Title: When Johnny Comes Marching Home
Fandom: Wild Wild West
Pairing: James West/Artemis Gordon
Categories: Angst, Drama, Romance
Length: Long
Warnings: There is attempted but not successful non-con (not between the main characters) and James is sixteen at the beginning of this fic, old enough to be considered a man during the Civil War, but young in our times so beware if this bothers you.

Author on LJ: n/a
Website: Taliesin's Reach

Review:
At the age of sixteen James West marches off to war as an innocent destined to learn the ways of the world at the hands of an enemy soldier.

Don't be fooled by how ominous the summary might sound, this story is a lovely example of how Jim and Artie might have met before they're "destined" appearance together in black and white. While I admit I usually don't go into stories that have a backdrop of war with much expectation (historical inaccuracies make me cringe), I was quickly and pleasantly surprised with how charmed I was with not only the characters but the way the author managed to deftly move through the pressures, expectations, and even unexpectedness of life and love during wartime. More than that, that both men manage to find one another while still being on different sides of the war, each a little different from the men we know them to be, is delightfully refreshing.

Add all that with the fact that the author doesn't just 'fade to black' on their relationship once the war is over but gives the reader the chance to see Jim and Artemis find one another years later...well, it's not hard to understand why this story quickly came to be among my favorites.


When Johnny Comes Marching Home