Collage by Ally

Updated August 12, 2002

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E

Eavesdropping (external link) -- Flynn
    Category:  S, R  |  Rating:  NC-17 for observations of adult expressions of affection  |  Spoilers:  Requiem
    Summary:  During a meeting with Scully, the burly surly one muses on a few things:  Kersh. . . Doggett. . . how Scully had gotten pregnant.
    Lara's Rec:  The fourth and final installment in a series that begins with "Apathy," this one brings Skinner into the picture in a fascinating way -- through fantasy.  Mulder and Kersh make memorable appearances here too, but the story belongs to Skinner, and Flynn has a terrific handle on his voice.

Eclipse (external link) -- Diana Battis & alanna
    Category:  S, A, MSR  |  Rating:  NC-17  |  Spoilers:  This is Not Happening
    Summary:  The subtext of shadows.
    Lara's Rec:  Diana and alanna fill in the sizeable continuity gaps leading up to and beyond the events in the "Per Manum" flashbacks, and they do it with style and verve.  They've given us all the personal moments Carter & Co. didn't show us throughout the 7th season, making it all seem right and plausible.  With their beautiful use of language, on-target characterizations, and depth of emotion, Diana and alanna have created an outstanding look at a relationship developing in the background of what we saw on television.  (While the epilogue takes place post-"TINH," the rest of the story takes place during the 7th season and the "Per Manum" flashbacks.)

Edge of Field (external link) -- Lisby
    Category:  Story, Angst, Post-Colonization, MulderTorture  |  Rating:  PG with an edge (no graphic sex); Threesome (Sk/Sc/M)  |  Spoilers:  Without
    Summary:  "I was. . . curious about my Secret Admirer.  Someone was taking fine care of me and I needed to know who and why."
    Lara's Rec:  I'm not usually a fan of post-colonization stories, because most of them are filled with either death and despair or sunshine and happiness.  Lisby's story is different, because there are elements of all those things here.  Death and despair are intermingled with sunshine and happiness, and we see the struggle to go on, to live again.  The characters are true to themselves -- especially Scully's determination to make her new life work, and Doggett's hesitant need to be a part of this ersatz family.  There's a strong sense of hope among the hardship here, and I like that.

The Eggshell Dance (29k) -- Gina Rain
    Category:  MSR, S, A  |  Rating:  R (for some sexual content)  |  Spoilers:  All Things [Per Manum]
    Summary:  Can one bizarre week truly change the way Scully thinks?
    Lara's Rec:  I'm not a big fan of "All Things," mostly because I don't buy the idea that, after seven years of working with Mulder, a chance encounter with an old lover leads to a complete change in Scully's worldview.  The best post-eps for this one are like Gina's -- they don't buy that idea either.  For most of us, change is a gradual process -- and Gina's Scully realizes that.  More importantly, so does her Mulder.  Here's a man who acknowledges that they've been moving in this direction for some time, who doesn't want to go back, who doesn't want to walk (or dance) on eggshells anymore.  Plus which -- an absolutely brilliant conversation scene in the last third of the story.

Eleven (2k) -- Susan Frankovich
    Category:  VA  |  Rating:  not rated  |  Spoilers:  none
    Summary:  I knew him when he was eleven. . .
    Lara's Rec:  A heartwrenching look at the little boy that Fox Mulder was, told from a point of view not often explored sympathetically.  Susan can pack quite an emotional punch in a few words.

End of the Beginning (external link) -- Anne Haynes
    Category:  VAR  |  Rating:  PG for language  |  Spoilers:  Vienen
    Summary:  Maybe it was time to let the lies and manipulations be someone else's problem.
    Lara's Rec:  The minute I finished reading this story, my first thought was, "Yeah.  That's what happens next.  That's why he did it.  They'll be Okay."  I've read it again a couple of times, and I smile every time, satisfied.  Anne really Gets It -- she understands the complicated emotional lives of these two characters, and she writes them beautifully.

