doddbowen17

[promptsbytaurie]

dialogue prompts: three words

!!please credit/tag me if you use any! I'd love to see what you write!!

"Power breeds corruption."

"Come here, dumbass."

"Did you care?"

"Hey, it's fashion."

"I can't die."

"You love me?"

"Sir, you're dying."

"Yep, three masters."

"You ignored me."

"I'm very concerned."

"Come on, dance!"

"You were... lying."

"Shhhh, come here."

"Three more hours."

"I was yours."

"Everything ends, eventually."

"Cereal is soup."

"Can't you see?"

"I wanted everything."

"You didn't listen."

"Can I sit?"

"Let me talk."

"Woah, you're dead?"

"Hold onto this."

"She clouds judgement!"

"Don't love me."

"One more chance!"

"I suffered alone."

"Could we try?"

"She was mine."

"You. Are. Disposable."

[is-on-its-way]

The moment Mulder quits

A point in which Mulder was ready to quit the minute he saw Scully hold a baby in season 7 and its effects in season 8

*this is my headcanon, its not gospel obviously Firstly, two scenes that are very linked in my head

Season 7 Ep 22 Requiem and Season 8 Ep 16 Three Words

Look at that face. That dead serious, at all costs face.

Season 7

Requiem. The culmination of Scully and Mulder's secret yearish? long quest for a baby. They've tried for a baby with IVF already. Mulder has promised her he wont give up on a miracle for her and they're well... trying basically, throughout season 7. Perhaps I would call it "hoping" for a baby. Maybe Mulder is hoping and Scully is characteristically ambivalent? Fully not using any contraceptives and I know there's a fic in there somewhere, anyway

The first scene above is why Ive never watched past the season 8 finale. nothing past them agreeing to be a family makes any sense because of Mulders face here. People knock Duchovny for not showing out when acting, but I will always be a defender of subtle acting. The way he can say an entire monologue of dialogue with the minute expressions on his face is quite breathtaking here.

Hes goes from sorrow at Scully not being able to have a baby, sorrow at her loss, sorrow at not being able to give her that; to regret at what he thinks is all his fault, at dragging her into this life; to pure love and affection for her seeing this baby in her lap and how good she is with him; and then a smile peaks out. A smile of hope that could compete with the Mona Lisa. Hope for their future and the certainty with which he knows what he wants so clearly, maybe for the first time in his life. His own family.

Like for the first time hes really deciding the cost is too much and he chooses her over the mission. He chooses their future over everything. And he's hopeful and perhaps even happy about it. which for someone with his amount of family trauma is a seismic shift. For so long he's chased the past in hope of fixing it, completely discombobulated and reckless in his search for well, his family.

Though, from the beginning of that moment in the rainy graveyard, he has slowly unconsciously coming to regard Scully as his family. In small gestures, a hand on her cheek or voicing out loud how important she is to him; to big gestures, giving up who he believes is his actual sister to save her.

We are lucky here, to be able to witness the moment the sparks of unconscious thought bloom into the flame of certainty. He follows up as well. Tells her she has to stay, that the cost doesn't outweigh the price anymore. Sure he wants to finish out this case, but he doesn't work without her, thats been established. Him telling her to stop, is his resignation as well. (There's a fit there too, with Skinner and him on the plane probably Skinner already knowing he's done.)

Thomas Flight praises subtly in acting better than I could ever articulate here:

Season 8

Mulder was weird and the PTSD was implied, but I choose to see it everywhere. After the moment in three words where Mulder tries to let them go gently because he thinks he's too damaged to be a father (Thanks @randomfoggytiger for the meta on that) (there's a fic here obviously where Scully gives him the space to be broken and also hers) After this though, he's not the Mulder as we've seen, ever. He's not the Mulder who

cares about exposing the government so he can say I told you so

cares about saving the public from the invasion

cares about finding the ultimate truth that has driven him since he found the X files

cares about solving cases and one upping the FBI, trying to force them to admit the truth out loud.

Mulder is fighting the entire season for his family.

he cares about exposing the conspiracy so everyone including his child will be safe.

he cares about saving the earth for his child's future

he cares about his childs and his families safety

he has zero concern about the FBI and what they do anymore.

In the second scene above, he's about had it with the entire conspiracy and he's downright pissed. He wants it all to end he doesn't care how. He wants to protect his child above everything. Sure he's usually reckless but this isn't for him and his self involved cause anymore, it's for his family, his wellbeing be damned at some points along the way. He states his thesis in three words while breaking into FBI files in an astonishing show of recklessness

"Look, Scully, I need to make sense of what happened to me. So that I can stop it. Because if I can't stop it, it could happen to anyone. It could happen to you. And who's to say it's going to stop there?"

I always wondered why he was putting Scully through all that, without realising this was the reason. Poor guy. There's nothing else in his purview anymore besides that baby who's in danger, and his family, so much so, when he is ultimately fired from the FBI, he's positively giddy at his newfound freedom.

If he had then gone down a path temporarily where he murdered his way through the remnants of the syndicate to assure the safety of his family John Wick style, I would've absolutely believed it.

It would've been insanely intriguing look at an evolving dynamic between Scully and Mulder. Scully law abiding Mulder reckless as always but with a different motivation. Becoming what he's always feared, to protect the family he has never had. A family he feels like he's only grasping at, as they're slipping through his fingers due to the danger and his recent and past traumas.

