#tatooedlaura

[randomfoggytiger]

Mourning the Lost anon here to say that “This is Not Happening” and “DeadAlive” aired on Comet last night and I watched both in preparation for the 2nd and 3rd parts of your fic list. I’m forever in you debt for giving me so many angsty, grief stricken fics to go through 🙏

I was hoping you'd drop in at least one more time-- that way, I could attach the last part to your ask~.

And it was my pleasure. Season 8 holds a very special place in my heart: its potential is what drew me to watch the show. Being able to watch it on cable (I assume?) sounds like a dream.

Collector's Edition: Season 8, Mourning the Lost (Part 3/3)

Parts 1/3 and 2/3 respectively; and if you're hankering for post-Deadalive PTSD and healing, I'd head over to my Part 1 rec list here.

Let's wrap up this three-parter, shall we?

Loose chronological order below~

@numinousmysteries/numinous_mysteries's B'Sha'ah Tovah (Ao3)

She wants it all to pause until Mulder returns. But life perseveres. Her hair grows faster and thicker, her heart beats harder as it works to pump more blood through her body, and her belly is starting to protrude. Her stubborn, miraculous baby keeps growing and making its presence known against all odds. Just like its father.

Post Without Scully isn't ready to celebrate her pregnancy.

@scullywolf's (Ao3) Fourteen weeks (Ao3)

 If her eyes weren’t telling her she should have left the office hours ago, her stomach would be. She has, thankfully, left the first trimester nausea behind; this is merely the queasy unsteadiness born of too little sleep and too many hours passing since her last solid meal.

Mulder’s sunflower seed habit suddenly makes perfect sense to her.

Per Manum Scully knows she should take things easier.

@justhereforthechilismoment/Jess Mabe's Bittersweet

I have told this woman and her staff the truth, at least to some extent, about where Mulder is. My partner, I have explained, is in law enforcement and is being held somewhere against his will. I have every reason to believe he will be returned alive, I tell them and they look at me with something that approaches both pity and confusion. This is better than the reaction I had from that first doctor, when I explained that my partner was "out of town on business".

Pre-TINH Scully is struggling to ease into motherhood in Mulder's absence.

stellar_dust's (Ao3) Just Coincidence

Scully was surprised to find the office unlocked at 6:30 AM. Thoughts of Mulder and the baby crowded out sleep; she thought she might rest easier if she came to what had been his sanctuary.

Failing that, at least she'd get some paperwork done.

Pre-TINH Scully finds Doggett in the basement.

David Stoddard-Hunt's Her Days, Dipped as if in Karo Syrup

Her days are no longer her own. They are given over to things that have recently accreted to her: guilt, concern, absence. None of which she has asked for, none of which she can shake. Skinner's guilt, her mother's concern. Mulder's absence, over all.

Mulder, her constant no longer.

Nausea is her constant, now.

Pre-TINH Scully lost her constant.

@tatooedlaura-blog/tatooedlaura/Laura Sprys's Seventh Christmas

She tried to talk her daughter into coming to Christmas dinner two days from then but Scully stanchly refused, not meeting her mother’s eye as she shook her head, informing her once again that she didn’t want to see everyone and deal with the questions and Bill’s looks and Tara needling about the sex of the baby and discussing teething and colic … and the myriad of other motherly things she’d had to go to and which Scully would be experiencing in the future …

Pre-TINH Scully wants to spend Christmas alone.

@danascullysjournal/Paper_hearts_and_homemade_arts's Woven Together

You are tethered to me

Through the darkness,

Past the constellations.

Pre-TINH Scully feels the baby move for the first time... the night before she finds Mulder's body.

FoxfireX's The Loss

Strange, don't you think, that one's very existence can be so integrated with anothers. So integrated that the loss of the other person leaves more than sadness, more that grief. The loss of the other person leaves only shards of a previous existence in it's wake.

Pre-TINH Scully lives in agony.

pokeitlikejello's The Drabble Files - Chapter 6

She misses him when he’s gone. There’s pencils stuck in the ceiling and the room doesn’t have the same feeling when he’s not in it.

Pre-TINH Scully notices the world moving on without Mulder.

Pattie's The Natural

She suddenly felt, just for a moment, that he was there.

Pre-TINH Scully tears up over baseball memories.

jeri's (mulderscreek) Tenancy Tendencies

There's a program designed especially for single, mobile, apartment-renting agents like Mulder and me. It allows for monthly rent to be taken directly out of our paychecks, and automatically deposited to our landlords by the due date. This way, we don't have to worry about being caught out of town and away from our bank when the next payment is up.

AU-- Pre-TINH Mulder's landlord won't renew the lease.

O Brother . . .

So, yeah, I was a bit surprised when Mom called to tell me Fox Mulder was dead. I was so flattered by the fact that I was actually kept in the loop about something concerning my sister and her partner that I agreed to go to the funeral.

Post TINH Bill feels terribly for his sister.

Female Bonding Series (Deepest Sympathies, Deepest Secrets, Names and Planes, and Crickets)

Agent Scully,

Please accept my deepest sympathies. I'm so sorry that we were too late, I truly am. If there's anything you need, please don't hesitate to let me know.

Sincerely, Monica Reyes

Post TINH Scully and Monica strike up a friendship.

Have a Nice Fall

Honestly, I think this will be good for us. She hasn't said much the last couple of weeks, even before we found Mulder dead. Not since the incident at the Army hospital, when I discovered she was pregnant.

Post TINH Scully and Doggett have to team build.

MaybeAmanda/maybe_amanda's (LJ, site) Souvenirs (xffics)

"Oh cool," Langly's muffled voice filters in from the kitchen. "Mallomars!" There's a pause, then the crinkling of overwrap, then another pause. "Agent Scully?"

She rubs her nose again, puts down the picture she's covering in bubble-wrap, and reaches for another Kleenex. "Yes?" She's glad that when she stopped for Windex and Comet and Scrub Free and garbage bags and paper towels, she thought to grab a box of tissues. Six months worth of dust, she's discovering, is a lot of dust. And Mulder never has Kleenex when she needs it.

"Uh, do Mallomars go, you know, bad?"

Pre-TINH TLG help Scully pack up Mulder's apartment.

Shoshana's

Power of Attorney

It didn't surprise me he had some money squirreled away. We had dipped into his funds before, whenever it was inconvenient to apprise the government just how enormous our rescue and recovery bills were. Like Antarctica. And Bermuda. And a few other mishaps that didn't cost anywhere near as much, but added up in the long run.

It did surprise me how much there was in the estate.

Pre-TINH Scully is dispirited over Mulder's wealth.

Another Miracle

I tried to be you Mulder. I tried to approach the world from your perspective, keeping an open mind when the Lone Gunmen would fax me pages and pages of UFO sightings, unusual atmospheric conditions, suspicious hospital admissions.

I kept working, trying to reconcile tried and true scientific methodology with the circumstances of the work, your work.

Post TINH Scully feels like a failure.

Lauren's (mulderscreek) Thoughts 

Many people live their lives reliving the past and applying it to the future. I, unlike most people, am reliving the past, and I'm stuck there.

Pre-TINH Scully feels like the present is the past's broken record.