Engendered (17k) -- XochiLuvr
    Category:  MSR and more  |  Rating:  NC-17  |  Spoilers:  none
    Summary:  For nearly a decade, the entirety of his lingerie knowledge had been garnered from tapes that didn't belong to him, and was therefore comprised mostly of leather and latex, with perhaps a little satin thrown in strategically.  Given that, the astonishingly brief silk ensemble in front of him, even mostly covered by the shimmering robe, left the majority of his post-adolescent fantasies trembling in submissive adoration.  The rest stood up and did the wave.
    Lara's Rec:  Like that summary?  Then you'll love this fic.  A realistic "first time" story that's not cloying or overly sweet, with perfect dialogue and a sense of fun that's often missing in this fic sub-genre.

Epiphany (36k) -- Amanda Wilde (MaybeAmanda)
    Category:  post-Requiem kitchen-sink drama  story thingy  |  Rating:  S for Squeaky  |  Spoilers:  7th season
    Summary:  Christmas 2001.
    Lara's Rec:  Amanda gives us a future for Mulder & Scully wherein everything isn't perfect from the instant Mulder returns.  It takes some time for them to re-establish what they had before, and Amanda exploits that beautifully, exploring both their relationship with each other and with their child.  There are so many tantalizing elements brought up here, I know I'm hoping for a sequel.

Every Night (11k) -- Gina Rain
    Category:  MSR, A  |  Rating:  R (language)  |  Spoilers:  Three Words
    Summary:  The night becomes a playground for dark thoughts.
    Lara's Rec:  Like Marguerite's "Always Through the Changing" (also on this archive), this is a bridge-building story.  Gina takes Mulder from the distance and barely-suppressed anger in "Three Words" to his more playful self in "Empedocles" through a series of nightly rituals -- dressing for bed, saying goodnight, getting up again after she falls asleep, then replaying his nightmares in his mind.  Finally confronted with some raw emotion from Scully, the dots are connected and his bewildered, wounded psyche can begin to heal.  Gina has such a handle on these two, and this look inside Mulder's head is totally on-target.

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F

Falling Upward (20k) -- Kate Rickman
    Category:  MSR, mid-ep  |  Rating:  PG  |  Spoilers:  Existence
    Summary:  There are many doors in life.  Going through some is easy, getting through others takes more courage.
    Lara's Rec:  "Existence" left a big ol' storytelling gap toward the end -- Kate's story fills that in nicely.  She gives us what we were missing (Mulder & Scully together before the final scene) and, as a bonus, a glimpse of the young agent he used to be.  At first, that flashback scene may seem like a non sequitur, but read on.  It's really a perfect metaphor for their future together.  Lovely visuals here, too.

False Visions (5k) -- Marlen
    Category:  Vignette, Scully Angst  |  Rating:  PG  |  Spoilers:  8th season
    Summary:  Is he real?
    Lara's Rec:  One of the beautiful, subtle vignettes that came out of a challenge on the I Want To Believe mailing list to write a Mulder & Scully reunion.  Marlen explores the many little ways Mulder's absence has changed Scully, then brings them together in a sweet, tender moment.

Feathers (19k) -- Bluesea
    Category:  Post-ep, V, SA  |  Rating:  PG-13 - language  |  Spoilers:  Invocation
    Summary:  Thoughts, fears, hopes of a pregnant woman.
    Lara's Rec:  In the wake of the Billy Underwood case, Scully muses on children and childhood.  What I love about this story is Bluesea's assertion that the Scully family was as dysfunctional as the Mulder family (albeit without the alien-abduction/my-father-works-for-a-secret-consortium element).  But what the story's really about is Scully's hopes and dreams for her child-to-be, for Mulder, for herself -- and these hopes and dreams are beautifully explored.

Feathers, Bones, and Shells (9k) -- Dawn   
    Category:  V, A, MSR  |  Rating:  PG  |  Spoilers:  The Truth
    Summary:  She will not allow this loss to remain shrouded in mystery.  She will not become Teena Mulder.
    Lara's Rec:  My favorite thing about this story is what Scully tells Mulder about William.  'Yes,' I thought, 'that's exactly what my Scully would do!'  But that's true about everything in this fic -- from Mulder's initial waking to Scully's final resolution, they're perfectly in character, finally together, drawing hope from one another.  Beautiful.

