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I was going to just post this as a placeholder, the way I always do when I have no recs. But we have entered what is just the beginning of a fanfic wasteland. If something new and wonderful gets written, or I remember something wonderful and old, I'll edit and add the newly minted rec. In the meanwhile, have a fanart rec.

fanart by littledeerling: Mulder and Scully

Goddamn toads, Mulder by littledeering (prints available)

In case you were wondering, the episode is awful.

wendelah1

Mulder gets a consult request from the Minneapolis field office on a case of grave desecration. Although he knows from the get-go that there is nothing paranormal going on, he agrees to take the case. Meanwhile, he snags tickets to see the Vikings versus Redskins, in the Metrodome. "Forty yard line, Scully. You and me." Things do not go according to plan.

( More about Irresistible )

FANFICTION RECS:

For "Irresistible," I have just two. I looked at quite a few of the others at Gossamer and AO3, but they were either too short, too much, or too maudlin. Once when we get to the sequel, there will be more to read.

"Interlude" by syntax6
Rated: G
Spoilers: "Irresistible"
Feedback: always welcome at syn_tax6@yahoo.com
Summary: none provided. It is a post-ep fic.

Syntax6 is a Mulder/Scully shipper and I'm not, but she makes me believe in them every damn time. This vignette is poignant without crossing the line into sentimentality.

Turn The World Over (6913 words) by Leyenn
Chapters: 1/1
Fandom: The X-Files
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Relationships: Fox Mulder/Dana Scully
Additional Tags: Community: kink_bingo
Summary: Fear of flying ends when you have the strength to leave the ground behind.

It is surprisingly difficult to write a story that builds on the intimacy and emotion of the episode without over-selling itself. Leyenn does so beautifully.

wendelah1

Mulder and Scully head to Aubrey, Missouri to try to solve an old missing persons case. In 1942, two FBI detectives disappeared while investigating a serial murder case. Three women were murdered, all left with the word "Sister" carved on their chest. Mulder is intrigued when the bones of one of those missing agents are discovered in a field in that same small town, by one of their police detectives. As Mulder and Scully will soon discover, the murders have started up again.

( More about Aubrey )

Fanfiction:

I don't care for hurt/comfort fic in general and almost never read it in this fandom. Honestly, haven't Mulder and Scully suffered enough? Why anyone would want to write, let alone read, a fic that has poor Detective Morrow die during emergency childbirth, in prison, with Scully in attendance, is a complete mystery to me.

Well, there's always "Seeds of Synchronicity." I've never gotten past the first chapter but it won plenty of awards. I know many readers who loved it. You might, too, which is why I'm posting it here.

"Seeds of Synchronicity" by Mountainphile.
Rated NC-17 | 127K | Category XR | Archived 03-10-31
Spoilers: Aubrey
Keywords: Mulder/Scully romance.

Summary: Six years after the events of "Aubrey," Scully and Mulder revisit the Missouri town to confront old demons and lay new ones to rest. Also can be found at Gossamer.

Although it's set post-"Aubrey," this sweet crossover has nothing to do with the episode itself, which is a good thing. It's also at Gossamer.

Road Fools (2502 words) by denynothing1
Chapters: 1/1
Fandom: The X-Files, Smallville
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Relationships: Fox Mulder/Dana Scully
Characters: Fox Mulder, Dana Scully, Clark Kent, Jonathan Kent
Additional Tags: Crossover, Pre-Canon, Halloween
Summary:

Only one of the reasons that the X-File on a little town in Kansas is so thick it occupies its own drawer in the filing cabinet.

wendelah1

This is the worst episode of the season so don't bother watching it, if you haven't already. I hate this piece of gossa more each time I see it. Not even my love for Teryl Rothery, who played Dr. Fraser on Stargate SG-1, can save this mess. NEVER AGAIN.

Mulder's dismissive attitude toward "ghost rape" might be understandable except when you consider that Agent Spooky believes in "ghost everything else," as the Monster of the Week writer points out in their instructional video: "Elderly Ghost Rape: Know Your Rights." You should check that episode out. It was a classic, even for MoW.

MULDER: I think this will turn out to be a huge waste of time just like all the other X-Files on entity rape. Unsubstantiated phenomena.

Honestly, does that sound like something Mulder would even say? Are there more stringent criteria that have to be met in order for ghost rape to be taken seriously and investigated, as opposed to other crimes committed by spectral phenomena?

SCULLY: But in a substantiated crime.

And a serious crime, which no one except Agent Scully is the least bit interested in investigating. Come on, Mulder. Unsubstantiated phenomena is the very definition of an X-File.

What else makes this the worst? How about creepy old people hopped on magic mushrooms. Cultural stereotyping. An apparent cure for Alzheimer's disease that no one seems interested in pursuing further. Exploding bathrooms. Angry ghosts. And finally, an ending where no coherent explanation, paranormal or otherwise, is even hinted at by the writer.

Oh, and for the record, registered nurses who work in nursing homes do not give bed baths, or change beds, or clean patient rooms. In service of this ridiculous plot, the character needed to be in a patient room alone, so she got assigned the duties that are done by the housekeeping staff. This is how it actually works: There is one RN on per shift; she is in charge of the rest of the staff; they do all of the bedside care; she does physical assessments and writes care plans; when needed, she calls the doctor for new orders.

If I were handing out grades, this episode would get an F minus.

Fanfic Recs

There is only one post-ep fic for "Excelsis Dei" at Gossamer. Luckily, it is a good one.

