Fic database recs from the last few years

[doranwen]

I haven't posted recs here for a while, other than links to posts elsewhere. I've been busy adding fics to my fic database and finally finished a fandom post or two, and decided I might as well post a few recs here specifically.

I won't post every fic I added - you can poke through my master recs post to find the posts they're in - but I thought it might be a good idea to post any fic that I either consider a favorite (i.e. I love re-reading it) or exceptionally well-written (something about it stands out to me as outstanding writing in some way).

Guide to icons used:
Fics I tagged as favorites:
Fics I thought were exceptionally well-written:
WIPs:
(Icons come from the Icon pack by Icons8.)

As always with my db-generated lists, ratings are all converted to a single system for convenience:
Fanfiction.net - G through R
AO3 - PG through X (though the occasional child-friendly fic I mark G)
anything without a rating (AO3 or other site) - Unrated


My database stores information on themes, which cover everything from grammatical things like tense & person (I mark for present tense, first person, second person, and direct address), to format (poetry, songfic, 5+1, etc.), trope (fake couple, stranded together, etc.), relationship type (beginning, established, etc.), general feel (angst, fluff, etc.), fic ending (positive, sad/unhappy, mixed/ambivalent, etc.), and warnings (major character death, non-con, violence/wounds, etc.).

Regular fandom posts do not have themes included because it's not feasible for me to keep the lists updated in case of theme name changes and such. This also prevents accidentally spoiling readers, as I sometimes tag more thoroughly for themes than authors do.

However, as this is not a regular fandom post, I thought readers might prefer more information about fics. Therefore the fics in this list are given with all themes listed, in addition to author, title, rating, word count, major ships, and the summary the author gave it. Note that this may spoil you about plot twists!

If you would rather just have a list with certain themes excluded, please comment to let me know which one(s) and I can post a version of this list to my db that does not list themes but excludes the fics containing the theme(s) you don't want. You can find the full list of themes here.


I listed any ships I thought were major below each fic. If there are any minor/background ships you want to avoid, please leave a comment and ask for a list to be made for you. Note that ships may refer to one-sided or unrequited ones as well as to requited/mutual. When more than one ship is present, more than one ship type may be tagged; it is not possible to match ship types to the ship with my database structure.



Below are the recs:

Alphas

fresne - Ours is No Caravan of Despair, 1736 words, PG
In the spring, Mu'mina watched from the rocks to see which pass would first break free of the yoke of winter. There had been a time when she'd waited alone. She had gained brothers since then. They had not been born to her mother. They were not her father's sons. But they were her brothers. Wanderers. Worshipers. Lovers of Leaving.
no major ships
Muslim, Nonspecific Ending


FBI Most Wanted

Bastet5 - Bad Aim and a Broken Nose, 4577 words, PG-13
April 2018 Sometimes the case and its aftermath aren't done with the team, even after they are very much done with it.
Clinton Skye & OFC, Jess LaCroix & Kenny Crosby
Dreams / Nightmares, Injured / Sick, Minor Character Death, Mixed / Ambivalent Ending, Post-Traumatic Stress / Trauma Recovery

Bastet5 - Grey Hairs, Reason #12, 5060 words, PG-13
October 2015 Adrenaline was a wonderful thing in the heat of the moment, in the heat of a raid. Energy and focus when you needed it most. Adrenaline was also a dangerous thing, as Kateri finds out when she gets shot in the midst of a raid ... but does not know she's been shot. In other words, one of many reasons why Clinton has grey hairs.
Clinton Skye & OFC
Action / Adventure, Injured / Sick, Medical Drama, Positive Ending

Bastet5 - A (Late) Birthday to Remember, 5746 words, PG-13
February 2020 Life starts to go back to normal, finally, after the events of Reveille. Late birthday celebrations come, at last, for Kateri and with them a present that will change her life (for the better) forever.
Clinton Skye & OFC, Tali LaCroix & OFC
Adoption, Birthdays, Found Family / Team as Family, Positive Ending

Bastet5 - Cops vs. Feds: Wrongfully Arrested, 6508 words, PG-13
July 2017 A hot afternoon out for ice cream turns into the afternoon of a no-good, horrible, very bad day for Kateri when the NYPD arrests her in a SNAFU arrest in a ridiculous confluence of circumstances. In other words, it really is convenient for your partner/best friend to be a lawyer.
no major ships
Claustrophobia, Positive Ending, Racial Profiling / Wrongful Arrest, Team Support

