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SupernaturalSomething of a themed set of recs this time. We got Dean with baby, baby Dean and gender swap fun:Untitled by booniesGen with undertones Very silly but cute story that sees Sam and Dean playing surrogate dads to an orphaned boy."Listen up, kid," began Dean authoritatively, "rule number one"The boy toppled over, snuggling into the seat.”Yeah, okay, we'll finish this conversation when you wake up."Family Comes First by ethrosdemonGenThis has already been recced all over and with good reason - it's brilliant. After a brief relationship Dean fathers a son called Jack and gives up a life of hunting to raise him. I adore the Dean in this story - he's recognisably the same strong, noble jackass from the series but this is a Dean who has finally realised that his life and his identity don't have to revolve around hunting. I love the fact that Dean immediately gives up hunting to raise Jack and that it is Sam who hunts on his own, Sam who wants to train Jack in the same way they were trained by their father. It's an interesting role reversal and one I completely buy into. The story also manages the Herculean feat of making me really like an original female character. Becky just plain rocks and the fact that I finished the story wanting her to commit to Sam shows just how well written she was. Go read - it will really cheer up your day!When Jack starts kindergarten, Dean actually cries. Sam laughs so hard he thinks he's broken something vital. Becky kicks Sam in the ass with her sandal when he doubles over, and Dean jumps on his back as the school bus rounds the corner. Living in Limbo by trollprincessGen This story also features Papa Dean as he becomes a father after a one night stand with a waitress. Rather melancholy in tone this story reads like the flipside of the sweet stories linked above - a dark fairytale full of menace in which you're not sure that there is going to be a happy ending."I had a bad dream about you, Uncle Sammy," she says, a gut punch in words.Sam forgets to breathe."I had a bad dream about you, too, kiddo," he says, and may not remember how to start breathing again for days.Under the Haystack by janissa11GenThe authoress calls this crack fic. This is clearly because she is a humble, humble woman because this story is just plain brilliant. Dean is cursed and wakes up as his seven year old self. It should be silly but isn't owing to the author's tender depiction of Little Dean. Little Dean manages to be feral, smart, foul mouthed, self possessed, and an utterly terrified little boy desperate to see his Daddy all at the same time. Little Dean just about broke my heart into a million pieces. I loved the sequence of him playing with Missouri's dog Duchess - it's clear that Dean didn't have a lot of time to just be a kid - but he can be with Sam. And Sam, oh Sam how much did I love you in this story? His agony over losing his Dean, his terror of having to play protector for the first time in his life, his fierce determination to take care of Dean - beautiful. The brief sequence with John just killed me. The Dean in this story is everything that I wanted Little Dean in the flashbacks sequences in Something Wicked to be and wasn't. It's a testament to the strength of the story that when I re-watch Something Wicked it will be this Dean I'll be seeing in my head.Dean is so small it hurts Sam someplace deep inside. He doesn't ever remember seeing Dean small, ever remember thinking of him as being small. To his little-brother eyes, Dean has always had a bigger-than-me glamour, and it is bittersweet now, while Dean climbs into his crisp new jeans and shirt, struggles with the laces of his stiff new sneakers. To Sam, Dean's always been larger than life. This jars him, makes him feel helpless and scared and overwhelmed with the sudden responsibility.Sew Buttons on Ice Cream (See if they Stick) and ...And the Horse You Rode In On both by trollprincessSam/Dean gender swapFurther adventures with girl/Sam and girl/Dean. Takes place in the same universe as This One Time, In a Michelle Pfeiffer Movie

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Ok so admittedly there are days when I'm not as quick on the uptake as I would like but it has dawned on me that tagging my entries "House"or "Supernatural" was a tad pointless as all the stories recced so far are from the Firefly, House and Supernatural fandoms. So, I'm going to go back and try and tag all the entries by author name so that if you want to say read everything I've recced by maygra you won't have to trawl through the entries.Just wanted to give a shout out to The Lawrence Awards set up by the amazing winterlive. Its's the first fandom wide awards set up for Supernatural media. There are lots of categories for Supernatural fanfiction and hell I'm already drawing up my shortlist. Nominations open May 15th.Artificial Exemplar by MayginGenI found this via a rec on TWOP and its adorable. Story of young Sam, Dean and a host of gummi bears on Halloween. Mr. Churbie's a friggin gummie bear Sammy; he can't hit you. You just killed an innocent. Sam expertly gave his brother the ˜oh my god, he's lost it look". But Dean wasn' backing down; he was in full debate mode. "Would you kill a man if he were possessed by an evil spirit?"No. Sam said defensively."Even if he did some horrible things while possessed?"Sam slumped, head tilted. "Dean, it's a gummie bear! He emphasized."It's a gummie bear that was used against his will". He said matter-of-factly. "And you just up and killed him". He shook his head. "I gotta say I'm a little worried about taking you on hunts Sammy with that attitude".Where You Land by sevenfistsGenBittersweet story telling the tale of the week Sam and Dean spent in Stanford searching for the demon after Jess's death. The end of the world, but Dean was here, Dean still loved Sam even though he had left; Dean, at least, forgave him. As for Sam, he was still breathing, which had to count for something."You'll live," Dean had said, and for the first time, Sam thought that he actually might.Caught in the Sun by trollprincessSam/DeanDean cheerfully rationalises his relationship with Sam.The World About to Come by esorlehcarSam/DeanCompanion piece to Guardians of a Rare Thing told from Sam's point of view.

