Monday - Gen
Hold onto your hats, guys, this week was absolutely HUGE for Gen.
As always, if you read the fic and enjoy it, please do leave the authors feedback!
The Snake Behind Me Hisses
frayen/PG-13.
She likes watching bad vampire movies. She loves watching good vampire movies. She likes curling up with Eli, on the usually beat up old sofa of wherever they have laired up, and reading trashy horror adventures or erotic literary affairs, where the anti-heroes sleep away the day and drink blood and fuck all night.
A wonderful, nuanced short piece about Lenore, before and around "Bloodlust", with nods to other fabulous vampire stories.
Two Days in February
paraserpiente/PG-13.
Dean calls Sam at Stanford.
This evokes powerfully the Sam we saw earlier in the series, missing Dean but needing to assert his independence, hurting from John's rejection but still loving his family. And Dean, who wants to make sure Sam is safe and happy but would rather Sam be safe and happy with them. This is a bittersweet and subtle fic.
Cruisin' All These Years
kroki_refur/PG-13.
She'll do a hundred and forty with the top end floored. Oh yeah.
The first time each of the Winchesters drove the Impala, starting with Sam and going back. Sweet, moving snippets from the lives of Winchester, but around the Impala.
Home
eloise_bright/PG.
John wakes up.
As usual, eloise_bright handles the young Winchesters and John in a way that is note-perfect and touching. John's loneliness and the comfort he finds in the boys is deeply moving.
Out of the Bag
twasadark/PG.
Dean is strangely reluctant to join a hunt.
An adorable, quick read that will leave you completely purring for Dean.
Six Years
haku/G.
Sam gets a new bed on his sixth birthday.
Subtle and sympathetic portrayal of the Winchesters. This is one of those fics that makes you ache for them, but you can't help smiling.
To Pun is Human
rinkle/PG-13.
Sam was really sick of Dean’s stupid jokes. Of course, Dean wasn’t the only one making the jokes.
*groans* Dean has a truly awful sense of humour.
Devolution of Hope
mari4212/PG.
He didn’t know when he stopped believing that he could save Sammy.
This fic in an exploration of John’s thoughts and decisions that lead up to the events of the Pilot and offers an utterly plausible explanation for his mysterious course of action throughout the entire series. This story will draw you in completely, making you angry at John for his manipulations, yet respectful of his painful sacrifices.
Spoilers for the finale
If you haven't seen AHBL1/2, then the summaries/recs of these fics (as well as the fics themselves) may spoil you. There's also a whole lot of angst and character death, so if that's not your thing, you might want to keep a close eye on the story warnings.
But Somewhere Here in Between
unperfectwolf/PG/pre-story character death.
Quietly painful, Sam has to do some work on the Impala.
Red Tape
strangevisitor/PG/spoilers for AHBL2.
The Crossroads Demon collects Dean’s soul.
Sam mourns his dead brother in the middle of nowhere, South Dakota. A year of research couldn’t save him, that’s the end... right?
Painted Ponies
sgt_psycho/PG/spoilers for AHBL2.
There were reasons for their Dad’s decisions, but just like Sam’s plan to free Dean from his deal, they’re a mystery.
Dean finds himself alone, after Sam gets himself killed. This fic explores Dean’s life on the road after Sam's gone. He’s still hunting, but as he reflects on his father and brother, he’s wondering if it’s really enough anymore. Dean’s grief is beautifully expressed, becoming a quiet ache as time passes and he comes to see that he’s found a place to call home, if he wants it.
Sorrow Floats
buffyaddict13/PG-13/spoilers for AHBL2.
Dean watches Sam and Sam pretends not to notice. They both smile and nod and lie.
Sam has his first vision after the finale, but can he and Dean save the victim in time? This is a dark, creepy fic where things aren’t quite as they seem. The writer has crafted a sad and chilling follow up to the events of AHBL.
Last Words over Coffee
veronamay/G/spoilers for AHBL.
Dean. Coffee. A little conversation.
Not everyone could have pulled this fic off, but veronamay does it with pizzazz. Dean has a chat. But who is he talking to...?
Big Bang Fics
These fics are both over 20,000 words, written for spn_j2_bigbang.
Occasional Demons
marinarusalka/PG.
Sam thinks Dean needs a change of scenery. Dean thinks Sam needs some distance from all the things that are hunting him. A possibly haunted research ship traveling from Hawaii to California seems like the perfect opportunity for a working vacation. The boys really need to learn to be more wary of perfect opportunities.
This a marvellous, classic case story, making good use of Japanese mythology and fitting nicely mid-season 2. The character voices are fantastic, the interaction between the brothers equally so, and the entire story is incredibly satisfying.
Last Fair Deal Gone Down
elanurel and wenchpixie/PG-13.
It's 2048 and the Winchester boys are entertaining their grandchildren in the family home over the summer vacation. They've pretty much retired from hunting now, given they're getting a little older and the Demon's long dead, and their kids have grownup unaware of the family business - as far as they're concerned that's Dean's garage...
Sam's earned his keep by writing best selling "thriller novels" based on their hunting experiences, which most of the grandkids have read. So when someone starts mutilating cattle in the local area Dean's youngest grandchild, 13 year old Sammi, starts to investigate both the mutilations and her own family history. When she confirms that Winchesters hunt things and save people she decides that it's time for the new generation to get in on the act...
A classic Winchester adventure ensues for our boys, but this time the victim isn't a stranger - it's their family.
This story is incredibly lovely without being at all twee or sappy, and the Winchester boys in their sixties are an absolute joy to behold - snarky and protective and rude and very sweet. The story is great, but it's secondary to the characters - the kids are fully realised and (unlike many junior OCs) interesting, and Dean has a paunch and Sam has arthritis. Very much worth a read.