There's a reason a lot of the fandom sees Mulder as a happy stay at home dad post wherever they decide to end watching. Thats what he's been searching for his entire life. A happy family with loving parents. When he let go of that dream for himself in Closure, he found he could want that for his future family whatever that looked like (adoption, a miracle, etc.) in Requiem. And I personally don't believe he ever would let that dream go once he realised, I mean we all saw the devotion he had to his sister right?

In other words these are my reasons season 9 onwards make zero sense and I regard them as AU

[carefulfears]

sometimes i just want to cry over mulder’s fish and the way that we see both scully and doggett go to his apartment and feed them during the months he was missing and the fact that scully must have kept feeding them even months after he was dead and just to be loved so much that people come tend to your environment and keep your home and feed your fish long after you’re gone

and that the first thing he notices when he comes back is that one isn’t there. and how scully tried so hard, she tried so hard to find him and to keep him safe and to keep his work going and to keep those damn fish alive, and the first thing that he says to her when they walk back into that apartment is that one is missing

the way that in that scene, he says that he’s having trouble processing, that he doesn’t know where he fits in. you can be loved so much that multiple people come feed your fish and maintain your apartment after you’re buried in the ground, you can try so hard to keep everything going for someone else, but the world keeps spinning, and time goes on. fish die and baby bumps grow and answered prayers aren’t always miracles

he came back covered in scars to a clean apartment and a fish tank missing 1 molly and where does he fit in inside a world that hasn’t waited for him, no matter how hard she tried to make it stop

[creativepromptsforwriting]

Third Day of Gift-Giving

Three Words

... to use in your next story

Ghosts - safety - blanket

Candy - balloon - dress

Streetlamp - music - flattering

Tunnel - bike - hill

Chills - reunion - banner

Dry - sun - radio

Slow-dancing - skirts - barefoot

Wedding - piano - cake

Concert - kiss - solo

Grass - socks - dew

Bell - ring - firework

Home - window - lights

Park - bench - dogs

Window sill - sunlight - plants

Fancy - coat - photo

24 Days of Gift-Giving

[divinemissem13]

"Give me that!" for Brenda/sharon

Yay! More prompts = more B/S for everyone!

Brenda turns around quickly and just catches the FID Captain as she drops her little notebook to her side. Even if she hadn’t caught a glimpse of the notebook, Brenda would still know something was up, due to the over exaggerated look of nonchalance on the woman’s face. Maybe the reason she is such a stickler for the rules is because Sharon could never in a million years get away with breaking one — not with that poker face.

“What are you writing in that little book of yours?” Brenda demands.

Sharon straightens her back and fixes Brenda with an icy glare. “Nothing you need to worry about, Chief.”

Brenda stares the other woman down for a moment and then huffs, “Fine,” before turning back to what she was doing. Her focus remains on the captain, however, and the moment she hears the scratching of pencil on paper, she pounces, snatching the notebook out of her hands and spinning around in her chair to use her desk as a shield.

“Give me that! You have no right!” Sharon exclaims. She tries to reach around the blonde to retrieve the book but it’s too late, she is already flipping through the pages with a silly smile growing on her face.

“I didn’t know you could draw,” she says, half teasing and half reverent as she studies the most recent sketch.

“I can’t,” Sharon protests. “I just like to doodle you… sometimes,” she shrugs weakly.

Brenda tosses the book aside and leans across the desk, resting her chin on her hands. “Mmhmm, and just how long have you been doodlin’ me, Captain?” she asks with a mischievous grin.

Sharon reddens slightly as she leans forward so that she is eye to eye with the chief. “Oh, I’d say going on about three months, don’t you think?” she asks casually, as if she hasn’t been counting.

“82 days,” Brenda confirms, leaning even closer. “You’ve really got a talent for it, I’d say.”

“Brendaaaa,” Sharon whines breathily, their faces only centimeters apart, “we’re at work!” It may be after hours, but they are still in Brenda’s office and the blinds aren’t even shut.

“You are so right, Captain. I am so sorry if I’ve crossed a line.” Brenda straightens up and sits back in her chair, leaving Sharon glassy eyed and flustered as she sits back into her own chair.

Brenda tosses the book back across the desk and smirks, “Keep practicin’. Then maybe later tonight I can doodle you.”

[randomfoggytiger]

Mulder's Alien Baby Baby Trauma In-Depth (Part VIII) UPDATED!: Missing Conversations and Mulder Gettin' His Groove On

In the aftermath of Three Words, we are left with a few resolved questions-- Mulder knew the baby was his, Mulder didn't resent Scully, Mulder and Scully eye-bantered about the baby issue in her kitchen with the Gunmen, etc.-- that help to more fully make sense of that episode and the tail end of Season 8.

However. We are then given a giant, gaping hole of nothing that bridges the gap between the heavier mood of Three Words and the buoyantly tender one of Empedocles.

So, that leaves us with speculations, probabilities, and body language.

**Note**: This post has been updated to include @baronessblixen's thought on Mulder and Scully's conversation (did they or didn't they?) The nuance of "a little of both" is also a solid possibility.

FILLING IN THE BLANKS

During the events of Three Words, Mulder and Scully maintained a pattern: she pulled, he pushed, she was frustrated and anxious to the point of tears, he was frustrated and fearful to the point of honorable death. Neither wanted to push or pull away too far from each other, always drawing back in close proximity. Most importantly, Mulder gave her short tender or joking glances but never touched her.

