Templum Bellonae

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

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

Another Life by Rheanna

Long story; leaves canon behind after Epiphany. Angel shows more interest in Wesley.

This is another one of those stories I read a long time ago but forgot about.

Epiphany 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

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

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

“Query: Lois Lane dreamt up ‘Truth, Justice and the American Way,’ did she not?”

“Yes,” Clark admitted. He leaned forward so his computer screen would hide his expression from Lois.

“So the question arises: if she thinks that the American way is neither truth nor justice, but something else entirely, what does she think it is?”

When Lex loses his memory, Clark takes advantage of the opportunity.

I love amnesia-fic. There’s just so many things authors can do with it.

Golden Rule by RivkaT

Dalziel and Pascoe

Takes up the story of Peter’s recovery after his accident in the episode Heads You Lose, with more serious, and perhaps more realistic, consequences of having been involved in a near-fatal car accident.

If you’ve never heard of it, Dalziel and Pascoe is a tv show based on the series of novels by Reginald Hill. Andy Dalziel and Peter Pascoe are British policemen; Andy’s canonical nicknames for Peter are ‘Sunbeam’ and ‘Petal’ (without mockery,) and a glance through Elfin’s episode guide demonstrates that the slashiness doesn’t end there, by a long shot.

This story is actually the beginning of a series, and is followed by:

2. Sunshine
3. Making a Move
4. Digging Deeper
5. Art Thou Art
6. An Epilogue of Sorts

Dalziel and Pascoe have great chemistry, and Elfin captures it perfectly.

Tails You Win by Elfin

Voyager

If you’ve ever read Voyager fic before and haven’t read this, what rock have you been living under? I can’t say I entirely love this series, but it’s definitely an interesting and worthwhile read.

While on an away mission, something unusual starts happening to Tom. There are several sequels to the original story:

2. The Left Hand of Madness 2
3. The Left Hand of Madness 3
4. The Left Hand of Madness Interlude
5. The Left Hand of Madness 4
6. The Left Hand of Madness Epilogue

There’s also an alternate ending to the first story, branching off at part eight of the original, The Left Hand of Madness - Alternate Ending.

The Left Hand of Madness by Siubhan

DS9

2. Graven Image
3. In Another Life
4. Shattered Image

Maybe it’s because I’ve never seen the episode on which the premise of this series is based, Hard Time, but the first two stories in this series don’t interest me the way the latter two do. I’m especially fond of Shattered Image, because I love stories that deal with Julian’s genetic enhancements. I would love to see that whole storyline explored in greater depth, both in canon and in fanfic.

AfterImage by Blue Champagne

I’m in two minds about recommending this story. On the one hand, I don’t actually love it the way I do the other stories I’ve rec’d by the same author. On the other hand, too many Trek stories, particularly TOS-era stories, gloss over the huge differences between Vulcans and Humans. This one doesn’t.

An alternate way “The Menagerie” might have gone. What if Starfleet had refused to accept the Talosians’ testimony on Spock’s behalf?

Spock, on Earth, in prison. Even in the 23rd Century, prison is not a nice place to be.

Folsom Prison Blues by Greywolf the Wanderer

TOS

Call this, my attempt to tell what *else* happened, during and after the episode “Operation: Annihilate”.

An exploration of what it might really have been like for Spock to think he would be permanently blind.

“And in the Darkness Bind You…” by Greywolf the Wanderer

TOS

And its sequels, New Minglewood Blues and Morning Dew.

A fabulous, sprawling AU that splits off about three years into the first five-year mission. Some pretty awful things happen to Our Heroes; not for the faint of heart.

Deep Elem Blues by Greywolf the Wanderer

Set near the end of Shards of Honor. While Cordelia is suffering under psychiatric treatment on Beta, Aral is being watched over by Simon Illyan.

The Councils of Despair by Parhelion

Peter has been hiding his feelings for Egon for a long time.

Have You Never Been Lonely, Have You Never Been Lied To? by James Walkswithwind

Given the dearth of RGBS fanfic out there, I wouldn’t be surprised if this is the only one with BDSM, albeit only mild bondage and spanking. The plot’s a little shaky, but Egon makes a good sub, and we get to see Peter actually using his psych degree.

There’s a sequel, Long Time Coming, that taked up where Busted On Christopher Street leaves off.

Busted On Christopher Street by Echo

Angst. Janine and Ray learn Egon’s secret. Peter has his own secret. Winston knows everything. Fifteen years is a long time to wait.

I would like this story a lot better if no one cried in it, but Janine, Ray, and Winston are so great that I can let it slide.

Fifteen Years by eridahl

Xander eats some chocolate he receives in the mail. ‘Cause there’s no such thing as evil chocolate, right?

Chocolate Hurricane by Cicirossi

The Charioteer

A truly wonderful piece of writing. Watch One Hour With Me fills in the blanks of what happened between Ralph and Laurie the night after the wedding, and it’s written very much in Renault’s style. I can easily believe it as a missing scene from the book.

Watch One Hour With Me by Maggie Honeybite

I think the title says it better than I could. Response to Severus Snape Fuh-Q Fest scenario 30: Pomfrey thinks she’s detected usage of a Potion that completely suppresses the libido.

When Severus goes cold-turkey, his unwanted sexual impulses come roaring back. And who else would Dumbledore choose to help Snape at this time but Hogwarts’s newest professor, Harry Potter?

The Love Song of Bastard and Idiot by Predatrix