Peering out at the Infinite

Why did no one ever tell me of the awesomeness that is Hot Fuzz?  I mean, my brother mentioned it, but he watches every comedy movie ever made and I desperately hate slapstick and fart jokes.  But this, this was dead pan perfect, no winking at the camera, no acknowledgement of anything besides what was going on in the screen.  And they had a SWAN ON THE LOOSE!  Seriously, that's coming back to school with me.

Saw Prince Caspian again yesterday, this time with most of family.  Got ten minutes in before mom leaned over with the "Aha!  I see why you wanted to watch this movie!"  Which, okay, yeah.  But more for Peter really.  Spent most of the time giggling because of seeing things through the perception of fandom.  Am now desperately dunking myself back into Narnia fandom because There must be more!  And am now off to read

mistful's recap/parody Peter the Magnificent and Caspian the Super Fine  Because that is basically what the movie ended up as.

DLF: So who are you crazy kids?
PETER: I am Peter the Magnificent!
EDMUND: I am Edmund the Just So Embarrassed My Brother Said That.
DLF: Oh my God, Narnia is doomed.

 

Title: After Work

Author: westingturtle

Rating: PG

Summary: In an unfamiliar place, sometimes all you need is a friend.

Discliamer: Doctor Who and Torchwood belong to their creators, as do Rose and Tosh.

Narnia, which I've been reading quite a lot of lately, is a marvelous thing. And the inspiration for the first fic I"ve posted in something like five years. Most of which owes credit to these amazing stories below.

Lives By Breaking by Lady Sarai
The Pevensies, in Narnia and after.
     Edmund surprises her, appearing in the looking glass over her shoulder with a thoughtful expression. "You know," he says, "my voice changed years ago. I'm not looking forward to going through that again."
     He understands.

Between Sunset and Sunrise by mirkat
While Peter deals with his memories by alcohol, and Susan pretends not to remember at all, Lucy waits up for Edmund when he comes home smelling of women’s perfume.
     She doesn’t need, any longer, to know everything, and she thinks that might be a sign that she’s grown up again.

Long Forgotten Wars by bedlamsbard
I love love love basically all of bedlamsbard’s stories, and how they show the Pevensies in and out of Narnia. For example:
     They didn't call it the golden age when I was king. 

These Last Golden Days of Summer by bedlamsbard
This was a bit different from the others in that its an outside POV on the Pevensies during their reign in the Golden Age at a summer fair, seen by a young faun with her family. However, the characterization of the Kings and Queens still comes through brilliantly.
     Faun wine isn’t brewed, and Tilse’s is hardly new – his father put it away before he went off to war – but no one corrects a queen of Narnia.

And also
     “Ed, it is Peter!”
     “Who else would it be?” Edmund says, even though Lucy’s attention is already elsewhere. “It’s not as though there are exactly a lot of people out there with a personalized horn call.”
And now go and read the rest of the stuff.

Where No Carnations Fade by lassiterfics
A series of one-sentence pictures that is incredibly evocative, and fills me with an aching sadness at this view of Aslan’s Country. Spoilers for The Last Battle
     Lucy tries to miss Susan sometimes, and she tries and she tries and she tries.

Always Spring and Never Summer (The Once A King, Always, Immortal Remix) by tartanshell
In and out of Narnia, and the similarities between.
     "Thank goodness it isn't Christmastime," she whispered once, to Peter. "I couldn't live through it."

Legacy (The Spy Who Loved Me Remix) by liminalliz
Tumnus and Edmund talk of their checkered paths, and how best to protect Narnia. Featuring Edmund as spymaster, which is a trope I confess to love.
     "And who best to organize such a network but one who has been a spy and a traitor himself?"

Lioness by anachronisma
     "I wasn't always a child," Lucy said, turning away, and looking at Trumpkin.

Many and Beautiful Things by loki013
Susan, Peter, and Caspian, and the intersections in between. Spans from The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe to The Last Battle in reverse order.
     Caspian takes a moment to let that sink in. “The Kings and Queens have left us,” he pauses, and the truth forces its way out of him. “And two of them may never return. So I suggest we all get used to that and start rebuilding.”

Sea Legs by st_aurafina
When Edmund, Lucy, and Eustace come back from the Dawn Treader, Edmund is prepared to pass the torch on.
     He and Lucy and Edmund are raw and unwieldy, like lobsters that have shed a perfect skin and have yet to form a new protective layer.

High Time (try to feel okay) banthafodder
There is a description that I absolutely love for this piece:
High King Peter will never let Queen Susan leave Narnia. In England, things don't work quite the same way. (from unfitforsociety)
This has the potential to be really disturbing, but instead it has the same quiet rightness as the books themselves, at least in Narnia. Back in England, things become just so much more difficult. And more than that, it seems to get the unity that is the four Pevensies together.
     Peter sprawls on the couch in the library, leafing through a novel he's never read before. Beside him, Susan lies, using his shoulder as a pillow as she reads aloud to Lucy. On the floor, Edmund draws. 

 Title: Sons of Adam, Daughters of Eve
Author: westingturtle
Rating: PG
Summary:  The line of succession must not falter.
Disclaimer: The Chronicles of Narnia and settings and characters therein belong to the estate of CS Lewis and Walden Media.

Today is a day for superheroes of all kinds.

BATMAN
Able to Succeed by brown¬betty
Tim has homework to do. This makes my geeky teacher side so very happy. 
      When he gets assignments back from teachers, they usually have a few minor corrections and scrawled comments like interesting! Good Work! Keep it up! Bruce has neatly pencilled all his comments in the margins: Risk unacceptable. Have you considered low ceiling? This figure incorrect. Rewrite. Source? Sloppy. Unclear. And those are just the ones he understands.

The Beginning of All Things Are Small by thedeadparrot
Bringing Dick Grayson into the world developed by Batman Begins

HEROES
Runaways by Selena
They may not know it, but this wasn’t the first time they had come together. When the Petrellis, Kaito Nakamura, Charles Deveaux, and Linderman come together, Nathan is put in charge of the assembled children. And when you find out your parents are plotting world domination, there’s only one sensible answer.

IRONMAN
Four Times Pepper Considered Quitting and One Time She Actually Did by seren-ccd 
     “Pep-perrr,” he drew out the –errr. “Pepper Potts. Are you sure I didn’t order you?”
     “Order me for what exactly?” she asked frowning.

SMALLVILLE
Sentry by zeplum
Somehow, Chloe ended up den mother to the Justice League.
     Oh, if they could only see her now.

