The Creme de la Creme of Supernatural Crossovers

[lilybelladonna]

Ever since I discovered fanfiction, back in my high school days when I would read in secret in the basement, the glow of the monitor sharp against the midnight dark, my favorite genre has been the crossover. Crossover fiction, which combines two or more fictional universes, is notoriously tricky. To the normal requirements of an excellent story --plot, prose, characterization-- it adds the fusion of multiple universes, sometimes with conflicting rules and narrative atmospheres. One wrong step, in the characterization of either cast or world, and the whole thing falls apart, but when all the steps are right? It's like the world explodes in color. So let's start stepping!

Over the last five months I've at least glanced through just about every gen Supernatural crossover on both Archive of Our Own and most of the ones on Fanfiction.net --and we're talking thousands of stories, here-- and I've scoured LJ as well, although I'm sure I've missed some on there because LJ is an endless maze of fanfiction wonder. So I figured it was time to make a list of the very best Supernatural crossovers I've found -- the creme de la creme, if you will.

Requirements for Inclusion on the List

• Gen (no slash, het, or primarily romantic focus; background canon relationships fine)
• Complete (there are some awesome WIPs out there, but I don't feel comfortable recommending a story unless I know how it ends -- and that it will end)
• Quality plot, prose, characterization, and world-building. Must be accessible to someone unfamiliar with the non-Supernatural source material.
• Highly re-readable. I've read every fic on this list at least twice, and some of them more than that.
• Minimal angels, upstairs/downstairs politics, or other things that make me feel theologically uncomfortable. I *know* it's a part of the show, and I know there are some reputable crossovers with, say, Good Omens that some might think are unfairly excluded from this list because of that requirement, but there are some things I can't bend on. Good news is that, like the "gen" or "complete" requirements, it doesn't affect the quality of the fics on the list; it just makes the list shorter than it might otherwise have been.

Thirty-Four of the Very Best Supernatural Crossovers

Superlative Stories

1. Kobayashi Maru by Saphrae (Supernatural/Flashpoint)
   Summary: Kobayashi Maru (n): 1. an unbeatable test 2. a no-win scenario. Sergeant Gregory Parker faces his most dangerous negotiation yet. Dean Winchester has 55 hostages, one accomplice, and no clear goal. One-shot. I remember mentally placing this around SPN season 6; it's definitely before season 7.
   Comments: Unrelenting, edge-of-your-seat suspense
2. No Difference by The_Bookkeeper (Supernatural/Criminal Minds)
   Summary: Derek has been in a lot of bad situations. This one easily makes the top five. Or would, if Dean and Sam Winchester were actually acting like the sadistic psychopaths he expected them to be. SPN Season 7.
   Comments: Flawless and tense character study
3. Elsinore by Malkin Grey (Supernatural/Hamlet)
   Summary: As a favor to some of Samuel's school friends, Decan and Samuel Winchester investigate the ghost of Amleth's father. SPN Season 1 (kind of)
   Comments: Ahhh, this story is a work of art. The writing is gorgeous, the storytelling compelling, and the detail rich.
4. Nor Hell a Fury by Lucy Gillam (Supernatural/Christine)
   Summary: A mysterious stranger, a pissed off car, and a twenty year quest for revenge. Just another week for Sam and Dean Winchester. SPN Season 2.
   Comments: *This* is how you write a case fic. Add in multiple, distinct narrative styles, tight prose, and the sort of climax that will have you exclaiming "Yes!!" to the rest of the room, and you have yourself one fantastic yarn.
5. Smoke on the Water by RatheraStory (Supernatural/Burn Notice)
   Summary: Casefic. Former spy Michael Westen has enough problems of his own ―not least of which is figuring out who burned him and why. Now, on top of that, his mother is accepting jobs on his behalf. He really doesn't have time for this, but when he starts investigating the unsolved deaths of young people in Miami, he finds himself crossing paths with an unlikely pair of brothers. In Michael's line of work, suspicion is par for the course, and he has to figure out whether Sam and Dean Winchester are friends or foes before even more lives are lost. Set SPN Season 3.
   Comments: Fun, fast-paced case fic/outsider pov story with an interesting monster, vivid prose, and an unforgettable narrator.
   