"Butterfly" by Oracle
Rated PG | 30K | Category SRA | Archived 04-12-31
Spoilers: Excelsius Dei
Keywords: Mulder/Scully romance. Alternate universe.
Summary: 'I can still see it, Mulder. Every detail was perfect, as though we'd never left that place.

wendelah1

These are the same two fics that I recced the last time I did recs for this episode. They're linked--it's the same story, told by two different authors. "Camera Lucinda I: Latency," written by tree, is from Scully's point of view. "Camera Obscura I: Latency," by A. Kelley Nolan, is from Mulder's.

I think Nolan explains it better than I can.

Some really nice people suggested I explore the Mulder/Scully relationship through my personal timeline of their history. They're probably going to regret that. Nonetheless, this is the first in a series of several stories that will attempt to do just that, from Mulder's point of view. This is a companion series to "Camera Lucida," told from Scully's point of view. You should immediately go read tree's brilliant "Camera Lucida I: Latency." Honestly, you really must read them as a pair. We insist.

Thanks: To Anjou, for the initial spark. And a paean of praise to the beta goddess tree, for transoceanic encouragement and advice, for editing of uncommon brilliance, insight, and diplomacy, and for gamely and beautifully taking on Scully. This is an entirely different, and infinitely better, story than it would have been without her. And it was a whole lot of fun, too.

The link is to Nolan's author page at Gossamer as direct linking is not permitted.

"Camera Obscura I: Latency" by A. Kelley Nolan
EMAIL: akelleynolan@yahoo.com
RATING: R for sexual situations and language
CATEGORIES: VRA
KEYWORDS: Mulder/Scully romance
SPOILERS: Season 2, specifically the abduction arc and "Red Museum"
SUMMARY: It was there all along, just waiting to be seen, waiting to develop.

Camera Lucida I: Latency (3316 words) by tree
Chapters: 1/1
Fandom: The X-Files
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Relationships: Fox Mulder/Dana Scully
Characters: Dana Scully, Fox Mulder
Additional Tags: Missing Scene, Red Museum
Summary: Companion piece to Camera Obscura I: Latency by A. Kelley Nolan. A missing scene from "Red Museum."

Originally, they'd planned a series of paired stories but only these two were written, alas. I once wrote to Nolan to ask what had happened (of course I did, you all know me) but she never wrote back. I don't know what her timeline headcanon was so I'm left wondering what was going to happen.

They're both lovely but I tend to favor tree's just a little because, well, tree writing Scully is about as good as it gets for fanfic.

wendelah1

I'm shocked. Shocked. There is almost no badfic porn for this episode.

I have one post-ep rec, one that's just for fun, and one that's...not.

I love "Loss of Yesterday." I ran into this story while perusing the YA author Malinda Lo's website last year. There's a selection of non-fiction which she wrote in grad school, and a website devoted to Dana Scully, which includes a small archive of Scully-centric fanfic. Yes, Malinda Lo is an X-Phile. This lovely fic is in the section called "Disease/Dis-Ease."

In the opening section, the POV shifts back and forth between Mulder and Scully. This is a carefully structured, thoughtful piece of writing, so there is a reason.

Loss of Yesterday (1901 words) by Jintian
Chapters: 1/1
Fandom: The X-Files
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Characters: Dana Scully, Fox Mulder
Summary: Takes place in November 1994 between "Firewalker" and "Irresistible."

You can also read "Loss of Yesterday": at Dreamwidth or as a txt file.

This rec is just for fun. What does aka "Jake" think Mulder and Scully did during that month in quarantine? To find out, read on, but note the G Rating.

"Level Four Boredom" by aka "Jake"
Rating: G
Classification: Post Ep
Spoilers: "Firewalker"

Summary: "Scully and I are in the third day of a month-long quarantine, undergoing level 4 decon procedures. We are so far without symptoms of fungal contamination." -- Mulder in "Firewalker"

Author's Notes: Oooooo, goody! Another quarantine! Just seven months after being quarantined for exposure to luminescent insects in the Olympic National Forest, our heroes are once again quarantined, this time for exposure to deadly spores at the Cascade Volcano Research Project on Mount Avalon, Washington. We know from conversations in later eps (like "Quagmire" and "Home" and "Small Potatoes" and "Detour") they didn't spend their time talking about anything personal. So how did Mulder and Scully pass thirty looooong days?

I almost didn't post the rec because of that string of ohs. My OCD, let me show you it.

There is one other fic I wanted to mention but not rec, not exactly. There is much to like about "Solitary Confinement" by Jean Robinson; in particular, the way she portrays Scully's reaction to being forced into quarantine so soon after her return seems right on the money. The stark, claustrophobic setting works well, too. ( spoilers ) That's your trigger warning. If anyone does read it, I'd love to know your thoughts.

wendelah1

"Agent Mulder, every life, every day, is in danger. That’s just life."

This is such a strange and wonderful episode. Her mother already has her gravestone picked out when suddenly, out of nowhere, Scully reappears in the ER of a DC hospital. She's comatose and on a ventilator, with a biological poison in her bloodstream. According to the doctor attending her, Scully is dying. The Lone Gunmen reluctantly agree. Over Mulder's objections, Melissa and Mrs. Scully elect to follow the terms of Scully's living will, and remove her from life support.

( More about One Breath )

Fanfic Recs:

This fic was nominated at the xf-book-club, a couple of years ago. I finally got around to reading it (so embarrassing...), and of course it's good! I think Martha wrote a fair amount of fic for the Lone Gunmen, so I'm looking forward to checking her stuff out.

"All the Wildflowers by Martha"
Rated PG | 14K | Category VA | Archived 97-09-25
Spoilers: One Breath
Keywords: none provided
Summary: Missing scenes from the episode. Frohike prepares to visit Scully in the hospital.