SUPERMAN
Lost by aforgottenwish
She only realizes what she had once she’s lost it.
     “No,” he said, as though determined not to let her finish a thought. “Did you think I just showed up one day, and decided to save the world?”
     She didn’t answer, but let her eyes flutter shut as she imagined a ship, landing far north of here, opening slowly and revealing a tights-clad superhero, his primary coloured suit reflecting copiously in the glazed snow.

The Obituary by perkulator
Perry realizes he might have the story of his life as Superman lies in the hospital and the world waits.

X-MEN
Ave, Verum Corpus by loneastronomer
Through the few memories they share between them, Logan and Rogue piece together a part of his past.
     He closes his eyes for a moment as he always does when the music strikes him: he breathes deeply and smells sweetbread and apple pie over the mansion's overtones of old oak and Christmas holly, and he can hear echoes of a woman's laughter. If he concentrates hard enough he can almost feel a small, cold hand in his own.

Twenty Random Facts About Charles Xavier’s School for Gifted Youngsters by penknife
I love this fic beyond anything. It’s completely random but ties together perfectly. Set post X2, so there’s a bit of wistful aching. Breathtaking.

These Aren’t the Droids by C. Elisa (X-Men Evolution)
The Superintendent catches sight of Kurt, and the students ponder the lengths Xavier goes to protect them. Hilarious.

The Man on the Flying Trapeze by trollprincess
Warren, on growing his wings, learning to fly, and the taste of freedom.
     His wings are still too small, he thinks, but maybe.
     Maybe.

A Heap of Broken Images by musamea
After taking the cure, Marie becomes herself all over again in a new world.
     She looks up, game forgotten, as station after station breaks the same message. The cure is failing, has failed.
     Hank is watching her, waiting for a reaction. She looks down at the board; the pieces blur. Then, very carefully, she reaches out and tips her king over.

Paideia by musamea
Five times Scott taught a lesson, both in the classroom and out. I love the relationship it shows with the individual students.
     Scott pondered using 'Ro's flowers as an illustration for... for something. Something about how the showy orchids drew the eye, but in the end it was the quieter, more delicate honeysuckles that he favored. Then he decided that would be a really dumb thing to say.

Shortcuts and Bypasses (How to Get from Here to There with the Fewest Left Turns) by jadeddiva
A story of how Kitty manifested, slow and thoughtful.
     It is twelve noon on a Sunday. Her parents are weeding the garden. She is supposed to be at the mall but a low (by her parent’s standards) grade in Chemistry is keeping home.
She is alone, and will one day appreciate this fact, because others have not been so lucky. 

SUPERNATURAL
Six of One by vee_fic
     This is a long, intricately plotted fic that takes a couple of loops and turns but in the end ties everything back up, even while allowing for some of the fallout. Mostly about Sam and Dean who, in the wake of a difficult hunt, aren’t exactly who they’ve been before, with Jo playing a strong supporting role.
     And then his decision was made for him, as the fat man -- had to be Alvin -- turned to put away some tool and looked up.    Sam put on his brave face and walked in to meet the guy, leading with a handshake. "Hi, um, I'm trying to track down a mechanic," he said. The music was loud in his ears and he didn't know whether Alvin could hear him. He stood there awkward while the man looked him over, head cocked. Sam schooled himself and didn't glance at the roller under the car.
     "Somebody told me he works here. His name is Sam?"

A Little White Lie Here and There Never Hurt Anybody by trollprincess
Twenty things Jess never told Sam.
15.
In high school, she was a goth.
Oh, knock it off. It was just for two months, and the black dye washed out of her hair eventually.
She burned all of the pictures, sure, but she still cringes a little every time she walks past a Hot Topic.

The Father We Never Found by likethesun2
      AU. Sam and Dean Winchester bury their father.
      They can’t release Dad’s body, at least not right away. That’s what Dr. Robinson said as he ushered Sam and Dean down the hall, before he was called away on another code. Now they’re sequestered in the room where he left them, and the only people who’ve come by are nurses who can’t tell them anything, who offer them only condolences and coffee refills. Sam can’t drink his; he passes each cup over to Dean, who’s been steadily downing them like shots all morning.

The Wonder of Each Hour by destina
     Apparently there’s an episode where the first five names in Dean’s cellphone are seen. Here’s how they got there, and why.

That’s My Story by Tolakasa
      Sam, in college, trying to cut enough details to compete in the impromptu “my family is worse than your family” competition in the Stanford dorms.
      “Dad said the same thing Dean did.” He sighed. “To quote, ‘if they scare off that easy, you don’t need them for friends in the first place.’”

Accidental Documentaries by tassoss
     The Winchesters in high school. But more than that, it’s a commentary on high school itself, through the eyes of one girl who wants to remember everything about her senior year. But the one thing she doesn’t want to remember, is happening again. A fully fledged character and view point that slowly reveals itself as a mystery more complex than those a one-hour timeslot can usually indulge in.

Accidents Will Happen by holli
      Author Summary: Some Goth teenagers accidentally resurrect John Winchester. No, seriously.
      I resisted reading this for so long, but eventually succumbed to the inevitable. Because it would happen JUST LIKE THIS.
      "Should we call the police?" Leslie offered.
      "And tell them what? 'Hello, officer, there's a naked man in my basement who I summoned up with a Satanic ritual,' oh god, my parents were right, I am toying with unholy forces--" Allie took another shaky puff off her inhaler.

Fifty Miles of Humiliation by kellifer_fic
     One of the ways that Jess and Sam could have met, with Jess as the awkward one instead of Sam for a change.
     He was still standing and she was sitting on the ground so when Jess shot out her own arm, she managed to knock her hand against his groin because, well, apparently the Universe hadn’t quite had enough fun with her.

How to Save a Life by trollprincess
     Author Summary: Four Times at college that Sam was a Winchester, whether he liked it or not.
     "How did you do that, man?" Kenny asks, still that bone-white pale.

I Am the Very Model… by vorpalblades
     Author Summary: Jake killed Sam, but Sam came back. Sam killed Jake, and Jake stayed dead. That means Sam won, and to the victor goes the spoils, right? Yeah, that’s what the rest of Hell thought too.
     Sam is now leader of the armies of Hell. And they aren’t taking no for an answer.

Nothing Up My Sleeve by trollprincess
     With Sam’s powers finally under control and the demon population decimated, Sam and Dean have to find another way to live.
     "Sam, you have superpowers. It's either this or I slap you into tights and send you out to fight crime."

Paper Weight by vaznetti
     Officer Hudak joins Henrikson on the search for the Winchesters, but she’s not sure what she believes anymore.
     "But you got closer than anyone, Officer Hudak." Now it's Henriksen, leaning toward her across the table. "You spent more time with Winchester than anyone. Anyone still alive, anyway."

