Title: can't be hateful, gotta be grateful
Fandom: Teen Wolf
Pairing: Derek/Stiles
Categories: humor, holiday, fake/pretend relationship, fluff
Length: Medium (6,260 words)
Warnings: None

Author on LJ: N/A
Author Website:  HalfFizzbin

Summary: "Be cool, Dad, we've decided to con Grandma."

(Or, the one where the Stilinski men drag Derek to Thanksgiving dinner at Grandma's and she gets the right wrong idea.)

Review: I once read this aloud to my husband, my sister, and her boyfriend (all Sterek fans) as we drove across the state from my parents' house, and we just about wrecked my sister's minivan from laughing so hard. So when humor week rolled around, there was no question of which story I was going to pick. "Can't be hateful, gotta be grateful" takes place in a future where Stiles is a college freshman, waiting for his dad to come pick him up for their traditional drive to his grandma's house for Thanksgiving. But when his dad rolls up to Stiles's dorm room, he's not alone -- the sheriff has invited along Derek, who obviously misses Stiles like crazy. Naturally, Grandma takes one look at Derek and assumes he's Stiles's boyfriend. And naturally, Stiles and Derek decide not to correct her because of Reasons. That sets the stage for an absolutely hilarious Thanksgiving, full of delightful interactions between all of the characters. Stiles's grandma is a hoot! She meshes so naturally with Stiles and the sheriff that it's hard to believe she's an OC. I loved watching Derek fit into the Stilinski-family dynamic. It was also adorable to watch Stiles and Derek pine over each other. As an added bonus, HalfFizzbin gave Stiles a first name so awesome that it has become my personal head canon. This is a Thanksgiving story, but like a perfect piece of pecan pie, there's no reason you can't dig into it any day of the year.

can't be hateful, gotta be grateful

Title: Blue Christmas
Fandom: Merlin
Pairing: Arthur/Merlin
Categories: Modern AU, Grief/Mourning, Christmas, Fluff
Length: Medium (6,178 words)
Warnings: Minor Character Death (offscreen)

Author on LJ: slantknitfics
Author Website: SlantedKnitting

Author's Summary:
Arthur's alone on Christmas for the first time in his life and he almost can't cope until Merlin steps in to quietly take Arthur home to Ealdor for the holiday. Modern AU.

Review:
There’s a quiet sweetness to this story that warms my heart. Arthur’s aching loneliness is palpable, and I really felt for him as he dealt with his grief in the face of the approaching holiday. Merlin’s heartfelt concern for Arthur is touching and lovely, and it’s such a relief to see Merlin sweep in and take charge of the situation as he stubbornly insists Arthur accompany him to Ealdor for Christmas despite the fact that they have no prior relationship beyond living in the same building.

While the focus here is on the relationship between Arthur and Merlin, the gentle care shown by Hunith, and the comfortable dynamic between mother-and-son add to the cozy atmosphere that acts as a balm to Arthur’s heartache. It cannot cure it completely, and Arthur’s vulnerability as he shares a quiet telephone conversation with Morgana is fitting. That they have such a close-knit relationship is all the better, especially as the author portrays it so poignantly through Arthur’s recollections of past Christmases.

The romance between Arthur and Merlin is sweet without being cloying; it builds slowly over the course of their time together and feels very natural. The story ends on such a hopeful note…while Arthur’s grief has not passed, you get the sense that it will be easier for him to cope now that he has Merlin.

All in all, it’s just a lovely little Christmas story with snuggling in the glow of the Christmas tree, family dinners, Christmas carols and pajamas. It’s a delightful holiday read.

Blue Christmas

Title: you don't feel you could love me (but I feel you could)
Fandom: Marvel Cinematic Universe
Pairing: Phil Coulson/Steve Rogers
Categories: Alternate Universe, Gender Switch, Romance, Pining, Misunderstandings, Friendship, Romance
Length: Medium (3793 words)
Warnings: N/A

Author on DW: sabinetzin
Author Website: sabinelagrande

Author's Summary:

Steve doesn't know what to do about Philippa.