Feeding Fish (3k) -- SueBee
    Category:  V, A, MSR  |  Rating:  PG  |  Spoilers:  Patience
    Summary:  Scully's views on the desk.
    Lara's Rec:  Some viewers were upset by events in "Patience."  SueBee takes those events and turns them around, making them a part of Scully's search for Mulder.  Like someone making lemonade when handed lemons, her Scully makes the best of a bad situation, neatly compartmentalizing her priorities -- at the office, we do the work; at night, at home, she concentrates on the real work of finding her partner.  A beautifully told story.

First Day Back (external link) -- shannono
    Category:  MSR, humor of sorts, reunionfic of sorts, but mostly just your standard PWP  |  Rating:  NC-17, oh yes  |  Spoilers:  Requiem
    Summary:  not summarized
    Lara's Rec:  A new genre -- ReunionSmutFic.  This extremely hot little fic is sexy and fun, delightfully enticing.  From the first two paragraphs, you know Mulder is in for a real treat.  I love getting a peek into a guy's mind at a time like this -- shannono takes us on an enlightening, joyful ride.

First Night (7k) -- Rachel Vagts
    Category:  V, H  |  Rating:  PG-13  |  Spoilers:  Existence
    Summary:  Mulder and Scully spend their first night at home with the baby.
    Lara's Rec:  One reason post-ep fanfic exists is to answer the question, "what happens next?"  Rachel answers that for "Existence" with this very funny story that she swears is based in fact.  And you know, I can believe it.  Mulder is so very Mulder here, doing whatever he can to make Scully -- and, by extension, William -- happy.  This one made me giggle.

First Steps series (external link) -- alanna
    Category:  vignettes, M/S relationship  |  Rating:  PG-13  |  Spoilers:  Existence
    Summary:  The creation of a family.
    Lara's Rec:  This series of short pieces depicting the beginning of this little family's new life together is really beautiful.  alanna doesn't give us Mulder & Scully -- she gives us Mommy & Daddy.  And the impression I get from Mommy & Daddy is that, although flukemen and mutants barely give them pause, a baby is an altogether different challenge.

Following Yonder Star (3k) -- Kelly Moreland
    Category:  V  |  Rating:  G  |  Spoilers:  Existence
    Summary:  Surely you noticed the similarities.
    Lara's Rec:  Chris Carter is very fond of religious imagery.  (No, really!)  In this delightful little tale, Kelly calls him on it, at least as far as "Existence" is concerned.  The light in the sky, the three wise guys, the birth in the manger -- um, deserted town -- surrounded by barnyard animals -- I mean alien replicants. . . anyway, you get my drift.  This is sweet and funny and adorable.

Forbidding Mourning (external link) -- MeridyM   
    Category:  Post-colonization.  Angst.  Romance of a sort.  For the sake of the story, I can say no more.  |  Rating:  R  |  Spoilers:  The Truth
    Summary:  "Death and sorrow seem to be our constant companions, don't they?  But I just hope we never get to the point where we can't feel anymore.  I think that would be so much worse than the pain."
    Lara's Rec:  I'm not usually a big fan of post-colonization fic.  But every so often, one comes along that enchants me -- this one enchants me.  Meridy's painted such a vivid landscape, such a unique original character, such a wonderful portrait of one of my favorite characters, that whatever reticence I may feel for post-col fic no longer matters.  This is truly a beautiful story.

The Forget-me-nots of the Angels (external link) -- dlynn
    Category:  vignette, MSR implied  |  Rating:  G  |  Spoilers:  Closure
    Summary:  "Silently, one by one / in the infinite meadows of the heavens / blossomed the lovely stars, / the forget-me-nots of the angels."
    Lara's Rec:  I needed more from "Closure."  dlynn gives me a bit of that -- a conversation on a plane, on the way back to DC from California.  Her Scully watches Mulder, worries for him, feels for him, and recognizes his need to take care of her a little.  Parts of the story foreshadow "Requiem" (to the point that dlynn lists "Requiem" in the spoilers, although I didn't see anything overt).  A beautifully written vignette.