Straight On ‘Til Morning by trollprincess
     What Mary Winchester remembers later of those first few weeks is a haze of pain and numbness, bandages and anesthesia, the scent of her own burning flesh that may never entirely leave her.
     Thirteen times Mary knew her scars were beautiful.

On Warm Summer Nights by lyra_wing
     Mary works the nightshift at a diner, and talks to the young marine, and the two boys who seem so familiar. Warm and sweet and lazy, just like its name.
     Don't mind me," says the young man standing there. He's got dark serious eyes, but he's smiling a little bit as he tucks his hands into his pockets. "You were on a roll."
     "I'll go on all night once I get started," says Mary, grinning, and the guy looks surprised, laughs a little bit. 

In rich anticipation of tomorrow's new episode, here is an exciding passel of fic recs (and a vid rec that makes me giggle)

BATTLESTAR GALACTICA

Calliope by rheanna27 
The Colonial Fleet is more than just Galactica and Colonial One. Written for the common people challenge.

Compensating by inlovewithnight 
The real reason Lee read Zarek’s book. I really really hope this is the reason why.
     [She] cornered him by the punch bowl, rolled her eyes at the uniform he was still wearing because Kara had picked him up straight off duty, and launched into a diatribe about how any man who flew a Viper was obviously attempting to compensate for tragic personal shortcomings.
     "What about female Viper pilots?" he asked when she paused long enough to take a sip of her punch.
     She didn't hesitate. "They're attempting to cover for a deep-seated emotional wound."

Hestia’s Ashes by thepouncer 
Another story for the common people challenge, this one centered on Boxey, the boy Boomer and Helo rescued in the miniseries.
     He was about to leave for school when it happened.

Scenes from New Caprica by runawaynun
What is best about this is that it isn’t just individual scenes of the women, it’s their interactions. Seven women, ten scenes, and a great final line.

Jealous Gods by rose_griffes
Sam and Kara on New Caprica. Too much happiness tempts the jealousy of the gods.
     He didn't say it tenderly; they weren't that kind of couple and she'd mocked him the only time he tried. Now he said it when she was annoyed so it was okay not to say it back then. Or he waited until they were in the middle of a game of pyramid, on opposing teams. "Love you, babe," he'd yell after she tried some illegal block. ("It's only illegal if you're caught," she would mumble later.)

Vid Rec
Kiss the Girl vid by heliotitans, song by Get Set Go
Matching up the women of BSG with the women mentioned in the song, this is almost entirely perfect. I’m not sure I like the characterization of Dee, it matches Ellen much better, but I admit this way I get to see Billy, and I just rewatched “Sacrifice” so I’m full of the Billy-love. 
Six, Dee, Cally, Sharon, D’Anna, Kara, Tory. 

I have finally gone through all of my postings and fixed the formatting!  If you ever had trouble with the links, they should work now.  And if there are any more problems, drop me a line and I'll figure out what else I"ve done wrong.

-westingturtle 

CROSSOVERS

Harry Potter/???
Gone to Hell, Back Later by florahart 
DH complaint crackfic that really must be read. Snape.
Author Summary: It was a chance, and there hadn't been enough of those in his life these last ten years.

Harry Potter/Btvs
Dead Trouble by Marcus Rowland
When Auror Harry Potter is asked to escort the body of Albus Dumbledore’s great-great-grandniece, he incurs the wrath of Slayers protecting their own. I love how MR handles exposition, letting any explanations take place out of frame. And the bureaucratic details of the Ministry seem hilarious because you know everyone wouldn't be all peaches and cream and trust up front.

Doctor Who/House
The Doctors by avendya 
When Rose becomes ill, the Doctor and Jack take her to the best. And then Jack flirts with anything that moves.

SGA/Doctor Who
The Holes in the Ground by  mercurial_wit 
Rodney McKay has many encounters with the Doctor over the years. Destroying Rodney’s sanity and quoting science-fiction ensue. 
     "Weeell," the Doctor says, looking shifty, and runs a hand through his hair. "Spacetime is a bit more durable than people give it credit for. More like rubber than tissue paper. Bendy," he finishes lamely.
     Rodney thinks this sounds like a whole lot of elusive nonsense, and he should know, but he contents himself with scowling and echoing, "Bendy," in tones that are as flat as he can manage.

Heroes/West Wing
No Flying in the House by tangleofthorns 
Will Bailey thinks there’s something off about the new congressman from New York.

Dead Like Me/Grey’s Anatomy
Untitled by  whisp 
     Natural causes is one of the nicer assignments for a reaper. Especially in a hospital. No chasing anyone down, everyone's got a nametag. Nice gig. Five souls Alex took, and the place he can’t escape.

Firefly/Battlestar Galactica
Resting Place by Vaznetti
On the run from Adama, Roslin and Apollo hide on a ship with secrets of its own.

SPN/Gilmore Girls
Grabbing a Shark by the Tail by kellifer_fic 
Rory Gilmore on the tail of a story. I love this story. Both the boys reactions to a reporter and Rory’s reactions to her fear ring true to me.
     Rory is sitting in a booth in a small diner when someone slides in beside her.
Link Fixed!

SPN/Veronica Mars
The Better Angels of Our Nature by kajikia 
A realistic intersection of canons because, bloody ghost of Lilly Kane or not, I don’t think Veronica’s going to just go “Ghosts and monsters, okay!” This pushing to the side to get the job done is very much her, as is the confrontation.
     "Good morning, sunshine," the blonde said, and she didn't look nervous or helpless anymore. "We're going to play a game now, you'll like it. It's called 'Tell me where your brother took my dad and you won't find out what a taser to the balls feels like.' "

Superman/Buffy the Vampire Slayer
Strong by Shayne Terry
      I have never watched Lois and Clark, which this is apparently a bit of an adaption of, however I followed along with the basic knowledge of who Lois Lane is and who Clark Kent is, and everything is accessible from the story. More than that, this story is long and beautifully plotted, with everyone having their own motivations and hang-ups, without the feeling that the author is just trying to push the information out there. It comes at it’s own pace. 

      Basically, Lois comes back to the Daily Planet and a new partner after working on a story abroad. She is not thrilled with the partner, but after what happened three months ago, she isn’t thrilled about anything. She and her new partner are sent to report on the Sunnydale crater. And that’s when things get interesting with about five secrets too many. 

So, this month's theme is space, because I decided I didn't have enough already written up in one fandom to qualify an individual rec post. And Doctor Who gets a special exemption, because it'll be recced with Torchwood whenever those get up.

FIREFLY
Finale Canto (Speaker of the Dead Remix) by Jen
The story of how Jayne got his guitar, and what it means that he still plays it. The voice is poetic but at the same time still Jayne.
     Jayne didn't have much, but what he had, he took care of.

