Introducing Five Fic Fridays

I read fic every day. Awesome fic. Fic that doesn't make it on my "Fic I Stalk My Box For" list, not because it doesn't rock, but for various other reasons (e.g., they are one-shots, they are complete, or because the list would be very long if I maintained a complete list of every fic that is pwning me!)

Enter Five Fic Fridays. Every Friday, I'll let you in on five fics that I started or finished reading that week that made me love being a fic fiend. Some will be new, many will be older, but all of them will be fics I read and reviewed that week. Here are this week's picks:

Definition by RosaleeLorraine (AU/AH/M/WIP): You may have noticed I tweeted about this once or twice :) IMO, this is one of the most underrated fics in the fandom. The plot is simple: Edward (a member of a successful band) comes across a deeply troubled letter tucked into a little nook on the band's tour bus. The letter reveals the hidden thoughts and feelings of a band mate who is clearly in trouble. Edward identifies with this mystery person, because he, too, feels misunderstood and alone and they begin to correspond via secret letter. This fic does an amazing job of conveying relationship, suspense, and emotion, all within the context of two people who never actually see or speak with each other (yet!). It is a well-crafted story and a delicious mindfuck :)

Breathe by Adair7 (AU/M/BxExJ/One-shot): Great little fic that speculates on how Jasper would really handle all of the UST between Bella and Edward, given his gift (or burden, depending how you look at it) of empathy. High-quality one shot with the twist of lemon you know I love!

The Baker's Magic Buns by ciaobella27 (AU/AH/Canon Pairings/One-shot): What if all our favorite Twilight characters were characters from a mother goose nursery rhyme? Better yet, what if Bella were the town shrink, helping all the characters in fairy tale land deal with their strange neuroses? This fic is fun and lighthearted, and maintains impressive fidelity to the fairy tale style. PERFECT if you've got the blues from reading too much angst.

Girl with a Red Umbrella (AU/AH/ExB/WIP) by Spanglemaker and Justaskalice: Call me crazy, but I figured if you put the authors of "Kissed the Girls and Made Them Cry" and "Faking It" together, they'd come up with something pretty spectacular, and they did with GwaRU. It's set in Paris with an extremely convincing portrayal of the city (did I mention that I love Paris?). Bella drops everything to go there and search for Rose, her best friend from the U.S. who has mysteriously disappeared during her year studying abroad. Bella enlists the help of Rose's roommate (Alice) to solve the mystery. Edward is a painter who notices Bella from afar before they meet in a different setting.

Tie Me Down to This World by Struck Upon a Star (AU/AH/JxA): The recommendation on Twigasm (where I heard about this fic) was qualified with "Even if you don't usually read Jalice, you have to read this one." So I did, and it has been worth the ride. In this fic, Alice and Jasper are the victims of separate accidents and meet while recovering at the same rehab hospital. They are so severely injured that they are bedridden for months. Their beds are in neighboring rooms and they begin talking between the thin walls. This fic is angsty, because their accidents are surrounded by dark circumstances and because, while the "anonymous" friendship in the hospital is safe, the concept of a friendship in the outside world is threatening.

So...what are you reading this week?