For Magic, For Life (12k) -- Ana Hawkman
    Category:  S, MSR  |  Rating:  PG-13  |  Spoilers:  Per Manum
    Summary:  not summarized
    Lara's Rec:  When I picture all the missing flashback scenes we never got to see in "Per Manum," this is what I would've liked to see in one of them.  The deep love, the gentle caring between Mulder & Scully here is achingly beautiful.  The moments Ana gives us with her two minor original characters are real and well defined, and her Scully voice is quite strong -- slightly more emotional than normal, but then, this isn't a normal situation.

Four Minutes (11k) -- Deslea R. Judd
    Category:  Angst, baby!  |  Rating:  R for low-level sex  |  Spoilers:  Fight the Future
    Summary:  SAC Darius Michaud has four minutes to live.  Funny how that changes your point of view.
    Lara's Rec:  Minor characters can be a lot of fun to play with.  That's especially true when the character only has a scene or two and we learn just enough about him to be intriguing.  Darius Michaud from Fight the Future is one of those characters.  The first time I saw the movie, I remember asking myself, "What the hell is he doing?!?"  Deslea gives us a few answers to my unspoken question -- not the big answers, but the little ones.  Michaud comes vividly to life here, particularly at the end, in a way that makes me sorry he had to die.

Four More Miles (14k) -- T Bishop
    Category:  MSR/Angst-MPOV  |  Rating:  R for language  |  Spoilers:  none
    Summary:  Mulder's race to save his partner's life.
    Lara's Rec:  The heart-pounding tension in Teresa's story starts out high and builds from there to a devastating climax and a disturbing denouement.  Couple all that with an unerring Mulder voice, both in dialogue and narration, and you'll see why I love this story.  The final line is chilling.

fourteen (1k) -- Susan Frankovich
    Category:  poem, Mulder's POV  |  Rating:  not rated  |  Spoilers:  Closure
    Summary:  not summarized
    Lara's Rec:  I was near tears when I watched the scene in "Closure" where Mulder reads from Samantha's diary.  In this poem, Susan beautifully captures what he must have felt.

Foux (external link) -- alanna
    Category:  SRA  |  Rating:  PG  |  Spoilers:  This is Not Happening
    Summary:  "This is who Mulder was.  This is who you will someday be."
    Lara's Rec:  A sequel to "Throwing Words Away" (also on this archive), this story, which takes us through the three months between "TINH" and "DeadAlive," makes me weepy every time I read it.  The imagery is incredibly vivid -- I can almost hear Mulder's voice as Scully does, feel her pain and emptiness along with her.  The memories alanna chooses to show us, from Mulder's rabbit story to a videotaped deposition, are powerful, and the story's centerpiece -- the tentative friendship growing between Scully and Doggett -- is quite compelling.

Fractal Images (external link) -- Diana Battis
    Category:  MSR, S, A  |  Rating:  PG-13  |  Spoilers:  All Things
    Summary:  Sometimes you can't see the circles for the crops.
    Lara's Rec:  We saw what happened to Scully during "All Things" -- here's what might've happened to Mulder.  Mulder's voice is perfect here, which is what I've come to expect from Diana.

French-Kissed (32k) -- Char Chaffin
    Category:  MSR married, childfic, humor  |  Rating:  PG to R  |  Spoilers:  none
    Summary:  An innocent question about kissing goes awry during the answer stage, for one Dana Scully. . .
    Lara's Rec:  Probably the first of Char's stories I read, and I still love it.  It gives me major warm fuzzies every time I read it.  It's sweet and romantic, with a touch of case-related angst and major comforting -- plus the sexiest descriptions of kissing and the emotions involved that I've ever read.

Fringe (16k) -- Michelle Kiefer
    Category:  Story. Angst, and lots of it.  |  Rating:  not rated  |  Spoilers:  8th season
    Summary:  I wonder if Mulder has found someplace warm to sleep, and if he's had a hot supper.  I pray that no one hurts him, and that he has a good coat.
    Lara's Rec:  This one makes me weepy.  At once bittersweet and hopeful, Michelle shows us a future in which Mulder is at loose ends, trying to figure out his place in the world at large, as well as in Scully's and their daughter's lives.  Telling the story through Scully's eyes is effective -- we see as much of him and his struggle as she does, and feel the emptiness and pain right along with her.  Beautifully accomplished writing.

