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greekowl87 · 11 months

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X-Files Collector's Edition: Dad!Mulder, His "Mini Me"s, and Sports

Mulder deserved to bond with his "mini me"s over any sport under the sun. Here are a few fics that do just that.

Loose chronological order below~

Canon Timeline

Susan Proto’s Memory's Promise

""His first, real baseball glove. He smiled at the fond memories he held of his father and he going to the sporting goods store to pick out the perfect glove. He remembered the arduous process of breaking in the glove and trying to follow every single direction his father had given him to do it just right.

He oiled it. And he rubbed it. And he placed the baseball inside to make the perfect pocket and flinched slightly at the memory of how his hands stung when he'd tried to wrap the rubber band around it to hold the ball in place and the band snapped and stung him to the point of tears. He remembered his father found him whimpering slightly, and gently guided him into his den, all the while telling him he had just the thing to keep that ol' ball in place. His dad pulled out the biggest rubber band he'd ever seen; Mulder smiled at the sweet memory of being so taken with something so simplistic.""

Pre-Empedocles Mulder remembers a happy childhood memory of becoming Samantha's protector and learning baseball from his father. He's ready.

@folieadeux1121-blog's What Might Have Been

""Hips before hands!” came a little voice in front of Mulder. William glanced over his shoulder, up at his dad, his smile wide. Now four years old, he was excited for his first baseball lesson, and had been ever since Mulder had told him it was happening.

“That’s right kiddo.” Bending down, Mulder wrapped his arms around his son to take hold of the bat the little boy was holding. It was almost as big as William was. “Just remember that and when the ball comes towards you…” he nodded at Scully, signalling he was ready for her to pitch. “You follow through like this…” Scully threw the ball, as gently as she could, and with Mulder’s help William did as his dad asked, the bat connecting with it and sending it a short way to their left. “That’s it!""

Mulder teaches his four-year-old son how to play baseball under the happy eye of Scully. It's not real (that is... if you read the last part.)

Lara Means's (Alt. Ao3) Unrealized Reality

""When he had just turned ten, he practically begged his parents to let him try out for Little League. His father thought it was a great idea, but it seemed to her he was more suited to basketball. Tall and thin, but graceful, like his father. No matter. Her husband had already decided their boy would be the 2025 World Series MVP.""

S9 Mulder returned from the run one year later, married Scully, fathering another baby, and taught his son how to play baseball. Alas, it was all false (or not if you skip the last part.)

@frangipanidownunder’s (Ao3)

Son

""Mulder hoisted the hoop set up to his son, handed him the drill, watched him work. That floppy hair, the gritted teeth, the flashing smile every so often. Pure Mulder. But the steely eyes, the surety of his hands, the precision, that was all Scully.

Back down on the handstanding, admiring his handiwork, Jackson span the ball on his left index finger. A genetic throwback or a learned thing?

“One on one, old man?""

Post Finale Will shows up to fix Mulder's basketball hoop and start to bond over their mutual interest.

Micro Fic Series - Chapter 8

""Mulder have been able to gather them up, press them, ready to keep like a journal of his days without them. When Mulder discovered he’d never hit a ball, he went all Fox Mantle and now they head out every afternoon, bats slung over shoulders, careful smiles on ruddy faces. She watches as her son, their son, bat propped against his legs, hands on hips, flexes his jaw and listens to the instructions. A willing young Mulder outlined in an orange glow. A proud father finally able to share precious moments, in the autumn years of their lives.""

AU-- Post My Struggle II(?) Mulder is recovering from the virus, taking time to teach William to play baseball.

@moldyandskuller's team spirit

""She opens the lid and rifles through it, pulling out stray t-shirts, two pairs of jeans – she’ll steal some boxers and basketball shorts from his drawers. And when her eyes fall on a piece of shiny gray fabric, she wonders what it’s doing in the box, why it doesn’t have a hanger – its own frame, and she pulls it free from its hold.

She looks at her son. “You like baseball?” But it’s more of a statement than a question.

“Yeah.”

She folds the jersey, places it on top of the pile of clothes she’ll lend to him. “When he gets home, you should ask your – ask Mulder to tell you the story about this,” she says. “it’s a good one.""

Mulder and Scully pack a relationship's worth of history into his Gray's baseball t-shirt, passing it onto Will in sundry parts of his life.

@mchalowitz's (Ao3) endearments, part 5

""He swears to Scully that he’s encouraging her interest, not influencing it. He only concedes to listening to sports radio during many sleepless nights during the first year.

“Katie Mantle steps up to the plate,” Mulder murmurs. “Even in the pre-season, she is playing a perfect game.”

Katherine purses her lips at him, slightly lifted at the corners. Her eyes are all determined concentration.

Mulder pitches slow, underhand, and he can’t help but be amazed by his child when the ball flies behind him.""

Post Finale Mulder bonds with his little girl, naming her and not influencing her to be a baseball star (but also...) He's always proud of his growing girl.

@atths–twice/ATTHS_TWICE’s (team spirit

Baseball Showdown (Ao3)

""She held her bat and got into her stance, ready to hit the ball. He smiled and threw the ball into his glove a few times.

“The pitcher readies his pitch, the batter holds the bat tight and sure, they are both waiting.”

“Daddy,” she laughed, smiling and happy, tilting her head to the side.

“And the pitcher sees the sign from the catcher,” he said, shaking his head as he looked at the net set up behind her, not wanting balls to get lost in the field. “He doesn’t like that one, so he waits for another sign. Oh, he must like that one as he nods and gets ready. And… here’s the pitch!”

He threw the ball underhanded to Faith and she swung, but missed.