Bastet5 - The Past Is Never Truly Dead, 6924 words, PG-13
Early January 2021 A normal interview on a case sends Kateri into a mental tailspin when it brings her face to face with the foster father that had made her and Nicky's lives a living hell for three years. And, of course, it happens while Clinton is on TDY in DC.
Clinton Skye & OFC, OMC & OFC
Child Abuse, Cuddling / Holding / Hugs, Hurt/Comfort (Emotional), Positive Ending, Post-Traumatic Stress / Trauma Recovery

Bastet5 - Ice Baths and Cold Showers, 7190 words, PG-13
January 2019 In the midst of one of the most brutal winters New York had faced in many years, a hunt goes south for the team, leaving Kateri and Hana in a battle for survival. Their enemy? Mother Nature itself.
no major ships
Action / Adventure, Injured / Sick, Positive Ending

Bastet5 - Darkness of Isolation, 8659 words, PG-13
December 2017 Kateri always joked, only half-seriously, that she was jinxed when she was split up from her usual partner and partnered with one of her other teammates while on a hunt. Here is one of the reasons why. In other words, the explanation of the first half of the December SNAFU of 2017.
Clinton Skye & OFC
Claustrophobia, Cuddling / Holding / Hugs, Hurt/Comfort (Emotional), Injured / Sick, Kidnapping, Multiple Endings, Panic Attacks / Anxiety, Positive Ending

Bastet5 - Friendly Fire, 8766 words, PG-13
May 2018 It was the mission that would haunt Kateri off-and-on for the rest of her life. A brutal fugitive The worst of battlegrounds Agents down The suspect went down, but so did her partner. It was Kateri who pulled the trigger.
Clinton Skye & OFC, Sheryll Barnes & OFC
Action / Adventure, Angst, Hurt/Comfort (Emotional), Injured / Sick, Panic Attacks / Anxiety, Positive Ending

Bastet5 - Flying Fridges, 10800 words, PG-13
December 2017 In the aftermath of her kidnapping, Kateri was not dealing. Then Kenny nearly got himself smushed by a refrigerator. Then Kateri was really not dealing, but maybe she realized, the others were struggling, too.
Clinton Skye & OFC
Child Abuse, Claustrophobia, Panic Attacks / Anxiety, Positive Ending, Post-Traumatic Stress / Trauma Recovery

Bastet5 - In The Beginning, 11318 words, PG-13
February 2015 One moment, one meeting, one assignment can change the course of a life. Detailed by her unit chief without her knowledge, FBI Agent Kateri Wood of Organized Crime thinks her life can't get any more complicated ... or worse. Then she meet her new temporary team and her new temporary boss ... Jess LaCroix. Maybe getting detailed won't be as bad as Kateri thinks it will.
OMC & OFC
Casefic, First Meetings, Positive Ending

Bastet5 - Missing Scenes, 15449 words, PG-13
For every story, there is always another side, another viewpoint. A look at moments from this series through the eyes of other characters, and a look at moments not seen in the main series (but possibly hinted at) through multiple eyes.
Clinton Skye & OFC
Angst, Child Abuse, Claustrophobia, Ficlet Collection, Post-Traumatic Stress / Trauma Recovery, Racial Profiling / Wrongful Arrest

Bastet5 - Reveille, 21921 words, PG-13
After nearly dying in November 2019, life has settled back towards normal ... a new normal, but still normal ... as Kateri prepares to conclude her medical leave and return to work. Less than a week before her return to work, what was going to be an evening out with an old friend turns into a living nightmare when ICE gets involved, and Kateri finds herself disappeared into ICE custody for a second time in her life. This time ... Tali is with her.
Clinton Skye & OFC, Tali LaCroix & OFC
Angst, Kidnapping, Panic Attacks / Anxiety, Positive Ending, Post-Traumatic Stress / Trauma Recovery, Racial Profiling / Wrongful Arrest

Bastet5 - Greater Love Hath None, 23935 words, PG-13
November 2019 When the worst happens on a hunt for a fugitive, the team is faced with the possible loss of one of their own.
Clinton Skye & OFC
Angst, Character Nearly Dies, Hurt/Comfort (Physical), Injured / Sick, Medical Drama, Positive Ending, Self-Sacrifice / Saving Someone's Life, Violence / Wounds