Review:

Meeting your heroes can be a complex experience. On the one hand, they've accomplished something worthy of being called heroic, but on the other hand, they are, by and large, just people, complete with flaws and bad habits. Part of what I enjoy most about Phil Coulson/Steve Rogers as a pairing is the way authors portray the evolution of their interactions, from their initial meeting as hero and fan to the point at which they are simply two equals who find that the other is so much more than what they first seemed to be.

you don't feel you could love me (but I feel you could) (you don't feel) is that story with the additional alternate universe twist of Phil Coulson having been born a female. But part of what makes this story truly charming is not just the way they come to know each other outside of their work at SHIELD, but the protectiveness and support that the other Avengers, Clint and Tony in particular, offer, even to the point of meddling.

Both themes are explored further in the second and third stories of the Concerning Philippa series: why don't we get together, a collection of slice-of-life one-shots from their ongoing relationship and Philippa's childhood, and Buy War Bonds, in which the Avengers attend Tony's Halloween party and Philippa's costume is as surprising to Steve as it is familiar. The whole series is a must-read for anyone looking for good Phil Coulson/Steve Rogers fic.

you don't feel you could love me (but I feel you could)

Title: The Way of the World
Fandom: Harry Potter
Pairing: Draco/Harry
Categories: First time, pining, post-war, fluff, angst
Length: Medium (5,520)
Warnings: None

Author on LJ: zionsstarfish
Author Website: Skyehawke

Summary:
It's been a while.

Review:
Draco is a delivery boy, barely making ends meet. One of the packages he must deliver for the day is addressed to one Harry Potter. Post-war, Draco is beaten, but not broken, though struggling against discrimination against Death Eaters and unreasonable treatment from his employer.

I came across this so many years ago, and every time I read it again, it gives me the same warm feeling that I felt when I read it for the first time. zionsstarfish writes sparingly, but with such emotion packed into each word. The whole fic is suffused with a light sense of humour that nicely balances out the angst. A perfect fic to read and re-read for Christmas.

The Way of the World
This also comes with a podfic, recorded by vaysh11

Title: That Untravelled World
Fandom: James Bond (Skyfall)
Pairing: Gen
Categories: Post-canon, Yuletide
Length: short (1,105 words)
Warnings: None

Author on LJ: lonelywalker
Author Website: lonelywalker

Summary: Every Christmas, they each have their own lies to tell.

Review:
Set at the holidays, but thoughtful rather than festive, That Untravelled World is post-Skyfall head canon for me now. It sets the right, almost melancholy tone; it's well written and suits the characters, and it manages to make a couple of things that didn't ring true in the film fall into place. I don't want to give anything away, so I'll continue under the spoiler cut, but if you enjoyed the film at all, this is a great, short continuation and a good read.


So the spoilers... It didn't make sense to me that Bond would take M to Skyfall with little idea of how he'd protect her there. He didn't know there would be weapons or that Kincade would be there to help. I especially didn't like the fact that M let Kincade keep that flashlight on, when it was an obvious signal of where they were. In light of the story, that scene becomes a setup to fake M's death, instead of uncharacteristic mistakes leading to her death. So, thank you, lonelywalker, for writing what was, for me, a more believable ending.


That Untravelled World

Title: The Shoemaker
Fandom: Merlin BBC
Pairing: Freya/Gwen (brief Arthur/Merlin)
Categories: Historical - Edwardian, reincarnation, AU with magic, romance, action/adventure, drama, cross-dressing, genderqueer, first time
Length: Long (23,645)
Warnings: temporary past character death (reincarnation)

Author on LJ: fleete
Author Website: fleete fleete

Author's summary: Historical magical AU. In turn-of-the-century Glastonbury, Freya Lake is the headmistress of an orphanage for magical children. And despite all the seers’ dire warnings, Freya is happy; her infatuation with the shoemaker’s apprentice—who may or may not be a girl underneath his shirt and trousers—is slowly coming to a head. But then a woman claiming to be Morgan Le Fay shows up on the orphanage steps, demanding to see Emrys, and Freya is forced to rearrange her priorities.

Review:
Freya is a great character here, reserved and hard working, with her orphanage to run and her heart in the right place, but without seeming too good to be true. The bright and nerve wracking highlight of her day is the enigmatic Shoemaker's apprentice, who keeps tucking little favors into the shoes Freya buys. Though the apprentice is dressed as a man, Freya knows there's a secret there.

Gwen is beautifully written too; she's very individual, knowing what she wants and how she feels, even though it doesn't fit gender preconceptions, especially in 1905, and her surprise that she can be herself and still have a chance to win the woman she loves is just right.