Mercenary by slipstream chan
Behind the blast doors, Jayne knows what his job is. A creepy truth as Jayne plans to protect his crew in the only way that’s left.

Turn of the Wheel by Hawkmoth
I’d read this a year or two ago, and only just found it again. Set about three years after the end of the series (before news of the Big Damn Movie) this is a way Serenity’s crew could go. Verging on dark, but there’s too much hope for me to write it off completely. Besides, can’t you just see Simon slowly becoming this man?
     Don't know how, but we're still flying.

STARGATE ATLANTIS
Zoh-onna Ohmote by Vega
Miko, on Atlantis, remembering the culture of her home.
     Every morning, Miko Kusanagi rises at five am (Atlantis Time), and goes to the Alpha Physics Lab. She restocks Doctor McKay’s supply of powerbars, throws away Kavanaugh’s manky damp teabag from the day before, tidies Simpson’s ever growing collection of random wires, and waters Zelenka’s potted plants. She boots up the main computer, checks the database download update, brews two pots of coffee, then fetches a plate of muffins from the commissary, still steaming from the oven.

Coping Mechanisms by Ifylla
Brief drabbles on how each of the characters reacts to being returned to Earth. We don’t know how they came to be there, or what happened to Atlantis, but this is how they would react.

A Beautiful Lifetime Event by Shalott
I don’t usually rec slash, but this is an exception. Due to an Ancient incubating device, Rodney and John co-father a baby. They rearrange their lives around one of the cutest OCs in the internet. (Although I freely acknowledge a bit of weakness for baby-fic). Towards the end, it does develop into a romantic relationship, but that’s almost ten years in the making.
     "Rodney, she's going to be in kindergarten," John said. "It's mostly singing songs and eating milk and cookies."

     "Oh, yeah, that's what they make it sound like," Rodney said. "That's just a front. They're going to try and teach her things, like the alphabet and counting. I was telling her about infinite series yesterday; what the hell good is A-B-C going to do her?"

Friendly Competition by siegeofangels
What starts as a “thank-you hug, with overtones of the thank-god-we're-alive hug” grows into a full-scale hugging competition across Atlantis. Two points for Daedalus personnel. 
     Jack held up one finger--wait--to each of them. "This is not a game," he said, and backed away slowly to disappear down a corridor and, probably, stake out personal quarters to establish as a hug-free zone.
     They watched him go. "Well," Elizabeth said. "If it was, we'd be tied." 
     Rodney looked at her. She looked back, and raised an eyebrow.

Rise by minnow1212
Author Summary: Every job has its fringe benefits. Theirs have more than most.
     The troupe probably wouldn’t do it to strangers, but the expressions of dismay on Sheppard and McKay’s faces are too funny to pass up, and Teyla doesn’t call him on it. Instead she says, straight-faced, "We would be pleased to assist you in this matter."

and the band’s playing “hail to the chief” by synecdochic
A sequel to Freedom’s just another word for nothing left to lose , a perfect continuation set five years later as one of Rodney’s “children” makes a discovery.
     "I need you," Rodney says, and bulls straight past anything she might have said by virtue of only pretending to pause at the punctuation. "Both of you, tonight, as much firepower as Ronon can smuggle past the TSA goons without submitting for inspection, and every single press contact you can possibly drum up on my campus at oh-nine-hundred sharp."

     To her credit, he can't even hear her flinch. "So. We're ready?"

STAR WARS
After the Last War Is Won by unknown
Luke, restoring the Jedi Temple.
     "All the Jedi were dead."
     Luke looked out over the lower colonnade below, the sweeping staircases littered with rubble. "That doesn't mean they left." 

In Reverse by sodakey

Characters: Sam, Dean, Assorted OCs
Author Summary: After Faith, a job has the boys looking for missing hikers in Wyoming. While Sam worries it’s connected to what happened to Dean ten years ago, Dean wonders if Sam would be better off back in the world of normal.

I can't say that this works as an episode.  It's far too complicated to fill forty-some minutes of broadcast time.  Instead this is a movie, focusing mostly on the boys themselves but also including the various elements that running into a group of Sam's old college friends brings back.  There's the contrast of another set of brothers, normal brothers, and the question of the differences between Hunting Sam and Stanford Sam and how Dean might react when faced with the life his brother had away from him.  The tie-ins between the 'ninety-six attack weave beautifully into the story, and the supernatural elements are never neglected even as the emotional aspects are heightened.

Excerpt:

Dean and Sam looked up to see a perky brunette with dark ringlets coming toward them. "Guys, look! It's Sam Winchester!"

They looked to where she was calling and saw a group of young twenty-somethings packed around a table in the opposite corner. Dean looked back at Sam for confirmation that he either knew them, or that the brunette was crazy. Sam was in the process of standing, total surprise on his face. "Kim? Wow," he stepped out from their table just in time to catch "Kim" in a hug. "What are you guys doing here?"

"What are we doing here? What are you doing here? Nobody's heard from you in months!"

Dean stood awkwardly as the rest of Kim's table descended, two additional girls giving Sam quarter-hugs while a quartet of guys gripped Sam's hand or thumped him on the back.

"Yeah, I've been…busy," Sam stuttered to the queries, making an uncomfortable gesture at Dean. "I've been…traveling with my brother…we're just passing through."

"Right, right," said Kim. "You mentioned you were on a road trip with your brother a while back. I thought you would have been done with that by now," she continued, as though traveling around with your big brother was a juvenile phase Sam should have outgrown, or worse, a bad habit she'd expected Sam to have finally kicked. Nevertheless, Kim looked at Dean and held out her hand. Dean hesitated before reaching to grip it, returning her completely-insincere and overly-polite smile with one of his own.

Some of these are actually quite old, but I should warn for Deathly Hallows spoilers below and in the stories themselves. It's been a few months, but you can never be too careful.

HARRY POTTER

untitled by florahart 
I just had to link to this. George, Molly, and Percy, the morning after. Heartbreaking.

Chivalry by rozarka 
Before the Yule Ball, Viktor goes to ask Professor McGonagall a question.
"As head of Gryffindor, being ze closest to be in ... parents' role for Herm -- Hermy -- Miss Granger ... I haff come to ask your permission--" He took a deep breath, furrowing his brow in concentration.

Little Hearts by sache8 
In the first years after Voldemort’s defeat, Fleur watches the small parade of visitors to Shell Cottage’s backyard. Full of little details of life after the war, and how irritating it might be having a war memorial in the garden.