Nynaeve's Now I Can Let Her Go

Why I'm sitting here on this particular day in late August concerns my other 'spooky' agent, Dana Scully. Mulder's been gone three months now. She won't give up hope, refuses to admit he might be dead, will not hear anyone say he's never coming back. He wouldn't when she was gone and she's not about to do any less for him. When I asked her, gently, this morning why she was so certain, she told me, her blue eyes hazy with pain and loneliness, her hands creeping toward her abdomen, her voice so soft I had to lean in to hear her, "He always brings me back my cross."

Pre-TINH Skinner and TLG help Scully pack up Mulder's apartment.

Lorri's (mulderscreek) Wait Until Your Father Gets Home 

Wait until your father gets home.

When I was a child that simple sentence was used sparingly and was enough to immediately stop any and all improper behavior. Naturally, when Mom turned away or left the room I would again stick my tongue out at Bill and he would pull my pigtail and the fight would begin anew.

Now I find myself as the impending mother and that line has become my mantra. Wait until your father gets home.

AU-- Pre-TINH Scully keeps a running dialogue between herself and her baby. (Wholesome follow-ups-- with happier developments-- can be found in Your Father Came Home and Your Father's Child.)

Singing_Violin's Sculleus and Muldeurydice

Scully reengaged the safety and holstered her weapon. Looking down, she whispered, "Yes. Take me to him."

AU-- Pre-TINH CSM has a deal for Scully.

@tea-and-liminality/abrae's Dulles

Scully's been using National Airport ever since Mulder's disappearance. She's had a difficult time remembering to tack "Reagan" on the name for taxi drivers; the D.C. taxi driver turnover rate is high enough that this has been a liability on more than one occasion.

TINH Scully remembers each trip from Dulles.

Erin M. Blair's

Multitude of Stars

She wanted him alive, but there was a bottomless pit in her soul. She was so scared that she was going to find him dead.

TINH Scully finds some semblance of peace in the stars.

The Darkest Day

It had only been eight months earlier that she was with him, standing beside him and looking up at the nighttime sky. She remembered him telling her that there are old souls looking for new homes.

Post TINH Scully tells Reyes about Mulder's spectral form.

Susanne Barringer's Hours of Lead

In a weird sort of way, waiting becomes easier. At first, you're afraid to leave the house, afraid to take a shower, afraid to be away from the phone for even five seconds. You answer the phone before the first ring has even completed. You constantly check your cell phone to make sure it's charged. Your heart pounds in fear whenever you hear a familiar voice on the other end of the line, and even more when it's unfamiliar. You take the phone with you into the bathroom, just in case.

In the second month, you're willing to venture away a little bit, even if just for a minute.

TINH Scully identifies Mulder's body; and tries to gently move on and find closure.

Scullysfan's The Discipline of Blessings

The circumstances of the John Doe's appearance had been somewhat similar to her own, at least in that he'd appeared in a hospital without explanation or evidence. The significance of the appearance being in a tiny one-story hospital in Fort Benton, Montana was lost on Scully.

For a few moments, upon walking into what passed for an intensive care unit, she didn't care about the hows or whys. Unlike her own condition years ago, she found Mulder not in a coma, but in a deep sleep.

AU-- Pre-TINH Scully is shot, which leads her to realize her baby (girl) is special-- and determines her to live their (and Mulder's) life on her own terms.

Thanks for reading~

Enjoy!

[actual-changeling]

Hi! I'm doing a rewatch of the x files and this is the first time I got so invested in MSR and I was wondering if you had some fic recs? there are so so many online I have no idea how to find the best ones lol I'm okay with explicit content btw thanks in advance!

Give me a few days and I'll make a more comprehensive masterpost but I can give you some good starting points!

Self-promo first, you can find me on ao3 and any tumblr-only ficlets under the tag #alex writes x files. My bookmarks are public and I save every single fic I read on there, so you can have a look through those if you want.

@today-in-fic this is the account to follow to get fresh fics on your dash. they simply reblog any TXF fanfics they get tagged in, so they're somewhat of an archive in by itself.

Writers plus general amazing TXF accounts

@msrafterdark if you don't mind smut then this one is a must!

@bakedbakermom // @sisterspooky1013 // @thursdayinspace

@randomfoggytiger (an absolute goldmine concerning everything MSR and TXF, especially when it comes to meta posts)

@television-overload // @baronessblixen // @thescullyphile

@deathsbestgirl // @scullysexual // @numinousmysteries

@fine-nephrit // @scullysflannel // @fossilizedhearts

@not-aliens // @julmunne

More Additions by @unremarkablehouse

@phillippadgettwrites (smut warning!)

@tatooedlaura-blog // @agent-troi // @katy-kt-katie

@thatfragilecapricorn30 // @slippinmickeys // @skelavender

@freckleslikestars // @gaycrouton // @cassiopeia462

@lotsoforangesoutside // @spookydarlablack

(Live) Episode Reaction & Rewatches

@enigmaticxbee @mulders-too-large-shirt

Other Specializations

Dana Scully Lookbook Project The X-Files Script Archive

AO3 author & fic recs

Sareki (author)

Thirty Five Hundred Miles And A Lifetime To Go

Long hours on the road and in the skies, how will Dana Scully and Fox Mulder fill the silence? What silence?  A collection of road trip oneshots through their years together and the games they play..

The Modern Gateway Motel

After a traumatic experience, Mulder fabricated an X-file as a way to help Scully escape reality. Over the years, they returned to “investigate” that special place and take advantage of all it had to offer, exploring aspects of their relationship that they attempted to ignore in the real world. As time passed, it grew harder to confine the relationship they shared to that specific time and place.

Gradients

He didn’t want Scully in his bed so much as he wanted that last barrier gone. Sex seemed to be the demarcation for her, as she’d apparently decided that once that hurdle had been cleared, it would signal her complete surrender to him. As if she hadn’t already done that. As if he hadn’t with her a long time ago.

PLEASE feel free to leave your own additions (self promo explicitly welcomed) and I'll add them.

[lilydalexf]

Old School X is a project interviewing X-Files fanfic authors who were posting fic during the original run of the show. New interviews are posted every Tuesday.

Interview with tatooedlaura (Laura Sprys)

Laura has 28 fics at Gossamer, but the big treasure trove of her stories is at AO3, where she has 193 fics. Thank goodness for the richness of the X-Files and for talented, creative people like Laura who can find so many interesting ways to tell tales in the show’s universe. Big thanks to Laura for doing this interview.

Does it surprise you that people are still interested in reading your X-Files fanfics and others that were posted during the original run of the show (1993-2002)?

Maybe reading mine but reading older fic in general is something I still do and something I still find entertaining. I do wish i could get into my old fics and post a warning that some of those were written before the author: ever had a drink, ever had sex, ever had a boyfriend, ever lived on her own, ever had a real job, or ever experienced much of anything in the real world.

Then again, fanfic is a perfect time capsule for the age and it’s always fun to see where the originals started and how they’ve grown.

What do you think of when you think about your X-Files fandom experience? What did you take away from it?

Back in the day and up and through today, it has always been a fun experience. From it, I’ve learned to love writing. I’ve learned that fans are crazy, weird, wonderful, generous, talented, committed, passionate, and imaginative. In a fandom, you can think whatever you wish and write about anything you like and because I’ve been around so long, I’ve gotten to watch the storylines shift and the relationships change ...