I admire Pares' writing, but somehow I'd forgotten she wrote this fic. I like her Frohike and Skinner and can easily imagine them meeting this way.

C.O. (1702 words) by Pares
Chapters: 1/1
Fandom: The X-Files
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Characters: Melvin Frohike, Walter Skinner
Summary:

Walter Skinner and Melvin Frohike weren't drafted. In a coffee shop in Maryland, they fight the same war in very different ways. Set pre-XF, circa 1973.

This fic was written for one of those random elements challenges they used to do back in the day. You'd never know it, the way it all fits together. You have to have talent to pull those off, methinks. Scully is back and Mulder is still having a hard time coping.

"Cannibals and Chlorine: A Love Story" by Gina Rain
Category: M/S UST
Rating: PG
Spoilers: Post One-Breath, Pre-Firewalker
Summary: Mulder experiences separation anxiety.

This is another one of my "kind of a post-ep" recs. Mulder and Scully go to a Halloween party. They're in costume. There's dancing. It's adorable. I rec this fic every chance I get. Did I mention Melissa makes a brief appearance there, too? I think I have to read it again now.

"October Skies" by Oracle
Classification: SRA
Rated: PG-13
Key Words: Mulder/Scully romance, sallie safe
Spoilers: Duane Barry, Ascension, One Breath
Summary: "We'll be partying all night long, anyway," says Mulder, planning to take her home as soon as she yawns. "Right?" "You got it."

wendelah1

After this latest viewing, I find myself standing squarely in the middle range of critical opinion. It was good to see the emotional fallout from Scully's kidnapping addressed, even if it was only briefly, and in the middle of a mediocre vampire pastiche. And, the episode looked fantastic from beginning to end, creepy and claustrophobic, smoky and edged in vibrant color during the killing sprees and vampire scenes. This episode is not as bad as most people make it out to be, but it's not excellent either.

Regardless of what they thought about the episode itself, everyone agreed on one thing: "The Unheard Music" by X from their album Los Angeles was an inspired choice for the scene at Club Tepes.

Friends warehouse pain, attack their own kind
A thousand kids, bury their parents

Fanfic recs:

This was a tough one. There are not many writers out there who wanted fix-it fic for this episode, and probably not many readers either. I guess for many viewers the sex scene was a turn-off. What disturbed me was the way the writers set a trap for Kristen, so that setting herself on fire was her best and maybe only option, just so Mulder could feel more failure and guilt.

There is one story which takes Kristen Kilar and gives her a different choice than self-immolation. I'd rec it for that alone, but it was written by ML so it is good, too. Really good. The story is from Mulder's POV, and follows his path from "3" through the end of "One Breath." The difference is that he does save Kristen's life, and brings her back with him to Washington D.C. Don't worry, they don't end up together—ML is a huge Mulder/Scully shipper, plus the story is really more about Mulder—but Kristen Kilar at least gets a better ending, and a life that she chooses for herself. If you want to read it, you'll need to click on the link which is to her Author Page, then scroll to the story link. Gossamer doesn't allow direct links to fic, and this early story isn't even on ML's website.

The Darkness Within Him by ML
Rated R | 48K | Category SA | Archived 01-02-27
Spoilers: 3
Keywords: Mulder/other UST.

Summary: The darkness in him was drawn to the darkness in her.

This next rec is set early season two, just after their 30 day quarantine. It is a case file about vampires. "3" definitely influences the plot line, which makes it close enough to a post-ep. Bugs writes a darker version of MSR, so if you're looking for something romantic and consoling, this is probably not for you. I loved "Under the Rose." I just read the first chapter, and damn it, I'm already getting sucked in. I don't have time to reread this fic now.

Under the Rose by bugs
Rated NC-17 | 98K | Category XA | Archived 01-04-30
Spoilers: She doesn't list any but you should figure on spoilers through "Firewalker."
Keywords: None listed. How about angst, sex, blood, and death?

Summary: The Christmas holidays are always so stressful. 1994 is even more so for Dana Scully, bringing painful memories, a perplexing Mulder, and vampires.

Lastly, I want to recommend Plaidadder's excellent TXF meta series again. She's insightful, entertaining, and blessedly jargon-free. Her analysis of "3" brings up a huge issue I hadn't considered before: AIDs in the nineties.

Risky Business: "3" and the Age of AIDS (1243 words) by PlaidAdder
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: Meta, Nonfiction
Series: Part 38 of X-Files Meta

Summary: The first two seasons of The X-Files were made and broadcast during one of the worst periods of the AIDS crisis. There’s a lot of shit that explains, when you think about it. Certainly it explains a lot of what’s going on in “3.” Well, to the extent that “3″ can ever really be explained.

wendelah1

I love season two, almost as much as season one, and this is one of my favorite episodes of the season. Even though this is when the bad stuff starts happening to Scully, I love the abduction arc. Making Scully an abductee gives her a reason to commit to working on the X-Files apart from her loyalty to Mulder. It deepens and enriches her character, and does the same thing for The X-Files universe. It’s a good creative move by the writers.

I have fic recs: a couple of post-eps, an AU, a horror story AU, and one masterpiece.

The Soft Embalmer (5310 words) by Scarlet
Chapters: 1/1
Fandom: The X-Files
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Characters: Dana Scully
Additional Tags: Angst
Summary: It's Sunday, Dana.

"The Soft Embalmer" is, hands down, the best story written for the abduction arc, period. I can't imagine a better one. Scarlet didn't use any keywords or spoilers because she didn't want to give anything away. If you only have time to read one post-ep for "Ascension," make it this one. It is a masterpiece.