“Striiiiiiiike!” Mulder yelled in a deep voice and Faith laughed as she bent to pick up the ball and toss it back as it bounced off the net.""

Mulder lets his Revival daughter win at baseball, celebrating her indoor success and taking her out for ice cream.

Canon Divergent Timeline

Cathey Scully's Ballgame

""Mulder produced 3 tickets for dugout level. He grinned, picking up one of William's hands. "Can't you see it Scully? You, me, and this guy on the big screen that looks over centerfield, while we watch a bunch of guys slap a piece of horsehide with a stick."

"Mulder," Scully sighed in affectionate exasperation. "This is his 'half-birthday' present?"

"Yep." Mulder grinned down at her. Scully rolled her eyes until William called for her attention. She looked down at him to find him grinning a nearly toothless grin at her.

"You too?" she asked, already caving.""

AU-- Mulder drags Scully out of bed for a baseball game to celebrate Will's first six months of life.

Defnotmeyo’s (WBM, Alt. WBM)

122 Days iv

""Kid’s gonna look good in Yankees gear,” he thinks aloud, and tries to eat his words for a second when her hand stops.

There’s a heavy minute of silence shattered by another whap of the bat, and she slowly resumes ruffling her hand across his chest.

“Bill already bought her a Padres onesie...""

Post Empedocles? Mulder (in this many part miniseries) is warming up to his impending fatherhood. During a baseball game, he's scared he's overstepped by laying claim to the baby's team. Scully smooths the awkward moment. (Love this one.)

Unnamed

""He’s four, the first time it happens.

“Mulder, he’s too young to be slapping horse-hide with a stick.”

“How else you think we’re gonna be able to afford to put this monkey through college?” his Pops lobs back at his Mom.""

AU-- Mulder savvily teaches his son the art of baseball.

An Anon's Unnamed

""Where is he, anyway ? He had a good reason, apparently, but didn’t want to tell her. Scully walks to Will’s bedroom and swears she can smell paint in the hallway.

At this moment, Mulder opens the bedroom door, and she’s face to face with his grey stained tee. She starts speaking when he grabs her shoulders and immediately cuts her : « Wait, wait. Close your eyes, ok ? »

It takes her 1 or 2 seconds to do it, but she obeys, silently praying he didn’t blow up their son’s room.""

AU-- Mulder-- faint of heart-- skips Will's vaccinations; but he made up for it by decorating his son's bedroom in style.

andsocanshe's Of Pitches and Pondering

""There’s a bag of sports equipment off to the left by the bench, Scully’s leaning against the gate, and Mulder is crouched down on the ground with a toddler in front of him. The five minutes it should have taken to explain the concept of baseball have turned into nearly twenty, but William’s interest in every detail about the game and the park around them is worth it.

He’s at the age of “why’s” and everything is one question followed by another and so on. The questions “Why do we have to go to bed?”, “Why do you go to work and not Daddy, too?”, and his personal favorite, the word “Why?” with no additional context have ruled Scully and Mulder’s day-to-day lives for the past few months. Her mother, psychology, and all the parenting books say that it’s just a phase, one that every child goes through, but Scully often wonders if her son gets this from his father; the constant search for a truthful explanation.""

AU-- Scully observes her sporty Mulders, father and toddler, bonding over Will's first baseball lesson.

Girlie_girl7’s Day in the Life, A 35

""He holds the bat high making small circles in the air. He stops, stands still, and then swings. An imaginary crack is heard as the invisible ball sails higher and higher matching the pitch of the make believe crowd. Mulder throws his bat down, makes a fist and pumps it in the air. He lopes to the sandbox making sure to tag it then hustles to the end of the pool fence touching an imaginary second base. He jogs to the barbeque grill and taps the propane tank with his foot. He rounds third and begins his trek to home plate tipping his hat and waving to the crowd. He makes one final leap and lands on the flagstone home plate. He is turning to bow to the crowds when he hears, "Da-dee, wha' ya doin'?""

AU-- William is NOT interested in baseball; and accidentally hits Mulder in a very sensitive area.

Polly's (Ao3) Believing in Miracles (Ao3)

""I took my seat as Mulder slid the glove onto Will's left hand. He beamed with fatherly pride as Will punched his fist into the pocket of the mitt a few times before holding it up to his face to inhale the aroma of the well-treated leather.

Lately Will insisted on wearing his mitt when we watched baseball on television, wanting to be prepared in case a foul ball came hurtling out of the set. It didn't surprise me that Mulder hadn't explained to Will that the glove wasn't necessary; it was only surprising that Mulder wasn't wearing one too.""

AU-- It's the World Series: Mulder and Scully and Will celebrate in style-- throwing popcorn, guitar riffing to the anthem, and delving into Mulder's relationship with his father and acting on his hope that, after their day of miracles, he and Scully will be able to pull off another one. (I love this fic so much.)

@contrivedcoincidences6/Spooky66/geektime66’s

Baseball and Horror (Ao3)

""She poked her head out of the kitchen and saw William sitting on the couch wearing a Yankees hat and leaning forward concentrating on the game.

Mulder had his hand on their son’s back and sat back cracking sunflower seeds. She smiled happily at the quaint image before her and decided to move herself and her work to the couch.

William happily moved over when he saw her, “You’re gonna watch?""

AU-- Mulder and Will watch a Cubs game while Scully works on paperwork. She gives in rather quickly.

