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Long before I began watching The X-Files, Anne Haynes took her fanfic off the internet, to the extent that one can, and began a successful career as a professional romance writer. I own a copy of one of her romances. However, as I am one of the most persistent hunters of the lost fanfic you can imagine, I found this fic via the Wayback Machine. The Sonnet Series isn’t really a series, except in a very limited sense. They are episode tags.

SONNET: "Sleep is Sweeter" by Anne Haynes.
Rating: R | Warnings: none
Genre: MSR, episode tag
Pairings: Dana Scully/Fox Mulder

Summary: This takes place in the middle of the episode. Her author's note says it best.

This is very different from my usual SONNET stories, which will be patently clear from the first... If you're against Mulder/Scully romance, run away now, screaming your little girly scream. If you continue to read after this warning, don't expect me to respond to your pathetic whining if you don't like it."

Whew. Strong words. That MSR v. Nomoro thing was serious stuff back in the day. By contrast, today's wimpy noromos read, enjoy, and even rec MSR fanfic.

As should be obvious from the title, the next story was written in tribute to "Sleep is Sweeter."

I felt Chris Carter missed a real opportunity to make fun of us relationshippers by putting them in bed together and, as Paula suggests, making what subsequently happened very unclear. Well, I can't resist, in my unworthy way, taking the thing one step further. It won't make any sense if you haven't read Paula Graves's "SONNET: "Sleep is Sweeter," though.

Historical footnote: Did you spot the use of "relationshipper"? Our fandom really did invent the term, "shipper," though not shipping itself, of course.

Ode to Paula Graves: "Sleep is Sweeter" (Aftermath) by Madeleine Partous
Rating: NC-17
Warnings: none
Pairings: Dana Scully/Fox Mulder
Genre: Mulder/Scully romance, humour

Summary: Forget Jose Chung, fake alien autopsies and sweet potato pie. The real X-File? What actually happened in the motel room that night...

That was a pleasant diversion. Next up: "Avatar."

Current Mood: accomplished

Everyone loathed this episode, and I do mean everyone. The viewers. The critics. Director Kim Manners made up tee-shirts and handed them out to the cast and crew. "I survived Teso Dos Bichos." Can I have one, too?

The script was so terrible. One of the reviewers said it's like "The Curse of the Mummy," except there's no mummy.

Feral cats are not scary enough to be the villain of the piece. Mulder and Scully had guns. Maybe they should have fired a warning shot over the heads of the attacking cats instead of turning tail and running?

The actor who played Dr. Bilac gave what had to be the worst portrayal of an academician ever televised. I know the script didn't give him much help but he acted more like a professional stoner than a guy with a doctorate in the social sciences.

Perhaps "Teso Dos Bichos" might have worked if it had been intended to be humorous. No, never mind. Nothing was going to save this one. This turkey can safely be skipped.

FANFICTION RECS: Yes. I have one. And it's wonderful.

"Angular Momentum" is a gen casefile which fits into canon, still has the Mulder/Scully partnership at its center, and is written by an author who likes both characters! It's mostly vintage Kel: snappy dialogue, intricate plotting, with a side order of political/social satire. The Lone Gunmen all play pivotal roles in this story, too. Oh! I nearly left out the best part: in a memorable and luminous sequence, Mulder and Scully journey to the "lower world," and get to meet their spirit guides. This would have made a great episode, with its perfect mixture of humor, murder, and mysticism.

True confession. I love this story so much I commissioned fanart for it and gave it to the writer. Obviously, I love the writer, too. And the artist, Ravenari, is amazing. Click on the link after you've read the fic.

Collared Peccary and Gopher Snake by Ravenari

Angular Momentum by Kel
FEEDBACK: ckelll@hotmail.com
RATING: PG
SPOILERS: The Blessing Way, One Breath, Teso Dos Bichos, The Calusari
KEYWORDS: Casefile, MS Friendship.
SETTING: Season 3

SUMMARY: "I have been on the bridge that spans two worlds, the link between all souls by which we cross into our own true nature."
-- Fox Mulder, "The Blessing Way"

If you love this episode, here's your fair warning: I don't, I never have, and I won’t mince words about it. I am well aware that every other critic in the world loves it and loves Vince Gilligan. If you think he can do no wrong, and wish he'd been the show-runner for the revival episodes, you are entitled to your opinion. But you're never going to convince me. Despite his talent, he's the last guy I'd want running a show featuring characters I love.

If my ranting about "Pusher" is going to raise your blood pressure, step away now. ( In which I rant about Pusher )

Despite being listed in the spoiler section for "Pusher," this fic has nothing whatsoever to do with it. But I needed to read something to get that episode out of my brain. "Caving" did the trick. It has everything I like in a fluffy MSR fic: sexual tension, a long buildup before we get to the, ahem, climax, and a little leavening of angst—this is The X-Files, after all. Her dialogue is full of wit. The characters' emotions and actions are believably them, and not lifted out of a bad romance novel. This fic is funny, sexy, and not-too-sweet; in short, it's damn close to perfect.

Caving by A. Kelly Nolan
RATING: R | CATEGORIES: SR | KEYWORDS: Mulder/Scully romance
SPOILERS: Tiny one for "Pusher."
SUMMARY: She looked at him a long moment, a wicked plan hatching in her mind."Care to make this interesting?" Mulder caught her tone and smiled to himself. Scully wanted to play. "What'd you have in mind?"

