Collage by deej
Updated August 12, 2002
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Night
Baptism (external link) -- Avalon
Category: V, Mulder/Other
| Rating: R | Spoilers:
3
Summary: Salvation comes in strange
forms.
Lara's Rec: A dark missing-scene fic
for an episode not usually looked upon kindly. I didn't hate "3"
-- I saw it as incredibly telling with regard to Mulder's character and how he
felt about Scully so early in their partnership. Avalon approaches this
missing scene from a unique point of view, showing us everything we need to know
about Mulder during this dark time. This story gave me chills, especially
the last couple of lines.
Nocturnal
Admissions (9k) -- Cratkinson
Category: MSR, V | Rating:
R, I think. Yes, definitely R | Spoilers:
none
Summary: Yes, it's a giant cliche, but I
did it anyway. The old Mulder-and-Scully-have-to-share-a-bed cliche.
But it's a fun cliche, don't you think?
Lara's Rec: Cliches are cliches for
a reason -- and Cratkinson has a lot of fun with this particular cliche.
This story is sexy as hell, but quite atypical of one-bed fic in that there's no
actual sex. Cuddling, yes. Snuggling, yes. Spooning,
yes. And romance. . . oh, yes. What Scully does at the end, in
particular, is incredibly romantic.
No
Longer at Ease Here (external link) -- Kel
Category: Vignette | Rating:
PG | Spoilers: Vienen
Summary: Returning home from the oil rig
in "Vienen," Mulder and Doggett explore some common ground.
Lara's Rec: My very favorite thing
about the later 8th season episodes is the interaction between Mulder and
Doggett. God, these two. . . together, they're a force to be reckoned
with. So much alike, yet so very different. And the one big
thing they have in common is something that has remained unaddressed on the show
-- they've both been dead and come back to life. Kel gives them a chance
to talk about it on the plane back from the oil rig, that and a few other
things. This story also gives a little insight into the final scene of the
episode, putting it into a perspective that was lacking on-screen. A bonus
is that Kel writes a terrific Doggett, full of the sass and sarcasm and
sincerity we've come to expect.
No
Place Like Home (external link) -- Barbara
D.
Category: S, A, MSR | Rating:
PG-13 | Spoilers: Amor Fati
Summary: Life often resembles a game,
doesn't it?
Lara's Rec: Pay attention to this
story. It's a complex, thoroughly fascinating character study in a
detailed alternate universe. I had to read it twice before I got it, but
once I did. . . wow. Just. . . wow. Read it (carefully) and you'll
know what I mean. Exquisite.
Not a Hallmark
Kind of Guy (54k) -- Brandon D. Ray
Category: SRA | Rating:
PG-13 | Spoilers: How the Ghosts Stole Christmas
Summary: Post-episode. What
happened after the end of "How the Ghosts Stole Christmas."
Lara's Rec: I love a well-written Bill
Scully POV fic. He's an interesting guy, but far too often he's written in
a strident, one-note way. In Brandon's story, we take a little trip inside
the guy's mind and learn that he's aware of what a jerk he can be -- he's not
always aware of it in the moment, but given a little time, he gets it.
This is a Bill Scully I could even like a little.
Not
Close Enough (external link) -- Lysandra
Category: SAR, MSR | Rating:
NC-17 | Spoilers:
Paper Clip
Summary: When they were both this
stranded, they were like two black holes, their gravities pushing against each
other in the dense darkness.
Lara's Rec: To me, the 3rd and 4th
seasons were when the show hit its stride creatively. Everybody knew what
they were doing, knew the stories they wanted to tell, knew how to tell them
most effectively. And I can see the possibility of Mulder & Scully at
a crossroads in their relationship, too -- not just partners but friends, both
of them caught up in a vortex that mixed the professional with the personal,
both a little at sea emotionally. That's what's so impressive here -- the
level of emotion Lysandra shows us. The narrative is Mulder's, and it is
raw and passionate, needy. At first Scully just seems restrained, as
usual, but the depth of her emptiness reveals a need as great as his.