The touching is important.

Usually, it's Scully who withdrew in times of crisis: not because she wanted to ice Mulder out, but because she wanted to maintain her wall of strength. Knowing that a touch from her partner will unspool it, she tried (tries) to escape emotionally tenuous situations before losing control. Mulder, however, learned to draw to her in emotional crises (Anasazi, Herrenvolk, Paper Hearts, Redux II, Emily, etc.)

That pattern contributed to Scully's bafflement and concern in Three Words: Mulder attempted to keep his trauma under wraps but gave himself away by withdrawing physically. She already sensed something off with him in the hospital (script here, thanks @x-files-scripts); but each successive conversation reinforced that by the unnatural space he enforced between them.

I've previously discussed at length why he stayed at a distance (post here, here, and here.) In short, Mulder was trying to keep up a facade-- his cool exterior, if you will-- so that his partner wouldn't prod or pry or urge (or send) him to professional help. Mulder's a "lash out to fix a problem instead of searching within to find the solution" kind of guy; and besides, he likely saw his situation as hopeless. Most therapists and psychologists didn't (don't) believe in aliens, let alone alien abductions; so, the only place he could find professional help would be in his circles-- where he's already a very well-known community figurehead. (While I don't think the latter was a consideration during his Three Words kneejerk, it at least points us to a possible solution post episode.)

Another problem: falling in-step with this season's useless (and often infuriating) scripts-to-screen translation-- post here for the paternity question but also script here for Mulder and Doggett's needlessly baited escape from the DOD facility-- we're not shown the gap between Three Words and Empedocles. We're left to assume Mulder and Scully had an off-screen conversation that resolved the distance between them... but I have doubts that was the case.

DID THEY OR DIDN'T THEY TALK?

It's often referenced that Mulder and Scully don't talk outside of work (ex. stated straightly in Detour and hinted slyly in Rain King.) The show leaned so far into this narrative that the only proof we have of an on-going relationship between the two in Season 7 is Scully's tie twirling, flirting, and unabashed possessiveness post Millennium and pre-all things... and even then, it might not be proof enough for some (or most) viewers.

The reality is, Mulder and Scully spent hours and hours and hours investigating, researching, and surveilling. We've seen plot relevant conversations during work hours that aren't just about work (i.e. Mulder asking Scully about her brothers in Roland), leading one to conclude that they've had very interesting and tantalizing talks when not currently occupied with a case.

Did one of those tantalizing talks happen off-screen between Three Words and Empedocles?

We have two options before us:

Mulder and Scully did talk. This would require a shift in their dynamic post Three Words; and the instigator would likely be Scully. She was already emotionally raw, growing more compromised, and stretched to her limits by the previous episode. It's not a far-fetched theory for her to have requested space or time to recover; and that shift in their wonky new routine would have off-set Mulder, and possibly pushed him out of himself and back to her. There are two hitches to this theory: it would require time to pass (not as big of a deal), and a conversation that would all too easily click them back into their touchy-feely dynamic previous to the events in Empedocles. The latter part is key: him feeling the baby in her hospital room is framed as his first time reaching out to connect with it-- and that would leave us with another question: did Mulder reach out only to Scully in the gap between Three Words and Empedocles; and if so, was she okay with that? There was no barrier or awkwardness on her side in Empedocles, so that points to a negative on the "reaching out to her but not the baby" theory (proved by her distress when he avoided the baby entirely in Three Words.) This means: to have a conversation, they would have had to reconcile without touching at all... which might (would) also further upset Scully; and, thus, disrupt her placid temperament in Empedocles. Ultimately, this theory leads to more questions than answers; but it can work, though not perfectly (depending on the viewer's interpretation.)

Mulder and Scully did not talk. This works with the lore of the show: Mulder and Scully don't generally talk, but their body language does. Moreover, it would also fit with the insanely fast-paced timeline of Season 8 (and The X-Files in general)-- Three Words happening within days, Empedocles chockfull with unacknowledged air fare and car rides, etc. On top of all that, it would also fit in with Scully's light-hearted moments in Three Words-- continually trying to draw her partner into a better outlook or mood-- and her eager openness in Deadalive, Three Words, and Empedocles. This means: it wasn't a conversation that settled Mulder and Scully-- it was Mulder who came to a resolution of sorts and showed up in repentance and reconciliation. Ultimately, I think this theory fits more with the show writers' vision of the characters; and would work seamlessly if the two episodes were fitted tightly back-to-back.

Mulder and Scully do a little of both: This idea was taken from @baronessblixen's tags; and it absolutely sounded like something those two would do. To quote: "...a combination. Mulder found more of his footing. And I think they had a conversation-- maybe just a light one-- that just touched on things because they weren't there yet." This means: Mulder and Scully got to clear the air between them without progressing too forward too fast-- which gives Mulder talking without touching leeway and hands Scully reassurance without rejection.

I, personally, pick the second theory. Mulder's actions in Empedocles--showing up at her doorstep right before her morning (or afternoon) shower, sweeping her off her feet with a present and pizza man banter, hovering until she motioned for him to feel the baby, ordering her pizza from his place in an attempt to displace the pizza man, etc.-- are completely unexpected by Scully. She answers the door, perplexed; is amazed and amused by his "the pizza man is not above suspicion" tease; "touched" by his personal package and surprise pizza delivery; and confident enough in his stability to rib him about being replaced by the pizza man in his absence. To me, these read as the actions of a woman not at all "conversated" with her partner: surprised, pleased, and overjoyed he'd come around on his own, baffled, disjointed, and silent at his about-face in proceeding episodes. Most pivotally, there seem to be no boundaries laid down between them, which leaves Scully feeling she can't command or demand he stay by her side in future episodes-- another point against conversation.

