FIC: Intemperance by Basingstoke
Title: Intemperance
Author: basingstoke
Pairing: Watson/Mary Morstan, Holmes/unnamed OC, Holmes/Irene Adler
Length: 17,900
Rating: M
Warnings:Author chose not to warn, and I agree with her on this one
Verse: Ritchie
Author's summary: "Intemperance," a story from the secret journals of Doctor John H. Watson, intimate friend and long-time companion of the infamous Sherlock Holmes: A most curious and instructive report of the great man's improbable fecundation, gestation, and parturition.
Reccer's comments: This fic broke my brain, but in the best possible way. I'm not the Ritchie film's biggest fan. I tend to run screaming at Mpreg. The idea of Holmes/Irene Adler usually makes me want to break something. BUT, I will trust Basingstoke to the ends of the Earth, because she's never led me astray before. So, out of a healthy mix of boredom and mild insanity, I gave this one a try. And good lord, it may actually be my favourite piece of hers, and I think Mycroft's line illustrates quite beautifully why this fic simply must be read:
Mycroft Holmes snorted throatily. "Solving petty crimes. What a waste. Still, as a girl he was far worse. An embarrassment. As a man, he is a credit to the family name, even if he is wasting his full potential."
"Intemperance" handles an element of FtM transsexuality that can be positively traumatising for many transmen. An Basingstoke doesn't shy away from it, but rather tackles the issue head-on, with the added drama of Victorian sensibilities and makes it damn near impossible to look away until you've finished the story. You don't even have to be particularly familiar with the Ritchie-verse to enjoy this one, beyond the knowledge that when compared to his other counterparts, RDJ's Holmes is a bit of a shortarse.