calufrax

Story: No Longer a Sidekick
Author: Annariel
Rating: Teen
Word Count: 5930
Characters/Pairings: Ace McShane, Clyde Langer, Fitz Kreiner, Rani Chandra, Samantha Jones, Sarah-Jane Smith
Author's Summary: How did Fitz Kreiner rebuild his life after he left the Doctor? Particularly when aliens will keep interrupting his plans.

Recced Because:

Fitz Kreiner is messed up beyond all belief, and he can't take two steps without wandering into trouble or making a horrible mistake, but for all his flaws, he's also very likeable and much more competent than he gives himself credit for.

Some unspecified time after the EDAs finish, Fitz leaves the Doctor and aimlessly drifts his way onto Sarah-Jane's couch, claiming that he's given up saving the universe and being a sidekick. With a little help from Sarah-Jane, the Bannerman Road gang, a gang of angry Ogron's, and a woman with a time travelling motorbike, he realizes that only half that claim is true.

This fic seamlessly blends canons and timelines from different corners of the Whoniverse. The dialogue is sometimes painful and sometimes hilarious, but always spot on. The details of time and place are richly imagined. The characters live and breathe. And Fitz is perfectly imperfect and compelling as he bumbles his way (with many friendly but forceful nudges) towards accepting his past and making a new beginning.

( A Taste )

jjpor.livejournal.com

Story: Emissaries from A Charitable Earth
Author: ClocketPatch
Rating: Teen
Word Count: 4,260
Author's Summary: Stranded on Earth following a non-EDA-compliant version of the Time War, Fitz finds himself falling in love with a most unlikely woman.
Characters/Pairings: Fitz Kreiner/other characters
Warnings: None

Recced because: I think it would be fair to say that the Eighth Doctor Adventures novels were a bit of a mixed bag. The NAs that came before them had their high points and their low points, but I think on the whole they had a certain consistency, if not in quality then in general vision and (grim, dark 'n' edgy 90s) tone. The EDAs certainly went through phases and had arcs and so on, but I always thought they were a bit more pot luck. They certainly had their moments, for both good and ill. They're a strand of Who's not-really-canon I'd like to see addressed more in fic (along with all of the other strands in their seemingly infinite multitudes), but that's just me.

One of the things that the EDAs really had going for them was the character of Fitzgerald Michael "Fitz" Kreiner, one of that select band of non-television companions from the various spinoff media who really could hold their own with the best of the televised lot. He was a complex character, Fitz, with some rather dodgy tendencies, but tended to overcome them as he travelled with the Doctor and on the whole his heart was in the right place. An exceedingly human companion, Fitz. Or rather, his biodata clone after a certain point, because...well, the EDAs were just like that sometimes, especially after Lawrence Miles got involved. In any case, I consider that Fitz (or his clone) really should be in more fic, so that's another tick in favour of this fic in my opinion.

And this fic makes excellent use of the character, exploring his combination of cynicism and romanticism, the naivety of the long-distance time traveller and how his yearning for love crashes into bitter everyday reality and his own difficult baggage after years spent travelling with the Doctor. The author paints a convincing picture of a damaged individual, out of touch with the time and place he finds himself in, but desperate - painfully so - for something better. It is a very affecting portrayal, and made all the more so by the revelation of how the post-EDAs Fitz came to be the way he is. The portrayal of the Time War and the Doctor's part in it given here is no longer strictly in line with what we know, or think we know, by this point in the post-2005 series, but such are the perils of fic. It is, however, convincingly horrible and horrifying. Even if the particulars were not like this, the general tone of the proceedings are probably not very far from the way it "really" was for the wartime Doctor.

And then there is the fic's final revelation. I didn't see it coming on my first read, although I think I can see a couple of clues on subsequent readings, but it is in any case a genuine "gasp of surprise" sort of moment and will stay in your memory long after reading.

On top of all that, we're talking about another author who is never less than reliable. You know you're going to get good fic reading one of her stories, usually with interesting character insights, great use of descriptive prose and a pleasing combination of high concept and realistic meditations on real life and the human condition. All of which you are getting if you go and read this fic. Please be sure to leave words of appreciation for the author.

( An Excerpt )

ffutures.livejournal.com

Story: Long-Distance Phone Calls
Author: Settiai
Rating: All ages
Word Count: 3340
Author's Summary: One of these years, Fitz Kreiner was going to learn not to answer his phone.
Characters/Pairings: Alan Jackson, Fitz Kreiner, Maria Jackson, Sarah Jane Smith
Warnings: None.
Recced because: One of the first stories I recced in this community was Settiai's Rebuilding a Life, an epic NCIS crossover in which Fitz Kreiner was stranded in Washington and ended up in a relationship with one of the characters. This is a non-crossover sequel which doesn't draw on the NCIS background or characters; instead it has Fitz running into Maria Jackson and finally renewing contact with Sarah Jane Smith. A nice slightly angsty story, which also deals with some old-Who canon issues.

