shadowscast

Continuing with my newfound resolution to rec at least some of the things I read and like (even though I'm still convinced you all must have seen them already, especially since I usually find things through other people's recs):

"It's Just a Jump to the Left" by

kimberly_fan (who is actually a person, not a community).
This is a brilliant and complete Xander/Spike story, in which Xander's caught in a time loop very different from Buffy's mummy hand incident. The time-loop plot is interesting and comes to a satisfying resolution, and the gradual changes in Xander's feelings about Spike are a wonder to behold. There's a sequel in the works now, which I'm naturally going to be sucked into reading as a WIP. (Karmic retribution for never having suffered through a summer hiatus, since I just started watching the actual shows on DVD last September?)

"Old Blood" by Nan Dibble. Hey, this one's actually Spike/Buffy! (I'm continually amazed by BtVS's ability to get me interested in a pairing that's both het and canon; I swear that's never happened to me before. Maybe it's just that Buffy and Spike have such a slashy vibe.) Well, in fact the story focuses even more on Spike and Dawn's friendship than on Spike and Buffy, which is cool since that particular dynamic kinda got lost in the real S7. This is a slightly AU S7, picking up after "Get It Done." The plot centres on Spike's efforts to dust the fledges he created under the First's influence. The writing is beautiful. Oh, and the SITs are ever so much more individual, faceted and likeable here than in canon, even though they're still just minor characters! There are several sequels, which I haven't read yet.