Templum Bellonae

Tim Drake is one screwed-up guy. Dick copes with this fairly well.

“If you don’t want to talk about your feelings,” Dick says, “then you’re just going to have to put up with the gentle healing sex. Those are the rules. Now hold still.”

Funny and kind of melancholy. I read this a long time ago, but having assumed it was written by an author I’d already rec’d, I didn’t go looking for it again until recently. And realized it wasn’t by who I’d thought. And that it was so much better than I’d remembered.

An unpretending time by LC

In which Tim watches Kon a lot and is a repressed freak.

Night Watch by Weirdness Magnet

Daniel is captured and will be sold at an upcoming market unless the rest of SG-1 can rescue him in time. And that so completely fails to describe anything important about this story, which is sort of slow and drowsy and not at all an action story.

consequences of falling by D

Spike goes looking for Xander in Africa, hoping to get something he can’t get from anyone else. Xander can’t give him what he wants, but he has a counteroffer.

Aside from being a good read, this story makes some excellent points about Spike and Xander’s canon relationship.

Choices by Crazydiamondsue

I’m not big on threesomes, but Spike/Xander/Anya is one that actually works for me.

Spike gets hit with the Gemini stick (The Replacement) instead of Xander, and it has an unexpected effect. Spike stays with Xander and Anya while the gang looks for a way to reverse the spell.

One, Two, Three by Ladycat

I think I’ll just quote from the author’s summary, which pretty much says it all:

So, you wanted more details on what Xander did on his summer vacation … Think Catcher in the Rye meets gay vampire porn.

No Power on Earth by Circe

This is a Spike/Xander story, continuing in Blue-Eyed Boy, with a Spike/Buffy epilogue, Some Scenes from the Later Life of Two Heroes (which continues in the in-progress Waiting Around.) I was just looking for some light, snarky, S/X fun when I stumbled across this, like fishing for trout and catching a shark instead.

After Not Fade Away, Spike is living with Illyria, mourning Angel and the rest of the gang, and isn’t really prepared when Xander, back from Africa and profoundly damaged, shows up in LA.

Over and above some really great writing, there are a few things I think this story does really well. Most S/X stories, profoundly as I love them, tend to gloss over Xander’s attitude toward demons in general and Spike in particular. This one doesn’t, while offering a plausible reason why Xander would get involved with him. I like that the story doesn’t take the easy way out, making Spike the answer to all of Xander’s problems. There’s also a certain amount of humour, even absurdity, which helps to lighten some of the darker moments.

The best thing about The Approved Mode of Payback and Blue-Eyed Boy is that they take a hard look at what the outcome of Chosen might have been, and sadly, their predictions seem all too plausible.

The Approved Mode of Payback by Herself

Mal and River have a difference of opinion. Spoilers for Serenity.

“I just wish everybody didn’t think I was so broken.” This time she didn’t look at him. Her voice sounded small, like it used to.

“You’re not broken,” he said, automatically.

“Tell that to my brother.”

“That’s not why he turned you down.”

“But it’s why you will.”

Mal had no words, only gaped at her.

“Go to bed,” she said, after a long minute.

And he did.

I Fall by Kass

McKay becomes attractive to everyone.

We Cannot Live Within by Trakkie

Slight spoilers for Mélusine and The Virtu, but more to the point, the story won’t be very interesting if you haven’t read the books. (And by the way, all of Sarah Monette’s books are excellent, and likely to appeal to anyone who enjoys slash fanfic, so pick up a copy of Mélusine, The Bone Key, or A Companion to Wolves a.s.a.p.)

I really like this story. There aren’t many plausible ways to get Felix and Mildmay together, but this one works for me. Especially Felix’s reaction; let’s face it, there are very few things Mildmay could do to hurt Felix, but this one would be humiliating as well as painful, even though Mildmay didn’t mean it that way.

First by Scribblemoose

Years after Chosen, Spike and Xander are both helping Buffy to train a houseful of slayers, when a somewhat traumatic event causes Xander to reevaluate his life. And Spike to come up with a cunning plan.

This story is nice and light, without too much angst. Season 2 Spike is the most fun to watch on TV, but in print, I like Spike the way he is here—snarky but mostly the fool for love.

The story continues in Parts 4-7 and Parts 8-12.

My Funny Valentine by Witling

A strange but interesting story. Xander disappears, and when the gang finds him, he’s several years older and has been heavily abused. Although Spike hasn’t the slightest interest in him, he ends up being stuck looking after Xander during the day.

This is one of those stories that’s more about the journey than the destination. I wasn’t overwhelmingly impressed by any one thing, but I enjoyed it immensely from start to finish. I particularly loved Spike’s after-school snacks for Dawn.

The Magic Number by Witling

Wow, it seems like such a long time since I’ve read any really good HP slash. And this story is awesome.

