What to Expect by Arsenic (NC-17)

[cheetahanabel.livejournal.com]

Title: What to Expect
Fandom: Bandom
Pairing: Bob/Mikey, Mikey/Alicia
Categories: angst, hurt/comfort, family, kid
Length: Long (~29,000 words)
Warnings: divorce, unintentional partner betrayal

Author on LJ: arsenicjade
Author Website: stories by arsenicjade

Review:
While Mikey’s on tour, he gets a call from Alicia. When she tells him she’s pregnant, he can tell she’s not happy about it. But he asks her to keep the baby anyway.

This is such a fantastic divorce story. It’s kind of rare to find a story with divorce in fandom, and when you do find one, it always portrays the woman as some evil witch who trod on the poor guy’s heart and kicked him to the gutter. This is not that story.

I love Mikey in this, how, like any parent, he grows strength from having a child. Gerard is uber-supportive. The kids in this are awesome—totally energetic and believable. And then there’s Bob. Golly, Bob is so sweet, so adorable, in his totally non-emotional way. This is not a pairing I expected to like. But boy howdy did arsenicjade win me over. The only negative for this one is that it seems to wrap up a bit too quickly.

What to Expect

What to Expect by Arsenic (NC-17)

[cheetahanabel.livejournal.com]

Title: What to Expect
Fandom: Bandom
Pairing: Bob/Mikey, Mikey/Alicia
Categories: angst, hurt/comfort, family, kid
Length: Long (~29,000 words)
Warnings: divorce, unintentional partner betrayal

Author on LJ: arsenicjade
Author Website: stories by arsenicjade

Review:
While Mikey’s on tour, he gets a call from Alicia. When she tells him she’s pregnant, he can tell she’s not happy about it. But he asks her to keep the baby anyway.

This is such a fantastic divorce story. It’s kind of rare to find a story with divorce in fandom, and when you do find one, it always portrays the woman as some evil witch who trod on the poor guy’s heart and kicked him to the gutter. This is not that story.

I love Mikey in this, how, like any parent, he grows strength from having a child. Gerard is uber-supportive. The kids in this are awesome—totally energetic and believable. And then there’s Bob. Golly, Bob is so sweet, so adorable, in his totally non-emotional way. This is not a pairing I expected to like. But boy howdy did arsenicjade win me over. The only negative for this one is that it seems to wrap up a bit too quickly.

What to Expect

What to Expect by Arsenic (NC-17)

[cheetahanabel.livejournal.com]

Title: What to Expect
Fandom: Bandom
Pairing: Bob/Mikey, Mikey/Alicia
Categories: angst, hurt/comfort, family, kid
Length: Long (~29,000 words)
Warnings: divorce, unintentional partner betrayal

Author on LJ: arsenicjade
Author Website: stories by arsenicjade

Review:
While Mikey’s on tour, he gets a call from Alicia. When she tells him she’s pregnant, he can tell she’s not happy about it. But he asks her to keep the baby anyway.

This is such a fantastic divorce story. It’s kind of rare to find a story with divorce in fandom, and when you do find one, it always portrays the woman as some evil witch who trod on the poor guy’s heart and kicked him to the gutter. This is not that story.

I love Mikey in this, how, like any parent, he grows strength from having a child. Gerard is uber-supportive. The kids in this are awesome—totally energetic and believable. And then there’s Bob. Golly, Bob is so sweet, so adorable, in his totally non-emotional way. This is not a pairing I expected to like. But boy howdy did arsenicjade win me over. The only negative for this one is that it seems to wrap up a bit too quickly.

What to Expect

What to Expect by Arsenic (NC-17)

[cheetahanabel.livejournal.com]

Title: What to Expect
Fandom: Bandom
Pairing: Bob/Mikey, Mikey/Alicia
Categories: angst, hurt/comfort, family, kid
Length: Long (~29,000 words)
Warnings: divorce, unintentional partner betrayal

Author on LJ: arsenicjade
Author Website: stories by arsenicjade

Review:
While Mikey’s on tour, he gets a call from Alicia. When she tells him she’s pregnant, he can tell she’s not happy about it. But he asks her to keep the baby anyway.

This is such a fantastic divorce story. It’s kind of rare to find a story with divorce in fandom, and when you do find one, it always portrays the woman as some evil witch who trod on the poor guy’s heart and kicked him to the gutter. This is not that story.

I love Mikey in this, how, like any parent, he grows strength from having a child. Gerard is uber-supportive. The kids in this are awesome—totally energetic and believable. And then there’s Bob. Golly, Bob is so sweet, so adorable, in his totally non-emotional way. This is not a pairing I expected to like. But boy howdy did arsenicjade win me over. The only negative for this one is that it seems to wrap up a bit too quickly.

What to Expect

What to Expect by Arsenic (NC-17)

[cheetahanabel.livejournal.com]

Title: What to Expect
Fandom: Bandom
Pairing: Bob/Mikey, Mikey/Alicia
Categories: angst, hurt/comfort, family, kid
Length: Long (~29,000 words)
Warnings: divorce, unintentional partner betrayal

Author on LJ: arsenicjade
Author Website: stories by arsenicjade

Review:
While Mikey’s on tour, he gets a call from Alicia. When she tells him she’s pregnant, he can tell she’s not happy about it. But he asks her to keep the baby anyway.

This is such a fantastic divorce story. It’s kind of rare to find a story with divorce in fandom, and when you do find one, it always portrays the woman as some evil witch who trod on the poor guy’s heart and kicked him to the gutter. This is not that story.

I love Mikey in this, how, like any parent, he grows strength from having a child. Gerard is uber-supportive. The kids in this are awesome—totally energetic and believable. And then there’s Bob. Golly, Bob is so sweet, so adorable, in his totally non-emotional way. This is not a pairing I expected to like. But boy howdy did arsenicjade win me over. The only negative for this one is that it seems to wrap up a bit too quickly.

What to Expect

What to Expect by Arsenic (NC-17)

[cheetahanabel.livejournal.com]

Title: What to Expect
Fandom: Bandom
Pairing: Bob/Mikey, Mikey/Alicia
Categories: angst, hurt/comfort, family, kid
Length: Long (~29,000 words)
Warnings: divorce, unintentional partner betrayal

Author on LJ: arsenicjade
Author Website: stories by arsenicjade

Review:
While Mikey’s on tour, he gets a call from Alicia. When she tells him she’s pregnant, he can tell she’s not happy about it. But he asks her to keep the baby anyway.

This is such a fantastic divorce story. It’s kind of rare to find a story with divorce in fandom, and when you do find one, it always portrays the woman as some evil witch who trod on the poor guy’s heart and kicked him to the gutter. This is not that story.

I love Mikey in this, how, like any parent, he grows strength from having a child. Gerard is uber-supportive. The kids in this are awesome—totally energetic and believable. And then there’s Bob. Golly, Bob is so sweet, so adorable, in his totally non-emotional way. This is not a pairing I expected to like. But boy howdy did arsenicjade win me over. The only negative for this one is that it seems to wrap up a bit too quickly.

What to Expect

Sorting Out the Dance Card by Mercy (hard R)

[jane-elliot.livejournal.com]

Hey everyone:) I'm just popping in for a moment to offer up a mini-recathon from my last couple of months of reading. Hopefully I'll have another set by the end of the month (though it might not be quite as big as this one). Enjoy!

Title: Sorting Out the Dance Card by Mercy
Fandom: Jeeves and Wooster
Pairing: Jeeves/Wooster
Categories: angst, drama, fluff
Length: Epic (~61,000 words)
Warnings: n/a

Author on LJ: thirstyrobot 
Website: n/a

Review:
An overheard conversation inspires Bertie to start thinking about Things. Things that he eventually figures out he might like to do with a certain gentleman's personal gentleman. If only it weren't so obvious to him that Jeeves wasn't interested...

With rare exceptions Jeeves and Wooster is very much a fandom of short stories, which makes this slow-building romance even more of a treasure than it would have been in another fandom. The writing is perfectly Wodehousian, the characters (some of who might be OCs, but they are so well-written I can't be sure) are beautifully drawn, and the angsty miscommunication bits are wonderfully potent. Definitely worth checking out for fans of Jeeves and Wooster.

Sorting Out the Dance Card

Sorting Out the Dance Card by Mercy (hard R)

[jane-elliot.livejournal.com]

Hey everyone:) I'm just popping in for a moment to offer up a mini-recathon from my last couple of months of reading. Hopefully I'll have another set by the end of the month (though it might not be quite as big as this one). Enjoy!

Title: Sorting Out the Dance Card by Mercy
Fandom: Jeeves and Wooster
Pairing: Jeeves/Wooster
Categories: angst, drama, fluff
Length: Epic (~61,000 words)
Warnings: n/a

Author on LJ: thirstyrobot 
Website: n/a

Review:
An overheard conversation inspires Bertie to start thinking about Things. Things that he eventually figures out he might like to do with a certain gentleman's personal gentleman. If only it weren't so obvious to him that Jeeves wasn't interested...

With rare exceptions Jeeves and Wooster is very much a fandom of short stories, which makes this slow-building romance even more of a treasure than it would have been in another fandom. The writing is perfectly Wodehousian, the characters (some of who might be OCs, but they are so well-written I can't be sure) are beautifully drawn, and the angsty miscommunication bits are wonderfully potent. Definitely worth checking out for fans of Jeeves and Wooster.

Sorting Out the Dance Card

Sorting Out the Dance Card by Mercy (hard R)

[jane-elliot.livejournal.com]

Hey everyone:) I'm just popping in for a moment to offer up a mini-recathon from my last couple of months of reading. Hopefully I'll have another set by the end of the month (though it might not be quite as big as this one). Enjoy!

Title: Sorting Out the Dance Card by Mercy
Fandom: Jeeves and Wooster
Pairing: Jeeves/Wooster
Categories: angst, drama, fluff
Length: Epic (~61,000 words)
Warnings: n/a

Author on LJ: thirstyrobot 
Website: n/a

Review:
An overheard conversation inspires Bertie to start thinking about Things. Things that he eventually figures out he might like to do with a certain gentleman's personal gentleman. If only it weren't so obvious to him that Jeeves wasn't interested...

With rare exceptions Jeeves and Wooster is very much a fandom of short stories, which makes this slow-building romance even more of a treasure than it would have been in another fandom. The writing is perfectly Wodehousian, the characters (some of who might be OCs, but they are so well-written I can't be sure) are beautifully drawn, and the angsty miscommunication bits are wonderfully potent. Definitely worth checking out for fans of Jeeves and Wooster.

Sorting Out the Dance Card

Sorting Out the Dance Card by Mercy (hard R)

[jane-elliot.livejournal.com]

Hey everyone:) I'm just popping in for a moment to offer up a mini-recathon from my last couple of months of reading. Hopefully I'll have another set by the end of the month (though it might not be quite as big as this one). Enjoy!

Title: Sorting Out the Dance Card by Mercy
Fandom: Jeeves and Wooster
Pairing: Jeeves/Wooster
Categories: angst, drama, fluff
Length: Epic (~61,000 words)
Warnings: n/a

Author on LJ: thirstyrobot 
Website: n/a

Review:
An overheard conversation inspires Bertie to start thinking about Things. Things that he eventually figures out he might like to do with a certain gentleman's personal gentleman. If only it weren't so obvious to him that Jeeves wasn't interested...

With rare exceptions Jeeves and Wooster is very much a fandom of short stories, which makes this slow-building romance even more of a treasure than it would have been in another fandom. The writing is perfectly Wodehousian, the characters (some of who might be OCs, but they are so well-written I can't be sure) are beautifully drawn, and the angsty miscommunication bits are wonderfully potent. Definitely worth checking out for fans of Jeeves and Wooster.

Sorting Out the Dance Card

Sorting Out the Dance Card by Mercy (hard R)

[jane-elliot.livejournal.com]

Hey everyone:) I'm just popping in for a moment to offer up a mini-recathon from my last couple of months of reading. Hopefully I'll have another set by the end of the month (though it might not be quite as big as this one). Enjoy!

Title: Sorting Out the Dance Card by Mercy
Fandom: Jeeves and Wooster
Pairing: Jeeves/Wooster
Categories: angst, drama, fluff
Length: Epic (~61,000 words)
Warnings: n/a

Author on LJ: thirstyrobot 
Website: n/a

Review:
An overheard conversation inspires Bertie to start thinking about Things. Things that he eventually figures out he might like to do with a certain gentleman's personal gentleman. If only it weren't so obvious to him that Jeeves wasn't interested...

With rare exceptions Jeeves and Wooster is very much a fandom of short stories, which makes this slow-building romance even more of a treasure than it would have been in another fandom. The writing is perfectly Wodehousian, the characters (some of who might be OCs, but they are so well-written I can't be sure) are beautifully drawn, and the angsty miscommunication bits are wonderfully potent. Definitely worth checking out for fans of Jeeves and Wooster.

Sorting Out the Dance Card

Sorting Out the Dance Card by Mercy (hard R)

[jane-elliot.livejournal.com]

Hey everyone:) I'm just popping in for a moment to offer up a mini-recathon from my last couple of months of reading. Hopefully I'll have another set by the end of the month (though it might not be quite as big as this one). Enjoy!

Title: Sorting Out the Dance Card by Mercy
Fandom: Jeeves and Wooster
Pairing: Jeeves/Wooster
Categories: angst, drama, fluff
Length: Epic (~61,000 words)
Warnings: n/a

Author on LJ: thirstyrobot 
Website: n/a

Review:
An overheard conversation inspires Bertie to start thinking about Things. Things that he eventually figures out he might like to do with a certain gentleman's personal gentleman. If only it weren't so obvious to him that Jeeves wasn't interested...

With rare exceptions Jeeves and Wooster is very much a fandom of short stories, which makes this slow-building romance even more of a treasure than it would have been in another fandom. The writing is perfectly Wodehousian, the characters (some of who might be OCs, but they are so well-written I can't be sure) are beautifully drawn, and the angsty miscommunication bits are wonderfully potent. Definitely worth checking out for fans of Jeeves and Wooster.

Sorting Out the Dance Card

the memory of hurts by sinead (NC-17)

[jane-elliot.livejournal.com]

Title: the memory of hurts by sinead
Fandom: Sports Night
Pairing: Dan/Casey
Categories: angst
Length: Long (~15,000 words)
Warnings: n/a

Author on LJ: n/a?
Website: n/a

Review:
During the last two episodes of the show, when the future of the fictional Sports Night show was in the air, Casey and Dan do a phenomenal job of screwing up their relationship, repeatedly taking two steps forward and one step back.

As the title might suggest, this is a veritable angst monster. Casey and Danny are both as hard-headed as they are in canon and the emotional drama is only heightened by the ongoing anxiety about what's going to happen with their show. Still, there are moments of brightness (and I feel I should note that I have never in my life recced a story with an unhappy ending).

For those who liked the darker second season of Sports Night, this is definitely the fic for you.

the memory of hurts

the memory of hurts by sinead (NC-17)

[jane-elliot.livejournal.com]

Title: the memory of hurts by sinead
Fandom: Sports Night
Pairing: Dan/Casey
Categories: angst
Length: Long (~15,000 words)
Warnings: n/a

Author on LJ: n/a?
Website: n/a

Review:
During the last two episodes of the show, when the future of the fictional Sports Night show was in the air, Casey and Dan do a phenomenal job of screwing up their relationship, repeatedly taking two steps forward and one step back.

As the title might suggest, this is a veritable angst monster. Casey and Danny are both as hard-headed as they are in canon and the emotional drama is only heightened by the ongoing anxiety about what's going to happen with their show. Still, there are moments of brightness (and I feel I should note that I have never in my life recced a story with an unhappy ending).

For those who liked the darker second season of Sports Night, this is definitely the fic for you.

the memory of hurts

the memory of hurts by sinead (NC-17)

[jane-elliot.livejournal.com]

Title: the memory of hurts by sinead
Fandom: Sports Night
Pairing: Dan/Casey
Categories: angst
Length: Long (~15,000 words)
Warnings: n/a

Author on LJ: n/a?
Website: n/a

Review:
During the last two episodes of the show, when the future of the fictional Sports Night show was in the air, Casey and Dan do a phenomenal job of screwing up their relationship, repeatedly taking two steps forward and one step back.

As the title might suggest, this is a veritable angst monster. Casey and Danny are both as hard-headed as they are in canon and the emotional drama is only heightened by the ongoing anxiety about what's going to happen with their show. Still, there are moments of brightness (and I feel I should note that I have never in my life recced a story with an unhappy ending).