@blackcoffeeandteardrops‘s (Ao3) Dulcet (Ao3

""After the cake they'd gone outside for party games and a water balloon fight. The other kids and Maggie had all gone home, leaving she and Mulder to clean up the debris in the yard. William was “helping”, but so far seemed more interested in trying to con one of them into giving him more cake. She'd been telling him no and stooping to collect pieces of popped water balloon from the ground when she heard Mulder come up behind her. “Where did you even find that?” she asked, gulping as she realized the object in his hands was a water balloon, still filled and threatening to burst.

“Oh, around,” Mulder replied with a shrug.""

AU-- William spends his birthday spamming Toy Story and throwing water balloons (that's a sport, right?)

Enough For Now

""Did I ever tell you guys that back in Wyoming I was on the basketball team? I even got the ball in the net from the middle of the court facing the opposite direction,” he said, walking backwards towards the booth. He cocked his head and pointed in Mulder’s direction. “You wanna play?”

In reality, shooting a ball through a tiny hoop on a wall wasn’t much like the actual game of basketball, but Scully leaned her hip against the booth and smiled, watching in amusement as William and Mulder raced to get more balls through the hoops as a timer slowly counted down.""

Part of a great AU series post My Struggle II(?): William and his (new) parents bond over basketball and other family-building activities.

@jewish-mulder/@anders-hawke/@iwtbscully/BananaChef‘s

The In-Between - Chapter 12

""Good one, Dad,” William calls with a grin, tossing the ball back to his mother. “I thought you were the baseball champion of the house.”

“Oh, come on now, don’t gang up on me.” He lifts the bat and Scully whips the ball at him again. It’s a repeat of the first time.

She goes easy on him the third time, allowing him to get a good bat out of it.""

AU-- Mulder, Scully, and William have a baseball game in the tall grass growing wild all over the Unremarkable House.

Maidenjedi’s All That Once Was Good

""And yes, it was, for both of them. William hit the ball for awhile, Mulder throwing him rather weak, easy pitches so there could be home runs and the elation, the catharsis that goes with them. Mulder knew why William came out here, after all, even if they never talked about it, never said a word about it out loud.

Mulder felt a bit spooked, though, after awhile. William hit a particularly long ball, what would have been a triple had there been a game going on a real field. And he shouted and threw the bat, ran imaginary bases in celebration. He had every reason - but Mulder heard his own voice in that shout, and felt his own reasons for this long-lost escapism flood his heart. Samantha may be dead, but it didn't matter. She haunted him as often as she could, danced in his thoughts and made him long for a reason to search for her still.

He decided it was his turn at the bat.

William took up the pitcher's post with ease. He tossed the ball in his hand, behind his back, expertly searching for the seams so he could line up his fingers exactly. Mulder laughed at him from the plate; what's taking you so long, meat? William smirked and wiped the sweat from his brow with his forearm.""

AU-- Will is re-adopted after his parents died in a fire. Mulder establishes a mutual bond over baseball, astonished that this wonderful boy is his son. (Love this.)

@all-these-ghosts/all_these_ghosts's the son you always had (iv)

""... In real life Will likes the Nats best, but for one weekend a year, he’ll be a Yankees fan for his dad.

His dad, who is practically glowing with excitement. Once a year, they take the train up to New York, stay in a hotel, and see at least one Yankees game. The first year they went the Yankees went on to win the World Series, so now it’s good luck to keep the tradition. Of course, the Yankees haven’t won since, but every year Will’s dad believes.

For his part, Will is mostly excited to be out of school. He likes playing baseball - and he’s actually really good, thanks to all the afternoons spent playing with his dad - but he really likes playing parent-sanctioned hooky.""

AU-- The Mulder family enjoy a baseball game; but their happy mood dips after Will overhears their fears for him and Colonization.

@aloysiavirgata (Ao3, WBM, Gossamer, LJ, Alt. LJ)

By Falling In and In

""He comes closer and sits down next to her, his rolled-up sleeve brushing her bare, brown arm. "Dr. Livingstone, I presume?" His worn shirt is soft as flannel, and his long legs appear even longer in the frayed khaki shorts.

"Hey. Where's William? I wanted to show him how to fix the flange on the sink."

Mulder works his toes into the warm sand. "He has no time for plumbing. Jesse finally got the projector working again, so Will and Lusiani went to a movie. Though the pickings are slim. Tonight it's either Little Shop of Horrors or the second Austin Powers."

"Better than the solid month of Star Wars prequels. I noticed Lusiani had been hanging around quite a bit lately. She and William have been playing H-O-R-S-E a lot since you got the basketball hoop back up.""

AU-- Mulder, William, and Scully have a happy life together, trying to balance normalcy with Will's powers and the impending end of the world. Sports is in there, somewhere.

a father’s day ficlet/A Pretty Good Investigator

""Luke brightened. “Did you go to Georgetown?”

“Nah. But the Wizards are a joke, so Georgetown was the next best thing. You a basketball fan?”

“I played in high school,” Luke said. “Point guard, varsity.” He blushed. “Not that there was much competition. I grew up in a really small town. It’s not like I’m gonna play here.”

“That’s great.” Mr. Mulder was smiling now, and it was weird - it transformed his entire face. For some reason it bothered Luke.

“My dad said I had to play a sport, and I’m tall, so,” he said shortly, making sure to emphasize the my dad part.

The smile faded. Good, Luke thought.""

AU-- Revival Will (called Luke) tracks his biological mother down for a "research project", astonishing Scully and actively forging a bond. He slowly strikes up a bond with Mulder, finally inviting him out to see one of his bball games.

Mentions

@greekowl87’s (Ao3) Fic: Day of the Dead

""He was just a big ball of orange polyester fluff. He could roll away if he really wanted to. Of course, he was too young.”

“He might as well have been a basketball. A slam dunk into my heart. Just like his mother.""