Ascension (1014 words) by leiascully
Chapters: 1/1
Fandom: The X-Files
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Characters: Fox Mulder, Dana Scully, Margaret Scully, Alex Krycek
Additional Tags: Episode Related, Abduction, Alien Abduction
Series: Part 32 of The FBI's Most Unwanted
Summary: There was a hole in the world and it was shaped like Dana Scully.

This is an excellent post-ep for "Ascension," maybe the best—so far—of her series.

Life in Technicolor Flashback (740 words) by Jintian
Chapters: 1/1
Fandom: The X-Files
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Characters: Alex Krycek, Fox Mulder
Summary: A brief detour through Krycek's thoughts. Set during "Ascension."

Jintian has written a fine character study of Alex Krycek.

Blue Girl by L'il Gusty
Rated NC-17 | 18K | Category SA | Archived 03-07-26
Spoilers: Ascension
Keywords: None
Summary: Do any human beings ever realize life while they live it? - every, every minute? -- 'Our Town' by Thornton Wilder

This is what all summaries were like in the olden days, x-files fic fans. "Blue Girl" is an AU. Dana Scully is returned. When she wakes up from her coma, she discovers that it's 2003. Nine years have passed since she disappeared from Skyland Mountain. I read this a number of years ago, and I remember liking it a lot.

ADDED TO SAY: I just finished rereading "Blue Girl" and all of the warnings at AO3 apply here except major character death. It's a good, well-written story but it's not for the faint of heart.

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

"Lethe" is a beautifully written story by one of my favorite writers. It's set in between "Ascension" and "One Breath," in a dream-like rendition of the testing place. Samantha is there and so is Dana Scully.

wendelah1

The first time I watched "Duane Barry," the twist ending was a shock. I was even surprised that Duane Barry’s implants weren’t just a figment of his imagination. When Mulder confronts Scully with the evidence, I wanted her to keep an open mind. After all, she’s seen this kind of thing before—she handed a similar metal object to Blevins during the pilot episode. But she’s still thinking about what the ballistics guy said to her—about the etching on the metal–when she waves the implant in front of the register at the market. It looked impulsive, but Scully is a scientist. Maybe she was testing a hypothesis?

Honestly, as many times as I’ve rewatched it, I still can’t make sense of the ending. But overall, this was a well-constructed, exciting episode.

Krycek has almost no role to play in this drama other than to fetch coffee and look like a third wheel. But don’t worry, Fans of Alex, he’s back in a major way in "Ascension."

RECS, because that's why you're here.

This fic is mostly an interesting backstory for Krycek, interspersed with Mulder guilt-tripping about Scully's abduction.

Second Chances (12035 words) by zulu
Chapters: 1/1
Fandom: The X-Files
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Relationships: Krycek/Samantha, Mulder/Krycek, Mulder/Scully
Characters: Alex Krycek, Samantha Mulder, Cigarette-Smoking Man, Fox Mulder, Dana Scully, Cassandra Spender, Jeffrey Spender
Additional Tags: Mytharc, Backstory
Summary: Before he was Ratboy.

This fic isn't so much a missing scene as it is a bit of missing Scully introspection. It's surprisingly sweet for J-O.

Strange Infatuation by Jennifer-Oksana
Fandom: X-Files
Pairing: Mulder/Scully
Rating: PG, M/S UST, V
Spoilers: Duane Barry
Summary: Strange infatuation seems to grace the evening tide–
Disclaimer: Not mine. They belong to Chris Carter and Company. This isn’t a song story, but the title is from a lyric from the Placebo song, “Without You I’m Nothing,” just to give credit where it’s due.

This missing scene provides the missing explanation for how Duane Barry got from his ICU bed in Richmond, Virginia to Scully's apartment.

Duane Barry (372 words) by scullywolf
Chapters: 1/1
Fandom: The X-Files
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Characters: Alex Krycek, Duane Barry
Additional Tags: Missing Scene
Series: Part 29 of TXF: Scenes in Between

Last but not least, from the blog, Great Writers Steal, Why Shouldn't You:
Great Moments in Literary Theft: David Duchovny’s Red Speedo Poem.

The title says it all. Well, almost all.

Krycek and Mulder at the pool

wendelah1

If per chance, you are watching The X-Files for the first time and have stumbled upon this community looking for fic, "Sleepless" is an essential episode of the abduction arc. Don’t skip it, please. The episodes that follow, "Duane Barry" and, especially, "Ascension," will not have the same impact if you haven’t seen "Sleepless." Having said that, there are some fantastic stories that tie directly into the introduction of the character of Alex Krycek to The X-Files universe.

"In a Dark Time: Sleepless" by Anna S. is one of the first Mulder/Krycek stories I read, and it’s still one of my all-time favorite XF fics, in any genre. It fulfills every requirement of mine for good M/K: it is set during season two, prior to Scully’s abduction, and it is by turns violent, twisted and passionate—and so is the sex. Just as Jess M.'s "The Other Man" does for “Deep Throat,” this fic puts the entire abduction arc in a different light. The writing is lushly description, even baroque in places, but it works, oh, it works. Mulder is eccentric, brilliant, and sexy; Krycek is complex, layered, and treacherous. I have reread this compelling fic many times, because it is just that good.

The link is to her X-Files fic page, way-backed; the story links are on the right. You can also find this at the Basement but I think this is a more recent version, plus it includes a unfinished sequel. If, after watching "Sleepless," you are looking for fluffy, and-they-lived-happily-ever-after M/K fic, this isn’t it. In fact, you may not like this story at all. But if you like your M/K fic dark and your ships doomed, you may love this fic as much as I do.