Author's Note: There's no specific time frame for this story, but I'd say it feels seventh seasonish. Complete notes at the end.

*/*/*

Many people enjoy stories where the protagonists have sex in the aftermath of a trauma. I don't. Even if I did, I'd have some issues with this story, so this is a qualified rec. Having said that, this is still the most nuanced post-op I've ever read for "Pusher." We discussed the fic at the xf-book-club if you're curious about my ambivalence. Here is my bottom line: Amal Nahurriyeh is one of the best writers no longer in this fandom (sob!), and this story was posted on LiveJournal nearly ten years ago, during a lull in TXF fannish activity. If "First/Second" had been posted in a megafandom like MCU on AO3, it would have received hundreds of comments and thousands of hits. I love her work and I think her fics deserve a much wider audience.

First/Second by Amal Nahurriyeh
Summary: First times are usually a disaster.
Pairing: MSR
Rating: NC-17 (sex, mental trauma, angst)Warnings: This is potentially the most triggery thing I've written; please do check out the warnings if you need to know this sort of thing, or PM me or comment if you need more details.
Timeline/Spoilers: Part 1, post-Pusher. Part 2, post-Detour.

*/*/*

Next up: "Teso Dos Bichos."

Current Mood: accomplished

We're back to the mythology, this time for a two-parter that introduces the most disturbing villain of The X-Files mythology, the black oil entity. The story line is structured as a thriller, with a horror component as the centerpiece. Alongside Mulder's action story, we get the resolution to Melissa's murder, with Scully capturing Luis Cardinal, the man who killed her sister.

The story has better than usual continuity, pulling together loose threads from several past mythology episodes: the Talapus, which was the salvage ship that transported the U.F.O. from "Nisei," Melissa's murder from "Paper Clip," and the digital tape from "Anasazi."( More about the episodes )

Yes, I have fic recs. I never posted these at

201daysofxfiles; it has been years and at this point, I have no memory of why.

"Silo" by Bardsmaid is a 155 word episode tag, too short to require more explanation. AO3 claims it is 199 words—it is not. I have no idea how that place calculates word count or why they are off by 40+ words. It is also at Gossamer.

Silo (155 words) by Bardsmaid
Chapters: 1/1
Fandom: The X-Files
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Characters: Alex Krycek
Additional Tags: An X-File Case, Episode: S03e15 Piper Maru, Episode: S03e16 Apocrypha
Summary:

He's not alone. He's definitely not in control.

"Oil" is disturbing and strange and original. The link is to Ratales but is also archived at Gossamer.

Oil (1579 words) by Eodrakken Quicksilver
Warnings: none
Rating: Gen
Summary: A possession. A nightmare. A love story. A different point of view. Post-"Apocrypha".

The next rec is a qualified one. Mortimer's style is excellent, ditto for the character voices; the plot is clever and well-executed. So what's the problem, Wendy? It's non-con. I got into an argument with a Mulder/Krycek shipper about that fact, but trust me, it is non-con. End of story. I don't care for the fic's ending but the rest of the story is a excellent blend of dry humor and creepiness, kind of like The X-Files. There is a sequel that I cannot recommend at all because she's written Mulder so out-of-character. However, M/K shippers love it, so YMMV. Both fics can be found at Gossamer and at her old site so you can judge for yourselves.

The Same Everywhere (13735 words) by Jane Mortimer
Rating: Explicit. Very.
Warnings: Non-con
Characters/Relationships: Fox Mulder/Alex Krycek, the Lone Gunmen
Summary: An alien has the ability to take over a human's body and force it to do as they please...

See? Even the author gets it. I put in a link to Mortimer's archived AOL website because there are a couple of fics that are not at Gossamer and they're worth reading, imho.

"Grotesque" is easily Howard Gordon's best script for the series so far. It's well-directed, beautifully filmed, and has a great score. I want to like it. Heck, I want to love it. While it has some genuinely scary moments, there is something hollow at the core. It has to do with Gordon's characterization of Fox Mulder.

( more about Grotesque )

This episode is ground zero for all of those Profiler! Mulder fics where Our Hero Goes Crazy while tracking down a serial killer. "Corpse" by Livengoo and "Oklahoma" by Amperage and Livengoo are two of the best known of the genre. Both are at Gossamer. There's a long list of titles at The X-Files Lost and Found. These are a few of my favorites.

Rivkat's "Acadia" is a fine representation of the genre, and is filled with rich descriptions of Maine in early spring which give it a sense of place. Her Mulder is a bit crazier than some and her Scully quite a bit angrier than most, but if you've read "Iolokus," that's hardly going to come as a surprise.

Acadia (35958 words) by rivkat
Chapters: 1/1
Fandom: The X-Files
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Characters: Dana Scully, Fox Mulder
Additional Tags: Serial Killer
Series: Part 1 of Acadia
Summary:

Mulder and Scully track a killer in the woods, while struggling with the various issues unresolved between them. Fourth season, between Demons & Gethsemane.

In "A Case of Compromise," I admire how deftly Humby gets both characters involved in the case without contradicting canon and having them meet in person. I adore stories that remind us of how smart both of these characters are.