For those who liked the darker second season of Sports Night, this is definitely the fic for you.

the memory of hurts

the memory of hurts by sinead (NC-17)

[jane-elliot.livejournal.com]

Title: the memory of hurts by sinead
Fandom: Sports Night
Pairing: Dan/Casey
Categories: angst
Length: Long (~15,000 words)
Warnings: n/a

Author on LJ: n/a?
Website: n/a

Review:
During the last two episodes of the show, when the future of the fictional Sports Night show was in the air, Casey and Dan do a phenomenal job of screwing up their relationship, repeatedly taking two steps forward and one step back.

As the title might suggest, this is a veritable angst monster. Casey and Danny are both as hard-headed as they are in canon and the emotional drama is only heightened by the ongoing anxiety about what's going to happen with their show. Still, there are moments of brightness (and I feel I should note that I have never in my life recced a story with an unhappy ending).

For those who liked the darker second season of Sports Night, this is definitely the fic for you.

the memory of hurts

the memory of hurts by sinead (NC-17)

[jane-elliot.livejournal.com]

Title: the memory of hurts by sinead
Fandom: Sports Night
Pairing: Dan/Casey
Categories: angst
Length: Long (~15,000 words)
Warnings: n/a

Author on LJ: n/a?
Website: n/a

Review:
During the last two episodes of the show, when the future of the fictional Sports Night show was in the air, Casey and Dan do a phenomenal job of screwing up their relationship, repeatedly taking two steps forward and one step back.

As the title might suggest, this is a veritable angst monster. Casey and Danny are both as hard-headed as they are in canon and the emotional drama is only heightened by the ongoing anxiety about what's going to happen with their show. Still, there are moments of brightness (and I feel I should note that I have never in my life recced a story with an unhappy ending).

For those who liked the darker second season of Sports Night, this is definitely the fic for you.

the memory of hurts

the memory of hurts by sinead (NC-17)

[jane-elliot.livejournal.com]

Title: the memory of hurts by sinead
Fandom: Sports Night
Pairing: Dan/Casey
Categories: angst
Length: Long (~15,000 words)
Warnings: n/a

Author on LJ: n/a?
Website: n/a

Review:
During the last two episodes of the show, when the future of the fictional Sports Night show was in the air, Casey and Dan do a phenomenal job of screwing up their relationship, repeatedly taking two steps forward and one step back.

As the title might suggest, this is a veritable angst monster. Casey and Danny are both as hard-headed as they are in canon and the emotional drama is only heightened by the ongoing anxiety about what's going to happen with their show. Still, there are moments of brightness (and I feel I should note that I have never in my life recced a story with an unhappy ending).

For those who liked the darker second season of Sports Night, this is definitely the fic for you.

the memory of hurts

He Hadn't Stopped Christmas from Coming by belmanoir (NC-17)

[jane-elliot.livejournal.com]

Title: He Hadn't Stopped Christmas from Coming by belmanoir
Fandom: Due South
Pairing: Fraser/Vecchio/Kowalski
Categories: friendship, angst, holiday, virgin (to gay sex)
Length: Long (~21,000 words)
Warnings: n/a

Author on LJ: belmanoir 
Website: http://blackmothfic.twonth.com/

Review:
Vecchio's back from Florida, Kowalski's back from Canada, and Fraser's nowhere to be found (or, more accurately, hard to find because he's in the middle of nowhere). Mix in the holiday season and the two Ray's find themselves unexpectedly bonding over what present to get for Fraser. And then Fraser comes back and things get *really* complicated.

With a few rare exception fandoms (White Collar, Leverage, Samurai Champloo) I'm not really a threesome person. Thanks to this belmanoir, however, I think I'm going to have to add another fandom to this list. I love seeing the two Rays learning to get along, I love the way that Stella is awesome (even if she doesn't actually appear in the fic), I love the whole crazy Vecchio family, and most of all I love the way that Fraser is closer to the flawed human of the first two seasons as opposed to the near-cartoon he became near the end of the series. A perfect introduction to those interested in exploring F/K/V fic or who are in the mood for good writing and great characters.

He Hadn't Stopped Christmas from Coming

He Hadn't Stopped Christmas from Coming by belmanoir (NC-17)

[jane-elliot.livejournal.com]

Title: He Hadn't Stopped Christmas from Coming by belmanoir
Fandom: Due South
Pairing: Fraser/Vecchio/Kowalski
Categories: friendship, angst, holiday, virgin (to gay sex)
Length: Long (~21,000 words)
Warnings: n/a

Author on LJ: belmanoir 
Website: http://blackmothfic.twonth.com/

Review:
Vecchio's back from Florida, Kowalski's back from Canada, and Fraser's nowhere to be found (or, more accurately, hard to find because he's in the middle of nowhere). Mix in the holiday season and the two Ray's find themselves unexpectedly bonding over what present to get for Fraser. And then Fraser comes back and things get *really* complicated.

With a few rare exception fandoms (White Collar, Leverage, Samurai Champloo) I'm not really a threesome person. Thanks to this belmanoir, however, I think I'm going to have to add another fandom to this list. I love seeing the two Rays learning to get along, I love the way that Stella is awesome (even if she doesn't actually appear in the fic), I love the whole crazy Vecchio family, and most of all I love the way that Fraser is closer to the flawed human of the first two seasons as opposed to the near-cartoon he became near the end of the series. A perfect introduction to those interested in exploring F/K/V fic or who are in the mood for good writing and great characters.

He Hadn't Stopped Christmas from Coming

He Hadn't Stopped Christmas from Coming by belmanoir (NC-17)

[jane-elliot.livejournal.com]

Title: He Hadn't Stopped Christmas from Coming by belmanoir
Fandom: Due South
Pairing: Fraser/Vecchio/Kowalski
Categories: friendship, angst, holiday, virgin (to gay sex)
Length: Long (~21,000 words)
Warnings: n/a

Author on LJ: belmanoir 
Website: http://blackmothfic.twonth.com/

Review:
Vecchio's back from Florida, Kowalski's back from Canada, and Fraser's nowhere to be found (or, more accurately, hard to find because he's in the middle of nowhere). Mix in the holiday season and the two Ray's find themselves unexpectedly bonding over what present to get for Fraser. And then Fraser comes back and things get *really* complicated.

With a few rare exception fandoms (White Collar, Leverage, Samurai Champloo) I'm not really a threesome person. Thanks to this belmanoir, however, I think I'm going to have to add another fandom to this list. I love seeing the two Rays learning to get along, I love the way that Stella is awesome (even if she doesn't actually appear in the fic), I love the whole crazy Vecchio family, and most of all I love the way that Fraser is closer to the flawed human of the first two seasons as opposed to the near-cartoon he became near the end of the series. A perfect introduction to those interested in exploring F/K/V fic or who are in the mood for good writing and great characters.

He Hadn't Stopped Christmas from Coming

He Hadn't Stopped Christmas from Coming by belmanoir (NC-17)

[jane-elliot.livejournal.com]

Title: He Hadn't Stopped Christmas from Coming by belmanoir
Fandom: Due South
Pairing: Fraser/Vecchio/Kowalski
Categories: friendship, angst, holiday, virgin (to gay sex)
Length: Long (~21,000 words)
Warnings: n/a

Author on LJ: belmanoir 
Website: http://blackmothfic.twonth.com/

Review:
Vecchio's back from Florida, Kowalski's back from Canada, and Fraser's nowhere to be found (or, more accurately, hard to find because he's in the middle of nowhere). Mix in the holiday season and the two Ray's find themselves unexpectedly bonding over what present to get for Fraser. And then Fraser comes back and things get *really* complicated.

With a few rare exception fandoms (White Collar, Leverage, Samurai Champloo) I'm not really a threesome person. Thanks to this belmanoir, however, I think I'm going to have to add another fandom to this list. I love seeing the two Rays learning to get along, I love the way that Stella is awesome (even if she doesn't actually appear in the fic), I love the whole crazy Vecchio family, and most of all I love the way that Fraser is closer to the flawed human of the first two seasons as opposed to the near-cartoon he became near the end of the series. A perfect introduction to those interested in exploring F/K/V fic or who are in the mood for good writing and great characters.

He Hadn't Stopped Christmas from Coming

He Hadn't Stopped Christmas from Coming by belmanoir (NC-17)

[jane-elliot.livejournal.com]

Title: He Hadn't Stopped Christmas from Coming by belmanoir
Fandom: Due South
Pairing: Fraser/Vecchio/Kowalski
Categories: friendship, angst, holiday, virgin (to gay sex)
Length: Long (~21,000 words)
Warnings: n/a

Author on LJ: belmanoir 
Website: http://blackmothfic.twonth.com/

Review:
Vecchio's back from Florida, Kowalski's back from Canada, and Fraser's nowhere to be found (or, more accurately, hard to find because he's in the middle of nowhere). Mix in the holiday season and the two Ray's find themselves unexpectedly bonding over what present to get for Fraser. And then Fraser comes back and things get *really* complicated.

With a few rare exception fandoms (White Collar, Leverage, Samurai Champloo) I'm not really a threesome person. Thanks to this belmanoir, however, I think I'm going to have to add another fandom to this list. I love seeing the two Rays learning to get along, I love the way that Stella is awesome (even if she doesn't actually appear in the fic), I love the whole crazy Vecchio family, and most of all I love the way that Fraser is closer to the flawed human of the first two seasons as opposed to the near-cartoon he became near the end of the series. A perfect introduction to those interested in exploring F/K/V fic or who are in the mood for good writing and great characters.

He Hadn't Stopped Christmas from Coming

He Hadn't Stopped Christmas from Coming by belmanoir (NC-17)

[jane-elliot.livejournal.com]

Title: He Hadn't Stopped Christmas from Coming by belmanoir
Fandom: Due South
Pairing: Fraser/Vecchio/Kowalski
Categories: friendship, angst, holiday, virgin (to gay sex)
Length: Long (~21,000 words)
Warnings: n/a

Author on LJ: belmanoir 
Website: http://blackmothfic.twonth.com/

Review:
Vecchio's back from Florida, Kowalski's back from Canada, and Fraser's nowhere to be found (or, more accurately, hard to find because he's in the middle of nowhere). Mix in the holiday season and the two Ray's find themselves unexpectedly bonding over what present to get for Fraser. And then Fraser comes back and things get *really* complicated.

With a few rare exception fandoms (White Collar, Leverage, Samurai Champloo) I'm not really a threesome person. Thanks to this belmanoir, however, I think I'm going to have to add another fandom to this list. I love seeing the two Rays learning to get along, I love the way that Stella is awesome (even if she doesn't actually appear in the fic), I love the whole crazy Vecchio family, and most of all I love the way that Fraser is closer to the flawed human of the first two seasons as opposed to the near-cartoon he became near the end of the series. A perfect introduction to those interested in exploring F/K/V fic or who are in the mood for good writing and great characters.

He Hadn't Stopped Christmas from Coming

You Ruined Everything (In the Nicest Way) by jmtorres (PG)

[jane-elliot.livejournal.com]

Title: You Ruined Everything (In the Nicest Way) by jmtorres
Fandom: White Collar
Pairing: gen
Categories: angst, family
Length: Medium (~9,500 words)
Warnings: n/a

Author on DW: http://jmtorres.dreamwidth.org/
Website: http://jmtorres.dreamhosters.com/

Review:
Author's summary: A story of missed connections, in which Peter doesn't know what to say, Neal doesn't seem to want to hear it, and Elizabethan translation proves vital.

I rarely have a tough time writing summaries, but in this case I went with the author's summary because I just can't figure out how to describe this story without spoiling it. This also makes writing a review a challenge. Suffice to say that Peter and Neal have a very different relationship than any I've seen before in White Collar fanfic, the characterizations are brilliant all around, Elizabeth brings back the 'awe' in awesome, and I desperately wanted to give both Neal and Peter lots of hugs. A unique and fascinating White Collar fic.

You Ruined Everything (In the Nicest Way)

You Ruined Everything (In the Nicest Way) by jmtorres (PG)

[jane-elliot.livejournal.com]

Title: You Ruined Everything (In the Nicest Way) by jmtorres
Fandom: White Collar
Pairing: gen
Categories: angst, family
Length: Medium (~9,500 words)
Warnings: n/a

Author on DW: http://jmtorres.dreamwidth.org/
Website: http://jmtorres.dreamhosters.com/

Review:
Author's summary: A story of missed connections, in which Peter doesn't know what to say, Neal doesn't seem to want to hear it, and Elizabethan translation proves vital.

I rarely have a tough time writing summaries, but in this case I went with the author's summary because I just can't figure out how to describe this story without spoiling it. This also makes writing a review a challenge. Suffice to say that Peter and Neal have a very different relationship than any I've seen before in White Collar fanfic, the characterizations are brilliant all around, Elizabeth brings back the 'awe' in awesome, and I desperately wanted to give both Neal and Peter lots of hugs. A unique and fascinating White Collar fic.

You Ruined Everything (In the Nicest Way)

You Ruined Everything (In the Nicest Way) by jmtorres (PG)

[jane-elliot.livejournal.com]

Title: You Ruined Everything (In the Nicest Way) by jmtorres
Fandom: White Collar
Pairing: gen
Categories: angst, family
Length: Medium (~9,500 words)
Warnings: n/a

Author on DW: http://jmtorres.dreamwidth.org/
Website: http://jmtorres.dreamhosters.com/

Review:
Author's summary: A story of missed connections, in which Peter doesn't know what to say, Neal doesn't seem to want to hear it, and Elizabethan translation proves vital.

I rarely have a tough time writing summaries, but in this case I went with the author's summary because I just can't figure out how to describe this story without spoiling it. This also makes writing a review a challenge. Suffice to say that Peter and Neal have a very different relationship than any I've seen before in White Collar fanfic, the characterizations are brilliant all around, Elizabeth brings back the 'awe' in awesome, and I desperately wanted to give both Neal and Peter lots of hugs. A unique and fascinating White Collar fic.

You Ruined Everything (In the Nicest Way)

You Ruined Everything (In the Nicest Way) by jmtorres (PG)

[jane-elliot.livejournal.com]

Title: You Ruined Everything (In the Nicest Way) by jmtorres
Fandom: White Collar
Pairing: gen
Categories: angst, family
Length: Medium (~9,500 words)
Warnings: n/a

Author on DW: http://jmtorres.dreamwidth.org/
Website: http://jmtorres.dreamhosters.com/

Review:
Author's summary: A story of missed connections, in which Peter doesn't know what to say, Neal doesn't seem to want to hear it, and Elizabethan translation proves vital.

I rarely have a tough time writing summaries, but in this case I went with the author's summary because I just can't figure out how to describe this story without spoiling it. This also makes writing a review a challenge. Suffice to say that Peter and Neal have a very different relationship than any I've seen before in White Collar fanfic, the characterizations are brilliant all around, Elizabeth brings back the 'awe' in awesome, and I desperately wanted to give both Neal and Peter lots of hugs. A unique and fascinating White Collar fic.

You Ruined Everything (In the Nicest Way)

You Ruined Everything (In the Nicest Way) by jmtorres (PG)

[jane-elliot.livejournal.com]

Title: You Ruined Everything (In the Nicest Way) by jmtorres
Fandom: White Collar
Pairing: gen
Categories: angst, family
Length: Medium (~9,500 words)
Warnings: n/a

Author on DW: http://jmtorres.dreamwidth.org/
Website: http://jmtorres.dreamhosters.com/

Review:
Author's summary: A story of missed connections, in which Peter doesn't know what to say, Neal doesn't seem to want to hear it, and Elizabethan translation proves vital.

I rarely have a tough time writing summaries, but in this case I went with the author's summary because I just can't figure out how to describe this story without spoiling it. This also makes writing a review a challenge. Suffice to say that Peter and Neal have a very different relationship than any I've seen before in White Collar fanfic, the characterizations are brilliant all around, Elizabeth brings back the 'awe' in awesome, and I desperately wanted to give both Neal and Peter lots of hugs. A unique and fascinating White Collar fic.

You Ruined Everything (In the Nicest Way)

You Ruined Everything (In the Nicest Way) by jmtorres (PG)

[jane-elliot.livejournal.com]

Title: You Ruined Everything (In the Nicest Way) by jmtorres
Fandom: White Collar
Pairing: gen
Categories: angst, family
Length: Medium (~9,500 words)
Warnings: n/a

Author on DW: http://jmtorres.dreamwidth.org/
Website: http://jmtorres.dreamhosters.com/

Review:
Author's summary: A story of missed connections, in which Peter doesn't know what to say, Neal doesn't seem to want to hear it, and Elizabethan translation proves vital.

I rarely have a tough time writing summaries, but in this case I went with the author's summary because I just can't figure out how to describe this story without spoiling it. This also makes writing a review a challenge. Suffice to say that Peter and Neal have a very different relationship than any I've seen before in White Collar fanfic, the characterizations are brilliant all around, Elizabeth brings back the 'awe' in awesome, and I desperately wanted to give both Neal and Peter lots of hugs. A unique and fascinating White Collar fic.