Twenty-Eight Points by magnetic_pole 
Dear God I love Lily. Although they broke up before leaving Hogwarts, James is determined to get just one more chance. With Scrabble.
"You'd just be another friend, enjoying take-away at James' flat," James said. "We do it all the time, you know," he added, improvising madly. "Thursday nights. It's famous, take-away at James', Thursday nights."
What the hell, it sounded stupid, but he was desperate to see her again.

Coda to an Epilogue: Twenty Years Later, Or The Kids Are All Right by mistful
Hilarious and touching story that makes me fully embrace the epilogue that JKR randomly tacked on the end. Harry and Malfoy are forced to work together to find their sons who may or may not be in danger of being eaten by giant albino alligators. Featuring very cunning plans, a surfeit of sandwiches, receding hairlines, and James Potter being a tool.
Part Two
Part Three
“Yes, about that,” Harry said between his teeth. “Why does Durmstrang have giant alligators in its sewers?”

“I’m sure I don’t know. Why does Hogwarts have giant spiders in its environs? These things happen.” Professor von Bosau was starting to look distinctly miffed. “Mr Potter, I understand that you’re upset-”

“You lost my children in the sewers! The sewers which are crawling with giant alligators!”

Tower of Air by cluegirl
Albus keeps his own private gallery of burdens, a portrait for every single life paid too quickly, taken before its time. After the battle at the Ministry, he carries Sirius Black.
“Want the spot next to me?" A hope stands bare in the youth's tone -- forgiveness, renewal, reconciliation that might be possible now that neither one possesses a beating heart. "Good view of the Quidditch pitch."

Not to mention that it faces James and Lily's portrait, and the empty spot beside it which Albus is decidedly NOT saving for Remus Lupin.

All Too Sweet To Last by annakovsky
Sixth year ended abruptly when Hermione blew up Hogwarts, forty-five Death Eaters, and Harry Potter in a blast of blue magical flame that could be seen at a distance of thirty miles. For this she was awarded the Order of Merlin, First Class; a thousand galleons; the grateful adoration of the wizarding public, including an article in the Daily Prophet declaring her "The Girl Who Ended the Second War"; and the honor of identifying Harry's charred body.

Touch the Face of the Stars by lyras
Scenes from Lily’s life as she grows into her life and into this war. All are strong, and the end will make your eyes tear up.
"That was him," he said seriously. "Lily, you're going to have to be bloody careful after this."

All Our Tomorrows by sandrine
Rose, growing up at Hogwarts in the years following the war. Life isn’t always like what your parents tell you.
"Admit it, you're only dating me to get back at your father!" She's joking, but there's a grain of genuine worry underneath it that he must have heard because he suddenly grows serious, and when he says, "I would want to be with you even if you were a pureblood Slytherin," it sounds like a solemn vow.

Summer Holidays by penknife
Hermione tries to figure out what comes next. This is quiet but covers so many angles of what is going on and what must be done. And despite all the aches that are left behind, there are surprising flashes of humor that keeps it going. And the ending is so perfectly Hermione, that this is my personal idea of what happened next, even if there is so much other fic to be entertained by.
She closes her eyes, just for a minute, Harry's feet against her knee and Ron's hand resting on her thigh. She could stay just like this for a long time.
Later, she tells herself, and gets up and leaves them sleeping.

Getting Ready by florahart
The eight Weasleys each have something to bring to the funeral. I started feeling the family vibe at Percy, Ron made me teary, and Molly made me outright cry.
He's hoped it would be him. Or even--and he closes his eyes as he thinks it, because it feels like betrayal, even Molly. He knows it would have hurt all their children, blood or spirit, but burying a parent is the way of the world. Burying a child is not.

Molly’s War by a_t_rain
Molly Weasley, Remus Lupin. While the children are at school, Molly fights fear and prejudice.

A Life in Obscurity by rosemaryandrue
The life of Ignatus Peverell and his game with death is woven seamlessly by the author into the into the Arthurian legends. I have expect to see mention of Ignatus and his Hallows the next time I go into my Pendragon phase.

A month after he arrived, the fort's steward, who was one of the few who would find his way back again, took the cart to Caerleon to trade. He returned solemnly with the news of Uther Pendragon's death, and Ignotus knew at last where Death had vanished to that day.

He waited eagerly for Merlin's command, but it never came. At last he understood that the boy was meant to grow to manhood here, where even Death could not find him.

A Beneficial Arrangement by vivien529
Taking a sharp left turn at canon, this is the tale of how, at a holiday party, Tom Riddle accidentally got Minerva McGonagall knocked up. Naturally this puts a bit of a kink in his plans. Hilarious.
Minerva’s wand appeared in front of his nose with a violent swish. “You’re going to do the honorable thing by me, you Slytherin bastard. To think you’d abandon your own flesh and blood, just as you’d been abandoned as an infant.”

How dare she compare him to his filthy Muggle father? He glared at her and reached for his own wand.

“Don’t you dare even think about it,” Minerva snarled

BSG
Set Light To Me Some Surprising Day by mercurial_wit
Post-Maelstrom Dee fic, as she holds the Adama men together with both hands. The connections this draws between Dee and Tigh made me smile.
      Later, she pulls out the missing half and tapes the two together, and then places the whole picture inside the cover of a book. She remembers the day of the Galactica’s decommissioning, and the Old Man unwrapping a photograph of his sons, and thinks that maybe some day many years from now she will put this safely behind glass and a polished frame and give it to her husband, and it won’t hurt him at all; it will just be a picture of his brother and a woman he once loved.

for whom it is reserved by sangga
Kara and Lee in the aftermath of 33. The guilt Lee feels and the breakdown he observes in both Kara and himself is perfectly constructed.

Multiplicity of Life by ana grrl
A series of AUs based around Hera Agathon, each long enough to leave a shivery-good taste behind.

Possibility: Bright, Shiny Future by Mystic83
Speaking of AU’s…. Kara never suffered a knee injury and therefore followed her first vocation: professional pyramid player. She’s on a celebratory vacation on Cloud 9 when the attacks occur and, signs up to train in the first batch of pilots after Flattop’s death. There she meets the Adamas, all three of them. The events are written to reflect the first two seasons, and while it seems a little sappy at times, I think the conclusion is very well handled on all parts. This Kara is not so different from the one on the show, arrogance of a professional athlete mirroring arrogance of a kick-ass pilot.
      “You two are cheating,” Lee hissed, throwing a handful of cubits into the pot.
      “You’re just mad because you’re getting your ass kicked by a girl,” Zak pointed out.
      “I’m mad because my baby brother has no concept of family loyalty.” Lee glanced over at Kara. “Didn’t I tell you that your addiction to blondes was going to get me in trouble one day, Zak?”
      “I don’t see any trouble,” Kara pointed out. She threw a pair of cigars into the center of the table. “I just see an intelligent man who clearly knows a winner when he sees one.”

know well the gathering of stars by stars_like_dust
Laura Roslin, in the early days of her presidency, trying to lead the world forward and not get left behind.
      When she gets back to her quarters, she gets Billy to find her a book on Colonial resources. She reads about tylium every night until she's memorized it all.
      When the reporter snidely asks her about tylium again, Laura tears her to shreds.

