Title: Barrayarans and Time Travelers by Dira Sudis
Fandom: VORKOSIGAN SAGA & DOCTOR WHO/TORCHWOOD
Pairing: Aral Vorkosigan/Jack Harkness, canon pairings
Length: 29,914 words
Author on LJ: dsudis
Author Website: on AO3
Why this must be read:
There are two stories in this series. The first takes place pre-Shards of Honor in the Vorkosigan universe, so no Cordelia and a different sort of Aral Vorkosigan, and post-"Children of Earth" in the Torchwood canon. It is utterly delightful! A one-night-stand with a mysterious stranger who keeps his heart in a little blue box and thus cannot die. Perfect!

The second story is no less perfect. The Doctor and Amy Pond come to Barrayar, and Aral Vorkosigan knows who they must be. This is set between Barrayar and The Warrior's Apprentice with a young Miles in the mix along with a perfect Cordelia, and around "Vincent and the Doctor" in the Doctor Who canon (meaning Amy has forgotten that Rory ever existed). All the characterizations are fabulous, even Piotr

Barrayarans and Time Travelers by Dira Sudis

Fandom: TORCHWOOD
Pairing: Gen (Background Jack/Ianto)
Length: 11k+ (and the coda's 1200~)
Author on LJ:amand_r
Author Website: (or a link to where more of their fic is archived)
Why this must be read:
Ianto Jones is a good housemate.

I haven't read Torchwood fic in years, but I realized I hadn't done a Torchwood-only rec this month, so here's one done from an outsider-pov (a favourite trope of mine when done well). The main fic goes through seasons 1+2 (and the coda is post COE).

The main character's an OC who's Ianto's flatmate and who doesn't originally know about Torchwood. So we get glimpses of Ianto's timeline through the first 2 seasons through a filter of someone who doesn't get all the implications of Ianto's random statements or the magnitude of the danger and drama at Ianto's workplace. The relationship between the OC and Ianto is one of casual flatmate-friends so we get a great picture of who Ianto might be outside of work as well as see how Torchwood events effect and shape Ianto over the course of the seasons.

Most of the fic is the OC's interactions with Ianto (or brief moments with Owen or Jack) and he has just enough of his own background to make him feel like he could be a real character. Plus, it provides an interesting look at what a civilian might make of a world where they slowly become exposed to the existence of Torchwood.

To Let

Fandom: DOCTOR WHO & TORCHWOOD
Pairing: Gen
Length: 40k
Author on LJ: wendymr
Author Website:
Why this must be read:
Sometimes the hardest journeys to make are the familiar ones.

Post Journey's End’s end, from the Doctor’s POV. One’s who’s dropped off all him companions and now feels a little alone. So he keeps dropping by Torchwood, where Jack’s collected Martha and Micky and maybe he learns to stay in touch with friends who aren’t traveling with him anymore. It’s some lovely friendship fic. Plus, a fix-it for one companion’s ending in Journey's End.

Journey Onward
(LINK IS TO THE LAST CHAPTER!- It’s a 9-parter posted on lj, and the chapters don’t have links to the next chapter- they’re all collected on top of chapter 9)

Fandom: DOCTOR WHO (& some TORCHWOOD)
Pairing:Ten!Clone/Rose, Jackie Tyler/Pete Tyler, Ianto /Lisa
Length: 50k
Author on LJ: copperbadge
Author Website: Ao3, DW
Why this must be read:

An all-too-human Doctor begins to build a life with Rose Tyler, but old ghosts -- both real and imagined -- still haunt him. And there's only so much human life you can live without a name...

In honor of some of the pictures happening regarding the 50th anniversary episode filming:

I’m sure many people are familiar with the works of copperbadge aka sam-storyteller, as he writes some brilliant fic in a number of fandoms, but for those of you who have yet to read this story:

A brilliant (and my absolute favourite) look at what Ten 2.0’s life is like after the Doctor leaves him and Rose on that beach in the other universe. This version of the Doctor's someone who has the Doctor’s mind but is human now and stranded without a Tardis. And he's someone who now gets to be with the person he loves (Rose is pretty awesome)- it’s a balance between finding excitement(not getting bored) and settling down in a life the actual Doctor probably would never have thought to live.
There’s alt-universe versions of a lot of familiar faces, and some great world building considering this is kind of like the real world but with everything sifted maybe 3 inches to the left.