You Ruined Everything (In the Nicest Way)

Tale As Old As Time by sdwolfpup (PG)

[jane-elliot.livejournal.com]

Title: Tale As Old As Time by sdwolfpup
Fandom: Due South
Pairing: Fraser/Vecchio
Categories: family, drama
Length: Medium (~8,100 words)
Warnings: n/a

Author on LJ: sdwolfpup 
Website: http://www.wolfpupserenade.com/fanfic.html

Review:
The Vecchio family goes to Disneyland and Fraser is invited. No way that can go wrong, right?

All of the fun of a family vacation without the challenges of you actually having to be on vacation with your family. Vecchio is great, Fraser is Fraser, and the Vecchio family is nothing short of brilliant. Best of all, Frannie and her crush aren't just brushed aside and forgotten, something that is rare when it comes to F/V fic. A fun family tale.

Tale As Old As Time

Tale As Old As Time by sdwolfpup (PG)

[jane-elliot.livejournal.com]

Title: Tale As Old As Time by sdwolfpup
Fandom: Due South
Pairing: Fraser/Vecchio
Categories: family, drama
Length: Medium (~8,100 words)
Warnings: n/a

Author on LJ: sdwolfpup 
Website: http://www.wolfpupserenade.com/fanfic.html

Review:
The Vecchio family goes to Disneyland and Fraser is invited. No way that can go wrong, right?

All of the fun of a family vacation without the challenges of you actually having to be on vacation with your family. Vecchio is great, Fraser is Fraser, and the Vecchio family is nothing short of brilliant. Best of all, Frannie and her crush aren't just brushed aside and forgotten, something that is rare when it comes to F/V fic. A fun family tale.

Tale As Old As Time

Tale As Old As Time by sdwolfpup (PG)

[jane-elliot.livejournal.com]

Title: Tale As Old As Time by sdwolfpup
Fandom: Due South
Pairing: Fraser/Vecchio
Categories: family, drama
Length: Medium (~8,100 words)
Warnings: n/a

Author on LJ: sdwolfpup 
Website: http://www.wolfpupserenade.com/fanfic.html

Review:
The Vecchio family goes to Disneyland and Fraser is invited. No way that can go wrong, right?

All of the fun of a family vacation without the challenges of you actually having to be on vacation with your family. Vecchio is great, Fraser is Fraser, and the Vecchio family is nothing short of brilliant. Best of all, Frannie and her crush aren't just brushed aside and forgotten, something that is rare when it comes to F/V fic. A fun family tale.

Tale As Old As Time

Tale As Old As Time by sdwolfpup (PG)

[jane-elliot.livejournal.com]

Title: Tale As Old As Time by sdwolfpup
Fandom: Due South
Pairing: Fraser/Vecchio
Categories: family, drama
Length: Medium (~8,100 words)
Warnings: n/a

Author on LJ: sdwolfpup 
Website: http://www.wolfpupserenade.com/fanfic.html

Review:
The Vecchio family goes to Disneyland and Fraser is invited. No way that can go wrong, right?

All of the fun of a family vacation without the challenges of you actually having to be on vacation with your family. Vecchio is great, Fraser is Fraser, and the Vecchio family is nothing short of brilliant. Best of all, Frannie and her crush aren't just brushed aside and forgotten, something that is rare when it comes to F/V fic. A fun family tale.

Tale As Old As Time

Tale As Old As Time by sdwolfpup (PG)

[jane-elliot.livejournal.com]

Title: Tale As Old As Time by sdwolfpup
Fandom: Due South
Pairing: Fraser/Vecchio
Categories: family, drama
Length: Medium (~8,100 words)
Warnings: n/a

Author on LJ: sdwolfpup 
Website: http://www.wolfpupserenade.com/fanfic.html

Review:
The Vecchio family goes to Disneyland and Fraser is invited. No way that can go wrong, right?

All of the fun of a family vacation without the challenges of you actually having to be on vacation with your family. Vecchio is great, Fraser is Fraser, and the Vecchio family is nothing short of brilliant. Best of all, Frannie and her crush aren't just brushed aside and forgotten, something that is rare when it comes to F/V fic. A fun family tale.

Tale As Old As Time

Tale As Old As Time by sdwolfpup (PG)

[jane-elliot.livejournal.com]

Title: Tale As Old As Time by sdwolfpup
Fandom: Due South
Pairing: Fraser/Vecchio
Categories: family, drama
Length: Medium (~8,100 words)
Warnings: n/a

Author on LJ: sdwolfpup 
Website: http://www.wolfpupserenade.com/fanfic.html

Review:
The Vecchio family goes to Disneyland and Fraser is invited. No way that can go wrong, right?

All of the fun of a family vacation without the challenges of you actually having to be on vacation with your family. Vecchio is great, Fraser is Fraser, and the Vecchio family is nothing short of brilliant. Best of all, Frannie and her crush aren't just brushed aside and forgotten, something that is rare when it comes to F/V fic. A fun family tale.

Tale As Old As Time

Getting Lucky and Taking Chances by Cori Lannam (PG-13)

[jane-elliot.livejournal.com]

Title: Getting Lucky and Taking Chances by Cori Lannam
Fandom: Sports Night
Pairing: Dan/Casey
Categories: angst
Length: Long (~26,000 words for both stories)
Warnings: Homophobia

Author on LJ: n/a?
Website: n/a

Review:
Dan and Casey get smashingly drunk one night and sleep together. The next morning does not go well.

What can I say? I love well-written Sports Night fic, I love Danny angst, I love relationships that do not run smooth, and I really, *really* love all of the Sports Night secondary characters. By hitting all of those kinks, this fic fills me with glee. If you like Sports Night or are a fan of break-up/make-up (rinse and repeat), then this is the fic for you.

Getting Lucky
Taking Chances

Getting Lucky and Taking Chances by Cori Lannam (PG-13)

[jane-elliot.livejournal.com]

Title: Getting Lucky and Taking Chances by Cori Lannam
Fandom: Sports Night
Pairing: Dan/Casey
Categories: angst
Length: Long (~26,000 words for both stories)
Warnings: Homophobia

Author on LJ: n/a?
Website: n/a

Review:
Dan and Casey get smashingly drunk one night and sleep together. The next morning does not go well.

What can I say? I love well-written Sports Night fic, I love Danny angst, I love relationships that do not run smooth, and I really, *really* love all of the Sports Night secondary characters. By hitting all of those kinks, this fic fills me with glee. If you like Sports Night or are a fan of break-up/make-up (rinse and repeat), then this is the fic for you.

Getting Lucky
Taking Chances

Getting Lucky and Taking Chances by Cori Lannam (PG-13)

[jane-elliot.livejournal.com]

Title: Getting Lucky and Taking Chances by Cori Lannam
Fandom: Sports Night
Pairing: Dan/Casey
Categories: angst
Length: Long (~26,000 words for both stories)
Warnings: Homophobia

Author on LJ: n/a?
Website: n/a

Review:
Dan and Casey get smashingly drunk one night and sleep together. The next morning does not go well.

What can I say? I love well-written Sports Night fic, I love Danny angst, I love relationships that do not run smooth, and I really, *really* love all of the Sports Night secondary characters. By hitting all of those kinks, this fic fills me with glee. If you like Sports Night or are a fan of break-up/make-up (rinse and repeat), then this is the fic for you.

Getting Lucky
Taking Chances

Getting Lucky and Taking Chances by Cori Lannam (PG-13)

[jane-elliot.livejournal.com]

Title: Getting Lucky and Taking Chances by Cori Lannam
Fandom: Sports Night
Pairing: Dan/Casey
Categories: angst
Length: Long (~26,000 words for both stories)
Warnings: Homophobia

Author on LJ: n/a?
Website: n/a

Review:
Dan and Casey get smashingly drunk one night and sleep together. The next morning does not go well.

What can I say? I love well-written Sports Night fic, I love Danny angst, I love relationships that do not run smooth, and I really, *really* love all of the Sports Night secondary characters. By hitting all of those kinks, this fic fills me with glee. If you like Sports Night or are a fan of break-up/make-up (rinse and repeat), then this is the fic for you.

Getting Lucky
Taking Chances

Getting Lucky and Taking Chances by Cori Lannam (PG-13)

[jane-elliot.livejournal.com]

Title: Getting Lucky and Taking Chances by Cori Lannam
Fandom: Sports Night
Pairing: Dan/Casey
Categories: angst
Length: Long (~26,000 words for both stories)
Warnings: Homophobia

Author on LJ: n/a?
Website: n/a

Review:
Dan and Casey get smashingly drunk one night and sleep together. The next morning does not go well.

What can I say? I love well-written Sports Night fic, I love Danny angst, I love relationships that do not run smooth, and I really, *really* love all of the Sports Night secondary characters. By hitting all of those kinks, this fic fills me with glee. If you like Sports Night or are a fan of break-up/make-up (rinse and repeat), then this is the fic for you.

Getting Lucky
Taking Chances

Getting Lucky and Taking Chances by Cori Lannam (PG-13)

[jane-elliot.livejournal.com]

Title: Getting Lucky and Taking Chances by Cori Lannam
Fandom: Sports Night
Pairing: Dan/Casey
Categories: angst
Length: Long (~26,000 words for both stories)
Warnings: Homophobia

Author on LJ: n/a?
Website: n/a

Review:
Dan and Casey get smashingly drunk one night and sleep together. The next morning does not go well.

What can I say? I love well-written Sports Night fic, I love Danny angst, I love relationships that do not run smooth, and I really, *really* love all of the Sports Night secondary characters. By hitting all of those kinks, this fic fills me with glee. If you like Sports Night or are a fan of break-up/make-up (rinse and repeat), then this is the fic for you.

Getting Lucky
Taking Chances

One Man's Kink by Mallory Klohn (NC-17)

[jane-elliot.livejournal.com]

Title: One Man's Kink by Mallory Klohn
Fandom: Due South
Pairing: Fraser/Vecchio
Categories: humor
Length: Medium (~8,700 words)
Warnings: n/a

Author on LJ: n/a?
Website: http://www.kormantic.com/bent/bent.html

Review:
Fraser has developed a kink for Ray's neck. Ray, in turn, has developed a bit of an obsession about Fraser's kink.

I'll say it up front: this is not for die-hard Serious Story fans. This fic is wacky, a bit absurd, and in some places outright nonsensical. Of course, that's why it's so darn fun. Banter, men behaving obliviously, Dief's sweet tooth, Ray finding ever-increasingly blatant ways to show off his neck, and Ben being *very* enthusiastic in bed -- it's all here and it's all nuts. Enjoy!

One Man's Kink

One Man's Kink by Mallory Klohn (NC-17)

[jane-elliot.livejournal.com]

Title: One Man's Kink by Mallory Klohn
Fandom: Due South
Pairing: Fraser/Vecchio
Categories: humor
Length: Medium (~8,700 words)
Warnings: n/a

Author on LJ: n/a?
Website: http://www.kormantic.com/bent/bent.html

Review:
Fraser has developed a kink for Ray's neck. Ray, in turn, has developed a bit of an obsession about Fraser's kink.

I'll say it up front: this is not for die-hard Serious Story fans. This fic is wacky, a bit absurd, and in some places outright nonsensical. Of course, that's why it's so darn fun. Banter, men behaving obliviously, Dief's sweet tooth, Ray finding ever-increasingly blatant ways to show off his neck, and Ben being *very* enthusiastic in bed -- it's all here and it's all nuts. Enjoy!

One Man's Kink

One Man's Kink by Mallory Klohn (NC-17)

[jane-elliot.livejournal.com]

Title: One Man's Kink by Mallory Klohn
Fandom: Due South
Pairing: Fraser/Vecchio
Categories: humor
Length: Medium (~8,700 words)
Warnings: n/a

Author on LJ: n/a?
Website: http://www.kormantic.com/bent/bent.html

Review:
Fraser has developed a kink for Ray's neck. Ray, in turn, has developed a bit of an obsession about Fraser's kink.

I'll say it up front: this is not for die-hard Serious Story fans. This fic is wacky, a bit absurd, and in some places outright nonsensical. Of course, that's why it's so darn fun. Banter, men behaving obliviously, Dief's sweet tooth, Ray finding ever-increasingly blatant ways to show off his neck, and Ben being *very* enthusiastic in bed -- it's all here and it's all nuts. Enjoy!

One Man's Kink

One Man's Kink by Mallory Klohn (NC-17)

[jane-elliot.livejournal.com]

Title: One Man's Kink by Mallory Klohn
Fandom: Due South
Pairing: Fraser/Vecchio
Categories: humor
Length: Medium (~8,700 words)
Warnings: n/a

Author on LJ: n/a?
Website: http://www.kormantic.com/bent/bent.html

Review:
Fraser has developed a kink for Ray's neck. Ray, in turn, has developed a bit of an obsession about Fraser's kink.

I'll say it up front: this is not for die-hard Serious Story fans. This fic is wacky, a bit absurd, and in some places outright nonsensical. Of course, that's why it's so darn fun. Banter, men behaving obliviously, Dief's sweet tooth, Ray finding ever-increasingly blatant ways to show off his neck, and Ben being *very* enthusiastic in bed -- it's all here and it's all nuts. Enjoy!

One Man's Kink

One Man's Kink by Mallory Klohn (NC-17)

[jane-elliot.livejournal.com]

Title: One Man's Kink by Mallory Klohn
Fandom: Due South
Pairing: Fraser/Vecchio
Categories: humor
Length: Medium (~8,700 words)
Warnings: n/a

Author on LJ: n/a?
Website: http://www.kormantic.com/bent/bent.html

Review:
Fraser has developed a kink for Ray's neck. Ray, in turn, has developed a bit of an obsession about Fraser's kink.

I'll say it up front: this is not for die-hard Serious Story fans. This fic is wacky, a bit absurd, and in some places outright nonsensical. Of course, that's why it's so darn fun. Banter, men behaving obliviously, Dief's sweet tooth, Ray finding ever-increasingly blatant ways to show off his neck, and Ben being *very* enthusiastic in bed -- it's all here and it's all nuts. Enjoy!

One Man's Kink

One Man's Kink by Mallory Klohn (NC-17)

[jane-elliot.livejournal.com]

Title: One Man's Kink by Mallory Klohn
Fandom: Due South
Pairing: Fraser/Vecchio
Categories: humor
Length: Medium (~8,700 words)
Warnings: n/a

Author on LJ: n/a?
Website: http://www.kormantic.com/bent/bent.html

Review:
Fraser has developed a kink for Ray's neck. Ray, in turn, has developed a bit of an obsession about Fraser's kink.

I'll say it up front: this is not for die-hard Serious Story fans. This fic is wacky, a bit absurd, and in some places outright nonsensical. Of course, that's why it's so darn fun. Banter, men behaving obliviously, Dief's sweet tooth, Ray finding ever-increasingly blatant ways to show off his neck, and Ben being *very* enthusiastic in bed -- it's all here and it's all nuts. Enjoy!

One Man's Kink

By Strength and Virtue by Casspeach (NC-17)

[jane-elliot.livejournal.com]

Title: By Strength and Virtue by Casspeach
Fandom: Merlin
Pairing: Arthur/Merlin
Categories: angst
Length: Medium (~10,000 words)
Warnings: aliens magical creatures made them do it aka dubcon; also, Arthur Doesn't Find Out

Author on LJ: casspeach 
Website: n/a

Review:
When Arthur runs afoul of a water creature that lures men to their deaths, Merlin intervenes. Unfortunately, this does not work quite as well as planned.

In most Aliens Made Them Do It type stories, the dubcon nature of the sex is usually smoothed over or completely ignored, because either the characters were already secretly in love, powerful aphrodisiacs were used, and/or because they were already being intimate. And that's fine -- given a choice between dubcon or not having dubcon, I'll usually pick the latter. That said, it's nice to occasionally read a fic that really considers what it means to have two people forced to have sex. It's not all roses and rainbows.

I do have to say that the ending to this fic is a bit rushed, but that's a minor quibble next to the fascinating exploration of Arthur's psyche as he is betrayed by his own body. An excellent fic for anyone interested in the darker side of Aliens Made Them Do It fic.

By Strength and Virtue

By Strength and Virtue by Casspeach (NC-17)

[jane-elliot.livejournal.com]

Title: By Strength and Virtue by Casspeach
Fandom: Merlin
Pairing: Arthur/Merlin
Categories: angst
Length: Medium (~10,000 words)
Warnings: aliens magical creatures made them do it aka dubcon; also, Arthur Doesn't Find Out

Author on LJ: casspeach 
Website: n/a

Review:
When Arthur runs afoul of a water creature that lures men to their deaths, Merlin intervenes. Unfortunately, this does not work quite as well as planned.

In most Aliens Made Them Do It type stories, the dubcon nature of the sex is usually smoothed over or completely ignored, because either the characters were already secretly in love, powerful aphrodisiacs were used, and/or because they were already being intimate. And that's fine -- given a choice between dubcon or not having dubcon, I'll usually pick the latter. That said, it's nice to occasionally read a fic that really considers what it means to have two people forced to have sex. It's not all roses and rainbows.