Fleete gives us a little village from another era: the little shops decked for Yule and the stodgy council with its arguing elders. Then there's the suspense of the growing magical danger, which begins with a visit from Morgana and has everything to do with Merlin and Arthur, who play supporting roles. The whole thing feels very unique, and it's lovely to read.
(Shout out to marguerite_26 whose journal led me to a story I probably wouldn't have found otherwise.)

The Shoemaker

Title: The Shoemaker
Fandom: Merlin BBC
Pairing: Freya/Gwen (brief Arthur/Merlin)
Categories: Historical - Edwardian, reincarnation, AU with magic, romance, action/adventure, drama, cross-dressing, genderqueer, first time
Length: Long (23,645)
Warnings: temporary past character death (reincarnation)

Author on LJ: fleete
Author Website: fleete fleete

Author's summary: Historical magical AU. In turn-of-the-century Glastonbury, Freya Lake is the headmistress of an orphanage for magical children. And despite all the seers’ dire warnings, Freya is happy; her infatuation with the shoemaker’s apprentice—who may or may not be a girl underneath his shirt and trousers—is slowly coming to a head. But then a woman claiming to be Morgan Le Fay shows up on the orphanage steps, demanding to see Emrys, and Freya is forced to rearrange her priorities.

Review:
Freya is a great character here, reserved and hard working, with her orphanage to run and her heart in the right place, but without seeming too good to be true. The bright and nerve wracking highlight of her day is the enigmatic Shoemaker's apprentice, who keeps tucking little favors into the shoes Freya buys. Though the apprentice is dressed as a man, Freya knows there's a secret there.

Gwen is beautifully written too; she's very individual, knowing what she wants and how she feels, even though it doesn't fit gender preconceptions, especially in 1905, and her surprise that she can be herself and still have a chance to win the woman she loves is just right.

Fleete gives us a little village from another era: the little shops decked for Yule and the stodgy council with its arguing elders. Then there's the suspense of the growing magical danger, which begins with a visit from Morgana and has everything to do with Merlin and Arthur, who play supporting roles. The whole thing feels very unique, and it's lovely to read.
(Shout out to marguerite_26 whose journal led me to a story I probably wouldn't have found otherwise.)

The Shoemaker

The reccers here at epic_recs mostly took a break for December, and I'm a little late getting back and posting this.

At the end of December, Yuletide (the annual rare fandom gift exchange) provides us all with lots of tasty reading. There are also lots of other tasty ficathons and challenges out there with new fic.

We'd love for you to join in the fun. Do you have any long loved or newly discovered challenge fics you'd like to share?

Yuletide fics can be found across the challenges two archives: Yuletide Treasure (2003-2008) and Yuletide at AO3 (2009-2012). As for fics from other exchanges, any and all are welcome!

Things to keep in mind:
-Recced stories can be any length, any fandom, and any pairing, as long as they fit our theme.
-You don't need to write a review (unless you want to). All that you need to include are title, author, and link to the story (all parts if there are more than one).
-If you'd like to use our reccing template, you can find it under the cut. ( Totally Optional Rec Template )

That said, have at it!

This Month's Topic: Yuletide and/or Holiday fic

Previous RR topics can be found here.

The reccers here at epic_recs mostly took a break for December, and I'm a little late getting back and posting this.

At the end of December, Yuletide (the annual rare fandom gift exchange) provides us all with lots of tasty reading. There are also lots of other tasty ficathons and challenges out there with new fic.

We'd love for you to join in the fun. Do you have any long loved or newly discovered challenge fics you'd like to share?

Yuletide fics can be found across the challenges two archives: Yuletide Treasure (2003-2008) and Yuletide at AO3 (2009-2012). As for fics from other exchanges, any and all are welcome!

Things to keep in mind:
-Recced stories can be any length, any fandom, and any pairing, as long as they fit our theme.
-You don't need to write a review (unless you want to). All that you need to include are title, author, and link to the story (all parts if there are more than one).
-If you'd like to use our reccing template, you can find it under the cut. ( Totally Optional Rec Template )

That said, have at it!

This Month's Topic: Yuletide and/or Holiday fic

Previous RR topics can be found here.

Two crossovers today... both with a wolf of sorts.