On the Run Scully and Mulder observe Mexico's Day of the Dead. She tells him about William's first Halloween; and the two address some of their pain in this sad but beautiful story.

@baronessblixen's (Ao3) Our Son Loves Baseball

""He smiles against his will, thinking of their son. He is out there now doing his own thing, going his own way. Mulder wishes they could be by his side, guide him. It is not meant to be. Not now, anyway. He gets up to use the bathroom. On his way back to the bed he sees something stick out of his pocket: a picture. Mulder picks it up, swallows hard. It’s one of the photographs Scully found earlier. The ones he didn’t dare look at, then. Now he can’t tear his eyes away. There’s William, around eight or nine years old, grinning into the camera. His hands around a baseball bat, his stubborn hair hidden under a cap. The picture before him blurs as tears cloud his vision. One falls down right on the little boy. Mulder wipes it away carefully, afraid that the moment, although frozen in time for forever, might disappear.""

Revival Scully draws closer to Mulder, giving him the baseball photo of Will and deriving comfort from their mutual bittersweet feelings.

@sportsnightnut's (Ao3) she has good taste in dinner options

""He comes around the desk and rests his hand on her belly, and his expression changes immediately. Moments ago, he looked focused, intense. Now, he is practically beaming as he feels her kicking against the palm of his hand. “Our daughter has good taste in dinner options.”

Scully nods. “She would like lots of sour cream, too. And cheese. The full-fat kind.”

“Do you think she’d also like to watch some basketball tonight?” Mulder asks, picking up an umbrella as they approach the door.""

Post Revival Scully gets lost in thoughts while waiting for Mulder to wrap up his work day, marveling at his focus and devotion.

I'm missing my dad a lot right now

""Though her eyes are still open, Caroline yawns.

“I can’t be boring you already, can I? Nah. You don’t even know what boredom is yet. I’ll just keep talking. Here’s the second thing you need to know: in this family, we are Yankees fans. The Red Sox are scum. You are so lucky that you were born a fan of the best team in major league baseball.""

Post Revival Mulder scoops up his newborn daughter, chatting to her about everything and anything. But mostly about his love.

@melforbes/@claup/everydaymsr (Ao3, WBM) hesitation

""though they have a television, the only time it’s ever on is during baseball games, and even then, it simply plays in the background while they go about doing other things. in the kitchen, he keeps basic cookbooks, and recently, he’s been trying to learn recipes, to fry and sauté and simmer in ways he’s never managed to master. hand-stitched curtains, a gift from her mother, billow against a breeze in the living room, and light through glass casts a rainbow along the hardwood floor; the couch is plush and so comfortable that he’s watched scully fall asleep on it more times than he can count....

though he wants to call out in search of her, he stays quiet, leaves the paper on the kitchen table, heads upstairs to see if will’s asleep.""

AU-- Mulder contemplates his new family's "starting over" house, slowly easing himself into domesticity and out of anxiety while on a morning coffee run. (Such a soft, peaceful atmosphere. Beautiful.)

@xfiles-behind-the-scenes/YouMadeMeAWholePerson's

Watching the Paint Dry

""Scully checked the time as she finished blow-drying her hair, and quickly headed into the kitchen to tell Mulder he could leave for his basketball game. She found him and Will sitting and staring at something on the table. It was unusual for their three year old to be so still, so she approached them cautiously.

“What’s going on?” she asked, coming up behind Mulder and putting a hand on his shoulder.

“We’re watching the paint dry.""

AU-- Will wants to watch paint dry in their new house; and Mulder skips his game to spend time with his little tyke.

@we-mad-guys's forgetting the future

""After a short stare down, Mrs. Scully shrugs. “Well, thank you for taking care of him. I had a doctor’s appointment yesterday.”

“It was our pleasure,” Frohike says. “We love the little guy.”

That afternoon and evening, the Scully family and their close friends have to cajole the boy into having a good time. They manage to get him to swim in the kid’s pool, bribe him with sweets, get him into a game of basketball. It all works, for a few minutes. But as soon as an activity’s ended, he’s gone right back into his funk.""

AU-- Skinner, TLG, and the Scully family fill in the blanks for little lonesome Will when his parents have to take extended trips to try to save the world. They join him in time for the 4th; but happiness will always be tempered with sacrifices. (LOVE this.)

all things bright and beautiful

""Scully laughs. “Mulder, I can see the wheels turning in your head. How about you open it? It might be easier to find out what it is that way.”

“You’re no fun,” he pouts, and she nudges him with her shoulder.

Mulder tears the paper off and crumples it into a ball so it doesn’t blow away, and lifts the lid off of the small white box. He stares down at what’s inside.

The tiniest baseball jersey he’s ever seen.""

AU-- IWTB? era Scully surprises Mulder with a pregnancy announcement. Each season gracefully turns while their baby grows. (Love this so much.)

@o6666666's (Ao3) Untitled — 20

""The Earth will burn. After, they will come up from underground.

Will wiggles around until he’s comfortable. “Can you do the story where Mommy hits a baseball all the way into the sky?""

AU-- Will and his parents bunker down during Colonization; and he falls asleep to Mulder telling him about Scully's baseball date.

@scullyphile's (Ao3) Unnamed

""Their son towered over them. He looked very much like Mulder, tall with his father’s distinguished profile. He did, however, have Scully’s red hair and freckles. He looked like he could play basketball, and for a moment Mulder imagined playing basketball with his son. Let’s work on your lay-up, he’d say. Pass me the ball; I’ll show you. The image made him smile. William smiled, too, and Mulder wondered if the boy was hearing his thoughts.

As if in answer, William nodded very slightly and smiled.""