Social media didn't really exist during the show's original run. How were you most involved with the X-Files online (atxc, message board, email mailing list, etc.)?

Originally, I never had much interaction with people other than ones who sent emails commenting on my fanfic … the internet at my parents house was dial-up and I had to access through the AOL free disks that arrived in the mail so, for the most part, I didn’t have the bandwidth or the connection speed to do more than upload stories and download episode guides.

Good lord, I remember submitting a story and having to wait upwards of two days to two weeks before the new batch of stories was posted ... then ephemeral came around and you could actually have your story up in under a day ... all ya'll who started on tumblr and ao3, you have it great, let me tell you :)

One thing that stands out in my mind still (and I’m still friends with her on Facebook) was a woman from western Canada who I stumbled across somewhere while looking for the blooper reels. She offered to send me her copies on VHS for my collection. I don’t think she asked for payment and one day, a package arrived from a lovely woman near Lethbridge, bloopers playable, tapes labeled in clear printing. I still appreciate that 20 some odd years later :)

What did you take away from your experience with X-Files fic or with the fandom in general?

Fandoms are crazy places. Tread lightly at first but enjoy what you want, ignore what you don’t, rewrite what you hate, and write what you love. Don’t be an asshole when you don’t agree with someone … when you do, tell them …

What was it that got you hooked on the X-Files as a show?

I was on board from the first episode. It was a show about two people who you felt were destined to be together but weren’t, and wouldn’t be for years. It was a cop show about aliens and a monster show with cops. I was in the right place at the right time in the right frame of mind and there was just something that clicked and I never looked back. Friends were not allowed to call me on Friday night and once it switched to Sunday, I made sure that my parents got us on early evening bowling league so we’d be home in time to watch. Even my boyfriend (eventual husband) knew to shut the hell up from 9-10pm, even if he was sitting next to me on the couch (with my parents in their chairs watching as well)

Also, my 56-year-old dad had a crush on Scully from the start so that was entertaining as hell as well

What got you involved with X-Files fanfic?

I have been writing stories in my head for literally as long as I can remember. Watching some episode, I honestly don’t remember which one, I suddenly had an idea for a story about Mulder and Scully. I had never written a story with pre-existing characters before and it was totally foreign to me. How do you write a character with a current storyline. It was weird, it was difficult, it was some of the most fun I’d had writing up to that point.

Suddenly, I didn’t have to explain or describe the characters, think of jobs and mundane things … they already had those … and it was great.

Honest-to-God, my first fic was written, in pencil, on a yellow legal pad by flashlight while lying with my head at the foot of my bed so I could see my parents coming down the hall if they happened to wake up at midnight to go to the bathroom. Later fics were written by the light of an 10” TV/VCR combo with me still lying with my head at the foot of the bed. I still have those old legal pads somewhere and I remember having to type them in secret, having to wait until the house was empty for 20 minutes to an hour at a time. Uploading them was always unnerving because of the slow dial-up and the fact that I didn’t have my own email address, but had to use my dad’s. I’d have to make sure to check it whenever I could, intercept the feedback I’d get off gossamer.

I was such a damn rebel.

What is your relationship like now to X-Files fandom?

Well, I now know how to interact with people given tumblr and AO3 but it hasn’t changed much. I contribute a little more now that I understand posting on social media but mostly, I still just write like a fiend and post, read voraciously and give kudos and likes often, comment some and reblog.

Were you involved with any fandoms after the X-Files? If so, what was it like compared to X-Files?

I dabbled and have a favorite ‘Fringe’ fic … I tried to read a Harry Potter fic once … I type ‘West Wing’ occasionally in ao3 and tumblr ...

And nothing, absolutely nothing, has ever caught me like the X-Files did in regards to the fandom experience.

I have shows I watch and re-watch and re-watch but no two characters have ever had me writing and thinking and planning like Mulder and Scully. No other combo has ever made me write upwards of 300,000 or more total and still have plenty of stories to tell.

I’m okay with this.

Who are some of your favorite fictional characters? Why?

Aside from Mulder and Scully and the gentlemen three of Frohike, Langley, and Byers … I love all Scully’s nieces and nephews in my ‘Life’ series … I also love Corduroy (picture books), Harold (purple crayon fame), Neville Longbottom, the characters from my own novels, Katniss (book not movie), Anne Shirley, Elnora (from the Limberlost), Will Stanton/Merriman/Barney/Jane from ‘Dark is Rising’ and 10,459 others …

I’m a children’s librarian so most of my favorite books are those written for the younger and YA crowd. I like my job :)

Do you ever still watch The X-Files or think about Mulder and Scully?

I watch this show all the damn time. I will think about Mulder and Scully when I have nothing else to think about, normally writing and editing whatever story I may have in the hopper at the time about them.

My husband laughs when I have the show on. He knows all the episodes with me and it’s one of my comfort shows that I don’t have to pay attention to when it’s on. During it, I have edited books, decorated cookies, been sick, been recovering, simply wasted a perfectly good day because I could.

My 17-year-old daughter keeps it on while she does homework and works out.

It’s a staple at our house and no one is allowed to make fun of it, even though we all know that parts are completely ‘make fun-able’

Do you ever still read X-Files fic? Fic in another fandom?

I read fic all the time … I have worked my way through AO3 starting from the beginning and if it was more easily readable on a phone, I’d work my way, once again, through gossamer.

Restated from above: I dabbled and have a favorite ‘Fringe’ fic … I tried to read a Harry Potter fic once … I type ‘West Wing’ occasionally in ao3 and tumblr ...

Do you have any favorite X-Files fanfic stories or authors?

I have all kinds of favorites on tumblr but right now, I honestly don’t remember most of the names … I pretty much read everything that comes through my dashboard and every few days, i read through the newest posts on AO3 … I love you all!!

What is your favorite of your own fics, X-Files and/or otherwise?

Of X-Files fics, I love my newer stuff … I read ���Life” and its sequels every few months … ‘Your Place or Mine’ is another one I will read … actually, I’ll just say it .... I read all my own fic over and over again …

With fic, you get to write the characters as you want to see them and write situations that you want to see … I write for myself most of all and I love to read what I wrote :)

Do you think you'll ever write another X-Files story? Or dust off and post an oldie that for whatever reason never made it online?

I write them all the damn time. I have tons of snippets and half-finished that I occasionally glean things from but while sometimes, old stuff morphs into new, sometimes, it just needs to gather that dust and live a quiet little forgotten life in some backhand folder on my dropbox account ...

Do you still write fic now? Or other creative work?

First question is answered above.

As for other creative work, I have published two YA novels, have the third in that series in editing … I have five other novels in the hopper in various stages of ‘good lord this needs an edit or twelve’ …

I am writing things constantly in my head or on my laptop … most is crap … stome sticks … some turns into fic and some turns into books …

But the point is, I am writing, in some form, at all time :)

Where do you get ideas for stories?

Some two sentence conversation will spark an idea … the line of a song will inspire an idea … a word will start a sentence which will turn into a paragraph which will tumble straight into a story … and sometimes, stuff just pops in my head for no damn reason at all ...

