Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Angel series
This was my first active fandom and will always hold a place in my heart, even now that Buffy has finished. There is so much cool stuff in this fandom, every pairing you could think of (and some you wouldn't want to), all kinds of fiction. It's just generally fun. For a long time I was a rabid Buffy/Spike 'shipper and my recs reflect that, but I'm not reading the pairing much anymore. Buffy is my favourite character, so strong Buffy characterisation is always cool. I'm also terribly into Dawn, Giles/Ethan and Wes/Lilah (though I'll read any Wesley pairing). I'm particularly fond of dark stories in this fandom. I've been reading in this fandom since the middle of 2000 so there are many stories I've loved that I've yet to track down, or that may no longer exist on the net.
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Quiet Familiars by Vi
Lovely Spike/Angel, perfectly nailing that mid-season five dynamic between them, the dialogue is great and the emotion rings true. It has fantastic depth and atmosphere and is just darn good.
Captivated By The Heavens by _-SuN-_
Lovely, old school Spike/Dru.
Comfy by L.C.
Cute Willow/Tara.
Five Other Lies by Rebecca Lizard
Five little interesting looks at things Willow could be, very nicely written with fantastic characterisation.
DeNile by Indri
Fabulous story about an interaction between Joyce and Spike. It brings a smile to my face, it's so cute.
Angel Does Good Drawings by LilacGirl
Fabulously amusing season five Angel/Spike short story with spot on Gunn and Wesley characterisation.
Tidal by Lar
Strangely sweet Oz dark fic, written in a lovely lyrical style.
Tears by Puca
Interesting look into Anya's mind.
Sympathy For The Devil by Laure Alexander
Nice old-school Faith in prison piece, suffused with hope.
Passages by Kita
Angel/Xander I actually like. Let us pause to take in the shock. Anyway, this story is rich in detail with lovely Xander voice and is really quite pleasant.
All The Love Songs Have Been Written by Mary Borsellino
Sweet, romantic Oz angst. I can't help but feel for him so when I read this story.
Michaelmas by Doyle
Wonderful, funny, in character Giles/Ethan. This is just lovely. It's a look at their early days together and it's just so fun.
The Loving Dead by wiseacress
Subtle, quiet, atmospheric and moving ghost story about Xander dealing with life in the wake of Chosen. All the characterisation is wonderful and the story feels so real.
Checking For Life by Amberina
Tripped out, dark, cool Buffy/Faith/Fred.
Taraxacum Officinale by DebC
Very cool little story which has Pylea Fred's voice spot on.
Ashtray Girl by Evie
This story is fantastic. It has everything I could want in Connor/Fred and more, plus the characterisation is fabulous.
Once in a Lullaby (Five Things That Happened Somewhere Else) by Doyle
Fantastic story about Buffy's delusions. It's the best story I've seen that plays on the premise of Normal Again and it's done so well.
Inner Moppet by Voleuse
Nice Xander/Giles story post-Chosen. Sad, and well put together.
Until the Blood Stops by Diva Stardust
Haunting, dreamlike Dawn/Spike AU. Strange and Lovely.
Suttee by Flywoman
One of the best post-Gift Spike pieces around.
Alternative Lifestyle by A. C. Chapin
Buffy/Giles that actually works for me. Of course, it's an AU. Pretty darn cool story.
Shading Rainbows (The Colouratura Remix) by Cherry Ice
Fascinating Giles story with really lovely use of descriptive language.
By The Pricking Of My Thumbs by Silvia Kundera
Strange but interesting look into early season 7 Spike's head.
Gorgons by Heather
Dru and Darla break Faith. This is dark and wonderfully written, the allusions to mythology and fairy tales wrapping around this story and holding it tight.
Bound by Doyle
Darla/Angelus done exceptionally well, with perfect dialogue and spot on characterisation. Lovely use of detail, also.
Snatch and Grab by Kate Bolin
Darla/Gwen but it works because the Gwen characterisation is just perfect. So cool.
A Devil's Bargain by Laure Alexander
Darla/Lindsey that emphatically doesn't suck. This is a way cool story.
Convalescent by Lasair
Way cool story about the dynamic between Darla and Lindsey during late season three. The characterisation is really good.
Family by Meg
Fascinating interaction between Darla and Angel some time post Home. It's lovely in a sad way.
Beggars Will Ride by swmbo
Cool AU piece, with Darla dropped into Buffy season two. Everyone's well in character and this is just fun.
Live in me by Criss Moody
Interesting Angel piece.
Strawberry Road by chelle
Believable Buffy/Faith.
