221b_recs | Entries tagged with genre: hurt/comfort

Title: A Home for Us
Author: sussexbound (SamanthaLenore)
Pairing: Sherlock Holmes/John Watson
Length: 30K
Rating: M
Warnings: Mentions of torture and suicidal thoughts, PTSD
Verse: Sherlock BBC
Author's summary: He has been on the road for two years, and he is exhausted. He’s almost accepted that he will never see London (John) again—almost. But then there are nights like tonight, where he is weak, and all he can think of is the warmth of the flat they once shared, the crackle of the fire in the hearth, the teasing smile playing at the corner of John’s lips, the boxes of half-eaten Chinese takeaway balanced precariously in their laps. He aches at the memory of it, at the realisation that it is something he may never experience again.

Reccer's comments: Of all the cliffhangers the show has given us, I think the one at the end of series 2 is the most powerful for fans. There's something about the potential for anything to happen during the time Sherlock is away, both to him and to those left behind, and for an emotion-laden reunion when the Prodigal returns. This fic does a spectacular job of both, taking us into the minds, hearts, and bodies of both Sherlock and John as we see what a toll those two years took, and how they slowly manage to help each other to heal. (All episodes after Many Happy Returns are ignored.) This fic is truly a gem of its genre, filled with self-flagellating pining and aching regrets. The quiet rightness of them being together that neither can deny. The delicious, heady delicacy of the realizations and declarations and finally the swoon-inducing beauty of their eventual, inevitable consummation. Although there are some very angsty bits, the entire fic buoyed me up on a cloud of endorphins and just made me feel so serene and peaceful and comforted.

( Excerpt... )

pipmer1

Title: Excultus
Author: mottlemoth
Pairing: Mycroft/Lestrade
Length: 315,000 words
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic depictions of violence
Verse: Sherlock BBC

Author's summary: 23rd-century London is a divided city. Two hundred years of genetic tampering has fractured humanity into subspecies, not all of whom are willing to get along. The capital's crime-ridden streets are now home to some fairly fantastic variants of human - some of them more dangerous than others.

For DI Greg Lestrade, Cross-Human Relations at Scotland Yard, it's all just part of the day job.

But when a horrifying discovery forces him to seek the help of Mycroft Holmes, Head of Criminal Psychology, Greg might just be tested past his limits. Mycroft is unpleasant, unforgiving, and famously impossible to please.

But if Greg needs anyone right now, it's a vampire expert.

With dangerous forces fast on their tail, Greg and Mycroft must work together to avert the vampire threat - before it's too late.

[Mystrade Supernatural/Sci-fi AU.]

Reccer's comments: That author's summary pretty much says it all. Futuristic, Sci-Fi AU where some human subspecies co-mingle openly with other humans -- and some do not. This is basically one big epic casefic, where the mystery to be solved involves murderous vampires, and where DI Lestrade and Mycroft Holmes team up to contain the threat, assisted by some nicely fleshed-out OCs.

I should start out right away by letting everyone know that the only Sherlock canon characters here are Greg Lestrade and Mycroft Holmes.There is no Sherlock. There is no John Watson. If that puts anyone off, feel free to move on. I will stress, however, that you will be missing out on a grand action-packed adventure, where the relationship development between the two main characters is a wonder to behold. And I have never read a fic where I am so enthralled by the many OCs who play their supporting roles with so much heart and soul.

At the beginning of the story, Lestrade and Mycroft are strangers who meet one night and have a one-night stand. Unbeknownst to them both, they will soon be caught up in a whirlwind of unsolved murders that require their particular brand of expertise and will force them to work together for the foreseeable future. As the mystery unfolds and their relationship progresses, it becomes clear that Mycroft is holding his cards very close to his vest, and that he is keeping a very large secret from his partner.