What's the story behind your pen name?

On gossamer, I am L. Sprys because that was my name at the time :)

On tumblr and AO3, I’m tatooedlaura because my name is Laura and I have, now, six tattoos (yes, I spelled it wrong in my handle but that’s life) … when I decided on the name, I think I only had two

Do your friends and family know about your fic and, if so, what have been their reactions?

They do now … it took me years to crack and tell them … my husband has never read them, nor have any of the people I have told (as far as I know)

Now, I don’t really care who knows … I’ll tell them I write smutty X-Files fanfiction and family-friendly X-Files fanfiction …

I am too old at this point to be embarrassed by what I like to do. If they laugh at me, I tell them they only get to laugh when they’ve published a book and I pull up my books on Amazon … I’ve only had to do that once and it shut them right the hell up …

Is there a place online (tumblr, twitter, AO3, etc.) where people can find you and/or your stories now?

Gossamer: L. Sprys

Tumblr and AO3: tatooedlaura

Is there anything else you'd like to share with fans of X-Files fic?

I love you! I see you! I appreciate you! I hope you enjoy! Don’t judge me for my grammar issues! I will never be able to spell the word ‘excersize’!

(Posted by Lilydale on April 27, 2021)

[randomfoggytiger]

Here ya go!

All IVF Arcs Must Come to Their End

Most of these aren't NSFW, but they kinda fit the bill. :DDDD

Loose chronological order below¬

LONG FICS

@sunflowerseedsandscience's Someday Your Child May Cry

Mulder and Scully forge their IVF journey-- from S5 through Millennium-- despite Diana Fowley's machinations and Dr. Parenti's interference.

@cultureisdarkbeer's

**Note**: I'm pretty sure these two series intertwine.

When Two Women Collide

In a larger series featuring Mulder's history with Diana and Scully, Chapters 7-11 work through early Season 6 and the IVF arc.

Rooted in Friendship - Chapter 17

Dark AU warning: Scully locks herself in the bathroom to miscarry, not wanting Mulder to see her pain. He hears her, regardless.

@ghostbustermelanieking's auld acquaintance

S7 Mulder and Scully work through the IVF arc after he wakes in Amor Fati.

@scully-eats-sushi's You're Not Alone

Part 1 of a longer slow-burn after Millennium: Scully navigates her complicated feelings with the IVF arc and S7 casefiles.

BellyUp's Blood of Eden

Scully and Mulder support each other through S7's IVF arc (and other assorted trials and tribulations.)

I_cant_find_a_name's Left of a Miracle

Mulder and Scully work through the years, through the seasons, and through the episodes during the IVF arc.

@darwin-xf's Fox Mulder: Fired and Wired

AU: Mulder works through the IVF arc while suffering from brain disease.

Joan Humby's The Pattern

AU: Mulder and Scully investigate a Monty Props casefile while their IVF attempt and his past with Diana looms quietly in the background.

SHORT FICS

@alsoablankslate/tabulaxrasa's Things No One Notices

Skinner notices his agents' behavior during the IVF arc.

@agent-troi's What Only He Could Give Her

AU: Post Terms of Endearment Mulder is shocked Scully picked him to be a dad as well as the father.

@freckleslikestars's Jellyfish

In a followup to The Road to Family (Ao3), post Agua Mala Mulder slips Scully some encouragement (and a Snicker's bar.)

@iloveurscratchybeard's Snow in September

Mulder keeps Scully's hope alive.

ThexInvisiblexGirl's Under Cover of Darkness - Chapter 1

In a loose followup to Not Too Late, post Orison Mulder is there to comfort Scully when the IVF fails.

@gaycrouton's xfiles, 47

A short peak into Mulder's mind through Scully's request and early miscarriage.

@13starbuck42's What Comes Next (Ao3)

Scully changes her mind, allowing Mulder to come back to her apartment and help her grieve.

@storybycorey's This Is What It Tastes Like (Ao3)

Mulder soaks in the joy of possibility and pain of tragedy.

@allyinthekeyofx's Affirmation 2/5 (Ao3)

Part 2 of a longer lead-up to all things: the shock wears off, and Scully breaks down.

Singing_Violin's This I Can Do

Mulder can at least hold Scully through their worst moments.

@baronessblixen's

May All Your Dreams Be Bright (Ao3)

Mulder refuses to give up.

Unnamed

Scully is discouraged after seeing the Phoebe Green, once again.

The Deepest Cut (Ao3)

Diana Fowley trails after Scully to twist the knife.

Name Calling (Ao3)

Scully finds Mulder's list of baby names.

Unnamed

Mulder believes his Amor Fati dream was of their son; and begs Scully not to give up hope.

@jodithann827's Broken

Scully feels like a pretend woman.

@oceanofthesky/noifsandsorbees per manum

Scully realizes she can weather any storm with Mulder by her side.

Donna's

Miracles Await (Gossamer)

Mulder holds Scully while she cries, determined to address their new lines tomorrow.

Imagining a Life

Mulder and Scully wallow separately in their personal failures.

@peacenik0's In All Things - Chapter 1

Mulder and Scully take comfort by reestablishing their familiar banter.

@sixhours's Remnants (FFN)

Mulder and Scully discuss the "what ifs" they planned to do.

@softnow's marked maybe

Mulder will support Scully, even if-- he hints-- she adopts.

@mulderwantstobelieve's I Don't Want to Go Home Tonight (Ao3)

AU: Scully asks the ultimate question.

@tatooedlaura-blog's Done Pretending

AU: in the aftermath of failure, Scully and Mulder pick their pieces back up together.

Jaime Lyn's Full Moon, Near-Death, and Things Left Unfinished

Mulder and Scully are smashed in a car wreck and forced to confront their IVF failure while caught in limbo.

@i-gaze-at-scully's Words, Words, Words

Mulder finds Scully in her apartment crying, clutching a baby blanket.

@catarinquar/catarinquar's sportstar

Amidst a collection of memories, Mulder invites Scully out to the ball field to cheer her up after the IVF.

@alienqueequeg's Truth in the Dark

AU: Scully can no longer keep her distance after her period returns.

AngelsFallFirst's Nightmares Are Dreams Too - Chapter 1

AU: Scully calls after a nightmare, admitting she gave up and asking Mulder to move their relationship forward.

ML/ML_is_me’s (Ao3, Gossamer, DW, Invidiosa) Because It's Scully

AU: Mulder clings to hope, even with brain disease, even after failure.

@rachg82's Three Wishes

Late S7 Mulder and Scully work towards dating after IVF.

@adrianne68/2momsmakearight's All Things Plus One

AU: Mulder and Scully have a Plus One conversation after the IVF failure.

@purrykat/mylifeinshadow's Unnamed

AU: Mulder and Scully solidified their relationship during the grief period; but carried on quite well, afterward.

@lotsoforangesoutside/@lotzzoforangezoutside's Five Boxes (Ao3)

Scully invites Mulder to clean out Maggie's backroom.

gwinne/Gwinne's Domestic Inclinations (Ao3, Gossamer)

Mulder and Scully discuss their journey and its failure after their relationship shifts.

@television-overload's of our making (Ao3)

AU: In part one of an adoption fic series, Mulder and Scully briefly (and awkwardly) discuss their failed IVF procedure.