   Excellent Stories
6. I See a Darkness by Twisted_Slinky (Supernatural/Criminal Minds)
   Summary: Working a case, Dean and Sam run into a problem, and they make the worse decision possible: they kidnap two members of the BAU. Between Fedsitting and hunting a killer who's collecting siblings, the boys aren't having their best day ever. SPN Season 4.
   Comments: The case itself is rock solid, but it's the interactions between the Winchesters and the BAU that make this story shine. The slow road from mistrust to fragile rapport is perfectly paced, and the plotting is strong from exciting beginning to satisfying end.
7. Gone with the Wendigo by BellaTemple (Supernatural/My Little Pony)
   Summary: Sam and Dean go into the New Hampshire wilderness to investigate a new case: whole groups of hikers are getting trapped in freak blizzards and then encased in solid ice. When a blizzard hits them on the trail, they take shelter in a nearby cave for the night, only to awake to find themselves transformed into brightly colored ponies and trapped in a whole new world where zebras speak in rhyme, ponies run apple orchards, good times and positive thinking are encouraged, and friendship? Friendship is magic. SPN Season 7.
   Comments: Utterly charming, frequently hilarious, and undergirded by strong characterization, this fantastic crossover merges two very different universes with stunning success.
8. Ghost Riders by Tyrsibs (Supernatural/Ghost Roads)
   Summary: The road dropped me in his path, and in spite of my better judgement, I got into his beautiful car. Guess it was my night to save Dean Winchester. (Note: This is an SPN crossover with Seanan McGuire's Ghost Roads series, about a hitchhiking ghost who acts as guardian to those who pick her up. Spoilers for S.1 SPN and references to later plot points, and minor Ghost Roads details.)
   Comments: Amazing concept and rich execution. I think she nailed pre-pilot Dean. The ending is spun out beautifully, exploring the resonance of the main events of the story.
9. The Deep Indigo Night by PortraitofaFool: (Supernatural/Criminal Minds)
   Summary: Written for dark_fest. The prompt I claimed was: Criminal Minds/Supernatural, Sam Winchester, the BAU team, in the year that Sam hunted on his own or with the Campbells, he was willing to make several necessary sacrifices just to get his targets. The BAU follows his trail. How do the BAU profile a soulless man? This is not compliant with current canon of Criminal Minds and barely touches on S6 of Supernatural since it takes place before either season actually began.
   Comments: Despite an embarrassing mythological mistake, this is a power house of a story with a forceful writing style and world-building so deep it takes your breath away.
10. The Righteous Man in the Shallow Grave  by BellaTemple (Supernatural/Bones)
    Summary: When an unidentified body is found in an illegal grave in a field in Pontiac, Illinois, the body gets shipped to the Medico-Legal Lab at the Jeffersonian for identification, and Death calls Tessa in with a warning: "The righteous man has broken, and Hell’s gates have been breached.” SPN Season 4.
    Comments: Another fantastic crossover from BellaTemple, "Righteous Man" succeeds at every level. Her use of medical terminology and observations to ground "Supernatural" in the "Bones" world is particularly impressive.
11. This Wheel's on Fire by MarinaRusalka (Supernatural/Ghost Rider)
    Summary: AU from shortly before Sam leaves for Stanford. When he was 22, Dean Winchester made a deal. Seven years later, it's time to pay up.
    Comments: MarinaRusalka is one of the most consistently excellent Supernatural authors, imo, and this story showcases why. It manages to be both epic in scope (the Impala leaves tracks of flame!) and intimate in character exploration. As always, her creature choices are excellent and her banter will make you grin.
12. With Kindness by EntangledNow (Supernatural/Pushing Daisies)
    Summary: He's taller than Dean expects and he smells like apple pie.
    Comments: Quiet, atmospheric, and beautifully written, this turns a decision born of desperation into an exploration of character and a moment of mutual understanding.
    