Title: This Is Halloween
Fandom: Teen Wolf, The Nightmare Before Christmas
Pairing: Stiles/Derek
Categories: AU, crossover, holiday, fluff, romance
Length: Medium (4,557 words)
Warnings: None

Author on LJ: swing_set13
Author Website: Swing Set in December

Summary: Teen Wolf and The Nightmare Before Christmas.
Stiles knows he's a weird kid. What with his dad being sheriff of Halloween Town and his mother the fairest Christmas snow angel in all of Holiday Land.

Review:
Stiles and his dad have recently moved to Halloween Town, because the perennial cheer of Christmas Town seemed wrong after his mother died. Since the move, Stiles has made a friend in Scott (a ghoul), but he has run-ins with Jackson (a vampire) and Derek (still a werewolf). Luckily the latter is tamed with a continuous supply of baked goods.

Swing Set in December captures the feeling of the Burton film. Derek's silent scowls make him perfect for Halloween Town. Though Stiles is his talkative self, there's a sadness to him that keeps this from being too sugary sweet; his mom's death is a constant hurt, and he doesn't quite fit in where scares take the place of carols, where baking isn't the town-wide pastime, and where potions class is new and difficult.

If you loved Nightmare Before Christmas, you won't want to miss it. Plus, it's the only time Stiles will ever utter the line, "Well played, Mrs. Claus."

This is Halloween (AO3)
On LJ

Two crossovers today... both with a wolf of sorts.

Title: This Is Halloween
Fandom: Teen Wolf, The Nightmare Before Christmas
Pairing: Stiles/Derek
Categories: AU, crossover, holiday, fluff, romance
Length: Medium (4,557 words)
Warnings: None

Author on LJ: swing_set13
Author Website: Swing Set in December

Summary: Teen Wolf and The Nightmare Before Christmas.
Stiles knows he's a weird kid. What with his dad being sheriff of Halloween Town and his mother the fairest Christmas snow angel in all of Holiday Land.

Review:
Stiles and his dad have recently moved to Halloween Town, because the perennial cheer of Christmas Town seemed wrong after his mother died. Since the move, Stiles has made a friend in Scott (a ghoul), but he has run-ins with Jackson (a vampire) and Derek (still a werewolf). Luckily the latter is tamed with a continuous supply of baked goods.

Swing Set in December captures the feeling of the Burton film. Derek's silent scowls make him perfect for Halloween Town. Though Stiles is his talkative self, there's a sadness to him that keeps this from being too sugary sweet; his mom's death is a constant hurt, and he doesn't quite fit in where scares take the place of carols, where baking isn't the town-wide pastime, and where potions class is new and difficult.

If you loved Nightmare Before Christmas, you won't want to miss it. Plus, it's the only time Stiles will ever utter the line, "Well played, Mrs. Claus."

This is Halloween (AO3)
On LJ

Title: Secret Santas
Fandom: Are You Being Served?
Pairing: gen
Categories: humor, holiday, yuletide recs
Length: Medium (3,864 words)
Warnings: n/a

Author on LJ: unknown
Author Website: Lorelei

Summary:
The Grace Brothers staff organize a holiday gift exchange.

Review:
This is what I love about Yuletide: I never even considered the possibility of Are You Being Served? fanfiction, and thanks to Yuletide I get to read this fun romp. The anon author perfectly captures the spirit of the show, to the point that this feels like it should be (or was) an episode.

To boost staff morale, management decides the department should have a Secret Santa-style gift exchange. Typical shenanigans ensue, with references to Mrs. Slocombe's pussy-cat, the typical inter-departmental resentments, and a sequence of gift-giving misfires, capped off with a brief visit by young Mr. Grace and his contribution to the exchange. I particularly liked Mr. Humphries' story about his adventures at the ballet, and the subsequent party.

All the characterizations are spot-on, and take me right back to watching episodes on PBS yeas ago.

Secret Santas

ETA: de-anoned author information 1/1/12

Title: Secret Santas
Fandom: Are You Being Served?
Pairing: gen
Categories: humor, holiday, yuletide recs
Length: Medium (3,864 words)
Warnings: n/a

Author on LJ: unknown
Author Website: Lorelei

Summary:
The Grace Brothers staff organize a holiday gift exchange.

Review:
This is what I love about Yuletide: I never even considered the possibility of Are You Being Served? fanfiction, and thanks to Yuletide I get to read this fun romp. The anon author perfectly captures the spirit of the show, to the point that this feels like it should be (or was) an episode.