The "F" Word: A Thanksgiving Leftover (external link) -- Janet F. Caires-Lesgold
    Category:  SRH, MSR (schmoop alert!)  |  Rating:  NC-17  |  Spoilers:  none
    Summary:  Holiday fun!
    Lara's Rec:  What a buffet of fun!  First we get Clueless!Mulder trying to figure out how to mash potatoes and the difference between whipping cream and the stuff in the can, and IronChef!Scully bustling from oven to counter to table to dishwasher in a Betty Crocker-induced frenzy.  Then Caregiver!Mulder steps in to help Scully's upset tummy (love the result of that tummy-rub!).  Then dessert -- some lovely smut.  This is a fun little holiday offering.

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G

Gathering Half the Deep (external link) -- Fialka
    Category:  S, A (heavy angst)  |  Rating:  PG  |  Spoilers:  Requiem
    Summary:  Where there is a will, there is not always a way.
    Lara's Rec:  Heavy angst is right!  This story makes me weepy.  I love it, but it makes me weepy.  The pain, the sadness, the love. . .  Plus, Fi's internal Skinner voice is right on target.  He's really noble here.

Gift Horse (16k) -- Susanne Barringer
    Category:  Mulder/Scully UST  |  Rating:  PG-13  |  Spoilers:  The Unnatural
    Summary:  Conversation fic, with a little baseball thrown in for good measure.
    Lara's Rec:  Come on, we all knew that tomboy Dana Scully played baseball with her brothers and the other Navy Brats on the various bases where she grew up, didn't we?  Susanne gives her a gracious way to admit that, while coaxing Mulder into another lesson at the same time.  Her Mulder & Scully are completely in character, with great dialogue and on target narration.  My favorite line?  "Why does talking about baseball always sound like talking about sex?"  Indeed.

Glass Menagerie (20k) -- Karen
    Category:  Doggett.  Reyes.  |  Rating:  PG/PG-13  |  Spoilers:  Existence
    Summary:  I am just the observer, watching him -- his every move -- from behind a transparent glass wall of emotions, and doubt, and truth.
    Lara's Rec:  Nobody does Doggett Anguish like Karen.  She taps into the depth of his pain over events in his past and shows it to us through Reyes' eyes.  From what we saw in "Empedocles," we know that Reyes can make Doggett face his emotions -- Karen does that here, setting the story just after William's birth.  Her Reyes is relentless but compassionate, learning as much about Doggett as he does about himself.  His memories of Luke are heartbreaking, and you get the feeling that Reyes is the only person who could encourage those memories.

Gold Embossing (5k) -- Christina
    Category:  V, A  |  Rating:  PG, for a couple of mild curse words  |  Spoilers:  Requiem
    Summary:  And now I find myself, three days before Christmas, wrapping a present I picked out for Agent Scully.
    Lara's Rec:  Walter Skinner is fast becoming one of my favorite characters -- due in no small part to writers like Christina.  Her Skinner is a romantic hero, burdened with both a love that's destined to remain unrequited and a profound sense of guilt.  He's endearingly adolescent in his indecision -- and remembering his reactions around Scully in episodes like "Redux II," it's perfectly in character.  Lovely.

A Good Night's Sleep (8k) -- TJ
    Category:  SPOV, V  |  Rating:  G  |  Spoilers:  Requiem
    Summary:  Mulder has returned, but sleep doesn't come easily for anyone.
    Lara's Rec:  The idea that Mulder could return from his abduction experience relatively unscathed has been a popular one in fanfic -- heck, I've succumbed to it myself.  But TJ takes a different view, acknowledging that his return would be difficult, especially if it came after the baby's birth.  Told in second-person and through Scully's eyes, this story goes into what she might be feeling as her attentions are divided between the two people who need her most.  TJ's middle-of-the-night scenario is touching and simple, and the second-person draws the reader in.