OFF-TOPICS

ulstergirl/ndnickerson's Abandoned Gardens

Sein und Zeit Scully angrily ruminates on the wreck Tena left in her son's life.

XPhileChai's There's Gotta Be More...

AU: Right as Mulder and Scully are recovering from their failures, a secret Diana Fowley daughter pops up in their lives.

@lyndsaybones's AU where Mulder and Scully move in together

AU: Mulder convinces Scully to still buy a house together after the IVF fails. (Follow up AU is, indeed, a followup.)

@msrafterdark's

Unnamed

AU: Mulder perseveres even after failure.

5 AUs Headcanon Fics

AU: Mulder and Scully marry post IVF failure... and are surprised not soon after.

Zoonr's (Ao3) Mesabi Ferrum

AU: Buried in Chapter Twenty-Nine of a longer Colonization fic, Mulder and Scully discuss their recklessness IVF pursuit.

Alelou's Continuity Series 01

Crack: For the fun of it, here's some lampshading at the IVF arc.

hi! could you please give your fic recs on the failed ivf but have sex to conceive naturally storyline 🥹

Hi, anon! I'm awful with recs, but maybe @randomfoggytiger and @lilydalexf can help with this?

[scenes-in-between]

tatooedlaura-blog replied to your post “Bit of admin and a heads-up”

I shall wait pleasantly in the corner hitting refresh ... Waiting .. and waiting :)

Wednesdays. ;) For the forseeable future, new fic will be posted every Wednesday morning. If I build up enough of a buffer, I might eventually switch to posting two times a week, but let’s not get ahead of ourselves. Hehe. ;)

[lokisgame]

mood: still not over that fanfiction i read 3 years ago

[randomfoggytiger]

Collector's Edition: Reworking Requiem and Mulder's Return (Part IV)

More Requiem AUs!

Loose chronological order below~

Katherinexx1's Miracle

He didn't notice it right away, but she had created this heart-shaped figure on her belly placing her hand next to his.

Pre-Requiem: Scully finds out the big news before Mulder leaves for Oregon again.

JET's (mulderscreek, tumblr, freeservers) Snippet Fic

She conceded, "So our track record has been iffy at best during the most recent Decembers. But last year wasn't too bad."

"Yeah, I think the highlight of the month was when I was attacked by zombies."

Pre-Requiem: There is no baby, and no abduction-- only Scully picking up Mulder during the holidays.

XPhileChai's Life is like a new case - you never know what you're gonna get.

She opened her eyes and met his. He saw the change in her eyes go from "calm and happy" to "oh, yeah, I'm in a car on a stakeout".

Pre-Requiem: Mulder rushes Scully to the hospital, where they discover she miscarried one of two babies.

@alsoablankslate/tabulaxrasa 's (LJ, tripod) Things Outside

The sun was setting, and the sky was a wide swath of indigo out the kitchen window. Sometimes it was very beautiful here. Summer here was like springtime in DC, maybe. How you were always conscious of it, of the rightness of the season, the perfect fit of area and temperature and color and the smell of the air.

They couldn't find out about the baby.

Pre-Requiem: Mulder is never abducted-- instead, he and Scully are put under house arrest.

@myownsuperintendent (Ao3)

“Marry Me” (Ao3)

He hadn’t expected her to say that soon, but he knows she means it.  Her practicality makes him smile.

Pre-Requiem: Mulder recalls how he and Scully discovered her pregnancy before he left for Oregon; and decides to seal their partnership with a proposal. 

Fic: “No Secrets” (Ao3)

“You could have died if I hadn’t gone back and looked at your medical records from last year.  If I hadn’t figured out what was happening and how to reverse it.  And you…you weren’t going to tell me?”  Her voice is no longer even now, but she’s not yelling either; it sounds like all the air has gone out of her.

“I didn’t think there was anything we could do about it,” he says, but he realizes how stupid that is even as he’s saying it. 

Post Requiem: Scully not only finds Mulder after his return but also heals his brain disease. 

@drbedeliadumaurier/heartsfilthylesson's scully finds out she's pregnant before mulder leaves/isolated systems - Chapter 2

Beside her in a near-stranger’s living room, Mulder seems both somber and hopeful. He reaches for her hand and Scully knows his thoughts are filled with stolen ova and failed IVF and the child she lost and the one he’s not aware she’ll have. She needs to tell him.

Pre-Requiem: Scully knows, and decides to tell Mulder the news after her chills in Bellefleur.

Donna/donnah’s (Gossamer, mulderscreek) Alternatives

"I just, I just . . . I just hit the ground."

"Just lie still."

"Why is this happening to me?" He brushed a tear that escaped her eye and trailed down her cheek.

Requiem: Mulder drags Scully to the hospital.

Pattie’s Erlenmeyer Injustice

Not a day goes by that I don't think of the implications of this job, and especially this partnership. The knowledge that one or both of us might be killed or permanently injured in the line of duty hides in the backdrop, waiting to be cast and played out, by directors unknown.

Requiem: Mulder chooses to leave with the alien ship.

@tatooedlaura-blog/tatooedlaura/Laura Sprys's Oregon

The pull to go to them overwhelmed …

The need to join, to stand in the light, defied nature …

But he remained rooted in place.

Requiem: Mulder doesn't leave with the ship, and is panicked after receiving a panicked phone call from TLG.

xphilernj’s (Ao3, Two Close for Comfort) Find the Future - Chapter 1

Upon their arrival at Dulles International Airport in D.C., Mulder was fit to be tied and Skinner was ready to clamp the handcuffs on him and throw Mulder in the trunk of his car.

Requiem: Mulder rushes back to Scully’s side.

Maidenjedi's Would That I Could Travel Both

She held her breath as his arms wrapped around her, and felt his reluctance to leave her as much as his eagerness to go, to discover, to find the all-encompassing Truth.

Requiem: Amidst a selection of AUs, Mulder didn't get his answers but did have a happy ending.

Erin M. Blair’s The Blessing

He stood in the doorway of her hospital room and walked toward the chair by the bed. Pulling it as close to the bed as possible, he sat gingerly on the chair's edge, then gently held her hand in his.

Requiem: Scully floors Mulder with her pregnancy news.

bellefleur’s "Arms Wide Open"

I look over to see my partner's mother standing a few feet away from me, stock still and drained of color, with her hand covering her mouth. It's takes me a minute, but as I register the fact that her first sight was of me sitting in the hallway with my head in my hands, and then with obvious tear tracks on my face, I begin to comprehend her reaction. She must have immediately thought the worst.

Requiem: Mulder hears the news from Scully; and panics, fleeing the room. Maggie helps him get his head in the game. 

dmwones's Anagrams

"We can attempt to stabilize Dana for as long as possible. Give her blood transfusions, and corticosteroids. One to treat the low platelets, the other to help the fetus' lungs mature. But it's not a cure. Her body is under duress and HELLP syndrome is life-threatening. We can maybe buy a few extra days. But you're going to have to make a decision."

Requiem: In one of many AUs, Mulder is never abducted; but Scully and their baby still suffer complications.

Thanks for reading~

Enjoy!

