Fandom: Young Wizards

Title: More Things In Heaven and Earth
Author: Kara
Genre: Introspection This Contains Religion
Character: Helena Rodriguez
Length: Short/Medium
Spoilers: helps to know Helena's [sketchy] background up to book 8
Summary: When she finds out that Kit is a wizard, Helena goes to the only place she can to find answers: the church.
Quote:

It was hard to understand how blind Mama and Papi were to it. Carmela ate it up, but she was attracted to any new and shiny bauble she saw. But her parents--her infallible, if somewhat unenlightened parents--they should've seen what Kit was dealing with. What they had to save her hermano from...

Fandom: Heroes

Title: The Hiatus Continuations
Author: sam_storyteller
Genre: Action, adventure, humour, angst...Gen-ish, well enough, if you prefer to skip the cutscenes
Characters: Ensemble (including Claude, as a main character, and the inevitable Doctor Who jokes)
Length: Long (21 chapters)
Spoilers: Season 1
Summary: A new side of Claude, a new family for Claire, a new job for Jessica, and a New York for Ando.

Epic, this is, and my personal canon whether I'm aware of it or not. Has 'shippy and slashy undertones, but these are easily ignored.

Title: they don't make 'em like they used to
Author: trollprincess
Characters: Nathan, fifteen years ago [...]
Length: Short
Spoilers: "Distractions"
Summary: Fifteen years ago they were young and idealistic, and maybe that was their problem from the start.

He doesn’t want his daughter to know only of his ability what she gleans from when he sweeps her into his arms at the first sign of danger and flies away. He wants her to see the beauty in it, not the easy escape route.

Other recommended authors: died_in_odessa (Black Tom's Well, Sweet Molly Malone, The Battle of Marathon), selenak (Dreaming, Runaways)

Contrast: Point, counterpoint.

Fandom: Doctor Who

Title: Notes on the Domestication of Birds
Author: nostalgia
Pairing: Tenth Doctor/Rose
Length: Long (5 chapters, 20 000 words)
Spoilers: General series I and II.
Summary: He doesn't do domestic.

Title: Clockwork
Author: Meredith
Pairing: Alt!Ninth Doctor/Rose
Length: Short
Spoilers: "Doomsday", "Human Nature"/"Family of Blood" and general series III.
Summary: The battle's won, and he's losing her. But he wasn't fooling anybody, like he promised: it's worth it, to him. Even this.

These balance each other well, following similar main themes but the first lays it out as general fandom sees it, while the second offers an alternate look (and universe).