**Update**: I retract the previous paragraph slightly-- Scully and Mulder could follow in the footsteps of Empedocles for both scenario 2 and 3; and their attitude would fall a little more in line with 3's mild conversation than 2's non-communication. Everyone can pick for themselves, of course~.

Because, again, the context of their touches changes the interpretation of their reunion: is he still withdrawn, yet temporarily stepping up because of the glow of her and the baby's safety? Did he touch her previous to the gift exchange and her hospitalization? Or did he hover closer and closer with presents and banter, trying to smooth over yesterday(ish)'s events before the abruption took place?

This point will have to be picked apart more in-depth in later posts; but in the meantime, the theory is out there to analyze.

MULDER GETTIN' HIS GROOVE ON

An important aside: Mulder and Scully and his package.

The original scene (script here) reads as more exasperated on Scully's part-- "what's my crackpot partner doing here with a gift in his hand", if you will-- and more jocular and unabashed on Mulder's. It's an interesting take, and not out-of-character. The final render of that scene, however, changes what we can infer from the characters. Perhaps that's mostly due to David Duchovny and Gillian Anderson's chemistry, camaraderie, and history-- based on the note "the actors will know how to play it" (script here)-- or perhaps it didn't quite align with where Chris Carter wanted the characters to be. Either way, it's a smart change, I believe, in the unspoken aftermath of Three Words.

What is interesting is the "nice package" comment from Scully, and Mulder's shy initial misinterpretation with regards to his package. Beyond the comedy of the moment, it gives us a peek into Mulder's head: namely, that he is not dead, that he is still very aware of Scully, and that he didn't drop in and isn't hanging around strictly for pure or impersonal purposes.

Mulder usually sloughed off or was flustered by direct compliments, romantic and platonic, from other parties (i.e. Agent Henderson in Young at Heart and Cassandra Spender in Two Fathers.) His response here-- which I shall dive deeper into in a future part-- shows he truly thought Scully was complimenting with intent (propositioning, if you will); and that he was more than willing to reciprocate.

Not only that, but his misinterpretation bleeds right into his overtures for the baby. Mulder took a trip to his mother's-- meaning he still has her house, months later (another interesting thought to dig into)-- to root around in and find a suitable gift. An honorary Mulder family relic, too: another sign he saw this child as his own, despite his oft conflicting, paranoid doubts. This assumption aligns with David's astute observations of his character while filming the Revival: "William is the child that Scully had while we were together. It could be mine, it could be an alien, but I don't know. It's my child, I think. Mulder would live his life as if that was his child." Despite the doubts he voices in Essence's opening monologue, Mulder acts as if he claims the baby as his. And it's not surprising: the signs are there (covered in all of my previous meta parts) but smudged or written out by writers intent on baiting the answers as much as possible (again, post here.)

So, what does this mean?

CONCLUSION

Sometime between Three Words and Empedocles, Mulder gets enough of his act together to reflect on and tweak his behavior, schelpping up to and back from Tena Mulder's house to bear gifts for the offspring, caveman papa style. In addition to that, he lays down a few more walls; softens up; shows open, genuine interest in his child; and begins to rekindle his and his partner's relationship. Most tellingly, he touches Scully for the first time during her health scare; then for the first time with purpose after she and the baby pull through.

The question of what was said between them-- or even if there was anything said between them-- will never be answered. Knowing Mulder and Scully, the possibilities could go any way depending on one's own interpretation. Hopefully those possibilities have been fleshed out more thoroughly and reasonably in this write-up.

Thanks for reading~

Enjoy!

[cecilysass]

Saw your Three Words tags! :DDD

I always read that scene as a sort of joke between them (which I covered in this post, but it's not necessary to read over.)

The play-by-play, according to my theory:

Langly makes his statement.

Mulder hears Langly and becomes suspicious of Scully's involvement, wondering if she'd "set him up" in a One Son do-over.

Scully keeps her face relaxed and neutral, seeking eye contact rather than breaking it-- a sign of her innocence. (Scully can't maintain eye contact if she has something to hide... which she proves, later, after Mulder calls her out for "campaigning.")

We see Mulder's face a second before he registers her uninvolvement (a little bit of panic, a little bit of betrayal)--

--but when he does, his eyes become twinkly as he tilts his head and mockingly squints at her (an unspoken tease over the baby's paternity-- the same as his expression in Empedocles.)

Scully teases him back-- raising her eyebrows and lightly quipping, "So much for playing a hunch, Mulder"-- before transitioning them to TLG's research.

I'm quite passionate about this subject; but, then again, my speculations rest on the fact Mulder already knew the baby was his but wasn't ready to face impending fatherhood. Not a rejection of the baby so much as a protective measure for them... and himself (wracked, as he was, with hidden PTSD.)

I’m with you that Mulder knew he was the father. I mean, I admit I like fanfic where he’s so out of it and confused that it takes him a moment to put it together, and I can go with some “he becomes jealous and suspicious” fanfic if he is characterized as traumatized enough to not be thinking straight.