AU-- Monica reunites Mulder and Scully with their son and his parents, ready to forge a healthy dynamic now that he's old enough.

Enjoy!

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greekowl87 · 1 year

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X-Files Collector's Fic: Tithonus Mother Hen Mulder (Poll Results 3rd)

This list was inspired by this poll, sharing 3rd place with IVF successes.

Loose chronological order below~

@sarie-fairy (Ao3) Eos

""Sitting outside her room on a hard chair thinking, he waited.

Not being on the case with Scully, in which she was almost killed, had disrupted every atom in Mulder’s body. He’d been rearranged into a man who couldn’t neglect the pull from the woman he loved, any longer. Who couldn’t go another day without telling her, no matter her response.

He’d had the erratic car drive through blurry tears to declare out loud his love for her, over and over again. Each time perfecting his speech. Strengthening his conviction. He nearly missed the exit on the New Jersey Turn Pike, almost crashing—and it was Scully’s life that flashed before his eyes.

By the time he reached her, not confessing would have been the more difficult option.""

AU-- Mulder drove all the way from DC to NY, unable to rest until he found Scully alive; then he follows up with a sweet "I love you."

@mangokiwitropicalswirl's (Ao3) The Gift (Ao3)

""It seems a sacrilege to call it beautiful. But it is. The woman’s coat looks almost purple in the deep black pigment of the film; her pale skin is shock white and smooth as a doll’s. Her open eyes look toward approaching light, and the wisp of breath escaping from her mouth – what he had said was death itself – looked like the soul exhaling on a winter morning. If not for the shimmering pool of blood spilling from her cloche, she looked almost alive, but merely posed for the photographer’s gaze.""

Scully contemplates death and her reliance on Mulder right before she's shot. Mulder, meanwhile, flies in to wreck havoc; and, once everything has been placed back into order in his world, he reads Lord of the Rings for Scully while she recovers.

@swinging-stars-from-satellites/bravest_person_in_Wonderland’s

Lu's Whumpay 2022 (Ao3)

""(If she was more awake, less drugged under, she might notice the glint of her gold cross under the collar of his shirt. She might ask, and he might break and tell her of how he'd cried when an orderly gave it to him, covered in blood. They'd apparently misinterpreted the meaning of the word partner, and while he's never been more grateful for that, his hands shook when he washed her blood from the intricacies of the chain. There was nothing he could do but put it on.)""

Scully wakes after surgery, groggy but steadily asking questions about what happened. Mulder, of course, is right there when she wakes up.

@lyndsaybones’s (Ao3) 41 and/or 55?

""The coughing fit after she was extubated was long and painful, making the wound in her stomach clench and flare. He watched, his face pinched to mirror her discomfort as she struggled to settle herself. The medical team had finally cleared the area when it was assured that she’d not torn her wound closures and she could maintain her oxygen levels. They’ll be moving her from the ICU to a private room in an hour or so. Hooked to all manner of monitors, tubes and drains and the first words from her mouth are to ask after him.

“You’re something else, you know that?” he chuckles as he drops into the chair next to her bed.

“You look like you’re gonna pass out,” she whispers.""

Scully's concern for Mulder when she wakes are slowly replaced by anxiety over her survival, knowing that she should be dead.

Avalon’s Exegesis

""At first, I was suspicious, always baiting her, always asking for proof of her loyalty, leaving her behind to run off and chase the monsters I didn't think she was ready to see or understand. But she did understand, and she followed me, no matter where I went or what I did or how many times I put both of us in danger or in hot water with the Powers-That-Be. And slowly, deliberately, she chipped away at my veneer of self-imposed isolation, until she was no longer standing at arms length, but right beside me.

And now I am beside her, listening to her soft breathing, watching the slow rise and fall of the light sheet over her shoulder as she sleeps on her side, her chin tucked into her chest, her hands curled like a child clutching a favored stuffed toy.""

Scully won't let Mulder wallow in his self-flagellation, caressing him out of his tears and assuring him that he's "stuck" with her.

@wexleresque/hllsteeth’s Fictober Day 20, Prompt #2 “that’s the easy part” (Ao3)

""Thanks to the fact that she had woken up with cracked lips and a dull pain stretching from her torso to the edges of her body, this day is already shaping up to fit into the latter category. Mulder had jolted awake in the plastic chair next to her upon hearing her cough, throat dry as tinder. Now, he sits on the very edge of her bed and brings small spoonfuls of ice to her lips.""

Scully ruminates that dying is easier than recovering. Mulder vows to help every step of the way.

Red0313's Hll on the Heart

""Scully liked to stop me from doing ridiculous things, even if it meant doing the right thing.

Like last Friday. Scully scolded me for defending her honor. We were getting on the elevator. Scully had accidently cut in front of a rookie agent, and said her apologies. And he mumbled. "Don't worry about it, I quite like the view from back here." I turned around so fast, he saw him self out of the elevator. And Scully reminded me of why that was uncalled for, and probably why there were rumors about the two of us.""

Mulder simultaneously charges in to defend Scully's honor and nurse her back to health. Maggie politely ignores their fluffy moments.

robot iconography's Another Breath

""Some nights, on long drives, she would drift off, and have nosebleeds in her sleep. I'd hear sniffling and occasionally gasping for air.... She sounded like she was crying, or suffocating, or both. I couldn't even do anything to drown out the noise, for fear it would wake her.

In... out.

Even that was better than when there was nothing at all.

I still have dreams about that moment. Her words, barely more than a breath... Those same lips, even as they turned blue from lack of oxygen, urging me that it wasn't just anaphylactic shock. Frantic for the ambulance, I bent and put my cheek near her mouth, feeling the barest flutter of air escape.

