My Home and Native Land by Sam the Storyteller aka copperbadge (PG)

[asugar.livejournal.com]

Rec Category: Ronon Dex
Pairing: Hint of John Sheppard/Rodney McKay
Category: Ronon Dex, Team, Long, Team, John Sheppard & Ronon Dex Friendship, Chuck, Atlantis
Warning: Inappropriate language and small suggestion of slash
Author on LJ: http://copperbadge.livejournal.com/
Author's Website: http://sam-storyteller.livejournal.com/
Link: Part 1: http://community.livejournal.com/i_defeated_sga/11675.html Part 2: http://community.livejournal.com/i_defeated_sga/12030.html Part 3 http://community.livejournal.com/i_defeated_sga/12191.html Part 4: http://community.livejournal.com/i_defeated_sga/12402.html Post Stories Notes and Epilogue http://community.livejournal.com/i_defeated_sga/12695.html

Why This Must Be Read: My Home and Native Land is the snarky, warmly funny and quite long tale of how Ronon learns to accept the loss of Sateda and becomes a Canadian. And no, despite what that just sounded like, it's not crackfic. The fic is almost entirely gen; I must admit that I ignore the subtle suggestion of McShep because of my beguilement by the story's charm and originality. Ronon's voice here sounds right in a way seldom seen, wise beyond his years, dryly funny, observant of even the most subtle details; he is loyal beyond death and shrewdly willing to take advantage of others' misconceptions of him.

Soon after his arrival on Atlantis, Ronon strikes up a friendship with Chuck, the Canadian gate technician, after Chuck expresses an interest in the Satedan SOP of collecting and recording gate addresses and acompanying background info wherever they went. The two come to an agreement for Chuck to trade English language reading, writing and literature lessons (naturally biased towards the Canadian works he was raised with) for lessons from Ronon on Satedan drill (gun handling maneuvers), sparring and shooting.

Over the period of several years their friendship and Atlantis change both men profoundly, including turning Chuck into a bit of a badass.
Ronon is the most transformed. I adore the subtlety of his healing and the sense of home Ronon claims in Atlantis, his friendships, the love of of his team, and the Canadian culture, as gifted to him by Chuck. By the end, Ronon and Chuck demonstrate everything wonderful that cultural exchange between Pegasus and Milky Way could be and the story paints the process of all of them, Tauri and Pegasus natives alike, forging a new joint national identity and culture as citizens of Atlantis.

( A hilarious snippet... )

Operation: Keeping Your C.O. Oblivious by Diamond-Raven (G)

[asugar.livejournal.com]

Rec Category: John Sheppard
Pairing: None
Category: John Sheppard, Fluff, Gen, John Sheppard & Rodney McKay Friendship
Warning: Fluffiness?
Author on LJ: none known
Author's Website: http://www.fanfiction.net/u/150394/Diamond-Raven
Link: http://www.fanfiction.net/s/3365281/1/

Why This Must Be Read: Everyone on Atlantis from Elizabeth down to the lowest ranked Marine is conspiring to keep a secret from John. Their attempts at subterfuge and excitement at being in on the scheme are a hoot. While the reader is in on what's going on long before John, there's a lovely building sense of anticipation and the emotional payoff of the big reveal is very sweet. I teared up a little at how the author shows how much the denizens of Atlantis all love, respect and know John Sheppard, more even than he realizes. And the surprise itself made me squeal for him....

Clearing Skies, Chances of Insight, by Random (PG)

[sg-fignewton.livejournal.com]

Rec Category: Jack and Daniel friendship
Pairing: none
Categories: Jack and Daniel friendship, Jack O'Neill, Daniel Jackson, gen, angst, character study, episode related
Warnings: some language
Author on LJ: randomfreshink
Author's Website: Random at Alldanielfic
Link: Clearing Skies, Chances of Insight

Why This Must Be Read: Random gets Jack and Daniel, with all the abrasive edges that still manage to seamlessly fit together.

In this powerful story, we get Daniel, mid-Fallen, remembering without truly understanding the context. So what is he supposed to think when he remembers Reece - that final bleak confrontation, and the subsequent fallout?

Jack takes the opportunity to fix something that he thought he'd never get the chance to repair. But since he's Jack, and Daniel's Daniel... well, of course they can't just sit down and talk. :)

I love how time has given perspective for Jack, even as it has skipped tracks for Daniel; how the ritual Jack chooses suits him so well, yet works for Daniel, too; the reasoning behind Jack's actions in Menace, and how Daniel puts it all together. And most of all, I love Daniel casually wandering after him in the end - because those two click, and they always will.

Full disclaimer: I got to beta this, which means being lucky enough to read it first!

( snippet of fic... )