But in my actual interpretation of the show, he knows and is just in too much numb trauma to act like we think he would right away. I have read your takes on this before, and I think you and I agree.

Now my beef with this little moment (and a few others in this arc) is that it seems written just to string along audiences, to keep them wondering if Mulder is the father, not for coherent storytelling in its own right, to stand on its own and make sense. Everything season 8 until the last possible minute had to be able to be interpreted as either (a) Mulder isn’t the father, and Scully doesn’t think he is; or (b) Mulder is the father, and Scully does think he is.

(I think this was a goofy writing decision because it meant they couldn’t fully push the plot or character implications of either interpretation. Like: If Mulder isn’t the father and Scully doesn’t think so, who tf is the father? We have no info on that. Shouldn’t Scully be worried about that all season long if she doesn’t know? Wouldn’t that be a major plot point? I would sure be worried. Or… if Scully believes Mulder IS the father and starts to have alien baby doubts, did she have an amnio and run DNA or no? Seems like she sure as fuck would have. And it turns out that was relevant. But this is all a side quibble.)

I’m trying to understand what you mean by Mulder could be suspecting Scully has discussed this with the Gunmen in advance, One Son style. You mean that he’s worried she’s trying to pin him down about his role with the baby? Like he’s a little anxious about this? It’s hard for me to get that in DD’s expression there, but maybe?

I can definitely see that maybe he is checking with her because he doesn’t know what she’s told people, or because he’s specifically surprised she hasn’t told the Gunmen. That makes sense, but I don’t know if I think that reads very clearly here. It would have more if Scully had given him a more intentional look back—she almost seems to just cast her eyes his direction—but of course they couldn’t do that, because that would confirm too much.

It sure looks like he’s confused about what Langly means, or even that he’s like, “heavens, why would I be involved in my co-worker’s pregnancy!” And of course I think they wanted it to look like that, so that they could continue the frustrating season 8 plan of making sure people could also possibly interpret this scene as Mulder not being the father. And I think this is why this scene sends people in all kinds of directions on what Mulder’s thinking is.

I do like your take, though. I can headcanon that. I probably would have written him more obviously spacey and traumatized in all of these scenes. I think you have written about wanting to see more of him dealing with this, and I agree. (I wrote a fic about this actually lol.) If Mulder had been having a more visibly difficult time, they could have had him absent-mindedly change the subject or look off in the distance or something. But I know they also wanted him to get to have the jokey, playful dynamic with the Gunmen and that the show hadn’t had that for a long time. And it is fun to see. So I get it.

If I haven’t said it before, though, I looooove these photo by photo interpretations of scenes.

[ssavinggrace]

gotta love grace sibling angst

[promptsbytaurie]

dialogue prompts: three words

!!please credit/tag me if you use any! I'd love to see what you write!!

"I don't see?"

"Can you move?"

"We can't die."

"Slow down, tiger."

"I don't kneel."

"Where is she?!"

"This is awkward."

"Hush, young one."

"Is this home?"

"What went wrong?"

"I'm not sorry."

"He can't run!"

"Are you afraid?"

"Maybe I'm evil."

"...She was lying?"

"Don't you understand?"

"Darling, calm yourself."

"Eat my dust."

"Nope, no way."

"I'm not mad."

"Did you die?"

"You are nothing."

"We won't survive."

"I'm never enough."

"If we lose?"

"What a day."

"Um, maybe don't."

"Listen to me!!"

"I see everything."

"Calm down, love."

"This is war."

[aaandbackstabbed]

Stop what you’re doing!! And give me three words to describe Goldie O’Gilt —I’m trying something— pretty please <3

[yourlovelyspace]

Which ones would be yours? 💝

[earhartsease]

love that moment when Mulder is in his flat for the first time after coming back to life and he's like "something's different here" and Scully replies "yeah - its clean" and he chuckles

[carefulfears]

thinking about the x files does a lot of show and not tell. specifically thinking about three words and mulder's struggling with this new reality and scully barely hanging on

three words is in my top ten episodes, i truly love it so much and i think it's such a raw portrayal of something that people typically miss in these story arcs. you're literally confronted in the opening with exactly what is going on behind the surface: the pain and the fear behind each scar that mulder can touch. and what i love so much about this episode and this season is that it offers a completely different response to trauma than we normally see from him. it's so much harsher. he came back with rough edges. all of his jokes are so heavy, he can't even attempt to put his weight behind them.

and i understand that it's hard to watch, because scully tried so hard for so long, and there is no relief. she looked for him and she tried to save him and she tried to be him and she tried to keep his work intact. she maintained his home and she fed his fish and she slept with his laundry and she grew his child. and like she says, she prayed and prayed and prayed, and she suffered and suffered and suffered. she planned a funeral and a nursery at the same time. she was ripped screaming off of his cold body. and three months later, there he is, whispering bad jokes under her tears. scully believes in miracles.

and there is still no relief. not for everybody. just waking up and being alive isn't all that matters, it matters that living is hard too. it matters that he can't touch his face without remembering being ripped apart. it matters that walking into his home feels unfamiliar. it matters that even though she tried, there's one less fish. there's a new partner in his office. there's a new baby about to be born, he missed everything. and if you ask him how he feels he'll say, "like austin powers," and no one will laugh. if you walk him into his apartment, the first thing he'll notice is the failed change. if you tell him he's your answered prayers, he'll brush it off until you cry.

scully raised him from the dead, and his first steps are to a suicide mission. it is so mean. he knew that breaking into that facility would kill him. had killed everyone else. he was told that, he was begged not to go. and in a moment, doggett has to run through the census bureau under fire, and drag him out. all three of the tlg boys are in the ceiling navigating. very pregnant scully is near-tears in the parking lot. no relief. miracles, not magic.

and i just love all of it. the bitter jokes that don't land. the casual cruelty. the false starts. the honesty. the way that no matter what, mulder is still mulder, there will always be some sign that things are going to be okay, like the way he tells scully that he just has to make sure what happened to him doesn't happen to someone else. the way he quietly apologizes, says that he doesn't mean to be cold, he just doesn't know where he fits in. he's having trouble processing. slow returns.