A Case of Compromise by Joann Humby
Rating - PG (but with a warning for strong language)
Classification - X
Summary:
It's 1991, Mulder has the X-Files and no partner. Scully is working at Quantico. A Senator's daughter goes missing and Mulder's life gets difficult.

"The Eye of the Beholder" is such a well-conceived and well-executed x-file/casefile that it was hard to believe it was her first "real story" (her words, not mine).

The Eye of the Beholder by Nascent
Rating - Mature (violence, language) (My rating, not Nascent's)
Spoilers - Emily
Keywords - Mulder/Scully Friendship/UST
Summary:
Mulder and Scully are called in to help track a serial killer whose victims have a guilty past. But the killer draws their personal lives into a high-stakes game of vengeance, which poses a risky
opportunity for to learn more about the Syndicate and lots of opportunities for almost-gratuitous Angst.

In "Gerber Daisies," DiscordantWords tackles a difficult genre, skillfully setting a new casefile into the events of season eight, following Mulder's return in "Dead Alive."

Gerber Daisies (53660 words) by DiscordantWords
Chapters: 12/12
Fandom: The X-Files
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Relationships: Fox Mulder/Dana Scully
Characters: Fox Mulder, Dana Scully, Charlie Scully, John Doggett
Additional Tags: Season 8, casefile, Serial Killers
Summary:

Mulder, adjusting to life after death, comes face-to-face with one of the most dangerous criminals he's ever encountered. Set against the backdrop of Season 8.

"This House is Burning" is flat-out the best Profiler!Mulder series I've ever read. Tesla's writing style flows effortlessly, and is, by turns, unobtrusive and lyrical. Her Mulder is both much more competent at his job and much less crazy than he's often written, which is a welcome relief. But THIB is more than a series of meticulously constructed casefics, it's also a believable, emotionally involving Mulder/Scully romance. So let's see: great writing? Check. Exciting plot? Check. Scorching hot sex scenes? Check, check, check.

This House is Burning by Tesla
Part 1: Blood on the Snow
Part 2: A Thief's Diet
Part 3: The Quiet Glades of Eden

I have read this episode tag for "Syzygy" over and over again with pleasure. But then I love everything tree has written for The X-Files. She is one of a handful of writers who can give poetic voice to Scully, as well as show her scientific expertise and innate intelligence. Tree's Scully dazzles me.

Physicochemical Experiments in Influencing the Weather (The Cosmic Love Remix) (1794 words) by tree
Chapters: 1/1
Fandom: The X-Files
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Relationships: Fox Mulder/Dana Scully
Characters: Fox Mulder, Dana Scully
Additional Tags: post-episode, Remix, Syzygy
Summary:

so I stayed in the darkness with you

This is such a funny episode. You remember this scene.

(Outside, Scully drives up next to Mulder's car and looks at Bambi.)

SCULLY: Let me guess... Bambi.

BAMBI BERENBAUM: Fox told me to wait out here while he checked inside first.

(Scully unbuckles her seatbelt and gets out of the car.)

Should I come along with you?

SCULLY: No... this is no place for an entomologist.

Classic.

So. You would think there would be all the "Mulder and Scully go back to the roach motel and have sex in the shower" fics. No such luck. I looked and couldn’t find any. Sorry, folks.

I have several to go along with the theme of Scully's spiritual journey. Unfortunately, they are full of spoilers, through "Millenium" at least, so be aware if you are watching the series for the first time.

Kevin by Justin Glasser
This story never made it to Gossamer although I think everything else he wrote for TXF is there.

The fic was never rated by the author, nor does it have a summary. There is off-screen, disturbing content which, though handled well, could be triggering.

The title character for "Kevin" is Kevin Kryder from "Revelations," although Justin Glasser spells his last name, "Cryder." The story takes place three years later, after "Emily" and "All Souls." It's a casefic, divided into 12 short chapters. The nature of the case allows Mulder and Scully to continue their dialogue about faith. It doesn't surprise that it won a Spooky Award for "Most Carteresque." I can easily imagine it as a sequel to "Revelations."

The Thirty-Sixth by Jess M.
DISCLAIMER: Um, let me check... nope, don't own them. Damn.
DISTRIBUTION STATEMENT: Anywhere, just let me know.
SPOILER WARNING: Through Millennium and beyond!
RATING: R
CONTENT WARNING: some sex and a bit of violence, just enough to make it spicy
CLASSIFICATION: X-File, MSR
SUMMARY: It's about faith, religion and sainthood.

It's also about love. And knitting. "The Thirty-Sixth" is another story about spirituality, this time focused on Mulder.

God's Breath (52217 words) by Jintian
Chapters: 1/1
Fandom: The X-Files
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Relationships: Fox Mulder/Dana Scully, Dana Scully/Original Male Character
Characters: Dana Scully, Fox Mulder
Summary:

May 1999. A mysterious death brings Scully's faith and personal history to the fore.

Jintian wrote this story entirely from Scully's point-of-view, which makes the story feel even more intimate and immediate. She created a believable back-story for Scully, a creepy X-File, and wonderful characterizations of Mulder and Scully. Detective Kresge from the episode "Emily" makes a repeat appearance. She also gives us a Bill Scully who isn't a hateful jerk, but is instead a guy who loves his sister and wants the best for her. You know, like Mulder loves his sister.