( A small sample )

annauq.livejournal.com

Hello everyone, I am back for my second round of reccing. I don't know if I will be able to share the new limit of ten stories with you, as I am moving to London for my freshers week this week, but I'll do my best. Let's start with a lovely story starring my favourite Doctor and (one of) his awesome companions!

Story: Dangling Conversation
Author: aces
Rating: All ages
Word count: 3963
Author's summary: It’s not so much that he doesn’t fancy girls as he loves one bloke in particular.
Characters/pairings: Fitz Kreiner/Eighth Doctor
Warnings: none (except the angst. Oh, the angst).

Recced because: I really, really like it. The fic is a beautiful, quiet moment between two of my favourite characters, seen through both their eyes. The childlike wonder of the Doctor in part one is placed in such nice contrast with the angst filled musings of Fitz in part two, and the setting (the TARDIS' ball room!) only adds to it. The two parts are slightly different, and I see them as two takes on the same situation, rather than being the same story. Still, both parts are amazing and you should definitely read them both.

I've only read a few EDAs, but this feels like it could easily be part of the range. It's shippy in exactly the right way (when is anything involving Eight and Fitz not shippy), an the characters feel true to themselves. Most of all though, it is a beautiful exploration of a complicated (friend)ship.

Go read it!

livii.livejournal.com

Thanks for a great week! Hope you enjoyed my tour through some of the smaller parts of Whofandom.

Story: Three Time Travellers in a Boat
Author: aces
Rating: All Ages
Word Count: 2496
Author's Summary: Absolutely no boats were harmed in the making of this story.
Characters/Pairings: Anji, Fitz, Eight
Warnings: none

Recced because: This is a story where there is no danger, no fear, no stress - just a quiet boating holiday for a trio that so deserves a moment of calm. The best part is that it is beautifully written and characterized: reading it is to immerse yourself in the sensory experience of the alien planet, and you feel the calm and the friendship of the characters as if it was happening personally. Aces writes an impeccable Anji in particular, and when she finds that moment of peace and happiness it's as if all is right in the world. Of course, soon enough there's probably some sentient mold going to take over the universe, but right as this story unfolds, the world is the greenest green and most beautiful blue and life is good.

aralias.livejournal.com

Story: The Flower Tender
Author: apolesen
Rating: Adult
Word Count: 5237
Author's Summary: A beautiful madman, who talks of begonias and mermaids. A girl who is not a tenant or a maid or a companion, perhaps not even the pious rescue worker she seems to be. Fitz Kreiner, who leaves his rooms in the semislum of Hoxton to join the eccentric household, entering into a world which challenges the very values of the time.
Characters/Pairings: Eight, Fitz, Sam

Recced because: Another 'guess what

aralias has just finished reading' moment (answer: it's 'Blue Angel'). I am very fond of AUs, and I'm very fond of Victoriana. The era has been used as a setting EDAs have employed as a place the characters could go, rather than a place they live (the Doctor gets sort of mad-housed in 'Camera Obscura', for example), so it's particularly interesting to see it here as a place these characters have always lived. The Doctor is presented entirely from the outside (unlike in 'Blue Angel') as this fascinating, bizarre, and unknowable person, and there are so many hints that this is part of a larger narrative. It seems like a very strange piece, but ultimately it's about Fitz feeling left out of life and then not feeling like that any more, and that simple human kernel of this story is what makes it much more accessible to me than say... 'Blue Angel'. The writing's good, too.
ETA: By going to the author's LJ I've just discovered... there are 5 more chapters still be posted on Teaspoon. Hopefully those will go up soon. This rec was based on the first chapter only (although I anticipate that the other chapters are very good too).

Excerpt:

Feeling rather clumsy in his oddly matched clothes, he offered her his arm, which she nevertheless accepted. They walked in silence for a long time. First, he was worried that she would try to ask questions about his mother, but she only looked around the park, as if the world was new to her. He watched her instead; she looked so innocent, and he wondered how she had ended up living with a madman.

‘Is the Doctor your uncle?’ he asked. It was the only explanation he could think of.

‘When people ask, yes,’ she said. ‘Or guardian.’

‘“When people ask”?’ Fitz repeated.

‘He’s really nothing of the kind,’ she admitted with an unconcerned smile. ‘Although he’s the closest I’ve had to a father or an uncle or a guardian for a long time.’

‘How did you meet him? If I may ask...?’

She nodded. ‘He saved me,’ she said. ‘Not in the Christian sense, in the actual sense.’

As part of

pod_aware I have recorded yesterday's rec, Personal Statement, which can be downloaded here. I will post the outstanding podfics (including, hopefully, a podfic of today's rec) in the comments of the appropriate rec (i.e. so the podfic of this fic will be in the comment of this post).