"In a Dark Time" by Anna S.
Rating: NC-17, for language and sex, some of it unsafe. Very. Consider yourself warned.
Spoilers: Sleepless through Ascension
Genre: slash, Mulder/Krycek, Mulder&Scully friendship.
Word Count: novel length
Summary: (from her original author’s note) This contains, along with my own original work, all of the “Sleepless” dialogue, transcribed verbatim and complete save for a very few scenes. I’ve altered no line whatsover—despite being on occasion sorely tempted. No plagiarism or copyright infringement is intended. Basically, this represents an attempt to expand on “pre-existing” events and conversations in a logical, continuity-consistent manner…*ha-ha-ha*

This next story is a gen post-ep for "Sleepless." I love Pares’ writing, and her characterizations for both men are excellent.

Darker With The Lights On (1492 words) by Pares
Chapters: 1/1
Fandom: The X-Files
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Characters: Fox Mulder, Alex Krycek
Additional Tags: Episode: s02e04 Sleepless
Summary: Mulder tells Krycek about another one-armed man. Set post-Sleepless.

To me, Torch’s characterizations in "Hard as Hell" are just inside the parameters of believable. This Krycek is more innocent and sympathetic than I prefer; this Mulder more…predatory, shall we say. But, we know how relentless Mulder can be in the pursuit of what he wants. And I am prepared to believe in a Krycek who is dedicated enough to The Cause to take one for the team. Or the other team, in this case. Torch’s writing is, as always, excellent.

"Hard As Hell" by torch
Word Count: 7,000
Rating: NC-17
Genre: slash; Mulder/Krycek – first time
Summary: Krycek has to decide how far he’s willing to go in order to be a successful double, or is it triple, agent.

wendelah1

I remember watching “Blood” for the first time, and I don’t remember them all. I was on the edge of my seat the entire episode, waiting for the postal worker to go postal. And that ending, where Mulder sees “ALL DONE. BYE BYE,” on his cell phone screen still haunts me. We don’t know if he’s hallucinating, or if some mysterious shadow government entity is taunting him. Maybe Mulder is going to go nuts and begin shooting up random bystanders. That would have made a great post-ep story, imho. Assuming

ruuger puts on

xf_is_love again someday, that request is going back on the prompts list again. Maybe I'm a dreamer but I’ve convinced myself that if I keeping asking for the fic, eventually someone will write it.

This will surprise exactly no one, but there hasn't been much fic written for "Blood."

Blood (977 words) by leiascully
Chapters: 1/1
Fandom: The X-Files
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Characters: Fox Mulder, Dana Scully
Additional Tags: Episode Related
Series: Part 29 of The FBI's Most Unwanted
Summary: "How do I know what I know is what I know unless you back me up?"

"The FBI's Most Unwanted" is an ambitious endeavor by a talented writer, and the series is certainly worth reading, especially if MSR is what you're looking for. ( review and short excerpt )

I've always wondered why there wasn't more great MSR written for this period. Nothing terrible has happened yet to Scully, which is important since the horrors that await her aren't a great setup for romance, imho. During this interlude, Mulder and Scully aren't FBI partners, and they're both single and attractive. Shouldn't they be dating and having sex now, instead of waiting for six more years of shit to hit the fan?

"Dance" by Dith
Rated: Teen | 96K | Category X | Archived 95-03-24
Spoilers: none
Keywords: Mulder/Scully UST.
Summary: Mulder is asked by some friends to check out the death of a friend who was supposed to have been possessed by a demon. Scully, having no other plans, decides to spend her weekend helping him.

( review and excerpt )

My last rec is not fanfic, it's meta, by Plaidadder from her excellent XF series.

A Different Kind of 90s Nostalgia: "Blood" (1278 words) by PlaidAdder
Chapters: 1/1
Fandom: The X-Files
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Characters: Fox Mulder, Dana Scully
Additional Tags: Meta, Nonfiction, "Blood", 1990s technology, Guns, Shootings, 90s Nostalgia
Series: Part 2 of X-Files Meta
Summary: Nonfiction. In which I talk about the Season 2 episode "Blood" and what it shows us about how much our attitudes toward technology--including guns--have changed since this episode was made.

wendelah1

"The Host" is perhaps the classic Monster of the Week episode. There seems to be general agreement that this is the grossest episode of the series to date. Poor Agent Mulder spends way more time in the sewer than anyone should have to, let alone a major character in a hit series.

Mulder is grateful, if amazed, when Skinner pulls him off his despised white collar surveillance, assigning him to investigate the death of a man found in the New Jersey sewer system; however, his initial enthusiasm quickly turns to disgust. This feeling is universal. "This is one case I'm going to be happy to turn over to you guys," says the police detective at the scene. "Hey, Agent Mulder. What would you like us to do with the body?"

( More about The Host )

Okay, onward. I know filk was a controversial genre, even back in the day, and now it must seem hopelessly out of style. But, I'm reccing this anyway. Why? It's funny.

I'm a Liverfluke (181 words) by campylobacter
Chapters: 1/1
Fandom: The X-Files
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Characters: Flukeman
Additional Tags: Filk, Parody, Episode Related

Summary: About the episode "The Host"; song parody based on Monty Python's "The Lumberjack Song".

"The Repeat Customer" by aka "Jake"
Rating: NC-17 (language, adult situations)
Classification: Post-Ep for "The Host" (Other classifications have been left off to prevent giving too much away.)
Summary: "What's your pleasure tonight, Marty?"
Author's Notes: Written for Fandomonium's Virtual Season of Smut Challenge (Season Two). Fair warning: if there are certain classifications you prefer not to read, have a friend read and rec. I offer no guarantee that this story is "safe" for all readers.
Wendelah's note: And neither do I. Adults only, please. I like the fic but it will not be to everyone's taste, that's for certain.