    Very Good Stories
13. When Worlds Collide by ElfinBlue (Supernatural/NCIS)
    Summary: When a kidnapped Tony DiNozzo is rescued by legendary --and supposedly dead-- serial killers Dean and Sam Winchester, the NCIS team takes over the Winchester investigation. What they find is a file filled with contradictions and impossibilities. This is an attempt to cross these shows but keep both in canon. SPN Season 8.
    Comments: At its best, this novel-length action-adventure story is utterly unputdownable. The writing is solid enough, the dialogue A+, the humor top-notch, and the plot, while a bit of a let-down at the end, well-paced and compelling. The explanation that the NCIS comes up with for the supernatural foes the Winchesters face is just brilliant. I felt like the characterization of a few of the minor characters was a little off, but the main characters were excellent. I wish the actual season 8 had been this light-hearted.
14. Volatile Compounds by Gekizetsu (Supernatural/NCIS)
    Summary: The boys finally flash the wrong counterfeit badges while investigating murders on a Naval base.
    Comments: Has all the usual fun and games you'd expect from the NCIS catching on to the Winchesters impersonating them *and* a great case with lots of lore and ample monster screen time to boot! There is a sequel, too, which I hesitate to recommend because I've only read it once so far, and that months ago, *but* which I remember being worth reading.
15. Take a Long Line by Derry (Supernatural/Numb3rs)
    Summary: Winchester isn't stupid. Dangerous, unpredictable and often reckless. But definitely not stupid. So there has to be a good reason that, knowing full well that he's on the FBI's radar, Dean Winchester brazenly walked into a Federal Building. SPN Season 2.
    Comments: Just when you think the story can't get any better, enter Sam.
16. The Tomato in the Mirror by Rokhal (Supernatural/MCU)
    Summary: Loki body-swaps with Sam. Later, things get weird. SPN Season 7.
    Comments: All the suspenseful complications and explosive action you'd expect from a Marvel body swap story. The author never loses sight of very different worldviews and experiences of her characters, making this a multi-layered tale where each character has a different perspective of what happened and why.
17. Syndicated Sci-Fi Show, expanded by ClaudiaPriscus (Supernatural/Stargate SG-1)
    Summary: Slightly AU for Changing Channels: The Trickster dumps Sam and Dean into Stargate: SG-1. They dare to hope they're being allowed a breather episode. After all, it's some sort of fantasy archaeology show, sure to be nice and boring. SPN Season 5.
    Comments: What I love about this story --other than that it's a funny, engaging, sci-fi romp-- is that it swaps between Winchester and Stargate PoVs. In other words, you have the Winchesters figuring out how to get through this TV show and the Stargate characters slowly figuring out that these loons think they're in a TV show. Despite a slightly abrupt ending and a questionable interlude, this is a highly amusing and satisfying story.
18. (Fear) the Reaper by Baylor (Supernatural/Psych)
    Summary: Zombies are srs bsns, Shawn.
    Comments: Laugh-out-loud funny, with bookends that add a nice depth.
19. Highway to Hell, Michigan by SouthWindow (Supernatural/Zombieland)
    Summary: Okay, sure, call me paranoid, but I honestly didn’t know how much I trusted these guys. I mean, yeah, I did end up hitching with Tallahassee after knowing him for a full minute and a half, but for God’s sake, the man had a love affair with Twinkies. These guys looked like looked like they killed zombies as an Olympic sport.
    Comments: A well-plotted and tightly written story with a fantastic narrator.
20. 'Twill Never Be Light by Zubeneschalami (Supernatural/Numb3rs)
    Summary: After "Folsom Prison Blues," expert FBI tracker Ian Edgerton catches up to Sam and Dean. SPN Season 2.
    Comments: Everything you'd want in a one-shot outsider PoV of the Winchesters, complete with a case and plenty of action.
21. Officially, This Didn't Happen by Fitz (Supernatural/Criminal Minds)
    Summary: An unplanned late night visit to the cemetery results in an unexpected confrontation. There is not enough alcohol in the world to erase this crap. SPN Season 5.
    Comments: Both in his depth and out of it, Hotch rocks. That's the last time the Winchesters dig up a grave in Quantico.
22. The Fingernail in the Ziploc Bag  by CrazyWritinFool (Supernatural/Bones)
    Summary: Seeley Booth and Victor Henriksen butt heads over a crime scene in Ypsilanti, MI. Spoilers (mild) for "A Very Supernatural Christmas." No Bones spoilers. SPN Season 3.
    Comments: Seeley Booth makes for a strong narrator as the "Bones" team takes on the Carrigan case.
23. On the Run Driving in the Sun by LiptonRM (and its sequel, Your Shadow Weighs a Ton) (Supernatural/The OC)
    Summary: Sandy Cohen has a new client. Pre-series SPN.
    Comments: Teenchesters! Sandy's narration is strong, and I really liked the portrayals of the young Sam and Dean. Although this story technically stands on its own, I feel like it was much more complete when read with its brief sequel.
    