Next: "War of the Coprophages."

It's been awhile. Every time I repost from Tumblr, I have to reformat everything and fix broken links, the curse of a old fandom.

Anyway, I've already posted about "Lethe" here, but it seems appropriate to rec it again for the episode where Scully meets the MUFON women for the first time. This is a terrific story by a great writer. My summary: Samantha meets Scully in the White Place.

Lethe (4742 words) by DiscordantWords
Chapters: 1/1
Fandom: The X-Files
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Characters: Dana Scully, Samantha Mulder
Summary:

"Space, like time, engenders forgetfulness; but it does so by setting us bodily free from our surroundings and giving us back our primitive, unattached state. Yes, it can even, in the twinkling of an eye, make something like a vagabond of the pedant and philistine. Time, we say, is Lethe; but change of air is a similar draught, and, if it works less thoroughly, does so more quickly."
- Thomas Mann, The Magic Mountain

I first read "The Bright White Place" ten years ago and ~~I don't have time to read it again~~ hell I just read it again anyway. (It is compulsively readable once you get going on it.) It is darkfic, very dark. If you throw enough twisted sex into your fic, it will fry my brain, because I remember liking it a lot. I might have been the only member of fictalk who did, too. If you check out the entry at Fanlore, you can see what people thought back in the day. What else? Krycek is a real shithead in this. I guess that's a warning, too. So, if you are the kind of reader who enjoys this sort of thing, go for it; otherwise, stay far, far away.

The Bright White Place by Nancy Nivling
File Size: 125K
Rating: NC-17
Warnings: language, graphic violence, rape, explicit sex, and disturbing themes.
Archived: 00-04-14
Spoilers: A whole lot of stuff up through "Nisei/731." After that, it goes way AU.
Keywords: Mulder/Scully romance. Alternate universe.

Author's Note: This novel was originally published in zine format a couple years ago, and was my first and only attempt at MSR -- albeit a very dark MSR. If graphic violence and disturbing themes bother you, turn back now.

~/~/~

Zine format. Wow. I've never seen an X-Files zine, I've only read about them. The zine was eXotica issue 2, published in 1997. The Fanlore entry: eXotica.

In honor of Lucy Householder, the doomed protagonist of "Oubliette," here are three fics with similar themes and content. All are stories about child abduction.

Ingénue (23307 words) by Punk
Chapters: 1/1
Fandom: The X-Files
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Characters: Fox Mulder, Dana Scully, Original Female Character, Original Male Character
Additional Tags: Angst, Rift, Episode Related, Suicide, Case Fic, Mytharc
Summary:

Mulder and Scully investigate the circumstances surrounding a fifteen-year-old girl's multiple disappearances.

This is casefic. The POV alternates between the child and the agents who are searching for her. Beautiful writing, carefully constructed casefic.

Starvation Angel by Vehemently
SPOILERS: none in particular
RATING: R, purely for disturbing subject material
CATEGORY: X-File
ARCHIVE: Gossamer; The I in FBI. Others please ask.
DISCLAIMER: Characters you recognize belong to Chris Carter / 1013 and are used in loving violation of Title 17 of the U.S. Code.
SUMMARY:
Bernadette, people are searching for
The kind of love that we possess . . .

I love stories that use the third person limited point of view. Dryad uses this technique to devastating effect to tell the story of Tamar Davies, who, along with her mother, was kidnapped as a young child by a serial killer. She did what she had to do to stay alive. This is one of the most harrowing stories I've ever read.

Quiet, He'll Hear You (4490 words) by Dryad
Chapters: 1/1
Fandom: The X-Files
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Underage
Characters: Tamar Davis, Dana Scully, Walter Skinner, Fox Mulder
Additional Tags: may be triggering, to say more would spoil it, Please Don't Hate Me, NC17
Summary:

Fear can either be paralyzing or motivational.

"The Walk" marks the beginning of the third season plot/relationship arc long referred to as "The Rift," or if you're British, "The Tiff." Opinions vary about where (or why?) the rift begins but everyone agrees it ends with "Pusher." After re-watching "The Walk," I can't say I noticed any signs of a rift between Mulder and Scully. What I saw was a well-done classic horror episode, directed by Rob Bowman from John Shiban's first script for the series.

( more episode commentary )

On to the recs.

"Capacity" is a nuanced character study of Dana Scully in "The Walk."

Capacity (1022 words) by tree
Chapters: 1/1
Fandom: The X-Files
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Characters: Dana Scully, Fox Mulder, Margaret Scully
Additional Tags: Community: picfor1000, Interstitial, Episode: s03e07 The Walk
Summary:

Character is what you are in the dark.

"No Greater Love" is a third season fic that takes place during the infamous Rift, but that’s not really what’s it’s about. The title is from John 15:13. “There is no greater love than to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.” This story is about sacrifice and the redemptive power of love. And, since this is casefic, along the way, we get lots of dead bodies.

No Greater Love by Karen Rasch
Rated R | 335K | Category XR | Archived 96-06-11
Keywords: Mulder/Scully romance.
Summary: Mulder and Scully travel to a small town in Missouri to investigate a series of deaths involving a faith healer. Along the way, questions are raised concerning their relationship and their feelings towards matters of the spirit.