In Another Life

Fandom: The Avengers (movieverse)/Doctor Who/Torchwood
Pairing: Martha Jones/Clint Barton (others mentioned)
Length: ~37K words
Author on LJ: kerrykhat
Author Website: khatskorner
Why this must be read: For my final rec this month, I present you with one of my favorite crossovers ever. I'm a little biased because I was the beta for this story, but believe me when I tell you that IT. IS. AWESOME. Sometime after "Journey's End," S.H.I.E.L.D. recruits Martha Jones away from U.N.I.T., and she ends up first in Puente Antiguo and then smack-dab in the middle of the events of the Avengers movie. kerrykhat does a phenomenal job of keeping track of a lot of plot threads and steady, believable character development. The parallels she draws between Loki and the Master are astounding, and by the time you finish this joyride, you'll wonder how the heck Earth's Mightiest Heroes ever managed without the good Dr. Jones. (Bonus appearances by some Torchwood regulars!)

( It was relatively rare that she met people that she’d known in the other timeline. Rare enough that it was always a jolt to see a face, familiar and yet not, looking at her with no knowledge of had happened. )

It Takes an Ocean Not to Break

Title: Hi, I'm Captain Jack Harkness
Pairing: Chewbacca/Captain Jack Harkness
Rating: R-ish
Author on LJ: frostfire_17
Author Website: Fics on LJ
Why this must be read:

In a bar on some interstellar crossroads, Han strikes out. The Doctor and Rose have each other. That's about it for a description, because as a crossover, this one delights. Chewbacca finds a kindred soul in Harkness, each looking out for his Primary Adventurer in unique ways.

Hi, I'm Captain Jack Harkness

Fandom: TORCHWOOD
Pairing: Gen (Jilly Kitzinger)
Length: 1028
Author on LJ: golden_d
Author Website: Fanfic master post on LJ,, AO3 profile, FF.net profile
Why this must be read: Yes, yes, I know, I recced a Miracle Day fic for my last Torchwood rec of the month. In general, a lot of people in (and out) of the fandom have apathy towards Miracle Day for various reasons.
Without spoiling anything, this fic speculates about what happened after Jilly Kitzinger after the events of Miracle Day (the series) have transpired. Jilly's well characterized in this one, and even if you loathe Miracle Day, this fic is worth a read

( Excerpt )

But It Won't Pay the Rental

Fandom: TORCHWOOD
Pairing: Jack/Ianto
Length: 110,082
Author on LJ: nariko_d
Author Website: fanfic tag
Why this must be read: I'm going to be honest. I'm not a big fan of mpreg. That said, this is one of the few mpreg fics that captivated me. I remember thinking "oh, okay, I'll just snag the PDF and I'll read it later." Instead, I went through the chapters of the fic in one sitting.


( Excerpt )


Life Unexpected (master post)

Fandom: TORCHWOOD
Pairing: Gen (Suzie Costello, Jack Harkness, OCs)
Length: One-shot
Author on LJ: sariagray
Author Website: Master fic list on LJ
Why this must be read: Russell T. Davies wanted to have Suzie as a reoccurring villain, but due to circumstances under his control (first Indira Varma working on 3 lbs, then her pregnancy), he never did get to revisit the character during the first two seasons of Torchwood. As a result, the character of Suzie Costello has little to no backstory about the events that made her turn her back on Torchwood and made her hell-bent on killing her father. This fic creates a possible backstory for Suzie, and the fic does it well. Originally for the tw_femficfest.

( Read more... )

This is my letter to the World that never wrote to Me

Hello there! I'm merryghoul, and I'll be driving the Whoniverse Crack Van this month. I'll be reccing you some of my favorites from Classic Who and New Who later in the week (and month), but I'm dusting off the obnoxiously labeled SUV and starting off with Torchwood.