[baronessblixen]

Saw your request for tucking/blankets fic, and I rummaged some up as quickly as possible:

AU/Scully prevents Mulder's suicide in Gethsemane, tucks him in so he can sleep: Fortune's Fool - Pares (kormantic) - The X-Files [Archive of Our Own]

Mulder caring for Scully after bullet shot, rough case/he ends up barreling her off the bed while thinking Maggie is an intruder: Your place or mine - Chapter 3 - tatooedlaura - The X-Files [Archive of Our Own]

Mulder used Samantha's security blanket for comfort; Scully became his replacement: Gossamer | Story: "Blanket of Dreams" by Piper

Post Orison Skinner finds Mulder cuddling with a sleeping Scully on the couch: Gossamer | Story: "Simple" by JourneyToX

Last part in 3 part series: Mulder escapes captors and collapses back at his apartment. He wakes to find himself cozily tucked in by his resourceful Scully, who dragged him to bed with a blanket: Gossamer | Story: "Fox's Den III - Home Sweet Home" by D'Muse, Thalia

Post Lamaze couch cuddles: Gossamer | Story: "More Perfect Fit, A" by DM

These are just a few, but hope you like! :DDDD

Thank you so much!

Your Place or Mine is one of my all-time faves. Still hoping it will one day get updated 😁

[randomfoggytiger]

This deserves some bug fic reccs, though Scully seems to keep saving Mulder in these fics (except for Of Webs and Flames where Mulder uses spiders for... romance??)

Cornerofmadness’s Of Webs and Flames 

@fbi-angel-in-a-trenchcoat​​/DanaFox1013/easyqueenie’s Monster 

FountainofGeek’s Late Night Request 

@tatooedlaura-blog​​‘s (Ao3, Gossamer) Spider Babies (Ao3) 

in which dana scully must deal with her partner’s (canon) hatred of bugs

[lilydalexf]

hello, sending this ask because i can't find a fic. i don't remember it so clearly but in it scully was in her parents house and all her family was worried about her for some reason, so mulder comes to her room and they sleep together. later in the middle of the night they wake up and go downstairs to the couch, where scully tries to make mulder appreciate a state of sort of, not knowing the time? (i know it sounds weird but it was something like that) and then they fall asleep again there. i read this fic here in tumblr, i'm not sure if it was anywhere else. hope this isn't hard to find, ty!!

This fic sounds like Narrow Beds by @tatooedlaura-blog​. It is also at AO3, where its summary is: Learning to love liminal spaces ...

If someone has another idea of what this fic might be, let us know!

[unremarkablehouse]

you guys got some of my favorites in there! I’ll add @tatooedlaura-blog has a series called Life and other fics that are so awesome. Some other writers with some of my fave MSR fics of the past few years (in no particular order):

@agent-troi @katy-kt-katie @thatfragilecapricorn30 @slippinmickeys @skelavender @bakedbakermom @freckleslikestars @gaycrouton @cassiopeia462 @lotsoforangesoutside @spookydarlablack

Sareki

@phillippadgettwrites (smut warning!)

(plus I love OPs writing and taste in authors!)

I was going through my AO3 and I’m calling out these specific fics too:

Thirty Five Hundred Miles And A Lifetime To Go Long hours on the road and in the skies, how will Dana Scully and Fox Mulder fill the silence? What silence?  A collection of road trip oneshots through their years together and the games they play...

The Modern Gateway Motel After a traumatic experience, Mulder fabricated an X-file as a way to help Scully escape reality. Over the years, they returned to “investigate” that special place and take advantage of all it had to offer, exploring aspects of their relationship that they attempted to ignore in the real world. As time passed, it grew harder to confine the relationship they shared to that specific time and place.

Gradients He didn’t want Scully in his bed so much as he wanted that last barrier gone. Sex seemed to be the demarcation for her, as she’d apparently decided that once that hurdle had been cleared, it would signal her complete surrender to him. As if she hadn’t already done that. As if he hadn’t with her a long time ago.

Hi! I'm doing a rewatch of the x files and this is the first time I got so invested in MSR and I was wondering if you had some fic recs? there are so so many online I have no idea how to find the best ones lol I'm okay with explicit content btw thanks in advance!

Give me a few days and I'll make a more comprehensive masterpost but I can give you some good starting points!

Self-promo first, you can find me on ao3 and any tumblr-only ficlets under the tag #alex writes x files. My bookmarks are public and I save every single fic I read on there, so you can have a look through those if you want.

@today-in-fic this is the account to follow to get fresh fics on your dash. they simply reblog any TXF fanfics they get tagged in, so they're somewhat of an archive in by itself.

Writers plus general amazing TXF accounts

@msrafterdark if you don't mind smut then this is a must! @bakedbakermom @sisterspooky1013 @thursdayinspace @randomfoggytiger (an absolute goldmine concerning everything MSR and TXF, especially when it comes to meta posts) @television-overload @baronessblixen @thescullyphile @deathsbestgirl @thescullyphile @scullysexual @numinousmysteries @fine-nephrit @scullysflannel @fossilizedhearts @not-aliens @julmunne

(Live) Episode Reaction & Rewatches

@enigmaticxbee @mulders-too-large-shirt

Other Specializations

Dana Scully Lookbook Project The X-Files Script Archive

My brain fog is pretty bad today and I probably forgot a lot, so PLEASE feel free to leave your own additions (self promo explicitly welcomed) and I'll add them.

[enigmaticxbee]

✖️✖️✖️✖️✖️ 6x03 Triangle

The one where... the Bermuda Triangle takes Mulder back in time to a Nazi occupied cruise ship in 1939 and Scully saves the world.

Tagline: Die Wahreit Ist Irgendwo Da Drauben (aka The Truth is Out There)

Best: The long tracking shot following a fully unhinged Scully through the FBI hallways as she threatens and begs for the information to save Mulder’s life. I’ve never loved her more.

Worst: This episode is so DARK. I mean, the show is always dark, and I know they’re experimenting with the long takes and trying to hide cuts but it’s SO F***KING DARK. Don’t even get me started on the lighting of that kiss, I will cry.

✔️ Flashlights

❌ Woods/Desert

❌ Slideshow

❌ Autopsy

❌ Evidence Disappears

✔️ Scully Misses It

✔️ Mulder Ditch

❌ Sunflower Seeds

✔️ Voiceover: Crewman (TNO)

❌ Catch Phrase

❌ Scully is a Medical Doctor

❌ Mulder is Spooky

❌ Scuuullllaaaaayy! Muullllderrrr!

❌ Fox/Dana

✔️ Inappropriate Touching (that I am here for)

❌ Casual Scully

✔️ Casual Mulder

❌ Trench Coats

❌ Bad Tie Watch

❌ Glasses Watch

✔️ Taking! It! Personally!: Scully

50 States: Florida x5, DC x52 & Bermuda (37/50)

Investigate: Apart

Solve Rate: 58%

❌ Bechdel Test: The only women Scully speaks to are unnamed, including AD Kersh’s assistant.

MSR: 🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝

Goriness: 👽👽👽

Creepiness: 👽👽

Humor: 👽👽👽👽

Rewatch Thoughts:

It was all a dream: This is the first of so many episodes this season where everything is undone by the end of the episode. All Mulder is trying to do is make sure he doesn’t change the world - to set historical events back on track and get back home.