To boost staff morale, management decides the department should have a Secret Santa-style gift exchange. Typical shenanigans ensue, with references to Mrs. Slocombe's pussy-cat, the typical inter-departmental resentments, and a sequence of gift-giving misfires, capped off with a brief visit by young Mr. Grace and his contribution to the exchange. I particularly liked Mr. Humphries' story about his adventures at the ballet, and the subsequent party.

All the characterizations are spot-on, and take me right back to watching episodes on PBS yeas ago.

Secret Santas

ETA: de-anoned author information 1/1/12

Title: Secret Santas
Fandom: Are You Being Served?
Pairing: gen
Categories: humor, holiday, yuletide recs
Length: Medium (3,864 words)
Warnings: n/a

Author on LJ: unknown
Author Website: Lorelei

Summary:
The Grace Brothers staff organize a holiday gift exchange.

Review:
This is what I love about Yuletide: I never even considered the possibility of Are You Being Served? fanfiction, and thanks to Yuletide I get to read this fun romp. The anon author perfectly captures the spirit of the show, to the point that this feels like it should be (or was) an episode.

To boost staff morale, management decides the department should have a Secret Santa-style gift exchange. Typical shenanigans ensue, with references to Mrs. Slocombe's pussy-cat, the typical inter-departmental resentments, and a sequence of gift-giving misfires, capped off with a brief visit by young Mr. Grace and his contribution to the exchange. I particularly liked Mr. Humphries' story about his adventures at the ballet, and the subsequent party.

All the characterizations are spot-on, and take me right back to watching episodes on PBS yeas ago.

Secret Santas

ETA: de-anoned author information 1/1/12

Title: Secret Santas
Fandom: Are You Being Served?
Pairing: gen
Categories: humor, holiday, yuletide recs
Length: Medium (3,864 words)
Warnings: n/a

Author on LJ: unknown
Author Website: Lorelei

Summary:
The Grace Brothers staff organize a holiday gift exchange.

Review:
This is what I love about Yuletide: I never even considered the possibility of Are You Being Served? fanfiction, and thanks to Yuletide I get to read this fun romp. The anon author perfectly captures the spirit of the show, to the point that this feels like it should be (or was) an episode.

To boost staff morale, management decides the department should have a Secret Santa-style gift exchange. Typical shenanigans ensue, with references to Mrs. Slocombe's pussy-cat, the typical inter-departmental resentments, and a sequence of gift-giving misfires, capped off with a brief visit by young Mr. Grace and his contribution to the exchange. I particularly liked Mr. Humphries' story about his adventures at the ballet, and the subsequent party.

All the characterizations are spot-on, and take me right back to watching episodes on PBS yeas ago.

Secret Santas

ETA: de-anoned author information 1/1/12

Title: Secret Santas
Fandom: Are You Being Served?
Pairing: gen
Categories: humor, holiday, yuletide recs
Length: Medium (3,864 words)
Warnings: n/a

Author on LJ: unknown
Author Website: Lorelei

Summary:
The Grace Brothers staff organize a holiday gift exchange.

Review:
This is what I love about Yuletide: I never even considered the possibility of Are You Being Served? fanfiction, and thanks to Yuletide I get to read this fun romp. The anon author perfectly captures the spirit of the show, to the point that this feels like it should be (or was) an episode.

To boost staff morale, management decides the department should have a Secret Santa-style gift exchange. Typical shenanigans ensue, with references to Mrs. Slocombe's pussy-cat, the typical inter-departmental resentments, and a sequence of gift-giving misfires, capped off with a brief visit by young Mr. Grace and his contribution to the exchange. I particularly liked Mr. Humphries' story about his adventures at the ballet, and the subsequent party.

All the characterizations are spot-on, and take me right back to watching episodes on PBS yeas ago.

Secret Santas

ETA: de-anoned author information 1/1/12

Title: Secret Santas
Fandom: Are You Being Served?
Pairing: gen
Categories: humor, holiday, yuletide recs
Length: Medium (3,864 words)
Warnings: n/a

Author on LJ: unknown
Author Website: Lorelei

Summary:
The Grace Brothers staff organize a holiday gift exchange.

Review:
This is what I love about Yuletide: I never even considered the possibility of Are You Being Served? fanfiction, and thanks to Yuletide I get to read this fun romp. The anon author perfectly captures the spirit of the show, to the point that this feels like it should be (or was) an episode.