Fandom: TORCHWOOD
Pairing: Gwen Cooper/Suzie Costello
Length: 1089
Author on LJ: prochytes
Author Website: on LJ
Why this must be read: This is my favorite Torchwood fic ever. Set during "The Stolen Earth" and "Journey's End" on Doctor Who (where Ianto and Gwen are being protected by a time lock Tosh perfected before her death), this fic has the perfect combination of darkness and smut and it captures the dynamic between Gwen and Suzie perfectly. Originally written for a round of dark_fest.

( Excerpt )


Failsafe

Title: Two immortals walk into a bar... by Eledhwen
Pairing: Captain Jack Harkness/Captain Jack Sparrow
Author on LJ: torn_eledhwen
Length: 1,243 words
Author Website: Dreamy Aspirations
Why this must be read:
Of all of the many and varied stories with this particular crossover pairing (because, really, how could you not want to read/write it?), this one is my favorite. Just a short little piece that's really more character study and atmospheric rather than plotty.

Two immortals walk into a bar... by Eledhwen
(alternate link to story)

Title: Temps by humantales
Pairing: Gen
Length: 17982 words
Author on LJ: humantales
Author Website: humantales on AO3
Why this must be read: Because it just makes so much sense. As Mycroft says Sherlock and John joining Jack’s Torchwood team is a terrifying match made in heaven. This is a true ensemble and seeing John and Sherlock become part of the team as they chase Aliens and fight Alien crime is just wonderful. This is a awesome character based adventure and a truly fun read.

Temps

Fandom: DOCTOR WHO
Pairing: kinda Donna Noble/Romana & Donna Noble/Jack Harkness (with implied Doctor/Romana and Doctor/Master)
Length: 1,433 words
Author on LJ: calapine
Author Website: fic tag on LJ, Calapine on Teaspoon
Why this must be read:
Uuuuuuhhhhhhh, warning for implied death? Because the Doctor is dead. He's asked Donna to carry on his legacy. This is pure, unadulterated crack of the finest kind and not angsty at all. I absolutely adore Donna's choice of Companion, too. Hehehehhehe.

I'm also recommending everything Calapine has ever written, basically, and her vids, too. Check out it out!

Passing the Torch by Calapine

Fandom: DOCTOR WHO
Pairing: Doctor/Master
Length: 19,660 words
Author on LJ: (I really don't know... help a reccer out?)
Author Website: on AO3
Why this must be read:
This is a fantastic story, all the more so because it is goodboots's first fanfiction and this is really coming out of the gate swinging -- I'm expecting more fabulous things from this author in the future.

This story goes AU immediately after the events of The End of Time, with the Donna absorbing the Doctor's regeneration and getting her memories back and the Master being dragged onto the TARDIS rather than timelocked with the other Time Lords. Then the Master starts dying and Donna, Sally, and Martha try to figure out the mystery of why he's still hearing the drums (and crazy) and why he's dying. The answer... is surprising, and the story doesn't end there! EXCELLENT story, HIGHLY recommended.

Group Effort; Or, How Martha Jones, Donna Noble, and Sally Sparrow Basically Fixed The Doctor and Master's Relationship by goodboots

Look! Both crossover recs I'm making for both fandoms I'm driving this month happen to be crossing over with the Doctor Who universe! Which I recommended here just a few months ago~!

Fandom: SHERLOCK/TORCHWOOD
Pairing: John Watson/everyone who is willing with a pulse, Jack Harkness/everyone EXCEPT John's conquests, John Watson/Sherlock Holmes, Jack Harkness/Ianto Jones
Length: 5,612 words
Author on LJ: cyerus
Author Website: on AO3, on LJ
Why this must be read:
This author writes FANTASTIC crack. No, really, don't just read this one, read the others by cyerus, too. I was all set to recommend the story where John is a bomb detection dog turned human or the one where John and Lestrade have an Epic Bromance(tm), but then Crack Van Collisions Day came along and I realized that this story NEEDED to be recommended. This story is funny and awesome. John Watson? Yeah, he's Jack Harkness's son. LOL Certainly explains the whole John "Three Continents" Watson thing that fandom has embraced, eh? Also, pheromones.