Something else I appreciate -- while these two are smart enough to know that
having sex won't solve anything, they also know that they're stronger together.
O
Brother. . . (external link) -- jeri
Category: VA | Rating:
PG | Spoilers: This is Not Happening
Summary: . . . where art thou?
Lara's Rec: Bill Scully's reaction
to news from his mother is stunned surprise, mostly at the fact that he was
notified at all. But his observations of Dana during her time of sorrow
reveal volumes about him -- his hopes and fears as a father, his regrets as a
brother. jeri also touches on spirituality and what lies beyond this life,
revealing Bill's true feelings about his sister and the man she loves. A
sweet and tender story.
Oil and Polish (11k)
-- EPurSeMouve
Category: SR | Rating:
PG | Spoilers: All Things
Summary: Sometimes, a girl just needs to
feel a little special.
Lara's Rec: You know, people just
don't know how to take care of themselves these days. We need to be
cajoled into indulging ourselves -- or, in Scully's case, threatened into
it. This little tale takes her on a journey from "Orison"
through "All Things," a journey of self-indulgence and
self-confidence. Lovely work.
One Star Belongs to
You (7k) -- Michelle Kiefer
Category: Vignette, MSR |
Rating: PG | Spoilers: This
is Not Happening
Summary: Away beyond the blue, / one star
belongs to you.
Lara's Rec: In my mind, there's no
question that Mulder & Scully have a connection that transcends life and
death. Michelle explores their bond as Scully deals with the aftermath of
"TINH," unable to feel that the thread has been broken. The
allusions to starlight, especially in the last paragraph, are gentle and
touching, as is Scully's certainty that they'll be together again.
One Time (21k) -- Finn
Category: PWP, MSR, V | Rating:
NC-17 | Spoilers:
none
Summary: How significant are moments in
time?
Lara's Rec: Third-party POVs hold a
special place in my heart, especially if that third party is someone from either
Mulder or Scully's past. Finn gives us a look at Mulder & Scully's
relationship through a delightfully well-written original character -- and the
extremely hot MulderMemories are just icing on the cake.
Only Apples (9k) -- Kelly
Keil
Category: V, MSR | Rating:
PG | Spoilers: none
Summary: Spend an autumn afternoon with
Mulder and Scully.
Lara's Rec: I went to college in
Utah, and one bright fall day a group of us went to an orchard to pick
apples. What I remember most about that day are the colors, all reds and
golds and greens, and the aromas of the drying leaves and sweet, pungent
apples. Kelly's story brought all of that back for me, and I'm profoundly
grateful. In Mulder & Scully, she engages in a bit of role reversal
where the desire for a normal life is concerned, and it works beautifully.
Opacity
(external link) -- Diana Battis
Category: I chose not to classify for
the story's sake. | Rating: NC-17
| Spoilers: Within
Summary: Clarity comes with the dawn.
Lara's Rec: Electrifying in the
level of emotion, Diana's skillful use of second-person narrative is perfect for
this story. The longing expressed here is palpable, and the descriptions
are vivid. My favorite is this very accurate view of Mulder:
"Mulder never sat. He lounged or sprawled or slouched, his body
always loose and relaxed in unknowing grace." That's the Mulder I
know and miss.
Opening
Door Does Not Alter Time (external link) -- Marguerite
Category: not provided | Rating:
not rated | Spoilers: none
Summary: A conversation in a
laundromat. It's fluff. Well, fluff and fold. <g>
Lara's Rec: I love it when Mulder &
Scully get a little down time, a glimpse of 'normal' life, even if it is in the
aftermath of a case. Marguerite's lyrical little tale is just as she
describes -- a conversation in a laundromat -- and so much more. There's a
strong undercurrent of affection here, for each other certainly, but it doesn't
stop there. Their longing for time to stand still for awhile is touching
in its simplicity, and Mulder's story of a four-year-old Samantha is adorable.