40 Days of One Night Stands by Jennifer-Oksana
I can't believe I haven't rec'ed this before. It's totally in character Wes/Lilah between s3 and s4, with cool use of outsider POV and it just rocks.
Strange Little Noir by Juanita Dark
Lilah/Wes. It is, as the title suggests, strange, but I like it nonetheless.
I Wish... by Don't Make Eye Contact 
This is very cool Lilah/Willow with a sharp sting in the tail. It's such a trip.
Earlier by Don't Make Eye Contact
This is very cool Dawn darkfic. It tells the story in a manner reminiscent of Memento, has girl slash up the wazoo and is just generally cool.
Black Sheep Run by Minim Calibre
Marvellously screwed-up Connor/Fred, fantastic characterisation and just the right amount of creepy wrongness. I really love this one.
Elves on a Mission by Kallysten
Cute Dawn and Andrew friendship fic with lovely Andrew voice.
In Peace by Evette
Amazing Dawn darkfic, this examines wonderfully the way things might have gone if they'd shuffled a little to the left of canon at the end of Forever. The characterisation is amazing and the story left me with the feeling of horror creeping down my spine.
Forgotten by CatEcumen
Intriguing Dawn story. It's an interesting idea and nicely executed.
Something More by Diana Michelle
Adorable and believable Dawn/Andrew, which is really something.
Peripeteia by Glossolalia
Tara/Veruca, and it really works. The characterisation of both is so lovely and it all comes together so well.
Anywhere But Here by Sarah T.
Ethan and Dawn hanging out in the summer after Buffy died, and it's just as cool as everyone else says it is. Ethan is as charming and irresponsible as he should be, Dawn is so very teenage and the brief bits with Giles are just so perfectly Giles. It is quite the satisfying read.
The Whole of the Moon by Doyle
Wonderful, charming Dawn/Faith which really works the whole Christmas vibe. Cute and well characterised.
The Flight of Time by s.a.
Lovely post-Chosen Dawnfic with good Xander voice. Nice.
I Sit Alone, a Snake by Gwynnega
Dawn/Cassie, and it's fantastic. The characterisation is so tight and the loneliness is almost palpable.
Who But I? by Voleuse
Sharp, fascinating Lilah/Darla.
Careful Plans by Evelyn Fields
Sad and kind of creepy Lilah/Wes. I like the characterisation a whole bunch.
Lilah and Xander vs. The Zombie Gods of Redding by Jennifer-Oksana
Snarky, funny Lilah/Xander that actually works. The characters are in fine form and it's very amusing.
Theurgy by Jintian
Long, amazing Buffy/Faith AU. It really works the slayer thing hard and it's just fascinating.
About Ready to Pop by Faithtastic
Really fun Buffy/Faith. Good season three Faith voice.
Human by insomnitic
Sad but sweet Xander story.
Watcher's Oaths by Kivrin
Beautiful Giles/Wesley story, very well written. There are many lovely insights into the characters and both characters are so palpably lost that I hurt for them.
The Way Down by ascian
Nothing like I expected, but an interesting story about Giles' youth, certainly.
In Silence Like to Death by Chris
Dark twisty Giles, and a fascinating idea of how things might have gone immediately post-Grave.
Belonging by Doyle
Grown up and charming Giles/Willow that I can't help but adore.
A Motel Room In Kansas by Amberina
Lovely dreamlike Oz/Tara.
Ill At Ease by Arrie
Very nicely written Oz/Xander, which fits quite easily into canon. They're such boys in this, which brings me great joy to read.
The Morning After by Don't make eye contact
Dark, cool Faith/Oz. Not what you'd expect and all the better for it.
Symptoms of Blood Loss by Kate Bolin
Fucked up, disturbing Lilah/Darla. Just the way it should be.
Holding On by Head Rush
Cute Giles/Anya post-Grave that fits nicely into canon and has marvellous Anya voice.
A Game of Chess by KindKit
Wonderful, hopeful post-Chosen Giles/Ethan. This is so nicely put together. The characterisation is lovely and the phrasing is charming. It's just such a gorgeous story.
Crossroads by Marguerite
Kind of dark and yet kind of cute Giles/Ethan.
Time Will Tell by MegL42
This is a fantastic Faith story with a lovely look at Giles. This is so well written with great insight into the characters and seeing Giles through the filter of Faith is a beautiful thing. Fucking excellent.
Underneath by Claire
Slow, easy Giles/Oz. Very nice.
Unturned Cakes by nivcharayahel
Nice Giles piece, and better every time I reread it.
Everybody's Got A Secret, Sonny by Priya Deonarain
Dark, fucked-up Giles/Oz, and really cool.
Contrapuntal by Sheila Perez
Funny, wonderful Wes/Gunn.