Bastet5 - A Time To Heal, 35159 words, PG-13
December 2019 - January 2020 After her nearly fatal injuries in Greater Love Hath None, Kateri recovers at Skye Farm.
Clinton Skye & OFC, Tali LaCroix & OFC
Christmas, Cuddling / Holding / Hugs, Found Family / Team as Family, Holiday, Injured / Sick, Positive Ending

Bastet5 - A Rabbit in Central Park, 1553 words, PG-13
April 2018 An afternoon in Central Park admiring the scenery and relaxing after hours of paperwork turns into a chance adventure with a rabbit running from the police. In other words, not all of Kateri's meetings with the NYPD end up going bad.
no major ships
Positive Ending


Profiler

Azar / Julie Jekel - Want, 404 words, PG
Sam's thoughts, following an earth-shattering revelation.
Bailey Malone & Samantha Waters
Angst, Cuddling / Holding / Hugs, Hurt/Comfort (Emotional), Mixed / Ambivalent Ending

Azar / Julie Jekel - Silent Devotion, 979 words, PG
When Sam faces a crisis, Bailey is there to help her through it. Tag for "Dying to Live."
Bailey Malone/Samantha Waters
Child Custody Issues, Cuddling / Holding / Hugs, Mixed / Ambivalent Ending, One-Sided or Unrequited Love

KMDWriterGrl / kosmickway - Bleak Midwinter, 1447 words, PG
John takes Kate's death hard as the holidays approach but finds solace in an unexpected place.
John Grant/Frances Malone, John Grant/Kate Wilton
Grief / Mourning, Positive Ending, Post-Relationship (Dead), Pre-Relationship

KMDWriterGrl / kosmickway - Unconditional, 1476 words, Unrated
Grace reflects on the nature of unconditional love. Warning–ANGST!
Bailey Malone & Grace Alvarez, Morgan Ballard/Grace Alvarez
Angst, Cuddling / Holding / Hugs, Hurt/Comfort (Emotional), Nonsexual Physical Touch, Positive Ending

LizzieV - And the Living is Easy, 1484 words, PG-13
SBR. A road trip encourages the two agents to see their relationship in a new light.
Bailey Malone/Samantha Waters
Cuddling / Holding / Hugs, Positive Ending, Pre-Relationship

Azar / Julie Jekel - At Your Door, 2160 words, PG
Jack's letter inspires a late night visit.
Bailey Malone/Samantha Waters
Beginning Relationship, Cuddling / Holding / Hugs, Direct Address, First Person, Hurt/Comfort (Emotional), Love Confessions, Positive Ending, Present Tense

KMDWriterGrl / kosmickway - For the First Time, 2936 words, R
When Grace's husband threatens a lawsuit to take her kids away, George goes to some interesting lengths to make her feel better.
George Fraley/Grace Alvarez
Beginning Relationship, Hurt/Comfort (Emotional), Positive Ending, Sex / Making Out

Azar / Julie Jekel - Stay, 3270 words, PG
Sam's POV of the events of "At Your Door."
Bailey Malone/Janet Malone, Bailey Malone/Samantha Waters
Beginning Relationship, Cuddling / Holding / Hugs, Direct Address, First Person, Hurt/Comfort (Emotional), Love Confessions, Positive Ending, Present Tense

empty_marrow / Robin Nance - Second Fiddle, 3911 words, PG-13
Five times Bailey Malone played second fiddle to another man in Samantha Waters' life, and one time he was first.
Bailey Malone/Samantha Waters, Nick Cooper/Samantha Waters, Tom Waters/Samantha Waters
5 Things / 5+1, Angst, Beginning Relationship, Friends to Lovers, Love Confessions, Marriage / Wedding, One-Sided or Unrequited Love, Positive Ending, Pre-Relationship, Present Tense, Romance / Love

finnishvixen - Never Told You, Never Told Anyone, 13572 words, PG
A collection of unseen scenes or drabbles from alternate universes, centering on Sam and Bailey.
Bailey Malone/Ellen Behar, Bailey Malone/Samantha Waters, Nick Cooper/Samantha Waters
Angst, Beginning Relationship, Cuddling / Holding / Hugs, Direct Address, Everyone Can See It, Ficlet Collection, First Person, Friends to Lovers, Hurt/Comfort (Emotional), Missing Scene, One-Sided or Unrequited Love, Outside POV, Pre-Relationship, Present Tense, Second Person

finnishvixen - Play Dead, 22396 words, PG-13
This story picks up after the opening moments of "Reunion I". A new profiler comes in to investigate Sam's kidnapping and Bailey's shooting. SABER.
Bailey Malone/Samantha Waters, Jack of All Trades/Samantha Waters
Canon Divergence, Christmas, Cuddling / Holding / Hugs, Grief / Mourning, Holiday, Hurt/Comfort (Emotional), Injured / Sick, Kidnapping, Major Character Death, Positive Ending, Post-Traumatic Stress / Trauma Recovery, Sharing a Bed