I hope you've enjoyed some of the recs this week - and the podfics!

aralias.livejournal.com

After a somewhat obscure choice yesterday, I thought I'd choose something more everyone-friendly. Then I read this one and absolutely adored it. So everyone-friendly choice tomorrow, people. For now, please enjoy some more obscure paracanon awesomeness.

Story: Fitz Kreiner and the Chronology Protection Conjecture
Author: Lurky McLurklurk
Rating: All ages
Word Count: 3817
Author's Summary: Things go rapidly downhill when Fitz nips out for a quick cigarette.
Characters/Pairings: Fitz, Anji and Eight.

Recced because: It's perfectly structured. The bit in the pub at the beginning seems like it's just setting the scene, giving Fitz somewhere to walk out of but it's going to come back, all the moments of Fitz noticing things are going to be important, and the layers of disaster stack up until the narrative can literally take no more and Fitz has to shout at everyone to be quiet so we can think. One of the things this fic does well is to showcase some serious Fitz competence - his actions are perfectly Fitz-like, but also perfectly rational and clever (although he thinks they're slightly cleverer than they are, which is a lovely character trait also very well portrayed here). Although they aren't main characters here, there's also a great portrayal of Anji and the Doctor, and some good bickering between this excellent Team TARDIS. The fic is very funny, but it would also be wrong to class it simply as comedy, as there's, you know, a serious scientific theory being expounded on. I think even people unfamiliar with the EDAs will like this one, but if you are familiar with them and haven't read this you should definitely do that now, because you're in for a treat.

Excerpt:

"How'd you like to go somewhere more private?" Jirina asked.

Fitz was not a man to ignore his instincts. Given how loudly they were screaming "Yes" right now, it would have been difficult anyway. But he had other instincts, ones that had been honed by his long travels with the Doctor. Ones that said things like "If it's too good to be true, it probably is" and "there's definitely something going on here".

But then if there was something going on, he probably ought to investigate, oughtn't he?

Fitz dropped the cigarette to the floor and ground it beneath his heel, priding himself on his talent for uniting seeming opposites.

"Love to," he said.

As part of

pod_aware I have recorded yesterday's rec, A Family Affair, which can be downloaded in three parts: one, two, three

horseriderjen.livejournal.com

Hi guys, I'm

horseriderjen and this is my first time here with you all! Hopefully you will enjoy some of my favorites :)

Story:Ten Times Trouble
Author: TigerKat
Rating:All Ages
Word Count:~8100
Author's Summary:Ian and Barbara are getting married. All ten Doctors go to their wedding. Chaos ensues.
Characters/Pairings: Ian/Barbara, All Ten Doctors and assorted companions

Recced because:

I love fics that have all the different regenerations of the Doctor. Only the first 10, as this was written before Eleven, but still. I have a soft spot for Classic!Who, and Ian and Barbara as companions. This is a lovely view of their lives after they returned home, and I like how all the Doctors came to their special day. Showing that they won't ever be forgotten! By him, or by us loyal fans.

pitry.livejournal.com

Story: Almost Human"
Author: aces
Rating: All Ages
Word Count: 3,016
Author's Summary: Fitz is, after all, only human.
Characters/Pairings: Fitz Kreiner, Anji Kapoor, 8th Doctor.
Warnings: None.

Recced because: I think it's mainly the bittersweet nostalgia of this one that really makes it a great read. It's not nostalgia for a better time, though. The Fitz in this story is nostalgic (or, perhaps wistful?) for a different time. At the bottom line, it's the humanity of the story, and of the characters in it. Aces masterfully using the characters, even the non-human Doctor, who is incapable of truly understanding humans - like the Doctor is, really - to make a point about people. And it's not people as great creatures, as the Doctor is prone to monologue about, not the romantic idea of the wonderful human spirit, but people as they are for all their flaws. I haven't actually read any of the published material with Fitz, but in aces' 3000 words (and a bit), he becomes a true human being.

singeaddams.livejournal.com

Hello! I'm back and, thanks to my awkward work schedule, most of my recs will show up around midnight-ish. I do apologize. Onward!

Story: Even the Smallest Ripple
Author: aces
Rating: All Ages
Word Count: 2,510
Author's Summary: "It wasn’t a fine day, but stumping was stumping, and Americans had always loved their politics."
Characters/Pairings: Eight, Sam, Fitz
Warnings: None
Recced Because: I do love a little actual history when it pops up in WHO and this features American history no less. Just a quiet story that, considering American politics as it is today, made me reflect quite a bit. And I love the humor.

The wind howled through the trees and over the grass on the campus grounds, and the crowd in front of the platform huddled together en masse against the cold. There were thousands of people there that day, and it was before such a thing as PA systems; the Doctor wondered how many people could actually hear the speakers. Fitz had taken Sam’s other arm again, though the Doctor couldn’t tell if he was being polite or just trying to find a way to warm up some small part of his body. Sam was snug as could be, the Doctor knew; she’d put jeans on under her skirt.

ffutures.livejournal.com

Let's end the week with an epic crossover!