I found this story completely enthralling, heart-stopping, and emotionally satisfying. There are several twists and turns, and unexpected reveals, but it all progressed very naturally within the story, and none of it felt like surprise just for the shock factor or for the sake of cleverness. Some you will see coming, and some you won't. But it all comes together in a perfectly logical way. Please do give it a try.

pipmer1

Title: Signs Following
Author: vulgarweed
Pairing: Sherlock/John
Length: 24,285 words
Rating: Explicit
Verse: BBC Sherlock

Author's summary: 1976. Bone Fiddle-verse; Appalachian AU. A couple years into their relationship, John and Sherlock are cozily setting up for spring with Mrs. Hudson's expert guidance when a distraught young woman appeals to them for help and sends them on one of their strangest cases yet - in order to solve one murder and prevent another, they must tangle with a sinister preacher and enter the much-sensationalized, little-understood world of Pentecostal Holiness believers who strictly observe Mark 16: 17-18:

(And these signs shall follow them that believe; In my name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues; they shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover.)

Reccer's comments: This takes place in the awesome Bonefiddle 'verse, an AU set in 1970's Appalachia. Considering how well known this verse is, I'm surprised at the comparatively low kudos and hits, so I thought it deserved a shout-out here.

Sherlock and John are an established couple here in rural West Virginia. Don't let the American setting put you off: these are the Sherlock and John that we know and love, just transplanted into a different culture. They are still very much themselves. John is a doctor and a war veteran, and Sherlock is a self-proclaimed detective. Together they solve crimes. For this specific story, it is a retelling of The Speckled Band, using a most unique twist. Here, the villain is a Holy-Roller snake handling preacher who preys upon his flock's vulnerabilities in order to commit murder. It never descends into religion bashing, though. The author deftly navigates between good old Sherlockian skepticism and sensitivity to good people's sincerely held beliefs. It's manipulative evil that is the true villain here.

The reader will surely enjoy John's reaction to Sherlock's prowess with a tire iron, as well as his BAMFness when it comes time to save Sherlock from himself.

pipmer1

Title: A Christmas Carol
Author: Mottlemoth
Pairing: Mycroft/Lestrade, Sherlock/John
Length: 40,385 words
Rating: Teen
Warnings: None
Verse: Sherlock BBC/A Christmas Carol

Author's summary: "All lives end... all hearts are broken."

Mycroft Holmes never needed a reason to loathe Christmas - but getting dumped by the love of his life certainly did the trick. It's been a year since Mycroft lost the man he adored, and with Christmas Eve fast approaching, he's counting down the hours until all this festive lunacy is over.

Sadly for Mycroft, fate has other plans.

It's going to take three ghosts to show him the error of his ways. But can he make amends in time? Or will he prove to himself, once and for all, that caring is not an advantage?

Reccer's comments: It's a Mystrade Christmas Carol! Yes, maybe you think the premise is tired and unoriginal but I urge you to think again. The author puts their own unique twists on the tale, and I promise that you won't be bored. You might suffer from emotional whiplash, though, because this fic is in turns funny, heartbreaking, heartwarming, exasperating, tearjerking... and last but not least, joyful and life-affirming. Just like the Dickens tale.

And never fear, Johnlock fans. This story may center around the Mycroft/Lestrade relationship, but even though Sherlock/John is background, their presence is keenly felt throughout. I especially liked Sherlock's relationship with Greg in this, as well as his interactions with his brother. A more human Sherlock you'll never meet!

Grab your hot cocoa, a comfy blanket, and settle in for a whopper of a ghost story.

( sneak peek )

pipmer1

Title: You Should Have Changed Course Long Ago
Author: msdisdain
Pairing: Sherlock/John, background Mycroft/Lestrade
Length: 33,235 words
Rating: Explicit
Verse: Sherlock BBC

Author's summary: John realizes too late what has been in his heart all along, and flees London. But can he ever truly leave Sherlock behind?

Reccer's comments: Written before Series 4, this story is in turns heartbreaking, painful, cathartic - and, above all else - joyful and full of hope. Told mostly from John's POV, it begins with both Mary and the baby gone. John finally finds the courage to tell Sherlock what he really wants, only to have Sherlock send him away because he can't trust that he isn't John's consolation prize. And so begins a painful journey for both men, separated by both distance and time, as they struggle to accept the fact that neither one is going to have what he truly wants. And it's not until that reality is finally accepted, that both men can fall back together again. Painful, but worth the payoff in the end.