[caridrea]

Three words. Mulder regresa, y su mundo está del revés 👽

[divinemissem13]

"Don't you dare" for Brenda/Sharon (if you're still up for prompts)

I can’t promise to always answer promptly (🥁) but I am always up for prompts! Thanks for another fun one! Tried to be a little less fluffy for a change… with middling success.

~~~~

Sharon smiles as she watches Rusty run around the picnic with the younger kids. He might be a little old for this sort of thing but he didn’t exactly have a lot of normal childhood experiences and it warms Sharon’s heart to see him so carefree.

In fact, she is certain she’s never enjoyed a “loosely required” LAPD social event this much — not even when her own children were young.

Until, that is, she feels a presence next to her and hears the all too familiar drawl. “Amazin’ how much he’s changed. Hard to believe that’s the same kid who was turnin’ tricks in Griffith Park.”

“Chief Johnson — oh I’m sorry, it’s not “Chief” any more is it? What do I call you know? Mrs. Deputy Chief Howard?” It’s a low blow and Sharon knows it, but the two hadn’t exactly parted on the best of terms and now she’s insulting Rusty, so Sharon really doesn’t feel too bad about it. “Well, whoever you are these days, Rusty is not a product of the circumstances that were forced upon him in the past and I will thank you not to bring that up again.”

“I’m sorry. For… everythin’,” Brenda says, and it actually sounds like she might mean it. “And whatever you wanna call me, you can drop the ‘Mrs.’” she adds timidly.

Sharon finally turns to look at Brenda and she’s met with those same big brown doe eyes that haunt her dreams. “Fritz?” she asks in a hushed voice.

“Over,” Brenda replies. It is only one word but it carries the weight of the whole dictionary.

Sharon assumed that Brenda had come with Fritz but if not… “What are you doing here?” she hisses, still not willing or able to let herself hope.

“You won’t answer my calls. And I wanted to see you. I… I needed to see you,” Brenda says, fidgeting with her earring.

“Brenda Leigh Johnson, don’t you dare fuck with me again,” Sharon says, a little louder than she intended, drawing curious looks from the people nearby. Sharon grabs Brenda’s arm and pulls her to the relative privacy of a large oak tree. “Don’t. You. Dare.”

“I wouldn’t… I couldn’t… Sharon, I love you. I’ve been miserable these last few months without you and if you’d have me… I swear to you, to me, you will always come first.” She’s crying by the time she’s finished, silent tears streaming down her cheeks which Sharon gently wipes away with her thumbs.

“I want to believe you,” Sharon whispers. “But how can I trust that you’re not going to run away again? I can’t — I won’t — be your dirty little secret. No more.” Her voice is still soft but there is some steel in it now. She will not cave. Not this time.

Brenda looks up at her, the wheels clearly turning behind those chocolate eyes. “No more,” she agrees, draping her arms over Sharon’s shoulders and pulling her closer. “How’s this for not running away?” she asks.

Before Sharon can respond, Brenda is kissing her. Right there, in front of God and the entire LAPD. No hiding, no secrets. Sharon laughs against Brenda’s lips and her hands go to the blonde woman’s slender hips and pulls them flush against her own. (God how she’s missed this feeling!) “It’s a really, really good start,” she murmurs before deepening the kiss.

All around them, nosy spectators (who weren’t deterred at all by their move behind the tree) begin to clap and cheer. Brenda and Sharon barely even notice.

[randomfoggytiger]

"Proving" Mulder Knew He Was the Father of Scully's Baby

(Had to get this out before the next part of Mulder's Alien Baby Baby Trauma series; so... here we go~!)

Mulder knew he was the father of Scully's baby before Three Words began; and his reticence had everything to do with his PTSD, guilt, and fear and nothing to do with feeling replaced by his partner's child. His ending monologue in Existence further proves this, concluding Mulder's emotional turbulence: "I think what we feared were the possibilities. The truth we both knew."

But how is that to be proven?

Cutting Out Context to Bait the Mystery

According to the script (uploaded here by @x-files-scripts, thank you~), Scully very casually mentions how far along she is separate from her concerns about (and to) Mulder. Mulder doesn't react to this information at all, meaning whatever his reticence and withdrawal were rooted in had nothing to do with feeling replaced as the father of her child.

Throughout their conversation, Mulder tries to keep Scully from digging deeper into his emotions or trauma, deflecting with humor or emotional separation. Scully finally directly addresses his distance; and (though a bit out-of-order from how it aired), the scene below makes two things very obvious:

SCULLY: Mulder --

MULDER: (cutting her off) -- whatever you're going to say, Scully, I'm sorry. I don't mean to be cold. Or ungrateful to you.

SCULLY: I don't know if you can truly understand what it was like.... And now to get you back....

MULDER manages a smile, finally. But only barely.

MULDER: You act like you're surprised.

Scully manages a chuckle, but she's truly worried about him.

SCULLY: I prayed so many nights. And my prayers were answered, Mulder.

MULDER: In more ways than one.

MULDER looks to Scully's stomach. Which she touches.

SCULLY: Yes.

MULDER: I'm so truly happy for you. I know what it means to you --

SCULLY: Mulder --

MULDER: (cuts her off again) -- but I'm having trouble processing any of this. I don't know why I'm here, or where I fit in anymore. I feel strange. Like this can't be happening.

SCULLY nods. Anything she had wanted to tell him will wait.

SCULLY: That's what I've been saying to myself for the last eight months.