Story: Rebuilding a Life
Author: Settiai
Rating: All Ages
Word Count: 40641
Author's Summary: Near the end of the Time War, Fitz Kreiner finds himself stranded on Earth in an unfamiliar time and place. His life moves on, whether he wants it to or not. (Crossover with "NCIS.")
Characters/Pairings: Anji Kapoor, Compassion, Donna Noble, Fitz Kreiner, Harriet Jones, Ianto Jones, Jack Harkness, Martha Jones, Other Character(s), Rose Tyler, Samantha Jones, Sarah Jane Smith, The Doctor (10th), The Doctor (4th), The Doctor (8th), The Doctor (9th), The Master (Jacobi). Fitz / Tony.
Warnings: None
Recced because: I've gradually moved from ignoring NCIS to becoming a fan, and this is an excellent NCIS crossover (with several other secondary crossovers brought in, as far as I can tell, for the sheer fun of it) spanning several years which for once doesn't tell everyone everybody's secrets in the first five minutes of the story, and stars an amazing number of doctors and companions. I was very surprised to find that it has never been recced here, because it turns up on NCIS rec lists fairly often, but delighted to have this opportunity to introduce it to a wider audience.

You don't need much knowledge of the NCIS characters, they're described as they appear in the story, and the viewpoint is always Fitz, initially as an outsider gradually meeting and getting to know them. In some ways a little ignorance of the show helps, because some of the canon NCIS events have more impact!

And that concludes my week of recs - greatly looking forward to seeing what comes next.

faience.livejournal.com

Howdy, Calufrax!

faience here with recs for the week. Expect no rhyme or reason to the week's recommendations, but a (hopefully entertaining) mix of classic and contemporary (sometimes in the same fic!). And with that, let's start Monday off with...

Story: Knit One, Purl Two
Author: livii
Rating: All Ages
Word Count: 1521
Author's summary: Fitz, Evelyn, and a jail cell. And some knitting. All in a day's work for Fitz Kreiner, ladies' man.
Characters: Eight, Fitz, Evelyn
Warnings: none

Recced because: Did you see that character list? Yes, ladies and gents, this fic features both Evelyn Smythe and Fitz Kreiner, both with spot-on characterization: hilarity (and a surprising amount of adorable) can't help but ensue. The Doctor makes only a brief appearance, letting the companions steal this show.

slash-addict.livejournal.com

Well today is my last day as a reccer. I came into it thinking it would be easy to list my favorites and only limit it to seven. Boy, was I wrong I tried go for a variety of pairings and one fic per author. I did well on both but what I really wished to do is pick a author and list all my favorites from that author each day. I was hard trying to pick one just one from each author but is did. I have enjoyed it. I hope you have found some new and interesting fics and maybe found a new favorite fic or even a new favorite author. I definitely would not mind doing it again. I was a real learning experience.

Story: Shiver
Author: Absinthe
Rating: All Ages
Word Count: 9072
Author's Summary: It's not all fun and games on a snowy world when Fitz meets a femme fatale
Characters/Pairings: Anji Kapoor, Fitz Kreiner, The Doctor (8th), The TARDIS
Warnings: none

Recced because: I have recently downloaded and watched the latest episodes of season 5 and Vampires of Venice reminded me of this fic and its sequels. Although it is not listed as a series there are 5 sequels. They can be read separately with no problem. You will have to look through the list of fics from the author to find them though. I would have listed them but I am having some trouble getting the Teaspoon site to work. I had this address saved in advance but did not think to do it for the sequels. Sorry.

Current Mood: aggravated

clocketpatch

Story: Choice of Doom
Author: mystica88
Rating: All Ages
Word Count: 8505
Author's Summary: This is a Choose your own adventure style story. Do not read this straight through!
Characters/Pairings: Fitz Kreiner, The Cybermen, The Doctor (8th)
Warnings: none

Recced because:

I used to love choose-your-own adventure books as a kid. I collected them near obsessively and would go through them for hours trying to find every possible ending. Despite seeming a bit simplistic, these are not easy things to write, not with all of the plotlines you need to keep straight. The chapters aren’t long, but they’re chalk full of Classic Who nostalgia and fun. I had a ball going through it trying to find all of the different out-comes and I’m sure you will too. It's interactive Eight fic! What's not to love?

livii.livejournal.com

Story: Somebody Else's Conventional
Author: aces
Rating: All Ages
Author's summary: "This isn't conventional," Anji said. "This was never going to be conventional."
Characters/Pairings: Fitz/Anji, the Brig
Warnings: swearing
Word Count: ~7,800

