Rec: Smile Like You Mean It

[violetisblue.livejournal.com]

(Making up for yesterday's forgotten rec:)

Story: Smile Like You Mean It
Author: Calapine
Rating: All Ages
Author's Summary: At the end, the Doctor didn't leave.
Characters/Pairings: Eighth Doctor/Grace Holloway, the Brig
Warnings: None

Recced because: Grace Holloway is never going to win any Most Popular Companion contests, but I always enjoy watching her respond to the Doctor's TARDIS invitation with, "You come with me!" In this story the Doctor does exactly that, and the slow mutual realization of how wrong they are for each other no matter how hard they try makes for painful, sad and fascinating reading. Even if the TV movie made you dyspeptic (nobody could blame you), this story will show you another side of Grace's character and her conflicted, sometimes contentious relationship with the Doctor. To be read when in the mood to indulge in a good bout of melancholy.

Comments

[livii.livejournal.com]

I just read this one last month, for the first time - it's quite wonderful. I second the rec. :)

[violetisblue.livejournal.com]

Despite it being a foregone conclusion, I was all sad at the end that it didn't work out.

[elyssadc.livejournal.com]

Hot damn. This was so much better than the movie it is almost blasphemous to mention them together in the same sentence. All the compromises and concessions and it was all just so wrong. Grace was never suited to be a companion. Really wonderful story. Thanks for the rec, I never in a million years would have read this otherwise.

[violetisblue.livejournal.com]

You're very welcome--I almost didn't read it myself because it featured Grace, whom I found highly annoying in the TVM, and I'm so glad I decided otherwise.