Operation Clean
House (8k) -- Sarah Segretti
Category: VA, MSR, implied
adventure | Rating: PG (two bad words)
| Spoilers: Triangle
Summary: A lost scene from an unfilmed
episode. Colonization looms. A stolen moment on the tarmac. In
medias res.
Lara's Rec: This may be the only
colonization/post-colonization story you'll ever find on this archive. For
some reason, they don't usually appeal to me. This one did -- which is a
testament to Sarah's talent as a writer. Her characters are so truthfully
drawn, so genuine in their thoughts and actions and words, so heartbreakingly
real in their emotions, that I couldn't help but be caught up in it. The
sense of history and impending battle are palpable.
The Order of Things
(11k) -- Andrea
Category: MSR, PWP | Rating:
NC-17 | Spoilers:
All Things
Summary: Mulder is hardly typical.
Lara's Rec: This is a different sort
of first-time fic -- as Scully says in the story, "No, we had skipped the
physical part and gone straight into the old married couple stage."
Andrea shows how things progressed, from spending all their time together,
sleeping together but not (her in the bed, him on the couch), and finally to
their first time, atypical in its own right. Andrea writes smut that's
tender and hot at the same time -- and the last paragraph of this story is just
fabulous. Great stuff.
Pajamas (7k) -- Piper
Category: V, A | Rating:
PG-13 | Spoilers: Emily
Summary: Being a parent is a state of
mind.
Lara's Rec: I'd always wanted more for
and from Mulder in "Emily" -- trust fanfic to give me what the show
couldn't. This story touched me deeply, and when read now, in light of the
events of "Requiem," that level of emotion is intensified.
partner
in all things (external link) -- Livia
Balaban
Category: V, A, R | Rating:
PG-13 (for the non-smutty smut) | Spoilers: none
Summary: Mulder was alone. Her voice on
his machine revealed nothing. She said she'd sent a letter. (Post-ep
for "All Things," but no spoilers.)
Lara's Rec: The problem I have with
most "first time" fics is that they just go to sleep when it's over --
there's no aftermath. Livia provides the aftermath here, and what
an aftermath it is. It's not immediately after, but that doesn't diminish
its power. Her characterizations are perfect, and her words through them
are vivid.
Partners-A-Go-Go
(15k) -- EPurSeMouve & JHJ
Armstrong
Category: SH | Rating:
PG-13 for carnage | Spoilers: Requiem
Summary: Make love, not war. Kill
partners, not sprogs.
Lara's Rec: God, this story makes me
laugh. Every single time I read it, I just giggle myself silly. As I
mentioned to EPur in feedback, I was immediately reminded of This is Spinal
Tap and the band's spontaneously-combusting drummers.
Hysterical. Excellent choices of future partners.
Pas De Deux (21k) -- CGB
Category: K/Ma | Rating:
not rated | Spoilers: Requiem
Summary: Krycek and Marita run from the
scene of the crime. A prequel to my other Krycek and Marita fic "The
Fugue" but an independent story in its own right.
Lara's Rec: Since we really don't
know, each author who writes about Alex and Marita creates his/her own backstory
for the characters. CGB puts their first meeting sometime after
"Terma," when she brings him an assignment from the Consortium.
The author also gives us a little of their personal histories, especially
Marita's childhood and how it affected the woman she became. Lovely
character insight.
Pass Failure (11k) -- Maureen
B. Ocks
Category: not listed | Rating:
not rated | Spoilers: Per Manum
Summary: not summarized
Lara's Rec: I love ConversationFic
-- stories in which the dialogue is probably the most important element.
This is outstanding ConversationFic. Not only does Maureen's dialogue
sparkle, but the setting is perfect and the characterizations are totally on
target. Her Mulder & Scully are strong, independent people who are
determined to find a way to reach their goals -- together.
Perks
(external link) -- mountainphile
Category: not provided | Rating:
PG | Spoilers: none
Summary: not summarized
Lara's Rec: Written for a 155-word
challenge, mountainphile shows us Agent Scully through the eyes of a fellow
agent. Brief and to the point, this story brings a big smile to my face with a few well-chosen words.
