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icarusI've been promising a Rec-list of sorts to Cyanei. These stories vary from outstanding to mediocre, with one thing in common: I enjoyed them all. I've included a little quote/sample, and eventually I'll do a real rec and discription. But the sample should give you a feel for the writer and the story.
I'm still hunting down good stories, so if you have any recs for me, comment and share. This is saved in my memories, and will be linked to my website.
What I look for in Stargate fanfic:
- Jack-dialogue that has the appropriate snap; Jack has to be dead on.
- a Daniel that's brilliant, solid, and not remotely feminized
- storylines that have at least some probability in the series (unless it's a farce), and deal with the Don't Ask, Don't Tell and Chain of Command issues
- Humor, dammit! At least a wry edge to the angst.
- Jack/Daniel, and a little Gen. Usually.
- Hot, believable (and usually that means awkward) sex. (The Steak Series is the best for this.)
- Plot is nice, though not required. A believable alien race is even better.
- No Sam-Abuse, and I prefer the other characters be well-rounded.
Bet you didn't think I could find over 50 stories to fit my criteria.
June 1, 2005 Recs
Alpha Male by Claforce - PG-13
Jack teaches Daniel how to shoot. Oh, how I've longed for a story like this. Guns are so very phallic.
"You ever seen anything like this in your life, sir?" Ferretti asked as one woman picked up a 9mm like it was a snake ready to strike.
"God help us," Jack snickered. "Who've ya got for me?"
Ferretti looked down at a clip board. "Kovacks, Johnson, Novacek and . . . aww Christ," he laughed.
"What?"
"I don't believe this," Ferretti howled.
Jack couldn't help but smile - the laughter was infectious. "Who?"
"Hi, Jack!" came Daniel's voice from farther down the range. The young scholar waved and hurried over to where the two men stood.
"Oh . . . no fuckin' way," Jack said as he snatched the clipboard. "I've gotta sign *him* off on a sidearm?"
ASS Recognition by Kelex - PG-13
Daniel takes a military typo at its word and writes the ASS Recognition Guide. Who says the military doesn't have a sense of humor?
Daniel looked down at the memo in his hands with amusement. He'd been expecting an order any day now for the ASR (Archaeological Specimen and Relic) Recognition Guide; the Pentagon had been making noises about having a hardcopy list of the most significant finds he'd come across in the Gate worlds and he'd had a rough copy of it ready for weeks.
This? This was a polite request for the ASS Recognition Guide.
At The Center by Celia Deacon
It's slash, but that an aside. It's mostly Gen, and a team-fic at that. SG-1 returns from a mission after having seen the absolute worst each one of them is capable of. Now they have to deal with it.
Last night they'd lain in Daniel's bed without touching. When Daniel had finally fallen asleep, he had not curled automatically against Jack as he normally did, but stayed carefully on his own side. Although he'd known it was foolish, Jack couldn't stop watching the rise and fall of Daniel's chest, couldn't stop himself from making absolutely sure that Daniel was breathing.
Bare Walls by Affinity
Post-Evolution episode tag. How descended is Daniel, anyway? Angsty, yet gentle, with Jack at his mother-hen best.
The only bright spot in the whole miserable trip was the flight attendant who was more than happy to bring Jack water or soda as long as her gaze could linger on Daniel's sweet, unaware face.
Asleep, unconscious or awake, Daniel often had that effect on women.
And the trouble with booking last-minute flights on low-budget airlines, all in keeping with Hammond's order to "Keep everything under the radar, Jack," was that the seats tended to be the less desirable ones in the rear of the cabin, right next to the lavatories. Every time a door swung open Jack got a noseful of chemical sanitizers and less savory odors, and if one more person banged into his arm on the journey back up the aisle, he was going to roll up his Spanish magazine and throw it at them.
Camera by Kylie Lee - NC-17
Jack, a teasing Daniel, and a strategically placed security camera. You do the math. Hee.
"I'm thinking about your cock," Daniel said.
He leaned his head on a hand and watched. It was maybe a second's reaction, nothing more, but it was there: Jack froze. Daniel suppressed a smile. Then Jack, eyes still on the document he was reviewing, deliberately turned a page over.
"Are you now," Jack said. He didn't look up.
Camping Out by Gigi Sinclair (I can't remember - it's either R or NC-17)
Perfectly turned Jack/Daniel dialogue, and Gigi really understands the silly concerns we have about the ones we love. As well as the fact that a well-established relationship doesn't necessarily mean you communicate all that well.
"Can I ask you something?"
"Hmm." Maybe, Daniel thought as he flipped onto his stomach and propped the journal up on the bedroll, he could get a whole package of the pens. After all, it was a justifiable expense. A hell of a lot more justifiable than the fussball table in the commissary, anyway. "Recreational stress therapy" my ass, Daniel thought scornfully. He'd always been skeptical about that, and not just because he was at the bottom of the carefully organized in-house league. Mostly because he'd been paired with Teal'c, who refused to make a decent effort when it was their turn to play because he saw the plastic figures as indentured servants. "'Chained together like slaves,'" he muttered, "Right. He didn't have that problem when he and Sam were in the shuffleboard pyramid."
Jack gave him a Look. "What?"
"What?" Daniel blinked at him.
Certainty Of Chance by Kleio - NC-17
I don't actually believe this scenario, the set-up is all-too-convenient. But who cares? Great porn is great porn, and Jack and Daniel in the shower is too pretty a picture to pass up.
The water ran down Jack's body, soothing, relaxing. It had been quite a trip and he felt he deserved every ounce of the pleasure the warm drops caressing his skin had to offer enjoying this solitary refinement to the fullest. Hey, they did save the world today, after all, who could have asked for more?
He'd truly earned a long, hot shower and with a laugh he ignored the 'save water - save the planet' -sign on the wall. 'Been there, done that, taking this shower to get over it,' he thought and turned the water even hotter. It was time for the planet to do something for him.
Double Bed by Komos - NC-17
Komos can do no wrong. Komos does what Anna did in "Out of Season," tracing the slash where it could have plausibly occurred in canon. "Out of Season" traces it from "One Hundred Days" to "Shades of Grey" whereas Komos traces it to "Heroes." The minus to this approach is that you really believe it, and yes, it's always angst-filled. The plus is - you believe it. Especially with Komos' expert Jack-voice and direct, very male dialogue.
That Saturday night Jack dug out a few favorite old videos. Interest had waned a while ago, hadn't added anything new in even longer, but what the hell. Oldies but goodies.
He popped one into the bedroom VCR. After five minutes, he thought, I can't believe I ever got off on this stuff. He clicked the tube off and just lay back to enjoy the feel of his own hand.
Out of nowhere, right before he shot, came the thought of Daniel close against him, and he said his name -- a surprised question, almost like what are you doing here? -- and he came so hard he arched off the bed and tasted come on his own lips.
It stunned him.
Drums by Alyse - NC-17
The word for this story is atmosphere. You feel the sweat, the heat, and the throbbing drums. This is slightly qualified, there's something about the denouement that I don't quite believe, but you read this for the sheer sensuality of it. Then, you go back to the beginning and read it again. Er. Just in case you missed anything. *cough*
The air on this world was sweet and heavy. Luxuriant. The word rolled around in his mind, evidence, if any had been needed, at just how long he'd spent with his... their linguist. Luxuriant - a word that would have never occurred to him two, three years ago. Apt, though, to describe this place. It drugged his senses with the scent of the foliage growing abundantly around this crude encampment, now bruised and battered from their boot-clad feet trampling through it in the wake of their barefoot hosts. Heady and strong, that scent, sweet, making his head swim. A low rumble rolled through the night, finding an echo in the rapid pounding of his heart.
...thudda... da... da... thudda.. thudda... da...
Drums.
His breathing was unconsciously picking up the same rhythm, catching in his throat, his lips parted as he struggled to pull in enough of that fragrant air. He'd like to blame the current light-headedness he was feeling on the humidity, on that strong, demanding scent, on the harsh, bitter hooch he'd been served but Jack O'Neill had never been one for self-delusion, not in the long term.
May 17th, 2005 Recs
Same Old, Same Old by Teand
Teand skewers the 'aliens made them do it' cliche, in very funny, very well-characterized dialogue.
"I did enjoy myself the last time this happened. And the time before that on PK7 53R. And on PST 347 the time before that..."
"You bailed. Some crap about giving blood to the goddess."
"A perfectly valid excuse, sir."
"Kind of put a lot of pressure on poor Daniel though."
"You did not enjoy the pressure, DanielJackson?"
"It certainly sounded like he did. I could could hear him all the way over in the menstrual hut."
"Eww. Carter, ixnay on the enstrualmay. And, Daniel, after everything we've been through, how are you still able to blush?"
Census 2000 by Dorothy Marley
More humor: give Jack a census form and arm him with a pencil and boredom, and what do think the results will be? His response is exactly what you'd think. Don't miss the Census Bureau's follow-up phone call to Daniel, consumate liar extraordinaire.
Jack picked up the booklet and flipped through it again, scowling at the cheerful yellow borders and helpful arrows. The long form, too, just his luck. Twice the questions, half the fun. He put it down, then scowled even more at the envelope it had all come in, the words "Your Response Is Required By Law" stamped in big bold letters near the bottom.
"Kiss my ass," he muttered to himself.
Cold Comfort by Padawan Alli
An episode tag to "The Gamekeeper." After what they witnessing their worst memories (over and over again) Jack and Daniel get solidly drunk. The kind of drunk where Jack "alternates between drinking and breathing, trying not to confuse the two." Sloppy drunk. Miserable, unhappy drunk. The ending is what we'd expect, but Jack and Daniel manage to surprise us anyway.
"Hey." I hold up one of the six-packs. "Thought maybe you could use one of these."
Daniel snatches at something just next to the door. He dangles a glass with about a finger of amber liquid. I had no idea Daniel would hit the hard liquor. "Got a head start." He smiles sardonically.
For Now by Paian
Episode tag for "Evolution: Part 2." Now that I've seen all the way through season seven I can start reading episode tags. The way Jack is written here... strong, angry... is how he should always be written.
The world tilted. He raised his eyes to Jack's, from his new skewed perspective, and blinked. Almost, but not quite, uncomprehending.
"This is something you want?" Jack said. Low. Steady.
His body gave a minute jerk, as from a very tiny electric shock. He could feel his pupils dilate; he knew that Jack could see it. Very slowly, he nodded.
Jack rolled onto his side. Came up and in behind his hand, not moving it. Not jouncing the bed, not sending a jolt of agony through Daniel's right thigh, Daniel's tortured body. He turned his pillow, folding it to support his head. His eyes didn't leave Daniel's.
"For now," he said, "or for keeps?"
Frolicking by Jonah In The Whale
Very fun, very playful Gen bordering so closely on slash. Just like the show. *wink* Who can resist a fic with tickling?
Several minutes of squabbling later, they reached the edge of the flowers. As Daniel had observed earlier, the sea of flowers ended abruptly, the border so consistent as to be almost certainly unnatural. The team, at Jack's command, halted about thirty feet away.
"The plants are so close together, the effect is almost like a carpet," Sam marvelled.
"Bad seventies carpet," said Jack. "Don't tell me, this planet was terra-formed by the Goa'uld Donny Osmond."
"Actually, sir, this is one of those planets not on the Abydos cartouche --"
"Yes, Carter, I know. I do occasionally listen in the briefings."
Latin For The Novice by Delilah
More fun: Jack and Daniel flirt and spout Ancient at each other. It's annoying that some of the translations are at the bottom of the page, but you'll splutter when you read them. Oh, what I wouldn't give to read this first time.
"Vah! Denuone Latine loquebar? Me ineptum. Interdum modo elabitur."
The look of a stunned, completely speechless linguist was worth every agonizing ever-repeating minute in which Jack had not fulfilled his fantasy of throwing Dr. Mallozzi’s book (and Dr. Mallozzi if the bastard turned out to still be alive and kicking) through an open ‘gate.
"Okay ..." Well, almost completely speechless, as complete speechlessness was a Daniel-impossibility. "What do you mean ‘it just sort of slips out’?"
Slow Boil by Widget
More humor (whee! I seem to be on a humor kick, eh?). Jack is the man with the plan: just how to drive Daniel supremely up the wall.
Daniel's frowning slightly at me, whether from the headache I'm sure he's starting to get from working too long without a break or from suspicion that my intentions are somewhat less than pure. I'd be offended by that if it weren't absolutely true.
"Hey, Jack," he responds, rubbing his forehead. Yep, headache. I'll go easy on him then.
He squints curiously at me. "What's that you got in your mouth?"
"Tootsie Pop," I reply breezily pulling the lollipop from my mouth. "Grape. Wanna lick?" I ask, extending it in his direction.