I do have to say that the ending to this fic is a bit rushed, but that's a minor quibble next to the fascinating exploration of Arthur's psyche as he is betrayed by his own body. An excellent fic for anyone interested in the darker side of Aliens Made Them Do It fic.

By Strength and Virtue

By Strength and Virtue by Casspeach (NC-17)

[jane-elliot.livejournal.com]

Title: By Strength and Virtue by Casspeach
Fandom: Merlin
Pairing: Arthur/Merlin
Categories: angst
Length: Medium (~10,000 words)
Warnings: aliens magical creatures made them do it aka dubcon; also, Arthur Doesn't Find Out

Author on LJ: casspeach 
Website: n/a

Review:
When Arthur runs afoul of a water creature that lures men to their deaths, Merlin intervenes. Unfortunately, this does not work quite as well as planned.

In most Aliens Made Them Do It type stories, the dubcon nature of the sex is usually smoothed over or completely ignored, because either the characters were already secretly in love, powerful aphrodisiacs were used, and/or because they were already being intimate. And that's fine -- given a choice between dubcon or not having dubcon, I'll usually pick the latter. That said, it's nice to occasionally read a fic that really considers what it means to have two people forced to have sex. It's not all roses and rainbows.

I do have to say that the ending to this fic is a bit rushed, but that's a minor quibble next to the fascinating exploration of Arthur's psyche as he is betrayed by his own body. An excellent fic for anyone interested in the darker side of Aliens Made Them Do It fic.

By Strength and Virtue

By Strength and Virtue by Casspeach (NC-17)

[jane-elliot.livejournal.com]

Title: By Strength and Virtue by Casspeach
Fandom: Merlin
Pairing: Arthur/Merlin
Categories: angst
Length: Medium (~10,000 words)
Warnings: aliens magical creatures made them do it aka dubcon; also, Arthur Doesn't Find Out

Author on LJ: casspeach 
Website: n/a

Review:
When Arthur runs afoul of a water creature that lures men to their deaths, Merlin intervenes. Unfortunately, this does not work quite as well as planned.

In most Aliens Made Them Do It type stories, the dubcon nature of the sex is usually smoothed over or completely ignored, because either the characters were already secretly in love, powerful aphrodisiacs were used, and/or because they were already being intimate. And that's fine -- given a choice between dubcon or not having dubcon, I'll usually pick the latter. That said, it's nice to occasionally read a fic that really considers what it means to have two people forced to have sex. It's not all roses and rainbows.

I do have to say that the ending to this fic is a bit rushed, but that's a minor quibble next to the fascinating exploration of Arthur's psyche as he is betrayed by his own body. An excellent fic for anyone interested in the darker side of Aliens Made Them Do It fic.

By Strength and Virtue

By Strength and Virtue by Casspeach (NC-17)

[jane-elliot.livejournal.com]

Title: By Strength and Virtue by Casspeach
Fandom: Merlin
Pairing: Arthur/Merlin
Categories: angst
Length: Medium (~10,000 words)
Warnings: aliens magical creatures made them do it aka dubcon; also, Arthur Doesn't Find Out

Author on LJ: casspeach 
Website: n/a

Review:
When Arthur runs afoul of a water creature that lures men to their deaths, Merlin intervenes. Unfortunately, this does not work quite as well as planned.

In most Aliens Made Them Do It type stories, the dubcon nature of the sex is usually smoothed over or completely ignored, because either the characters were already secretly in love, powerful aphrodisiacs were used, and/or because they were already being intimate. And that's fine -- given a choice between dubcon or not having dubcon, I'll usually pick the latter. That said, it's nice to occasionally read a fic that really considers what it means to have two people forced to have sex. It's not all roses and rainbows.

I do have to say that the ending to this fic is a bit rushed, but that's a minor quibble next to the fascinating exploration of Arthur's psyche as he is betrayed by his own body. An excellent fic for anyone interested in the darker side of Aliens Made Them Do It fic.

By Strength and Virtue

By Strength and Virtue by Casspeach (NC-17)

[jane-elliot.livejournal.com]

Title: By Strength and Virtue by Casspeach
Fandom: Merlin
Pairing: Arthur/Merlin
Categories: angst
Length: Medium (~10,000 words)
Warnings: aliens magical creatures made them do it aka dubcon; also, Arthur Doesn't Find Out

Author on LJ: casspeach 
Website: n/a

Review:
When Arthur runs afoul of a water creature that lures men to their deaths, Merlin intervenes. Unfortunately, this does not work quite as well as planned.

In most Aliens Made Them Do It type stories, the dubcon nature of the sex is usually smoothed over or completely ignored, because either the characters were already secretly in love, powerful aphrodisiacs were used, and/or because they were already being intimate. And that's fine -- given a choice between dubcon or not having dubcon, I'll usually pick the latter. That said, it's nice to occasionally read a fic that really considers what it means to have two people forced to have sex. It's not all roses and rainbows.

I do have to say that the ending to this fic is a bit rushed, but that's a minor quibble next to the fascinating exploration of Arthur's psyche as he is betrayed by his own body. An excellent fic for anyone interested in the darker side of Aliens Made Them Do It fic.

By Strength and Virtue

Happy by Crysothemis (NC-17)

[jane-elliot.livejournal.com]

Title: Happy by Crysothemis
Fandom: Stargate: Atantis
Pairing: McKay/Sheppard
Categories: amnesia, angst
Length: Very Long (~35,000 words)
Warnings: n/a

Author on LJ: crysothemis 
Website: http://crys.mrks.org

Review:
Rodney accidentally activates an Ancient device that makes him forget anything that he finds stressful. For some reason that makes him forget John.

Okay, I'll admit that part of the reason why I'm reccing this is because I really don't like canon!John Sheppard and this story explains why. Which isn't to say that this is a John-bashing fic; more Crys presents all of the negative stuff (cock-blocking, pressuring Rodney in stressful situations, the Lemon) as part of John and Rodney's dynamic and not necessarily in a bad way. What I like most about it, however, is that John has to confront this behavior and think to himself whether it's appropriate and/or acceptable between friends. As a bonus, you have John introspection, which is always awesome; amnesia!Rodney, who kicks all kinds of ass; Teyla and Ronon, who always kick ass; and some nifty-cool pseudo-science weapons against the wraith. A solid, well-written amnesia!fic.

Happy

Happy by Crysothemis (NC-17)

[jane-elliot.livejournal.com]

Title: Happy by Crysothemis
Fandom: Stargate: Atantis
Pairing: McKay/Sheppard
Categories: amnesia, angst
Length: Very Long (~35,000 words)
Warnings: n/a

Author on LJ: crysothemis 
Website: http://crys.mrks.org

Review:
Rodney accidentally activates an Ancient device that makes him forget anything that he finds stressful. For some reason that makes him forget John.

Okay, I'll admit that part of the reason why I'm reccing this is because I really don't like canon!John Sheppard and this story explains why. Which isn't to say that this is a John-bashing fic; more Crys presents all of the negative stuff (cock-blocking, pressuring Rodney in stressful situations, the Lemon) as part of John and Rodney's dynamic and not necessarily in a bad way. What I like most about it, however, is that John has to confront this behavior and think to himself whether it's appropriate and/or acceptable between friends. As a bonus, you have John introspection, which is always awesome; amnesia!Rodney, who kicks all kinds of ass; Teyla and Ronon, who always kick ass; and some nifty-cool pseudo-science weapons against the wraith. A solid, well-written amnesia!fic.

Happy

Happy by Crysothemis (NC-17)

[jane-elliot.livejournal.com]

Title: Happy by Crysothemis
Fandom: Stargate: Atantis
Pairing: McKay/Sheppard
Categories: amnesia, angst
Length: Very Long (~35,000 words)
Warnings: n/a

Author on LJ: crysothemis 
Website: http://crys.mrks.org

Review:
Rodney accidentally activates an Ancient device that makes him forget anything that he finds stressful. For some reason that makes him forget John.

Okay, I'll admit that part of the reason why I'm reccing this is because I really don't like canon!John Sheppard and this story explains why. Which isn't to say that this is a John-bashing fic; more Crys presents all of the negative stuff (cock-blocking, pressuring Rodney in stressful situations, the Lemon) as part of John and Rodney's dynamic and not necessarily in a bad way. What I like most about it, however, is that John has to confront this behavior and think to himself whether it's appropriate and/or acceptable between friends. As a bonus, you have John introspection, which is always awesome; amnesia!Rodney, who kicks all kinds of ass; Teyla and Ronon, who always kick ass; and some nifty-cool pseudo-science weapons against the wraith. A solid, well-written amnesia!fic.

Happy

Happy by Crysothemis (NC-17)

[jane-elliot.livejournal.com]

Title: Happy by Crysothemis
Fandom: Stargate: Atantis
Pairing: McKay/Sheppard
Categories: amnesia, angst
Length: Very Long (~35,000 words)
Warnings: n/a

Author on LJ: crysothemis 
Website: http://crys.mrks.org

Review:
Rodney accidentally activates an Ancient device that makes him forget anything that he finds stressful. For some reason that makes him forget John.

Okay, I'll admit that part of the reason why I'm reccing this is because I really don't like canon!John Sheppard and this story explains why. Which isn't to say that this is a John-bashing fic; more Crys presents all of the negative stuff (cock-blocking, pressuring Rodney in stressful situations, the Lemon) as part of John and Rodney's dynamic and not necessarily in a bad way. What I like most about it, however, is that John has to confront this behavior and think to himself whether it's appropriate and/or acceptable between friends. As a bonus, you have John introspection, which is always awesome; amnesia!Rodney, who kicks all kinds of ass; Teyla and Ronon, who always kick ass; and some nifty-cool pseudo-science weapons against the wraith. A solid, well-written amnesia!fic.

Happy

Happy by Crysothemis (NC-17)

[jane-elliot.livejournal.com]

Title: Happy by Crysothemis
Fandom: Stargate: Atantis
Pairing: McKay/Sheppard
Categories: amnesia, angst
Length: Very Long (~35,000 words)
Warnings: n/a

Author on LJ: crysothemis 
Website: http://crys.mrks.org

Review:
Rodney accidentally activates an Ancient device that makes him forget anything that he finds stressful. For some reason that makes him forget John.

Okay, I'll admit that part of the reason why I'm reccing this is because I really don't like canon!John Sheppard and this story explains why. Which isn't to say that this is a John-bashing fic; more Crys presents all of the negative stuff (cock-blocking, pressuring Rodney in stressful situations, the Lemon) as part of John and Rodney's dynamic and not necessarily in a bad way. What I like most about it, however, is that John has to confront this behavior and think to himself whether it's appropriate and/or acceptable between friends. As a bonus, you have John introspection, which is always awesome; amnesia!Rodney, who kicks all kinds of ass; Teyla and Ronon, who always kick ass; and some nifty-cool pseudo-science weapons against the wraith. A solid, well-written amnesia!fic.

Happy

Happy by Crysothemis (NC-17)

[jane-elliot.livejournal.com]

Title: Happy by Crysothemis
Fandom: Stargate: Atantis
Pairing: McKay/Sheppard
Categories: amnesia, angst
Length: Very Long (~35,000 words)
Warnings: n/a

Author on LJ: crysothemis 
Website: http://crys.mrks.org

Review:
Rodney accidentally activates an Ancient device that makes him forget anything that he finds stressful. For some reason that makes him forget John.

Okay, I'll admit that part of the reason why I'm reccing this is because I really don't like canon!John Sheppard and this story explains why. Which isn't to say that this is a John-bashing fic; more Crys presents all of the negative stuff (cock-blocking, pressuring Rodney in stressful situations, the Lemon) as part of John and Rodney's dynamic and not necessarily in a bad way. What I like most about it, however, is that John has to confront this behavior and think to himself whether it's appropriate and/or acceptable between friends. As a bonus, you have John introspection, which is always awesome; amnesia!Rodney, who kicks all kinds of ass; Teyla and Ronon, who always kick ass; and some nifty-cool pseudo-science weapons against the wraith. A solid, well-written amnesia!fic.

Happy

Boston Marriage by Jae (PG)

[jane-elliot.livejournal.com]

Title: Boston Marriage by Jae
Fandom: Gilmore Girls
Pairing: Rory/Paris
Categories: drama, romance (by Paris standards)
Length: Medium (~5,500 words)
Warnings: n/a

Author on LJ: jae_w 
Website: http://www.waxjism.org/jaesepha/

Review:
After Rory and Logan break up, Paris makes Rory a proposal, complete with PowerPoint presentations and charts with titles like "A Historical Analysis of Gilmore Dating: Two Decades of Disaster." And a bibliography, which was the genius touch, because everyone knows Rory can't resist a good bibliography.

Every time I read this fic, I'm simply blown away by how Jae nailed Paris and Rory's (but especially Paris's) characterizations. Their voices are so perfect that I could actually hear them talking along with the dialogue, which is just as sparkling and hilarious as the early seasons of the show. Mix in the fact that Paris's proposal (and Rory's determinedly fair-minded review of same) is so thoroughly awesome that it sold me on a pairing I'd never previously considered and a positively hilarious (and sweet and insightful) cameo by Lorelei, and you have a fast, funny, and very enjoyable take on how Rory and Paris could actually end up together.

Boston Marriage

Boston Marriage by Jae (PG)

[jane-elliot.livejournal.com]

Title: Boston Marriage by Jae
Fandom: Gilmore Girls
Pairing: Rory/Paris
Categories: drama, romance (by Paris standards)
Length: Medium (~5,500 words)
Warnings: n/a

Author on LJ: jae_w 
Website: http://www.waxjism.org/jaesepha/

Review:
After Rory and Logan break up, Paris makes Rory a proposal, complete with PowerPoint presentations and charts with titles like "A Historical Analysis of Gilmore Dating: Two Decades of Disaster." And a bibliography, which was the genius touch, because everyone knows Rory can't resist a good bibliography.

Every time I read this fic, I'm simply blown away by how Jae nailed Paris and Rory's (but especially Paris's) characterizations. Their voices are so perfect that I could actually hear them talking along with the dialogue, which is just as sparkling and hilarious as the early seasons of the show. Mix in the fact that Paris's proposal (and Rory's determinedly fair-minded review of same) is so thoroughly awesome that it sold me on a pairing I'd never previously considered and a positively hilarious (and sweet and insightful) cameo by Lorelei, and you have a fast, funny, and very enjoyable take on how Rory and Paris could actually end up together.

Boston Marriage

Boston Marriage by Jae (PG)

[jane-elliot.livejournal.com]

Title: Boston Marriage by Jae
Fandom: Gilmore Girls
Pairing: Rory/Paris
Categories: drama, romance (by Paris standards)
Length: Medium (~5,500 words)
Warnings: n/a

Author on LJ: jae_w 
Website: http://www.waxjism.org/jaesepha/

Review:
After Rory and Logan break up, Paris makes Rory a proposal, complete with PowerPoint presentations and charts with titles like "A Historical Analysis of Gilmore Dating: Two Decades of Disaster." And a bibliography, which was the genius touch, because everyone knows Rory can't resist a good bibliography.

Every time I read this fic, I'm simply blown away by how Jae nailed Paris and Rory's (but especially Paris's) characterizations. Their voices are so perfect that I could actually hear them talking along with the dialogue, which is just as sparkling and hilarious as the early seasons of the show. Mix in the fact that Paris's proposal (and Rory's determinedly fair-minded review of same) is so thoroughly awesome that it sold me on a pairing I'd never previously considered and a positively hilarious (and sweet and insightful) cameo by Lorelei, and you have a fast, funny, and very enjoyable take on how Rory and Paris could actually end up together.

Boston Marriage

Boston Marriage by Jae (PG)

[jane-elliot.livejournal.com]

Title: Boston Marriage by Jae
Fandom: Gilmore Girls
Pairing: Rory/Paris
Categories: drama, romance (by Paris standards)
Length: Medium (~5,500 words)
Warnings: n/a

Author on LJ: jae_w 
Website: http://www.waxjism.org/jaesepha/

Review:
After Rory and Logan break up, Paris makes Rory a proposal, complete with PowerPoint presentations and charts with titles like "A Historical Analysis of Gilmore Dating: Two Decades of Disaster." And a bibliography, which was the genius touch, because everyone knows Rory can't resist a good bibliography.

Every time I read this fic, I'm simply blown away by how Jae nailed Paris and Rory's (but especially Paris's) characterizations. Their voices are so perfect that I could actually hear them talking along with the dialogue, which is just as sparkling and hilarious as the early seasons of the show. Mix in the fact that Paris's proposal (and Rory's determinedly fair-minded review of same) is so thoroughly awesome that it sold me on a pairing I'd never previously considered and a positively hilarious (and sweet and insightful) cameo by Lorelei, and you have a fast, funny, and very enjoyable take on how Rory and Paris could actually end up together.