( sneak peek )

pipmer1

Title: Sacre Coeur
Author: Mamaorion
Pairing: Sherlock/John
Length: 127158 words (including appendices; actual story is around 95,000 words)
Rating: Mature
Verse: Sherlock BBC

Author's summary: Memories return. Old secrets are unearthed. Seven years of hidden love ignite. Who is behind the mind control, and how far back does it reach into Sherlock's past?

This multi-chapter patchwork fixit fic diverts from the path at season three and turns season 4 into a collage. This was the Johnlock I wanted. May it be healing for you, too.

Reccer's comments: This is marvelous storytelling, with twists and turns that will keep you on the edge of your seat. It re-imagines Season 3 in a whole new light, and therefore Season 4 -- well. I don't want to give away too much. But the tale involves memory loss, secret organizations, and a backstory that includes Sherrinford as the third Holmes sibling (and what a delightful, if flawed, character he is.) Mary is a marvelous villain here, done in a way that I wish the show would have done. There are flashbacks to Sherlock's teenage years, where *everything* begins, and connects neatly with all the events in canon up to, and partially inclusive of, Series 3.

And of course, at the heart of it all is the love between Sherlock and John.

swissmarg

Title: The Lying Detective (alternative)
Author: 221b_hound
Pairing: Sherlock Holmes/John Watson, past Sherlock Holmes/John Watson/Mary Morstan
Length: 20K
Rating: Mature
Warnings: None
Verse: BBC
Author's summary: Mary was the bridge between them. Without her, is there still an 'us'? Perhaps, if John and Sherlock can survive the guilt, the grief, the game.

Reccer's comments: This is part of an AU series 3 & 4 that takes the basic plot of the episodes, adds Johnlockary, and changes a few other things, some minor and some more major. I’ve found it surprisingly engaging despite not being a Johnlockary fan and generally disparaging fics that re-hash the aired episodes in much detail. I also admit I haven’t read all of the parts, but you can dive in at any point, really, if you are familiar with the episode in question.

This one is a terrific slog through the depths of grief and despair in the wake of Mary’s death, made more painful and eviscerating by the fact that the Mary in this was genuinely likable and the three of them were involved in a loving and happy polyamoric relationship. (We only see one brief and sketchy flashback scene of the three of them in bed together, which is easily skipped if you are only here for the Johnlock.) At the same time, the Culverton Smith plot is revamped to work more authentically, a far cry from the broadcast “go to hell/save John Watson” scenario that viewers were confronted with.

The characters are all treated with respect and depth, with a marvelous ensemble cast involving several secondary characters in meaty and important roles. Harry Watson in particular is a shining star of an OC with a potty mouth and a heart of tarnished gold.

I really encourage anyone who was unhappy with series 4 – and especially the whiplash treatment of Mary’s character and gutting of John and Sherlock’s friendship – to give this series a try. It’s gutsy and bold, drawing on real emotion rather than flash and showmanship, and truly allowing the characters and their stories to touch hearts.

swissmarg

Title: Before I Come Home
Author: TooSelin
Pairing: Sherlock Holmes/John Watson
Length: 36K
Rating: Mature
Warnings: None
Verse: BBC
Author's summary: Sometimes you need to reopen old wounds before they can heal. Sometimes you need to get away before you can come home.

Reccer's comments: I raced through this breathlessly, both eager to see what would happen next and wanting it to be much longer. The most recent addition to the “couples therapy” trope, this is one of the very few that doesn’t involve a fake relationship. Instead, John and Sherlock attend the sessions with the specific intent of recovering from the events in series 3 and 4 (disregarding TFP and Eurus) and strengthening their relationship. I especially liked that there are no easy answers, but that both Sherlock and John are committed to each other from the get-go, regardless of whether they remain platonic best friends or allow the love they both feel to find its expression through romance and physical intimacy. (Check the tags to see which route they go…) This is also a Parentlock fic, with Rosie an integral part of the story and the family unit. With lots of delicious UST, quiet domesticity, heart-wrenching confessions, a day at the beach, a wise old woman, and all the time in the world to get things right.

swissmarg

Title: Antidote (link goes to tumblr)
Artist: anotherwellkeptsecret
Pairing: Sherlock Holmes/John Watson
Length: 1 mini-comic
Rating: Unrated, SFW
Warnings: None
Verse: ACD
Author's summary: None given. First line: In the dim light of a foggy November day, I chanced upon a package addressed to Mr. Sherlock Holmes.