Good Vibrations (external link) -- Lysandra
    Category:  SRH  |  Rating:  NC-17 to be safe. . .  |  Spoilers:  6th season
    Summary:  Mulder finds Scully's stash.
    Lara's Rec:  Drunk!Scully.  Horny!Mulder.  A drawer full of toys.  This story is funny and sweet and sexy and funny. . .  If you're a grownup, click on the link and enjoy.  I certainly did.

Growing Old (7k) -- Rachel Wilder
    Category:  vignette  |  Rating:  PG  |  Spoilers:  none
    Summary:  Mulder reflects as he gets ready to help his mom move out of her house.
    Lara's Rec:  Although Rachel says this fic doesn't contain any spoilers, it could almost be considered a prequel for "Sein Und Zeit."  Mulder's thoughts paint a picture of his mother that isn't often seen in fanfic.  Teena Mulder is usually portrayed as cold and unfeeling -- by telling us about her through her son's eyes, Rachel shows us a mother who loved her children but showed it privately, who encouraged her son to get away and start over.  Mulder's final line of narration is touching in its simplicity.  Beautiful.

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H

Hands (9k) -- Deslea R. Judd
    Category:  romance, angst, rambling introspection, Marita/Krycek  |  Rating:  NC-17 for sexual situations and language  |  Spoilers:  Patient X
    Summary:  Marita reflects on Alex's lost hand.
    Lara's Rec:  From the moment I saw them together in "Patient X," I wanted to know more about Alex Krycek's relationship with Marita Covarrubias.  How long had they known each other?  Were they really working together?  Were her actions in that episode a betrayal of him, and did he care?  On the show, we've only been given glimpses of them together, so it's been up to fic writers like Deslea to create their history.  In this story, she shows us how the loss of his hand in "Terma" effected a gradual change in Alex, and she shows us this change through Marita's eyes.  There's sorrow and loss in Marita's narrative, an almost lyrical sadness.

Hang a Shining Star (external link) -- Dawn
    Category:  MSR  |  Rating:  not rated  |  Spoilers:  8th season
    Summary:  "You know, Mulder, it's all right to be happy.  Remember what you said to me in Bellefleur?  We've both paid our dues."
    Lara's Rec:  Take Christmas, add Daddy!Mulder, plus a title straight from one of my very favorite holiday songs -- this story just warms me, head to toe.  Sweet but not sticky, and totally in character, Dawn's holiday offering makes me smile.

Happiness (14k) -- Robby Keofe
    Category:  MSR  |  Rating:  PG  |  Spoilers:  Redux II
    Summary:  Mulder and Scully cry a little, go to an IHOP.
    Lara's Rec:  Despite its redundant title, "Redux II" is one of my favorite episodes.  Robby shows us the day Scully goes home from the hospital -- Mulder's realization of just how sick she was, Scully's exhilaration upon being in the sun again, and the pair's shared stories over waffles and cheeseburgers at IHOP.  With its unexpected revelation at the end, this story just makes me smile.

Harbor (12k) -- Dawn
    Category:  V, A, MSR  |  Rating:  not rated  |  Spoilers:  DeadAlive
    Summary:  "You were my safe place, Scully.  My one reason to hang on, when all I wanted to do was let go."
    Lara's Rec:  There were so many missing scenes after "DeadAlive" and the episodes that followed.  I wanted to see Mulder & Scully dealing with what had happened to him -- I needed to see that.  So I'm thankful for authors like Dawn for giving me that.  Her story shows us just a glimpse of Mulder's pain and torment, his tiny baby steps toward recovery, and how he and Scully help each other cope.  What's evident here, too, is Dawn's love for these characters -- every word, every phrase sings with it.  Beautiful.

Hartwell (13k) -- David Hearne
    Category:  not listed  |  Rating:  PG  |  Spoilers:  Bad Blood
    Summary:  A third perspective on the events of "Bad Blood."
    Lara's Rec:  I loved everything about "Bad Blood."  I especially loved Luke Wilson's varied portrayals of Sheriff Hartwell.  In this incredibly funny fic, David presents the "Bad Blood" story from his point of view -- everything from his attraction to Scully to his annoyance with Mulder's vampire knowledge to his exasperation with Ronnie the pizza guy.  David even gives us a plausible explanation for Mulder & Scully's differing perceptions of Hartwell.  Fabulous.

