Fic Recs: The Blessing Way/Paper Clip

[wendelah1]

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."