So Let Us Melt by Kyra Cullinan
Sad, grown up Giles and Dawn friendship fic, dealing with the fallout from Chosen.
Transference by MegL42
Near-perfect post-The Gift Dawn/Spike.
Making Our Peace by Lacy
Sweet, in character Dawn/Tara.
Song of Herself by Doyle
Wonderful post-Chosen Dawn/Xander. It has lovely Dawn voice and the characterisation of both Xander and Andrew is lovely. I really like the use of cultural references in this.
. . . and a Happy New Year by HonorH
Sweet Dawn and Spike friendship fic.
Moving Into Consultancy by Lasair
Sexy, nasty, cool Faith/Lilah. Also? Kind of funny.
Happy Endings by Valancy
Strange but sweet Lilah/Angel futurefic. It really works, oddly enough.
Doctor Livingstone, I presume? by Dolores Labouchere
Oz and Willow explore their sexuality. Heh. This is a little bit bittersweet, but mostly funny. It's the perfect way to fuck with canon.
Nothing for the Tin Man by glossolalia
This is dark Oz/Wes and it's fucking amazing. The characterisation of everyone in this is so tight. The use of detail is just spot on. The whole thing is so lonely and painful. There are so many things about Oz and Wesley that are just heart-rending in this story. This is so good.
Demo Tape Number One by Kate Bolin
Nicely structured, well characterised Devon/Oz.
To Rise Above by Te
Usually Buffy/Giles really doesn't work for me, but this dark, little story is damn good.
Comfort by Trekker
Hot Giles/Jenny with great Jenny characterisation.
Hecate's Challenge by Wolfling
Lovely interaction between Doyle and Giles that fits seemlessly into canon.
Lemonade Clouds Blur Lines by Briar
Slightly sad look at April's inner workings and her life with Warren. I loved this when I first read it, well over a year ago, and adore it just as much now.
Moon Over Bourbon Street by minervacat
Way cool Lilah/Harmony.
Morale Events by Minim Calibre
Very cool Lilah/Lindsey corporate perversion. Has to be read to be believed.
Playing Dress Up by Netgirl
Amusing Lilah/Wesley.
Girl's Night In by Stakebait
Slightly AU, and damn cool Lilah/Cordelia. Interesting way of drawing parallels between them.
Chosen One by s.a.
Interesting story about the first slayer.
Little Blue Bottles by Kate Bolin
Interesting piece about Kendra after death.
Ghost World by loraineee
Oz in the wishverse. It's the sad little details that make this work.
Diminished by Laura
Interesting first meeting between Oz and Lindsay with amusing conversation.
Homage by Meg
Wonderful Devon/Oz, with lovely use of details and good characterisation. It's kind of wistful and optimistc and calm all at once, and it's just lovely.
On Impermanence: Dennis by Dale Edmonds
Part of a loosely connected series this looks at phantom Dennis. It is at turns sweet and chilling, and very nicely put together.
My Place Is Closer by Zyre
Terribly amusing Spike/Xander dialogue piece.
Light Walks by Sheila Perez
Dark, sad little piece about the ordinary people during the eclipse. I like this perspective on things. It all feels very real.
Demon in the Closet by CDS218
Completely jossed by everything after season four, but still plotty, interesting, well put together Willow/Tara.
Til It Bleeds Daylight by Sarah T.
Giles/Oz, and an interesting venture into the Wishverse. The return of various minor characters is part of what makes this story so enjoyable.
The Gayness of You by Zyre
Clunky title, but it's a sweet little bit of Willow/Dawn.
Life During Wartime by Kate Bolin
It's a nice, bittersweet little Wishverse Giles/Oz ficlet.
You, Me and Shania Twain by hostile seventeen
Very interesting Faith dead letter, good characterisation and a nice look at what made her.
Viral Misery by Puca Dentata
Interesting and disturbing Giles and Oz piece that I read ages ago and hadn't been able to find again until now. It's dark and unpleasant and really hurts in a way that's hard to get away from.
Still Life in Glass by Annie Sewell-Jennings
Utterly painful Buffy and Spike story, that takes a common theme and rips your heart out with it.
In the Elegy Season by Sandra
A dark Buffy/Spike classic.
Here Comes a Candle by Wiseacress
Oh, so creepy. This seriously freaked me out.
The Syntax of Things by Kyra Cullinan
Wonderful, bittersweet and emotionally true Dawn/Anya post season six. The images are just lovely and the characterisation is spot on. Beautiful.
Snow White by Minim Calibre
Beautiful, lyrical and sharp short Tara piece.
Lies To Children by Gulessable
Utterly painful and beautifully written story of Giles and Willow.