Daniel hates when I play dumb and act like a snotty teenager rather than a highly decorated and extremely competent officer of the USAF. Consequently, it has become requisite behavior for whenever I'm planning on yanking Daniel's chain, which is pretty much my plan right about now.
Still Life With Cliche by Paian
Holy cow. An 'Aliens Made Them Do It' story that's not a cliche, with depth and real plot. Beware. This is painful, angst-ridden, if very hot. Intense. That's the word for it. Intense. And amazingly, in addition to Jack/Daniel, Paian has made Daniel/Sam gorgeous.
Sam shut the handheld off and went out to deliver the bad news. "Janet won't have an antidote for us in time," she said. "She's hampered by the degradation of the physical samples we send; she's had to work by simulation, she's doing it herself to keep the situation confidential, and ... " She ground her teeth at the patented cut-to-the-chase expression on the colonel's face. "We're shit outta luck, sir."
"As I was saying," Daniel said, resuming what had become a really tedious argument between himself and the colonel, "it's just sex. Our lives are at stake. In light of that, it's just not that big a deal."
The colonel's back was turned. "Find another way."
Storms by Meredith Lynne
Episode tag for The Torment Of Tantalus. Gen. A beautifully written and powerful character study: Jack and Daniel have it out over Daniel's attempt to stay behind (again), and Jack forces him to choose.
The race to the stargate gave Jack O'Neill very little time to collect his thoughts on the utter idiocy Daniel had been embracing with academic fervor just moments ago, but the thoughts seemed willing to collect themselves. They boiled into the forefront of his mind as his legs pumped and sweat flowed from his brow into his eyes. There should've been nothing distracting him from the utter necessity of pushing his body to its limits and beyond.
The Art Of The Deal by Littera Abactor
Hee. Daniel catches on a little too late just what these aliens want to watch.
"We are big or major fanatics of your Earthian artistes," eight-eyes said. "We would so like to view a skilled performance of your great Earthian art in person. In fact, it is why we have contactualized you."
Jack squinted at eight-eyes. Which great Earthian art?
The Midas Syndrome by Rheanna
The fact that this was on a humor list tells you just how much angst there is in the Stargate fandom. Wonderful Jack-voice, painful, awful situation, wonderful plot, characterization. Oh. Right. And this is Gen.
I think I flipped over about twice; it couldn't have been more than that;I was wearing a pack, and that stopped the rolling within the space of a few bounces once I was on the ground which, incidentally, was hard and cold, thank you for asking. I lay on my side, mentally running through the satisfying list of obscenities I keep on hand for these occasions. When they were done, I made a brief pass through the reserve list too.
The Words You Say by Shoshone
Gen and friendship, but wow, Shoshone has captured the unquestioning devotion and courage of that friendship when Jack steps on a Goa'uld mine. Throw in excellent characterization and Jack's ability to make light of any situation, and you have a damned fine story.
But this time...like I said, ever do something that is so beyond stupid that you sort of freeze on a dime because you know you've just done a really, REALLY bad thing. And that if you hold very still maybe Murphy and all the laws of physics will immediately cease moving time forward so you can rethink this one.
You know what I'm talking about. It's that click. Oh, yeah, so quiet, and yet somehow it manages to vibrate all the way up your leg. A truly precious sound. There's certainly nothing quite like it. That "oh, I am so fucked" triggering hum of a pressure sensitive mine going live beneath your foot.
April 1st, 2005 Recs
A Long Day's Journey In A Line by Sideburns
This is a qualified rec. It's pure fluff, which I love, and it's great how Daniel drives Jack absolutely bonkers. But the writing is not top notch. Still, I enjoyed it.
Daniel glanced over at his companion, who had his nose buried in a book, and gave an exasperated shake of his head. Exactly when had he and Jack traded personalities? He tweaked the tome in Jack's hand and said, "Good?"
"Mmm."
"You know, you really need to learn about line etiquette, Jack."
"Mmm."
Daniel made a fist and 'knocked' on the underside of the hardcover. "Jack? Line etiquette?"
A Million Days by Tallulah Rasa
This is Gen, and it's angsty, powerful and brilliant. Tallulah Rasa is a hell of a writer. What it was really like for Jack in Window of Opportunity.
There are two things Jack doesn't mind re-living over and over. One is the moment when Daniel believes him; the relief and hope of that moment is still sweet. The other is when Daniel first offers to help. Jack thinks it might be Daniel's peculiar genius, rather than Carter's scientific brilliance, that will get him out of this. And Daniel's so heartfelt, so willing, and there's always something surprising about that kind of generosity. He'd miss that, if he had to go through a loop without it; he'd realized that when he was dangling Daniel out of the Hilton window.
After This by Otter
Otter is an author I don't trust. Oh sure, yeah, Otter's characterizations are spot on and she's a hell of a story-teller. But she has a tendency to pull the rug out from under you at the last second, i.e., the last paragraph informs you, "oh yeah, by the way, the characters in this story are all dead." I would never rec a story that did that to you, however, and this piece is outstanding. You will not find a more masculine Jack and Daniel as soldiers story anywhere. I dare you to locate one (and if you find it, let me know, all right?).
Their clothes are strewn across the floor like debris in the wake of an explosion. Daniel's pants are across the room, a boobytrap waiting to ensnare the feet of anyone who tries to make it to the bathroom. Jack's shirt is MIA, and is likely hidden in the dark somewhere; the little medals and decorations pinned to the chest are caltrops, waiting for someone to tread on them.
Taking this into consideration, Jack thinks that it's probably safest for them both to stay in bed.
An Ordinary Day by Rosalita
Do you really need anything more than that opening line? This story from Jack's POV is hysterical.
Well, doesn't this just screw the pooch. I'm in love with Daniel Jackson.
Asked by Chelle
It's Gen, but it explains so much about the slashy undercurrents in Jack and Daniel's relationship. A well-characterized, funny and observant story. Jack and Daniel are not gay, but everyone thinks they are. The lines here sparkle with wit.
"Perhaps it would interest you to know that we analyzed thirty six point five hours and twenty-three seconds of security footage of you and Colonel O'Neill, and do you know what we found?" Simmons leaned forward, resting an arm on the table.
"That Jack's a lousy juggler?"
Being Daniel Jackson by Padawan Alli
I must be on a Gen kick. Despite the very slashy opening paragraph, this story is really a powerful look at the confusion Daniel feels just after he descended. Padawan Alli's experience as a writer shows in her careful word choices, excellent character voice, but what really makes this vignette such a good read is how Daniel understands those around him better than he understands himself.
I fumble with the glasses Sam gave me. I don’t really know what to do with them. She seemed so proud when she gave them to me. Like giving me-apparently-my glasses would somehow make “Daniel” come back.
Best Laid Plans by Marzilla
Hot Jack/Daniel PWP. It has no socially redeeming value whatsoever, nor does it need it. I confess to a kink for "almost caught" Jack/Daniel stories. This fulfills that nicely. I like the Jack characterization better the Daniel, but… oh… who cares?
Jack's hand slid through Daniel's hair, crown to nape, then tilted Daniel's head back against the pillow they were sharing. His mouth pressed damp kisses down Daniel's neck. Daniel kept his eyes shut, but he sighed with enjoyment, sleep now beyond his grasp. "You didn't get enough yesterday?"
Bill and Ted Overlook the Universe by Tallulah Rasa
More Gen. This one is a character study, and a Jack and Daniel friendship story. Jack's world is slowly righted and pieced back together after witnessing Daniel's death - not 'his' Daniel's death, but the robot Daniel. But still… witnessing that….
When the shooting on P3X-722 finally stops, Jack inches his head over the ridge and counts. There are five bodies scattered around the clearing, two close in and three farther back, by a stone outcropping. One of the dead guys lost his head, literally, during the fighting; an energy blast from one of his own men must have gone wide. Even at this distance Jack can tell it's no one he knows lying there, but the memory from Juna lingers, and it's hard not to see the headless body as Daniel's. The other Daniel's. The Daniel from PX3-989, who probably drove his Jack crazy analyzing the possible derivations of Harlan's incessant "comtraya!" But still, Daniel.
Bookstore by Spring
This is a three-part series with a fun Jack-voice and a situation that leaves me with a warm, pleasant buzz. The other parts were too syrupy for me, but you might want to look them up. The best part: the bookstore clerk. Oh, I know people like this!
The night had been normal, great and confusing all together. Dinner, meat grilled by yours truly out back and veggies done by Daniel, had been very good. Jack had been leery of the eggplant stuff Daniel had made but it was pretty good. Regular dinner conversation and then cleaning up. Afterwards a game on tv for Jack and a book to read for Daniel. Jack was amazed at how much like an old married couple they were, even after six months together. How absolutely normal this felt and was.
Driving Me Crazy by Ximeria
A slow ride to an even more slowly burgeoning relationship the two of them fall into effortlessly. You need to be in the right mood for this fic. Put on a little jazzy Shade. Pour a glass of wine. Light a candle. And enjoy the ride.
Jack took another look out of from behind the curtains and sighed. What a way to spend his downtime. He still had no idea why he had not simply gone to the cabin to get away, but with the reporters currently parked outside his door it no longer seemed a viable option.
Geek Humor by Xochiquetzl & Dionysus
Doesn't have the punch of Xochiquetzl's I Never, but a good, light-hearted laugh.
From: Jaffa.Tealc@CMAFB.USAF.MIL
To: CarterSA@CMAFB.USAF.MIL
Subject: Usenet information errors
Major Carter, I regret to inform you that several persons have placed false information in the area of the usenet information server called alt.sex.with.aliens.true.confessions. I have never, on any occasion, had sexual relations with any of the nurses in the infirmary.
Please correct this information immediately.
I Never by Xochiquetzl with Dionysus
Xochiquetzl has the team dynamics down, and this story would work without the slash elements. It has the best ping-ponging conversational snap I've read since Bill The Pony's Foolish Games.
"It's a drinking game," Jack explained, placing a tray loaded with beers, mugs, a bottle of Jack Daniels, and a stack of shot glasses in the center of the table. "The point is that you get really drunk really fast." He sat and started pouring shots.
"It's not the getting drunk part to which I object," Daniel said, and sighed. "The game works like this, Teal'c: We take turns telling everyone something we've never done before. For example, I dunno, I could say, 'I've never had sex on a plane.'"
It's All About The Quantum by Annie D.
What impresses me about this intense, rather disturbing story is that the structure of the tale matches the subject matter. Jack is bounced between realities, and we bounce with him, only slowly finding out what's going on. I didn't want to rec this fic: too much angst for me, but it just stuck with me and I was thinking about it weeks later.
The six days had taken its toll on them. Jack was slouching in his chair, drumming his fingers restlessly against the table. Daniel looked like the only reason he was still sitting upright was sheer force of will, the lack of sleep finally having caught up with him. Carter had the measured expression of someone who’d just missed Christmas, but was determined not to look disappointed. As some sort of comfort, Teal’c looked faintly unperturbed about the whole thing.
Things Learned By Moonlight by Chelle
This is considered to be a bit of a Sam-bashing story, but I didn't see it that way at all. Perhaps because I've never been convinced that her crush on Jack was ever that deep, perhaps because it's just so much fun to play voyeur over her shoulder.
Sam moved silently through the trees. It was training, she supposed, since there was no need for silence. They were the second team to visit the planet, brought in when the writing on the nearby ruins had eluded SG-6's linguist. Daniel had, of course, been sent to figure it out. Daniel Jackson, Super Linguist. Smiling, she made a mental note to buy him a red cape for his next birthday or maybe just for fun.
Love Can Be Painful by Pough
I roared with laughter. This is a story you'll want to read over and over again. Pough's rambling Jack-voice is terrific, the situation… haaahahahaaaha! Best of all, the relationship between Jack and Daniel really portrayed through a guy's unvarnished perspective.
Here's just a helpful hint from your Uncle Jack-when it's the middle of the night and you're on a light muscle relaxant and your knees are basically shot anyhow, that is not the time to bring a new move to the mat. Sooooo not the right time.
Which is why I find myself driving to the Academy Hospital at 0320. Oh, and just so we're crystal, no matter how many times you try it, driving with your left foot is never an easy thing.
Minnesota by Kylie Lee
Lushly described, warm, sexy and romantic, without falling into the trap of losing that masculine edge. Mmm. Just right. Jack and Daniel at Jack's cabin.
Daniel, wiping water out of his eyes, felt mud squish around his toes as he settled to the bottom of the lake, just off the dock. He watched as Teal'c folded his arms. Teal'c wore a ratty sleeveless T-shirt, baggy shorts that came to his knees, and Tevas. He also wore a hat to cover Apophis's symbol on his forehead. Despite his casual attire, he still looked large-large and formidable.