Recced because: This is absolutely the perfect way to write Fitz/Anji, a pairing I am crazy for but know isn't popular – it's a slow build, working on their closeness, their friendship, and has just the right light touch. Both characters are written brilliantly, especially Anji which makes me extra happy as I adore her, and it's also interwoven with the most brilliant bits of continuity – Ace and Daleks, and the Brig, and Torchwood, and Nine – and little things, like open mic nights for Fitz. This is one of the best EDA-era fics I've read, and even if you're not very familiar with that part of the canon, I think this would serve as an excellent introduction!

ionlylurkhere.livejournal.com

Story: no more working for a week or two
Author:

shinyjenni
Rating: All Ages
Word Count: 838
Author's Summary: The Doctor takes his companions on a lovely holiday. Meanwhile, Anji manages her finances and Fitz places an ill-advised bet.
Characters/Pairings: Eight, Fitz, Anji

Recced because: It's a wonderful bit of summery fluff showing one of my favourite Team TARDISes almost managing to have some down time. The sort of fic that leaves you with a big smile on your face when you've finished reading it.

( Excerpt under the cut )

elliptic-eye.livejournal.com

Story: Down the Pub
Author: Edithmatilda, co-written with nostalgia
Rating: probably Teen
Word count: 1,272
Author's summary: Fitz and Tegan meet in a pub.
Characters/pairings: Fitz Kreiner, Tegan Jovanka, Anji Kapoor
Warnings: swearing

Recced because: Doctor Who is packed with fantastic worlds and roller coaster adventures. Sometimes, though, you just want to tune in to the quieter moments, the conversations you know companions must have over tea and beer. Because that's where the real train wrecks lie.

Down the Pub is a bitingly cracky tale not just of two companions colliding with each other, but of one era of Who talking to another. And social awkwardness. And alcohol.

( Excerpt )

thisbluespirit

Well, the week is almost over already, but I’ve still got one brilliant story to go…

Story: The First Casualty
Author:Lurky McLurklurk
Rating: All Ages
Word Count: 5255
Author's Summary: Benny's latest escapade leads to a meeting with a certain Fitz Kreiner.
Characters/Pairings: Bernice Summerfield, Fitz Kreiner
Warnings: None.

Recced because: It’s witty and fun, both a proper archaeological space adventure and a story that will make you laugh. And, please don’t run away because it’s two characters from spin-off media. Benny is introduced here at her wittiest, as she picks up her own almost-companion (who, absolutely wonderfully, is not what she seems) and the encounter with Fitz merely provides the perfect anti-climax to Benny’s spot of derring-do. It’s a quest to save (or possibly doom) a planet and it’s worth reading whatever era you favour, because it does it with style and it‘s entertaining from start to finish.

elliptic-eye.livejournal.com

Story: Doctor Who and the Bored Game of Death (edit: Also available here)
Author: edithmatilda, co-written with nostalgia
Rating: Story pre-dates the site change that defaulted all the ratings to "All Ages"; contains some profanity.
Word count: 969
Author's summary: The Doctor, Fitz and Anji play nicely together. Co-written with nostalgia the Sun Killer. (Alternatively: "There's, like, a game. And it all goes horribly wrong from there. This is co-written with Edithmatilda. She eats souls.")
Characters/pairings: Fitz, Anji, the Doctor (Eighth)
Warnings: Some profanity, the slightest oblique hint of meta, irreconcilable economic theories

Recced because: Bored Game of Death does exactly what it says on the tin: Fitz, Anji, and the Doctor sit down to play a nice board game with each other. But as we all know, the greatest perils of travelling on the TARDIS don't require setting foot outside it.

Crackfics—or cracky humor fics—are a dime a dozen in this fandom. Hell, really good crackfics are all over the place, even; we're a productive fandom and the source material is made for it. But this one retains a very special place in my fannish heart, and it's not just because it made me cry with laughing the first time I read it. It's because it pulls off even the sharpest of its humor with real affection, and because the characters just work.

The characters are so well drawn, in fact, that you can probably read this and enjoy it if your only exposure to Eight is the TVM—it worked for me, when I first read it years ago. And it made me realize that this was a TARDIS team I had to try.

But I really doubt I can give a better rec than an opening excerpt, so without further ado:

( Excerpt )

maypanic.livejournal.com

Story: Dream into Reality
Author: aces
Rating: All ages
Word Count: 936
Author’s Summary: "Fitz Kreiner had always had a vivid imagination."
Characters/Pairing: Fitz Kreiner, The Doctor (8th)
Warnings: None

Recced because: Anyone who knows me here, knows that I have a deep and abiding love for the longest serving of the novel companions, Fitz Kreiner. What they may not know, is that I originally “met” Fitz through the medium of fanfic. Aces is one of those authors who truly understands Fitz and Eight. As such, she is partially responsible for my EDA addiction, for which I am deeply grateful (although my wallet is somewhat less grateful. )

It was difficult to pick just one of her stories to rec, until I remembered this one. Following the path of Fitz pre-Doctor, growing up in post-WWII Britain with a German father, taking refuge in his dreamworld. It's a fitting introduction for any other future Fitz fans out there.

amaresu

Story: Smoking and Foxholes Can Be Dangerous to Your Health
Author: aces
Rating: All ages
Word Count: 2666
Author's Summary: “Why does the Doctor always have to land us in these sorts of situations anyway?”
Characters/Pairings: Hex, Fitz, The Eighth Doctor and a side of The Seventh Doctor and Ace.
Warnings: Fitz ends up in hospital?

