"Limping Toward Bethlehem" by M (PG-13)

[fhartman.livejournal.com]

Rec Category: Angst
Pairing: None
Category: Angst
Warning: Spoilers for Heroes I/II, Lost City I/II
Author on LJ: None that I know of
Author's Website: Apparently under construction

Link:

http://www.butcheredart.net/Fiction/LimpingTowardBethlehem.html

Why This Must Be Read: When a fanfic cliché is done right, it's a beautiful thing, and here it is. This piece takes a turn at the "what if the Stargate went public" premise, using a very sympathetic Bregman as a foil for a haunted, hunted, and beaten-down Daniel who has been left holding the bag in front of the world. How the world would react is an interesting question to consider, and I could see it going down much like this. I love the descriptions of how Daniel reacts in public, versus his growing disillusionment and disconnection with the human race in private; how we as a society express our fear and hatred through less, um, physical means (funny, but absolutely typical), and even the third-person accounts of the rest of the team ring absolutely true. The story is told through Bregman's eyes, and his humanity and compassion bring a gentleness to this piece that saves it from being as bleak as it could have been. And is that a tiny flicker of hope I see in the distance at the very end? You tell me.