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SupernaturalDeo Volente by eighth_horizonGenIncredibly sweet Dean centric fic which has him pleading with God to keep Sam safe when a hunt he, Sam and John are on goes badly wrong.If you could see Sam you would keep him safer than this.If you knew how cold Sam was you would make sure he was found.This one Time, in a Michelle Pfeiffer Movie by trollprincessSam/Dean gender swapI like to think of myself as a discerning fanfic reader. I know that gender swap fic is too silly for words and that I should really avoid it. But then trollprincess goes and writes this adorably sweet, silly and vapour inducing sexy story which has the boys cursed so that Sam is a girl during the day and Dean a girl by night and my resolve just crumbles. Cute and hot and I just love the idea that girl/Dean is so teeny that Sam feels he could slip her in his pocket!

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SupernaturalOut of this Darkness by maygraSlash Non-conAUAn extraordinary, intricately plotted, wonderfully characterised gothic horror/romance with clever allusions to Greek mythology which sees Sam and Dean coping with the end of the world. Poor Sam and Dean literally go through hell in this story. Utterly addictive (it may be nearly 50,000 words long but once you start reading you won't want to stop), its an emotional rollercoaster ride that will leave you wanting more.Superb.Death's Other Kingdom by Faye DartmouthGenDean must take care of Sam after he is permanently impaired after a hunt goes badly wrong.A very strong character study of Dean Death's Other Kingdom hands down wins the prize for the most depressing, saddest Supernatural story I've ever read! This story has just plain haunted me. It's agonisingly sad but manages (just!) to avoid being bleak. This works far better than some of the other dark fic I've read simply because Sam's accident and recovery, as gut wrenching as they are to read about are firmly grounded in reality and the story is all the stronger for it.Definitely worth reading.....just not if you're feeling the slightest bit fragile.Dean poked his 15-year-old brother, who was reading a book. "Sammy, would you rather be blind or deaf?"Sam went back to his book. After several minutes, he looked up again, cocking his head thougthfully. "You know, Dean, I'm not sure it would matter. Because if I was blind or deaf, wouldn't you just be my eyes or ears?"

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SupernaturalDiscerning the Angle of Eternity by drvsillaGenBeautiful, sad, wistful John centric piece. I'm always a fan of stories which don't demonise John and this is a touching read as Drvsilla portrays John as a man all too aware of his failings as a father but trying the best that he can.It doesn't get easier.Time heals nothing.The only perspective that distance brings is that it's even longer gone.Morgantown by ignipesGenHugely entertaining plot based story featuring necromancers, a well drawn original female character, telekinetic Sammy and some wonderful Sam/Dean interaction. It's just crying out for a sequel.In Your Loneliest Loneliness by estrella30Gen slight Dean/OFCSupremely angsty future fic in which Sam and Dean have parted ways and live very separate lives. Very well written - but it's almost distressing to think of the boys relationship turning out like this!Woven by eighth_horizonGenI never normally rec WIPs as there's nothing worse than recommending a story which never gets finished or ends weakly. However, for all those who like me adored And Fools Shine On and If Belief Was Enough run to Eigth_Horizon's LJ where the sequel Woven is underway. The prologue is a master class in setting tone and atmosphere - dream like and surreal. This time round Sam and Dean are investigating mysterious lightening strikes which may be "spooklights". There are four chapters up (including the prologue) and its already brilliant and truly scary. Go read immediately.Across the Universe by trollprincessJess/DeanAn AU in which poor Sammy is killed by Celine Demon. I didn't like Jess on the show and would normally run from any story featuring her but I love the way she is written here and her interaction and eventual relationship with Dean feels very real. Go the Other Way by sevenfistsSam/DeanFeaturing cross dressing "girl" Dean this is both hilarious and hot.Guardians of a Rare Thing by esorlehcarSam/DeanWonderful, incredibly sexy Sam/Dean story - I love the final line.