Recced because: Companions meeting each other is always fun. Companions meeting each other in foxholes is even better. Also Hex gets to be Nurse Hex and is utterly fabulous at it. The dynamics between Hex and Fitz are fun. They banter, call each other names, and even have a wee slashy undertone.

( excerpt )

ionlylurkhere.livejournal.com

Story: The World That Jack Built
Author: I Inayat
Rating: All Ages
Word Count: 1500
Author's Summary: This is the way the world ends.
Characters/Pairings: Anji Kapoor, Faction Paradox, Fitz Kreiner, Samantha Jones, Compassion, Charley Pollard, Shayde, Ssard, Stacy Townsend, The TARDIS
Warnings: Torture and character death

Recced because: Primarily, because it's a fabulously well-written story, with prose that's almost terrifying in its sparseness, and a nice sense of doomed inevitability built up through good use of repetition (it's an AU from the end of Neverland, written at the time, where Zagreus wins). On the meta level, I love the way that it takes all the disparate strands of the Eighth Doctor's continuity (the audios, the books, the DWM comics and even the Radio Times strip) and bundles them up into a single coherent thread of narrative, while giving space to each of the companions in ways that make perfect sense (I particularly love Shayde's bit, and the use of the TARDIS is amazing).

elyssadc.livejournal.com

Story: The Not So Unlikely Saga of Fitz Kreiner
Author: aces
Rating: All Ages
Word Count: 1159
Author's Summary: 5 companions Fitz almost married.
Characters/Pairings: Ace, Bernice Summerfield, Donna, Fitz, Hex, Jack Harkness, Susan.
Warnings: None.

Recced because: Everyone needs a little hilarity on a Monday, and this piece fits the bill. There aren't nearly enough stories written for book and audio companions, and this one has both which makes it even more delightful. Originally written for

churchontime, it's precisely as stated in the summary and every bit as ridiculous as you'd think it would be.

( a small taste... )

whochick.livejournal.com

Story: Mind The Gap (WIP)
Author: moonmonkey
Rating: Teen
Word Count: 27056
Author's Summary: Londoners. They'd have you believe that their city is the one true beating heart of the entire world - of the universe, even. And they'd be right.
Characters/Pairings: Anji Kapoor, Fitz Kreiner, Romana (author created), The Doctor (8th)
Warnings: Explicit Violence, Swearing

Recced because: Crossovers are often between uncomplimentary fandoms, but the steam-punk gothic feel of the middle of the EDA series melds seamlessly with Neverwhere. This is a great concept written by someone who clearly has a feel for the characters and has perfected haunting menace to a fine art. It is a WIP, but it is regularly updated with decently lengthy chapters ... and let's face it, good fanfic is worth waiting for.

( Excerpt )

kseda.livejournal.com

Story: Hero Worship
Author: warinbabylon
Rating: all ages
Word Count: 1,294
Author's Summary: Fitz is forced to ponder his relationship with the Doctor.
Characters/Pairing: Fitz, Anji, Eight, a bit of Fitz/Eight
Warnings: none

Recced because: There's a bit of fanon out there which posits that Fitz is a proto-Rose, a companion whose life is so entwined with the Doctor's that it becomes seemingly impossible to leave. This story has Fitz reluctantly coming to that conclusion himself, and as he's not entirely comfortable with it he tries figuring out why. Does he stay because he has nowhere to go? Or because he feels it is his duty to protect the Doctor from himself? Or is it, and this really blows his mind, love? As with many things there are no easy answers, and the ones we find we may not like.

( Excerpt. )

kseda.livejournal.com

Hello all, I'm reccing this week! Except much in the way of slash, Fivey, and nattering about some guy named Fitz. Speaking of...

Story: Simple Progressions
Author: aces
Rating: All Ages
Word Count: 5,094
Author's Summary: AU Doctor-Fitz reunion after the Earth Arc. "Maybe he’d gotten the TARDIS working and had already left the planet. Maybe he had no intention of keeping the meeting. Maybe he was angry at Fitz, because Fitz knew what he had done and he didn’t want anyone to remember."
Characters/Pairings: Fitz Kreiner, Eighth Doctor
Warnings: none

Recced because: Sometimes canon FAILS. There was a time during the EDAs when the Doctor spent over a century on Earth with nothing but a weird blue box and a mysterious note which read Meet me in St. Louis. 8 February 2001. Fitz. When we finally get to the reunion, the longed-for moment, the culmination of six novels, it is glossed over in two paragraphs and then buried in plot. aces, bless her, said "no," and gave us this beautiful alternative filled with all the joy, sorrow, awkwardness, and hope that the real thing should have had. "Simple Progressions" gives that closure EDA fans were cheated of while also pointing the way forward.