BONUS REC: Does everyone know about "Monster of the Week, the Complete Cartoon X-Files"? Read Season 2, Episode 2 "The Host or Flukeman!!!" and then read the rest. Best line: (Scully to Mulder re: Flukie) "Wow. That thing is amazing. And a deftly inventive screenwriter."

While there isn't much fanfic for "The Host," I keep finding new artwork of the Flukeman. Everyone loves to draw Flukie!

Damn. Now I can't get that Monty Python song out of my head.

wendelah1

I want to love this episode. And there are things I love in "Little Green Men," but damn it, the plot is so full of holes. And, a Mulder who's acting self-absorbed and peevish is not my favorite Mulder.

I enjoyed meeting Senator Matheson, played by Raymond Jay Barry, whom some of you may recognize as Arlo Givens on Justified. But, thanks to the writers, he's sending Mulder off on a wild goose chase.( More about Little Green Men )

No rec list of fanfic set during the early seasons is complete without "Universal Invariants." Yes, you've all heard of the story and most of you have probably read it, too. If you are like me, you've read it more than once, especially Chapter 12. *cough* In "Universal Invariants," syntax6 takes the canon from season one and early season two, adds an au twist, throws in a tasty casefile, mixes in plenty of UST, Mulder/Scully banter, and some angsty relationship stuff, and presents us with a fanfiction classic.

"Universal Invariants" by syntax6
Spoilers: all of season one and season two through "One Breath"
Summary: Here's the premise: what if Ethan's scene hadn't been cut out of the pilot and Scully had been allowed to have a life of her own, apart from Mulder and the X-files? How would the storyline have been changed? How would it have stayed the same? Wendelah note: The summary is mine, not the author's.

Author's note: I don't really classify fics because my labels don't often match what readers expect, so I am leaving all keywords off here. You clicks your mouse, and you takes your chance. The story will likely stray toward NC-17 territory for sexuality, violence and adult themes. Minors please read elsewhere.

My next rec has a very different take on early Mulder and Scully. I'm linking to the post at LJ because the comments are interesting and insightful, even mine. *g* This is an original and striking episode tag for "Little Green Men."

"In the Fields of Boaz" by Crinolynne
Rating: G
Spoilers: Little Green Men
Summary: He's still not sure what she's doing here, her presence a Fortean event.

One last rec. I'm placing "Hollow Day" here because it deals with the vagaries of memory, in particular, what Mulder recalls about his sister's abduction and its aftermath. I must warn you: this is not the usual, cheery, feel-good holiday story, nor is it the sort of story we've come to expect from Kel. There are not many fic writers who can create believable, compelling original characters the way Kel can. Her narrator, now an adult with children of her own, recalls a traumatic day she spent at the Mulders, specifically the Thanksgiving immediately following Samantha's abduction.

"Hollow Day" by Kel
RATING: PG
CLASSIFICATION: Pre-XF, Story
DISCLAIMER: Though they are with me, they belong not to me.
SUMMARY: October 1973. Think Watergate. Think oil embargo. Think Samantha.
SPOILERS: Through Season 6.

wendelah1

There were more than 30 stories posted in the Gossamer spoilers for this episode, and I searched FF.net and AO3, yet these three recs are all I could come up with. For me to rec a story, there has to be something unique about it, something that makes me think I'll want to read it again someday. For a post-ep story, the bar is set even higher: I want to see the writer dealing with what happened in the episode itself, preferably with something in addition to feelings, sex, and/or a nice cup of tea.

For "The Erlenmeyer Flask," I wanted to see Scully mourning her friend, the scientist from Georgetown, and maybe even attending her funeral. I wanted Scully thinking as a scientist about what they'd discovered: the virus, the extraterrestrial DNA, the alien fetus. I wanted a story where Scully tries to figure out what happened to Mulder's eyes, maybe looking into a possible connection to the virus in Purity Control. I know Mulder is feeling discouraged about losing the X-Files, but once he was over the initial shock, would a man like him go down without a fight? Wouldn't Mulder at least try to contact his supporters on the Hill? Even though I've written it myself, I get impatient with fix-it fics that try to smooth everything over in 2000 words or less. So much MSR is just too damned—nice. Mulder and Scully are many things, but they are not nice. At the very least, a writer needs to show me something I don't already know about these characters.

Like the label says, "At Sea, At Anchor" is an origin story for Mulder's fish tank, which according to the author makes its first appearance as a plot device in "Little Green Men." She is the fan who posts Mapping the X-Files.

At Sea, At Anchor (3496 words) by Apostrophic
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, Trent (Scully’s godson)
Additional Tags: Friendship, Mulder’s goldfish, Season 01-02, Episode: s01e24 The Erlenmeyer Flask, Episode: s02e01 Little Green Men
Summary:

Everyone he came to trust, to love, to need— it ended one way.

An origin story for, of all things, some goldfish. Maybe Scully has something to do with how Mulder acquires his fish tank. Post-S1, pre-S2.

Have any of you ever wondered what might have happened if they'd decided to include Gillian Anderson's pregnancy in their first and second season storylines instead of writing around it? "The Way Things Are" is one writer's take on that idea.

"The Way Things Are" by Sukie Tawdry
Rated NC-17 | 139K | Category S | Archived 03-01-31
Spoilers: Season 1
Keywords: Alternate universe.
Summary: One night and their whole lives were changed forever.

I got this rec off of fic talk back in the day. One of the participants called it her guilty pleasure story. True confession: it's mine, too. The premise is a simple one: Mulder and Scully have one night of drunken, unprotected sex during first season, resulting in Scully getting pregnant, so I guess you'd have to call it AU. *cough*

But "The Way Things Are" isn't romantic or sappy; instead, it is funny and incisive, poignant and scary; heck, it's even in character, once you get past the drunken sex scene. First season is the only time I ever thought they had a shot at a normal relationship, not that this is exactly a normal life. The writer just nails that season one early partnership vibe, even as it's being complicated by an unexpected pregnancy. The link is to her page at Gossamer.