Past Imperfect by Widget
Post-ascension, introspective perspective on Daniel and memory. As Daniel recovers his memories, he understands more and more about his relationship with Jack. This neatly fits into Fallen with barely a click.
His name is Daniel.
At least, that is what he has been told by these people in whose company he now finds himself. He repeatedly rolls the name around in his mind, silently formulating the individual sounds of which it is composed. The name feels…odd, like an ill-fitting garment, simultaneously constraining and amorphous. The name is a bit like the clothing they have given him to wear; he decides. It doesn’t seem to fit properly either.
Grown Men Don't Freak by Annie D and Katryne
Funny, frustrating. I wanted to wring Daniel's neck, Jack's neck, and the necks of anyone and anything who came between them - including and especially Daniel's neurosis! This was a job well done, writers. Annie D. and Katryne clearly understand that being gay or bisexual does not make a guy any less a guy. This was so perfectly executed.
“Hey kids!” he greeted cheerfully as he strolled in, effortlessly filling up the room with his presence.
Daniel looked at him. It was the same Jack. Colonel. Team leader. Friend. Hero. Pain in the ass.
Bisexual.
Okay. It was obvious his brain still needed some time to recover.
Stumbling Home by Chelle
I'm lukewarm about this story, but the fine characterizations and gentle, slow sensuality of it just lured me in.
Daniel nodded. They'd just had their first team night since his return. It had been shockingly close to old times. Jack still played the buffoon to Teal'c's straight man, and Daniel still brought out his friend's inner nine-year-old. Sam still watched them all with an amused grin. It had been a good night. "I can't believe you kept it."
The Package by Chelle
This is my all-time favorite Jack/Daniel porn fic thus far. Jack's nosiness is so perfectly characterized, as is Daniel's smirking, rather challenging manner. Their looping arguments, where somehow Daniel turns Jack's words inside-out are an absolute hoot - and Daniel's brilliant here, he really is. But the best part is the sex and their emotional state. Wow.
Inserting the key into Daniel’s mailbox, Jack turned it to the right and pulled. To his surprise, it opened easily. The last time Jack had retrieved Daniel’s mail it had stuck and Daniel’s downstairs neighbor had given him suspicious looks for a month. Reaching inside he pulled out the mail and flipped through it. Electric bill, credit card offer, credit card offer, credit card statement, Jack considered opening that one for half a second before tucking the envelopes under his arm and heading for the elevator.
Viva! Las Vegas by Suz
If you'd told me two weeks ago that I'd read a Jack/Jonas fic, I would've laughed in your face. This scenario, however, was fun. It's not a strong story, there's some implausibility that makes me wince and the writing's not outstanding. But Jack's straight lines make it all worthwhile.
"We'll be *fine*, Carter." Jack appreciated it, but she did worry too much sometimes. "I promise I won't try to throttle him at least until we get back, okay? And now he can stop complaining that he never gets to go anywhere off base that isn't related to work. You know this'll be his first commercial flight?"
Volunteers by Remma
Very silly. I loved it. A conversation-only piece that gets the character voices perfect. But it's the situation and the SGC's (cough, cough) generosity that will crack you up.
"Well, now here's the thing. The difference in our physiognomy to that of the Poolegien people means that instead of making Daniel simply amenable to sexual intimacy, his body actually craves it like a drug. What you're seeing from him now is an extreme form of withdrawal."
"And once again Daniel is addicted to some alien hoodoo. Peachy."
Slow Burn by Padawan Alli
Very hot, very male, quite pissed off sex following Scorched Earth. But what could have been a PWP gives us instead a very three-dimensional picture of Jack and Daniel's relationship. Padawan's characters come to vivid life: their gestures, their tone, their banter. This really is Jack and Daniel here. Watch this author. She's new to Stargate, but clearly not to fanfic.
Jack managed to hold his tongue during the debriefing. Carter and Daniel discussed the simple solution to the Enkaran's problem with the Gadmeer ship, and Jack kept to the facts. He refused to think about giving the order to detonate the naquadah reactor while Daniel was on the ship. He wasn't going to think about it. Not now and not later. Nope, wasn't thinking about it.
Hammond stood up. "SG-1, you are dismissed."
Jack shot up out of his chair and stood at Daniel's elbow. He wasn't thinking about it. "Daniel? A word?" Jack said evenly. Okay, maybe he was thinking about it. A little.
Daniel shut his folder. "Yeah, Jack?" He flinched when he looked up at Jack, then leaned back in the chair, licking his lips.
You Can Go Home Again by ELG
Two things about ELG: 1) she really needs meaner, leaner betas who'll cut the verbosity and, 2) her insights are right on, lightning strike between the eyes accurate. This story is supposedly Gen, but Jack watching Daniel shower in a waterfall? You be the judge. What I love most here is ELG's vivid descriptions and winking observations of human nature.
The first was Harlan crying over the remains of their dead robotic doubles. Seeing that annoying little fat guy stroking the hair of a robot Daniel's severed head had weirded O'Neill out so much he'd practically sprinted from the 'gateroom. He'd covered by saying he just wanted to check on Teal'c in the infirmary, but the fact was he hadn't even begun to deal with the reality of their android selves having been out there all that time. He'd schooled himself to forget about them in the years since they'd left them behind on P3X-989 with explicit instructions to bury the 'gate after them. He dealt with the thought of them the same way he dealt with thoughts of those alternate universes that apparently existed on the other side of that crated up quantum mirror - by not thinking about them. As far as he was concerned he was the only Jack O'Neill the universe needed and he wasn't thinking about any replicas of himself or any other members of his team, thank you.
Consequently, looking into the eyes of a robot double who had obviously been kidding himself along exactly the same lines, had been a disconcerting experience.
March 6th, 2005 Recs: Sorry guys, I was lazy in this first batch. I will get to giving a review of each story soon. I'm catching up on reviews, almost done.
Loki's Curse by Jonah in the Whale - NC-17
This is a long, slow ride of gentle attraction and building warmth, very subtle. Plus there's a plot: it turns out Loki made more than one copy of an SGC member, and mini-Jack is in trouble. What's so clever is that the plot mirrors and amplifies the unspoken bond between Jack and Daniel, so that it weaves together seamlessly. I can't say enough good things about Loki's Curse.
"I may not remember everything, but I remember enough."
So Daniel had said to Jack, just before they packed him and Jonas off to Anubis' mothership.
At the time Jack had appreciated the sentiment, and distrusted the words themselves. How could Daniel, who had forgotten nearly everything anyone tried to remind him of, think he remembered enough? Remembering the concept of being on a team, remembering how to use a weapon, how to watch his own back, how to react under fire--that was what Daniel had meant by "I remember enough"; and maybe that was the kind of reassurance he thought Jack had needed, in order to have confidence in him to carry out the almost-suicide mission. Sure, it had been great that Daniel had gotten all that stuff back so quickly. Muscle-memory. Instinct and reaction. But it wasn't enough. It wasn't anything like enough.
Three months on, and Jack still wasn't certain that Daniel remembered 'enough'.
A Christmas Wish by danVers - NC-17
Danvers always has well-rounded supporting characters and a real sense of the SGC. This is no exception. Jack and Daniel and Christmas, this story delivers exactly what you want.
George Hammond was a very relaxed man today as he watched his nearest and dearest with smiles on their faces and without a care in the world. It wasn't the fact that they suddenly didn't have a care, it was more the fact that for maybe a few days some of them could forget that the Goa'uld were out there making people kneel before their gods.
Hammond turned his head when a rowdy laugh erupted somewhere behind him. It wasn't a surprise that the source of the rowdiness was Jack O'Neill. He stood in his element, a crowd around him as he told one of his terrible jokes.
And Ducks Go Quack Quack by Sandman - PG
This is a very strange story, and yet I like it. Gen, General Hammond has one of his more bizarre days at the SGC.
George Hammond spent the better part of the morning cleaning up after his 'wife's cat' before hurrying off to work, without coffee, only to arrive ten minutes late anyhow. What a morning. Well, at least SG-1's due back this afternoon. Wait a minute, who said that was a good thing?
Ciphers by Destina Fortunato -- PG, pre-slash
Ooo. This has a fascinating plot. Daniel runs into some abandoned off-world technology resulting in synaesthesia. I read this, forgot where I saw it, and am so glad to find it again.
"Can you see anything?" Carter asked. She craned her neck, trying to see around Daniel's shoulders as he wriggled into the small aperture, but there wasn't room. A small ground tremor caused her to sway back and forth; she steadied herself with a hand on Daniel's thigh.
"There's some kind of writing down here," Daniel answered. His voice was muffled, absorbed by the open space below and stopped by his shoulders, which were blocking the hole. "I'd love to get a look at it."
Coffee and Confrontations by Kelsie B. -- PG
This is Gen, and I believe this ridiculous bet, oh yes I do. If I visualize them at the end of the week taking out their frustrations on each other in Daniel's bedroom, well, that's my prerogative. Says General Hammond, "I must not be keeping you people busy enough."
Monday
"Done," Jack and Daniel said in unison, shaking hands as Sam, Teal'c and General Hammond joined them in the conference room. They sat down without explanation, and Sam decided she had to ask.
"Done?" she said, looking at them expectantly. "Don't tell me this is another bet."
Twenty-Nine by Destina Fortunato - NC-17
General Jack O'Neill, entombed at the SGC, finally loses it. And there is jealousy! Yes! And steamy sex.
"The Secretary of Defense left a non-urgent request that you call him as soon as possible, General. Also, you have a briefing with SG-9 at 1400 to discuss the possible ramifications of modifying the trade agreement with the Salish, and you are scheduled to attend Dr. Lee's demonstration of the technology retrieved from PR4-7782."
Jack roused himself from thoughts of napping on the couch while the Simpsons droned on in the background, and asked, "Is that all, Walter?"
"No, sir."
"Of course not."
Crossroads by Titti - NC-17
An unusual start to their relationship, pristine characterization, and very real, very adult sex.
Mexico - April 2, 2010
Uxmal Ruins
Daniel emerged from one of the areas closed to the public, and went to the cafeteria built for the many tourists that invaded the ruins every day. It was so easy to blend with all the Americans trampling around the Great Pyramid, and Daniel didn't disdain the opportunity to work, for once, in a place where hamburgers, coke and coffee were served in an air-conditioned room.
Daniel As Girl Fic by Danvers
I'm patiently awaiting the completion of this rather odd fic. J
Fables by the wild mole - NC-17
A warm, real, and comforting look at Daniel's return after "The Crystal Scull," what gets me here is the absolutely accurate unspoken understanding between the two of them. Jack knows exactly what's going on and they speak in that broken code of theirs, that's half words and mostly just each other's presence.
Jack took a sip from his beer and watched Daniel paw through the contents of his refrigerator. From the way Daniel was tossing stuff into the waste bin by the sink, it looked to be a prime night for takeout.
Esprit de Corps by Quercus and G.
PG-13, basically Gen with a slightly undefinable slashy undertone, Jack teaches Daniel a thing or two about leadership and team-building.
J. J. Ruadh stared up at Daniel, her long braid coiled around her shoulder like a snake. He stared back, feeling his lip curl in frustration with her. "Doctor Jackson," she said coldly, and turned.
"J. J."
She turned back, sighing with impatience. "J. J., you need to remember that SG-1 is a field unit." He couldn't believe he was parroting Jack back to her. "That means I won't be here. I need to be able to rely on the department to function in my absence."
Only Love Survives by Quercus - NC-17
SG-1 is imprisoned in an alien culture, trapped in dreams. This is both sweet, painful and lovely, with a very believable, strange alien culture.
I'd been negotiating with the Rahimans for over a week now, on behalf of the Chhira. We'd gone to P5X-699 only to discover a cold war between the two countries that was quickly escalating into outright warfare. For reasons I still didn't understand, both sides had asked SG-1 to intervene, and General Hammond had asked me, as earth's cultural liaison, to work with them to avoid the coming war.
How an archaeologist and linguist became a diplomat, I never knew.
The Unvictorious Ones by Quercus (I'd rate this NC-17 for sheer horror, but it's really R)
Warning: This is the most depressing story I've ever read. It's Gen, flavored slightly with hints of Jack/Daniel (the attraction/admiration is there). This story, this world, I loathe to say it, but the plot is too depressingly possible. Human beings have historically been this horrible, and you will probably want something to follow this story to scrub the images out of your mind. I would never recommend something that was unredeemably depressing, but Daniel's courage and altruism makes this story worth reading. Oh. And it's beautifully written and the characterization's note perfect, but with Quercus that's a given.
Jack bent over Daniel, keeping the sun out of his face, trying to cushion his ride in the uncomfortable cart. Sweat rolled down his forehead and dripped onto Daniel, joining his sweat, smudging the dust that had settled over them all. He gently wiped Daniel's face, who opened his eyes to smile up at Jack.