Current Mood: chipper

pontisbright.livejournal.com

Story: 'Waxwork'
Author: roseveare
Rating: All ages
Word Count: 5551
Author’s summary: "The Doctor, Fitz and Anji visit a museum on a peaceful holiday planet. The exhibits hit a bit too close to home for Fitz."
Characters/Pairings: Eight, Fitz, Anji
Warnings: None

Recommended because: The Doctor was on his hands and knees in the sand, contentedly building a sandcastle. The sight of him in shorts and a brightly coloured shirt was faintly disturbing, but Fitz had long gotten over the urge to buy himself a T-shirt declaring 'I'M NOT WITH THAT NUTTER'. Anji was evidently still going through that stage of acquaintance. If (like me) you have only a passing understanding of Fitz's encounter with the Faction Paradox/Remote, you'll still appreciate why a museum filled with exact - and living - replicas of famous names causes a dash of angst to infiltrate the holiday atmosphere. A glorious combination of the daft and the emo (which is pretty much the definition of both Eight and Fitz, after all).

drho.livejournal.com

Story: Ten Times Trouble
Author: TigerKat
Rating: All Ages
Word Count: 8157
Author's Summary: Ian and Barbara are getting married. All ten Doctors go to their wedding. Chaos ensues.
Characters/Pairings: Barbara Wright/Ian Chesterton, the Doctor (1-10), Ace McShane, Donna Noble, Evelyn Smythe, Fitz Kreiner, Jack Harkness, Jamie McCrimmon, Other Character(s), Romana II, Sarah Jane Smith
Warnings: None.

Recced because: Ian and Barbara deserve a perfectly lovely and smooth wedding, complete with affection, cake, peace, and presents. But Ten Times Trouble is like a real wedding, rolling everyone’s drunk uncle, interrupting brother, affectionate friends, and bickering relatives into ten incorrigible packages. This sweet, funny, and poignant story has more than a bit of appeal for almost every part of fandom.

usuallyhats

Story: Face Another Day
Author: aces
Rating: None given (teen?)
Word Count: 8526
Author's Summary: "How did you get to twenty-first century Cardiff, Fitzgerald Kreiner?" Jack asked.
Characters/Pairings: Fitz Kreiner, Gwen Cooper, Ianto Jones, Jack Harkness, Owen Harper, Tenth Doctor, Toshiko Sato
Warnings: None

Recced because: It feels real. Fitz starts off in a bad way, and although he ends up at peace, it's not an easy or straightforward progression. Fitz brings himself to Torchwood and tells them he wants to help; this is true, but although he'll help, he won't be co-operative. He doesn't want to talk to them about himself or how he knows what he knows, because then he'll have to face what's happened to him and he's not ready to do that at first. And Team Torchwood, in their turn, don't immediately take him into their respective hearts and set about trying to help him. Their interactions with him feel more authentic because they're not smooth. (Sidenote: aces also does a great job with Torchwood themselves; though none of them except Jack play a particularly large role, they all have some nice character moments and there's a nice group scene that makes me believe that they do all actually like each other, something the show itself was having trouble with for a while.) Fitz's gradual recovery is portrayed very well and the hopefulness of the final scene makes a lovely ending. I could go on at much greater length listing all the things I love about this fic, but I'll spare you my gushing and instead give you a quote:

( an extract )

(This fic is a sequel to And I Will No Other To Follow Me Where I'm Going, recced here.)

livii.livejournal.com

Story: Everybody Wants You
Author: aces
Rating: Teen
Author's summary: Jack Harkness. He's quite shaggable, really.
Characters/Pairings: Jack/Fitz, Jack/Ace, Jack/Peri, Jack/Nyssa, Jack/Harry, Jack/Jo/Yates/Benton/Brigadier (really!), Jack/Polly, Jack/Ian
Warnings: none
Word Count: ~2,900 words

Recced because: Captain Jack. Meeting (and sometimes shagging) his way through the DW canon. A tremendous amount of fun, and even if you don't know each character involved (I still haven't read any non-fanfic Fitz, myself) there's bound to be some you know and love. Some gorgeous characterizations - "It’s not as if I expected to walk into your—invisible spaceship, now, is it?” Harry retorted, nettled. “Now, look here, old chap, you can’t just leave things like this lying about where anyone could trip over them." - a mix of funny, insightful, and hot scenes, and a moment in UNIT's history that will keep me amused for the rest my life just picturing it all add up to an incredibly enjoyable fic.

settiai

Story: Coming Around
Author: HonorH
Rating: Teen
Word Count: 7710
Author's Summary: He sees her for the first time. She sees him for the last.
Characters/Pairings: Rose Tyler, Eighth Doctor, Ninth Doctor, Fitz Kreiner, Nine/Rose
Warnings: graphic sex, character death

Recced because: This is a wonderful story that bridges the gap between the end of the Time War and the Doctor meeting Rose. A year after saying "goodbye" to the Doctor at Darlig Ulv Stranden, Rose has started moving on with her life. Then she sees the TARDIS fall from the sky, a casualty of the Time War.