If Not, Winter by olga_theodora
Laura Roslin lives under the Cylon occupation of New Caprica with ill grace, balancing submitting to the enemy with keeping her people safe. Written post Season Two, so some conclusions are drawn differently. The way that escape is plotted here is clever and subversive, and Kara in particular’s characterization shows a lot of the personal growth that could have occurred were she given the circumstances that olga_theodora places her in, rather than the show’s version.
     On the day the Cylons invaded New Caprica, several important things happened: the union went on strike, an early spring flower bloomed too soon, and Laura Roslin discovered she was pregnant.

Every Good Mother’s Son by nifra_idril
I know Billy from the miniseries, and little more than that, where’s he’s just adorable but capable and rather out of his depth with Dee (they shouldn’t have cut those scenes!) I have no idea how he died, only that he did, but this story, shown through his mother’s eyes and through the president's, makes me cry for him.
     Around the hundred and sixtieth hour without any real sleep, Billy is talking to her about the scarcity of grain based foods throughout the fleet, and it occurs to Laura that she has no idea how old he is.
     He’s startled when she asks, and then stops for a second to half chuckle and it sounds broken, hollow. “Uh, actually I think I turned twenty…maybe two days ago now,” he tells her.
     “Oh,” Laura says, because there’s nothing else to say. And then the clock strikes the thirty-three minute mark, and they brace for a jump.

Best Left Unsaid by wisteria
The weeks following Crossroads II, from Samuel T. Anders point of view. I love Sam, I wasn’t sure I would at first, but here he’s observer and participant all at once. I particularly love the circling suspicions he has about himself and his relationships, and the way the fact that he has a life beyond being Mr. Starbuck.
     Sam shoots to his feet, catching his balance on the chair. "My wife is not a Cylon, and if I hear you or anyone else say that, I'll personally shove you out an airlock."
     They both back up, palms raised. "Sorry, man," one mutters before getting the hell out of there. Sam suddenly wants to laugh. He thinks to himself, Yeah, I'm the Cylon, and who knows what the hell I'll do to you?

Illegal Zombie-Actor Cage Fighting by Amy and Jennifer Oksana
RPS. Okay, I usually stay away from RPS, but this is absolute and total crack that even the author declares has more to do with taking advantage of the situation then the people. How Mary McDonnell manipulates everything in Canada (and some things in LA) to drive Ron Moore nuts. Involves pretty much every Canadian sci-fi actor in the process.
     "Anyway, Grace, remember what I told you. If Ron comes up with notes today, you tell him you're in-character and will only answer to Sharon. And then when he calls you Sharon, tell him he's asking for the wrong Sharon. That Sharon's being downloaded, so he needs to ask ANOTHER Sharon. Who doesn't know the answers."

Tesselation by mercurial_wit
The filling in the gaps in cannon left between Season Two and Season Three, as one of the reviewers put it, Leoben and Kara are two sick motherfrakkers.
      “Ah-ah, Kara.” Leoben stands up in a movement so fast that it’s startling, but his smile is as kind as ever. “Don’t be stupid. This isn’t an interrogation room; I’m the one who can call for backup, this time.” His eyes shift deliberately to Sam, who Kara knows – knows – will be glaring back, and possibly mustering a rude remark. Sam, who might be dying. The knot in her stomach tightens as she straightens up, slowly, her empty palms held out in front.

An offering from fandoms I don't read regularly, or am just too picky to get a large selection of:

THE BOURNE IDENTITY
Paris by uhmidont
Nicky, as time passes at Treadstone.
      He didn't speak the whole time he was there. He filled out the checklist and handed it back to her. He was sleeping fine, eating fine, and taking his pills.
      He was washing his hands 247 times a day.

FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS
Texas Forever by topaz119
Evocative story of Tim Riggins and how his life could go.
      "I just play football," Riggins says. "Nothing special about that."

Much Unseen by fairy_tale_echo
Landry and Tyra keep studying into the summer.
     Tyra didn't want to go back to not having the answers.

HEROES
Forget Me Not by eglow23
I am not an incest fan. Before the great Petrelli dynasty was revealed, I thought Peter and Claire would be an interesting match, most likely in a few years. My reaction was more along the lines of “drat those producers for ruining my romantic planning.” But this, despite the relationship, is not about them. It’s about Nathan, and the years following the campaign and how he doesn’t (does) regret never meeting his daughter. And never telling anyone about her.
      He just wishes he didn't know that her anger - the anger that came through so clearly, so resentfully in the one image he has of her - he wishes he didn't know that he's the one who gave it to her. 
      He wishes he didn't know her name.

HOUSE
Family Housing by Namaste
A beautiful look at Greg House as a boy, and growing up. The structure of this story is beautiful, giving not dates but military bases as seen through the eyes of Greg and his mother. The confrontation over Annapolis between Greg and his father left me breathless.

Three Hires by sam_storyteller
A delightful look at how Chase, Cameron, and Foreman all came to be hired. The characterization of Wilson is hilarious and Chase is more likable than he ever seems on
the show.

no less a devil for that by Branwyn
Cameron gets a stalker.

NARNIA
Once a King by Rynne
Edward watches as they try to ignore what none of them can forget. Conversations as they all quietly try and become children again.

PETER PAN
‘Til Mourning by Dances-Without-Sleeves
Every year, he returns, and every year he takes more of Wendy with him. A mother’s point of view.

PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN
Nine Pieces of Eight by penknife
Nine people Calypso visits in their dreams. Elizabeth, Will, Barbossa, Teague, Jack, Bootstrap, Gibbs, Ragetti, James Turner.
      When Elizabeth opens her eyes in the morning, the first thing she sees is the sea.

STAR WARS
Drive You Mild by oboana
I saw this recced as “extended-universe” in what I assume means it takes the books into account. The primarily reason, is because of the existence of Mara Jade. In an AU where Vader found and fought Palpatine for his son, Luke Skywalker ascended the Imperial throne at age nineteen. Ten years later, he creates a treaty with the weak and fledgling New Republic for reasons no one understands. As a sign of good will to seal the treaty, he plans to marry a Jedi. A beautiful look if the world had unfolded slightly differently, its characters twisted but still recognizable. Novella approaching novel.