"Thank you," he whispered, and Jack smiled back at him, nearly overwhelmed by the tenderness he felt. "Really, I'm all right, Jack."
The Grave Yields Back Her Robberies by Quercus - NC-17
I'm getting tired, so forgive my short description of a long, lushly described story on an Asgard-protected planet. It has a happy ending, too.
Jack watched Daniel closely as he followed him tramping through the countryside on P2X-whatever-Carter-called-it. Beautiful man, he thought, no longer embarrassed that he so considered Daniel. Beautiful country, too, Jack supposed, although he missed the desert sometimes. But the stargate here was near the sea, or an enormous lake, hard to tell until they reached it, and he liked being near water. Behind them and around the lake were jagged peaks covered in what looked like redwoods. At the highest points, snow -- a lot of snow. It couldn't be more than five Celsius. At least they were up high; the gate had a good view of the beach curling off in either direction, disappearing into a misty horizon, through which the sun couldn't penetrate.
Teal'c was on point, with Carter next, and then Daniel, where Jack could keep an eye on him.
Five Moons by Destina Fortunato - R, if I remember correctly
Razor-sharp Jack/Daniel banter that could have been lifted from the show would make this fic, even without the excellent interesting plot, believable alien technology, and unique method of bringing Jack and Daniel together. Oh yeah, sure, I'd love to have a little sex here, too, but that would be greedy.
"Making progress, are we?" Jack lounged against a steep white pillar and watched Daniel as he worked. The mellow sunshine of P4C-282 was a pleasant change from the dark interior of Cheyenne Mountain.
Daniel squinted up at him. "Trying to, yes."
"Am I distracting you?"
"What if I said yes?" It was a game they played, the game that kept Jack focused, kept him from becoming too bored while Daniel did his scientist-thing.
Groceries by James Walkswithwind - PG-13
It's not a perfect story, and James' more recent work has more emotional impact. But James has that special ability to find the bizarre and funny in the very ordinary. Here, Jack goes shopping for Daniel, and Daniel's tape-recorded list will crack you up.
Jack stood in the infirmary, watching the nurse at Daniel's bedside. Daniel was being quiet and cooperative -- a sharp contrast from two hours ago when they'd brought him in here. Jack figured it was the cast that made the difference. Now that every jostle and movement wasn't causing excruciating pain, Daniel could relax and stop yelling at the medical staff.
Jack hoped that was the case -- he didn't want to find out that Daniel was merely being polite so Dr. Fraiser would release him early. As the nurse walked away, Jack moved forward. Daniel saw him, and smiled. Jack loved that smile. He couldn't help but return it.
"So. They tell me you're outta here tomorrow?" Jack said.
Cloudwork by James Walkswithwind - PG-13, I think. I'm writing these waaaay after the fact.
A lazy, peaceful vignette.
There were clouds covering the sky: large, billowy clouds which had a technical name that meant they looked like large cotton balls spilled across the floor of the sky. Daniel knew the names for them in a dozen languages, but the English technical term escaped him. They were cloud-watching clouds, the kind you found pictures in on long, hot days spent doing nothing but lying in the grass and thinking deep thoughts. Popsicles, or ice cream. Baseball, or swimming. Stay where you were, or move a fraction of an inch to get away from the ant trail. Philosophical thoughts.
Grounded by Pares
Daniel was... doodling. Jack was pretty sure that the sketches marching across Daniel's notepad were not the glyphs of some alien language. Except for the parts that were.
It wasn't like Daniel not to pay attention at a debriefing, but then, if Jack himself had been paying as much attention as he was supposed to, he wouldn' t have noticed that Daniel was drawing long necked birds-- cranes maybe, or egrets, and diamond-backed snakes in his margins.
When Hammond sent them on their way with a tasty 48 hours of leave, Daniel looked up at nothing in particular, but remained in his chair, idly drumming his fingers on the table.
A Thousand Words For Oops by Teand - NC-17
Okay, I confess, I don't for one millisecond believe the action sequence at the end, but with spot-on characterization, great one-liners that could've been lifted from the show, I don't care. Who can resist a slave-fic where Jack is the slave?
"And once again, trees."
Daniel ran his hand through his hair and resettled his boonie. "These are different than what we usually gate into." He took two steps forward, toward the edge of clearing, and stopped at Jack's unmistakable gesture. "They're more Mediterranean, less lower British Columbia."
"So?"
He shrugged and returned to Jack's side. "Just making an observation."
T-Minus Ten And Counting by Teand - NC-17
Jack and Daniel are stuck on base in quarantine, and are desperately furious with each other… and desperate for each other. Who cracks first?
"Welcome back SG-1, your timing is impeccable."
"Thank you, General." Coming to a stop halfway down the ramp, Colonel Jack O'Neill rested both arms on his P-90 and grinned. "I've always prided myself on my tidy timing."
"Impeccable means *exact*, Jack, not tidy."
The grin twisted as he glared at the man to his left. "I know that, Daniel."
"Really? Then I guess I'm just being deliberately annoying." Dr. Jackson's expressive brows rose above the upper edge of his glasses. "Again."
Jack's lip curled. "Always smart to play to your strengths."
Safely behind the two men, Major Samantha Carter and Teal'c rolled their eyes, the movement so perfectly synchronized General Hammond suspected they'd had a lot of practice over the last two days. It had clearly been one of *those* missions. Colonel O'Neill and Dr. Jackson had found something fundamental to disagree about, had fortified their positions, and the slightest compromise was now perceived as total surrender.
To Drive The Cold Winter Away by Thevetia - PG-13
The nature of his Jack's family comes as such a surprise, and yet it's so real. I believed it, I've seen this too often not to. It's only sort of slash, and yes, it doesn't take the expected route - anywhere. That, the vivid description and the emotions that ring so true makes this a painfully real gem.
Time got lost at the SGC. Sometimes they went for weeks without seeing the daylight, or starlight, of Earth.
P6R525 was a dry, barren, intermittently sandy planet, that is to say, a desert. At least that part of it where the Stargate was located. There were some nice ruins beyond the gate, recent enough and anomalous enough to intrigue everybody into puzzling out who and what could have built them and destroyed them and why, and where did they come from and where did they go. There was plenty to keep everyone busy, which was good. Lots of hard work, and hard thought, and nights of pleasant exhausted oblivion. Memories had no chance against the lures of new discovery. Even so, Daniel had caught Jack watching him every now and then, which bugged him, because he was fine. Just because it was a desert didn't mean anything. It wasn't anything like Abydos. Not enough sand. No people. No dreams.
But this time, when they came back home through the Stargate, and surfaced at last like moles up out of the mountain, it was suddenly December, and Christmas in the outside world.
"Daniel, got a minute?"
Infinite Possibilities by Brenda
Pain. Smoke. Burning. Noise.
The acrid smoke stung Daniel Jackson's eyes, and he wiped them with the bloodied sleeve of his jacket. It was no good. He'd lost his glasses and his sight when the Goa'uld stun grenade landed too close to him. When he came to he was alone, and he'd been dazedly stumbling along since then, trying to find his team. His vision was coming back, but the landscape was a blur, whether from the effects of the grenade or his likely concussion he didn't know. He remembered the four of them and SG3 running from the contingent of Jaffa pursuing them, lungs burning, legs straining, Jack at his side urging him on. Then he heard a warning shout in his ear, saw the bright, blinding flash of the Goa'uld device, then the sudden sensation of falling. A long, long way. Then nothing.
P4X-229 was very Earth-like, and they were in the foothills of a larger mountain range. He must've rolled down a hillside when the grenade hit.
Interlude by Ineke - NC-17
Guh. Great, very masculine characterizations of both Jack and Daniel, great, very masculine hot and sweaty sex. I'm starting to note there are a Lot of NC-17 stories on my list, hmm.
Trust Daniel to be the one guy on the face of Planet America who didn't have a church key somewhere in his kitchen. It didn't go a long way towards validating the barely-there effort at masculinity that was Daniel even having beer in the fridge, and so maybe it was lucky that Jack just happened to be a resourceful kind of guy. Good with his hands and nifty in times of peril; just generally the kind of person you'd want around when faced with unopenable beer on the one Earth day that wound up being hotter than an Abydonian spring break.
Jack dealt the crowns of the bottles a neat blow on the edge of the kitchen island.
"Fuck."
Kwoosh! by Anais - NC-17
One of my all-time favorite stories. Anais manages to blend slash, hot sex, and a sense of glorious wonder that, yes, we can go anywhere in the universe with the stargate. It's that wonder that I love most about some of my favorite episodes, "The Nox," "The Torment of Tantalus" and "The Fifth Race," and it's rarely found in fanfiction, let alone fanfiction with steamy realistic sex.
A body can get used to anything, even being hung. So my grandmother used to say when I bitched about how cold the bathroom was in winter. I guess she was right again. A body can get used to anything. Amazing how we take stuff for granted really.
I said that to Daniel, not looking up from my newspaper. We were hanging out waiting for General Hammond to get the de-brief together - just the two of us. Carter and Teal'c were running late and Daniel and I thought we might get there first, just to bug the Punctuality Twins for once. Daniel was sitting on the edge of the briefing room table, scratching his nose and skimming through his notes. I was checking out the sports section.
I heard the gate clunk and hiss into life and checked my watch. "SG3?"
"Yeah. Think so..." Daniel said. "My God...isn't this just bizarre?"
Dr. Jackson's Diary by Anais - NC-17
There is no describing this absolutely rib-crackingly funny 12-month daily journey through Dr. Jackson's neurotic mind and even stranger life. All I can do is promise you: this story (and it's gloriously looooong) is the reason many have started reading Jack/Daniel slash. This story is the reason I started reading Jack/Daniel started reading Jack/Daniel slash. And it is… I can't do it. I can't describe it. Sex has never been funnier than this. Never. Ever.
Monday January 1st
Alcohol units 18 (hideous) Chocolate chip cookies 13 (ugh) Coffee (lost count around 3pm) Time spent drunkenly badmouthing Wallace Budge - total of 86 minutes and 22 seconds. Visits to infirmary 0 (v.good)
An exceptionally bad start to the year.
Crescent Moon Lodge by Anais - NC-17
This feels unfinished, but holy hell hot. And Anais lush descriptions are as welcome as ever.
"Would someone like to tell me why my inbox is full of Nostradamus and why this coffee tastes like shit?"
He hated himself the second the words were out of his mouth. It was the whiny, sarcastic teacher-tone that had made numerous dumb Ivy-Leaguers curse the name of Dr. Jackson when he was a TA at Chicago. It had been a bitch of a day - a bitch of a week, in fact - no make that a bitch of a month, and the last thing he needed was a cup of instant to add the crowning insult of having to listen to the so called prophecies of that Provencal doomvendor for the nth time.
No Consequences by Brenda
If you knew in advance that everything is always going to go back to the way it was, you could do anything, for as long as you want, without having to worry about consequences.
Way to go, Danny. You had to go and put that thought into my head, didn't you? I was willing to sit here day after day like a good colonel and learn Latin and have the Ancients' language crammed into my brain again, but you had to bring up the idea of 'no consequences.' Could do whatever I want. For as long as I want. No consequences.
"One Bare Hour" by Dorothy Marley
The writing blurred in front of Daniel's gaze again, the tantalizingly familiar hieratic characters swirling into gibberish for what seemed like the hundredth time. He squeezed his eyes shut, making a vain attempt to clear his vision, then took off his glasses to rub his aching eye sockets, tossing the glasses onto the cluttered surface of his desk. It was no use. Normally, this was the kind of linguistic puzzle that would keep him occupied for days on end, but this time, it wasn't working. He'd been sitting here staring at the photographs from P9R-475 for an hour, and he'd been aware of every minute of that hour, all but counting off each second as it ticked by.
Past Imperfect by Widget
His name is Daniel.
At least, that is what he has been told by these people in whose company he now finds himself. He repeatedly rolls the name around in his mind, silently formulating the individual sounds of which it is composed. The name feels…odd, like an ill-fitting garment, simultaneously constraining and amorphous.
Grace by Destina Fortunato -- PG-13
This is very short, yet the image of Daniel and Sam's reason for inviting him over lingers, and I find myself revisiting the vignette. It's not romantic, but it is intensely emotional in an understated, contained way.
Sam had decided Sunday afternoons shouldn't be spent alone. They were better spent in the company of a friend -- especially a friend who was willing to help her mount shelves and chip away old bathroom tile.
"Almost," Daniel said. He motioned to Sam to lift her end of the shelf, and she did, hoisting it a fraction of an inch. Daniel situated the level; the shelf was centered. "You have the pencil?"
Pavlov by Kalimyre - NC-17
Utterly unique alien culture (if you can call it a 'culture'), utterly familiar situation (no guns, locked up), this is the most convincing Aliens-Made-Them-Do-It story I've seen in this fandom. The concept is a cliché, the execution here? Definitely not. Jack would be pleased.