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SupernaturalThirty Two Flavours by trollprincessGenBeautifully written series of cleverly interconnected drabbles about Dean Winchester. The story gives us snapshots of Dean's life retelling how he got his amulet, his leather jacket, his love for the Impala etc. The last one is particularly beautiful.Let it Bleed by travellerJohn/OFC hetShort powerful character vignette with a brutal sting in its tail. Almost by Faye DartmouthGen violenceAlmost retells the endings of the Pilot, Bloody Mary, Skin, Home, Asylum, Scarecrow, Faith, The Benders and Shadow and says "What if?" What if the reaper had gotten to Dean in Faith? What if Sam hadn't stolen a car and found Dean in Scarecrow? What if the Winchesters didn't manage to escape from the Shadow demons? Innovative and distressing in equal measures (the alternate endings of Scarecrow, Asylum and Shadow especially got to me). A story for when you're feeling somewhat bloodthirsty!What its Not by maygraSam/DeanBeautifully written look at the Sam/Dean relationship. I love the way the words flow here, there is a certain frenetic urgent quality to the piece.It's not anything but what it is and it's not home and it's not safe and it's maybe not forever but right here, right now, every time, it's everything and the only thing.

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SupernaturalA few recs - all gen this time around.A Stand Up Man by alethialiaGenVery snarky, very sweet snapshots of the boys as they travel after Jess's death and Sam learns how to reconnect with his brother after a four year absence. Love the repetition of "X Miles since Jessica" as Sam painfully begins to leave Jessica and his grief behind. Dean, we're going to die right now and it's all your fault. This is what happens when you lie to your brother.Please. We're going to get out of this. We can't die at the hands of a human. That's just insulting.Double Dutch by traveller (Cee)GenSam and Dean travel to New York city in search of the demon that killed their mother and Jess. I adored Cee's last story which was John centric and this is every bit as brilliant. Written in a noiresque style which makes it read like a hard boiled detective novel and using the device of an unseen and unidentified narrator this really is an astonishing story. Incredibly atmospheric and intensely visual it takes its plot from the bible and effortlessly recreates it in a very modern and recognisable New York. The passage where Dean sees New York's ghosts on every corner is almost ethereal in tone. The words in this story don't so much flow as dance. Very highly recommended.But I like to think of this city as a stone and steel Eden, a garden of iron and concrete, with flowers of glass and tungsten. Three rivers instead of four, true, but all your wants, all your needs, all here for the taking. Millions of souls, dancing like fireflies on the darkest July night, brighter than all the neon, all the streetlights. Sometimes you can see them, from the high places, and sometimes from the low, sometimes when you're very tired or very drunk. Grief can do it, or great joy, but you must be open to the truth, that's the thing. And Fools Shine On by eighth_horizon (Gekizetsu)GenDean is possessed by a revenant and Sam and Dean must both figure out a way to save Dean (who's trapped in his own head) before it's too late.And Fools Shine On has a strong, involving plot and superb characterisation. Gekizetsu's depiction of a trapped and desolate Dean forced to the edge of suicide in his attempts to protect his brother is heartbreaking. And her Sam just kills me. I've always been more of a Dean girl but this strong, determined, sleep deprived Sam who is clinging to his sanity by a thread while being emotionally tortured night after night by the revenant wearing his brother's face won me heart and soul. Given the choice between flash and smoulder, the world may not be kinder to embers but it does respect them. Sam's embers will keep things going when Dean is through burning the world downIf Belief Was Enough by eighth_horizonGenAnd Fools Shine On was good - it's sequel is exceptional. After freeing himself from the revenant Dean is left unstitched - his soul open to the world as he and Sam investigate a series of mysterious disappearances in Ellensburg.If Belief was Enough is a multi chaptered, compelling story but this time the plot takes a back seat to the interaction between the brothers. Her emotionally open, extremely vulnerable Dean who ends up spilling his every hidden thought to Sam without realising it broke my heart into thousands of tiny pieces. And poor Sam who finally has the emotional connection to his brother that he's always wanted but can't react to Dean's declarations of love without effectively exploiting Dean and wrecking their relationship forever. The writing is lyrical and the brothers interactions simply golden. And I'm ridiculously excited that the story is open ended paving a way for a sequel."I'm lost," he said softly, unaware that it was audible, unaware that Sam made a sudden motion toward him as if to grab him or just touch him, but then ran his hands through his own damp hair instead, eyes wrenched shut.Far...as in geologically speaking," Dean said gruffly."Geologically speaking," Sam agreed, and if he ever loved Dean more than he did right then, he wasn't sure he would be able to remember it.