Persistent Memory
(50k) -- jesse
Category: A, MSR | Rating:
NC-17 | Spoilers:
Fight The Future
Summary: Scully pulls Mulder from the
darkness -- again. Angst & smut-fest!
Lara's Rec: jesse takes poor Mulder
through hell in this story -- but Scully gets to bring him back. There's
some beautiful ScullyComfort here, and some incredible MulderAngst (bordering on
emotional MulderTorture) -- and honestly, the only time I've ever believed a
"call me Fox" moment. Oh, and lots of hot smut.
Platinum (11k) -- Christina
Category: V, A | Rating: G |
Spoilers: Requiem
Summary: Mulder is gone.
Scully is coping. Then she finds a message on Mulder's answering machine.
Lara's Rec: I'm a sucker for a sad,
sweet, sappy story -- especially when it's as well-written as this one.
Scully's loneliness and longing during her visits to Mulder's apartment are
palpable, and the glimpse we get of Mulder is touching and sweet.
The Point (12k) -- Georgia
Category: not listed | Rating:
R | Spoilers: Theef
Summary: A breaking point.
Lara's Rec: What sets this story
apart from most "first time" fics are the details -- different kinds
of lonely, freshly laundered soft gray sheets, almost accidental declarations of
love. Plus which, Georgia's ending is absolutely perfect.
Practice (16k) -- Alelou
Category: MSR, Humor, Vignette |
Rating: PG-13 for language | Spoilers: Tooms
Summary: Scully decides she needs
practice before she can tell Mulder something important.
Lara's Rec: My favorite thing about
this charming little story is the image of cool, collected, ever in control Dana
Scully talking to herself. The very idea is enough to make me smile, and
Alelou's depiction of this momentous event makes me laugh out loud.
Precious Things
(11k) -- Dawn
Category: VA | Rating:
PG | Spoilers: Requiem
Summary: Skinner's thoughts on the
airplane to Bellefleur.
Lara's Rec: As Skinner goes back to
Oregon with Mulder, he has time to think. To reflect on the man in the
seat next to him, on his partner, on their partnership. On the
responsibility he's been given in accompanying him. This superb
"missing scene" fic is made all the more poignant by the episode's
final scene.
Premature
Ejaculation (9k) -- OneMillionandNine
Category: MSR, V, Angst |
Rating: big fat NC-17
| Spoilers: All Things
Summary: An exercise in
possibilities: exactly what has kept M and S apart all these years?
Lara's Rec: A different sort of
post-ep for "All Things," in which the author poses the question,
"what if they'd tried once before?" Mulder's telling of that
fumbled first time, with the wisdom of 20/20 hindsight, is truly adorable -- I
can see them, seven years ago, trying and failing to connect then pretending it
never happened. His determination to do it right this time, trying again
and making that elusive connection, is beautifully expressed.
Premonition (4k) -- Donna
Category: MSR | Rating:
PG | Spoilers: 8th season
Summary: What would he hide from her?
Lara's Rec: Donna gives us a glimpse
of things to come in this brief but powerful story set sometime prior to
"Requiem." Scully's always been a little bit psychic, from her
vision of her father in "Beyond the Sea" to her visions in the
Buddhist temple in "All Things." Donna explores that side of her, allowing her to embrace her fears for a moment. Mulder's last line
here is heartbreaking.
Priceless
(external link) -- Sagan
Category: V, A | Rating:
G | Spoilers: 8th season
Summary: Would be longer than the
story. Just read. <g>
Lara's Rec: Sagan's right -- this
lovely little tale would take longer to summarize than to read. It would
also take longer to tell you what I love about it. I'll just admonish you
to pay close attention as you read -- hopefully you'll be smiling as much as I
am.
Professional Help
(21k) -- Jess M
Category: MSR, sorta kinda
| Rating: Strong R | Spoilers:
Per Manum
Summary: Sometimes even a pro needs a
little help.