Captain John Watson, Genetics, and Other Crazy Things by cyerus
alternate link to the story

Title: Holmes vs. Harkness
Pairing: Gen
Author on LJ: coinin
Author Website: On Ao3
Why this must be read:

This story is amazing and hysterical. I was debating between two completely different crossovers when I ran across this one. There are a couple lines in here that are so funny I laugh out loud when I remember them. Which is awkward out in public.

Author's Summary: In which Captain Jack gets in a little over his head and is introduced to the myriad joys of bureaucracy, Mycroft is smug, the Guide offers up some helpful advice, John Watson doesn't share, and, in a strange turn of events, Jack doesn't get laid even once.


Holmes vs. Harkness

The YnM van has t-boned a black SUV with blue LEDs along the windscreen posts; the greatcoat-clad driver of which is now surveying the driver of the YnM van as much as he's surveying the damage

I had every intention of posting this on Crossover Day, but illness and some financial woes kept me from having the energy to post it. But! Here it is now!

Fandom: YAMI NO MATSUEI/TORCHWOOD
Pairing: Seiichirou Tatsumi/Ianto Jones
Length: 4168 words
Author on LJ: Unknown
Author Website: Author's page on AO3
Why this must be read: Just reading the tags for this fic, you might almost think this is a mere pairing fic, that the author just wanted to throw together two smart-dressed men from their favorite fandoms... But once you start to read it, you realize how clever it really is: it's set during The Year That Wasn't in the Whoniverse, in which the Torchwood Three crew has been scurrying over the face of East Asia, pursued by the Toclafane and seeking a way to defeat the Master... and then something happens to Ianto Jones which lands him in Tatsumi's care. You're never sure if Ianto is dead or if Tatsumi merely brought him to Meifu to clean him up and give the poor guy a rest from the hurricane in the mortal world, but it's a delicately written story from Ianto's POV (also written in the rarely seen second person format, which makes the POV feel even stronger and more immediate). It's poetic, it's sensual, and it's just plain heart-breakingly lovely.

Skimming the Eyewall

Fandom: SARAH JANE ADVENTURES/TORCHWOOD
Pairing: Sarah Jane Smith/Jack Harkness
Length: 5,350 words
Author on LJ: aeshna_uk
Author Website: fic tag on LJ
Why this must be read:
Because this is a very well-written and in-character (and sexy) meeting between a reporter and the head of the secret alien-fighting team she is investigating... and because they both know what it is like to be left behind by the Doctor.

Encounters on the Slow Road

Fandom: DOCTOR WHO
Pairing: none
Length: 3,982 words
Author on LJ: waldorph
Author Website: waldorph on AO3
Why this must be read:
Did you scream and cry and rail at your television over the fate of Donna Noble? I did. Warning, this story will bring back all those feelings. It's powerful and moving and made me cry at the end. Well worth a read, but just be warned, this is NOT a fixit.

Four Times Donna Almost Remembered, and One Where She Did by waldorph

Title: Death and the Definitely-Not-A-Maiden
Pairing: none
Length: 3,671 words
Author on LJ: odsbodkin
Author Website: odsbodkin on LJ
Why this must be read:
Ianto wants to know who the "Death" on Jack's Christmas card list is; don't you want to know, too? This is a fun character study that somehow retains the flavor of both fandoms.

Death and the Definitely-Not-A-Maiden by odsbodkin

Fandom: DOCTOR WHO, TORCHWOOD
Pairing: The Brigadier
Length: 3554 words
Author on LJ: jjpor, jjpor
Author Website: Teaspoon, fanfic tag
Why this must be read:

“The Doctor?” The Brigadier thought about that for a moment. “He’s the Queen’s sworn enemy as well?”

In a fictional universe as long-running and large as the Whoniverse, it's inevitable that there will be continuity issues.  Torchwood's very existence caused one, because its existence begged the question: if there has been a secret-and-powerful alien-fighting organization since 1879 whose primary mandate is capturing the Doctor, what the heck is the Doctor doing running around with UNIT in the 1970's and 80's as a scientific consultant?  Either Torchwood didn't know about the Third Doctor's time marooned on Earth (in the UK) with UNIT, or something prevented them from carrying out their mandate.  JJPOR answers that with this wonderful short fic.

Of course it was the Brigadier, being a BAMF as always and pwning Torchwood.

