"A Wind in the Palms" by Julian Lee
Anybody who thought they'd ever see the day when an alternate-universe story would be this close to the top of my next recommendations update doesn't know me very well. Apparently the joke's on me, though, because that's exactly what's happened. But oh, oh, this story. It's a long, angsty Josh/Sam piece that takes place sometime between the shooting and "Noel," but which presupposes that Josh had never gone to New York to get Sam, and that Sam had gone ahead and married Lisa. Intrigued? You should be. Julian just gets better and better, and this one is a true masterpiece.

"Seven Beginnings and an (Un)happily Ever After" by International Princess
This is a short, lyrical Josh/Sam story that floats into the first campaign and emerges on the other side in the middle of the first season. It weaves between fantasy and reality, and yet still forms a coherent narrative of how their relationship could have been that fits flawlessly into canon. Love it.

"The War Against Silence" by Lydia
This one is technically a C.J./Toby story, but it's really about Toby. It shunts you between past and present, between the White House and Toby as a young man just after the end of the Vietnam War. The fragmentation doesn't always work for me, but it's gutwrenching and intense and so painfully spot-on.

"Nightblindness" by amerella
Another dark Josh/Sam piece. The voices are so authentic, and oh, how much do I love poor confused Josh? ms. amerella is a girl after my own heart with her use of present and past tense to denote the corresponding time periods, and the detail in this one is also exquisite. Such beautiful imagery.

"Hazy Shade of Winter" by Dagny
This is a Sam piece dealing with his disillusionment over the course of the third season. I particularly like the way she deals with the concept of him as a quitter, and how uncomfortable he is with seeing himself that way, because that's something I've played with in the Turningverse as well. You believe this was her first story? An impressive start.

"Bewitched, Bothered, and Bewildered" by Ryo Sen and Marguerite
A harried workday. C.J., Toby, Donna, Josh, and Sam. A press briefing about the benefits of semen. Watch our heroes act like fourteen-year-olds ... believably. Easily one of the funniest pieces of fanfiction I've ever read. It's gen (and thank goodness; would we really want to add romance to that mix? ;-).

"Needles in the Hay" by Luna
My biggest issue with West Wing girlslash isn't that I can't see any of the West Wing women sleeping with other women (although that's also true, in some cases), but that I can't see them sleeping with *each other*. What Luna's got here, though, is a story that's really about Ginger, and which also happens to pair her with Hoynes' secretary Janeane, and that makes it work. It's a post-shooting story, and it follows just so beautifully from the look on Ginger's face in "In the Shadow of Two Gunmen."

"Fallout" by Kacey Linden
Another short post-ep from Kacey that shows Sam through Josh's eyes, this time dealing with Sam's disillusionment and the Kevin Kahn tape fiasco. Not enough people wrote Sam stories about that, so this was so good to see. And the last line is chilling.

"Four Speeches and a Funeral" by Anna-Maria Jennings
A meaty take on how Josh and Sam first became involved and what happened next. This one, this was it for me, for a long time. THE story, early on. If you like my work, you can be grateful to Ann that the plot of this story isn't any closer to that of "Turning Myself Into You", because if it had been, I would have never started writing fanfiction at all. I have very fond memories of reading this story for the first time -- and then the second, and then the third -- and ultimately deciding that although it was marvelous, it wasn't really similar enough to the story I had in my own head that was dying to be told, and that was the point at which I sat down to write "Turning Myself Into You". Imagine my surprise when the second piece of feedback I received on it was from Ann. Gulp. You liked my story? But ... you're God! Now Ann's a great friend, and she's written much better stuff since this, but here -- this was where it all began for me. This story. Read it.

"The One He Chooses" by valentine
What a story! This one is a general story with a political plot perfectly juxtaposed with a personal one, something only Sorkin does as well. It's not perfect -- valentine seems to have an aversion to commas in places -- but her extraordinary gift for voices leaves me awestruck. And the best part? Charlie. I've never seen Charlie done so well, and in his own point of view, too. I'll read this one again and again, despite the length.

