"The End of the Road" by Kat Allison
I'll say up front that this is not a West Wing story. It's not even a Sorkinfic story. It's Due South (Fraser/Ray Kowalski slash) -- a show I've barely seen. That alone should give you some insight into how good this story is. It's a full novel, ~650K, and it's heartbreaking, so if you're not in the mood for that, come back and read it later. But oh, oh. The attention to detail. The angst, but in a thoroughly realistic way, not contrived at all. The imagery. The characters. The magnificent example of first-person narration. The *story*. Don't pass this one up just because it's not West Wing; if you do, you'll regret it. This is how I want to write when I grow up.

"Missionary Positions" by bj
I bow to this story's uniqueness. It's girlslash, Mary Marsh/Ann Stark, but wait, wait, don't page by yet. It's a truly wonderful, truly *evil* idea, and *so* well executed. The week I first read it, I kept finding myself returning to it again and again, and even when I wasn't actually reading it it was always there, kind of pricking at the back of my thoughts.

"Further to Fly" by Nomad
Here I go again, reccing another AU. I'm going to lose all my cred! But this one is *good*. It's actually an entire series rather than a single story, so make sure you set aside some time. It's an alternate take on what could have happened after Bartlet's reelection, and it branches off in some surprising ways. It's mostly gen, but it also manages to have some het and slash subplots. What an imagination Nomad has. And the dialogue sparkles.

"Once More, With Contrivance" by FLuFFy
Anybody who knows both West Wing and the Buffy musical *needs* to read this. It's not easy to explain, but imagine what would happen if you took the idea for the Buffy musical and, well, "Wing"-ified it. The lyrics are witty and the insights are great. I almost peed my pants reading this.

"Seaborn for America" by Speranza
This is a short, post-admin Sam piece with Josh/Sam subtext. The title actually spoils a lot of it, so I don't want to say too much more, but I will say that Speranza has their voices down *so* well, and the premise is both delightful and believable.

"Bodies in Motion" by Abigale
I didn't think it was possible to still write a brand new take on Josh and Sam's relationship without it being unbelievable, but Abigale seems to have done it. It takes one of the standard ways of envisioning the guys' relationship -- where they have regular, casual sex that doesn't go beyond just that -- and then turns it into something new. I love the way it ends on an up note without the solution being pat and pre-determined.

"Cloture" by Ryo Sen
This take on Leo's lapse back into drinking during the first campaign is so real, I keep forgetting it's not canon. Both the Josh and the Leo characterizations are so wonderful, and the story is just as I envision it happening, too.

"Obsurdesco" by bj
This is a shortish, dark Josh/Sam piece that's set post-Rosslyn. It was written for a "sound challenge," so the auditory imagery in it is just breathtaking. But it's more than that; it's also an interesting concept, and it explains the lack of Sam's presence in "Noel" in a way I haven't seen done before.

"A Thousand Tomorrows" by Priya Deonarain
This piece is exactly what a vignette should be, so much packed into a tiny space. It's a post-ep to Sam's final episode, and it's almost as maddening as the episode itself was, but in all the *right* ways. The juxtaposition of Sam and Will is just so lovely.

"The Face of Mourning" by Joanna Phillips
This has already been recced all over the place, but better late than never. It's a "Posse Comitatus" post-ep, and it deals so wonderfully with CJ's loneliness after the death of Simon Donovan.

"Non Sum Qualis Eram (I Am Not What I Was)" by Ecri
This is an interesting take on the events leading up to Sam's Congressional campaign and the campaign itself. The dialogue is good, the Sam characterization is superb, and some of the minor characters like Ainsley are well done as well. Most of all, though, I'm very pleased that Ecri decided to try and explain some of the canon occurrences that we all wondered about, even though it ended up rather AU by the time she finished writing it. On the downside, I'm not crazy about the fragmented, super-short scenes, but the story is good enough that I can overlook them. It's enormous, so set aside some time, curl up with a cup of tea, and read.

"Eulogy" by Katrina McDonnell
Another one in the "better late than never" category, this is an interesting and somewhat different twist on CJ's mourning after Simon's death. Another post-ep for "Posse Comitatus," it's ostensibly CJ/Danny, but also CJ/Simon, and really it's just plain CJ. Lovely and thought-provoking.

Timeless recommendations (i.e., the stories I just couldn't bear to move to the old recommendations page):

"You and Me of the 10,000 Wars" by ellen m. and Luna
This may quite honestly be the best West Wing story I've ever read. It's slash, het, and gen in one story (which will get me every time). It's got Sam and Josh dancing around each other, a juicy political subplot that Sorkin himself would have been proud to come up with, and the very best characterization of Ainsley I've ever seen. This story will make you laugh out loud, and it will make you sniffle. It's all told from Sam's point of view, it's long, long, long, and it's simply brilliant. What an amazing team these two make.

"Echoes" by Anna-Maria Jennings
This one's a monster of a West Wing/Sports Night crossover slash epic, with Josh/Dan and a little bit of Josh/Sam and Dan/Casey thrown in just to complicate things. Ann weaves us the most complex, gorgeously-plotted stories, and this one is simply amazing. It's long, but don't let that stop you; it'll draw you in and you won't even notice until you crawl out the other end just how much time you spent with it. I'm honored to have had the chance to see this one grow from an outline into what's got to be one of the best Sorkinfic stories ever written.

"Even Sugar Peas Run Out of Snap" by k
Whoever referred to *me* as the Queen of Angst had never read this story. This has got to be the most beautiful and believable fan story I've ever read; the detail is impeccable and the emotions very true-to-life. It's Sports Night slash, Dan/Casey, but even if that's not your thing (it's not especially mine), you can't let yourself pass this one over.

"Chance to Make it Real" by S.N. Kastle
A story that covers the history, recent past, and present of Sam and Josh's relationship in one epic tale. It has little, believable political details, well-drawn characters, great dialogue; it's simply beautifully told. I was lucky enough to get to watch this one grow up from a small pup.

"Retina Burn" by Penelopody and august
A beautiful, funny, and totally believable account of CJ and Toby's past and present. Don't miss this one.

"Where Have You Gone, Tom Glavine?" by Sabine
More Sports Night slash, Dan/Casey. I read this while I was in the middle of a low point while writing "Dancing With Shadows" and had a number of angsty moments over never, never being able to write anything this good. I've gotten over it. Not because I think I can write anything this good, mind, but because I realized that I'm so glad that Sabine had the inspiration that gave the world this story that it just doesn't matter.