Reccer's comments: Based on the Adventure of the Dying Detective, this is the comic equivalent of a one-shot missing scene that packs the punch of a full-blown story, and as such is an absolute delight. The facial expressions in this little comic are everything. I just love the tenderness and sweet emotion, paired with a modicum of angst and a hint of eroticism.

swissmarg

Title: S4 AU (link goes to tumblr)
Author: johnlockiseternal
Pairing: Sherlock Holmes/John Watson
Length: 17 tumblr posts
Rating: Not rated, contains 1 NSFW gif
Warnings: None
Verse: BBC
Author's summary: AU where S4 doesn’t happen at all, Sherlock hallucinates everything after Mary shoots him.

Reccer's comments: I'm not sure if there's a name for this kind of thing, but this is a story told through gifs of the series (plus a couple from other sources), with the author inserting their own subtitles. It's kind of a cross between a vid and a fic. It's short and sweet, but manages to pack in the full range of emotion, from the stomach swoops of flirty texting, loin-tingling teases of a consummation many years in the making, to a heart-in-throat confrontation and the heartfelt sighs of a happy ending. And all rendered in slick, high quality gifs with in-character dialogue. It's cute, sassy, sweet, and just great fun.

Editing to add: There is now a 1:25-minute fanvid version.

swissmarg

Title: On the Rack
Author: 7PercentSolution, J_Baillier
Pairing: Sherlock Holmes/John Watson
Length: 286,966 words
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: None
Verse: BBC
Author's summary: The sequel to The Breaking Wheel, in which Sherlock goes to rehab (of the other sort), starts scraping his life back together, attempts to solve a case, and tries to make sense of what it actually means to be in a relationship.

Reccer's comments: This is the second part of a series, and although I would recommend reading the first part for best understanding (and because it’s an awesome fic), all of the most important points are explained within this installment so it could also be read as a standalone.

This is quite simply an incredible journey into the mind and body of Sherlock Holmes, charting the physical and emotional journey of the aftermath of Sherlock being stricken by Guillain-Barré syndrome, an autoimmune disorder of the nervous system. We really get a vivid picture of Sherlock’s frustration and fear over the weeks and months, not just at his physical and mental condition but also at his fledgling romantic relationship with John. To add to the angst-mix, Sherlock is depicted as neurodivergent, bringing a lifetime’s worth of baggage and mishandling that needs to be dealt with before any of the hated “Progress” can be made.

What I really liked is that this fic tackled the problem from several angles, involving athletics, music, chemistry, and a new case. I thought at first that the title referenced a torture rack (which it might also do) but there is also a beautiful metaphor that’s developed through the course of the story which I didn’t pick up on until quite near the end, adding another layer of brilliance to an already masterful piece of writing. Sherlock’s past, especially relating to his brother, is also given a particularly good exploration. With obscure poisons, flashback nightmares, a twice-murdered corpse, drug dealing, and fresh medical drama to twist the knife just a little more.

swissmarg

Title: He Was a Friend of Mine
Author: SinceWhenDoYouCallMe_John
Pairing: Sherlock Holmes/John Watson, John Watson/Alma Watson
Length: 38,387 words
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Suicidal ideation, infidelity
Verse: BBC Sherlock/Brokeback Mountain crossover
Author's summary: Sherlock presses his nose into my hair and inhales. “Told myself the whole way here we wasn’t gonna get into this again,” he says low. His breath moves soft against my scalp, and his words rumble deep into my bones. It sounds like the open sky throwing wind against the boulders up on Baker, rattling the thin walls of the tent with the rushing force of the mountain. I hum. I don’t believe him for a second – steppin’ out of his gleaming white Ford back in Signal with his best shirt on and his curls all combed lookin’ up at me like he just took a breath after five years of holding it. I know because I did the same.