"Sleepwalker" by Luna
This is a story about the first campaign, from Sam's point of view. Luna sees Sam a little differently from the way I do, maybe a little darker, but he's absolutely the Sam I love most next to my own. The story itself is just lovely, and so surprising, and as with every good Luna story, there's even more between the lines.

"Blackjack" by Lyman's Might
Okay, I'm *really* not sure how I missed this the first time around, but I'm sure glad to have found it now. It's a Josh/Sam piece that gives one possible take on their past and their present, alternating time periods. And oh, oh, LM's Josh, whom I've loved since "The Howling of Ducks". If Luna's got my favorite Sam next to my own, then LM's got my favorite Josh next to my own. There's so much insight here in such a little thing.

"Transition" by International Princess
IP is primarily a Josh/Amy writer, and she does that extremely well, but I so love it when she does Josh/Sam. This one is full of lovely little moments, and yet they still all weave together into a coherent story. Her stylistic tricks are also just fascinating; this is told surrounding the dictionary entry for the word 'transition', and it really, really works.

"Such Mortal Drugs" by Marguerite
Marguerite takes on right-to-die legislation in a thoroughly believable political piece. There's a bunch of her trademark angst, but not overly much, and Toby's just wonderful. And how can you not love a story that begins: "CJ comes to the conclusion that if the senior staff were animals, Josh would be a sheepdog"?

"Days in Between" by CGB
This one is a collection of moments that trace a possible background to CJ and Toby's relationship. CGB's style is sparse, but it's not a quick or easy read; there are layers upon layers here. And oh, oh, the end, and the connection to the title. Delicious.

"With Respect, to the Gentleman from California" by Abigale
I should say in advance here that I have a huge bias against stories that show Josh and Sam happy in a strong, healthy relationship over the course of their stint in the White House, because I just simply don't see that happening. The fact that I'm recommending this piece anyway, though, is testimony to just how strong a storyteller Abigale is. She's got a great ear for dialogue and a terrific sense of humor, and the story's got Sam, Josh, a political kerfuffle, and a ruthless woman. Give it a shot.

"Still in Recovery" by Luna
This one has so much story in such a little thing -- it's the size of a vignette with the plot of an epic. It's an Abbey character piece, told in both past and present, and her wonderful Sam also makes an appearance. Best of all, it's second-person, which can be irritating in many other writers, but Luna makes it feel like it's the character talking to herself inside her head. Beautiful.

"Greener on the Other Side" by kel.
Josh and Sam in two points of view and three time periods, and the form is wonderfully unique. It's canon-consistent, politically accurate, funny, and with description that makes you feel like you're there. This is easily one of the best Josh/Sam stories of 2002, so if you missed it when it came out on the lists, don't overlook it now.

"In the Way He Should Go" by Marguerite
Marguerite's famous for her lush, angsty vignettes, but this one's a long one with a juicy plot. It's gen, and it's got education, tragedy, politics, and post-"Noel" Josh. Very well done post-"Noel" Josh. And Toby, without whom no Marguerite piece could possibly be complete.

"The Legend of Ed and Larry" by Dafna G.
This one is slash ... with a twist. It's self-described as "metaslash", and may well be the funniest thing I've read in the whole time I've been reading West Wing fanfiction. God, I wish I could do humor like this. Dafna is a goddess, that's all there is to it.

"Two Characters In Search of Subtext" by Michelle K.
Another metaslash piece, this time starring Josh and Sam, who set off on a quest to figure out why their onscreen relationship is no longer slashy. Featuring lines like "I really wish I had the desire to kiss you right now". And Kevin Smith characters. Let's hope all this excellent metaslash is the beginning of a trend.

"A Family Thing" by valentine
This is a Leo character piece told mostly from Josh's point of view. It's so real that there are times where you can hear the characters speaking in your head as you read. It's pre-administration, but leads very well into what we know as canon today.

"Calefaction" by International Princess
This piece is another take on Josh and Sam's history, in a collection of interconnected moments. International Princess has a fascinating way of starting with moments from the show and sending them hurtling off in their own directions.