Lara's Rec: I'm certain that the
moment he said it, Mulder regretted telling Scully he was a "pro" --
and Jess plays on that a little here. Although similar in basic idea to
SueBee's "By Hand" (also on this site), what makes Jess' story
different is the location --
and if you've ever sat in slowed-to-a-crawl traffic when you desperately needed
to be someplace else, you'll identify (even if it wasn't exactly the same
situation). Mulder's totally in character here too, both in thought and
dialogue.
The Proposal (8k) -- Agent
L
Category: V | Rating:
G | Spoilers: Requiem
Summary: Sometimes the sidekick has to
play the hero.
Lara's Rec: Man, I love Frohike in
this story! He's just so darn sweet and noble and vulnerable and. . .
sweet. Everyone should have a friend like him -- Scully & Mulder are
both very lucky.
Proximity (2k) -- Susan
Frankovich
Category: VR | Rating:
not rated | Spoilers: none
Summary: You close your eyes and hold
onto the edges of the file cabinet for dear life.
Lara's Rec: The best word to
describe this vignette is "sensual." There's a hint of sexuality
lingering just below the surface of every element here, but nothing is
overt. Susan merely describes for us how Scully feels with Mulder very
close by. Second-person is usually a bit distancing, but here it draws the
reader in.
Pulse (21k) -- Elizabeth
Boyd-Tran
Category: SA | Rating:
PG | Spoilers: This is Not Happening
Summary: There's more to the story.
Lara's Rec: An emotionally wrenching
alternate resolution to "This is Not Happening," one I personally
would have preferred to the month-long silence we endured. Told
from several points of view by well-drawn characters, Elizabeth's story is
unrelenting in its intensity and ultimately very satisfying.
Rainbow Sign (26k) -- Vehemently
Category: not listed | Rating:
PG to R, depending on your stomach | Spoilers:
One Son
Summary: not summarized
Lara's Rec: I'm always vaguely
troubled when the show follows up a mytharc episode with something light and
inconsequential -- like the way "Hungry" followed "Amor
Fati." With this story, Vehemently shows them how it should be
done. Chilling in its intensity, vivid in its emotional impact, this piece
of dark fiction is the most logical closure to "One Son" I could
imagine.
A Rare Saturday Morning (18k) -- Karen
Category: Reyes. Doggett.
| Rating: Hey -- it's G! | Spoilers:
Empedocles
Summary: It was getting harder and harder
to forget. And easier and easier to remember.
Lara's Rec: Karen's depiction of
John Doggett always rings true, but in this story he pretty well leaps off the
page. His pain, grief, and love are so very real. His memories are
bittersweet, his hesitant acceptance of the comfort being offered is
heartbreaking. This is an incredibly beautiful story, exceptionally
well-written.
Remember (5k) -- Vickie
Moseley
Category: A. a lot of A |
Rating: G | Spoilers: Closure
Summary: Maggie returns a favor.
Lara's Rec: Vickie Moseley writes a
terrific Maggie Scully. She's a strong woman who obviously cares a lot
about her daughter's partner, and it's that affection that Vickie explores
beautifully in this story. "Closure" left a lot of unanswered
questions -- Vickie's story answers some of them perfectly.
Resolution 2000
(15k) -- Dasha K
Category: SR | Rating:
R for language and adult themes | Spoilers: Millennium
Summary: Scully tries a new way of making New
Year's resolutions.
Lara's Rec: I loved this story the moment I read
it. The idea that the ever-in-control Agent Scully has a ritual for making
her New Year's resolutions made me smile, and the relative ease with which she
makes a change is completely in character in light of the events (well, the main
event) of "Millennium." And Dasha's Mulder is delightful, sweet
and endearingly goofy as he tries to figure out the mystery that is his partner.
Respect des Fonds
(62k) -- Rachel Wilder
Category: X | Rating:
PG-13 | Spoilers: none
Summary: "One or two deaths would be
a horrible coincidence, but this is the fifth one in as many months and they're
coming quicker and quick. It's no coincidence. Whether or not these
poisoned items have been lying in wait all along, there is someone making sure
we know about it now."