    Good Stories
24. No Way Out III by KelinciHutan (Supernatural/Criminal Minds)
    Summary: Dean and Sam are on the trail of a demon in Arkansas. Behaving a lot like a serial killer. Enough that it attracts the attention of the BAU. Because more attention from law enforcement is, of course, exactly what Sam wanted in his life.
    Comments: Although the case doesn't entirely live up to its narrative potential, it is solid enough and the Winchester/BAU interactions are awesome!
25. Salt and Burn (It's Firewhiskey, After All) by EvansEntranced (Supernatural/Harry Potter)
    Summary: Sam and Dean have a little downtime in the UK, courtesy of Cas, and end up meeting Harry Potter in a pub. Drinking games follow. Set mid-season 5; Harry’s in his twenties.
    Comments: This story is so amusing. If you ever feel sad, go read this and your whole day will brighten.
26. Quitting by There_must_be_a_lock (and its first sequel, Spitting Venom) (Supernatural/Criminal Minds)
    Summary: In which Sam and Spencer go to NA meetings, drink too much coffee, and talk about bioluminescent bacteria/human nature. For two people who are volunteering a bare minimum of personal information, they understand each other pretty well. SPN Season 5.
    Comments: Sam Winchester needs a friend. In this story, he gets one. <3 Despite some weaknesses in the prose, the budding friendship between Sam and Spencer is sweet and believable. The broader scope of the first sequel exacerbates some of the prose/characterization issues, but is still worth it, imo, for the friendship (I can't help it. I want it to be canon.)
27. Defect by Kikkimax (Supernatural/Criminal Minds)
    Summary: Dean is captured by the FBI just as his time runs out. Sam is determined his brother won't go to hell. He has a plan and the Colt, but no more magic bullets. SPN Season 3.
    Comments: This early and well-loved crossover sort of set the standard for Criminal Minds crossovers from what I can tell. It was one of the first SPN crossovers I read, and many of the scenes are still bright in my mind from that late-night devouring of words. On second reading the prose, especially in the second half, needs work, and the narrative logic is shaky at times. Still, it's a memorable story and well worth the read.
28. Sakonnet Point by Zubeneschalami (Supernatural/X-Files)
    Summary: Outsider POV, crossover with X-Files. Something is killing young men on the New England coast. Sam and Dean have to contend not just with the monster, but with two FBI agents, even if those agents might be more willing than most to hear them out.
    Comments: Great characterization, build-up, and dialogue. The resolution to the case was weak, in my opinion, but everything else was thoroughly enjoyable.
29. This Bitter Earth by Art_Savage (Supernatural/Criminal Minds)
    Summary: The Winchesters and the FBI's Behavioral Analysis Unit investigate the same case, a series of mysterious deaths on the grounds of a South Carolina plantation. Set late in the 4th season for both shows.
    Comments: Art_Savage's case fics are always competently written and well-researched, and this one is no exception.
30. The Ghost in the Lab by Like_a_Raven (Supernatural/Bones)
    Summary: The team at the Jeffersonian Medico-Legal Lab uses human remains to solve crimes. This process is made slightly more complicated when one of the humans in question is still attached to the remains.
    Comments: Once this story gets going, it gets steamrolling. The case itself is mostly uninspiring; Sam and Dean's adventure getting into the Jeffersonian to salt and burn the perpetrator's bones, on the other hand, is highly amusing. Angela shines amidst the "Bones" cast for reasons too spoilery to tell.
31. Sour Cherry Pie Life by FaithDaria (Supernatural/Criminal Minds)
    Summary: Dean has retired to the civilian life. Too bad no one told the serial killer currently stalking teenagers in Indiana. AU for Season 6.
    Comments: This story is rather unique in its approach, in that both Dean and the BAU are aware from the get-go that they're basically on the same side. The fresh dynamic that lends the story is one of its strengths, along with the portrayal of Dean as a father and how he reacts to a situation where, the antagonist being human, he can't act like he would on a normal hunt. The case itself was developed and solved too much behind the scenes for my taste, and the ending was wrapped up a little too quickly, but it's a solid story.
32. NCIS and the Haunted Computer by Tassos (and its two sequels, NCIS and the Bus Stop Phone Booth and NCIS and Five Encounters with the FBI) (Supernatural/NCIS)
    Summary: The computer did it. Now what do you do with a murdering computer?
    Comments: I'm going to be honest: this fun little series is pure wish fulfillment. And as such, it hits just the right notes. You will emerge with a smile and a warmed heart. :)
33. Corner of Your Eye by Laura of Maychoria (Supernatural/Stargate SG-1)
    Summary: Pre-series. Jack O'Neill is not very good at being retired. Dean Winchester is not very good at staying out of trouble. And something is lurking in these here woods . . .
    Comments: Great camaraderie between Jack and Dean. The ghost story is solid, too. There are several short sequels of varying quality, all heartwarming one-shots taking place shortly after the events of this story.
34. Five Times Dean and Tony Bumped Into Each Other by Tassos (Supernatural/NCIS)
    Summary: Five times Dean and Tony bumped into each other.
    Comments: Very clever take on the "five times" format! Garbled Latin aside, this is a really fun story. :)