( snippet of fic )

Ground Rules

Fandom: DOCTOR WHO
Pairing: Donna noble
Length: Short
Author on LJ: ivyfic
Author Website: AO3
Why this must be read:
Donna is awesome, and Torchwood 3 desperately needed sane management.  (I love Jack, but he was in no mental or emotional shape to be leading anything, by the time he got control of Torchwood.)  So when Jack disappeared, she was sent out to take over.

She was a bit of a shock to the Torchwood crew ...

This is a hysterically funny story, go read it!

Under New Management

Fandom: DOCTOR WHO/TORCHWOOD
Pairing: Eleven/Jack, Amy
Length: 3 613,  5 145, and 2 673
Author on LJ: sahiya 
Author Website: Teaspoon AO3
Why this must be read:

These are the stories of what happens to Little!Amy when her 'Mad Man in a Box' comes back, takes her travelling around the universe, and picks up his boyfriend along the way.

Sahiya has written a cute little series where Jack and Eleven take on the task of raising a young Amy. Full of Awww moments these three stories will have you wishing the Who Writers had taken the story in this direction. Can you imagine the havoc Amy could of wrecked on the universe had she been raised by Jack and Eleven?

Excerpt:

Amelia Pond was bored.

She'd wanted to come with the Doctor because life in Leadworth was boring, and he said he had a time machine and could take her anywhere she wanted, anywhere in all of space and time, as long as it was amazing. What he never mentioned, but which she probably should've guessed from how they met, was that sometimes time machines break down a little - not a lot, the Doctor said, but a little - and then they'd end up in boring, boring, boring markets on worlds where the weather was a lot like Leadworth.

Amelia Pond Has Two Immortal Daddies Series by Sahiya on AO3

Fandom:  DOCTOR WHO/TORCHWOOD
Pairing:  Wilf/Minnie
Length: 1626
Author Website: AO3

Why this must be read:

Torchwood One is gone and there are weevils running around London! Who's going to step in and deal with them? Not The Doctor that's for sure. He's too busy saving the world and chasing after the Daleks,  Donna's had her memory wiped, Martha and Mickey are on their honeymoon, and Rose is living it up in the Alt!Universe.

Enter The Silver Cloak. London's newest batch of Alien Hunters.  Led by Wilfred Mott and Minnie Hooper these Full Time Retires are going to rescue those poor confused Weevils, knit them fuzzy jumpers, and find them somewhere to live.

Shewhoguards has written a hilarious look at just what The Silver Cloak get up to after they've found The Doctor.  Full of BAMF Elders, Kit Kats, and Happy Weevils, this fic is a light hearted look at why older people are so awesome.

Excerpt:

"Of course, it started with finding that nice doctor Wilf had been so keen on locating -- the good-looking one with the nice bum -- but it didn't end there. They might have seen off one oddity that way, but the world was full of oddities, and it wasn't as though anyone else was making sure they got sorted out. Not lately anyway. There used to be a dark car which drove round London while everyone looked the other way and pretended not to see it. It had had its name written on the side -- Glowbranch, Glowwood, something like that. But Minnie had asked Sally, and Sally had asked Tom, and Tom had asked Irene and everyone had agreed it hadn't been seen in an age, and things were getting downright weird without it."

The Silver Cloak by Shewhoguards on AO3

Fandom: TORCHWOOD
Character(s)/Pairing(s): Jack, Gwen, Ianto, OCs, Minor Characters; Canon Pairings
Length: 13 episodes of 11000-35000 words each, ca. 280 000 words total.
Authors: 30+ people; full credits here.
Why this must be read:

The Torchwood Virtual Season 3 is a 13-part series of loosely connected case-stories, complete with art and extras, in the style of the first two seasons of Torchwood.

The Virtual Season splits off from canon and goes AU a bit before Children of Earth, but uses the canon families and a few other details from it. We join Jack, Gwen, and Ianto sometime after 'The Dead Line', with the three of them overworked, stretched thin, and badly in need of some help. The season arch is about finding and training new people and integrating them into the team.