To boost staff morale, management decides the department should have a Secret Santa-style gift exchange. Typical shenanigans ensue, with references to Mrs. Slocombe's pussy-cat, the typical inter-departmental resentments, and a sequence of gift-giving misfires, capped off with a brief visit by young Mr. Grace and his contribution to the exchange. I particularly liked Mr. Humphries' story about his adventures at the ballet, and the subsequent party.

All the characterizations are spot-on, and take me right back to watching episodes on PBS yeas ago.

Secret Santas

ETA: de-anoned author information 1/1/12

Thanks to veronicasleeps for letting me rec in her usual fandom!

Title: The Gift Of The Mad Guy: A Doctor Who Christmas Special Fanfic
Fandom: Doctor Who
Pairing: gen (with background Jack/OFC)
Categories: humor, action/adventure, holiday
Length: Medium (9,916 words)
Warnings: n/a

Author on LJ: sam_storyteller aka copperbadge / sam_storyteller
Author Website: Master Fic List

Summary:
The Doctor joins some Kings of Orient following a star, helps a quartet of sociologists, gets thrown in prison, meets shepherds (ditto: talking sheep), finds a baby in a stable, uses Christmas carols for nefarious ends, and learns The True Meaning Of Camel.

Review:
Sam's own version of the Doctor Who Annual Special, it's a madcap romp through a not-quite Christmas story. There's a bit of traveling, helping out some aliens in need of assistance, assorted wacky original characters, a few coshings, lots of spot-on Tenth Doctor dialogue, and a wee cameo by Jack Harkness.

sam_storyteller is a masterful writer, and I love the forward momentum and zaniness of the story, while he still sneaks in some poignant blink-and-you-miss-it references to canon. It's just a blast, and an especially fun fic for this time of year.

The Gift Of The Mad Guy

Thanks to veronicasleeps for letting me rec in her usual fandom!

Title: The Gift Of The Mad Guy: A Doctor Who Christmas Special Fanfic
Fandom: Doctor Who
Pairing: gen (with background Jack/OFC)
Categories: humor, action/adventure, holiday
Length: Medium (9,916 words)
Warnings: n/a

Author on LJ: sam_storyteller aka copperbadge / sam_storyteller
Author Website: Master Fic List

Summary:
The Doctor joins some Kings of Orient following a star, helps a quartet of sociologists, gets thrown in prison, meets shepherds (ditto: talking sheep), finds a baby in a stable, uses Christmas carols for nefarious ends, and learns The True Meaning Of Camel.

Review:
Sam's own version of the Doctor Who Annual Special, it's a madcap romp through a not-quite Christmas story. There's a bit of traveling, helping out some aliens in need of assistance, assorted wacky original characters, a few coshings, lots of spot-on Tenth Doctor dialogue, and a wee cameo by Jack Harkness.

sam_storyteller is a masterful writer, and I love the forward momentum and zaniness of the story, while he still sneaks in some poignant blink-and-you-miss-it references to canon. It's just a blast, and an especially fun fic for this time of year.

The Gift Of The Mad Guy

Thanks to veronicasleeps for letting me rec in her usual fandom!

Title: The Gift Of The Mad Guy: A Doctor Who Christmas Special Fanfic
Fandom: Doctor Who
Pairing: gen (with background Jack/OFC)
Categories: humor, action/adventure, holiday
Length: Medium (9,916 words)
Warnings: n/a

Author on LJ: sam_storyteller aka copperbadge / sam_storyteller
Author Website: Master Fic List

Summary:
The Doctor joins some Kings of Orient following a star, helps a quartet of sociologists, gets thrown in prison, meets shepherds (ditto: talking sheep), finds a baby in a stable, uses Christmas carols for nefarious ends, and learns The True Meaning Of Camel.

Review:
Sam's own version of the Doctor Who Annual Special, it's a madcap romp through a not-quite Christmas story. There's a bit of traveling, helping out some aliens in need of assistance, assorted wacky original characters, a few coshings, lots of spot-on Tenth Doctor dialogue, and a wee cameo by Jack Harkness.

sam_storyteller is a masterful writer, and I love the forward momentum and zaniness of the story, while he still sneaks in some poignant blink-and-you-miss-it references to canon. It's just a blast, and an especially fun fic for this time of year.

The Gift Of The Mad Guy