TexasDreamer01

Shows: SGA
Rec Category: John Sheppard
Characters: OFC/OMC, John Sheppard, Rodney McKay
Categories: Gen (possibly John/Rodney if you want to read that in)
Words: 9462
Content Notes: Canon-level violence, explicit depiction of extreme pain. Killing of background OMCs. Briefly mentioned off-screen killing of a pet animal.
Author on DW: n/a
Author's Website: no - Rivier's LJ is locked now.
Link: Exigencies on Wayback
Why This Must Be Read: This is the John Sheppard of The Storm/The Eye, in this story using cold ruthlessness to rescue Rodney from allies of the Genii. It's told entirely from the POV of an original female character, the wife of a powerful local man who's been complicit in capturing and torturing Rodney. John's taken her as a hostage to force Rodney's return, and we see the drama play out through her eyes. There's some great worldbuilding conveyed through her perspective, and her appraisal of John and Rodney is interesting. The bond between John and Rodney is intense but it's left unstated whether they're more than close friends and found family to each other. Beautifully written, gripping, and a great read, especially if you like a dark, fiercely competent John.

( snippet of the fic under here )

Shows: SGA
Rec Category: John Sheppard
Characters & Pairings: John Sheppard/various "elves", Rodney McKay, Teyla Emmagan, Ronon Dex, Carson Beckett, Evan Lorne
Categories: M/F, M/M
Words: 11,331
Warnings: no AO3 warnings apply
Author on DW: n/a
Author's Website: LtLJ on AO3, and the Watergate site
Link: on LtLJ's Watergate site, and locked to AO3
Why This Must Be Read: As Victoria Custer, LtLJ wrote higher-rated fics, and I'm especially fond of this one. There's some amnesia trope involved as John loses his memories and is partly transformed into an elf-like alien when he stumbles on a forgotten Ancient device off-world. In his new form he becomes the tribe's leader, with adventures fighting giant creatures in a huge alien forest, hunting, and sex with the lead female and the rest of the tribe. I love how fully John takes to this simpler, more free life. But as with all amnesia fics, he has to return to reality in the end, and his team and colleagues are desperate to retrieve him. A great mix of action/adventure, worldbuilding, uninhibited fun, and the bittersweetness of having to resume his responsibilities again.

( snippet of the fic under here )