Hearth (25k) -- Michelle Kiefer
    Category:  Story.  Angst, and lots of it.  |  Rating:  not rated  |  Spoilers:  8th season
    Summary:  He'd lived his life in the cold for such a long time.  What allowed him to draw near the hearth, to warm himself, even if for just a little while?
    Lara's Rec:  The sequel to Michelle's story "Fringe" (also on this archive), this one makes me weepy, just like the first one did.  But this time, it's a more hopeful weepy.  Her Mulder is a man trying to make peace with who he once was, uncertain if he can be in Scully's and Kate's lives.  Her Scully wants him back, if only he'll let her in.  There's both anguish and promise here, wrapped up in outstanding character work and a very real future world.

Heart, We Will Forget Him (6k) -- Trinity (no current email address)
    Category:  VRA  |  Rating:  PG-13  |  Spoilers:  Without
    Summary:  It's been twenty-six years.  Mulder never returned home.  How does one forget the only love their heart has ever known?
    Lara's Rec:  From the beautiful Emily Dickinson poem that provides the title to the lyrical final paragraphs, Trinity gives us the Scully we'd like to see -- unerringly devoted to the search for Mulder and the raising of their child.  And yet. . . this Scully is someone longing for closure, to know once and for all whether or not she still has reason to hope, but hanging on to that hope nonetheless.  A touching characterization.

He Left the Light On (external link) -- Jaime Lyn
    Category:  MSR implied, angst. . . HUGE angst warning here, as with all stories dealing with death  |  Rating:  PG  |  Spoilers:  This is Not Happening
    Summary:  What do you do with death?  Time passes in moments. . .
    Lara's Rec:  A deep exploration of Scully's state of mind in the moments just after Mulder is found -- the brief images, the faraway sounds, the phantom memories.  But my favorite part of this story is the trip back to the motel and Reyes' simple question, "What was he like?"  Scully's answer is touching, emotional.  The pacing here is such a change from the beginning, and it works incredibly well.

Hey You (16k) -- Paige Caldwell
    Category:  MSR  |  Rating:  NC-17  |  Spoilers:  5th season
    Summary:  Can you feel me?  Can you touch me?
    Lara's Rec:  I'm a sucker for "first time" fic that's different.  This one's different.  Paige gives us a plausible explanation for all that black in Scully's 5th season wardrobe, and a lovely view of Mulder's anguish at the possibility of her slipping away from him.

His Child (28k) -- Jaime Lyn
    Category:  story, some angst, occasional MSR  |  Rating:  not rated  |  Spoilers:  8th season
    Summary:  Sometimes, life can be a series of bad dreams.  When does Scully start to feel like a mother?
    Lara's Rec:  In her waking hours, she's Dr. Scully, Scientist -- organized, controlled, observations duly noted -- but Dana's nights are filled with odd and unsettling dreams as she tries to come to terms with her new situation.  Jaime Lyn gives Scully a sense of both detachment and wonder, and they blend perfectly into this conflicted woman.  A lovely story, with a nice bonus -- Fleetwood Mac references!

His Father's Son (16k) -- Char Chaffin
    Category:  Vignette, MSR, Character Death  |  Rating:  G  |  Spoilers:  none
    Summary:  How difficult can it be to answer a child's question?  Time to find out. . .
    Lara's Rec:  Putting a human face on Bill Scully Jr. isn't an easy task, but Char does it admirably.  Bill is a real person here, full of his own guilt and pain.  And her original character is bright and vivid as well.

His Hands (12k) -- Cratkinson
    Category:  MSR, V  |  Rating:  PG  |  Spoilers:  All Things
    Summary:  Scully talks about what did the trick.
    Lara's Rec:  When most of us write about Mulder, we focus on things like his lips, or his hair, or his butt, or his. . . well, you know.  Cratkinson takes a different approach, with Scully leading us through a journey of their seven years together and the times she's thought of his hands.  It's a wonderfully memorable journey, full of love and respect and promise.