Reccer's comments: Stunned silence. What. This author. What. This author writes better than Annie Proulx. I just. ??

Okay. Trying to put together words coherently here. This is a fusion with Brokeback Mountain, and the author says at the beginning that they “borrowed heavily” from Proulx’s short story and the screenplay. So when I started reading the first paragraph I thought, yeah, okay, they’ve copied all this description stuff from Proulx to set the mood. I mean because look at this:

There’s a place up round near Bighorn where the little streams all crisscross each other like a handful of grass tossed down onto hot summer pavement. You can walk alongside the water in places where boots and hooves and moccasins and bare feet and whatever other goddamn footwear there is have been trampling for hundreds of years, and nobody pays you no congratulations for finding those paths.

Poetry, right? This author has obviously won numerous writing awards, right? But. Then there’s a link to Proulx’s story at the end and I checked and this is all this fic author. 100%. I went so far as to google those phrases because good goddamn. This fic is the only hit in the entire internet. The only hit for the handful of grass on hot summer pavement and no congratulations for finding the paths. And it just goes on like that for 38K words. Yes, there are a few lines of dialogue that are cribbed but that’s really about it as far as I can tell. So. Maybe they have won writing awards. Worth reading just for that. But then there is the story.

The plot largely follows that of the movie but there are a lot of deviations, some minor and some major, as Sherlock and John’s characters and back stories meld with those of Ennis and Jack. It was a tricky line to walk, I think, to bring Sherlock and John as we know them to the rural American west of the 1970s and 80s, including the speech patterns. But they are definitely there, with John’s anger and struggle between wanting outward normalcy while craving adventure, and Sherlock’s paramount loneliness and underappreciated brilliance seeking an appropriate outlet but getting sidetracked in violence and illicit substances.

For those who are afraid of how the movie ended, check out the “eventual happy ending” tag. ;) Eventual being the key word here because believe me, you will go through that box of tissues on the way. We are taken on a lifelong journey that hurts with every step as the two men drift between moments of happiness with each other. The characters may be fictional, but their emotions are made real through the telling, and that to me is the mark of a truly great story.

write_out

Title: The Thing Which I Greatly Feared Is Come Upon Me
Author:

ancientreader
Pairing: Sherlock Holmes/John Watson, Mary Morstan/John Watson (Past)
Length: 3760
Rating: Mature
Warnings: None
Verse: Sherlock BBC
Author's summary: Ella had been right about the trust issues, she had been right about the PTSD, and she had not exactly been wrong about the blog, either, had she, though John's efforts in that department hadn't worked as she might have hoped. John could write about Sherlock, he could write about their cases, he could respond lightly or sternly to comments; what the blog couldn't teach him to do was to look at a feeling and name it.

Reccer's comments: Because I shared a post-S4 story through Sherlock's POV, I thought it would be a perfect balance to share this one through John's. While the last story focused primarily on the aftermath of The Final Problem, this time, it's John's beating of Sherlock in The Lying Detective. This story quietly and painfully gets at the heart of John Watson:

One day, John catches Sherlock’s expression as he, Sherlock, tucks Rosie into her yellow raincoat: it’s the careful concentrated look he might wear as he dropped reagent from a pipette, and the sight makes John laugh while, also, it squeezes his heart. Sherlock’s forty, and his unearthly beauty has worn away at the edges, but, as if in recompense, he seems at home in the world now, as John can never remember being.

For himself, he looks in the mirror and tries not to think the words “old” and “lost.”

It’s difficult to believe that Sherlock sees anything different, but Sherlock has always understood John otherwise than John understands himself. When they first met, at a time when John believed that there was only a dying ember inside him, Sherlock had breathed on the ember and brought him blazing into life. John makes a hash of their friendship, of marriage, he thinks he makes a hash of fatherhood as well, but Sherlock is steadfast. Over and over he has shown that he will stop at nothing to shield that flame. Therefore John goes on.

And:

“Do you think we can take care of Rosie?” We. Hearing himself, John flinches.

“Yes,” Sherlock says, unhesitating.

They both fall quiet; John’s heart thuds. He has choices. He can remain as he has been, or he can step out of his self-protections as if to shed ill-fitting and uncomfortable garments. Perhaps he has had enough of protecting himself by inflicting injury on others.