I'm still hunting down good stories, so if you have any recs for me, comment and share. This is saved in my memories, and will be linked to my website.
What I look for in Stargate fanfic:
- Jack-dialogue that has the appropriate snap; Jack has to be dead on.
- a Daniel that's brilliant, solid, and not remotely feminized
- storylines that have at least some probability in the series (unless it's a farce), and deal with the Don't Ask, Don't Tell and Chain of Command issues
- Humor, dammit! At least a wry edge to the angst.
- Jack/Daniel, and a little Gen. Usually.
- Hot, believable (and usually that means awkward) sex. (The Steak Series is the best for this.)
- Plot is nice, though not required. A believable alien race is even better.
- No Sam-Abuse, and I prefer the other characters be well-rounded.
Bet you didn't think I could find over 50 stories to fit my criteria.
June 1, 2005 Recs
Alpha Male by Claforce - PG-13
Jack teaches Daniel how to shoot. Oh, how I've longed for a story like this. Guns are so very phallic.
"You ever seen anything like this in your life, sir?" Ferretti asked as one woman picked up a 9mm like it was a snake ready to strike.
"God help us," Jack snickered. "Who've ya got for me?"
Ferretti looked down at a clip board. "Kovacks, Johnson, Novacek and . . . aww Christ," he laughed.
"What?"
"I don't believe this," Ferretti howled.
Jack couldn't help but smile - the laughter was infectious. "Who?"
"Hi, Jack!" came Daniel's voice from farther down the range. The young scholar waved and hurried over to where the two men stood.
"Oh . . . no fuckin' way," Jack said as he snatched the clipboard. "I've gotta sign *him* off on a sidearm?"
ASS Recognition by Kelex - PG-13
Daniel takes a military typo at its word and writes the ASS Recognition Guide. Who says the military doesn't have a sense of humor?
Daniel looked down at the memo in his hands with amusement. He'd been expecting an order any day now for the ASR (Archaeological Specimen and Relic) Recognition Guide; the Pentagon had been making noises about having a hardcopy list of the most significant finds he'd come across in the Gate worlds and he'd had a rough copy of it ready for weeks.
This? This was a polite request for the ASS Recognition Guide.
At The Center by Celia Deacon
It's slash, but that an aside. It's mostly Gen, and a team-fic at that. SG-1 returns from a mission after having seen the absolute worst each one of them is capable of. Now they have to deal with it.
Last night they'd lain in Daniel's bed without touching. When Daniel had finally fallen asleep, he had not curled automatically against Jack as he normally did, but stayed carefully on his own side. Although he'd known it was foolish, Jack couldn't stop watching the rise and fall of Daniel's chest, couldn't stop himself from making absolutely sure that Daniel was breathing.
Bare Walls by Affinity
Post-Evolution episode tag. How descended is Daniel, anyway? Angsty, yet gentle, with Jack at his mother-hen best.
The only bright spot in the whole miserable trip was the flight attendant who was more than happy to bring Jack water or soda as long as her gaze could linger on Daniel's sweet, unaware face.
Asleep, unconscious or awake, Daniel often had that effect on women.
And the trouble with booking last-minute flights on low-budget airlines, all in keeping with Hammond's order to "Keep everything under the radar, Jack," was that the seats tended to be the less desirable ones in the rear of the cabin, right next to the lavatories. Every time a door swung open Jack got a noseful of chemical sanitizers and less savory odors, and if one more person banged into his arm on the journey back up the aisle, he was going to roll up his Spanish magazine and throw it at them.
Camera by Kylie Lee - NC-17
Jack, a teasing Daniel, and a strategically placed security camera. You do the math. Hee.
"I'm thinking about your cock," Daniel said.
He leaned his head on a hand and watched. It was maybe a second's reaction, nothing more, but it was there: Jack froze. Daniel suppressed a smile. Then Jack, eyes still on the document he was reviewing, deliberately turned a page over.
"Are you now," Jack said. He didn't look up.
Camping Out by Gigi Sinclair (I can't remember - it's either R or NC-17)
Perfectly turned Jack/Daniel dialogue, and Gigi really understands the silly concerns we have about the ones we love. As well as the fact that a well-established relationship doesn't necessarily mean you communicate all that well.
"Can I ask you something?"
"Hmm." Maybe, Daniel thought as he flipped onto his stomach and propped the journal up on the bedroll, he could get a whole package of the pens. After all, it was a justifiable expense. A hell of a lot more justifiable than the fussball table in the commissary, anyway. "Recreational stress therapy" my ass, Daniel thought scornfully. He'd always been skeptical about that, and not just because he was at the bottom of the carefully organized in-house league. Mostly because he'd been paired with Teal'c, who refused to make a decent effort when it was their turn to play because he saw the plastic figures as indentured servants. "'Chained together like slaves,'" he muttered, "Right. He didn't have that problem when he and Sam were in the shuffleboard pyramid."
Jack gave him a Look. "What?"
"What?" Daniel blinked at him.
Certainty Of Chance by Kleio - NC-17
I don't actually believe this scenario, the set-up is all-too-convenient. But who cares? Great porn is great porn, and Jack and Daniel in the shower is too pretty a picture to pass up.
The water ran down Jack's body, soothing, relaxing. It had been quite a trip and he felt he deserved every ounce of the pleasure the warm drops caressing his skin had to offer enjoying this solitary refinement to the fullest. Hey, they did save the world today, after all, who could have asked for more?
He'd truly earned a long, hot shower and with a laugh he ignored the 'save water - save the planet' -sign on the wall. 'Been there, done that, taking this shower to get over it,' he thought and turned the water even hotter. It was time for the planet to do something for him.
Double Bed by Komos - NC-17
Komos can do no wrong. Komos does what Anna did in "Out of Season," tracing the slash where it could have plausibly occurred in canon. "Out of Season" traces it from "One Hundred Days" to "Shades of Grey" whereas Komos traces it to "Heroes." The minus to this approach is that you really believe it, and yes, it's always angst-filled. The plus is - you believe it. Especially with Komos' expert Jack-voice and direct, very male dialogue.
That Saturday night Jack dug out a few favorite old videos. Interest had waned a while ago, hadn't added anything new in even longer, but what the hell. Oldies but goodies.
He popped one into the bedroom VCR. After five minutes, he thought, I can't believe I ever got off on this stuff. He clicked the tube off and just lay back to enjoy the feel of his own hand.
Out of nowhere, right before he shot, came the thought of Daniel close against him, and he said his name -- a surprised question, almost like what are you doing here? -- and he came so hard he arched off the bed and tasted come on his own lips.
It stunned him.
Drums by Alyse - NC-17
The word for this story is atmosphere. You feel the sweat, the heat, and the throbbing drums. This is slightly qualified, there's something about the denouement that I don't quite believe, but you read this for the sheer sensuality of it. Then, you go back to the beginning and read it again. Er. Just in case you missed anything. *cough*
The air on this world was sweet and heavy. Luxuriant. The word rolled around in his mind, evidence, if any had been needed, at just how long he'd spent with his... their linguist. Luxuriant - a word that would have never occurred to him two, three years ago. Apt, though, to describe this place. It drugged his senses with the scent of the foliage growing abundantly around this crude encampment, now bruised and battered from their boot-clad feet trampling through it in the wake of their barefoot hosts. Heady and strong, that scent, sweet, making his head swim. A low rumble rolled through the night, finding an echo in the rapid pounding of his heart.
...thudda... da... da... thudda.. thudda... da...
Drums.
His breathing was unconsciously picking up the same rhythm, catching in his throat, his lips parted as he struggled to pull in enough of that fragrant air. He'd like to blame the current light-headedness he was feeling on the humidity, on that strong, demanding scent, on the harsh, bitter hooch he'd been served but Jack O'Neill had never been one for self-delusion, not in the long term.
May 17th, 2005 Recs
Same Old, Same Old by Teand
Teand skewers the 'aliens made them do it' cliche, in very funny, very well-characterized dialogue.
"I did enjoy myself the last time this happened. And the time before that on PK7 53R. And on PST 347 the time before that..."
"You bailed. Some crap about giving blood to the goddess."
"A perfectly valid excuse, sir."
"Kind of put a lot of pressure on poor Daniel though."
"You did not enjoy the pressure, DanielJackson?"
"It certainly sounded like he did. I could could hear him all the way over in the menstrual hut."
"Eww. Carter, ixnay on the enstrualmay. And, Daniel, after everything we've been through, how are you still able to blush?"
Census 2000 by Dorothy Marley
More humor: give Jack a census form and arm him with a pencil and boredom, and what do think the results will be? His response is exactly what you'd think. Don't miss the Census Bureau's follow-up phone call to Daniel, consumate liar extraordinaire.
Jack picked up the booklet and flipped through it again, scowling at the cheerful yellow borders and helpful arrows. The long form, too, just his luck. Twice the questions, half the fun. He put it down, then scowled even more at the envelope it had all come in, the words "Your Response Is Required By Law" stamped in big bold letters near the bottom.
"Kiss my ass," he muttered to himself.
Cold Comfort by Padawan Alli
An episode tag to "The Gamekeeper." After what they witnessing their worst memories (over and over again) Jack and Daniel get solidly drunk. The kind of drunk where Jack "alternates between drinking and breathing, trying not to confuse the two." Sloppy drunk. Miserable, unhappy drunk. The ending is what we'd expect, but Jack and Daniel manage to surprise us anyway.
"Hey." I hold up one of the six-packs. "Thought maybe you could use one of these."
Daniel snatches at something just next to the door. He dangles a glass with about a finger of amber liquid. I had no idea Daniel would hit the hard liquor. "Got a head start." He smiles sardonically.
For Now by Paian
Episode tag for "Evolution: Part 2." Now that I've seen all the way through season seven I can start reading episode tags. The way Jack is written here... strong, angry... is how he should always be written.
The world tilted. He raised his eyes to Jack's, from his new skewed perspective, and blinked. Almost, but not quite, uncomprehending.
"This is something you want?" Jack said. Low. Steady.
His body gave a minute jerk, as from a very tiny electric shock. He could feel his pupils dilate; he knew that Jack could see it. Very slowly, he nodded.
Jack rolled onto his side. Came up and in behind his hand, not moving it. Not jouncing the bed, not sending a jolt of agony through Daniel's right thigh, Daniel's tortured body. He turned his pillow, folding it to support his head. His eyes didn't leave Daniel's.
"For now," he said, "or for keeps?"
Frolicking by Jonah In The Whale
Very fun, very playful Gen bordering so closely on slash. Just like the show. *wink* Who can resist a fic with tickling?
Several minutes of squabbling later, they reached the edge of the flowers. As Daniel had observed earlier, the sea of flowers ended abruptly, the border so consistent as to be almost certainly unnatural. The team, at Jack's command, halted about thirty feet away.
"The plants are so close together, the effect is almost like a carpet," Sam marvelled.
"Bad seventies carpet," said Jack. "Don't tell me, this planet was terra-formed by the Goa'uld Donny Osmond."
"Actually, sir, this is one of those planets not on the Abydos cartouche --"
"Yes, Carter, I know. I do occasionally listen in the briefings."
Latin For The Novice by Delilah
More fun: Jack and Daniel flirt and spout Ancient at each other. It's annoying that some of the translations are at the bottom of the page, but you'll splutter when you read them. Oh, what I wouldn't give to read this first time.
"Vah! Denuone Latine loquebar? Me ineptum. Interdum modo elabitur."
The look of a stunned, completely speechless linguist was worth every agonizing ever-repeating minute in which Jack had not fulfilled his fantasy of throwing Dr. Mallozzi’s book (and Dr. Mallozzi if the bastard turned out to still be alive and kicking) through an open ‘gate.
"Okay ..." Well, almost completely speechless, as complete speechlessness was a Daniel-impossibility. "What do you mean ‘it just sort of slips out’?"
Slow Boil by Widget
More humor (whee! I seem to be on a humor kick, eh?). Jack is the man with the plan: just how to drive Daniel supremely up the wall.
Daniel's frowning slightly at me, whether from the headache I'm sure he's starting to get from working too long without a break or from suspicion that my intentions are somewhat less than pure. I'd be offended by that if it weren't absolutely true.
"Hey, Jack," he responds, rubbing his forehead. Yep, headache. I'll go easy on him then.
He squints curiously at me. "What's that you got in your mouth?"
"Tootsie Pop," I reply breezily pulling the lollipop from my mouth. "Grape. Wanna lick?" I ask, extending it in his direction.
Daniel hates when I play dumb and act like a snotty teenager rather than a highly decorated and extremely competent officer of the USAF. Consequently, it has become requisite behavior for whenever I'm planning on yanking Daniel's chain, which is pretty much my plan right about now.