"Not Waving" by Kacey Linden
I'm not a big fan of post-eps, but this one is so true to life that it cuts through my prejudices. It's a post-ep for "100,000 Airplanes", and it's not slash, but it features Josh and Sam. It's essentially Sam through Josh, which is what Kacey does best.

"The Largest Colonial Building in the World" by Sabine
This one is easily Sabine's best West Wing story, and it's simply appalling that more people haven't read it. I think Sab's at her best when she doesn't hold back on the emotional connection to the characters and digs around inside the protagonist's brain, and this one delivers all of that in spades. It goes back and forth between the present and the past to tell one possible story behind why Josh is the way he is. Mostly a Josh character piece, but with the tiniest bit of Josh/Sam thrown in to satisfy those of us who look for that.

"Decorated" by ellen milholland
My first girlslash recommendation ... and it's about Donna. But give it a chance; ellen'll make you believe it. This one is officially a sequel to S.N. Kastle's "American Girl" (which is also quite good), but it stands equally well on its own. It features a dyke named Miranda who's so real that you think you must have known her. Or been her. Ahem. Damn you, ellen.

"The Howling of Ducks" by Lyman's Might
This is a Josh piece, with a little bit of Josh/Sam thrown in there for good measure. It's pretty exposition-heavy, but there's just *so much* good stuff in here that every word of it is completely worthwhile. This really could be the Josh on the show. And then there's the fact that this one pushes *all* the boundaries, which makes me extremely happy. LM's got 'slash', 'het', and 'gen' themes all woven together in this story so tightly that it's simply uncategorizable ... and doesn't that just fit our Josh so very well?

"Vidui" by Marguerite
Marguerite's got an incredible sense of how to contain the weight of the world in only a few pages -- she's one of the few fanwriters who consistently makes me sniffle. And this one manages to do that and make me laugh as well. It's gen, Toby's point of view. And oh so exquisitely well-timed, it was. Be sure to check out the rest of her site as well, especially the gorgeous post-administration piece "In Parting".

"Breathing" by Luna
So Luna finally did it -- she turned her ear for dialogue and sense of character on something more epic in scope and with a clearly delineated plot. This one's a CJ/Toby, at least officially, but it's definitely more CJ than Toby. It weaves a tale of grieving without a whole lot of comfort. Very real, almost palpable in its detail.

"Nowhere" by S.N. Kastle
A rich, gorgeous Sam-centric Josh/Sam story centred around the episode "Take This Sabbath Day". Dark, and full of existential Sam angst, yet done in the characteristic understated S.N. Kastle style. Don't miss this one.

"Possibility of a World" by k
Another slashy Sports Night story by k (though this one's with a twist) that's so so wonderful. Featuring one of the best original characters I've seen *anywhere*.

"Seven-Day Childhood" by Julian Lee
This one's a short little thing, but oh so lovely. I'm not much of one for the "made for each other" concept -- I think real life is more complex than that -- but Julian makes me believe it with this particular story. It's an incredibly imaginative idea, and very satisfying.

"Alone in the Dark" by Dafna G.
I recommend this with some trepidation because despite my many conversations with Dafna about this story, I *still* don't quite buy the D/S angle with Josh. But this story isn't really about that, anyway, and if it rubs you the wrong way, it's easy to overlook in favor of the angst. It's a midlength crossover story that pairs Josh (for a night) with Walter Skinner of the X-Files. In December of 2000. 'Nuff said.

"Better Sorry Than Safe" by pixelvixen
I came a little late to the party on this one, only discovering it through the 2001 Jeds fanfiction awards, in which it won the first-place award for "Outstanding Story Featuring a Grouping of Three or More". Yeah, it's a threesome story, featuring Sam/Josh/Donna, but wait, wait, I haven't gone off the deep end! I, too, have never thought it would be possible to write a believable threesome story with the West Wing characters, and thus was absolutely staggered to find myself completely buying this story, all the way through. The aspect of this one that I believe *least* is the notion that Sam was in a fraternity in college. No lie. Give it a shot.