One thing I love about this story is that both Rose and the Doctor are broken, but they're at different steps in the healing process. Rose is slowly putting things back together at this point, while the newly regenerated Ninth Doctor is all but falling apart. Once upon a time, a stranger held out his hand and offered to show Rose the universe; now she finally has a chance to repay him by making certain that he becomes the man that she met in her past and his future.

( short excerpt )

Don't forget to leave feedback for the author if you enjoy the story.

kindkit.livejournal.com

Story: And I Will No Other to Follow Me Where I'm Going
Author: Aces (

wishfulaces)
Rating: Teen
Word Count: 4225
Author's Summary: "Hang about," Fitz had asked once, very early on when this whole thing started. "Didn't you already destroy your planet, once?"
Characters/Pairings: Eighth Doctor, Fitz Kreiner (with some Eight/Fitz), Romana
Warnings: None.

Recced because: The Eighth Doctor was rather screentime-deprived, with just the TV movie, but he did feature in a fascinating series of novels called the Eighth Doctor Adventures. This story is set between the end of EDA canon and the beginning of the new series--which is to say, during the time war that leads to the destruction of Gallifrey. Unsurprisingly, it's a story about things falling apart, and particularly about the Doctor falling apart as he gradually realizes that there's no solution except the worst possible one. Meanwhile, Fitz, the Doctor's companion through fifty EDA novels, tries to hold things together. And dreams.

Aces beautifully captures the feeling of a universe that's collapsing as time turns angry, and she portrays the characters and their emotions with subtlety and depth. The characterization is so good that I think this story will work even for people who haven't read any of the EDAs. And for EDA fans (not to mention Fitz fans) this story provides an ending that feels right, whereas the EDAs themselves just . . . stop.

( snippet )

doyle_sb4.livejournal.com

Story: Patterns in the Patchwork
Author: Kay Seda
Rating: All ages
Author's summary: Other worlds, other times, myriads of other book shops, music shops, duty-frees, jumble sales, treasuries, dungeons, corridors, rock-strewn wastelands, space stations...
Characters/Pairings: Eight/Fitz
Warnings: None

Recced because:
Because this manages the fairly difficult task of reconciling the end of the books with the beginning of the new series (meaning that Gallifrey has to get undestroyed in time for Eight to destroy it again) and it does it without falling headlong into fanwank; because it packs all these hints of other stories into less than 5000 words, with the summary alone containing about a season's worth of missing adventures; and because while I have many, many ships these two are my OTP and when their 'epic bromance' is done as right as it is here it's my favourite thing in this fandom.

reccity-rec-rec

calufrax is sleeping in your mind. One day, it may be brought back in front of your eyes.

April 2018

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A rec comm for A Teaspoon And An Open Mind

Entries tagged with companion: fitz

Rec: No Longer a Sidekick

Rec: Emissaries from A Charitable Earth by ClocketPatch

Rec - Long Distance Phone Call by Settiai

Dangling Conversation by Aces

Rec: Three Time Travellers in a Boat by aces

Rec: The Flower Tender

Rec: Fitz Kreiner and the Chronology Protection Conjecture

Rec: Ten Times Trouble by TigerKat

rec: Almost Human by aces

Even the Smallest Ripple...

Rec for 9th Jan - Rebuilding a Life by Settiai

Rec: Knit One, Purl Two by livii

rec: shiver

(no subject)

Rec: Somebody Else's Conventional by aces

no more working for a week or two by shinyjenni

Down the Pub, by Edithmatilda and Nostalgia

rec: The First Casualty by Lurky McLurklurk

Doctor Who and the Bored Game of Death, by edithmatilda with nostalgia

rec: dream into reality, by aces

Rec: Smoking and Foxholes Can Be Dangerous to Your Health

rec: the world that jack built

rec: the not so unlikely saga of fitz kreiner

rec: mind the gap

(no subject)

Rec: Simple Progressions

Fic: Waxwork

Rec: Ten Times Trouble by TigerKat

rec: face another day by aces

Rec: Everybody Wants You by aces

rec: coming around

rec: and i will no other to follow me where i'm going

Rec: Patterns in the Patchwork

reccity-rec-rec

Links

April 2018

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