In...

*Scully?!*

...out.

*Breathe, Scully...*""

AU-- Mulder listens to Scully breathe, recalling all the horrific moments when he thought she'd taken her last breath. She wonders why he is suddenly obsessive; but she loves him, too.

@mihosayuri/neytirijade’s Little Things (Ao3)

"“Maybe some orange juice?”

Mulder gives her a small smile. It makes her heart flutter. She wonders if it’s the morphine, or if it’s her. Probably both.

“I can do that,” he winks at her. “Be right back.”

After he slips out the door and it snips shut quietly, Scully trains her gaze back at the TV. Normally, his waiting on her and general over-protectiveness would have driven her insane; now, when she thinks of the past few days, her heart expands just a fraction. It’s the drugs, sure, but it’s something else too. Aside from Antarctica, this is the closest she’s ever come to death. Mulder told her, his voice small and hand tightening around hers that, for the first fourteen hours, nobody thought she was going to make it.""

Scully feels deeply for Mulder's intense fears during the 14 hours he waited through surgery. She' also is deeply happy when he surprises her with hot cocoa.

@smalldisbeliever (Ao3) Five Days At Her Bedside (Ao3)

""I’ll get you tomorrow,” he grumbles, tossing his pen down onto the table beside him. Carnations wilt on the table, replenished every morning by her mother, who’s been trading off shifts with Mulder, morning and evening, keeping her company despite her best protests.

“Who’s to say I’ll still be in here tomorrow? Doctor Caldwell said I’m healing at an amazing rate. I feel great, considering.”

“No need to rush.""

Mulder spends his days cramped in tiny chairs, losing Jeopardy to Scully, and being eternally grateful she is his partner.

@alittlemissfit's (Ao3) Prompt Fics - Chapter 8

""Walking in holding a gigantic plush replica of Big Blue, he misjudges the length of the creature’s tail, nearly knocks over two vases of flowers and the alien action figures he’d placed on a shelf yesterday. Tossing Blue aside Mulder dives onto the ground and rolls, manages to catch both the figures before they hit the floor.

“And scene…” he mutters.""

Mulder buys Scully glow in the dark trinkets, giving them little lights to discuss their fears in the dark.

@starwalker42 (Ao3)

Recovery - Chapter 1 (Ao3)

""He hasn’t left the hospital room for more than a few minutes at a time, always only when necessary to pick up a coffee or head to the bathroom, and he’s always, always checked with her that she’d be all right without him: Scully, I’m going to go grab something to eat, is that okay? I’ll be right back.

She feels sometimes like she ought to push the point, tell him to go home and shave properly, eat something more than a couple of energy bars, change his clothes, but she knows it would be useless. Mulder has guarded her like a hawk since he arrived here at the hospital, much to the irritation of the nurses and doctors.""

Scully lets Mulder stay while her wound is changed, amused that everyone assumes they're a couple.

Recovery - Chapter 3

""Scully?” He opens the door just a crack, and she makes out his silhouette against the moonlight before another wave of pain forces her eyes shut. “Do I need to call-”

“No,” she managed through gritted teeth. “I just need my painkillers.”

When he steps forward into the room she wonders if he heard her, wonders if her voice is weaker than it sounds, but then he seats himself on the edge of the bed and she can see that he’s already got the pill bottle in his hand. He sees her looking and offers a small smile.

“I knew it was time for another one, but I didn’t want to wake you.”

Her words from earlier come to mind again- I love you. She knows that Mulder assumed she was high, the same way she’d assumed it of him after the Bermuda Triangle incident, but she knows that it wasn’t the medication that made her say it. Up until now she’s not even considered that maybe Mulder meant it, too, but the care in his eyes right now seem to suggest otherwise.""

Scully wakes, needing pain pills; and realizes that Mulder is in pain as well. They help each other out.

Jori’s Tied

""I'll tie them," I say quickly....

"I can't even get them on my feet, Mulder. I can't even pull on a pair of socks. Did you realize that you need abdominal muscles to pull on a pair of socks?" she asks.

"I'll do what ever you need me to do," I tell her, as I grab her shoes off the edge of the bed.""

Mulder dries Scully's tears and helps her into her socks as Maggie comes to collect them both and bring them home.

@settle-down-frohike's (Ao3) 120. “He’s pampering me, let him be.”

""Dana Scully is not one to be placated. Or babied. Spoiling her requires a certain finesse--strategic enough so as not to be blatant; intuitive enough, though, that the pampering comes not from extravagance, but by the surreptitious gathering of knowledge of her carefully guarded indulgencess: soft clean sheets, a stack of medical journals hot off the press, Godiva ice cream, the salty humid air from a beach balcony, crisp, buttered asparagus, and Mulder, to name a few.

The last of these luxuries is currently failing at wiping burnt butter grease from her formerly spotless countertop when Scully, fresh from the hospital, comes wobbling in arm-in-arm with her mother, who’s exasperated expression at the unfamiliar acrid smell of the place is written clearly across her face.""

Maggie is exasperated with Mulder's multitude of mistakes trying to care for her daughter; but it's a drugged up Scully that convinces her to let things be.

Timemeantnothing's A Close Call

""Mulder, you really don’t need to walk me to my apartment. I can open the door myself.” She sounded annoyed and tired.

“I just want to see you to the door, Scully.” He looked pointedly at her. Please just give me that.

She didn’t sigh, but he could see on her face that she desperately wanted to. “I’m not going to fall apart.”

“I know that.”

She furrowed her brows, shifting to face him as they reached her apartment door. “Fine.""