What Scully "had wanted to tell him" had nothing to do with her child's paternity nor was that even a concern because she, as mentioned above, says "the last eight months" effortlessly. (An important note: because they kept no show bible, the writers forgot Mulder was missing three months and buried another three; but the intent behind that line is the same even if there isn't or wasn't a numbers problem to quibble over.)

"The last eight months" comes at the tail end of the conversation without a remark or quip from Mulder's perspective, meaning this wasn't news enough for him to comment on or even react to. Scully's statement bookended their discussion, meaning she wasn't drawing it out longer or forcing information down Mulder's throat that he wasn't ready to process. Since that is the case, both knew the problem wasn't her pregnancy (though it was a stressful factor) but was another, bigger concern.

Devil's advocate: Scully was trying to tell Mulder the baby was his-- Gillian Anderson's expressions debunk this theory, but we'll press on-- and the months referred to was how long Mulder was "gone": in which case, Scully being hugely pregnant would have been a huge tip off for her partner regardless; and Mulder, for as much as he is avoiding the obvious this episode, is not stupid.

By cutting up the script-- taking out important context and removing crucial lines-- the audience is left to speculate on information that what was intended to be understated yet obvious (though unconfirmed until the finale episodes.) Chris Carter and Spotnitz have already stated they'd baited Scully's pregnancy as much as they could (one such interview here, credit to @babygirlmulder1018 for the upload~) while always planning for Mulder to be the father. The problem with their method is that they sacrificed necessary clarity for ambiguity, leaving the actors to scramble or fill in the butchered gaps as much as they could with implied body language. Three Words Mulder's affectionate, though fleeting, glances at Scully's belly or Scully's heightening worry for his well-being are debatable clues, all dependent on the viewer's interpretation (even when rewatched with hindsight.) The key to any good mystery is to have all the puzzle pieces in place so that it makes sense when you go back and see them all line up. Cutting out important clues early just to bait the mystery is foolhardy, especially when those gaps are never filled-in with any answers; and The X-Files show, while built around unsolved or unresolved mysteries, always provided a likely explanation (even if that explanation was later revealed to not be entirely true.) It's a shame that this premediated action thoughtlessly skewed the reading of the scene so badly that it took away from its original intent-- Scully's worries over her partner as he becomes more and more lost in his trauma-- and turned it widely into a "bet he's jealous or feels left behind because Scully moved on without him" interpretation, muddying it for viewers over the decades to come.

It's not the first time a script has been stripped of its original intent to fit the vision of the showrunners (often to the frustration to the various writers, actors, directors, etc.); but there is a marked difference between the tampering done to, for example, David Duchovny's personal ideas and scripts in keeping with the mythos of the show (Cinefantastique: David Duchovny on "The Unnatural" and "Hollywood A.D.") and specifically removing an important piece of dialogue to intentionally blur a scene for "the mystery" without that action serving any goal other than obfuscation... and, ultimately, confusion.

Mulder Himself Proves He Knew

According to the script, Scully's concerns started in her partner's hospital room when Mulder's non-reaction snags her notice twice in a row:

"His reaction is so underwhelming that Scully has to laugh" and

"The doctor has to chuckle, looking to Scully. But Scully isn't humored now. She reads something in Mulder past the humor. And Mulder catches her sensing it. That he is deeply troubled."

"Mulder catches her sensing it" is a crucial piece of information, smoothly setting up the scene at his apartment-- Mulder doesn't ice Scully out (always responding to her pleas with mustered up but equal sympathy and sorrow) but he avoids her eyes as much as possible, not wanting to be read, to be "exposed." THAT is what concerns Scully-- never before in their partnership has he evaded eye contact, likely seeking it more often than any other person on the planet. But Mulder (also likely more than anyone) knows that eyes are the window to the soul; and he doesn't want his bared yet.

The tricky part of the ensuing scenes is not to mistake his avoidance of Scully's detection with his avoidance of the baby. Mulder is avoiding everything equally-- but he will still spare a moment for his partner or his baby here and there before snatching away his focus again, dodging any opportunity that might lead to vulnerability.

At his apartment, Mulder turns aside whenever he can or spreads a plaster-fake grin on his face when in conversation;

but it melts into sincerity after he finally acknowledges the baby in the room. It's not quite happiness, but it is a form of contentment and a little pride (similar to his look on the couch in Empedocles.)

When Scully wants to commit anarchy over Kersh's tyrannical terms, Mulder squashes that impulse flat, sparing a strained but still sincere smile as he directs her attention to the pragmatic fact of her baby.

(It's not until "Agent Who?" comes across Mulder's radar that he starts to stiffen against Scully's reticence. Again, not about the baby.)

The last significant mention of Scully's pregnancy is in her kitchen at her apartment. TLG drop in to do their research... and to refocus Mulder on his impending miracle ("a certain blessed event") and away from his crazy mission. Mulder's amused at first with their commentary (as is Scully), giving an exaggeratedly suspicious, comedic squint (which Scully follows up with a witty repartee on his investigative methods)--

until he figures out his partner's ulterior machinations. (The tensions that trail them both the rest of the episode are because of Scully's interferences and not-- again-- because of the baby.)