SUPERMAN RETURNS
On our finger the ring awakes by LC
Richard goes back to the beginning.
     He felt the air ease a little between them, just enough so that minutes later, he leaned forward into the silence and said, "Look, you know what people say about you--"
     "Don't make me take away your points," she said without turning around.
     "I'm just saying," and he didn't know why this felt so important, the career and reputation of a woman he'd met a couple weeks ago, "don't you plan on ever proving them wrong?"

WEST WING
The Politics of Love by Speranza
Donna and Josh through Sam’s eyes. Witty and in-character.

In Jerusalem Next Year by minervacat
One thousand words on ten women of the West Wing, all beautiful.

Claudia by wistful_memory
This is a view of CJ through her a different set of eyes, those of the daughter she left behind. Everyone is beautiful in this, Danny, Toby, CJ, Claire (the daughter) the brief appearance of the twins. I almost cried at the end.

Snapshots by crimsonclad
A fantastic futurefic set four or five years after season two that gives hints to almost every single character in the world. Alternating focus on Logan and Veronica, and the tabloids trying to get in. Angst-free, but still genuine. 
     LA braced itself when Logan Echolls graduated from his no-name small-town college and bought a house in the Hollywood Hills. Finally, some fresh blood for the gossip pages, the nightclubs, the inevitable cokefests and drama that always happened when spoiled kids with too much money and no parents to speak of decided to spend their time with each other instead of real people.

Into the Blue by amjou
A beautiful, heartbreaking version of events post-season one. It couldn’t have been as pat and simple as it looked, not when your girlfriend accused you of murder and your father committed it. Logan denies, avoids, and adjusts to the way things are, and gets a little of his own back. A long piece that does the occasion justice.
      Lilly smiled up at him in black and white, next to a huge picture of Aaron at an awards ceremony. Logan lurched to the side to avoid throwing up on the table. There was an empty trashcan conveniently placed at his feet, but he could bring nothing up except bile. He could dimly recall puking his guts out on Deputy Leo's shoes hours before.
     He laid his head back down on the table and tried not to cry.
     "Are they sure this is true?" he asked in angry voice. "I mean, it's not like she hasn't been wrong before."

In Case of Emergency by bigboobedcannuck
Well-written interaction between two characters who probably see a lot more of each other than we ever see on screen. With Veronica out of town, Logan has no one else to call.
     Keith pulls up to a red light and fixes Logan with A Look. “This isn’t up for debate. Doctor’s orders.” 
     Logan turns to the window, and quietly says, “Okay.”

The Pursuit of Happiness
Equally awesome sequel to the above.
     He takes a step and looks over at Logan, who stares at the TV, transfixed. His eyes glisten, the remote clutched tightly in his hand as he sits unmoving. As Aaron pulls Lynn into an impromptu waltz, sweeping her past surprised restaurant patrons, she laughs merrily.
     Keith sits down in his chair. “I think South Park is on channel 38.”

The New Stepmom by semby
When you dress up for surveillance, you can’t expect to be seen.
     Then there was the new stepmom, Lianne – who had finally found a family she considered worth sobering up for.
     Veronica took an unusually large bite from her pie as she tried not to think of all the times she had imagined her mother on a street somewhere, passed out in a puddle of her own drool and vomit, days away from death by alcohol poisoning. She tried not to think of all the times her mind would fly to that mental image and then think, she’d deserve it.

Soundtrack of Your Life (Or Five Songs Lilly Kane Never Heard) by kel
This Lilly is the bitch drama queen she was revealed to be, but isn’t as heartless as you might believe about her hangers on. Leans rather to the Veronica/Logan, but that's even interesting because this Veronica never learned to develop the inner strength we see in ours.

Enbalm Her Alive by sadiekatie
A creepy little tale of how Lynn Lester met Aaron Echolls.
     She was 20 when she met him.   

Okay, here is my bowing to the pressure to spew my thoughts across the internet instead of letting them stew inside for weeks. That used to get me in trouble, in the good old days. Besides, I think my journal is lonely just being a repository for all the fic I want to remember.

Today's basics: Harry Potter= good.

Btvs/SG-1
Misunderstandings by Don Sample
After a team is killed off-world, Daniel Jackson discovers an inscription much like one once translated by a Dr. Rupert Giles. This story is well-written and well-researched without any of the gaping plotholes often left by crossovers. An adventuresome ensemble piece.

House/X-men
Mind Over Matter by npkedit
After the world-wide seizures suffered on May 22, Chase begins to experience the world differently. By far the most in-depth look at how not only could powers develop, but how one might not notice. A nice thinking novella.
        "I'm sure you'll love the patient review," Chase told him, the thought of getting to grade House on his bedside manner cheering him up a bit.
        "I'm sure it'll be as good as your own in…what is it?…a couple of months?" Chase swallowed hard and reconsidered his opportunity for revenge.

Veronica Mars/Stargate:Atlantis
Air Force Ones by mimesere
Wallace joins the Air Force to pay for college.
        Wallace knows his science fiction and he really doesn't like the idea of being black in space. It feels like he's asking for trouble.

Spiderman/X-men (movie)
Office Space by tartanshell
Peter, barely managing to hold his college life together when a late night run-in with Professor McCoy gives him an extension on his paper, and a whole lot more than that.
        "What am I working on?" Professor McCoy leaned back in his chair. “I’m currently posting a message on The Death Star dot com regarding the biological impossibility of the Force spontaneously generating life."

Spiderman/X-men/Daredevil
The Wisdom to Know the Difference by tartanshell
This is a sequel to the above and is equally wonderful as Hank starts to feel the effects of a mistake he made, and Peter doesn’t know how to deal with Hank’s problems, and his own helpless position in regards to them. He can’t talk to anyone normal, so that only leaves… the not so normal. If nothing else, this is totally worth reading for Hank heckling Scott. I fell out of my chair and couldn’t breathe for laughing.
        “PROFESSOR XAVIER! THIS IS PETER PARKER!” he thought loudly. If thoughts could be loud, that is. At any rate, he tried to think big. “I NEED SCOTT SUMMERS RIGHT NOW.”

Pirates of the Caribbean/Harry Potter
Parrot by penknife
I saw this recced three places before I read it because I was afraid it would be ridiculous. But its not. It’s Jack, viewed from other’s eyes as he attends Hogwarts. He’s the same Jack Sparrow we know, still enigmatic and charming, but younger. Perfect.
        "Much more better," the boy says. "My da was a pirate king, you see, and he carried off the queen of the mermaids. Never minded a bit of fishiness." He waggles his fingers suggestively. They don't look webbed to Daniel.
        "They only let humans in Hogwarts," the blond boy says, but he looks nervous.
        Jack grins. "Are you sure?" He waggles his fingers toward the boy's sleeve, and the boy jumps up and stomps back

Okay, this might just be me, but I always feel weird putting two "t"s in nighttime. Anyone else have that problem?

