Fanfic Recommendation Challenge

Claim: The Sentinel: general series
Prompt: Endings
Title: In a Land of Shadow
Author: Gil Hale
Rating: PG13
Length: 445K (epic)
Brief summary: Gil Hale is a mistress of crossovers. She's crossed TS with Supernatural, Invisible Man, Magnificent Seven, Firefly and the Professionals, including this story. Since I really didn't know much about Pros (as it's called in that fandom), I asked someone about her potrayal of those characters. She apparently does justice to both universes. Not knowing anything about Pros didn't stop my enjoyment of the story, so don't let that keep you from this engrossing tale.

Shortly after the end of the series and just after he has refused Simon's offer to become a detective, Blair is spirited away without a trace. Jim searches desperately for months. Jack Kelso eventually comes through, hooking Jim up with a British Intelligence agent (Bodie) who is investigating some hinky stuff involving his own government that might be connected. Of course it is, and the two of them are off to England. I could write a mini-story just trying to sum up all that goes on here, but my best advice is to just read it.

Regarding the prompt, this story has many endings. The end to a 15-year grudge between two men who were once close. An end to a thirty-year-old mystery. And an end to one of the most notorious characters in the TS world. Along the way there's a lot of the skulking activities you would expect when you're dealing with people who like to keep secrets and are very good at it. I hope you enjoy this as much as I did.

Link: In a Land of Shadow



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It was a toss-up between reccing a story in the far future, or one just a decade later. This won out. ^_^

Claim: The Sentinel: general series
Prompt: Future fic
Title: Heartbeats
Author: J.M. Griffin
Rating: NC-17
Length: 52K and 64K
Brief summary:  It’s 2006 and Jim is captain of Major Crimes and as dedicated as Simon was, who is now Chief of Police. Blair parted under strained circumstances and in the intervening years has had a son. When the story starts, Blair is in an African country during an uprising. He’s able to smuggle his son to Jim, but he’s trapped in the country and might not survive.

This is a thoroughly satisfying tale that hits several of my weaknesses – the guys as dads chief among them. Jim, who in the show is always quite sweet with kids, is a natural.  Despite his less than stellar upbringing, his playfulness and instinct to protect make him great father material.  He’s not perfect, and we see him stumble as he tries to figure out what the right thing (or in his mind what the *Blair* thing) is to do in raising a precocious young boy.  He’s also stunned by the revelation that Blair loves Jim. He’s not too surprised to discover that he loves Blair just as much.

Another plus for me is that neither Jim nor Blair are crippled by being apart.  Jim keeps and controls his senses, and continues to be a successful and dedicated cop. Blair finds a fulfilling life doing something true to his nature. Even though they may be lonelier without each other, it’s not imperative that they stay together.

Link:Heartbeats Part One and Heartbeats Part Two

ETA:  JM Griffin removed these two stories in order to put them in a zine, so they are no longer available online. 

My Rec50 Master Table

Claim: The Sentinel: general series
Prompt: Kink
Title: Curiosity Killed the Cat, Or So They Say
Author: Castilie
Rating: PG
Length: 16K
Brief summary: Blair tries to guess Jim’s favorite kink. Just a fun little story.

Link: Curiosity Killed the Cat, Or So They Say



My Rec50 Master Table

Claim: The Sentinel: general series
Prompt: Love
Title: Territorial Imperative
Author: Bone
Rating: NC-17
Length: epic (series)
Brief summary: I can’t think of a Bone story that I wouldn’t recommend, but the TI series is one that I never tire of re-reading. Both secretly lusting for each other, the cat comes screaming out of the bag during a late night stake-out. The problem is that both have the will but neither has the experience. Oh, and each thinks the other one has!

Jim and Blair’s first person POVs are traded back and forth as their new relationship unfolds. Lusty and funny and scary and hot, it’s everything I’d expect from Jim and Blair. Bone has a wonderful way of using the two men’s internal monologues to move them along from lust to love. Blair’s explanation of how SenToo could have happened when they were already lovers is believable; how he helps them get back to good is sweet and poignant and is so Blair.

Link: Territorial Imperative



My Rec50 Master Table

Claim: The Sentinel: general series
Prompt: Crossover (Stargate SG1)
Title: Metamorphosis
Author: T.W. Lewis
Rating: NC-17
Length: 216K
Brief summary:  Stargate SG1 has to be the most popular cross in the TS fandom.  So many parallels between Jack and Jim, or Blair and Daniel.  The setup for Metamorphosis strays from the usual TS/SG1 in a number of ways.  First, Jack and Jim and Blair and Daniel in no way know each other, either currently or from past encounters.  Second, when SG1 comes calling they aren’t interested in Jim at all – they want to offer Blair a job based on his anthro skills and his police experience.  Third, there’s a B/m pairing that’s neither Jack nor Daniel.