That last line! Sherlock has forgiven John; here we see John begin to forgive himself. His recurring nightmare of the beating is terrible and powerful and yet he continues to wake up, process, and move on. This is the reconciliation the show never truly gave us. I needed to see John come to terms with his violent nature and also with Sherlock's acceptance of it (Sherlock's acceptance of his own violence as well is an added bonus). This story does it all so thoughtfully and with grace.

write_out

Title: (Never) Turn Your Back to the Sea
Author:

DiscordantWords
Pairing: Sherlock Holmes/John Watson
Length: 39968
Rating: Mature
Warnings: None
Verse: Sherlock BBC
Author's summary:

Baker Street is very much the same. Only different.

And Sherlock is just trying not to drown.

Reccer's comments:

The smiley face was wrong.

No, not wrong exactly, it was impossible for such a thing to be wrong but—

Perhaps different was the better word.

The smiley face was different.

It had been a good effort. An excellent effort. He'd found replacement wallpaper in the same design as the original. John had even gone out and purchased a can of Michigan hardcore propellant in the proper shade. He'd gotten the placement mostly right. Sherlock had provided the bullet holes himself.

And yet it wasn't quite the same.

The differences were subtle. The yellow paint intersected with the wallpaper pattern slightly lower than it had before (likely due to John's shorter stature.) The paint had been applied with a heavier hand, a more measured, controlled spray compared to his own broad bored sweep all those years ago.

The effect was—unsettling.

Full disclosure: I bid on this author for the Fandom Trumps Hate charity auction on on Tumblr and this is the story that came out of it, so I have a very personal connection.

This amazing post-S4 story deals with the aftermath of all that has happened, particularly the events in The Final Problem, from Sherlock's perspective. To crib some of what I've said about this fic elsewhere, I love how this story ties together so many of the loose ends we were left with once the series ended. This story approaches TFP from a canon viewpoint: TFP is real and this is what happened during and after. It has some of the most chilling scenes (featuring Eurus Holmes), some of the most heartbreaking (featuring Gloria Trevor), and some of the most uplifting (featuring Sherlock and little Rosie Watson).

This is a beautifully written story that runs an emotional gamut from anxiety and unease and fear, to healing and warmth and brotherhood and so much love. We come full circle with Sherlock as he works to heal himself and to make Baker Street truly home. Yes, it's Sherlock/John endgame, but the focus is more on Sherlock and how he deals with all that has happened. I don't hate TFP as much as some- in fact, I found much to love- but this story has given me answers I needed, the emotional closure I craved, and it has made rewatches that much more enjoyable.

bowl-of-glow.livejournal.com

Title: Breakable
Author: MissDavis on AO3
Pairings: Sherlock/John (established)
Length: 117627 words
Rating: Explicit
Verse: BBC Sherlock
Author's summary: After John is seriously injured, Sherlock struggles to figure out how to help him, keep himself sane, and maybe, just maybe, get their life back to the way it's supposed to be.

Reccer's comments: John gets injured during a case, remaining paralyzed from the waist down. Both he and Sherlock have to come to terms with their new situation – as John learns how to live with his disability, Sherlock tries to cope with the guilt that is eating away at him.
I loved the way this fic portrayed Sherlock’s and John’s emotional journey, going through grief, anger, sadness, and ultimately acceptance. I also loved that there were moments of tension between Sherlock and John even when it was clear how much the two loved each other and how determined they were to stay together. I found the portrayal of emotions realistic, sometimes even raw, and definitely touching.

( Excerpt )

bowl-of-glow.livejournal.com

Title: Cigarettes and Splinters
Author: Flaignhan (fanfiction.net)
Pairings: Sherlock/Molly
Length: 3122 words
Rating: G
Verse: BBC Sherlock
Author's note: Big spoilers for The Final Problem.

Reccer's comments: After his ordeal, Sherlock goes check on Molly and explains her the reason of his phone call. An intimate and tender fic which provides some of the emotional closure that I think was missing in TFP.