Lara's Rec: An intriguing casefile,
a light touch of UST, and some really nice character development for Mulder combine to
make this story work incredibly well. It's structured like an episode of
the show, with a final scene that seems to cry out for a sequel -- at first,
anyway, until you realize that to go any further would spoil the experience.
Rest or Go On (12k) -- Julie L. Jekel
Category: C | Rating:
PG | Spoilers: Jump the Shark
Summary: In a place outside of time, the
Gunmen are offered a choice.
Lara's Rec: A warm, gentle
story. Julie's crossed the Gunmen with one of my favorite shows and given
them a noble send-off. The guys are all completely in character, as is the
man they meet here. This is a sweet, hopeful tale.
Riding the Whirlpool
(23k) -- Pufferdeux
Category: SRH | Rating: NC-17 |
Spoilers: none
Summary: Scully does laundry.
Mulder helps. Everybody wins.
Lara's Rec: I love reading about new
and exotic ways to, um, you know. One of my favorite movie moments was in Parenthood
-- I think that was it, anyway -- when Harley Jane Kozak got up close and
personal with her washing machine. Pufferdeux takes that little moment to
a logical and extremely hot conclusion. Excuse me while I turn on the air
conditioner. . .
Ripening (14k) -- Leslie
Sholly
Category: VR | Rating:
G | Spoilers: Requiem
Summary: Scully embraces her inner
mother.
Lara's Rec: I read Leslie's summary
and smiled. I read her story, and my smile became a huge grin.
Leslie presents a very real, very plausible scenario of a future for Mulder
& Scully and the baby -- one that Scully herself resists at first.
Once she comes to terms with her choices, she can accept the many facets of who
she is -- and the way she expresses her thoughts and feelings is very much in
character. A bonus -- the most original baby name I've seen!
Ritual
(external link) -- Flynn
Category: S, R | Rating:
NC-17 for adult expressions of
affection | Spoilers: Requiem
Summary: What can I say? Sex is
very life-reaffirming.
Lara's Rec: Continuing the story
begun with "Apathy," Flynn puts Mulder & Scully back on the road
to real intimacy -- slowly, yes, but they get there. Scully's reaction to
Mulder's bedtime ritual is sweet and sexy and needy -- and personally, I'd be a
great big puddle of goo if someone did for me what he does for her.
Ritual
II: Another Perspective (external link) -- Flynn
Category: S, R | Rating:
NC-17 for adult expressions of
affection | Spoilers: Requiem
Summary: Mulder's take on that little
hair-brushing ritual.
Lara's Rec: In this story, Flynn
tells us that Mulder & Scully's infamous unspoken communication can and does
misfire on occasion -- in the previous story, she was needy as hell and
uncertain about him; in this one, he's the needy one, unsure of her
desires. That part made me giggle, as did Mulder's exhaustion near the
end. Terrific characterizations in both these stories.
Road's End (18k) -- CindyET
Category: V, MSR | Rating:
PG-13 (R if you're sensitive to sexual suggestion) | Spoilers:
8th season
Summary: "Mulder, where did you
go?" / "End of the road."
Lara's Rec: Cindy cautions a
"hanky alert, if you're easily moved" -- I'm not, and I still needed a
few tissues. This story brought both chills and tears. It's
incredibly logical, but terrifyingly sad at the same time. Cindy's
depiction of Scully as a woman driven to exhaustion -- by her search, her
pregnancy, her life -- is very real, as is Mulder as a devoted father, willing
to do whatever he must do to keep his child safe. This is an achingly
beautiful story.
Road to Somewhere
(2k) -- Susan Frankovich
Category: VA | Rating:
not rated | Spoilers: 8th season
Summary: He doesn't know where he's
going, but he knows it's somewhere.
Lara's Rec: Another of Susan's
exquisite vignettes, this one is a very hopeful ReturnFic, where Mulder
continues to do his damnedest to get back to Scully, and home -- anywhere but
where he's been. The sensory phrases here are beautifully evocative.
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