Boston Marriage

Boston Marriage by Jae (PG)

[jane-elliot.livejournal.com]

Title: Boston Marriage by Jae
Fandom: Gilmore Girls
Pairing: Rory/Paris
Categories: drama, romance (by Paris standards)
Length: Medium (~5,500 words)
Warnings: n/a

Author on LJ: jae_w 
Website: http://www.waxjism.org/jaesepha/

Review:
After Rory and Logan break up, Paris makes Rory a proposal, complete with PowerPoint presentations and charts with titles like "A Historical Analysis of Gilmore Dating: Two Decades of Disaster." And a bibliography, which was the genius touch, because everyone knows Rory can't resist a good bibliography.

Every time I read this fic, I'm simply blown away by how Jae nailed Paris and Rory's (but especially Paris's) characterizations. Their voices are so perfect that I could actually hear them talking along with the dialogue, which is just as sparkling and hilarious as the early seasons of the show. Mix in the fact that Paris's proposal (and Rory's determinedly fair-minded review of same) is so thoroughly awesome that it sold me on a pairing I'd never previously considered and a positively hilarious (and sweet and insightful) cameo by Lorelei, and you have a fast, funny, and very enjoyable take on how Rory and Paris could actually end up together.

Boston Marriage

Boston Marriage by Jae (PG)

[jane-elliot.livejournal.com]

Title: Boston Marriage by Jae
Fandom: Gilmore Girls
Pairing: Rory/Paris
Categories: drama, romance (by Paris standards)
Length: Medium (~5,500 words)
Warnings: n/a

Author on LJ: jae_w 
Website: http://www.waxjism.org/jaesepha/

Review:
After Rory and Logan break up, Paris makes Rory a proposal, complete with PowerPoint presentations and charts with titles like "A Historical Analysis of Gilmore Dating: Two Decades of Disaster." And a bibliography, which was the genius touch, because everyone knows Rory can't resist a good bibliography.

Every time I read this fic, I'm simply blown away by how Jae nailed Paris and Rory's (but especially Paris's) characterizations. Their voices are so perfect that I could actually hear them talking along with the dialogue, which is just as sparkling and hilarious as the early seasons of the show. Mix in the fact that Paris's proposal (and Rory's determinedly fair-minded review of same) is so thoroughly awesome that it sold me on a pairing I'd never previously considered and a positively hilarious (and sweet and insightful) cameo by Lorelei, and you have a fast, funny, and very enjoyable take on how Rory and Paris could actually end up together.

Boston Marriage

Between Two Thieves by casspeach (NC-17)

[jane-elliot.livejournal.com]

Title: Between Two Thieves by casspeach
Fandom: Star Trek Reboot
Pairing: Chekov/McCoy
Categories: bonding, drama
Length: Long (~18,000 words)
Warnings: n/a

Author on LJ: casspeach 
Website: n/a

Review:
While on a vaccination mission, Chekov and McCoy get themselves blessed. And by 'blessed', I mean 'bonded'.

First, I have to admit that this story really is too short for the subject matter. Fortunately that's more than made up for by casspeach's Checkov, who is confident, self-assured, and independent and who kicks more ass than any other Chekov I've read before. Her McCoy is also great, as is Jim (who is little more than a bit player, but is awesome in the time he has), but Chekov is truly the star of the show. Mix in bonding (without a Vulcan involved!) and some sly mpreg humor (that doesn't involve any actual mpreg) and you have a solid, unusual ST bonding fic.

Between Two Thieves

Between Two Thieves by casspeach (NC-17)

[jane-elliot.livejournal.com]

Title: Between Two Thieves by casspeach
Fandom: Star Trek Reboot
Pairing: Chekov/McCoy
Categories: bonding, drama
Length: Long (~18,000 words)
Warnings: n/a

Author on LJ: casspeach 
Website: n/a

Review:
While on a vaccination mission, Chekov and McCoy get themselves blessed. And by 'blessed', I mean 'bonded'.

First, I have to admit that this story really is too short for the subject matter. Fortunately that's more than made up for by casspeach's Checkov, who is confident, self-assured, and independent and who kicks more ass than any other Chekov I've read before. Her McCoy is also great, as is Jim (who is little more than a bit player, but is awesome in the time he has), but Chekov is truly the star of the show. Mix in bonding (without a Vulcan involved!) and some sly mpreg humor (that doesn't involve any actual mpreg) and you have a solid, unusual ST bonding fic.

Between Two Thieves

Between Two Thieves by casspeach (NC-17)

[jane-elliot.livejournal.com]

Title: Between Two Thieves by casspeach
Fandom: Star Trek Reboot
Pairing: Chekov/McCoy
Categories: bonding, drama
Length: Long (~18,000 words)
Warnings: n/a

Author on LJ: casspeach 
Website: n/a

Review:
While on a vaccination mission, Chekov and McCoy get themselves blessed. And by 'blessed', I mean 'bonded'.

First, I have to admit that this story really is too short for the subject matter. Fortunately that's more than made up for by casspeach's Checkov, who is confident, self-assured, and independent and who kicks more ass than any other Chekov I've read before. Her McCoy is also great, as is Jim (who is little more than a bit player, but is awesome in the time he has), but Chekov is truly the star of the show. Mix in bonding (without a Vulcan involved!) and some sly mpreg humor (that doesn't involve any actual mpreg) and you have a solid, unusual ST bonding fic.

Between Two Thieves

Between Two Thieves by casspeach (NC-17)

[jane-elliot.livejournal.com]

Title: Between Two Thieves by casspeach
Fandom: Star Trek Reboot
Pairing: Chekov/McCoy
Categories: bonding, drama
Length: Long (~18,000 words)
Warnings: n/a

Author on LJ: casspeach 
Website: n/a

Review:
While on a vaccination mission, Chekov and McCoy get themselves blessed. And by 'blessed', I mean 'bonded'.

First, I have to admit that this story really is too short for the subject matter. Fortunately that's more than made up for by casspeach's Checkov, who is confident, self-assured, and independent and who kicks more ass than any other Chekov I've read before. Her McCoy is also great, as is Jim (who is little more than a bit player, but is awesome in the time he has), but Chekov is truly the star of the show. Mix in bonding (without a Vulcan involved!) and some sly mpreg humor (that doesn't involve any actual mpreg) and you have a solid, unusual ST bonding fic.

Between Two Thieves

Between Two Thieves by casspeach (NC-17)

[jane-elliot.livejournal.com]

Title: Between Two Thieves by casspeach
Fandom: Star Trek Reboot
Pairing: Chekov/McCoy
Categories: bonding, drama
Length: Long (~18,000 words)
Warnings: n/a

Author on LJ: casspeach 
Website: n/a

Review:
While on a vaccination mission, Chekov and McCoy get themselves blessed. And by 'blessed', I mean 'bonded'.

First, I have to admit that this story really is too short for the subject matter. Fortunately that's more than made up for by casspeach's Checkov, who is confident, self-assured, and independent and who kicks more ass than any other Chekov I've read before. Her McCoy is also great, as is Jim (who is little more than a bit player, but is awesome in the time he has), but Chekov is truly the star of the show. Mix in bonding (without a Vulcan involved!) and some sly mpreg humor (that doesn't involve any actual mpreg) and you have a solid, unusual ST bonding fic.

Between Two Thieves

Between Two Thieves by casspeach (NC-17)

[jane-elliot.livejournal.com]

Title: Between Two Thieves by casspeach
Fandom: Star Trek Reboot
Pairing: Chekov/McCoy
Categories: bonding, drama
Length: Long (~18,000 words)
Warnings: n/a

Author on LJ: casspeach 
Website: n/a

Review:
While on a vaccination mission, Chekov and McCoy get themselves blessed. And by 'blessed', I mean 'bonded'.

First, I have to admit that this story really is too short for the subject matter. Fortunately that's more than made up for by casspeach's Checkov, who is confident, self-assured, and independent and who kicks more ass than any other Chekov I've read before. Her McCoy is also great, as is Jim (who is little more than a bit player, but is awesome in the time he has), but Chekov is truly the star of the show. Mix in bonding (without a Vulcan involved!) and some sly mpreg humor (that doesn't involve any actual mpreg) and you have a solid, unusual ST bonding fic.

Between Two Thieves

The Tournament of All Magicks by Cori Lannam (hard R)

[jane-elliot.livejournal.com]

Title: The Tournament of All Magicks by Cori Lannam
Fandom: Merlin
Pairing: Arthur/Merlin
Categories: angst, drama, action, friendship, humor
Length: Epic (~41,000 words)
Warnings: n/a

Author on LJ: corilannam 
Website: n/a

Review:
Merlin gets invited to a Secret Magic Tournament. Which, of course, everyone knows about. Desperately curious, he ends up sneaking away to attend. So, of course, Arthur invites himself along.

Whee! This is such a big old bundle of fun featuring all of my favorite Merlin tropes -- Arthur Finds Out, magical dueling, miscommunication angst, and so much more -- all tied up in a light, funny, fabulous bow. There were times when I found myself laughing out loud at the boys, cheering for Merlin in the duels (all of which were both exciting and entertaining), and aww-ing as the boys finally, *finally* got their freaking acts together. And, as a bonus, you have Disapproving!Gaius at his finest. Solid writing, good characterizations, and a fun, fast-paced style make this a highly enjoyable read for Merlin fans.

The Tournament of All Magicks (pt. 1) (pt. 2) (pt. 3) (pt. 4)

The Tournament of All Magicks by Cori Lannam (hard R)

[jane-elliot.livejournal.com]

Title: The Tournament of All Magicks by Cori Lannam
Fandom: Merlin
Pairing: Arthur/Merlin
Categories: angst, drama, action, friendship, humor
Length: Epic (~41,000 words)
Warnings: n/a

Author on LJ: corilannam 
Website: n/a

Review:
Merlin gets invited to a Secret Magic Tournament. Which, of course, everyone knows about. Desperately curious, he ends up sneaking away to attend. So, of course, Arthur invites himself along.

Whee! This is such a big old bundle of fun featuring all of my favorite Merlin tropes -- Arthur Finds Out, magical dueling, miscommunication angst, and so much more -- all tied up in a light, funny, fabulous bow. There were times when I found myself laughing out loud at the boys, cheering for Merlin in the duels (all of which were both exciting and entertaining), and aww-ing as the boys finally, *finally* got their freaking acts together. And, as a bonus, you have Disapproving!Gaius at his finest. Solid writing, good characterizations, and a fun, fast-paced style make this a highly enjoyable read for Merlin fans.

The Tournament of All Magicks (pt. 1) (pt. 2) (pt. 3) (pt. 4)

The Tournament of All Magicks by Cori Lannam (hard R)

[jane-elliot.livejournal.com]

Title: The Tournament of All Magicks by Cori Lannam
Fandom: Merlin
Pairing: Arthur/Merlin
Categories: angst, drama, action, friendship, humor
Length: Epic (~41,000 words)
Warnings: n/a

Author on LJ: corilannam 
Website: n/a

Review:
Merlin gets invited to a Secret Magic Tournament. Which, of course, everyone knows about. Desperately curious, he ends up sneaking away to attend. So, of course, Arthur invites himself along.

Whee! This is such a big old bundle of fun featuring all of my favorite Merlin tropes -- Arthur Finds Out, magical dueling, miscommunication angst, and so much more -- all tied up in a light, funny, fabulous bow. There were times when I found myself laughing out loud at the boys, cheering for Merlin in the duels (all of which were both exciting and entertaining), and aww-ing as the boys finally, *finally* got their freaking acts together. And, as a bonus, you have Disapproving!Gaius at his finest. Solid writing, good characterizations, and a fun, fast-paced style make this a highly enjoyable read for Merlin fans.

The Tournament of All Magicks (pt. 1) (pt. 2) (pt. 3) (pt. 4)

The Tournament of All Magicks by Cori Lannam (hard R)

[jane-elliot.livejournal.com]

Title: The Tournament of All Magicks by Cori Lannam
Fandom: Merlin
Pairing: Arthur/Merlin
Categories: angst, drama, action, friendship, humor
Length: Epic (~41,000 words)
Warnings: n/a

Author on LJ: corilannam 
Website: n/a

Review:
Merlin gets invited to a Secret Magic Tournament. Which, of course, everyone knows about. Desperately curious, he ends up sneaking away to attend. So, of course, Arthur invites himself along.

Whee! This is such a big old bundle of fun featuring all of my favorite Merlin tropes -- Arthur Finds Out, magical dueling, miscommunication angst, and so much more -- all tied up in a light, funny, fabulous bow. There were times when I found myself laughing out loud at the boys, cheering for Merlin in the duels (all of which were both exciting and entertaining), and aww-ing as the boys finally, *finally* got their freaking acts together. And, as a bonus, you have Disapproving!Gaius at his finest. Solid writing, good characterizations, and a fun, fast-paced style make this a highly enjoyable read for Merlin fans.

The Tournament of All Magicks (pt. 1) (pt. 2) (pt. 3) (pt. 4)

The Tournament of All Magicks by Cori Lannam (hard R)

[jane-elliot.livejournal.com]

Title: The Tournament of All Magicks by Cori Lannam
Fandom: Merlin
Pairing: Arthur/Merlin
Categories: angst, drama, action, friendship, humor
Length: Epic (~41,000 words)
Warnings: n/a

Author on LJ: corilannam 
Website: n/a

Review:
Merlin gets invited to a Secret Magic Tournament. Which, of course, everyone knows about. Desperately curious, he ends up sneaking away to attend. So, of course, Arthur invites himself along.

Whee! This is such a big old bundle of fun featuring all of my favorite Merlin tropes -- Arthur Finds Out, magical dueling, miscommunication angst, and so much more -- all tied up in a light, funny, fabulous bow. There were times when I found myself laughing out loud at the boys, cheering for Merlin in the duels (all of which were both exciting and entertaining), and aww-ing as the boys finally, *finally* got their freaking acts together. And, as a bonus, you have Disapproving!Gaius at his finest. Solid writing, good characterizations, and a fun, fast-paced style make this a highly enjoyable read for Merlin fans.

The Tournament of All Magicks (pt. 1) (pt. 2) (pt. 3) (pt. 4)

The Tournament of All Magicks by Cori Lannam (hard R)

[jane-elliot.livejournal.com]

Title: The Tournament of All Magicks by Cori Lannam
Fandom: Merlin
Pairing: Arthur/Merlin
Categories: angst, drama, action, friendship, humor
Length: Epic (~41,000 words)
Warnings: n/a

Author on LJ: corilannam 
Website: n/a

Review:
Merlin gets invited to a Secret Magic Tournament. Which, of course, everyone knows about. Desperately curious, he ends up sneaking away to attend. So, of course, Arthur invites himself along.

Whee! This is such a big old bundle of fun featuring all of my favorite Merlin tropes -- Arthur Finds Out, magical dueling, miscommunication angst, and so much more -- all tied up in a light, funny, fabulous bow. There were times when I found myself laughing out loud at the boys, cheering for Merlin in the duels (all of which were both exciting and entertaining), and aww-ing as the boys finally, *finally* got their freaking acts together. And, as a bonus, you have Disapproving!Gaius at his finest. Solid writing, good characterizations, and a fun, fast-paced style make this a highly enjoyable read for Merlin fans.

The Tournament of All Magicks (pt. 1) (pt. 2) (pt. 3) (pt. 4)

Jeeves and the Thorny Problem by triedunture (NC-17)

[jane-elliot.livejournal.com]

Title: Jeeves and the Thorny Problem by triedunture
Fandom: Jeeves and Wooster
Pairing: Jeeves/Wooster
Categories: angst
Length: Long (~21,000 words)
Warnings: emotionally unhealthy relationship; coerced voyeurism

Author on LJ: triedunture 
Website: n/a

Review:
Bertie starts dating someone who isn't Jeeves. And, to make things worse, the person in question isn't very nice, either.

I may have read angstier J&W fics than this one, but for the life of me I can't remember when. It's dark (by my standards) and a bit painful, but also very, very plausible. Jeeves (whose POV the story is in) is especially well-drawn; more vulnerable than he is usually portrayed and more human. A good fic for those times when you want something a little bit dark and very angsty.

Jeeves and the Thorny Problem

Jeeves and the Thorny Problem by triedunture (NC-17)

[jane-elliot.livejournal.com]

Title: Jeeves and the Thorny Problem by triedunture
Fandom: Jeeves and Wooster
Pairing: Jeeves/Wooster
Categories: angst
Length: Long (~21,000 words)
Warnings: emotionally unhealthy relationship; coerced voyeurism

Author on LJ: triedunture 
Website: n/a

Review:
Bertie starts dating someone who isn't Jeeves. And, to make things worse, the person in question isn't very nice, either.