Winner of 1996 Spooky for Most Carteresque (First Place), Best Platonic Mulder/Scully Relationship (First Place), Best Non NC-17 Mulder/Scully Relationship (Third Place), Best Scully Characterization (Second Place), and Best X-File Story (First Place).

MULDER: Listen to this. “I come in return to the beginning of the end to begin again the journey of souls … the godhead universal for whom there is no death only life eternal.”

SCULLY: What’s that from?

MULDER: Neech Manley, 1994. This stuff goes on for hundreds of pages. There’s references to the Hindu Atman, Prarabdha, the Rosicrucians, Zoroastrianism. The man was obsessed with reincarnation.

SCULLY: Being obsessed with it doesn’t mean you can do it.

Reincarnation, or as Neech Manley would refer to it, the transmigration of souls, is a recurring motif for The X-Files, used with varying degrees of success. It appears in season one’s “Lazarus” and “Born Again,” in season two in “Red Museum, and now in "The List.” Reincarnation will play a major role in season four’s “The Field Where I Died,” loathed by Mulder/Scully shippers everywhere. Someone on the staff of this series (or maybe several someones) is obsessed with reincarnation. But to paraphrase Agent Scully, being obsessed with it doesn’t mean you can write it.

( More about the episode )

FANFICTION RECS: I have one.

“The Best Lies” isn’t a post-ep for “The List,” but the episode’s claustrophobic atmosphere is echoed nicely in Julie Fortune’s fic, set in a Texas prison. Mulder and Scully get caught in the web of a serial killer from Mulder’s past, who’s currently sitting on death row.

“He was part of a two-man killing team that traveled through the South about eight years ago. His partner was Jesus Morales Perez. They were good.” That was shorthand for a lot that Mulder didn’t want to discuss; she accepted it with a nod of her head. “Perez died in prison about two years ago. Piper’s in Huntsville. He’s awaiting execution.”

“And you’re going to see him?”

“Not if I can help it.” Mulder looked down at his clasped hands. “The warden down there’s a friend of mine, and he says there’s a painting of Piper’s that I’ve got to see.”

“Painting?” she repeated.

“Of me.”

The Best Lies by Julie Fortune

There’s no rating, no summary, no keywords provided by the author. It’s not casefic, because there’s no case. I’d call it a thriller and I’d rate it Teen for violence. The link is to her old site, waybacked, but if you prefer plain text, The Other Side has a copy.

Fortune is a great storyteller, whose characterizations are so perfect that you’d think she was in the XF writing room. If she had been, the mytharc would have made a lot more sense.

"Clyde Bruckman's Final Repose" is one of my favorite episodes of television. Though it begins with a murder and ends with a suicide, it doesn't leave the viewer feeling hopeless. The story is a perfect mixture of light and dark, with the bleakness of the serial murder investigation interlaced with black humor and quirky philosophizing. The script won an Emmy for Darin Morgan. In the span of 44 minutes, Peter Boyle brings his unforgettable character to life, winning an Emmy for his performance as well.

( Read more )

FANFICTION RECS:

The idea that Scully is immortal inspired three of the best fics in this fandom. They are presented here in order of their appearance.

From a great distance, she heard Fox Mulder scream.

Dana Scully jerked awake and in the same second knew Mulder hadn't screamed, wasn't dying, his blood wasn't on her hands. Just a dream, another damned dream.

From the first line, Julie Fortune had me hooked. "Fata Morgana" begins as a crime story, then turns quickly into an X-file, but at its core, this is a portrait of Mulder and Scully's partnership: what they mean to one other and how much they each will risk for the other. It also has one of the most erotic non-sex scenes I have ever read, which I don't want to spoil by saying anything more.

Fata Morgana by Julie Fortune
Warnings: none
Rating: Teen
Genre: X-file, heavy angst
Summary: none provided. Just read it, please.

Technically, the next two recs are post-eps for "Tithonus" but since I think of that episode as fanfic for Clyde Bruckman, I have no qualms about reccing these stories for both episodes.

I just reread this fic, originally written in 2008 for The X-Files Secret Santa Gift Exchange. It is simply one of the best stories I've read in this fandom, for its structure, for the emotional and intellectual trajectory of Scully's reaction to finding out she's immortal, and the devastating ending. Idella's wit, as well as her tenderness and compassion for the characters, especially Scully, are unmatched.

Idella chose not to use archive warnings. However, if you need a warning for potential triggers/disturbing content, there is one at the original post under a cut.

How a Resurrection Really Feels (6128 words) by idella
Chapters: 1/1
Fandom: The X-Files
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Relationships: Fox Mulder/Dana Scully
Characters: Dana Scully, Fox Mulder
Additional Tags: Immortality, Female Protagonist, Season/Series 06, Alternate Universe
Summary: Post-Tithonus AU. Experimental living.

Like idella, Penumbra posted no warnings for her fic. If you have triggers, or even if you don't, you should know that I found the opening to "Fathoms Five" highly disturbing. If you need more specifics to decide if this is safe for you, leave an anon comment here, along with an email address, and I will get back to you asap. Anon and non-member comments are all screened and your email address will not be revealed. There are spoilers in the comment threads.