Hold-Up in Aisle 5 (11k) -- Amanda Finch (no current email address)
    Category:  Humor  |  Rating:  PG-13 (language)  |  Spoilers:  Requiem
    Summary:  Scully's had just about enough of this maternity gig.
    Lara's Rec:  Poor Scully -- no caffeine, no soda, no fat, no sugar. . . what's a pregnant G-Woman to do?  Funny takes on "Requiem" aren't as abundant as angsty stories -- this one is absolutely hysterical, partly because Amanda's "been there, done that, got the four-year-old!"

Homecoming (17k) -- Vickie Moseley
    Category:  MSR, A, LGM, Doggett-free  |  Rating:  PG-13  |  Spoilers:  Requiem
    Summary:  It's not a post-ep, so it must be a 'this is how it should be' story.  A different view of the Lone Gunmen upon Mulder's return.
    Lara's Rec:  A sweet, sentimental take on bringing everybody home.  Frohike tells the story, recounting how Mulder was found and Scully went into labor and he and the guys conspired with Maggie to make their homecoming something special.  And if I ever had a baby, I'd want a nursery like the one the Gunmen put together.

House of Mirrors (external link) -- Sylvia Tremblay
    Category:  S, Doggett and Reyes relationship  |  Rating:  PG-40.  Persons under 40 may be unable to decipher the musical references.  Enter at your own risk.  |  Spoilers:  8th season
    Summary:  A day at the funhouse.
    Lara's Rec:  I believe that the relatives we're closest to are the ones who are the most like the people we want to be.  Sylvia's original character Carmen, Monica Reyes' eleven-year-old niece, seems to me to be the person Aunt Monica wishes she were -- openly charming and almost flirty, especially where John Doggett is concerned.  Carmen's line to Doggett, "You don't look like you smile enough, and you have such a nice smile," is the sort of thing Reyes might say to him if she were as confident in their personal relationship as she is in their professional one.  And tangled up inside all of that is a finely detailed character study of both Doggett and Reyes, of their lives past and present, with a hint of something yet to come.  Really excellent work here.

How Far? (12k) -- Marie Endres
    Category:  Sk/Sc; Skinner Angst  |  Rating:  PG  |  Spoilers:  Roadrunners
    Summary:  How far does one go while offering comfort to a friend?
    Lara's Rec:  For a pretty crappy episode, "Roadrunners" has inspired some really fine fanfic (not to mention a comically demented online cult that celebrates the "Jebuslug").  Marie's story isn't a "Roadrunners" post-ep, however -- it's more of a pre-ep.  She fills in a number of blanks that resulted from Skinner's absence following his injuries in "Without," and gives us a very geniune look at Scully's off-camera emotional state throughout the early 8th-season episodes.  Where Marie excels here, though, is in her Skinner voice -- he's at once needy and giving, personal and detached, a boss and a friend.  Lovely work.

How Glory Goes (external link) -- Marguerite
    Category:  Post-ep, extreme angst, Doggett POV.  Discussion of character death.  |  Rating:  PG (language)  |  Spoilers:  This is Not Happening
    Summary:  A night of vigilant mourning.
    Lara's Rec:  This story resonates especially strongly for me -- a dear friend of mine passed away very suddenly not long ago.  He was in another state, so I wasn't able to be with our other friends to mourn him, but I noticed that I did what Scully, Skinner and Doggett do here -- talk about him.  Maybe it's just my own emotional state, but Marguerite made me cry here.  Her characterizations are unerring, the story's emotional power is amazing, and the feeling of utter sadness mixed with undying love and a hint of joy is just overwhelming.

How We Are (15k) -- nikki
    Category:  V, A  |  Rating:  PG-13  |  Spoilers:  Within
    Summary:  Is protection nothing more than lies and denial?  A mother and son, each wanting to protect the other -- but will their actions serve to cause more pain and confusion in the end?
    Lara's Rec:  In a way, I think The X-Files has always been less about the truth than about keeping secrets.  Everyone on the show has their secrets, the regulars and guest characters -- some of them are eventually revealed, others are jealously guarded in the name of protection.  nikki's excellent story delves a bit into a couple of secrets (one kept by Mulder, the other by his mother) and gives us possible explanations for a few incongruous elements along the way.  Lovely use of language.

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