Bleed by Roseveare
Oh, god. Lilah post-Calvary. Horrifying.
Irony by Adam Windsor
Interesting Marcie piece.
Monsters and Little Girls by Adam Windsor
Sad Drusilla piece.
Art Deco by Sami
Charming Spike/Dru in the twenties.
Come the Day by Kyra Cullinan
Wonderful anya piece set early season seven. The characterisation is spot on and it's written with a lyrical grace that awes me.
Constellation by Kate Bolin
Fascinating piece. Interesting interaction between Halfrek and Drusilla and perfect Dru voice. Very pretty phrases.
Doll Parts by Scy
Lovely Dru/Fred.
Elvis Has Left the Building by Gunbunny
Amusing Wes/Gunn.
Stone, Grass by Twi
Nice Dawn vignette post-The Gift. Nice images.
Thursday Night Dinners by Kate Bolin
Sweet Dawn/Tara futurefic post-Smashed that has a wonderful warmth and subtlety.
Film Theory by Victoria P
Cute Andrew story post-Chosen.
Friend of the Travelling Kind by Wendy
Lovely post-Chosen Giles story.
Best Friends 4-Ever by Green
Interesting look at Dawn's memories with a sad little twist in the end.
Singing Back-Up by The Walking Happy Meal
This is some nice Dawn angst post-OWMF that gets right into her head and looks at the way she was affected by everything around her.
The Inevitability of Moving by MelWil
This is a nice post-Chosen Dawn piece, looking at everyone drifting apart.
Just Like Honey by Jennifer-Oksana
This is just darling futurefic Wes/Faith/Lilah. It's cute and hot and the descriptions of place are really involving.
Seven Virtues From a Broken Hill by Minim Calibre
Look at various points of Wesley's life through Virtues. Interesting.
Six Paramitas For The Wolfman by Glossolalia
Sad look at things from Oz's perspective.
Death Becomes Her by Tanja Kinkel
I actually read this a while ago but couldn't find it again until now. It's a nice look at Darla and her deaths.
32 short fics about xander harris by nwhepcat
This is a wonderful look at Xander throughout the years and past-Chosen. The characterisation is really good, too.
In Plain Sight by Elizabeth
Woah! Creepy Connor story post-Home. This is such a trip.
No Oceans Left by Melymbrosia
Fantastic Justine story.
Maternity by Melymbrosia
Wow! Very nicely put together Darla story set during Lullaby.
Restaurant Dogs by Jane St. Clair
Strange but fascinating Wes/Gunn story with so much depth of detail I feel like I could swim in it.
Skin by Kate Bolin and Te
I read this ages ago and kept meaning to rec it but just haven't until now. This is really dark fic, which some may find rather squicky. The characterisation and dialogue is really good and it's so deliciously screwed up.
Of Old Mystics by Wolfling and Magpie
This is a wonderful Giles/Ethan series (the third part being WiP) set after season seven. It's really wonderfully satisfying for someon who digs this pairing as much as I, and really does a lot with the characters. Love it.
Secret 1, 2, 3 and 4 by Polly Burns
Concerning Andrew with Warren then Andrew with Jonathon, the interactions are nice and awkward and the description is lush. This is so cool.
Cat and Mouse series (scroll down the page) by The Brat Queen
Dark stuff about Wesley, Angelus and Lilah. This is pretty darn cool and the characterisations are really good.
Five Bastardized Virtues: Xander and Arise, Little Girl by Te
I'm such a fan of this kind of story. Five tiny AUs, really cool Xander possibilities and the accompanying Willow story and I just dig this.
Do Vampires Dream Of Electric Slayers? by Avatar
A BtVS version of Blade Runner. Dark, bleak, well realised and just generally cool.
Days of Our Unlives by Kita and [author's name removed]
Ridiculously silly Spike/Angel.
A Raising in the Sun and Necessary Evils by Barb Cummings
Extra Long Buffy/Spike goodness.
Dancing Lessons
Yeah, everyone has rec'ed this. I'm way behind on it, actually, so I don't know how good the most recent parts are, but it's still really cool.
In Heat by Nautibitz
Super hot Buffy/Spike that goes AU around The Gift.
The Twelth Sister and The Twelth Sister Revisited by Rowan
Really freaky take on the watcher's council and Buffy and Faith.
Walking After Midnight by Chelle Storey
I really loved this when I was at the height of my Buffy/Spike 'shipperdom, and I still find the end of part 9 incredibly hot.
Southern Exposure by Jules Aello
OK, it's unfinished but it's amazing. The descriptions are just gorgeous and the characterisations really work. Jules even makes Spike reading the phone book seem interesting.