As always, if you read the fic and enjoy it, please do leave the authors feedback!
The Snake Behind Me Hisses
frayen/PG-13.
She likes watching bad vampire movies. She loves watching good vampire movies. She likes curling up with Eli, on the usually beat up old sofa of wherever they have laired up, and reading trashy horror adventures or erotic literary affairs, where the anti-heroes sleep away the day and drink blood and fuck all night.
A wonderful, nuanced short piece about Lenore, before and around "Bloodlust", with nods to other fabulous vampire stories.
Two Days in February
paraserpiente/PG-13.
Dean calls Sam at Stanford.
This evokes powerfully the Sam we saw earlier in the series, missing Dean but needing to assert his independence, hurting from John's rejection but still loving his family. And Dean, who wants to make sure Sam is safe and happy but would rather Sam be safe and happy with them. This is a bittersweet and subtle fic.
Cruisin' All These Years
kroki_refur/PG-13.
She'll do a hundred and forty with the top end floored. Oh yeah.
The first time each of the Winchesters drove the Impala, starting with Sam and going back. Sweet, moving snippets from the lives of Winchester, but around the Impala.
Home
eloise_bright/PG.
John wakes up.
As usual, eloise_bright handles the young Winchesters and John in a way that is note-perfect and touching. John's loneliness and the comfort he finds in the boys is deeply moving.
Out of the Bag
twasadark/PG.
Dean is strangely reluctant to join a hunt.
An adorable, quick read that will leave you completely purring for Dean.
Six Years
haku/G.
Sam gets a new bed on his sixth birthday.
Subtle and sympathetic portrayal of the Winchesters. This is one of those fics that makes you ache for them, but you can't help smiling.
To Pun is Human
rinkle/PG-13.
Sam was really sick of Dean’s stupid jokes. Of course, Dean wasn’t the only one making the jokes.
*groans* Dean has a truly awful sense of humour.
Devolution of Hope
mari4212/PG.
He didn’t know when he stopped believing that he could save Sammy.
This fic in an exploration of John’s thoughts and decisions that lead up to the events of the Pilot and offers an utterly plausible explanation for his mysterious course of action throughout the entire series. This story will draw you in completely, making you angry at John for his manipulations, yet respectful of his painful sacrifices.
Spoilers for the finale
If you haven't seen AHBL1/2, then the summaries/recs of these fics (as well as the fics themselves) may spoil you. There's also a whole lot of angst and character death, so if that's not your thing, you might want to keep a close eye on the story warnings.
But Somewhere Here in Between
unperfectwolf/PG/pre-story character death.
Quietly painful, Sam has to do some work on the Impala.
Red Tape
strangevisitor/PG/spoilers for AHBL2.
The Crossroads Demon collects Dean’s soul.
Sam mourns his dead brother in the middle of nowhere, South Dakota. A year of research couldn’t save him, that’s the end... right?
Painted Ponies
sgt_psycho/PG/spoilers for AHBL2.
There were reasons for their Dad’s decisions, but just like Sam’s plan to free Dean from his deal, they’re a mystery.
Dean finds himself alone, after Sam gets himself killed. This fic explores Dean’s life on the road after Sam's gone. He’s still hunting, but as he reflects on his father and brother, he’s wondering if it’s really enough anymore. Dean’s grief is beautifully expressed, becoming a quiet ache as time passes and he comes to see that he’s found a place to call home, if he wants it.
Sorrow Floats
buffyaddict13/PG-13/spoilers for AHBL2.
Dean watches Sam and Sam pretends not to notice. They both smile and nod and lie.
Sam has his first vision after the finale, but can he and Dean save the victim in time? This is a dark, creepy fic where things aren’t quite as they seem. The writer has crafted a sad and chilling follow up to the events of AHBL.
Last Words over Coffee
veronamay/G/spoilers for AHBL.
Dean. Coffee. A little conversation.
Not everyone could have pulled this fic off, but veronamay does it with pizzazz. Dean has a chat. But who is he talking to...?
Big Bang Fics
These fics are both over 20,000 words, written for spn_j2_bigbang.
Occasional Demons
marinarusalka/PG.
Sam thinks Dean needs a change of scenery. Dean thinks Sam needs some distance from all the things that are hunting him. A possibly haunted research ship traveling from Hawaii to California seems like the perfect opportunity for a working vacation. The boys really need to learn to be more wary of perfect opportunities.
This a marvellous, classic case story, making good use of Japanese mythology and fitting nicely mid-season 2. The character voices are fantastic, the interaction between the brothers equally so, and the entire story is incredibly satisfying.
Last Fair Deal Gone Down
elanurel and wenchpixie/PG-13.
It's 2048 and the Winchester boys are entertaining their grandchildren in the family home over the summer vacation. They've pretty much retired from hunting now, given they're getting a little older and the Demon's long dead, and their kids have grownup unaware of the family business - as far as they're concerned that's Dean's garage...
Sam's earned his keep by writing best selling "thriller novels" based on their hunting experiences, which most of the grandkids have read. So when someone starts mutilating cattle in the local area Dean's youngest grandchild, 13 year old Sammi, starts to investigate both the mutilations and her own family history. When she confirms that Winchesters hunt things and save people she decides that it's time for the new generation to get in on the act...
A classic Winchester adventure ensues for our boys, but this time the victim isn't a stranger - it's their family.
This story is incredibly lovely without being at all twee or sappy, and the Winchester boys in their sixties are an absolute joy to behold - snarky and protective and rude and very sweet. The story is great, but it's secondary to the characters - the kids are fully realised and (unlike many junior OCs) interesting, and Dean has a paunch and Sam has arthritis. Very much worth a read.