This a major work, by a major writer in the fandom. It's also her best work, in my humble opinion, an outstanding, well-crafted, and unforgettable story that deserved a much wider audience. The links are to her livejournal. This is also archived at Gossamer, where there is a somewhat misleading warning on the post. There was nothing warm and fuzzy about this fic.

"Fathoms Five" by Penumbra
Part One
Part Two

Scene from 3x02 Paper Clip

Welcome to season three of The X-Files.

There's just something about this scene in the cafe, where Mulder and Scully meet with Skinner. They're both on the run. They're outlaws, federal agents operating outside the law, but they couldn't be reacting more differently to their situation. What if they hadn't agreed to give up the digital tape in return for their safe return? Could they have used its information to bring down the Consortium? There's another AU fic I wish someone had written.

FANFIC RECS: There is a theme running through these fics. They are all, in one way or another, about the untimely death of Melissa Scully.

I think Jintian's summary says what needs to be said.

A Murder in April (1685 words) by Jintian
Chapters: 1/1
Fandom: The X-Files
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Characters: Alex Krycek, Dana Scully, Fox Mulder
Summary: One woman's death affects three different people. Post-"The Blessing Way/Paper Clip."

The fandom was much smaller back in 2009 when this story was first posted to AO3. That is the only excuse I can think of for this having so few kudos. It's a concise, well-written post-ep. Give it a chance.

Reflections As the Light Begins To Fade (1763 words) by Amilyn
Chapters: 1/1
Fandom: The X-Files
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Characters: Dana Scully, Fox Mulder
Additional Tags: Grief, Canonical Character Death, Angst, Reflection
Summary: He knows and is unsurprised and her sister is dead. And no one else can understand any of that because no one else knows what they know.

I love Oracle's writing, and this is a particular favorite.

Keeping Melissa by Oracle
Classification: VA
Rated: PG
Spoilers: None
Key Words: ScullyAngst
Summary: You need to believe that she's still around, that she isn't all in your head. For sisters everywhere.

Perfect post-ep is perfect. This is exactly how I imagined it would happen. It's part of Khyber's never-to-be-finished series, "Khyber versus Season Seven," but it works just fine as a standalone. I recommend Kv7 even though it is incomplete because the stories are so excellent. In fact, I recommend everything he's written. His novel, "Sokol" is easily the equal of the better known, (and also fantastic) "Iolokus." In case you're unfamiliar with his work, the angst is strong in this writer. His disclaimer is something to the effect that he doesn't own them, he just makes them unhappy. Consider that a warning?

Coyote Luck by Khyber
CLASSIFICATION: VA
RATING: NC-17
SPOILERS: "Blessing Way," "Paper Clip"
KEYWORDS: Mulder/Scully sex
SUMMARY: Khyber vs. Season Seven. Post-ep/missing scenes for "Paper Clip."
Author's Notes: Part of "Khyber vs. Season Seven." Intended to be read after "Home From The War," even though chronologically this is the first point of divergence from canon.

I'd searched and searched for this fic, but all I could remember was that it was a post-ep and Melissa did a tarot card reading. It's so much more than that, and even better than I'd remembered.

Cold Comfort (7833 words) by Flywoman
Chapters: 1/1
Fandom: The X-Files
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death, Rape/Non-Con
Characters: Fox Mulder, Dana Scully, Melissa Scully, Margaret Scully, William Scully
Additional Tags: post-episode, Angst
Summary: Scully struggles with survivor guilt that first night after the events in "Paper Clip."

Here at xfilesficrecs, at long last, we've reached the end of season two. To celebrate, I'm posting more recs for season two-ish stories. These are all fics that I love, and have read again and again. I hope you'll enjoy them, too.

"Genius" won the 1995 Second Place Spooky award for "Most Carteresque." Kipler's clear-sighted empathy for her characters informs and shapes every scene. There is no villain; in the end, there is just something new to understand, something quite miraculous. What elevates the story out of the MOTW category into something rarer is the ending, as we observe Scully begin to comprehend what drew Mulder to this case.

Genius (16058 words) by Kipler
Chapters: 4/4
Fandom: X-Files - Fandom
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Relationships: Mulder/Scully MSR
Characters: Dana Scully, Fox Mulder, Mulder, Scully
Summary: The story of a young girl who disappears and returns smarter than she was before.

Written and originally posted in the summer of 1995. Posted to AO3 on the 20th anniversary! That's kind of cool.

I don't know if anyone else remembers but "A Midnight Clear" was the second story in what was intended to be a series of Christmas stories. Syntax6 wrote the first fic, "Roman a Clef," from Mulder's POV, then "A Midnight Clear," for season two, which is from Scully's POV. Then they just stopped. I'd always hoped she'd complete the series, but you don't always get what you want. They work fine as standalones.

A Midnight Clear by syntax6
I've filled in the blanks to the best of my ability, including the summary.
Rating: Gen
Warnings: none
Characters: Fox Mulder and Dana Scully
Spoilers: Scully's abduction arc, so through "One Breath"
Keywords: Angst. Christmas.
Summary: Scully has recovered from her ordeal and is ready to return to work, as Mulder's partner on the X-Files. Mulder isn't ready but it's not for the reason Scully suspects.

Also at Gossamer.