I just noticed on this rewatch that Mulder’s smashed up boat in the cold open is named Lady Garland. Love all of the Wizard of Oz references in this episode.

1939-Scully looks fantastic in that red gown. Her arms...🔥

Scully: I want you to do me a favor. It’s not negotiable. Either you do it or I kill you. You understand? Can you imagine your coworker coming in and accosting you like this? I don��t even blame Spender for going straight to Kersh 😂

Never forget that we see Scully kiss Skinner before Mulder and that it’s 100x better lit. She’s SO relieved.

That whole sequence set to swing music where in 1939 they’re running through the corridors holding hands and in 1998 Scully’s searching the corridors with the LGM and the Scullys sense each other - it’s so much fun.

Mulder: So, in case we never meet again... The way he grabs her by the neck and pulls her in for the kiss... Even in silhouette you can tell it’s a good kiss. In general I’m against surprise kisses but I’ll make an exception since she immediately punches him (and it’s, you know, a dream).

His little tap on her hip while she’s standing at his hospital bed and he’s telling her she saved the world... That hip tap makes me INSANE.

Mulder: I love you. Scully: Oh brother. She knows he loves her. She also knows he’s not ready to do anything about it and wouldn’t say it if he weren’t drugged up or about to lose her.

His little smile when he feels his black eye and remembers that she gave it to him for kissing her... He’s got it bad guys. Just imagine 13-year old me squeeing and then extrapolate out to 30-something me thinking about this moment for 20+ years.

Episode-Related Fanfic Recs:

far away to the west and south by audries - I absolutely adore this Thanksgiving fic set just post-episode, where Mulder and Scully spend the holiday with the Lone Gunmen. It’s perfect.

Dividends by Suzanne Schramm - a late night motel room conversation. The FTF almost-kiss is finally addressed. Also the perfect oh brother follow up. (On Gossamer so if link doesn’t work you can search for it there.)

Geometry of a Triangle by @tatooedlaura-blog - sweet little post-ep where Scully turns around and goes back into Mulder’s hospital room.

Submersion by Oracle - Scully’s having a harder time than Mulder getting over his almost drowning. Mulder recites The Owl and the Pussycat to a sick Scully. This description isn’t doing this fic justice, it’s lovely. (On Gossamer so if link doesn’t work you can search for it there.)

[jamofappreciation]

Fan Fic Rec List Part 4

I love fic. I love all the writers on this list (and not on this list) and I want to thank them for continuing to write and give us amazing stories to read over and over. I’ve chosen this list based on the writers and stories that have stood out to me over the last months, though I love literally everything I reblog, so if you need more to read then definitely look there (under the ‘fanfic’ tag). 

- By the Dim and Flaring Lamps by @sunflowerseedsandscience​ - If you’re not reading this...well, I just don’t know what to say. It isn’t even finished yet but it’s already one of my favorite stories ever. Please, please, give this a read so you can wait with me in agony for each new chapter. :)

- Unquiet Grave by mimic117 - (15K, Rated NC-17) Basically a glorified one-bed fic where Mulder and Scully are caught in an abandoned house (or is it?) during a snow storm, forcing them to deal with “them.”

- Tiny by @baronessblixen​ - Written during the December fic challenge, this is a super sweet story involving William. It just leaves you warm and fuzzy and convinced that this is real life. 

- Phantom Pains by @skepticalshoulderpads​ - (M) Some seriously sexy phone action while Scully is missing Mulder.

- Imperfectly Perfect by @allyinthekeyofx​ - It takes something special to make All Things fic stand out since it’s been done so much, but this is just that. So special and sweet.

- Paracelsus by Prufrock’s Love - (~900K, NC-17) I needed something to satisfy my AU cravings in between chapters of By the Dim and Flaring Lamps, and @kateyes224 recommended this. It is another Civil War-era AU and it totally delivered. The tone and plot are completely different, but it’s amazing in its own way. It’s a long one, and tumultuous, and made me yell at our favorite characters several times, but in the end I loved it. (This link takes you to the first part, and there are three others).

- Chocolate Glazed with Sprinkles by @tatooedlaura-blog​ - This is short, a ‘Mulder coming over to veg at Scully’s’ story, and the details feel SO complete and right and cozy. It’s just one of those perfect glimpses at a day in the life of Mulder and Scully.

- How He Asked by @mangokiwitropicalswirl​ - (7 ch., M) All about wifegate up in here. :) I absolutely love this story!!

- Tabulae Anatomicae by @lepus-arcticus​ - (M) Okay so I was not convinced that I’d buy an art school AU, but now I’m shamelessly asking for a second chapter, event though I think I saw you say that you don’t generally do continuations. But please?? ;)

- Embers by @syntax6​ - I was sure I had rec’d this story before, but I can’t see that I have, so here you go. Seeing who the author is should be enough of an incentive to read, or read again. :)

[randomfoggytiger]

@thursdayinspace, you wanted multi-chapter fluff; and I tried to deliver! >:DDD

Picking up from Part 5 of @tatooedlaura-blog/tatooedlaura/Laura Sprys's Our Moments series, Scully's medical decline pushes her and Mulder past their pretense, comfortably crossing boundaries and spending precious moments basking in each other's company: sharing a bed, shopping for groceries, cooking a meal, and spinning sweet, sweet banter.

And, of course, after her remission they go for round two.

Shadowed Grey Eyes

“I’d like to drive through Ireland.... We’d look for leprechauns and rainbows... and never come home.”

“Would you find a nice Irish girl to settle down with? Have eight or nine kids?”

Kissing the back of her head, “I’ve found a nice Irish girl already and I don’t need kids, just her.”

“What if I find a nice man in a kilt?”

“That’s Scotland.”

“Sorry. I think I’m almost asleep. Would you wear a kilt if I asked you to?”

The Warmest Thing I Own

 He felt her and opened his eyes, finding the room grey but light, “what time is it?”

Her voice scratched out an, ‘I don’t care’ before burying her head back in the pillow.

“Are we not caring today? ‘Cause I can get behind not caring today.” Reaching out to poke her side, “how are you feeling?”

Rolling in his direction, she gave him a smile that could have lit the city had she come with plug and adaptor, “I actually feel okay. I don’t think I’ve slept like that in weeks.”

Fancy Paper Napkins

Finally in the kitchen, he opened the crockpot, stirred with the big spoon, and glad to see the mushrooms soft and unburned, offered Scully a taste. Refusing with an, ‘I’d like to wait for dinner,’ he nodded towards the fridge, “go grab the steak, would you?”

They ate like civilized people, at the kitchen table, forks, knives, fancy paper napkins …

End of the Road

His mind was open and slow, filters off, walls down, and in that very moment, the only thing he had left in the world to say was “I love you.”

Post Moments

You sat through a steak, my famous garlic mushrooms, six tubs of ice cream, and all those M&Ms I kept feeding you and you couldn’t taste a thing? The amount of money I could have saved during those months I tempted you with anything I could find while, really, it all tasted like sawdust...."

“I got …” being generous for his sake, “hints of flavor.”