Still Life With Cliche by Paian
Holy cow. An 'Aliens Made Them Do It' story that's not a cliche, with depth and real plot. Beware. This is painful, angst-ridden, if very hot. Intense. That's the word for it. Intense. And amazingly, in addition to Jack/Daniel, Paian has made Daniel/Sam gorgeous.
Sam shut the handheld off and went out to deliver the bad news. "Janet won't have an antidote for us in time," she said. "She's hampered by the degradation of the physical samples we send; she's had to work by simulation, she's doing it herself to keep the situation confidential, and ... " She ground her teeth at the patented cut-to-the-chase expression on the colonel's face. "We're shit outta luck, sir."
"As I was saying," Daniel said, resuming what had become a really tedious argument between himself and the colonel, "it's just sex. Our lives are at stake. In light of that, it's just not that big a deal."
The colonel's back was turned. "Find another way."
Storms by Meredith Lynne
Episode tag for The Torment Of Tantalus. Gen. A beautifully written and powerful character study: Jack and Daniel have it out over Daniel's attempt to stay behind (again), and Jack forces him to choose.
The race to the stargate gave Jack O'Neill very little time to collect his thoughts on the utter idiocy Daniel had been embracing with academic fervor just moments ago, but the thoughts seemed willing to collect themselves. They boiled into the forefront of his mind as his legs pumped and sweat flowed from his brow into his eyes. There should've been nothing distracting him from the utter necessity of pushing his body to its limits and beyond.
The Art Of The Deal by Littera Abactor
Hee. Daniel catches on a little too late just what these aliens want to watch.
"We are big or major fanatics of your Earthian artistes," eight-eyes said. "We would so like to view a skilled performance of your great Earthian art in person. In fact, it is why we have contactualized you."
Jack squinted at eight-eyes. Which great Earthian art?
The Midas Syndrome by Rheanna
The fact that this was on a humor list tells you just how much angst there is in the Stargate fandom. Wonderful Jack-voice, painful, awful situation, wonderful plot, characterization. Oh. Right. And this is Gen.
I think I flipped over about twice; it couldn't have been more than that;I was wearing a pack, and that stopped the rolling within the space of a few bounces once I was on the ground which, incidentally, was hard and cold, thank you for asking. I lay on my side, mentally running through the satisfying list of obscenities I keep on hand for these occasions. When they were done, I made a brief pass through the reserve list too.
The Words You Say by Shoshone
Gen and friendship, but wow, Shoshone has captured the unquestioning devotion and courage of that friendship when Jack steps on a Goa'uld mine. Throw in excellent characterization and Jack's ability to make light of any situation, and you have a damned fine story.
But this time...like I said, ever do something that is so beyond stupid that you sort of freeze on a dime because you know you've just done a really, REALLY bad thing. And that if you hold very still maybe Murphy and all the laws of physics will immediately cease moving time forward so you can rethink this one.
You know what I'm talking about. It's that click. Oh, yeah, so quiet, and yet somehow it manages to vibrate all the way up your leg. A truly precious sound. There's certainly nothing quite like it. That "oh, I am so fucked" triggering hum of a pressure sensitive mine going live beneath your foot.
April 1st, 2005 Recs
A Long Day's Journey In A Line by Sideburns
This is a qualified rec. It's pure fluff, which I love, and it's great how Daniel drives Jack absolutely bonkers. But the writing is not top notch. Still, I enjoyed it.
Daniel glanced over at his companion, who had his nose buried in a book, and gave an exasperated shake of his head. Exactly when had he and Jack traded personalities? He tweaked the tome in Jack's hand and said, "Good?"
"Mmm."
"You know, you really need to learn about line etiquette, Jack."
"Mmm."
Daniel made a fist and 'knocked' on the underside of the hardcover. "Jack? Line etiquette?"
A Million Days by Tallulah Rasa
This is Gen, and it's angsty, powerful and brilliant. Tallulah Rasa is a hell of a writer. What it was really like for Jack in Window of Opportunity.
There are two things Jack doesn't mind re-living over and over. One is the moment when Daniel believes him; the relief and hope of that moment is still sweet. The other is when Daniel first offers to help. Jack thinks it might be Daniel's peculiar genius, rather than Carter's scientific brilliance, that will get him out of this. And Daniel's so heartfelt, so willing, and there's always something surprising about that kind of generosity. He'd miss that, if he had to go through a loop without it; he'd realized that when he was dangling Daniel out of the Hilton window.
After This by Otter
Otter is an author I don't trust. Oh sure, yeah, Otter's characterizations are spot on and she's a hell of a story-teller. But she has a tendency to pull the rug out from under you at the last second, i.e., the last paragraph informs you, "oh yeah, by the way, the characters in this story are all dead." I would never rec a story that did that to you, however, and this piece is outstanding. You will not find a more masculine Jack and Daniel as soldiers story anywhere. I dare you to locate one (and if you find it, let me know, all right?).
Their clothes are strewn across the floor like debris in the wake of an explosion. Daniel's pants are across the room, a boobytrap waiting to ensnare the feet of anyone who tries to make it to the bathroom. Jack's shirt is MIA, and is likely hidden in the dark somewhere; the little medals and decorations pinned to the chest are caltrops, waiting for someone to tread on them.
Taking this into consideration, Jack thinks that it's probably safest for them both to stay in bed.
An Ordinary Day by Rosalita
Do you really need anything more than that opening line? This story from Jack's POV is hysterical.
Well, doesn't this just screw the pooch. I'm in love with Daniel Jackson.
Asked by Chelle
It's Gen, but it explains so much about the slashy undercurrents in Jack and Daniel's relationship. A well-characterized, funny and observant story. Jack and Daniel are not gay, but everyone thinks they are. The lines here sparkle with wit.
"Perhaps it would interest you to know that we analyzed thirty six point five hours and twenty-three seconds of security footage of you and Colonel O'Neill, and do you know what we found?" Simmons leaned forward, resting an arm on the table.
"That Jack's a lousy juggler?"
Being Daniel Jackson by Padawan Alli
I must be on a Gen kick. Despite the very slashy opening paragraph, this story is really a powerful look at the confusion Daniel feels just after he descended. Padawan Alli's experience as a writer shows in her careful word choices, excellent character voice, but what really makes this vignette such a good read is how Daniel understands those around him better than he understands himself.
I fumble with the glasses Sam gave me. I don’t really know what to do with them. She seemed so proud when she gave them to me. Like giving me-apparently-my glasses would somehow make “Daniel” come back.
Best Laid Plans by Marzilla
Hot Jack/Daniel PWP. It has no socially redeeming value whatsoever, nor does it need it. I confess to a kink for "almost caught" Jack/Daniel stories. This fulfills that nicely. I like the Jack characterization better the Daniel, but… oh… who cares?
Jack's hand slid through Daniel's hair, crown to nape, then tilted Daniel's head back against the pillow they were sharing. His mouth pressed damp kisses down Daniel's neck. Daniel kept his eyes shut, but he sighed with enjoyment, sleep now beyond his grasp. "You didn't get enough yesterday?"
Bill and Ted Overlook the Universe by Tallulah Rasa
More Gen. This one is a character study, and a Jack and Daniel friendship story. Jack's world is slowly righted and pieced back together after witnessing Daniel's death - not 'his' Daniel's death, but the robot Daniel. But still… witnessing that….
When the shooting on P3X-722 finally stops, Jack inches his head over the ridge and counts. There are five bodies scattered around the clearing, two close in and three farther back, by a stone outcropping. One of the dead guys lost his head, literally, during the fighting; an energy blast from one of his own men must have gone wide. Even at this distance Jack can tell it's no one he knows lying there, but the memory from Juna lingers, and it's hard not to see the headless body as Daniel's. The other Daniel's. The Daniel from PX3-989, who probably drove his Jack crazy analyzing the possible derivations of Harlan's incessant "comtraya!" But still, Daniel.
Bookstore by Spring
This is a three-part series with a fun Jack-voice and a situation that leaves me with a warm, pleasant buzz. The other parts were too syrupy for me, but you might want to look them up. The best part: the bookstore clerk. Oh, I know people like this!
The night had been normal, great and confusing all together. Dinner, meat grilled by yours truly out back and veggies done by Daniel, had been very good. Jack had been leery of the eggplant stuff Daniel had made but it was pretty good. Regular dinner conversation and then cleaning up. Afterwards a game on tv for Jack and a book to read for Daniel. Jack was amazed at how much like an old married couple they were, even after six months together. How absolutely normal this felt and was.
Driving Me Crazy by Ximeria
A slow ride to an even more slowly burgeoning relationship the two of them fall into effortlessly. You need to be in the right mood for this fic. Put on a little jazzy Shade. Pour a glass of wine. Light a candle. And enjoy the ride.
Jack took another look out of from behind the curtains and sighed. What a way to spend his downtime. He still had no idea why he had not simply gone to the cabin to get away, but with the reporters currently parked outside his door it no longer seemed a viable option.
Geek Humor by Xochiquetzl & Dionysus
Doesn't have the punch of Xochiquetzl's I Never, but a good, light-hearted laugh.
From: Jaffa.Tealc@CMAFB.USAF.MIL
To: CarterSA@CMAFB.USAF.MIL
Subject: Usenet information errors
Major Carter, I regret to inform you that several persons have placed false information in the area of the usenet information server called alt.sex.with.aliens.true.confessions. I have never, on any occasion, had sexual relations with any of the nurses in the infirmary.
Please correct this information immediately.
I Never by Xochiquetzl with Dionysus
Xochiquetzl has the team dynamics down, and this story would work without the slash elements. It has the best ping-ponging conversational snap I've read since Bill The Pony's Foolish Games.
"It's a drinking game," Jack explained, placing a tray loaded with beers, mugs, a bottle of Jack Daniels, and a stack of shot glasses in the center of the table. "The point is that you get really drunk really fast." He sat and started pouring shots.
"It's not the getting drunk part to which I object," Daniel said, and sighed. "The game works like this, Teal'c: We take turns telling everyone something we've never done before. For example, I dunno, I could say, 'I've never had sex on a plane.'"
It's All About The Quantum by Annie D.
What impresses me about this intense, rather disturbing story is that the structure of the tale matches the subject matter. Jack is bounced between realities, and we bounce with him, only slowly finding out what's going on. I didn't want to rec this fic: too much angst for me, but it just stuck with me and I was thinking about it weeks later.
The six days had taken its toll on them. Jack was slouching in his chair, drumming his fingers restlessly against the table. Daniel looked like the only reason he was still sitting upright was sheer force of will, the lack of sleep finally having caught up with him. Carter had the measured expression of someone who’d just missed Christmas, but was determined not to look disappointed. As some sort of comfort, Teal’c looked faintly unperturbed about the whole thing.
Things Learned By Moonlight by Chelle
This is considered to be a bit of a Sam-bashing story, but I didn't see it that way at all. Perhaps because I've never been convinced that her crush on Jack was ever that deep, perhaps because it's just so much fun to play voyeur over her shoulder.
Sam moved silently through the trees. It was training, she supposed, since there was no need for silence. They were the second team to visit the planet, brought in when the writing on the nearby ruins had eluded SG-6's linguist. Daniel had, of course, been sent to figure it out. Daniel Jackson, Super Linguist. Smiling, she made a mental note to buy him a red cape for his next birthday or maybe just for fun.
Love Can Be Painful by Pough
I roared with laughter. This is a story you'll want to read over and over again. Pough's rambling Jack-voice is terrific, the situation… haaahahahaaaha! Best of all, the relationship between Jack and Daniel really portrayed through a guy's unvarnished perspective.
Here's just a helpful hint from your Uncle Jack-when it's the middle of the night and you're on a light muscle relaxant and your knees are basically shot anyhow, that is not the time to bring a new move to the mat. Sooooo not the right time.
Which is why I find myself driving to the Academy Hospital at 0320. Oh, and just so we're crystal, no matter how many times you try it, driving with your left foot is never an easy thing.
Minnesota by Kylie Lee
Lushly described, warm, sexy and romantic, without falling into the trap of losing that masculine edge. Mmm. Just right. Jack and Daniel at Jack's cabin.
Daniel, wiping water out of his eyes, felt mud squish around his toes as he settled to the bottom of the lake, just off the dock. He watched as Teal'c folded his arms. Teal'c wore a ratty sleeveless T-shirt, baggy shorts that came to his knees, and Tevas. He also wore a hat to cover Apophis's symbol on his forehead. Despite his casual attire, he still looked large-large and formidable.
Past Imperfect by Widget
Post-ascension, introspective perspective on Daniel and memory. As Daniel recovers his memories, he understands more and more about his relationship with Jack. This neatly fits into Fallen with barely a click.
His name is Daniel.