AU-- Scully is snappy at Mulder's hovering; but her inability to sleep opens up into a fearful conversation over Fellig's words. Mulder and she admit their fears and feelings for each other.

Ladyhawk's Lucky 01

""I ah, didn't want you to think I'd stop being your partner to further my career." ...This 'lost cause,' my partner, means more to me than any position the FBI could offer me. I've trusted him with my life since I barged into his room in a panic that first night so long ago. Why is it so hard to give him my feelings, my soul?

He sounds like he's suffering from the same problem. "But you could've gotten away, built a reputation beyond 'Mrs. Spooky.'" His eyes tell me something completely different. He is happy I stayed, he revells in my loyalty to him and his quest.

AU-- While Mulder is zealously overzealous about Scully's recovery, she doesn't mind. When she returns home, they discuss that she likes being Mrs. Spooky.

Gina Rain's No Light (Ao3)

""But the darkest thing in her life--the darkest person-- was her partner. And that hadn't changed one bit since they returned home.

She was still on sick leave for another week. Every night, after work, he faithfully came by and brought her take out-out dinner. He held her hand for a moment, asked how she was, avoided eye contact and went home.

His visits left her apartment a little darker than it was before his arrival.

Today, it would be different. She had enough of the darkness.""

Scully is tired of being shut up in the dark to recover. She opens the windows, insisting that Mulder celebrate life with her. She thanks him for trying to achieve second base before first; and assures him she needs him as much as he needs her.

Katherinexx1's Agent down

""Every morning she noticed how sore she was, trying to move like she normally would do in the morning. Mulder already knew her familiar groan in the morning, admitting it wasn’t better.

“Morning Scully, how are we doing this morning?” he said while he sat down at the edge of the bed. He hoped his smile would help her to smile too.

“I feel like a million dollars …” Scully joked being in pain because the grimace on her face gave away the hurt she was in “… robbed from a bank…” she added trying to laugh “… in a monster truck….""

AU-- Mulder and Maggie care for a bedridden Scully, cleaning her bloody bandages and keeping her spirits up. Mulder and she make their first moves over a movie night together.

Pebbles's Lord of the Jungle

""It's been two weeks since Peyton Ritter shot me, five days since Mulder brought me home from New York. Nearly a week has passed since he planted himself firmly in my living room, declaring himself here for the duration of my recuperation and advising me to accept the fact without argument because he would not be dissuaded from his purpose.

Mulder on a mission. There isn't much in this world more powerful than that.""

A recovering Scully and her couch-sidekick Mulder watch the Tarzan reboot. He continues to feather the nest with food and a little flirting, watching tenderly as she dozes off contentedly.

@o666666's (Ao3) headcanon prompt: mulder washes scully's hair

""Alright,” he says, scanning the kitchen and clapping his hands together. “We got this. We’re gonna be casual, we’re gonna be crafty.”

“Mulder.” She huffs a laugh, then winces. “It’s fine, you don’t have to do this. Let me just call my—“

“Your mother? You wanna wake her up at, eh—“ he checks the microwave clock “—8:30? It’s laaaaate, Scully.""

Mulder is a resourceful FBI agent who enjoys washing his stinky partner's hair and telling her she always heals.

@allyinthekeyofx's (Ao3) Playing Hooky 1/1 (Ao3)

""Scully is bored.

Correction; Scully is bored, antsy, tired and angry at the world right now. Add to that whole cacophony of emotional turmoil a gunshot wound that isn't healing as quickly as she’d like and we have a recipe for disaster.

Listening to her on the phone just now - the fourth call in the space of two hours I might add - as she pathetically attempted to deny that she was crawling the walls, made my decision an easy one.

I'm aware I'm in the process of going AWOL which isn’t exactly going to endear me to our beloved AD Kersch, but then again what's another small misdemeanour when you compare it to the mounting pile of faux pas Scully and I have committed since finding ourselves thrust under his less than supportive command?""

Mulder plays hooky, bringing Scully ice cream, flowers, and a movie-- and instantly gets in a fight when he finds her cleaning.

@dashakay‘s (Ao3, Gossamer) Light Sleepers (Ao3)

""The man against the wall emits a strangled moan. I think he knows what this means.

I sense footsteps behind me and feel the dark presence. He's arrived for my subject.

My hands start shaking as I place my index finger on the button. It's time.

The breath trails out of the man and he manages to lift his chin and open his mouth.

Let it go, I silently beg him. Just let go. Release.

Instead, he says one word, one simple word, comprised of two gasping syllables.

"Scully.""

Mulder wakes Scully from a nightmare; and the two discuss her fears: she's not afraid to die-- she's afraid her loved ones won't know how much she truly loves them. It's "our time now."

@amplifyme/wonderland's All That Lights Upon Us

""He grinned at her, wide and proud. “You wouldn’t believe me if I told you.”

“Since when has that ever stopped you?”

He snickered and looked aside, picked up the antique mariner’s spy glass he’d gifted her for Christmas from its spot on the coffee table and swung around to her with it in place. “I spy with my little eye…” he sing-songed as her mouth came into focus down the narrow cylinder’s length, plump and pink and much larger than life.

“Shut up,” she said and snatched the spy glass from his hand. “You don’t expect me to believe that do you?”

“See, I told you,” he laughed.

AU-- Mulder and Scully discuss their first moves they'd made in Kroner, Kansas while rifling through her photo albums. (Maggie makes an appearance as Mulder's reoccurring lunch date.)

