Muse (M)

Fandom: NCIS/The West Wing
Pairing:CJ/Gibbs Gibbs/Dinozzo (slash but no smut)
Length:22K
Author on LJ:  unknown
Author Website: http://thetenthmuse1.madbrilliant.com/index1.html
Why this must be read:
The characters of Gibbs and Donovan being played by the same actor made this a natural crossover fic plot bunny but this is the best version showing good characterisation from both shows, a  well developed plot idea and some lovely dialogue moments from all sides.

Shades of Love

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15th-Oct-2008 06:44 pm NCIS/The West Wing (R)

Title: Shades of Love by Nancy
Pairing: Gibbs/CJ Cregg, Gibbs/DiNozzo
Author on LJ: [livejournal.com profile] slashy_me 
Author Website: The TenthMuse1 Fanfiction
Why this must be read:

I'm not normally a fan of Gibbs in a relationship other then with Tony or maybe Abby, even for just part of a story, but this one really works.  If you don't know the West Wing very well, Mark Harmon guest starred for a few episodes as a secret service agent, Simon Donovan who was guarding CJ. They were just beginning a relationship when Simon was killed in a conveniance store hold up. Then, some time later, the NCIS team gets a dead marine in the oval office. Nancy really makes the relationship between Gibbs and CJ work, making it hard to dislike CJ even while Tony is misearable watching the man he loves in a relationship with someone else. It takes some Tony owies before Gibbs opens eyes to whats in front of him. But it all works out in the end :)

Shades of Love
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15th-Jun-2007 01:11 am Heroes/West Wing (PG)
Title: No Flying in the House by Luna
Pairing: gen
Author on LJ: [livejournal.com profile] tangleofthorns
Author Website: The Spark Girls
Why this must be read:

For lo - this is ADORABLE! It made me laugh and hug Will Bailey even more than I usually do. And I figured after the angst-fest I just recced yesterday, we could all use a little happier fic involving Nathan.

Short Excerpt )

No Flying in the House
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15th-Apr-2007 08:27 pm Dead Tape, by Marguerite (PG) X-Files/West Wing
Fandom: X-Files/West Wing
Pairing: Mulder/Scully
Author Website: Gray Area

Why this must be read:
This story is set post-Three Words, and deals with the bother of coming back from the dead. Marguerite writes both X-Files and West Wing fic, so all of the characters are very well realized and themselves. The story is narrated from President Bartlet's perspective, and it's a great third-person view of Mulder and Scully. The humor is perfect but there's some angst as well. A very satisfying read, even if you're not as familiar with West Wing.

Excerpt:
Bartlet was not in the habit of standing up for guests, but one look at the
heavily pregnant woman was enough to put him on his feet in an instant. She
looked up at him gratefully when he ushered her to the loveseat, but she
insisted on standing until he took the chair opposite her.

He already liked her. From the demure cut of her maternity suit, to the sweep of
her rich, red hair, to the cross she wore at her throat, to the very strength of
her military bearing, he liked her.

It was the guy with her that gave him the crawling willies.


Dead Tape
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28th-Feb-2007 07:44 pm And the Ocean, Like Her Eyes, By Oro (PG-13)
Fandom: The West Wing
Pairing: CJ/Toby
Author on LJ: [livejournal.com profile] warlordkittens

Why this must be read:
Oro is one of the best West Wing writers out there, and all of her fic is excellent, but this is one of my favorites. It's an insightful look at CJ and Toby's relationship over the years, and the writing is gorgeous.

Excerpt:
They meet in a small restaurant in Sausalito, where they have fantastic view of the blue ocean, penetrating their being through the transparent glass window. She orders a salad and he orders steak, but she ends up eating his food too anyway. They haven’t seen each other in years, but it doesn’t matter because in his book, she’s allowed to do that anytime she wants. It’s not just because she’s beautiful (well, partially it is, but no one’s keeping score or anything): it’s because she’s CJ, the feisty girl who became an older version of herself and is now the boldest and most poignant woman he’s ever known.

And the Ocean, Like Her Eyes
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28th-Feb-2007 10:29 am Absolutely Incredible, by Khohen1 (NC-17)
Fandom: The West Wing
Pairing: CJ/Josh
Author on LJ: [livejournal.com profile] khohen1
Author Website: fanfiction by kHo
Why this must be read: This is a really lovely look at Josh's place within Bartlet's staff once he's left the White House to work for Santos, in particular his relationship to CJ. The smut is hot and the conversations are filled with Sorkin-esque banter.

Excerpt:
She looked at him, taking a deep breath as his eyes remained on her exposed leg for just a moment too long. “Did you never maybe want to kiss me?”

His head jerked up, his eyes widening. “Wh-- what?”

“I just thought…” She paused again, chewing on her lips and looking down at her hands in her lap. “I thought maybe over the years I might have seen you looking at me.”


Absolutely Incredible
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27th-Feb-2007 04:15 pm Tacet, by Marguerite (PG-13)
Fandom: The West Wing
Pairing: CJ/Simon, CJ/Toby
Author Website: Marguerite's Fiction

Why this must be read:
This series is four post-ep vignettes for Posse Comitatus. Marguerite is an amazing writer, and I know she's been recced here before, but I thought people might like to have this story pointed out. It's my favorite CJ/Simon story, and it's simultaneously heartbreaking and life-affirming. It's really, really beautiful, so go read, but make sure you have tissues!

Excerpt:
The neon lights are bright on Broadway, and they are changing the colors of her
gown. Black, then blue. Blue, then silver, then turning red and orange and
purple. Simon had seen her trying on the gown, had liked what he'd seen. She
could tell from the way his eyes widened and he started breathing through his
mouth.

Was his mouth frozen in a cry that he'd never finished? Were his eyes still
open, or had some brotherly hand reached down to slide the lids together? Where
was the gun she'd fired at the range, the one that had heated up her slim hands
and sent her reeling backwards, and why hadn't it saved him?



Tacet
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25th-Feb-2007 08:46 pm Twenty Things That Might Have Been, by Celbalrai (NC-17)
Fandom: The West Wing
Pairing: Sam/CJ/Toby, Sam/CJ, Sam/Toby, CJ/Toby, CJ/Toby/Josh/Sam
Author on LJ: [livejournal.com profile] celbalrai

Why this must be read: One of the most interesting looks at the relationship between the staff that I've ever read. If you like any of these characters at all, you should definitely read this. [livejournal.com profile] celbalrai is a genius at capturing nuance and emotion.

Excerpt:

2. CJ and Sam aren’t lovers because they simply have sex, nothing else. He is a spare, almost; the third wheel, the outsider, and she never lets him in like she does Toby. Toby knows her inside; Sam only touches the outside. They have sex, but it is Toby that binds them together - an uneven triangle, tipped in his favour.

Twenty Things That Might Have Been
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