At least, that is what he has been told by these people in whose company he now finds himself. He repeatedly rolls the name around in his mind, silently formulating the individual sounds of which it is composed. The name feels…odd, like an ill-fitting garment, simultaneously constraining and amorphous. The name is a bit like the clothing they have given him to wear; he decides. It doesn’t seem to fit properly either.
Grown Men Don't Freak by Annie D and Katryne
Funny, frustrating. I wanted to wring Daniel's neck, Jack's neck, and the necks of anyone and anything who came between them - including and especially Daniel's neurosis! This was a job well done, writers. Annie D. and Katryne clearly understand that being gay or bisexual does not make a guy any less a guy. This was so perfectly executed.
“Hey kids!” he greeted cheerfully as he strolled in, effortlessly filling up the room with his presence.
Daniel looked at him. It was the same Jack. Colonel. Team leader. Friend. Hero. Pain in the ass.
Bisexual.
Okay. It was obvious his brain still needed some time to recover.
Stumbling Home by Chelle
I'm lukewarm about this story, but the fine characterizations and gentle, slow sensuality of it just lured me in.
Daniel nodded. They'd just had their first team night since his return. It had been shockingly close to old times. Jack still played the buffoon to Teal'c's straight man, and Daniel still brought out his friend's inner nine-year-old. Sam still watched them all with an amused grin. It had been a good night. "I can't believe you kept it."
The Package by Chelle
This is my all-time favorite Jack/Daniel porn fic thus far. Jack's nosiness is so perfectly characterized, as is Daniel's smirking, rather challenging manner. Their looping arguments, where somehow Daniel turns Jack's words inside-out are an absolute hoot - and Daniel's brilliant here, he really is. But the best part is the sex and their emotional state. Wow.
Inserting the key into Daniel’s mailbox, Jack turned it to the right and pulled. To his surprise, it opened easily. The last time Jack had retrieved Daniel’s mail it had stuck and Daniel’s downstairs neighbor had given him suspicious looks for a month. Reaching inside he pulled out the mail and flipped through it. Electric bill, credit card offer, credit card offer, credit card statement, Jack considered opening that one for half a second before tucking the envelopes under his arm and heading for the elevator.
Viva! Las Vegas by Suz
If you'd told me two weeks ago that I'd read a Jack/Jonas fic, I would've laughed in your face. This scenario, however, was fun. It's not a strong story, there's some implausibility that makes me wince and the writing's not outstanding. But Jack's straight lines make it all worthwhile.
"We'll be *fine*, Carter." Jack appreciated it, but she did worry too much sometimes. "I promise I won't try to throttle him at least until we get back, okay? And now he can stop complaining that he never gets to go anywhere off base that isn't related to work. You know this'll be his first commercial flight?"
Volunteers by Remma
Very silly. I loved it. A conversation-only piece that gets the character voices perfect. But it's the situation and the SGC's (cough, cough) generosity that will crack you up.
"Well, now here's the thing. The difference in our physiognomy to that of the Poolegien people means that instead of making Daniel simply amenable to sexual intimacy, his body actually craves it like a drug. What you're seeing from him now is an extreme form of withdrawal."
"And once again Daniel is addicted to some alien hoodoo. Peachy."
Slow Burn by Padawan Alli
Very hot, very male, quite pissed off sex following Scorched Earth. But what could have been a PWP gives us instead a very three-dimensional picture of Jack and Daniel's relationship. Padawan's characters come to vivid life: their gestures, their tone, their banter. This really is Jack and Daniel here. Watch this author. She's new to Stargate, but clearly not to fanfic.
Jack managed to hold his tongue during the debriefing. Carter and Daniel discussed the simple solution to the Enkaran's problem with the Gadmeer ship, and Jack kept to the facts. He refused to think about giving the order to detonate the naquadah reactor while Daniel was on the ship. He wasn't going to think about it. Not now and not later. Nope, wasn't thinking about it.
Hammond stood up. "SG-1, you are dismissed."
Jack shot up out of his chair and stood at Daniel's elbow. He wasn't thinking about it. "Daniel? A word?" Jack said evenly. Okay, maybe he was thinking about it. A little.
Daniel shut his folder. "Yeah, Jack?" He flinched when he looked up at Jack, then leaned back in the chair, licking his lips.
You Can Go Home Again by ELG
Two things about ELG: 1) she really needs meaner, leaner betas who'll cut the verbosity and, 2) her insights are right on, lightning strike between the eyes accurate. This story is supposedly Gen, but Jack watching Daniel shower in a waterfall? You be the judge. What I love most here is ELG's vivid descriptions and winking observations of human nature.
The first was Harlan crying over the remains of their dead robotic doubles. Seeing that annoying little fat guy stroking the hair of a robot Daniel's severed head had weirded O'Neill out so much he'd practically sprinted from the 'gateroom. He'd covered by saying he just wanted to check on Teal'c in the infirmary, but the fact was he hadn't even begun to deal with the reality of their android selves having been out there all that time. He'd schooled himself to forget about them in the years since they'd left them behind on P3X-989 with explicit instructions to bury the 'gate after them. He dealt with the thought of them the same way he dealt with thoughts of those alternate universes that apparently existed on the other side of that crated up quantum mirror - by not thinking about them. As far as he was concerned he was the only Jack O'Neill the universe needed and he wasn't thinking about any replicas of himself or any other members of his team, thank you.
Consequently, looking into the eyes of a robot double who had obviously been kidding himself along exactly the same lines, had been a disconcerting experience.
March 6th, 2005 Recs: Sorry guys, I was lazy in this first batch. I will get to giving a review of each story soon. I'm catching up on reviews, almost done.
Loki's Curse by Jonah in the Whale - NC-17
This is a long, slow ride of gentle attraction and building warmth, very subtle. Plus there's a plot: it turns out Loki made more than one copy of an SGC member, and mini-Jack is in trouble. What's so clever is that the plot mirrors and amplifies the unspoken bond between Jack and Daniel, so that it weaves together seamlessly. I can't say enough good things about Loki's Curse.
"I may not remember everything, but I remember enough."
So Daniel had said to Jack, just before they packed him and Jonas off to Anubis' mothership.
At the time Jack had appreciated the sentiment, and distrusted the words themselves. How could Daniel, who had forgotten nearly everything anyone tried to remind him of, think he remembered enough? Remembering the concept of being on a team, remembering how to use a weapon, how to watch his own back, how to react under fire--that was what Daniel had meant by "I remember enough"; and maybe that was the kind of reassurance he thought Jack had needed, in order to have confidence in him to carry out the almost-suicide mission. Sure, it had been great that Daniel had gotten all that stuff back so quickly. Muscle-memory. Instinct and reaction. But it wasn't enough. It wasn't anything like enough.
Three months on, and Jack still wasn't certain that Daniel remembered 'enough'.
A Christmas Wish by danVers - NC-17
Danvers always has well-rounded supporting characters and a real sense of the SGC. This is no exception. Jack and Daniel and Christmas, this story delivers exactly what you want.
George Hammond was a very relaxed man today as he watched his nearest and dearest with smiles on their faces and without a care in the world. It wasn't the fact that they suddenly didn't have a care, it was more the fact that for maybe a few days some of them could forget that the Goa'uld were out there making people kneel before their gods.
Hammond turned his head when a rowdy laugh erupted somewhere behind him. It wasn't a surprise that the source of the rowdiness was Jack O'Neill. He stood in his element, a crowd around him as he told one of his terrible jokes.
And Ducks Go Quack Quack by Sandman - PG
This is a very strange story, and yet I like it. Gen, General Hammond has one of his more bizarre days at the SGC.
George Hammond spent the better part of the morning cleaning up after his 'wife's cat' before hurrying off to work, without coffee, only to arrive ten minutes late anyhow. What a morning. Well, at least SG-1's due back this afternoon. Wait a minute, who said that was a good thing?
Ciphers by Destina Fortunato -- PG, pre-slash
Ooo. This has a fascinating plot. Daniel runs into some abandoned off-world technology resulting in synaesthesia. I read this, forgot where I saw it, and am so glad to find it again.
"Can you see anything?" Carter asked. She craned her neck, trying to see around Daniel's shoulders as he wriggled into the small aperture, but there wasn't room. A small ground tremor caused her to sway back and forth; she steadied herself with a hand on Daniel's thigh.
"There's some kind of writing down here," Daniel answered. His voice was muffled, absorbed by the open space below and stopped by his shoulders, which were blocking the hole. "I'd love to get a look at it."
Coffee and Confrontations by Kelsie B. -- PG
This is Gen, and I believe this ridiculous bet, oh yes I do. If I visualize them at the end of the week taking out their frustrations on each other in Daniel's bedroom, well, that's my prerogative. Says General Hammond, "I must not be keeping you people busy enough."
Monday
"Done," Jack and Daniel said in unison, shaking hands as Sam, Teal'c and General Hammond joined them in the conference room. They sat down without explanation, and Sam decided she had to ask.
"Done?" she said, looking at them expectantly. "Don't tell me this is another bet."
Twenty-Nine by Destina Fortunato - NC-17
General Jack O'Neill, entombed at the SGC, finally loses it. And there is jealousy! Yes! And steamy sex.
"The Secretary of Defense left a non-urgent request that you call him as soon as possible, General. Also, you have a briefing with SG-9 at 1400 to discuss the possible ramifications of modifying the trade agreement with the Salish, and you are scheduled to attend Dr. Lee's demonstration of the technology retrieved from PR4-7782."
Jack roused himself from thoughts of napping on the couch while the Simpsons droned on in the background, and asked, "Is that all, Walter?"
"No, sir."
"Of course not."
Crossroads by Titti - NC-17
An unusual start to their relationship, pristine characterization, and very real, very adult sex.
Mexico - April 2, 2010
Uxmal Ruins
Daniel emerged from one of the areas closed to the public, and went to the cafeteria built for the many tourists that invaded the ruins every day. It was so easy to blend with all the Americans trampling around the Great Pyramid, and Daniel didn't disdain the opportunity to work, for once, in a place where hamburgers, coke and coffee were served in an air-conditioned room.
Daniel As Girl Fic by Danvers
I'm patiently awaiting the completion of this rather odd fic. J
Fables by the wild mole - NC-17
A warm, real, and comforting look at Daniel's return after "The Crystal Scull," what gets me here is the absolutely accurate unspoken understanding between the two of them. Jack knows exactly what's going on and they speak in that broken code of theirs, that's half words and mostly just each other's presence.
Jack took a sip from his beer and watched Daniel paw through the contents of his refrigerator. From the way Daniel was tossing stuff into the waste bin by the sink, it looked to be a prime night for takeout.
Esprit de Corps by Quercus and G.
PG-13, basically Gen with a slightly undefinable slashy undertone, Jack teaches Daniel a thing or two about leadership and team-building.
J. J. Ruadh stared up at Daniel, her long braid coiled around her shoulder like a snake. He stared back, feeling his lip curl in frustration with her. "Doctor Jackson," she said coldly, and turned.
"J. J."
She turned back, sighing with impatience. "J. J., you need to remember that SG-1 is a field unit." He couldn't believe he was parroting Jack back to her. "That means I won't be here. I need to be able to rely on the department to function in my absence."
Only Love Survives by Quercus - NC-17
SG-1 is imprisoned in an alien culture, trapped in dreams. This is both sweet, painful and lovely, with a very believable, strange alien culture.
I'd been negotiating with the Rahimans for over a week now, on behalf of the Chhira. We'd gone to P5X-699 only to discover a cold war between the two countries that was quickly escalating into outright warfare. For reasons I still didn't understand, both sides had asked SG-1 to intervene, and General Hammond had asked me, as earth's cultural liaison, to work with them to avoid the coming war.
How an archaeologist and linguist became a diplomat, I never knew.
The Unvictorious Ones by Quercus (I'd rate this NC-17 for sheer horror, but it's really R)
Warning: This is the most depressing story I've ever read. It's Gen, flavored slightly with hints of Jack/Daniel (the attraction/admiration is there). This story, this world, I loathe to say it, but the plot is too depressingly possible. Human beings have historically been this horrible, and you will probably want something to follow this story to scrub the images out of your mind. I would never recommend something that was unredeemably depressing, but Daniel's courage and altruism makes this story worth reading. Oh. And it's beautifully written and the characterization's note perfect, but with Quercus that's a given.
Jack bent over Daniel, keeping the sun out of his face, trying to cushion his ride in the uncomfortable cart. Sweat rolled down his forehead and dripped onto Daniel, joining his sweat, smudging the dust that had settled over them all. He gently wiped Daniel's face, who opened his eyes to smile up at Jack.
"Thank you," he whispered, and Jack smiled back at him, nearly overwhelmed by the tenderness he felt. "Really, I'm all right, Jack."