In the aftermath of TSbBS, Blair accepts a job at Stargate Command.  His main reason is that he feels that things with Jim are broken beyond repair.  A second reason is that Blair has secretly loved Jim, who is straight.  Step into this marvelous story and see how Blair fares as he builds a new life and embraces a new dream.

Link: Metamorphosis



My Rec50 Master Table

The show ends with Blair being offered a job as a detective, with Captain Simon Banks throwing him a gold shield. Thus began a deluge of fanfic that diverge along two basic paths: Blair accepts the badge or he doesn’t.

Claim: The Sentinel: general series
Prompt: Reccer’s Choice 2
Title: Four Months in a Uniform
Author: E. Batagur
Rating:  PG
Length: 120K
Brief summary:  Seen through Jim’s eyes, it follows Blair’s progress through the academy and into an unexpected barrier.  Unlike Simon’s description of how easy it will be to become Jim’s partner, Blair must go through a mandatory stint as a uniformed cop.  And, even after he passes the detective exam, he is not guaranteed a place in Major Crime.  Great post-series story of Blair’s development and Jim’s reactions.  And there’s a case or two thrown in!  

She also has a sequel called I’m Not Scared But I Can’t Move.

Link: Four Months in a Uniform



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Claim: The Sentinel: general series
Prompt: Fluff
Title: Picture This
Author: Jane Davitt
Rating: R
Length: 28K
Brief summary:  Do you know what a fluffer is?  Jim does, as Blair finds out.  This takes place early on – Jim and Blair are still finding out about each other.  Through the unusual circumstance of watching a porn movie they learn more.  This could easily have been played for laughs, but Jane’s story aims for more – and she gets it.

Link: Picture This



My Rec50 Master Table

If you don’t know anything about the show or fandom, the main premise is that Jim is a man with five hyper-active senses. In the first show Blair dubs people with this phenomenon as “Sentinels”. Since rec50  includes many fandoms, the prompts are necessarily generic. So, for my Reccer’s choices, I’d like to focus on themes that really represent the show. I’m starting with a story that showcases Jim’s senses, or at least one of them!

Claim: The Sentinel: general series
Prompt: Reccer’s Choice #1
Title: Palooka
Author: Pares
Rating: NC-17
Length: 40K
(not so) brief summary:  This takes place sometime after “Sweet Science”, in which a boxer friend of Blair’s was killed, and helps to explain the title.  The episode was deep into the third season, so Jim has been working on controlling his senses with Blair’s help for quite a while and it shows here.  Jim uses his senses unconsciously and effortlessly, monitoring Blair without any real thought or intent.  And that’s how his sense of smell tells him what’s going on in Blair’s life.  He knows, for instance, when Blair’s dating someone new, because their smells rub off on him. And he knows when Blair is getting laid, because he’ll smell like freshly-baked bread. 

Then, his senses start to go out of whack. He knows Blair can help him but is at a loss as to how to explain it or engage Blair. He’s starting to suspect that Blair might be part of the problem.  Jim’s confusion is endearing and his reactions are hilarious.  The banter is snappy and the interactions are laced with that casual good humor and affection that was the hallmark of the show.  Enjoy!

Link: Palooka



My Rec50 Master Table

Strictly a coincidence but this story has a Winter Olympics reference!

Claim: The Sentinel: general series
Prompt: Denial
Title: Shizuka Shines
Author: Polly Bywater
Rating: NC-17
Length: 96K
Brief summary:  Blair kisses Jim, who is horrified and avoids Blair.  Blair leaves.  Jim goes to visit Carolyn, who confronts him about his homophobia and helps him figure things out.  Unlike many TS stories, this has a nice Carolyn, Naomi *and* William.   Enjoy!

Link: Shizuka Shines

ETA:  Link has been updated to give you the author's preferred version.  Thanks, Polly!

Happy Valentine's Day and Gung Hay Fat Choy (Year of the Tiger)!


My Rec50 Master Table

Claim: The Sentinel: general series
Prompt: Dream
Title: Hazy Shade of Winter
Author: PsychGirl
Rating: NC-17
Length: 96K
Brief summary:  “What if TSbBS was a dream?” is the author’s summary for this interesting story.  But, unlike Pam Ewing’s dream in “Dallas”, when Blair wakes up the bad times *begin*.  Believing that he’s had a vision foretelling the future, Blair leaves Cascade to prevent Jim from being outed as a sentinel.  He goes to ground, isolating himself and taking menial jobs.  Will it be enough?  You’ll have to read to find out!

Link: Hazy Shade of Winter



My Rec50 Master Table