@starbuck09256's (Ao3)

Where’s My Food? (Ao3)

""She opens the pizza box, the smell of pepperoni, green peppers, mushrooms. The incident in Chaney Texas still hasn’t deterred either of them from enjoying their favorite toppings. She picks up a piece doesn’t try to pretend to be dainty, shoves it into her mouth and chases the oozing cheese with her tongue.""

AU-- Mulder brings pizza to Scully at the hospital; and he makes a little move, trading her "I love you" with an "oh brother" of his own.

Death is lurking

""When they land, he helps her with her bag, because she still shouldn’t lift anything she huddles close again seeking out his warmth. Since the shot she can’t get warm, it's not the same cold as Antarctica but it’s there in her bones, as if death was still creeping over her shoulder. He breaks the silence while he lifts their bags into his trunk.

“We should probably stop on the way, get you stocked up on some stuff, refill your meds, kind of jealous of the 2 weeks mandatory leave you got. Two weeks away from Kersh sounds like it might be worth a shot to the belly.”

It isn’t, he knows, but she is acting strange. Staying close to him, touching him, not even trying to pretend it’s anything different.""

AU-- Clingy Scully makes a move; and the two of them celebrate their first date with a pills and movie sleepover.

Just a Shave

""He is so gentle with her, always has been. She gives him a sad smile as she watches his fingers slowly graze across her skin. He pulls the bandage over pressing to seal the tape for her. She smiles softly as he gets up putting things away in her medical bag. He grabs her razor off the sink and some shaving cream, she watches him closely.

“Mulder, I’m perfectly capable.” but he stares her down, his eyes lock with hers and he waits as her voice slowly fades and she licks her lips.""

Scully pranks Mulder while he shaves her leg.

@lotsoforangesoutside/@lotzzoforangezoutside‘s (Ao3) The Best-Laid Plans

""He tells her the best-laid plans, and wonders if he plays George to her Lennie by painting a picture of their life ahead, would it be a bad omen?

He is awfully superstitious for someone without a religious faith. He cannot bring himself to tell her the life he envisions for them. Also, there are way too many fantasies, and they all sound like the best plan.

“Scully,” he says softly, thinking that she is about to fall asleep, “I’ve been thinking, now that you’re immortal…""

Mulder remembers telling Scully a story while she was recovering, with her vowing they will not be a suicide-pack ghost couple.

@greekowl87‘s (Ao3)

Healing (Ao3)

""Scully did not make the best patient. She snapped at her mother more than once, almost punched big brother Bill in the jaw while he mocked her (“You’re flat on your back anyway, Dae, what makes you think you can get me?”).... And Mulder. The only clue that he left was that his clothes had changed. First from the wrinkled suit and then just different colored sweaters and tee shirts. He never left her side and when it came time from her release from the hospital a week later, Mulder was carrying her bags through Dulles after a long painful flight back from New York and her difficulty walking did not go unnoticed.

“Do you want me to get a wheelchair, Scully?”

Her breath came in short hitches as she shook her head vehemently. “I’m fine, Mulder.""

Mulder' becomes Scully's shadow-- even big brother Bill has to admit he's not such a big pain. However, his airport wheelchair shenanigans would be more fun if Scully were a bit more recovered.

Fighting the Inevitable (Ao3)

""She placed the sunflowers aside uselessly, unsure how to answer. “I’ve reviewed your charts myself.” After a moment of hesitation, she unbuttoned her blouse slightly and guided Mulder’s hand to the multiple puckered scars. “Do you feel those scars? I can’t explain it, Mulder. We both should be dead but we’re okay. We’re both okay.”

He sighed and glanced at the sunflowers. “You saw Death, didn’t you? Whatever happened to you…”

“I felt Death,” she corrected. “And yes. I think so. I don’t know. I wanted to deny it. But I can’t deny this, Mulder. Whatever happened…” She gestured between the two of them. “I can’t deny it.” Months of anxiety poured out as she bit her lip and eyes watered. Mulder grabbed both of her hands. The words bleed out like a broken confession. “I’m a monster, a freak.” She tapped the back of her neck. “This, barren womb, and now this.” She gestured to her chest.""

AU-- Mulder and Scully are shot; but she begins to heal while he continues to die. Scully makes a move, sharing her immortality and saving his life. He assures her she is not a monster.

Erin M. Blair’s (Ao3) Loneliness of My Heart

""I was afraid, Scully. I was afraid that I was going to lose you. When you were in New York, I was thinking -- "

"What?"

"How I couldn't stand being apart from you. I was so lonely. I could feel the loneliness in my heart. I was so scared you might..."

"That I might leave you? Mulder, you know how much our partnership means to me."

"Scully..."

"Congratulations, Mulder, I'm yours."

"Really?""

Post Tithonus Scully is injured again; but she smooths over Mulder's worries and makes a bold move on the phone.

Vickie Moseley 's Split Seconds

""Why wasn't his door locked? He pushed it open cautiously, his gun already in his hand. He saw movement and the flash of metal. Whoever was here was armed. He saw the movement toward him and the sight of metal being raised. No! He fired two shots as he threw himself to the side. Mulder heard him fall and rose carefully to his feet. He flipped on the light and froze.

"Scully?" A whisper, then he was beside her, frantically searching for her vital signs. "Scully!" This time was a cry as though to call her back to him. No pulse, he ripped her blouse open. Blood, too much blood. ...what had he done? He was performing CPR, nothing. Nothing! "Scully." This one was a sob. She was gone; he'd really killed her time. No dream. He pulled her up against him, but her arms didn't go around him and never would again. Never. Time disappeared as he held her.""

AU-- Post Tithonus Mulder shoots Scully, kills her, and goes crazy. Scully is able to heal anyway and talk him down from madness despite her injury.

Enjoy!

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