"Questions and Answers" by CGB
This is a Sam/Lisa story, with a completely different Lisa from mine, but what a memorable one. And this is coming from the chick who thinks there's one true Lisa, so. Read this one. She's the only other Lisa I could imagine Sam actually falling for.

"Down the Rabbit Hole" by Abigale
Okay, I absolutely *howled* with laughter at this one. It's not slash, it's gen, but it's got Sam, and Josh, and Toby reluctantly filling Josh's role in Sam's life, and all of the characters are just spot-on and funny, funny, funny. Our girl Abigale writes Josh/Sam slash, too (which you can find at her site), but this one's my favorite. Read it.

"Postlapsarian" by Kacey Linden
I like canon-based stories, stories that fit in seamlessly with what has already happened on the show, so the reader can imagine that they're a part of it. I like stories with Sorkinesque dialogue. I like long stories with complicated, intricate plots. This story is none of the above. The fact that it is up here anyway is indicative of just how good it is. It's about Josh and Sam, but not slash. And that's all I'm going to say about it, except ouch.

"In This Sign" by Violet (Luna)
This one's a shortish Josh/Joey story (but there's a plot!) that takes place around the events of "The Fall's Going to Kill You" and "18th and Potomac". I don't speak ASL, so I don't know how accurate it is (though it seems strange to this educated layperson that there's so much about finger spelling when that's only a very surface part of the language), but in any case, it's lovely. She's written a bunch of other good stuff, including two very believable Josh/Sam pieces ("Putting the Damage on", which is solo, and "Boys of Summer", which she wrote together with k), all of which can be found at her site.

"You Get What You Need" by Cori Lannam
Ah, back to meaty plots. More Sports Night (Dan/Casey) slash, in a story where they realize how they feel about each other, botch it up, Dan goes off on an assignment to Nigeria and bad things happen, and then ... well, read the rest. Lovely, intricately-plotted, brilliant.

"The Stars Gleam ..." by Sarah C.
I generally find stories that have Josh and Sam getting together for the first time during the show's timeline pretty unbelievable, because they completely ignore that scene (you know, THAT SCENE, from "Gunmen"), which to me just shouts out "past relationship". This one, though -- this one matches them up at the end of the second season, but accounts for their past in a way that's totally realistic. It's a Josh story, really, but the Sam in this is so spot-on it's scary. And it's short, but (yay!) not just a vignette.

"Spring Break" by Anne Higgins
Another take on how Josh and Sam met. I read this one and it just sucked me in from the first word; I was totally entranced by it. I've decided Anne must be the anti-Jae -- this story has comparatively little dialogue and tons of exposition, no angst, no politics, it's funny funny funny, adorable, with an incredibly insecure Sam, and with lots of sex (but not at the expense of plot). I can't guarantee that people who like my stuff will like this, because it's just so different, but I sure do. Give it a try.

"Where or When" by Dafna G.
This one -- well, this one isn't a full-fledged story, but I love it anyway. Good vignettes frustrate me no end because they whet my appetite and then abandon me, sitting there and wanting more plot. But I've found myself reading this one over and over again; it's that good. Damn that Dafna chick. ;-) It is Sam/Josh, though, and wholly believable.

"The Thinner the Skin" by Jane St. Clair
Okay, so I had to do it; I had to put at least something of Jane's up here. Honestly, her stuff frustrates me in all of the same ways Dafna's does, but even though I want to shake her and make her tell me a story, dammit, the writing itself is so good that it still grips me. I've probably read this one ten times. And I'll be back again. Post-ep for "Noel", Josh/Sam slash.

"Disclosures and Diversions" by Minna Leigh
This one's a "missing scene" rather than a full story, but I have a soft place in my heart for it because it's a missing scene from my own story, "Dancing With Shadows". It's also well-written, and it made me laugh, very, very hard. I have declared this to be Turning-universe canon -- this is how it happened.