I may have read angstier J&W fics than this one, but for the life of me I can't remember when. It's dark (by my standards) and a bit painful, but also very, very plausible. Jeeves (whose POV the story is in) is especially well-drawn; more vulnerable than he is usually portrayed and more human. A good fic for those times when you want something a little bit dark and very angsty.

Jeeves and the Thorny Problem

Jeeves and the Thorny Problem by triedunture (NC-17)

[jane-elliot.livejournal.com]

Title: Jeeves and the Thorny Problem by triedunture
Fandom: Jeeves and Wooster
Pairing: Jeeves/Wooster
Categories: angst
Length: Long (~21,000 words)
Warnings: emotionally unhealthy relationship; coerced voyeurism

Author on LJ: triedunture 
Website: n/a

Review:
Bertie starts dating someone who isn't Jeeves. And, to make things worse, the person in question isn't very nice, either.

I may have read angstier J&W fics than this one, but for the life of me I can't remember when. It's dark (by my standards) and a bit painful, but also very, very plausible. Jeeves (whose POV the story is in) is especially well-drawn; more vulnerable than he is usually portrayed and more human. A good fic for those times when you want something a little bit dark and very angsty.

Jeeves and the Thorny Problem

Jeeves and the Thorny Problem by triedunture (NC-17)

[jane-elliot.livejournal.com]

Title: Jeeves and the Thorny Problem by triedunture
Fandom: Jeeves and Wooster
Pairing: Jeeves/Wooster
Categories: angst
Length: Long (~21,000 words)
Warnings: emotionally unhealthy relationship; coerced voyeurism

Author on LJ: triedunture 
Website: n/a

Review:
Bertie starts dating someone who isn't Jeeves. And, to make things worse, the person in question isn't very nice, either.

I may have read angstier J&W fics than this one, but for the life of me I can't remember when. It's dark (by my standards) and a bit painful, but also very, very plausible. Jeeves (whose POV the story is in) is especially well-drawn; more vulnerable than he is usually portrayed and more human. A good fic for those times when you want something a little bit dark and very angsty.

Jeeves and the Thorny Problem

Jeeves and the Thorny Problem by triedunture (NC-17)

[jane-elliot.livejournal.com]

Title: Jeeves and the Thorny Problem by triedunture
Fandom: Jeeves and Wooster
Pairing: Jeeves/Wooster
Categories: angst
Length: Long (~21,000 words)
Warnings: emotionally unhealthy relationship; coerced voyeurism

Author on LJ: triedunture 
Website: n/a

Review:
Bertie starts dating someone who isn't Jeeves. And, to make things worse, the person in question isn't very nice, either.

I may have read angstier J&W fics than this one, but for the life of me I can't remember when. It's dark (by my standards) and a bit painful, but also very, very plausible. Jeeves (whose POV the story is in) is especially well-drawn; more vulnerable than he is usually portrayed and more human. A good fic for those times when you want something a little bit dark and very angsty.

Jeeves and the Thorny Problem

Jeeves and the Thorny Problem by triedunture (NC-17)

[jane-elliot.livejournal.com]

Title: Jeeves and the Thorny Problem by triedunture
Fandom: Jeeves and Wooster
Pairing: Jeeves/Wooster
Categories: angst
Length: Long (~21,000 words)
Warnings: emotionally unhealthy relationship; coerced voyeurism

Author on LJ: triedunture 
Website: n/a

Review:
Bertie starts dating someone who isn't Jeeves. And, to make things worse, the person in question isn't very nice, either.

I may have read angstier J&W fics than this one, but for the life of me I can't remember when. It's dark (by my standards) and a bit painful, but also very, very plausible. Jeeves (whose POV the story is in) is especially well-drawn; more vulnerable than he is usually portrayed and more human. A good fic for those times when you want something a little bit dark and very angsty.

Jeeves and the Thorny Problem

The Beltane Series by astolat (PG-13)

[jane-elliot.livejournal.com]

Title: The Beltane Series by astolat
Fandom: Merlin
Pairing: Arthur/Merlin pre-slash
Categories: angst
Length: Long (as a series)
Warnings: n/a

Author on LJ: astolat 
Website: http://intimations.org/

Review:
A series of stories that stretches from a possible explanation of Merlin's parentage through Arthur Finding Out to Merlin to Arthur (and a couple of knights) going forth into Albion.

A while back I recced That Shall Achieve the Sword, which is the third story in this series (which I didn't know at the time). That is the Arthur Finds Out story and I do think it's the best of the four. That said, I very much enjoyed Astolat's unique and very intriguing take on how and why Merlin (and Arthur) was born, as well as getting to see what happened after That Shall Achieve the Sword (which involves a tournament, one of my biggest kinks in this fandom).

All-in-all, a fun series of interesting stories featuring great writing and solid characterizations.

Beltane
Coming of Age
That Shall Achieve the Sword
An Exile in Albion

The Beltane Series by astolat (PG-13)

[jane-elliot.livejournal.com]

Title: The Beltane Series by astolat
Fandom: Merlin
Pairing: Arthur/Merlin pre-slash
Categories: angst
Length: Long (as a series)
Warnings: n/a

Author on LJ: astolat 
Website: http://intimations.org/

Review:
A series of stories that stretches from a possible explanation of Merlin's parentage through Arthur Finding Out to Merlin to Arthur (and a couple of knights) going forth into Albion.

A while back I recced That Shall Achieve the Sword, which is the third story in this series (which I didn't know at the time). That is the Arthur Finds Out story and I do think it's the best of the four. That said, I very much enjoyed Astolat's unique and very intriguing take on how and why Merlin (and Arthur) was born, as well as getting to see what happened after That Shall Achieve the Sword (which involves a tournament, one of my biggest kinks in this fandom).

All-in-all, a fun series of interesting stories featuring great writing and solid characterizations.

Beltane
Coming of Age
That Shall Achieve the Sword
An Exile in Albion

The Beltane Series by astolat (PG-13)

[jane-elliot.livejournal.com]

Title: The Beltane Series by astolat
Fandom: Merlin
Pairing: Arthur/Merlin pre-slash
Categories: angst
Length: Long (as a series)
Warnings: n/a

Author on LJ: astolat 
Website: http://intimations.org/

Review:
A series of stories that stretches from a possible explanation of Merlin's parentage through Arthur Finding Out to Merlin to Arthur (and a couple of knights) going forth into Albion.

A while back I recced That Shall Achieve the Sword, which is the third story in this series (which I didn't know at the time). That is the Arthur Finds Out story and I do think it's the best of the four. That said, I very much enjoyed Astolat's unique and very intriguing take on how and why Merlin (and Arthur) was born, as well as getting to see what happened after That Shall Achieve the Sword (which involves a tournament, one of my biggest kinks in this fandom).

All-in-all, a fun series of interesting stories featuring great writing and solid characterizations.

Beltane
Coming of Age
That Shall Achieve the Sword
An Exile in Albion

The Beltane Series by astolat (PG-13)

[jane-elliot.livejournal.com]

Title: The Beltane Series by astolat
Fandom: Merlin
Pairing: Arthur/Merlin pre-slash
Categories: angst
Length: Long (as a series)
Warnings: n/a

Author on LJ: astolat 
Website: http://intimations.org/

Review:
A series of stories that stretches from a possible explanation of Merlin's parentage through Arthur Finding Out to Merlin to Arthur (and a couple of knights) going forth into Albion.

A while back I recced That Shall Achieve the Sword, which is the third story in this series (which I didn't know at the time). That is the Arthur Finds Out story and I do think it's the best of the four. That said, I very much enjoyed Astolat's unique and very intriguing take on how and why Merlin (and Arthur) was born, as well as getting to see what happened after That Shall Achieve the Sword (which involves a tournament, one of my biggest kinks in this fandom).

All-in-all, a fun series of interesting stories featuring great writing and solid characterizations.

Beltane
Coming of Age
That Shall Achieve the Sword
An Exile in Albion

The Beltane Series by astolat (PG-13)

[jane-elliot.livejournal.com]

Title: The Beltane Series by astolat
Fandom: Merlin
Pairing: Arthur/Merlin pre-slash
Categories: angst
Length: Long (as a series)
Warnings: n/a

Author on LJ: astolat 
Website: http://intimations.org/

Review:
A series of stories that stretches from a possible explanation of Merlin's parentage through Arthur Finding Out to Merlin to Arthur (and a couple of knights) going forth into Albion.

A while back I recced That Shall Achieve the Sword, which is the third story in this series (which I didn't know at the time). That is the Arthur Finds Out story and I do think it's the best of the four. That said, I very much enjoyed Astolat's unique and very intriguing take on how and why Merlin (and Arthur) was born, as well as getting to see what happened after That Shall Achieve the Sword (which involves a tournament, one of my biggest kinks in this fandom).

All-in-all, a fun series of interesting stories featuring great writing and solid characterizations.

Beltane
Coming of Age
That Shall Achieve the Sword
An Exile in Albion

The Beltane Series by astolat (PG-13)

[jane-elliot.livejournal.com]

Title: The Beltane Series by astolat
Fandom: Merlin
Pairing: Arthur/Merlin pre-slash
Categories: angst
Length: Long (as a series)
Warnings: n/a

Author on LJ: astolat 
Website: http://intimations.org/

Review:
A series of stories that stretches from a possible explanation of Merlin's parentage through Arthur Finding Out to Merlin to Arthur (and a couple of knights) going forth into Albion.

A while back I recced That Shall Achieve the Sword, which is the third story in this series (which I didn't know at the time). That is the Arthur Finds Out story and I do think it's the best of the four. That said, I very much enjoyed Astolat's unique and very intriguing take on how and why Merlin (and Arthur) was born, as well as getting to see what happened after That Shall Achieve the Sword (which involves a tournament, one of my biggest kinks in this fandom).

All-in-all, a fun series of interesting stories featuring great writing and solid characterizations.

Beltane
Coming of Age
That Shall Achieve the Sword
An Exile in Albion

Judas Kiss by Joe Lawson (NC-17)

[jane-elliot.livejournal.com]

Title: Judas Kiss by Joe Lawson (NC-17)
Fandom: The Fast and the Furious
Pairing: Brian/Dom
Categories: post-canon, angst, hurt/comfort, action
Length: epic
Warnings: n/a

Author on LJ: n/a
Website: n/a

Review:
After Dom spends half a year moping over Brian in Mexico, Vince and Leon have finally had enough. One phone call later, and suddenly they're all heading to Arizona where Brian's family (and, for the moment, Brian himself) lives.

This fic starts a bit slow, but once Brian and Dom meet up it really starts to fly. While I love Brian and Dom (as always), what really made this fic work for me were the secondary characters: Rome, who I never liked in canon, but who I'm starting to appreciate in fanon; Vince and Leon, who almost never get time in fic, but who are both excellent; and the O'Conners (who I think might actually renamed characters from another show) who are beautifully handled and really enhance the story. Bonus: the O'Conner ranch has horses! (I'm a sucker for horses.)

All in all, a solid F&F fic ideal for those who are looking to take a break from "Brian and Dom in Mexico" stories and/or folks who enjoy an excellent ensemble cast.

Judas Kiss

Judas Kiss by Joe Lawson (NC-17)

[jane-elliot.livejournal.com]

Title: Judas Kiss by Joe Lawson (NC-17)
Fandom: The Fast and the Furious
Pairing: Brian/Dom
Categories: post-canon, angst, hurt/comfort, action
Length: epic
Warnings: n/a

Author on LJ: n/a
Website: n/a

Review:
After Dom spends half a year moping over Brian in Mexico, Vince and Leon have finally had enough. One phone call later, and suddenly they're all heading to Arizona where Brian's family (and, for the moment, Brian himself) lives.

This fic starts a bit slow, but once Brian and Dom meet up it really starts to fly. While I love Brian and Dom (as always), what really made this fic work for me were the secondary characters: Rome, who I never liked in canon, but who I'm starting to appreciate in fanon; Vince and Leon, who almost never get time in fic, but who are both excellent; and the O'Conners (who I think might actually renamed characters from another show) who are beautifully handled and really enhance the story. Bonus: the O'Conner ranch has horses! (I'm a sucker for horses.)

All in all, a solid F&F fic ideal for those who are looking to take a break from "Brian and Dom in Mexico" stories and/or folks who enjoy an excellent ensemble cast.

Judas Kiss

Judas Kiss by Joe Lawson (NC-17)

[jane-elliot.livejournal.com]

Title: Judas Kiss by Joe Lawson (NC-17)
Fandom: The Fast and the Furious
Pairing: Brian/Dom
Categories: post-canon, angst, hurt/comfort, action
Length: epic
Warnings: n/a

Author on LJ: n/a
Website: n/a

Review:
After Dom spends half a year moping over Brian in Mexico, Vince and Leon have finally had enough. One phone call later, and suddenly they're all heading to Arizona where Brian's family (and, for the moment, Brian himself) lives.

This fic starts a bit slow, but once Brian and Dom meet up it really starts to fly. While I love Brian and Dom (as always), what really made this fic work for me were the secondary characters: Rome, who I never liked in canon, but who I'm starting to appreciate in fanon; Vince and Leon, who almost never get time in fic, but who are both excellent; and the O'Conners (who I think might actually renamed characters from another show) who are beautifully handled and really enhance the story. Bonus: the O'Conner ranch has horses! (I'm a sucker for horses.)

All in all, a solid F&F fic ideal for those who are looking to take a break from "Brian and Dom in Mexico" stories and/or folks who enjoy an excellent ensemble cast.

Judas Kiss

Judas Kiss by Joe Lawson (NC-17)

[jane-elliot.livejournal.com]

Title: Judas Kiss by Joe Lawson (NC-17)
Fandom: The Fast and the Furious
Pairing: Brian/Dom
Categories: post-canon, angst, hurt/comfort, action
Length: epic
Warnings: n/a

Author on LJ: n/a
Website: n/a

Review:
After Dom spends half a year moping over Brian in Mexico, Vince and Leon have finally had enough. One phone call later, and suddenly they're all heading to Arizona where Brian's family (and, for the moment, Brian himself) lives.

This fic starts a bit slow, but once Brian and Dom meet up it really starts to fly. While I love Brian and Dom (as always), what really made this fic work for me were the secondary characters: Rome, who I never liked in canon, but who I'm starting to appreciate in fanon; Vince and Leon, who almost never get time in fic, but who are both excellent; and the O'Conners (who I think might actually renamed characters from another show) who are beautifully handled and really enhance the story. Bonus: the O'Conner ranch has horses! (I'm a sucker for horses.)

All in all, a solid F&F fic ideal for those who are looking to take a break from "Brian and Dom in Mexico" stories and/or folks who enjoy an excellent ensemble cast.

Judas Kiss

Judas Kiss by Joe Lawson (NC-17)

[jane-elliot.livejournal.com]

Title: Judas Kiss by Joe Lawson (NC-17)
Fandom: The Fast and the Furious
Pairing: Brian/Dom
Categories: post-canon, angst, hurt/comfort, action
Length: epic
Warnings: n/a

Author on LJ: n/a
Website: n/a

Review:
After Dom spends half a year moping over Brian in Mexico, Vince and Leon have finally had enough. One phone call later, and suddenly they're all heading to Arizona where Brian's family (and, for the moment, Brian himself) lives.

This fic starts a bit slow, but once Brian and Dom meet up it really starts to fly. While I love Brian and Dom (as always), what really made this fic work for me were the secondary characters: Rome, who I never liked in canon, but who I'm starting to appreciate in fanon; Vince and Leon, who almost never get time in fic, but who are both excellent; and the O'Conners (who I think might actually renamed characters from another show) who are beautifully handled and really enhance the story. Bonus: the O'Conner ranch has horses! (I'm a sucker for horses.)

All in all, a solid F&F fic ideal for those who are looking to take a break from "Brian and Dom in Mexico" stories and/or folks who enjoy an excellent ensemble cast.

Judas Kiss

Judas Kiss by Joe Lawson (NC-17)

[jane-elliot.livejournal.com]

Title: Judas Kiss by Joe Lawson (NC-17)
Fandom: The Fast and the Furious
Pairing: Brian/Dom
Categories: post-canon, angst, hurt/comfort, action
Length: epic
Warnings: n/a

Author on LJ: n/a
Website: n/a

Review:
After Dom spends half a year moping over Brian in Mexico, Vince and Leon have finally had enough. One phone call later, and suddenly they're all heading to Arizona where Brian's family (and, for the moment, Brian himself) lives.

This fic starts a bit slow, but once Brian and Dom meet up it really starts to fly. While I love Brian and Dom (as always), what really made this fic work for me were the secondary characters: Rome, who I never liked in canon, but who I'm starting to appreciate in fanon; Vince and Leon, who almost never get time in fic, but who are both excellent; and the O'Conners (who I think might actually renamed characters from another show) who are beautifully handled and really enhance the story. Bonus: the O'Conner ranch has horses! (I'm a sucker for horses.)