( Excerpt )

sanguinity

Title: A Simple Deduction
Author: riventhorn
Pairing: Sherlock Hound/John Watson/Marie Hudson
Length: 3769 words
Rating: G
Verse: Sherlock Hound (Meitantei Holmes)
Author's summary: Hound, Watson, and Mrs. Hudson might never say it, but actions speak louder than words.

Reccer's comments: Affectionate, domestic, OT3 fluff for the 1984 anime series, Sherlock Hound. The first chapter is mostly pre-canon (although we do get to see Hound going a bit dreamy after meeting Dr. Watson), and the last two are set indeterminately post-canon. The character voices are spot-on, from Hound's gentlemanly reserve to Moriarty's scenery-chewing, and the shenanigans are appropriately over-the-top, and yet the story proper is a series of largely quiet, sometimes humorous moments that document the development of the OT3.

"A Simple Deduction" makes a few references to canon events, but they're not plot-critical, and shouldn't set you back if you don't know them. However, for those who prefer to know all the things, the references are drawn almost exclusively from two episodes: #1 "The Four Signatures" (wherein Hound first meets Dr. Watson), and #6 "The White Cliffs of Dover" (wherein there is far more to Mrs. Hudson than either of her lodgers suppose).

Author's tags: Domestic Fluff, Hurt/Comfort, at the seaside, Moriarty's plans fail as usual, Hound and his chemistry experiments

scfrankles.livejournal.com

Title: Baker Street Papas
Author: sanguinity
Pairing: Sherlock Holmes/John Watson
Length: 17,566 words
Rating: Teen and Up
Warnings: None
Verse: Sherlock Holmes and Doctor Watson (1980)
Author's summary: Holmes stood; the infant steadied itself with a fistful of his waistcoat. “Watson, I am given to understand that this is—”

“Violet Victoria Mary Smith-Watson,” I said, hearing the death knell of my easy, bachelor life with Holmes.

Reccer's comments: In recent months I have had the pleasure of being introduced to many new Sherlock Holmes ‘verses. This is one of the more unknown ones. Sherlock Holmes and Doctor Watson was a 1979-80 series, starring Geoffrey Whitehead as Holmes and Donald Pickering as Watson. Going by this fic, and also by the one episode I’ve seen, this is a charming version of Holmes and Watson—devoted to each other, with a nice line in banter.

The story is shown from Watson’s POV as he is abruptly given the responsibility of caring for the orphaned baby of a distant cousin. We follow him as he moves from thinking of himself merely as Violet’s guardian to accepting he’s now her parent. And also accepting that he was never, to use a contemporary term, a single father after all...

The fic is sweet, though never sentimental, and the tone is essentially humorous and lighthearted. But that is tempered with an acknowledgement of the realities of life in the Victorian era—especially how vulnerable children could be—and the realities of Holmes and Watson’s adventurous life.

The author links to a relevant Sherlock Holmes and Doctor Watson episode in her notes for your convenience, but you don’t need to have seen that or any of the series to thoroughly enjoy this heartwarming story.

pipmer1.livejournal.com

Title: Albion and the Woodsman
Author: Glenmore
Pairing: Sherlock/John
Length: 54,437 words
Rating: Not Rated (I would rate it Mature)
Warnings: None
Verse: Sherlock BBC

Author's summary: Post Series 3. Sherlock and John are devastated after Mary Morstan makes her final moves. Sherlock relapses at the crack house, John walks around the world ...and a lot happens in between. Parentlock, in the good way.

Reccer's comments: If you are the type of reader who, like me, generally avoids first-person storytelling, then do yourself a favor and make an exception for this one. It's one of those rare fics that successfully paints Sherlock Holmes as a devoted single parent. The story is in turns funny, heartbreaking, and heartwarming.

It is told from Sherlock's POV, and begins post-series 3. It starts out after Sherlock has been shot for a second time by Mary Watson, an event that leads to her arrest and to John needing to disappear for awhile in order to get his head together. He leaves for a year-long walkabout around the world, leaving Sherlock devastated and returning to drugs. Of course he cleans himself up, only to be confronted several months later by a pregnant stranger claiming that Sherlock is the father.