The Grave Yields Back Her Robberies by Quercus - NC-17
I'm getting tired, so forgive my short description of a long, lushly described story on an Asgard-protected planet. It has a happy ending, too.
Jack watched Daniel closely as he followed him tramping through the countryside on P2X-whatever-Carter-called-it. Beautiful man, he thought, no longer embarrassed that he so considered Daniel. Beautiful country, too, Jack supposed, although he missed the desert sometimes. But the stargate here was near the sea, or an enormous lake, hard to tell until they reached it, and he liked being near water. Behind them and around the lake were jagged peaks covered in what looked like redwoods. At the highest points, snow -- a lot of snow. It couldn't be more than five Celsius. At least they were up high; the gate had a good view of the beach curling off in either direction, disappearing into a misty horizon, through which the sun couldn't penetrate.
Teal'c was on point, with Carter next, and then Daniel, where Jack could keep an eye on him.
Five Moons by Destina Fortunato - R, if I remember correctly
Razor-sharp Jack/Daniel banter that could have been lifted from the show would make this fic, even without the excellent interesting plot, believable alien technology, and unique method of bringing Jack and Daniel together. Oh yeah, sure, I'd love to have a little sex here, too, but that would be greedy.
"Making progress, are we?" Jack lounged against a steep white pillar and watched Daniel as he worked. The mellow sunshine of P4C-282 was a pleasant change from the dark interior of Cheyenne Mountain.
Daniel squinted up at him. "Trying to, yes."
"Am I distracting you?"
"What if I said yes?" It was a game they played, the game that kept Jack focused, kept him from becoming too bored while Daniel did his scientist-thing.
Groceries by James Walkswithwind - PG-13
It's not a perfect story, and James' more recent work has more emotional impact. But James has that special ability to find the bizarre and funny in the very ordinary. Here, Jack goes shopping for Daniel, and Daniel's tape-recorded list will crack you up.
Jack stood in the infirmary, watching the nurse at Daniel's bedside. Daniel was being quiet and cooperative -- a sharp contrast from two hours ago when they'd brought him in here. Jack figured it was the cast that made the difference. Now that every jostle and movement wasn't causing excruciating pain, Daniel could relax and stop yelling at the medical staff.
Jack hoped that was the case -- he didn't want to find out that Daniel was merely being polite so Dr. Fraiser would release him early. As the nurse walked away, Jack moved forward. Daniel saw him, and smiled. Jack loved that smile. He couldn't help but return it.
"So. They tell me you're outta here tomorrow?" Jack said.
Cloudwork by James Walkswithwind - PG-13, I think. I'm writing these waaaay after the fact.
A lazy, peaceful vignette.
There were clouds covering the sky: large, billowy clouds which had a technical name that meant they looked like large cotton balls spilled across the floor of the sky. Daniel knew the names for them in a dozen languages, but the English technical term escaped him. They were cloud-watching clouds, the kind you found pictures in on long, hot days spent doing nothing but lying in the grass and thinking deep thoughts. Popsicles, or ice cream. Baseball, or swimming. Stay where you were, or move a fraction of an inch to get away from the ant trail. Philosophical thoughts.
Grounded by Pares
Daniel was... doodling. Jack was pretty sure that the sketches marching across Daniel's notepad were not the glyphs of some alien language. Except for the parts that were.
It wasn't like Daniel not to pay attention at a debriefing, but then, if Jack himself had been paying as much attention as he was supposed to, he wouldn' t have noticed that Daniel was drawing long necked birds-- cranes maybe, or egrets, and diamond-backed snakes in his margins.
When Hammond sent them on their way with a tasty 48 hours of leave, Daniel looked up at nothing in particular, but remained in his chair, idly drumming his fingers on the table.
A Thousand Words For Oops by Teand - NC-17
Okay, I confess, I don't for one millisecond believe the action sequence at the end, but with spot-on characterization, great one-liners that could've been lifted from the show, I don't care. Who can resist a slave-fic where Jack is the slave?
"And once again, trees."
Daniel ran his hand through his hair and resettled his boonie. "These are different than what we usually gate into." He took two steps forward, toward the edge of clearing, and stopped at Jack's unmistakable gesture. "They're more Mediterranean, less lower British Columbia."
"So?"
He shrugged and returned to Jack's side. "Just making an observation."
T-Minus Ten And Counting by Teand - NC-17
Jack and Daniel are stuck on base in quarantine, and are desperately furious with each other… and desperate for each other. Who cracks first?
"Welcome back SG-1, your timing is impeccable."
"Thank you, General." Coming to a stop halfway down the ramp, Colonel Jack O'Neill rested both arms on his P-90 and grinned. "I've always prided myself on my tidy timing."
"Impeccable means *exact*, Jack, not tidy."
The grin twisted as he glared at the man to his left. "I know that, Daniel."
"Really? Then I guess I'm just being deliberately annoying." Dr. Jackson's expressive brows rose above the upper edge of his glasses. "Again."
Jack's lip curled. "Always smart to play to your strengths."
Safely behind the two men, Major Samantha Carter and Teal'c rolled their eyes, the movement so perfectly synchronized General Hammond suspected they'd had a lot of practice over the last two days. It had clearly been one of *those* missions. Colonel O'Neill and Dr. Jackson had found something fundamental to disagree about, had fortified their positions, and the slightest compromise was now perceived as total surrender.
To Drive The Cold Winter Away by Thevetia - PG-13
The nature of his Jack's family comes as such a surprise, and yet it's so real. I believed it, I've seen this too often not to. It's only sort of slash, and yes, it doesn't take the expected route - anywhere. That, the vivid description and the emotions that ring so true makes this a painfully real gem.
Time got lost at the SGC. Sometimes they went for weeks without seeing the daylight, or starlight, of Earth.
P6R525 was a dry, barren, intermittently sandy planet, that is to say, a desert. At least that part of it where the Stargate was located. There were some nice ruins beyond the gate, recent enough and anomalous enough to intrigue everybody into puzzling out who and what could have built them and destroyed them and why, and where did they come from and where did they go. There was plenty to keep everyone busy, which was good. Lots of hard work, and hard thought, and nights of pleasant exhausted oblivion. Memories had no chance against the lures of new discovery. Even so, Daniel had caught Jack watching him every now and then, which bugged him, because he was fine. Just because it was a desert didn't mean anything. It wasn't anything like Abydos. Not enough sand. No people. No dreams.
But this time, when they came back home through the Stargate, and surfaced at last like moles up out of the mountain, it was suddenly December, and Christmas in the outside world.
"Daniel, got a minute?"
Infinite Possibilities by Brenda
Pain. Smoke. Burning. Noise.
The acrid smoke stung Daniel Jackson's eyes, and he wiped them with the bloodied sleeve of his jacket. It was no good. He'd lost his glasses and his sight when the Goa'uld stun grenade landed too close to him. When he came to he was alone, and he'd been dazedly stumbling along since then, trying to find his team. His vision was coming back, but the landscape was a blur, whether from the effects of the grenade or his likely concussion he didn't know. He remembered the four of them and SG3 running from the contingent of Jaffa pursuing them, lungs burning, legs straining, Jack at his side urging him on. Then he heard a warning shout in his ear, saw the bright, blinding flash of the Goa'uld device, then the sudden sensation of falling. A long, long way. Then nothing.
P4X-229 was very Earth-like, and they were in the foothills of a larger mountain range. He must've rolled down a hillside when the grenade hit.
Interlude by Ineke - NC-17
Guh. Great, very masculine characterizations of both Jack and Daniel, great, very masculine hot and sweaty sex. I'm starting to note there are a Lot of NC-17 stories on my list, hmm.
Trust Daniel to be the one guy on the face of Planet America who didn't have a church key somewhere in his kitchen. It didn't go a long way towards validating the barely-there effort at masculinity that was Daniel even having beer in the fridge, and so maybe it was lucky that Jack just happened to be a resourceful kind of guy. Good with his hands and nifty in times of peril; just generally the kind of person you'd want around when faced with unopenable beer on the one Earth day that wound up being hotter than an Abydonian spring break.
Jack dealt the crowns of the bottles a neat blow on the edge of the kitchen island.
"Fuck."
Kwoosh! by Anais - NC-17
One of my all-time favorite stories. Anais manages to blend slash, hot sex, and a sense of glorious wonder that, yes, we can go anywhere in the universe with the stargate. It's that wonder that I love most about some of my favorite episodes, "The Nox," "The Torment of Tantalus" and "The Fifth Race," and it's rarely found in fanfiction, let alone fanfiction with steamy realistic sex.
A body can get used to anything, even being hung. So my grandmother used to say when I bitched about how cold the bathroom was in winter. I guess she was right again. A body can get used to anything. Amazing how we take stuff for granted really.
I said that to Daniel, not looking up from my newspaper. We were hanging out waiting for General Hammond to get the de-brief together - just the two of us. Carter and Teal'c were running late and Daniel and I thought we might get there first, just to bug the Punctuality Twins for once. Daniel was sitting on the edge of the briefing room table, scratching his nose and skimming through his notes. I was checking out the sports section.
I heard the gate clunk and hiss into life and checked my watch. "SG3?"
"Yeah. Think so..." Daniel said. "My God...isn't this just bizarre?"
Dr. Jackson's Diary by Anais - NC-17
There is no describing this absolutely rib-crackingly funny 12-month daily journey through Dr. Jackson's neurotic mind and even stranger life. All I can do is promise you: this story (and it's gloriously looooong) is the reason many have started reading Jack/Daniel slash. This story is the reason I started reading Jack/Daniel started reading Jack/Daniel slash. And it is… I can't do it. I can't describe it. Sex has never been funnier than this. Never. Ever.
Monday January 1st
Alcohol units 18 (hideous) Chocolate chip cookies 13 (ugh) Coffee (lost count around 3pm) Time spent drunkenly badmouthing Wallace Budge - total of 86 minutes and 22 seconds. Visits to infirmary 0 (v.good)
An exceptionally bad start to the year.
Crescent Moon Lodge by Anais - NC-17
This feels unfinished, but holy hell hot. And Anais lush descriptions are as welcome as ever.
"Would someone like to tell me why my inbox is full of Nostradamus and why this coffee tastes like shit?"
He hated himself the second the words were out of his mouth. It was the whiny, sarcastic teacher-tone that had made numerous dumb Ivy-Leaguers curse the name of Dr. Jackson when he was a TA at Chicago. It had been a bitch of a day - a bitch of a week, in fact - no make that a bitch of a month, and the last thing he needed was a cup of instant to add the crowning insult of having to listen to the so called prophecies of that Provencal doomvendor for the nth time.
No Consequences by Brenda
If you knew in advance that everything is always going to go back to the way it was, you could do anything, for as long as you want, without having to worry about consequences.
Way to go, Danny. You had to go and put that thought into my head, didn't you? I was willing to sit here day after day like a good colonel and learn Latin and have the Ancients' language crammed into my brain again, but you had to bring up the idea of 'no consequences.' Could do whatever I want. For as long as I want. No consequences.
"One Bare Hour" by Dorothy Marley
The writing blurred in front of Daniel's gaze again, the tantalizingly familiar hieratic characters swirling into gibberish for what seemed like the hundredth time. He squeezed his eyes shut, making a vain attempt to clear his vision, then took off his glasses to rub his aching eye sockets, tossing the glasses onto the cluttered surface of his desk. It was no use. Normally, this was the kind of linguistic puzzle that would keep him occupied for days on end, but this time, it wasn't working. He'd been sitting here staring at the photographs from P9R-475 for an hour, and he'd been aware of every minute of that hour, all but counting off each second as it ticked by.
Past Imperfect by Widget
His name is Daniel.
At least, that is what he has been told by these people in whose company he now finds himself. He repeatedly rolls the name around in his mind, silently formulating the individual sounds of which it is composed. The name feels…odd, like an ill-fitting garment, simultaneously constraining and amorphous.
Grace by Destina Fortunato -- PG-13
This is very short, yet the image of Daniel and Sam's reason for inviting him over lingers, and I find myself revisiting the vignette. It's not romantic, but it is intensely emotional in an understated, contained way.
Sam had decided Sunday afternoons shouldn't be spent alone. They were better spent in the company of a friend -- especially a friend who was willing to help her mount shelves and chip away old bathroom tile.
"Almost," Daniel said. He motioned to Sam to lift her end of the shelf, and she did, hoisting it a fraction of an inch. Daniel situated the level; the shelf was centered. "You have the pencil?"
Pavlov by Kalimyre - NC-17
Utterly unique alien culture (if you can call it a 'culture'), utterly familiar situation (no guns, locked up), this is the most convincing Aliens-Made-Them-Do-It story I've seen in this fandom. The concept is a cliché, the execution here? Definitely not. Jack would be pleased.
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Date: 2005-03-07 02:12 am (UTC)Icarus