"This House is Burning" is flat-out the best Profiler!Mulder series I've ever read. Tesla's writing style flows effortlessly, and is, by turns, unobtrusive and lyrical. Her Mulder is both much more competent at his job and much less crazy than he's often written, which is a welcome relief. But THIB is more than a series of meticulously constructed casefics, it's also a believable, emotionally involving Mulder/Scully romance. So let's see: great writing? Check. Exciting plot? Check. Scorching hot sex scenes? Check, check, check.

This House is Burning by Tesla
Part 1: Blood on the Snow
Part 2: A Thief's Diet
Part 3: The Quiet Glades of Eden

You can also read these at Gossamer.

My last rec is also by Tesla. (I should probably just give Tesla, Kipler and syntax6 their own tags, I rec them so often.)

Tesla claims "Sense Memory" doesn't have a plot but I beg to differ. Why, heck. It even has an X-File. No spoilers, set during an unspecified early season, which to me means season two. Why? Because I said so. It's funny. It's short. It's sexy. It's even, dare I say it, rather romantic.

Sense Memory by Tesla
Rating: R. Smut.
Spoilers: None, but set really early in the series.
Keyword: MSR, PWP...
Summary: none provided. (Wendelah's note: none needed)

Also at Gossamer.

"Anasazi" is paced more like a thriller than a procedural. The earthquake in the teaser is directly related to the larger story, but in the words of former Navajo code talker, Albert Hosteen, it's an omen, a portend of things to come. "The earth has a secret it needs to tell," he tells his son and grandson. David Duchovny shared a writing credit with CC and it shows. This is a very Mulder (and Mulder-family)-centric episode. For better, and for worse, "Anasazi" and the two episodes that follow set up The X-Files mytharc through season five.

Fanfic Recs

There are four, which is fewer than I'd hoped for, given that we have at last emerged from the fic wasteland.

Kipler wanted her audience to know that this was written in the summer of 1995. "Please note: This story has an expiration date of September, 1995 - the season premiere episode of the X-Files. After that, the point becomes moot. So, read it in the summer." Sorry, Kipler. I read it yesterday, and you know what? I liked it. Of course, it's been jossed. Think of as an AU, if you need to. I enjoyed it for what it is: a sensitive character study of Scully grieving Mulder's death in the boxcar.

"Time" by Kipler
Rated PG | 30K | Category VA | Archived 96-06-12
Spoilers: Anasazi
Keywords: (mine not hers) post-episode, angst
Summary: Scully believes that Mulder is dead.

Also at Gossamer.

"Bed" is a missing scene vignette for "Anasazi."

onpaperfirst is terrific with the little details that make a story come alive.

"Bed" by onpaperfirst
Warnings: none
Rating: Gen
Characters: Fox Mulder and Dana Scully
Summary: "She considered herself a trustworthy person in ways that would look good on a job evaluation, but refused to take the point any further."

To get to Bill Mulder before he could tell his son the truth, someone had to know about it before hand.

I'm going to quote Emily-Shore on this fic because I think her interpretation is better than mine.

The big question that "This is Agamemnon" asks is: who is the story about? In the show, it's all about Fox Mulder and Bill Mulder and CSM. The men of the project and what they do. Teena and Samantha are portrayed as secondary. This is the point of view put forward by Teena's friend at Bryn Mawr: "It was all about the men," she said. "Clytemnestra, Iphigenia, Cassandra, they weren't the real story.... The women were just tools. Let that be a lesson to us all."

But this story questions that idea, by making it all about Teena and the decision that she makes when she can finally see clearly. That's why I like it.

This is Agamemnon (489 words) by Vaznetti
Chapters: 1/1
Fandom: The X-Files
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Characters: Teena Mulder
Summary:

Teena Mulder makes a decision. Missing scene for Anasazi.

Also found at Gossamer.

Last but not least, a spooky missing scene, recently imported to AO3 with the Basement archive.

Down among the dead men (474 words) by torch
Chapters: 1/1
Fandom: The X-Files
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Characters: Fox Mulder
Additional Tags: episode-related, Anasazi
Summary:

Under the surface, memories are not the only things that linger.

This was a stinker. Depicting the violent death of a two-year-child in the teaser was nothing less than a flagrant attempt to play on the audience's emotions. You have to earn the right to portray that kind of death in any medium and this episode doesn't come close.

"The Calusari" isn't structured like a typical TXF episode. There's no real investigation, at least none that matters, and no discussion of what these unexplained events might mean to either character. Even during the climatic scenes, Mulder and Scully only stand by passively and watch events unfold. Mulder is supposed to be an expert on the paranormal but he's clearly out of his depth. Scully has at least seen The Exorcist so you would think that would give her some insight being that the plot is so similar. Argh. It's probably just a coincidence but I just realized this is the second episode in a row featuring an Evil Twin.

The offensive stereotyping of Romanian culture would be bad enough, but with the supporting characters being depicted so unsympathetically, it's hard to care about their fates. They're just stock figures from bad horror movies, not real people who matter to the audience.

The Calusari Elder's final words to Mulder are ominous: "It is over, for now. But you must be careful. It knows you." But there's no followup, no continuity, so the warning is meaningless. I wish some fic writer had taken those lines as a prompt and run with it.