A plot by Voldemort’s forces leaves Harry without his magic, unable to defend himself from any attack. In an attempt to keep him safe, Dumbledore has him move into a London flat, with Snape as his only contact with the wizarding world.

I categorized this story as “humour”, even though it really isn’t, because I found Snape’s thoughts about Harry’s new neighbourhood hysterically funny.

Potter’s hallway resonated with the same rhythmic, primitive thumps he’d heard the week before. Perhaps it wasn’t music at all, but some sort of debased communication between the tenants. Snape stood outside the door and knocked.

There was a lengthy pause, during which he was able, to his chagrin, to make out a semblance of lyrics accompanying the din–an invitation to slump my hump, humpy hump, slump my dumpy hump, it seemed–and then, just as he was raising his hand to knock again, the door opened a crack. Potter stood behind it, eyeing him warily.

For the most part, though, the story is contemplative and a bit sad, but a wonderful read.

Sanctum Sanctorum by Witling

An episode tag for Suns and Lovers. With bondage. Better yet, reciprocal bondage.

Fair Exchange by Shan

This goes AU after Season 3. Aeryn leaves Moya, and returns, but she’s a little fuzzy on what’s happened in the meantime. When they finally figure it out, she and John attempt to retrieve something from Grayza’s command carrier, with less-than-ideal results.

I like this story, but I’m not sure I’d have bothered to recommend it if it weren’t for the awesome follow-up fics, all of which I liked better. Here are all the stories in the series:

• The Future or Something Like It by Officersun524
• Future’s End by Kernezelda
• Future Interruptus by Kernezelda
• Days of Future Past by Officersun524
• A Shared Future by Kernezelda

Future’s End recounts the beginning and end of John’s time with Grayza. I don’t want to spoil anything, but I will say that I like the original characters, especially the most important one, and I like getting to see a bit of Braca’s point of view and feelings about Crichton, something that will continue in the other stories.

Days of Future Past and A Shared Future are alternate versions of the same basic events, both set after John’s rescue from Grayza.

Future Interruptus is a companion to Future’s End, filling in the details of the time John was with Grayza, from her point of view. I suggest that this be read last, even though chronologically it takes place earlier, for a couple of reasons. The most important is that it’s simply a better story than any of the others, and I think the later stories suffer a bit in comparison. Unlike the others, Future Interruptus is a character piece; although it has a plot, the real focus is on Grayza and the relationship she (thinks she) has with John. Maybe it’s just me, but I’ll take a good character-driven story over an equally good plot-driven one any day, and as an exploration of Grayza’s character, Future Interruptus is more than good; it’s superb.

(I’ve come to have more of an appreciation for her since I watched Rebecca Riggs, the actress who plays her, talk about Mele-On Grayza in clips from the Season 4 DVD on Youtube.)

The Future or Something Like It by Officersun524 and Kernezelda

After returning from a stressful mission where he was force-fed stimulants, Rodney has trouble sleeping. And then there’s yoga, caffeine withdrawal, glasses, housework, and egg sandwiches.

Ophthalmology by Pares

Set sometime before or during Beachhead. Vala’s a little miffed that she’s been “replaced” by Carter, but that doesn’t stop her from trying to get to know Sam better:

Vala interrupted her, “That’s very interesting, I’m sure, Colonel. But you sound like a guidebook. Why don’t you try personal things?”

“Like?” The colonel took another bite of her salad and chewed, blue eyes pinioning Vala.

“Well, are you a screamer?”

The colonel choked a bit, cheeks flushing.

Vala grinned, “Or is that a bit too personal?”

One of my favourite things about SG-1 was that they made Sam and Vala friends (apparently at the request of Amanda Tapping and Claudia Black). Two of my favourite scenes are the hug at the end of Roads Not Taken and the return from the shopping trip in Family Ties. That said, Vala’s attitude in this story is perfectly understandable, and very in-character.

Dancing to the Rites of Spring by ALC Punk

John and Rodney go on a vacation which doesn’t turn out quite as planned.

“Oh, shut up,” Rodney said, panting, when he climbed out after five laps and dropped back into his chair. “We don’t have much of a swimming season in Edmonton. I bet I could kick your ass ice skating.”

“Sure, and if that were a real sport instead of something teenage girls do, maybe I’d care,” John said, tipping the bag back for the last crumbs.

“A man who uses as much hair gel as you do should not be casting aspersions on teenage girls,” Rodney said. “You want to take a walk along the beach?”

“As long as you don’t ask me to hold hands,” John said.

Ordinary Life by Shalott and Speranza

John and Rodney take an accidental vacation.

Clear Blue Skies by Lamardeuse

The Wraith capture John and make him a Runner.

Acidimia by Cate