All in all, a solid F&F fic ideal for those who are looking to take a break from "Brian and Dom in Mexico" stories and/or folks who enjoy an excellent ensemble cast.

Judas Kiss

Pursuit by thefourthvine (PG-13)

[jane-elliot.livejournal.com]

Title: Pursuit by thefourthvine
Fandom: The Fast and the Furious
Pairing: gen
Categories: post-canon, angst, prostitute, friendship
Length: Medium (~11,000)
Warnings: n/a

Author on LJ: thefourthvine 
Website: n/a

Review:
After letting Dom go at the end of the first movie, Brian gets busted down the the worst undercover work the department has: rent boy. Which is what he's doing when Dom shows up and you can imagine just how well *that* goes over.

From the above summary, you'd probably imagine this is a slash fic; surprisingly not only is it not slash, but I don't think I could honestly call it pre-slash. The friendship is what's front and center in this fic, not romance, and I personally think the story is better for it. Dom and Brian are both in character and their relationship recovers quietly and organically. As a bonus you have a fantastic cameo for Mia and Tanner is pretty awesome. Unfortunately the plot is a bit uneven, but that's made up for by consistently good writing and some lovely hurt/comfort moments. Ideal for folks who like the canon relationship between Brian and Dom or who are in the mood for friendship!fic.

Pursuit

Pursuit by thefourthvine (PG-13)

[jane-elliot.livejournal.com]

Title: Pursuit by thefourthvine
Fandom: The Fast and the Furious
Pairing: gen
Categories: post-canon, angst, prostitute, friendship
Length: Medium (~11,000)
Warnings: n/a

Author on LJ: thefourthvine 
Website: n/a

Review:
After letting Dom go at the end of the first movie, Brian gets busted down the the worst undercover work the department has: rent boy. Which is what he's doing when Dom shows up and you can imagine just how well *that* goes over.

From the above summary, you'd probably imagine this is a slash fic; surprisingly not only is it not slash, but I don't think I could honestly call it pre-slash. The friendship is what's front and center in this fic, not romance, and I personally think the story is better for it. Dom and Brian are both in character and their relationship recovers quietly and organically. As a bonus you have a fantastic cameo for Mia and Tanner is pretty awesome. Unfortunately the plot is a bit uneven, but that's made up for by consistently good writing and some lovely hurt/comfort moments. Ideal for folks who like the canon relationship between Brian and Dom or who are in the mood for friendship!fic.

Pursuit

Pursuit by thefourthvine (PG-13)

[jane-elliot.livejournal.com]

Title: Pursuit by thefourthvine
Fandom: The Fast and the Furious
Pairing: gen
Categories: post-canon, angst, prostitute, friendship
Length: Medium (~11,000)
Warnings: n/a

Author on LJ: thefourthvine 
Website: n/a

Review:
After letting Dom go at the end of the first movie, Brian gets busted down the the worst undercover work the department has: rent boy. Which is what he's doing when Dom shows up and you can imagine just how well *that* goes over.

From the above summary, you'd probably imagine this is a slash fic; surprisingly not only is it not slash, but I don't think I could honestly call it pre-slash. The friendship is what's front and center in this fic, not romance, and I personally think the story is better for it. Dom and Brian are both in character and their relationship recovers quietly and organically. As a bonus you have a fantastic cameo for Mia and Tanner is pretty awesome. Unfortunately the plot is a bit uneven, but that's made up for by consistently good writing and some lovely hurt/comfort moments. Ideal for folks who like the canon relationship between Brian and Dom or who are in the mood for friendship!fic.

Pursuit

Pursuit by thefourthvine (PG-13)

[jane-elliot.livejournal.com]

Title: Pursuit by thefourthvine
Fandom: The Fast and the Furious
Pairing: gen
Categories: post-canon, angst, prostitute, friendship
Length: Medium (~11,000)
Warnings: n/a

Author on LJ: thefourthvine 
Website: n/a

Review:
After letting Dom go at the end of the first movie, Brian gets busted down the the worst undercover work the department has: rent boy. Which is what he's doing when Dom shows up and you can imagine just how well *that* goes over.

From the above summary, you'd probably imagine this is a slash fic; surprisingly not only is it not slash, but I don't think I could honestly call it pre-slash. The friendship is what's front and center in this fic, not romance, and I personally think the story is better for it. Dom and Brian are both in character and their relationship recovers quietly and organically. As a bonus you have a fantastic cameo for Mia and Tanner is pretty awesome. Unfortunately the plot is a bit uneven, but that's made up for by consistently good writing and some lovely hurt/comfort moments. Ideal for folks who like the canon relationship between Brian and Dom or who are in the mood for friendship!fic.

Pursuit

Pursuit by thefourthvine (PG-13)

[jane-elliot.livejournal.com]

Title: Pursuit by thefourthvine
Fandom: The Fast and the Furious
Pairing: gen
Categories: post-canon, angst, prostitute, friendship
Length: Medium (~11,000)
Warnings: n/a

Author on LJ: thefourthvine 
Website: n/a

Review:
After letting Dom go at the end of the first movie, Brian gets busted down the the worst undercover work the department has: rent boy. Which is what he's doing when Dom shows up and you can imagine just how well *that* goes over.

From the above summary, you'd probably imagine this is a slash fic; surprisingly not only is it not slash, but I don't think I could honestly call it pre-slash. The friendship is what's front and center in this fic, not romance, and I personally think the story is better for it. Dom and Brian are both in character and their relationship recovers quietly and organically. As a bonus you have a fantastic cameo for Mia and Tanner is pretty awesome. Unfortunately the plot is a bit uneven, but that's made up for by consistently good writing and some lovely hurt/comfort moments. Ideal for folks who like the canon relationship between Brian and Dom or who are in the mood for friendship!fic.

Pursuit

Pursuit by thefourthvine (PG-13)

[jane-elliot.livejournal.com]

Title: Pursuit by thefourthvine
Fandom: The Fast and the Furious
Pairing: gen
Categories: post-canon, angst, prostitute, friendship
Length: Medium (~11,000)
Warnings: n/a

Author on LJ: thefourthvine 
Website: n/a

Review:
After letting Dom go at the end of the first movie, Brian gets busted down the the worst undercover work the department has: rent boy. Which is what he's doing when Dom shows up and you can imagine just how well *that* goes over.

From the above summary, you'd probably imagine this is a slash fic; surprisingly not only is it not slash, but I don't think I could honestly call it pre-slash. The friendship is what's front and center in this fic, not romance, and I personally think the story is better for it. Dom and Brian are both in character and their relationship recovers quietly and organically. As a bonus you have a fantastic cameo for Mia and Tanner is pretty awesome. Unfortunately the plot is a bit uneven, but that's made up for by consistently good writing and some lovely hurt/comfort moments. Ideal for folks who like the canon relationship between Brian and Dom or who are in the mood for friendship!fic.

Pursuit

GUIDE ME: The Search for a Soulmate by rhiannohero (NC-17)

[jane-elliot.livejournal.com]

Title: GUIDE ME: The Search for a Soulmate by rhiannohero
Fandom: The Sentinel
Pairing: Jim/Blair
Categories: AU, drama, angst
Length: Very long (~36,000 words)
Warnings: Alex is not evil

Author on LJ: rhiannonhero 
Website: n/a

Review:
After a sensory spike during a hostage situation nearly gets someone killed, guide-less sentinel Jim is given an ultimatum: prove that he's actually looking for a guide or quit the force. And what better way to prove that he's making an effort than to do so on national television?

I have to admit, I don't watch reality television, so I'm probably getting less out of this fic than those who do. That said, this is great fun, with Blair being awesome and very in-character and Jim being denser than lead and, to quote Simon, "the least self-aware person on the planet". I do wish Jim had been a bit less so thickheaded, but fortunately he wises up eventually and makes up for it all with smoking sex. A fun, fast Sentinel fic.

GUIDE ME: The Search for a Soulmate

GUIDE ME: The Search for a Soulmate by rhiannohero (NC-17)

[jane-elliot.livejournal.com]

Title: GUIDE ME: The Search for a Soulmate by rhiannohero
Fandom: The Sentinel
Pairing: Jim/Blair
Categories: AU, drama, angst
Length: Very long (~36,000 words)
Warnings: Alex is not evil

Author on LJ: rhiannonhero 
Website: n/a

Review:
After a sensory spike during a hostage situation nearly gets someone killed, guide-less sentinel Jim is given an ultimatum: prove that he's actually looking for a guide or quit the force. And what better way to prove that he's making an effort than to do so on national television?

I have to admit, I don't watch reality television, so I'm probably getting less out of this fic than those who do. That said, this is great fun, with Blair being awesome and very in-character and Jim being denser than lead and, to quote Simon, "the least self-aware person on the planet". I do wish Jim had been a bit less so thickheaded, but fortunately he wises up eventually and makes up for it all with smoking sex. A fun, fast Sentinel fic.

GUIDE ME: The Search for a Soulmate

GUIDE ME: The Search for a Soulmate by rhiannohero (NC-17)

[jane-elliot.livejournal.com]

Title: GUIDE ME: The Search for a Soulmate by rhiannohero
Fandom: The Sentinel
Pairing: Jim/Blair
Categories: AU, drama, angst
Length: Very long (~36,000 words)
Warnings: Alex is not evil

Author on LJ: rhiannonhero 
Website: n/a

Review:
After a sensory spike during a hostage situation nearly gets someone killed, guide-less sentinel Jim is given an ultimatum: prove that he's actually looking for a guide or quit the force. And what better way to prove that he's making an effort than to do so on national television?

I have to admit, I don't watch reality television, so I'm probably getting less out of this fic than those who do. That said, this is great fun, with Blair being awesome and very in-character and Jim being denser than lead and, to quote Simon, "the least self-aware person on the planet". I do wish Jim had been a bit less so thickheaded, but fortunately he wises up eventually and makes up for it all with smoking sex. A fun, fast Sentinel fic.

GUIDE ME: The Search for a Soulmate

GUIDE ME: The Search for a Soulmate by rhiannohero (NC-17)

[jane-elliot.livejournal.com]

Title: GUIDE ME: The Search for a Soulmate by rhiannohero
Fandom: The Sentinel
Pairing: Jim/Blair
Categories: AU, drama, angst
Length: Very long (~36,000 words)
Warnings: Alex is not evil

Author on LJ: rhiannonhero 
Website: n/a

Review:
After a sensory spike during a hostage situation nearly gets someone killed, guide-less sentinel Jim is given an ultimatum: prove that he's actually looking for a guide or quit the force. And what better way to prove that he's making an effort than to do so on national television?

I have to admit, I don't watch reality television, so I'm probably getting less out of this fic than those who do. That said, this is great fun, with Blair being awesome and very in-character and Jim being denser than lead and, to quote Simon, "the least self-aware person on the planet". I do wish Jim had been a bit less so thickheaded, but fortunately he wises up eventually and makes up for it all with smoking sex. A fun, fast Sentinel fic.

GUIDE ME: The Search for a Soulmate

GUIDE ME: The Search for a Soulmate by rhiannohero (NC-17)

[jane-elliot.livejournal.com]

Title: GUIDE ME: The Search for a Soulmate by rhiannohero
Fandom: The Sentinel
Pairing: Jim/Blair
Categories: AU, drama, angst
Length: Very long (~36,000 words)
Warnings: Alex is not evil

Author on LJ: rhiannonhero 
Website: n/a

Review:
After a sensory spike during a hostage situation nearly gets someone killed, guide-less sentinel Jim is given an ultimatum: prove that he's actually looking for a guide or quit the force. And what better way to prove that he's making an effort than to do so on national television?

I have to admit, I don't watch reality television, so I'm probably getting less out of this fic than those who do. That said, this is great fun, with Blair being awesome and very in-character and Jim being denser than lead and, to quote Simon, "the least self-aware person on the planet". I do wish Jim had been a bit less so thickheaded, but fortunately he wises up eventually and makes up for it all with smoking sex. A fun, fast Sentinel fic.

GUIDE ME: The Search for a Soulmate

GUIDE ME: The Search for a Soulmate by rhiannohero (NC-17)

[jane-elliot.livejournal.com]

Title: GUIDE ME: The Search for a Soulmate by rhiannohero
Fandom: The Sentinel
Pairing: Jim/Blair
Categories: AU, drama, angst
Length: Very long (~36,000 words)
Warnings: Alex is not evil

Author on LJ: rhiannonhero 
Website: n/a

Review:
After a sensory spike during a hostage situation nearly gets someone killed, guide-less sentinel Jim is given an ultimatum: prove that he's actually looking for a guide or quit the force. And what better way to prove that he's making an effort than to do so on national television?

I have to admit, I don't watch reality television, so I'm probably getting less out of this fic than those who do. That said, this is great fun, with Blair being awesome and very in-character and Jim being denser than lead and, to quote Simon, "the least self-aware person on the planet". I do wish Jim had been a bit less so thickheaded, but fortunately he wises up eventually and makes up for it all with smoking sex. A fun, fast Sentinel fic.

GUIDE ME: The Search for a Soulmate

Cherrypicked by Jaina (R)

[jane-elliot.livejournal.com]

Title: Cherrypicked by Jaina
Fandom: Bleach
Pairing: Ichigo/Rukia
Categories: humor, virgin
Length: Medium (~12,000 words)
Warnings: n/a

Author on LJ: herdedcats 
Website: n/a

Review:
After the war with Aizen is over, Rukia and Ichigo start dating. A year after that, it's time to Take the Next Step. Except that Soul Society is full of the nosiest people on earth (and also Rukia's scary overprotective brother) and Ichigo still lives at home with his perverted father and two baby sisters. What are two horny shinigami to do?

This is just plain awesome. From Ichigo worrying about being a virgin (but also being, you know, male and thus mostly really, really eager); to the Secret of Rukia's Deflowering (which has a brilliant payoff); to the Quest for a Private Space; to that rarest of rare finds in fanfic: first time sex that actually sounds like first time sex, this story is full of humor and affection and Soul Society cameos. Very funny and very entertaining.

Cherrypicked

Cherrypicked by Jaina (R)

[jane-elliot.livejournal.com]

Title: Cherrypicked by Jaina
Fandom: Bleach
Pairing: Ichigo/Rukia
Categories: humor, virgin
Length: Medium (~12,000 words)
Warnings: n/a

Author on LJ: herdedcats 
Website: n/a

Review:
After the war with Aizen is over, Rukia and Ichigo start dating. A year after that, it's time to Take the Next Step. Except that Soul Society is full of the nosiest people on earth (and also Rukia's scary overprotective brother) and Ichigo still lives at home with his perverted father and two baby sisters. What are two horny shinigami to do?

This is just plain awesome. From Ichigo worrying about being a virgin (but also being, you know, male and thus mostly really, really eager); to the Secret of Rukia's Deflowering (which has a brilliant payoff); to the Quest for a Private Space; to that rarest of rare finds in fanfic: first time sex that actually sounds like first time sex, this story is full of humor and affection and Soul Society cameos. Very funny and very entertaining.

Cherrypicked

Cherrypicked by Jaina (R)

[jane-elliot.livejournal.com]

Title: Cherrypicked by Jaina
Fandom: Bleach
Pairing: Ichigo/Rukia
Categories: humor, virgin
Length: Medium (~12,000 words)
Warnings: n/a

Author on LJ: herdedcats 
Website: n/a

Review:
After the war with Aizen is over, Rukia and Ichigo start dating. A year after that, it's time to Take the Next Step. Except that Soul Society is full of the nosiest people on earth (and also Rukia's scary overprotective brother) and Ichigo still lives at home with his perverted father and two baby sisters. What are two horny shinigami to do?

This is just plain awesome. From Ichigo worrying about being a virgin (but also being, you know, male and thus mostly really, really eager); to the Secret of Rukia's Deflowering (which has a brilliant payoff); to the Quest for a Private Space; to that rarest of rare finds in fanfic: first time sex that actually sounds like first time sex, this story is full of humor and affection and Soul Society cameos. Very funny and very entertaining.

Cherrypicked

Cherrypicked by Jaina (R)

[jane-elliot.livejournal.com]

Title: Cherrypicked by Jaina
Fandom: Bleach
Pairing: Ichigo/Rukia
Categories: humor, virgin
Length: Medium (~12,000 words)
Warnings: n/a

Author on LJ: herdedcats 
Website: n/a

Review:
After the war with Aizen is over, Rukia and Ichigo start dating. A year after that, it's time to Take the Next Step. Except that Soul Society is full of the nosiest people on earth (and also Rukia's scary overprotective brother) and Ichigo still lives at home with his perverted father and two baby sisters. What are two horny shinigami to do?