"Dirty Girls" by Tesla
Rating: PG
Genre: Profiler!Mulder. Gen with hints of UST.
Summary: One teenaged girl has been found dead; another is reported missing. Skinner sends Scully and Mulder to Walter's Cove, Kentucky to assist local law enforcement with the investigation. Set during season one. (Wendelah's note: the summary is mine. This fic was written for my contribution to Help Haiti. It was originally posted as a WIP on LiveJournal.)

I love Tesla's writing. She has a lucid, flowing style. Her characterization of Mulder is particularly strong. She gives us a confident, competent, and sexy Mulder, which is a pleasant change from most Profiler!Mulder fic. This is set during season one so the UST is...unresolved, just the way I like it.

Season One is finally done. There are a couple of episodes without fic recs for which I have posted placeholders. If a great fanfic for, say, "Roland" gets written, I will make sure to update those posts.

wendelah1

While "Born Again" isn't the season's best episode, it's hardly the worst. There were some things to like: the creepy performance of the child actor playing Michelle Bishop; all of the quirky visual elements to the case--the mutilated dolls, the Noah's Ark painting with the origami animals, the fish tank with the little diver. I thought Mulder seeing the image of the diver superimposed on the video-recording and his explanation for it--a documented case of someone who could create the image on film with their mind--was cool. Mulder's brain is like an encyclopedia of the weird and unexplained.

( More about Born Again )

It made me uncomfortable to see how much Mulder's obsessions can blind him. What I wanted from an episode tag was a story that dealt honestly with the tension between Mulder and Scully, a fic that didn't smooth things over too easily. I wanted to see the anger spill over, perhaps affect their working relationship in some way. If that story exists, I haven't read it. But I do have a couple of fics which are set during season one to rec.

A Three Fish Man (762 words) by leiascully
Chapters: 1/1
Fandom: The X-Files
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Characters: Fox Mulder, Dana Scully
Additional Tags: Pets, Fluff
Summary:

It wasn't a big change in his life when Scully moved in to the office.

What it says on the label. I've always had a weakness for Mulder's fish. And hey, the aquarium in "Born Again" played an important role as the murder weapon.

Waiting for Agent Right by Kel
Feedback: ckelll@hotmail.com
Disclaimer: Mulder and Scully aren't mine, unless you count the action figures. [from FTF] In which case I own Mulder, Scully, the alien, and that poor firefighter.
Rating: PG
Keywords: MS Friendship, drunkfic
Category: Story, humor
Thanks: To Erin and Trelawney for the beta-reading. Their comments are so good that I'm frequently forced to steal them verbatim.
Summary: Killing time in an anonymous airport. Mulder wants a toaster.
Spoilers: Set in the first season. Definite spoiler for Travelers. Little one for Tooms, and some minor foreshadowing for Tempus Fugit.

Okay, so this fic has no connection whatsoever to "Born Again," but it is set during the first season. I doubt Mulder and Scully drove all the way to Buffalo, New York from Washington D.C. and back again, so you could imagine this as a post-ep. And it's Kel, and she brings the funny like no one else, before or since.

KEL I MISS YOU COME BACK.

wendelah1

"Tooms" is a good episode, notable for several firsts. It's the first time a Monster of the Week gets a sequel. It's also the first time that the character of Assistant Director Skinner makes an appearance. And last but not least, it's the first time the mysterious and omnipresent Cigarette Smoking Man gets a line of dialogue.

( More about Tooms )

Fanfic recs:

Technically, this would be a post-ep for "All Things," but since the story is set in season one right before "Tooms," that's where my brain has it classified. OneMillionandNine's versions of Mulder and Scully aren't exactly mine, but they are smart, sexy, funny and neurotic. If you are looking for a hearts and flowers ending for M&S, this isn't the place to find one (although if you want one for Sherlock Holmes and Molly Hooper, this fic is what convinced me to watch Sherlock BBC. Season Two is what made me stop watching.) But if you're looking for challenging characterizations and hot sex scenes, OMaN is your writer.

Premature Ejaculation by OneMillionandNine
Spoilers: Tooms, All Things
Category: MSR, V, Angst
Rating: big fat NC-17
Summary: an exercise in possibilities; exactly what has kept M and S apart all these years?

This fic is told from Tooms's POV and it's just as creepy as that would suggest. Elanor G is better known for her casefiles, which are excellent too, but this story is darkly original. The author rates it R but I would give it no more than a Teen for violence.

Undying by Elanor G
RATING: R for blood and guts
CATEGORY/SPOILERS: Uh...Story, inspired by Tooms
SUMMARY: none provided

Technically, this fic takes place in a later season, but if you choose to read it, you'll see why I am placing it here instead. I love everything Alelou has written. "Practice" is as delightful a post-post-post-post-ep for "Tooms" as anyone could desire.

Practice by Alelou
Rating: PG-13 for language
Keywords: MSR, Humor, Vignette
Spoilers: Tooms
Summary: Scully decides she needs practice before she can tell Mulder something important.

wendelah1

"Come on, Scully, it’ll be a nice trip to the forest."

Fox Mulder, of all people, should know there is no such thing, at least not on this show. Even if the teaser hadn't shown us what's waiting for them up in Washington State, Mulder's invitation to Scully would feel ominous. In folklore and fairytales, the forest is occasionally a magical refuge, but more often it's a place of mystery and danger. Hansel and Gretel get sent into the woods to die, and they nearly do. So do Mulder and Scully.