Those are the only direct references to the baby in Three Words, although Scully does tag along on his madcap mission with TLG); and Empedocles starts out in the spirit of the kitchen scene above-- Mulder squinting about the pizza man, ribbing Scully lightly, and enjoying getting ribbed in return-- but with the added bonus of some unfiltered, heartfelt moments of a man fully embracing fatherhood.

So why, if the original intent of the struggle of Three Words wasn't about the paternity question, does Mulder still struggle with doubts the rest of the series. Well... what were his paternity doubts?

Paternity Doubts

Mulder knew (logically) that his partner wouldn't run into the arms of another man or through the doors of the nearest IVF clinic just because he was chucked six feet under; but that reassurance gave him nothing to stand firmly on since both of their lives revolved around clones, aliens, and even a little girl that was born (and died) to serve an agenda.

Scully had been used over and over against her consent and was ultimately stripped of her fertility; and even though Mulder once said "never give up on a miracle", the IVF had failed, and there had been months of regular extracurricular activities since without even a thought of a baby on either of their radars. But somehow, the minute he vanishes off the planet, she finds out she's pregnant? The exact same somehow he was abducted and somehow returned and somehow resurrected? It doesn't add up; and Mulder's motto has always been "I want to believe."

"I have the same doubts you do, Scully," he said in the Pilot; and those doubts haunt him in Three Words; and (although they are temporarily set aside during the off-screen conversation Mulder has with his partner before Empedocles) they remain, along with his fears, buried under the surface-- as demonstrated by his opening monologue in Essence: "Is it the product of a union? Or... an answer to prayer-- a true miracle? Or is it a wonder of technology, the intervention of other hands? What do I tell this child about to be born? What do I tell Scully? What do I tell myself?"

Furthermore, the events of Essence and Existence make a bit (only a bit) more sense if those events-- Zeus Genetics, Billy Miles, Lizzie Gill, Krycek, the Super soldiers, and other such nonsense-- are put through another lens: trauma.

The Other, Bigger Concern

If Mulder knew the baby was his, why did he distance himself?

Simply put, PTSD.

Three Words very specifically chooses Mulder's flashbacks as his first scene (post here), providing motive to any future decision he makes. Being torn apart for three months and buried another three before being resurrected on a chance is a lot to grapple with; add in a pregnant partner who is clearly expecting a miraculous baby amidst a set of tragically unmiraculous events and looking to her recently resurrected partner for not only their old relationship but more and you get a PTSD-riddled, paranoid, and very panicked Fox Mulder.

Empedocles begins after the aforementioned off-screen conversation; and quite plainly establishes Mulder in his new paternal role, bringing Scully (and the baby) gifts like he has any other significant moment in their relationship (and also because it's no longer acceptable to bring triumphant caveman hunting trophies back to the domestic den.) This episode not only goes out of its way to give him a first-time "feeling his baby move" scene, but further cements Mulder's role by showing him standing sentry outside of Scully's door, doting on her hand and foot back at her apartment, and including their baby nonverbally in Scully's gratitude speech. These benchmark moments are then followed up by him briefly forgetting his baby in Vienen, not wanting to leave its side in Alone, and cycling back to his paternity worries in Essence-- further proof that his initial distance and on-again-off-again dance is rooted firmly in trauma rearing its ugly head to continually mess up his temporary peace.

That trauma follows him (mostly unacknowledged) the rest of Season 8, coming to a head (and exploding) during the events of Essence and Existence. When his security in Scully's science and himself are completely eroded, Mulder is left blindly grappling for any explanation from any nearest and newest source currently in front of him (handing off Scully to his sworn enemy should have been the tip-off point to both she and Skinner, prompting them to put a stop to his spiraling before doing anything else... but I digress.) His hot-and-cold attitude is back (referring to their child as "your baby") even though his fiercely protective love and interest hasn't faded one bit ("will do anything to protect it.")

Deep down, Mulder always knew (or at least hoped) the baby was his-- "the truth we both know," after all.

So, What Does This Mean?

Probably nothing in the grand scheme of things, but a rippling domino effect in the minutiae. It explains Mulder's distant-then-doting attitude, the manifestation of his PTSD and impending parenthood, and even why he was happy to have Scully firmly glued by his side throughout Three Words (even if he couldn't meet her eyes at times.) Scully's pregnancy was a change for both: almost overnight she needed more from their relationship. However, once she realized how displaced and harried Mulder was, Scully relaxed the pace for both of them (off-screen...), allowing Mulder to finally recover, regroup, and continue on. Once that understanding was reached (again: off-screen), Mulder started to take his journey more gently (upsetting and resettling himself whenever Scully's health scares or his impulsive actions blasted him up, down, and sideways) while Scully refigured how to fit their new normal into the life she built in his absence. Like always, teamwork and their unspoken; and, overall, it makes Season 8's there-and-gone-again MSR bits that much more in-character and enjoyable.

Thank you for reading~

Enjoy!