This is just plain awesome. From Ichigo worrying about being a virgin (but also being, you know, male and thus mostly really, really eager); to the Secret of Rukia's Deflowering (which has a brilliant payoff); to the Quest for a Private Space; to that rarest of rare finds in fanfic: first time sex that actually sounds like first time sex, this story is full of humor and affection and Soul Society cameos. Very funny and very entertaining.

Cherrypicked

Cherrypicked by Jaina (R)

[jane-elliot.livejournal.com]

Title: Cherrypicked by Jaina
Fandom: Bleach
Pairing: Ichigo/Rukia
Categories: humor, virgin
Length: Medium (~12,000 words)
Warnings: n/a

Author on LJ: herdedcats 
Website: n/a

Review:
After the war with Aizen is over, Rukia and Ichigo start dating. A year after that, it's time to Take the Next Step. Except that Soul Society is full of the nosiest people on earth (and also Rukia's scary overprotective brother) and Ichigo still lives at home with his perverted father and two baby sisters. What are two horny shinigami to do?

This is just plain awesome. From Ichigo worrying about being a virgin (but also being, you know, male and thus mostly really, really eager); to the Secret of Rukia's Deflowering (which has a brilliant payoff); to the Quest for a Private Space; to that rarest of rare finds in fanfic: first time sex that actually sounds like first time sex, this story is full of humor and affection and Soul Society cameos. Very funny and very entertaining.

Cherrypicked

Cherrypicked by Jaina (R)

[jane-elliot.livejournal.com]

Title: Cherrypicked by Jaina
Fandom: Bleach
Pairing: Ichigo/Rukia
Categories: humor, virgin
Length: Medium (~12,000 words)
Warnings: n/a

Author on LJ: herdedcats 
Website: n/a

Review:
After the war with Aizen is over, Rukia and Ichigo start dating. A year after that, it's time to Take the Next Step. Except that Soul Society is full of the nosiest people on earth (and also Rukia's scary overprotective brother) and Ichigo still lives at home with his perverted father and two baby sisters. What are two horny shinigami to do?

This is just plain awesome. From Ichigo worrying about being a virgin (but also being, you know, male and thus mostly really, really eager); to the Secret of Rukia's Deflowering (which has a brilliant payoff); to the Quest for a Private Space; to that rarest of rare finds in fanfic: first time sex that actually sounds like first time sex, this story is full of humor and affection and Soul Society cameos. Very funny and very entertaining.

Cherrypicked

The Best Revenge by Arsinoe de Blassenville (PG)

[jane-elliot.livejournal.com]

Title: The Best Revenge by Arsinoe de Blassenville
Fandom: Harry Potter
Pairing: essentially gen (with het in the latter half and Snape/Burbage (i.e. het) in the sequel)
Categories: action, AU, drama, friendship, humor
Length: Super!Epic (~220,000 words)
Warnings: not for fans of Dumbledore (and, to a lesser extent, Ron); ETA: both Dumbledore and Ron are vastly improved in the sequel

Author on LJ: n/a
Website: http://sites.google.com/site/ceindrych/

Review:
When Snape happens to see that Harry Potter's address is "Cupboard Under the Stairs" at Privet Drive, he decides to investigate. What he finds changes everything.

There are a lot of great reasons to read this fic -- the writing is superb, the pacing is excellent, and all of the characterizations (especially of the non-Gryffindors/Slytherins, who usually don't get much screentime in fanfic) are brilliant -- but for me the number one draw is Happy!Harry. Unlike nearly every other HP fic I've read (including canon), Harry is genuinely, unabashedly happy in this story, just as a kid his age should be. Which isn't something most authors could pull off without the resulting story being boring, but Arsinoe manages to not only make it work but to also speed up canon events thanks to nearly everyone (including most of the Hogwarts professors, who are all awesome) behaving intelligently (though be warned that while Dumbledore isn't evil, he's not very likeable either). Even better is the way that the author (who has children) manages to portray the eleven-year-old children *as children*, which is nearly a miracle in fanfic. Heck, I'm so impressed with the author that I even enjoyed her author's notes (something that I've never said before and will probably never say again).

In short, if you're in the mood for a long, relaxed novel featuring Harry actually being happy; (at least some members of) all four Houses working together; Snape being a good, supportive guardian (without melodrama); and brilliant characterizations for nearly every named character in the HP canon, this is the fic for you.

ETA: Just after I wrote this rec up, the author finished the sequel, adding another 100,000 words to the universe. The author's philosophy for the second story seems to have been "What if Tom Riddle and the teachers at Hogwarts had behaved at all intelligently?" Thus she manages to wrap up most of the events of the rest of the six books while Harry's still in his first year of school. There are a few loose ends left hanging, but despite those the end result is a much faster story than the first one and a very, very satisfying read (especially the end). I'd recommend setting a weekend aside and reading one after the other.

The Best Revenge
The Best Revenge - Time of the Basilisk

The Best Revenge by Arsinoe de Blassenville (PG)

[jane-elliot.livejournal.com]

Title: The Best Revenge by Arsinoe de Blassenville
Fandom: Harry Potter
Pairing: essentially gen (with het in the latter half and Snape/Burbage (i.e. het) in the sequel)
Categories: action, AU, drama, friendship, humor
Length: Super!Epic (~220,000 words)
Warnings: not for fans of Dumbledore (and, to a lesser extent, Ron); ETA: both Dumbledore and Ron are vastly improved in the sequel

Author on LJ: n/a
Website: http://sites.google.com/site/ceindrych/

Review:
When Snape happens to see that Harry Potter's address is "Cupboard Under the Stairs" at Privet Drive, he decides to investigate. What he finds changes everything.

There are a lot of great reasons to read this fic -- the writing is superb, the pacing is excellent, and all of the characterizations (especially of the non-Gryffindors/Slytherins, who usually don't get much screentime in fanfic) are brilliant -- but for me the number one draw is Happy!Harry. Unlike nearly every other HP fic I've read (including canon), Harry is genuinely, unabashedly happy in this story, just as a kid his age should be. Which isn't something most authors could pull off without the resulting story being boring, but Arsinoe manages to not only make it work but to also speed up canon events thanks to nearly everyone (including most of the Hogwarts professors, who are all awesome) behaving intelligently (though be warned that while Dumbledore isn't evil, he's not very likeable either). Even better is the way that the author (who has children) manages to portray the eleven-year-old children *as children*, which is nearly a miracle in fanfic. Heck, I'm so impressed with the author that I even enjoyed her author's notes (something that I've never said before and will probably never say again).

In short, if you're in the mood for a long, relaxed novel featuring Harry actually being happy; (at least some members of) all four Houses working together; Snape being a good, supportive guardian (without melodrama); and brilliant characterizations for nearly every named character in the HP canon, this is the fic for you.

ETA: Just after I wrote this rec up, the author finished the sequel, adding another 100,000 words to the universe. The author's philosophy for the second story seems to have been "What if Tom Riddle and the teachers at Hogwarts had behaved at all intelligently?" Thus she manages to wrap up most of the events of the rest of the six books while Harry's still in his first year of school. There are a few loose ends left hanging, but despite those the end result is a much faster story than the first one and a very, very satisfying read (especially the end). I'd recommend setting a weekend aside and reading one after the other.

The Best Revenge
The Best Revenge - Time of the Basilisk

The Best Revenge by Arsinoe de Blassenville (PG)

[jane-elliot.livejournal.com]

Title: The Best Revenge by Arsinoe de Blassenville
Fandom: Harry Potter
Pairing: essentially gen (with het in the latter half and Snape/Burbage (i.e. het) in the sequel)
Categories: action, AU, drama, friendship, humor
Length: Super!Epic (~220,000 words)
Warnings: not for fans of Dumbledore (and, to a lesser extent, Ron); ETA: both Dumbledore and Ron are vastly improved in the sequel

Author on LJ: n/a
Website: http://sites.google.com/site/ceindrych/

Review:
When Snape happens to see that Harry Potter's address is "Cupboard Under the Stairs" at Privet Drive, he decides to investigate. What he finds changes everything.

There are a lot of great reasons to read this fic -- the writing is superb, the pacing is excellent, and all of the characterizations (especially of the non-Gryffindors/Slytherins, who usually don't get much screentime in fanfic) are brilliant -- but for me the number one draw is Happy!Harry. Unlike nearly every other HP fic I've read (including canon), Harry is genuinely, unabashedly happy in this story, just as a kid his age should be. Which isn't something most authors could pull off without the resulting story being boring, but Arsinoe manages to not only make it work but to also speed up canon events thanks to nearly everyone (including most of the Hogwarts professors, who are all awesome) behaving intelligently (though be warned that while Dumbledore isn't evil, he's not very likeable either). Even better is the way that the author (who has children) manages to portray the eleven-year-old children *as children*, which is nearly a miracle in fanfic. Heck, I'm so impressed with the author that I even enjoyed her author's notes (something that I've never said before and will probably never say again).

In short, if you're in the mood for a long, relaxed novel featuring Harry actually being happy; (at least some members of) all four Houses working together; Snape being a good, supportive guardian (without melodrama); and brilliant characterizations for nearly every named character in the HP canon, this is the fic for you.

ETA: Just after I wrote this rec up, the author finished the sequel, adding another 100,000 words to the universe. The author's philosophy for the second story seems to have been "What if Tom Riddle and the teachers at Hogwarts had behaved at all intelligently?" Thus she manages to wrap up most of the events of the rest of the six books while Harry's still in his first year of school. There are a few loose ends left hanging, but despite those the end result is a much faster story than the first one and a very, very satisfying read (especially the end). I'd recommend setting a weekend aside and reading one after the other.

The Best Revenge
The Best Revenge - Time of the Basilisk

The Best Revenge by Arsinoe de Blassenville (PG)

[jane-elliot.livejournal.com]

Title: The Best Revenge by Arsinoe de Blassenville
Fandom: Harry Potter
Pairing: essentially gen (with het in the latter half and Snape/Burbage (i.e. het) in the sequel)
Categories: action, AU, drama, friendship, humor
Length: Super!Epic (~220,000 words)
Warnings: not for fans of Dumbledore (and, to a lesser extent, Ron); ETA: both Dumbledore and Ron are vastly improved in the sequel

Author on LJ: n/a
Website: http://sites.google.com/site/ceindrych/

Review:
When Snape happens to see that Harry Potter's address is "Cupboard Under the Stairs" at Privet Drive, he decides to investigate. What he finds changes everything.

There are a lot of great reasons to read this fic -- the writing is superb, the pacing is excellent, and all of the characterizations (especially of the non-Gryffindors/Slytherins, who usually don't get much screentime in fanfic) are brilliant -- but for me the number one draw is Happy!Harry. Unlike nearly every other HP fic I've read (including canon), Harry is genuinely, unabashedly happy in this story, just as a kid his age should be. Which isn't something most authors could pull off without the resulting story being boring, but Arsinoe manages to not only make it work but to also speed up canon events thanks to nearly everyone (including most of the Hogwarts professors, who are all awesome) behaving intelligently (though be warned that while Dumbledore isn't evil, he's not very likeable either). Even better is the way that the author (who has children) manages to portray the eleven-year-old children *as children*, which is nearly a miracle in fanfic. Heck, I'm so impressed with the author that I even enjoyed her author's notes (something that I've never said before and will probably never say again).

In short, if you're in the mood for a long, relaxed novel featuring Harry actually being happy; (at least some members of) all four Houses working together; Snape being a good, supportive guardian (without melodrama); and brilliant characterizations for nearly every named character in the HP canon, this is the fic for you.

ETA: Just after I wrote this rec up, the author finished the sequel, adding another 100,000 words to the universe. The author's philosophy for the second story seems to have been "What if Tom Riddle and the teachers at Hogwarts had behaved at all intelligently?" Thus she manages to wrap up most of the events of the rest of the six books while Harry's still in his first year of school. There are a few loose ends left hanging, but despite those the end result is a much faster story than the first one and a very, very satisfying read (especially the end). I'd recommend setting a weekend aside and reading one after the other.

The Best Revenge
The Best Revenge - Time of the Basilisk

The Best Revenge by Arsinoe de Blassenville (PG)

[jane-elliot.livejournal.com]

Title: The Best Revenge by Arsinoe de Blassenville
Fandom: Harry Potter
Pairing: essentially gen (with het in the latter half and Snape/Burbage (i.e. het) in the sequel)
Categories: action, AU, drama, friendship, humor
Length: Super!Epic (~220,000 words)
Warnings: not for fans of Dumbledore (and, to a lesser extent, Ron); ETA: both Dumbledore and Ron are vastly improved in the sequel

Author on LJ: n/a
Website: http://sites.google.com/site/ceindrych/

Review:
When Snape happens to see that Harry Potter's address is "Cupboard Under the Stairs" at Privet Drive, he decides to investigate. What he finds changes everything.

There are a lot of great reasons to read this fic -- the writing is superb, the pacing is excellent, and all of the characterizations (especially of the non-Gryffindors/Slytherins, who usually don't get much screentime in fanfic) are brilliant -- but for me the number one draw is Happy!Harry. Unlike nearly every other HP fic I've read (including canon), Harry is genuinely, unabashedly happy in this story, just as a kid his age should be. Which isn't something most authors could pull off without the resulting story being boring, but Arsinoe manages to not only make it work but to also speed up canon events thanks to nearly everyone (including most of the Hogwarts professors, who are all awesome) behaving intelligently (though be warned that while Dumbledore isn't evil, he's not very likeable either). Even better is the way that the author (who has children) manages to portray the eleven-year-old children *as children*, which is nearly a miracle in fanfic. Heck, I'm so impressed with the author that I even enjoyed her author's notes (something that I've never said before and will probably never say again).

In short, if you're in the mood for a long, relaxed novel featuring Harry actually being happy; (at least some members of) all four Houses working together; Snape being a good, supportive guardian (without melodrama); and brilliant characterizations for nearly every named character in the HP canon, this is the fic for you.

ETA: Just after I wrote this rec up, the author finished the sequel, adding another 100,000 words to the universe. The author's philosophy for the second story seems to have been "What if Tom Riddle and the teachers at Hogwarts had behaved at all intelligently?" Thus she manages to wrap up most of the events of the rest of the six books while Harry's still in his first year of school. There are a few loose ends left hanging, but despite those the end result is a much faster story than the first one and a very, very satisfying read (especially the end). I'd recommend setting a weekend aside and reading one after the other.

The Best Revenge
The Best Revenge - Time of the Basilisk

The Best Revenge by Arsinoe de Blassenville (PG)

[jane-elliot.livejournal.com]

Title: The Best Revenge by Arsinoe de Blassenville
Fandom: Harry Potter
Pairing: essentially gen (with het in the latter half and Snape/Burbage (i.e. het) in the sequel)
Categories: action, AU, drama, friendship, humor
Length: Super!Epic (~220,000 words)
Warnings: not for fans of Dumbledore (and, to a lesser extent, Ron); ETA: both Dumbledore and Ron are vastly improved in the sequel

Author on LJ: n/a
Website: http://sites.google.com/site/ceindrych/

Review:
When Snape happens to see that Harry Potter's address is "Cupboard Under the Stairs" at Privet Drive, he decides to investigate. What he finds changes everything.

There are a lot of great reasons to read this fic -- the writing is superb, the pacing is excellent, and all of the characterizations (especially of the non-Gryffindors/Slytherins, who usually don't get much screentime in fanfic) are brilliant -- but for me the number one draw is Happy!Harry. Unlike nearly every other HP fic I've read (including canon), Harry is genuinely, unabashedly happy in this story, just as a kid his age should be. Which isn't something most authors could pull off without the resulting story being boring, but Arsinoe manages to not only make it work but to also speed up canon events thanks to nearly everyone (including most of the Hogwarts professors, who are all awesome) behaving intelligently (though be warned that while Dumbledore isn't evil, he's not very likeable either). Even better is the way that the author (who has children) manages to portray the eleven-year-old children *as children*, which is nearly a miracle in fanfic. Heck, I'm so impressed with the author that I even enjoyed her author's notes (something that I've never said before and will probably never say again).

In short, if you're in the mood for a long, relaxed novel featuring Harry actually being happy; (at least some members of) all four Houses working together; Snape being a good, supportive guardian (without melodrama); and brilliant characterizations for nearly every named character in the HP canon, this is the fic for you.

ETA: Just after I wrote this rec up, the author finished the sequel, adding another 100,000 words to the universe. The author's philosophy for the second story seems to have been "What if Tom Riddle and the teachers at Hogwarts had behaved at all intelligently?" Thus she manages to wrap up most of the events of the rest of the six books while Harry's still in his first year of school. There are a few loose ends left hanging, but despite those the end result is a much faster story than the first one and a very, very satisfying read (especially the end). I'd recommend setting a weekend aside and reading one after the other.

The Best Revenge
The Best Revenge - Time of the Basilisk