Hope you enjoy~

[lokisgame]

Side Effects Of Heat Stroke

Tagging the author of the original prompt @mulders-boyish-enthousiasm​ and @frizzyhairedbitch85​ who requested part II (the bacon thing is a tribute to the wonderful writing of tatooedlaura-blog​)

Part I 

The water she made him drink woke Mulder sometime in the night. The air outside cooled down, his head stopped hurting, the burn lost its' bite. He went back to bed and pulled the sheets over both of them, letting sleep take him again. Scully shifted and opened one eye to a faint pink sunrise and Mulder fast asleep by her side. Sheets half uncovering his back, the vicious red already fading. Pulling the sheet up and breathing in the dewy air, she fell asleep again.

She woke up a few hours later to another perfectly sunny morning and one glance to her side made it even brighter. “Hi” Mulder was hugging a pillow and watching her, smiling. “Hi” she said, turning on her side “how are you feeling” “Better” her gentle hand on his shoulder did‘t hurt anymore “thank you for taking care of me” “Always" she assured him but retreated her hand, no more reason to touch him now that the criss was over. "Any plans for today?" he asked, making no move to get up, as if this was Sunday like any other. "Not really, my mom might be dropping buy for lunch" the smile stayed on his lips but slipped from his eyes "you wanna stay for lunch?" "Only if you let me make breakfast" "A real breakfast?" she teased as he too rolled to his side, facing her, taking back her palm in both of his hands and pulling it to his side of the bed, playing with her fingers. "Yeah, whatever you like"  "You can cook Mulder?" she sure hoped it didn't involve getting dressed and going out. "Cooking isn't the problem" he pressed a kiss to her knuckles, something he didn't do in a while "it's the cooking for one." "Alright" trying not to dwell on deeper meanings for now, she smiled and her words brought back the smile into his eyes. "Can I ask one more favor though?" the shy question raised her eyebrow "Can I borrow a razor?" "Mulder" her exasperated tone turned into laugh as he put his chin in her hand and rubbed it with the sand-papery beginnings of a quite scratchy beard. "It's Sunday, your mom's coming, probably straight from church, I should look decent" "You look fine" she sighed but didn't take back her hand, now cupping his cheek. "Please" "If it makes you feel better" a smile beneath her palm was something special. "It will" "Fine"

Scully found an old white buttoned down shirt in her closet, probably still remembering the time of her cancer. It landed in the washer with a load of white laundry and his last nights t-shirt and boxers. In the meantime shirtless Mulder busied himself around the stove, making pancakes and frying bacon and burning toast to her endless enjoyment. "You're too slow Mulder" she giggled, as he couldn't keep up with flipping the pancakes. She slipped the ready one's to a waiting plate and poured another batch of batter into the sizzling pan. "I said I'll cook, didn't say I won't need help" a little defensive but still smiling, he kept an eye on the bacon and toast. "I am helping, aren't I?" she flipped the switch on her coffeemaker and smiled triumphantly "I'm making coffee" "Anyone can do that" Mulder chuckled and turned over the bacon. "If you burn the toast we'll never get rid of the stench" she warned, rummaging through the freezer, registering the smell. "It won't burn, I know what I'm doing" he pushed the bread back into toaster for a few more seconds. "You sure?" somewhere behind him something heavy thumped on the counter. "Ever the sceptic" he took a notch from the toaster setting just in case, no point in messing with his hostess. "Hand me those" Scully gestured for pack of six sunny yellow lemons that rested on his side. "You're making a lemon pie?" he asked reaching behind without looking. 
"You'll see" he heard the water run, heavy knife hitting the cutting board. "Can't look, need to watch the bacon, spill" the curiosity growing. "Interesting choice of words" Scully laughed and then a loud crash that could knock down the pictures from the walls made him jump. "Jesus, warn before you try to give me a heart attack" he sighed and finally looked around. "Sorry, ice won't come out" she explained and he noticed the jug of tea, lemons, some cut in slices some in half, and the ice, now spilled on the counter. "You're kidding" his heart filled with warmth and he took a step towards her. "No, making ice tea" she explained still with her back to him, dumping the lemon slices into the cooling tea.
"C'mere" he said and with one hand on her waist pulled her into a one arm hug, chancing a brief kiss on her cheek and smelling the lemons, as she awkwardly tried to return the hug without touching him with wet hands. He could only hope, she would one day understand how much the small things she did meant to him, but for now he settled for whispering "you're the best friend in the world" "You're overreacting" she smiled a little doubtfully, but let him hold her a second longer, before warning "and burning the bacon" "Damn, sorry" he let go of her in double time and switched off the burner under the pan. She filled a glass and turned to him, now her arm around his middle, as he set the last slices on the parchment. "Actually, I like it this way" resting her cheek on his arm she felt him relax. The pan set aside and bacon moved to a plate, her hand on his hip could cure all insecurities. She handed him the glass and taking a tentative sip at fist, then a regular gulp Mulder sighed, immensely pleased. "Couldn't you tell me earlier?" "And miss all the fun" Scully picked a crispy slice between two fingers and ate it whole in two bites. "Not too sweet" he mentioned, gesturing with the glass "you know what I like" "With the amount of cholesterol in this" she said around the crunchy goodness "we might at least keep the sugar in check" "Sure, fine" rolling his eyes playfully he skipped the comment about her nutrition gods spoiling the fun. They set the table, warm food and coffee, cold ice tea and juice, sweet fruit and soft butter, jam and maple sirup, best friends and laughter.

They cleaned together after, radio playing some cheerful classics in the background. He coaxed a few stories of her childhood from her, a few favorite places, sharing some of his own fond memories, few as they were. By that time they moved to the couch, sun was trying to peek through the drawn curtains. The conversation slowed to a companionable lazy random thought contest. Around noon Scully left him on the couch, dozing under a magazine he picked from the forgotten pile on her coffee table and making her wish, she had film in her camera. Before the time Maggie was expected, they looked more than decent. Mulder in jeans, a white shirt with rolled up sleeves, Scully in soft, cotton, powder blue dress flowing over her curves like water. Anyone who didn't know better, would take them for a couple, some who did know probably as well. They almost felt it themselves, hanging in the humid air.

Maggie, who always wished them only the best, seeing Dana answering the door and Fox mixing salad in the kitchen, decided to take good things without question. She hugged and kissed both of them, as a mother would greet her happiest children.

[baronessblixen]

Do you have any recommendations for good long fanfic - casefiles or fluff with a dose of msr - or tips on for best place to search for them? Need some escapism - feeling anxious as my mum just got diagnosed with cancer (fortunately early stage) and need to also help care for dad who has dementia - all a bit complicated with Covid - and need some easy distraction in the spare moments. You’ve always been nice and one of my favourite writers - thank u

Breaks my heart to read this, anon. Wishing your mum a full and speedy recovery and you a lot of strength ❤ As I personally prefer shorter fics, I can only link a few of my favorites. I hope others who see this will provide you with more!

Terra Firma is one of my all-time favorites. It’s more on the fluffy side.

The Second Side of Light by @scapegrace74-blog is one of my favorite historical AUs. It’s not *that* long though (depending on what you’re looking for)

The Life Series by @tatooedlaura-blog is perfect as a distraction if you ask me. It’s fluff. 

Planes, Trains and Automobiles is a fun story set in season 7 (agoodwoman has more longer fics on AO3 as well!)