Gomes - Compromising Situations, 25091 words, R
[SBR] Bailey's actions leads to Sam's capture by Jack, and revelations ensue.
Bailey Malone/Samantha Waters, Jack of All Trades/Samantha Waters
Action / Adventure, Angst, Beginning Relationship, Hurt/Comfort (Emotional), Injured / Sick, Love Confessions, Mutual Pining, Nonspecific Ending, Sex / Making Out, Sharing a Bed, Stalker

finnishvixen - Wrong Impression, 35211 words, PG
Set after the series finale. Sam returns to the VCTF to help out Rachel as well as start her life with Bailey. Now, all she has to do is to get through to a stunned and disbelieving Bailey.
Bailey Malone/Samantha Waters
Angst, Beginning Relationship, Hurt/Comfort (Emotional), Love Confessions, Panic Attacks / Anxiety, Positive Ending, Romance / Love

finnishvixen - Looking for Nothing, 60971 words, PG-13
Set after "Cycle of Violence". Unbeknownst to herself, Sam starts falling for Bailey bit by bit. Jack plots away at his future with Sam. First part in a major, multi-chapter trilogy, wherein I imagine the love story of Sam and Bailey!
Bailey Malone/Samantha Waters, Jack of All Trades/Samantha Waters, John Grant/Angel Brown
Beginning Relationship, Casefic, Cliffhanger, Food / Cooking, Friends to Lovers, Pre-Relationship, Stalker

finnishvixen - This Mess We're In, 68357 words, PG-13
Sequel to "Looking for Nothing". They began without knowing it. Sam finds herself in the midst of falling for her best friend. Bailey comes to realise that his heart is a lost cause; out of fear, Sam decides to fight her feelings tooth and nail. An angry and hurt Jack lurks in the shadows. Second part in a multi-chapter trilogy.
Bailey Malone/Samantha Waters, Jack of All Trades/Samantha Waters, John Grant/Angel Brown
Backstory, Banter, Children, Cuddling / Holding / Hugs, Friends to Lovers, Grief / Mourning, Hurt/Comfort (Emotional), Minor Character Death, Pre-Relationship, Stalker


The Matrix

fleureilleaux - One Bright Star, 1267 words, PG-13
Death of another one of Neo's unnamed predecessors, now the crew has to deal with the situation. Apoc/Switch centric because that's what I do. This one loosely ties in with most of my other headcanon stories. Three very short chapters.
Apoc/Switch
Angst, Cuddling / Holding / Hugs, Established Relationship, Hurt/Comfort (Emotional), Positive Ending

lmorgart - if i should fall, 1548 words, PG
As far as exits go, it wasn't exactly her first choice.
Neo/Trinity
Action / Adventure, Established Relationship, Positive Ending, Romance / Love

JasmineRey - Hold and Release, 2052 words, PG
Tonight, Trinity's goal is to be blissfully unaware of everything, to forget all the pain and grief currently haunting her every waking moment. She will sober up for the funerals in a couple of days (Tank's name no doubt added to the list by then, the painful thought stabs into her mind), but until then, she doesn't want to feel a thing. "Another, please," she says to the bartender, who nods obligingly. She doesn’t notice Neo watching her silently, his gaze a mixture of shock and concern.
Neo/Trinity
Alcoholism / Drinking, Beginning Relationship, Cuddling / Holding / Hugs, Grief / Mourning, Hurt/Comfort (Emotional), Mixed / Ambivalent Ending

Hawki - Age Against the Machine, 5463 words, PG
Oneshot: Age took its toll on humans in a way it didn't for machines. As the leader of Io, as one of the last people to remember Zion, Niobe was no exception. With a new generation, with a new Matrix more insidious than any version before it, it fell to her what was left of free humanity, and to guide those like Bugs forward.
no major ships
Backstory, Grief / Mourning, Introspection, Minor Character Death, Mixed / Ambivalent Ending


If any of the links above no longer work, please let me know so I can flag them as "Dead" in my database, thanks!

Enjoy! :)