Rec: Tinged with Red

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Story: Tinged with Red
Author: Patrice
Rating: not given at Teaspoon, but at ff.net it's Teen.
Author's summary: The Doctor's plan to involve his companions in an interesting project leads them all into a perilous situation that will prove to be a test of each one's personal strengths.
Characters/Pairings: Fifth Doctor, Adric, Nyssa, Tegan
Warnings: none

Recced because: I love Fifth Doctor adventure fics, and Patrice has written several excellent ones. All are well worth reading, but I settled on this particular one because it has especially good characterization of Adric. While exploring a seemingly peaceful planet, Adric quickly manages to become separated from the others and finds himself in a dangerous situation. Of course, Doctor, Nyssa, and Tegan don't fare very much better during their search for him, so all four have their problems. The alien world is interesting and the resolution is believable, making this story a highly satisfying read.

Rec: Something to It

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Story: Something to It
Author: albatrossjr
Rating: All Ages
Author's summary: Pre-Unearthly Child: He is just imagining it.
Characters/Pairings: Ian Chesterton, Barbara Wright
Warnings: none

Recced because: Ian is not in love; he is just imagining it. A dead-on portrayal of Ian, showing the attraction between him and Barbara before they ever met the Doctor. The story is beautifully written – the style suits the subject matter perfectly – and it's all so very possible, and feels so real. It's short and sweet and clever, with some lovely details, and also manages to break my heart, the way they're dancing around each other, and the way Ian values his friendship with Barbara too much to think he could ever act on his attraction. Just a wonderful little bite of a story.