We get to watch Sherlock fall immediately in love with his son Albion, and then take to single fatherhood like a duck takes to water. As Sherlock grows into his new role, he continues to pine for John and wait for his eventual return. The way Sherlock refers to John in his absence by different epithets such as 'eleven jumpers Watson' and 'Three pairs of brogues Watson' kept me delighted and laughing throughout.

We are introduced to several OC’s, not the least of which is Albion himself. His nanny gives soldier!John a run for his money (once he returns), and even the mother who abandoned him manages to turn her life around and gain at least a smidgen of our respect.

There are struggles and lessons to be learned, not the least of which that 'happily ever after' does not mean what all the fairy-tales claim. Reality is much more complicated, but all the more rewarding because of it.

( sneak preview )

pipmer1.livejournal.com

Title: I Need You To See Me
Author: Mssmithlove
Pairing: Sherlock/John
Length: 12,625 words
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: None
Verse: Sherlock BBC

Author's summary: After going back to war, John is yet again invalided home, this time with a broken ankle and a chunk of his memory missing, unable to recall the last five years he's spent being Sherlock Holmes' partner and husband.

Reccer's comments: Amnesia fic is one of my favorite tropes, and this one hit me right in the feels. So angsty and beautifully written, I felt Sherlock's pain so viscerally. It does have a happy ending, but *god* the journey towards it is so painful. Totally worth it, though.

From the beginning of John's diagnosis, Sherlock is convinced that the situation is hopeless, that John could never fall for him twice. Even when John starts to rejoin Sherlock on cases and expresses his happiness to do so, Sherlock cannot allow himself to hope that *his* John is not irretrievably lost.

And just when Sherlock has come to terms with the possibility that his John Watson is gone forever - then we get a beautiful resolution that both makes sense within the narrative and is emotionally satisfying.

( sneak preview )

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November 2018

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swissmarg - Fic Rec: A Home for Us
pipmer1 - Fic Rec: Excultus
pipmer1 - Fic Rec: Signs Following
pipmer1 - Fic Rec: A Christmas Carol
pipmer1 - Fic Rec: You Should Have Changed Course Long Ago
pipmer1 - Fic Rec: Sacre Coeur
swissmarg - Fic Rec: The Lying Detective (alternative)
swissmarg - Fic Rec: Before I Come Home
swissmarg - Art Rec: Antidote
swissmarg - Gif Story Rec: S4 AU
swissmarg - Fic Rec: On the Rack
swissmarg - Fic Rec: He Was a Friend of Mine
write_out - Fic Rec: The Thing Which I Greatly Feared Is Come Upon Me
write_out - Fic Rec: (Never) Turn Your Back to the Sea
bowl-of-glow.livejournal.com - Fic Rec (BBC Sherlock) | Breakable
bowl-of-glow.livejournal.com - Fic Rec (BBC Sherlock) | Cigarettes and Splinters
sanguinity - Fic Rec: A Simple Deduction
scfrankles.livejournal.com - Fic Rec: Baker Street Papas
pipmer1.livejournal.com - Fic Rec: Albion and the Woodsman
pipmer1.livejournal.com - Fic Rec: I Need You To See Me

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221B Recs

A Sherlock Holmes Recs Community

Entries tagged with genre: hurt/comfort

Fic Rec: A Home for Us

Fic Rec: Excultus

Fic Rec: Signs Following

Fic Rec: A Christmas Carol

Fic Rec: You Should Have Changed Course Long Ago

Fic Rec: Sacre Coeur

Fic Rec: The Lying Detective (alternative)

Fic Rec: Before I Come Home

Art Rec: Antidote

Gif Story Rec: S4 AU

Fic Rec: On the Rack

Fic Rec: He Was a Friend of Mine

Fic Rec: The Thing Which I Greatly Feared Is Come Upon Me

Fic Rec: (Never) Turn Your Back to the Sea

Fic Rec (BBC Sherlock) | Breakable

Fic Rec (BBC Sherlock) | Cigarettes and Splinters

Fic Rec: A Simple Deduction

Fic Rec: Baker Street Papas

Fic Rec: Albion and the Woodsman

Fic Rec: I Need You To See Me

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November 2018

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