( More about Darkness Falls )

FANFICTION RECS:

In 2015, I read or skimmed everything that's listed in the spoilers section at Gossamer as well as what came up via AO3 and Google search. I don't like hurt/comfort fic on general principles, plus I can't imagine a less promising scenario for romance than nearly being eaten alive by mites. (shudders).

This year, I found something to rec! Since 2015, Scullywolf has been writing a series of missing scene fics., beginning shortly after season ten was announced. She's up to Je Souhaite. If she keeps going, maybe I'll start

201daysofxfiles up again with season eight.

Darkness Falls (1935 words) by scullywolf
Chapters: 2/2
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, UST
Series: Part 20 of TXF: Scenes in Between

And one truly amazing piece of art. Truly: Stand Aside, I'm a Medical Doctor by Suzanne Flash.

wendelah1

"Shapes" was bad. So, so bad.

Darren Mooney, writing for the m0vie blog, expresses it perfectly.

"Shapes feels like a misfire, and a waste. It seems misguided and miscalculated, a cynical use of Native American history and culture as set dressing on a traditional werewolf story. This might be forgivable if the werewolf story were interesting, but the whole thing feels rather dull. It’s not a wolf in sheep’s clothing, it’s more like a sheep in wolf’s clothing." Source: [x]

FANFIC REC:

I have one. My problem is that you'll have to rewatch "Shapes" to understand the story, and I cannot in good conscience recommend anyone do that.

In Wolf's Clothing by aka "Jake"
Rating: NC-17 (Wendelah note: I'd classify this Teen and Up)
Classification: Post-Ep for "Shapes"
Spoilers: "Shapes"

Summary: "A manitou overtakes a man by night, not by full moon. But when its blood lust builds to an uncontrollable level, a man changes to a sickening creature. It kills, releasing the savage energy. The man returns to his true self, unaware of what has happened. The cycle begins anew the next day." -- Ish in "Shapes"

Okay. That's not the most useful summary I've ever read. "In Wolf's Clothing" was written for Fandomonium's Virtual Season of Smut, but it's not porn. This is a casefile, a short story, but casefic nonetheless. My summary: Scully's been attacked, and is in a coma. Mulder has been accused of the crime. I still wish aka "Jake" had developed this a little more, but it was memorable enough for me to search for it, and certainly well-written enough for me to rec it.

wendelah1

Though it's not the worst episode of season one, "Miracle Man" doesn't work for me. It's a leaden mash-up of religious clichés and cultural stereotypes for everyone from the Evil Southern Sheriff to the Bitter Disabled Guy. The pacing is slow, the direction is pedestrian. The ending with its relentless Christian symbolism is heavy-handed and ambiguous. Okay, this is The X-Files; ambiguity does come with the territory. Sigh.

( More about Miracle Man )

Fanfic Recs:

"Doubting Thomas" was originally posted to alt.tv.x-files.creative some time before November 1994, according to Fanlore. It was written by Pat Gonzales, "Keeper of the X-Files Creative FAQ" at the time. It's her only story archived on Gossamer; I have no idea whether it's the only fic she wrote. Just out of curiosity, I'm going to try to track down all of the fics on the list: 11/04/94.

Doubting Thomas by Pat Gonzales
Rated G | 15K | Category VA | Archived 95-03-24
Spoilers: Miracle Man
Keywords: (none specified by the author)
Summary: Mulder and Samuel Hartley meet again.

I could have saved this for "Closure," but unless you're watching for the first time and are avoiding spoilers for the rest of the series, there's no reason not to read this now. "Anima Sola" is one of my favorite Samantha Mulder stories. I particularly love the section that references "Miracle Man." This fic should have all the kudos but like most gen fic written in the past few years, it's been ignored in favor of MSR. I try not to be bitter, Wendelah mutters. TRY HARDER, the fandom advises.

Anima Sola (2426 words) by secondsflat
Chapters: 1/1
Fandom: The X-Files
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Characters: Fox Mulder, Dana Scully, Samantha Mulder
Additional Tags: Angst, Closure, Paper Hearts, Conduit, Miracle Man, Colony, End Game, Episode: s04e05 The Field Where I Died, Character Study
Summary:

Samantha, to Scully, is a collection of feelings.

Another from leiascully's The FBI's Most Unwanted.

Miracle Man (966 words) by leiascully
Chapters: 1/1
Fandom: The X-Files
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Characters: Fox Mulder, Dana Scully
Additional Tags: Christianity, Miracles, Episode Related
Series: Part 20 of The FBI's Most Unwanted
Summary:

He wondered if Scully felt she'd muddied the river of her faith, working with him.

Musings of a Fanfic Reading Fan

2x14: Die Hand die Verletzt

Fic Recs: 2x13 Irresistible

Fic Recs: 2x12 "Aubrey"

Fic Recs: 2x11 Excelsius Dei

Fic Recs: 2x10 Red Museum

Fic Recs: 2x09 Firewalker

Fic Recs: 2x08 One Breath

Fic Recs: 2x07 "3"

Fic Recs: 2x06 Ascension

Fic Recs: 2x05 Duane Barry

Fic Recs: 2x04 Sleepless

Fic Recs: 2x03 Blood

Fic Recs: 2x02 The Host

Fic Recs: 2x01 Little Green Men

Fic Recs: 1x23 The Erlenmeyer Flask

Fic Recs: 1x21 Born Again

Fic Rec: 1x20 Tooms

Fic Rec: 1x19 Darkness Falls

Fic Rec: 1x18 Shapes

Fic Recs: 1x17 Miracle Man

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