Templum Bellonae

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

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

An alternate Season 9. In need of Daniel’s expert assistance, Vala kidnaps him while on a mission. There are things about this story that disturb me, but I like it anyway.

The Crown of Janus by Lady Grey

Ba’al and Qetesh and Daniel and Vala.

The Backwards Fall by Hariboo Smirks

John turns on an AI in Atlantis. A rather creepy AI.

You are not of my people! she told him, her not-voice as sharp as a whip crack in his mind, and with that came the unspoken knowledge that his happiness mattered nothing to her, and his safety only insofar as he was important to John. And wasn’t that a fucking nasty shock to the ego?

Foolproof and Incapable of Error by Neery

Followed by Part Two and Part Three.

I am so incredibly uncomfortable with Spock’s actions in this probably-never-to-be-finished WIP, but I like it enough to recommend it anyway. There’s a certain attitude in some BDSM stories that the end justifies the means—that is, as long as the sub comes around to the dom’s point of view, it makes it okay that permission was initially refused. Which, no. And especially without any prior relationship, no. But despite that, I like this story and wish the author would finish it.

The glimpse of young Jim Kirk’s sexuality was really interesting, as were the lives of the fictional filmmakers.

Intreat Me Not to Leave Thee by C.M. Decarnin

Atlantis

John falls in love and Rodney uses a baby to get women. Only so much better than that sounds.

Your Inevitable Unhappy Ending by Helen

AU. What if Cordelia never started working for Angel after they met at the party in City Of?

Another Life by Rheanna

So very AU—crackfic at its best. There isn’t really any BDSM or non-con, but there are flavours of both.

My lame summary-writing skills aren’t up to tackling this story; you’ll just have to read it for yourself.

Protocol by The Brat Queen

A new fandom—and for once I’m actually familiar with the canon. Serious spoilers for Sarah Monette’s Mélusine and The Virtu. If you haven’t read them yet, go do so. Right now.

After the events of The Virtu, Mildmay sees a ghost.

At the Hands of the Wicked by Quasar

Creepy, creepy. Wes and the Wild Boy of Quortoth.

Connor is crouched like a noble savage from an old Western, sniffing his closet. Wesley doesn’t have the energy to be surprised.

Untitled snippet by Stakebait

After Home, Connor might not remember who he is, but Angel does. So, so wrong, but so good.

Steven’s skin is pale and clammy no matter how many classes he skips to hit the beach. His hands are still too big for his wrists. His fingers scrabble for purchase on Angel’s smooth broad chest and, as always, don’t find it. He grabs Angel’s upper arms instead—Angel knows he likes to feel the muscles move. Angel wonders if Steven would like it if he got another tattoo there, a band of something intricate and shifting in the light. The boy would like holding his hand, being the one to comfort him for once. But all Angel can think to put there is “Connor”, and Steven wouldn’t recognize the name.

Untitled by Stakebait

It’s the summer after S4, and Connor meets a mysterious man at the beach.

Summer Lovin’ by Deepa D.

AU where Clark and Lex are step-brothers. Dark and disturbing.

Looking Glass by Jenn

After Lex’s father dies, Clark comes back into his life. All the incest happens before the story begins.

Pyrrhic by Kat Reitz and Perryvic

After Clark and the Kents are kidnapped, Lex and Chloe spend years looking for them, but even Lex doesn’t expect what happens when they find them.

Prometheus Project by Mistress Ace

Long, long WIP with a full ensemble cast, including some original characters. I found the beginning a little rocky, especially the first story, but the quality improves dramatically quite early on. Despite various major and minor alterations to canon, the series remains faithful to canon events.

Corner of the World by Serafina

I’m not quite sure how I missed reading this for so long, but I’m so glad I finally did read it, because it’s one of the best Smallville series out there.

When Lionel finally finds an heir he considers worthy, Lex gets help from Clark. So many of the stories in this series are long and wonderful, and there’s a great original character in Eli Cohen. Most of the really disturbing stuff is off-screen or only implied.

I think this is a WIP, although each story is pretty much complete in and of itself, so it’s not like it ends on a cliffhanger or anything.

The Identical series by Lanning Cook

Ten years after Endless Waltz, Duo and Trowa are forced into therapy together. A large part of this story’s awesomeness comes from Trowa’s internal voice, which is perfect and funny. I have a weakness for mental illness fics, and the GW universe has some of the best justifications for that kind of story.

Rattlesnakes by Trixie

DS9

Choose your own adventure! Not uniformly dark, but it does have its moments.

Rishi Baba by Karmen Ghia