HARRY POTTER
An Unequal Magic by Lyras
Two years after her nephew walked out of the house in Little Whinging, magic walks into Petunia Dursley’s house again. The descriptions of Petunia’s life and how she manages it are simple and accepting, but some details just stand out, like how she reads the newspaper every morning, looking for something slightly off.

A Shattered Mirror by The White Lily
A beautiful twisted story of twins and love.
        At least it had been quick. They had been walking through Muggle London – just the two of them, like it had been before Angelina, although they were meeting her at a café just down the street from where the scaffolding had fallen and… He choked on a sob.

Correspondence Course After the Rain
A funny and believeable picture of the marauders without idiotic pranks and over-fluffy romances. And Sirius post- leaving his family is hilarious.
Author summary: Seventeen-year-old Remus Lupin and Sirius Black get summer jobs as instructors for the Kwikspell Correspondence School.
        Sirius, who had been disowned by his aristocratic parents over the Christmas holidays, was at present under the happy delusion that this made him working-class. He had taken to babbling about solidarity and reading Das Kapital in the evenings, in a facing-page translation as he was trying to teach himself German at the same time. For the past half-hour, he had been staring at the open volume of Marx without turning the page, trying manfully not to look as bored as he patently was.

Whether We Wear Masks by our_innocence
Hermione teaches Blaise about hatred.
        She takes his hand suddenly, firm white fingers crushing his palm.
        "People with skin this colour," she growls, and his eyes widen, because he's never heard of that sort of hunting before. She lets his hand go, but he still feels the burn of her indignation.

Family Matters by bethbethbeth
The Hogwarts Heads of Houses are people as much as they are positions.
        At nine years of age, Filius Flitwick dreamt of being a pirate.
        By eleven, his plans for leading a pirate's life had been abandoned in favor of working with dragons - the fiercer, the better. At fourteen, Filius had decided he would someday be the greatest duelist in the magical world.

Regenisis by
The evening and the week after the war ends. People cope. Harry, the Longbottoms, the Weasleys, Snape, Peter, Remus and Tonks.
        Harry shrugs and tells Scrimgeour he'll accept his award when all the others get theirs. Then he walks out, leaving Mr Weasley to make his apologies to the Minister.

Gambit by harmony_bites
Ron, after Dumbledore’s death, analyzing his friends’ chances in the coming war, and figuring out where all the pieces are.
        Instead? Bishop sacrificed. Knight still on the board — for now — protecting king.
In the absolutely bloody perfect position to protect the king.
It's how I would have played it.

Chasing Clouds by lily-tarn
Told in alternating scenes from before and after Harry defeated Voldemort and lost his memory, this fic is sweetly H/G, but not in that cloying, mushy, overpowering way. Just as a background fact.
        She had seen so many bodies and she knew some of her friends were dead and knew that some of them were injured and didn’t know where all her family were – she had seen Fred but not George, knew her mother was at the school somewhere, but hadn’t seen her since the start of the battle, knew Ron was in the hospital wing, hadn’t seen Charlie or Bill, didn’t know if Percy had fought, knew Hermione was all right but had no idea where Harry was, knew that Colin Creevey was dead.

The Whole Chicken by minisinoo
Someday, I will get around to reccing every single story minisinoo has ever written, but today I’m just in for some humor.
Author Summary: Three champions, one bottle of firewhiskey. After the Second Task, Cedric decides the three elder champions need to work on international magical cooperation instead of competition. They're never going to look at each other the same way again -- once they get past the hangover. Slots very nicely into canon.
        "Maybe he will share if you ask nicely," Fleur replied, smile wicked now. "It might take you both to keep her satisfied."
        I'm not sure who was more startled -- me or Krum. We both just stared at her. "That's a bit kinky," I said.
        Krum turned from her to me. "Kinky? I do not know this word -- but perhaps can guess."
        I opened my mouth to explain (politely), when Fleur broke in again: "The whole chicken."

BTVS-Verse
Bloodlines by Backfromspace
A truly haunting look at a potential in the aftermath of Chosen.
        They came for Rebecca Alsbeth-Romanie eighteen months after she gave birth to her fifth child. Her undeath was not an unhappy one, though it was short-lived; she had been twenty-seven years old at death, three weeks from her birthday, and she was dust on the living room carpet before she saw twenty-eight.

I Don’t Know Where I’ll Be Tonight, but I’ll Always Tell You Where I Am by spuffyduds
A winding tale of reconciliation between Faith and Wesley as Faith tours the country and Wesley receives a number of postcards. The depiction of the Grand Canyon through Faith’s eyes and how she conveys it to Wesley are perfect.

Across America in 28 Postcards by karabair
Following the same roadtrip/post card theme as above, but this time its Faith AND Wesley in the car, touring the country, tying up loose ends, and watching each other’s back. I love the character growth as it leads into the ending.

The Post-Finals Tradition by mireille719
Connor Reilly goes to college and finds himself with Daniel Osbourne for a roommate. This beautifully covers the transition from normal kid to accepting that you’re something more, all in a narrative extremely suited to normal-Connor. I especially like where it ended. A bit of Connor/Oz slash, but nothing tawdry.
        By the end of February, Connor had figured out that he was going to get a B in Chem unless he completely fucked up; that he was probably bisexual; that he had a thing for his roommate that wasn't going away; and that if freshman year didn't end soon, taking his Intro to Humanities requirement with it, he was probably going to have to set something on fire. Weirdly, it was the B that was freaking him out most.

Four Ghosts by hollimichelle
I can’t believe I haven’t recced this already, and if I did… well, it deserves another chance.
By the end of your sophomore year of high school, you're pretty sure that Sunnydale High is haunted.

Five Reasons Why Xander Harris Hates Pete Wentz by lovelypoet
Although I will admit to having to check to see who Pete Wentz was, this is absolutely hilarious.
        "Dear Pete," he writes, "Hi. Please stop being such a whiny emo bastard in public on the world wide web. I don't care what you do in private with your friends or family, but I live with fifteen teenage girls and they have all of your blogs bookmarked."

Once in a Lullaby by doyle_sb4
I never thought I’d read a “Normal Again” buffyfic, but here it is. Buffy’s still in the hospital, but what’s fascinating is how she introduces all her doctors, visitors, and the people they mention into Sunnydale. The Dawn and Pike sections were heartbreaking, but Dr. Holden Webster made me laugh
        It takes more than a year for her to incorporate him into Sunnydale at all. When he shows up in her fantasies he knows his days are numbered, but is surprised at how fast it happens.