Because people love to be frightened, and it is a scary episode,"The Calusari" is watchable, though just barely.

FANFICTION RECS:

I liked the one by David Hearne. I like most of the fic in his never completed series of post-eps. He didn't try to write them in order which means that there are stories for every season, but no complete seasons.

"Under Your Bed, In Your Closet, Behind You" by David Hearne
Rated PG | 5K | Archived 00-12-1
Spoilers: The Calusari
Keywords: Post-episode.
Summary: none provided by the author. Wendelah's summary: Mulder can't sleep. He calls up Scully on the phone.

This is Darin Morgan's maiden voyage as a writer for The X-Files. He previously appeared in season two in "The Host" as the Flukeman. He was invited to join the writing staff of The X-Files in season two after he was given a story credit for helping with "Blood." He was reluctant to come on board because he was a comedy writer and The X-Files was not a funny show, apart from Mulder making a quip or two.

Many people have written eloquently about Darin Morgan and his talent, with one critic going so far as to say that he saved the series by attracting a more mainstream audience, which is an odd assertion given how off-beat his sense of humor is. What I loved about this episode is the way he was willing to make fun of the show, in particular, the Monster of the Week format. By casting the carnival performers as the victims, "Humbug" takes the premise that mutants are monsters, and dismantles it, dead body by dead body. By the end of the episode, everyone's preconceptions about the residents and the murder case have been proven dead wrong.

FANFICTION RECS:

I have three recs. Each is wonderful in its own way, and they all feature carnivals.

"Nothing Wicked" was first posted last year to XF-is-Love at LiveJournal. It's another excellent fic from DiscordantWords.

Nothing Wicked (1489 words) by DiscordantWords
Chapters: 1/1
Fandom: The X-Files
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Characters: Fox Mulder, Dana Scully
Additional Tags: post-episode, humbug, carnivals
Series: Part 2 of Post-Episode Vignettes
Summary:
"Somehow I doubt that the late, great Hepcat Helm would put his stamp of approval on such an establishment."

"Every Sparrow Falling" is a case file and an x-file, with Mulder and Scully doing what they do best, investigating the paranormal. It's been a number of years since I first read it, but I remember being scared out of my wits. I love this summary from Raiders of the Lost Fanfic, Maybe Amanda's old rec site: "Casefile, paranormal, religion, madness. And hot dogs, peanuts, and Cracker Jack."

"Every Sparrow Falling" by Alloway
Rated PG | Category X | Archived 97-05-20
Spoilers: Season 4
Keywords: none provided
Summary: Deadly birds, mysterious soldiers and abandoned carnivals lead Mulder and Scully to small-town America, where they discover that dwelling on the past can be a very dangerous thing.

This last rec is a fun, sexy read. Mulder and Scully are both undercover, working for the carnival. The fic has plenty of atmosphere and well-drawn original characters.

"Kinesthesia" by Amy
Rated NC-17 | Category XR | Archived 03-09-30
Spoilers: Season 6
Keywords: Mulder/Scully romance.
Summary: As members of a domestic terrorism task force, Mulder and Scully investigate a series of bombings linked to a traveling carnival show.

Just because they can, Mulder and Scully charter a fishing boat and head to the North Atlantic off the coast of Norway. They're investigating the mysterious deaths of the crew of the USS Ardent. The ship vanished at the 65th parallel where there is a history of ships going missing dating back to WWII. Unfortunately, they get stranded on the ghost ship when pirates hijack their boat.

This episode shouldn't work. ( Read more... )

FANFICTION RECS:

From my AO3 bookmarks. These are each part of much longer series the authors have been (separately) laboring over for years, now.

Dod Kalm (479 words) by leiascully
Chapters: 1/1
Fandom: The X-Files
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Characters: Dana Scully, Fox Mulder
Additional Tags: Episode Related, Aging
Series: Part 47 of The FBI's Most Unwanted
Summary:

Once or twice she had contemplated growing old with Mulder.

Dod Kalm (428 words) by scullywolf
Chapters: 1/1
Fandom: The X-Files
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Relationships: Fox Mulder/Dana Scully
Characters: Fox Mulder, Dana Scully
Additional Tags: Missing Scene, MSR
Series: Part 43 of TXF: Scenes in Between

I have no fanfic recs for "Fresh Bones," "Colony," or "End Game," so we are skipping ahead to "Fearful Symmetry."

I don’t know what they were trying for but whatever it was, it failed. The premise is ridiculous even for The X-Files. How anyone could have thought an episode about an invisible elephant was a good idea is beyond me. The tone is preachy. The characters, Meecham and Kyle Lang, are both stupid stereotypes. There’s no meaningful discussion on the most interesting question it raises: what ideally should our relationship be to the animals who share our planet?

( More about Fearful Symmetry )

FANFICTION RECS:

Surprisingly, yes. The Mulder voice-over at the end was one of the worst of the series but it did inspire this memorable and disturbing post-ep.

The Motives of Silent Visitors by aka "Jake"
Rating: PG-13 (Adult Situations)
Classification: Post Ep
Spoilers: "Fearful Symmetry"
Summary: “The motives of the silent visitors who set these events in motion remain unclear. Could this be a judgment…?” – Mulder in “Fearful Symmetry”

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