The OCs introduced are well drawn and believable, both as people and as potential TW recruits, and add interesting things and viewpoints to the story without taking it over, and the individual episodes are engaging and varied. The cases range from comedy to drama to thrilling suspense, and from small-scale, local problems to Earth-shattering, species-level threats. Culminating, of course, in a dramatic two-part season-ender, with the world in peril and the Torchwood team the only ones in place to save it.

All in all, it's a plotty, well-written, and enjoyable read with excellent characterization, that starts out well and just keeps on getting better as it progresses. ♥!

tw_itallchanges - Start at the beginning.

Fandom: TORCHWOOD
Musical artist: Powderfinger
Character(s): Ianto
Vidder on LJ: obfreak
Vidder's website: vid tag / YouTube Channel‬‏ / OBFreaks Video Archive
Why you should watch this vid:

Summary: "...It's a tender trap, to plan ahead all the time. If you measure the world by what you leave behind..."

A lovely Ianto character-cum-memorial vid that still, after multiple viewings, makes me tear up a bit. ♥!

If you Measure the World

Fandom: TORCHWOOD
Character(s)/Pairing(s): Ianto, Steven, Jack, Gwen, OCs, Ianto/OMC, Jack/Ianto
Length: ~13 000 words.
Author on LJ: nancybrown
Author Website: AO3 / LJ Masterlist
Why this must be read:

This is a gorgeous, angsty fix-it based on the end of Doctor Who's Season 5.

Ianto comes back to life, but doesn't get his life back. He makes a new start with Steven, who's in the same situation, and things seem to be going well enough, until suspicions from two different directions start to threaten the life they've built.

Excerpt: Ianto is happily, soundly asleep when he wakes to Richard flinging open the bedroom door, a dressing gown hastily thrown on. Before Ianto can process what's happening, he is already stumbling into his clothes and looking for his gun. He doesn't have a gun. This is a different life.

Steven is somewhere in the house, screaming.

Richard is already in the room with him, lights on, holding his shoulders. "It's all right," he says gently. "It's all right, your dad's here now."

Steven is also not awake yet, and he's looking around wildly for his dad, and Ianto's heart dims when his eyes pass over Ianto and keep looking.

Rescues (LJ)
Rescues (AO3)

Fandom: TORCHWOOD
Pairing: Jack/Ianto, Ianto/Lisa, Jack/John Hart
Length: ~7200 words
Author on LJ: cupidsbow
Author Website: LJ Masterlist / AO3
Why this must be read:

This is a fun story about the Time Agency, sex on roofs, and crossing your own timeline, with a bit of a twist.

Time Management (LJ)
Time Management (AO3)

Fandom: TORCHWOOD & DOCTOR WHO
Pairing(s)/Character(s): Jack/Ianto/Duplicate Doctor, Doctor/Rose, Donna, Gwen
Length: ~49 000 words.
Author on LJ: sahiya
Author Website: AO3 / Teaspoon
Why this must be read:

This is the second long story in a post-Journey's End AU where, instead of leaving Rose and the human Doctor in Pete's World, the Doctor takes Rose with him and dumps his double at Torchwood's doorstep, where he ends up in a threesome with Jack and Ianto. The first part of the series tells that story, but you don't particularly need to read it to understand this one.

'Leaves of Memory' is a Donna fix-it story, and an excellent, plotty relationship drama that weaves Donna's returning memories, Doctor and Rose's communication difficulties, and the Torchwood threesome's most recent relationship-hurdle into an intricate tapestry, and resolves all of the various plot threads in ways that are quite satisfying without being either easy or perfect.

Leaves of Memory (LJ)
Leaves of Memory (AO3)
Leaves of Memory (Teaspoon)

Fandom: TORCHWOOD / DOCTOR WHO / SANDMAN
Character(s)/Pairing(s): Gwen, Jack, John Hart, Andy, Rhys, Ianto, OCs, Various Whoverse Characters, Dream of the Endless; Canon Pairings
Length: ~49 000 words.
Author on LJ: lookninjas
Author Website: ninjasnano
Why this must be read:

Two years after Children of Earth, John Hart shows up with evidence that Ianto is alive and held prisoner by a research project who are very interested in his sudden inability to stay dead.

Cue a rescue mission and an interesting mystery involving vivid dreams, The Year That Never Was, and some twisty temporal shenanigans.

Season of Mists