#biggyyeehaw

[randomfoggytiger]

X-Files Collector's Edition: Scully's Arcadian Birthday

Arcadia takes place around Scully's birthday-- so how, exactly, did that unfold? These fics cover different takes on that birthday: some celebrated before the case, others talked about on the case, and still others that weren't acknowledged at all.

Loose chronological order below~

@mappingthexfiles/Apostrophic’s Arcadia

""But, Mulder. Some people want this. Some people want normal. This kind of normal.”

She knew he would glance up at that. She had readied her face. He tried to read it, trying to see if she meant herself. He did not think she did. He was never quite sure.

Mulder said, “That’s my point. The ones that don’t, they don’t fit in.” The kitchen was quiet around them. The whole neighborhood quiet this time of night. “Maybe the Klines didn’t fit in.”

She said, “Like you and me.”

He hesitated. He said, “Like me.” Hedging his bets.

The look on Scully’s face was thoughtful, nothing else. He waited her out as she thought that one over. Or, he thought that’s what she thought over, until she said, looking at him, “I’m not so sure the Schroeders fit either.""

Mulder is nervous about being fake married, confessing to his gf Scully over her birthday dinner. She contemplates his thoughts on truth, reality, and projection; giving him great banter and insight throughout their stay.

@atths–twice​’s (Ao3, Alt. Ao3, FFN) A Life Without Regrets

""...his mother was right. Sometimes those we care about do hurt us most. He had hurt Scully and he needed to fix it. He needed to show her. This upcoming case might be what they needed to get back to who they were.

Or, they just might kill each other.""

Mulder's mother is happy to have a little "oops" Valentine's Dinner with him; but she gently pushes him to center his focus on Scully. He considers this while celebrating at Scully's birthday dinner.

@agentwhalesong/sadandangstyagent’s (Ao3) Too Carried Away

""Happy birthday, Scully,” he said cheerfully, throwing the file her way across the desk.

She caught it before it fell to the floor and looked at him in a mix of annoyance and amusement.

“I’m impressed you remembered. I mean, it hasn’t been four years yet since the last one.”

“Well, I’ve been trying to keep track of important dates since then. I remembered it last year, too.”

He cracked a sunflower seed between his teeth, and she smiled in spite of herself.

“So, all a girl had to do was almost die for you to pay attention to her, huh?""

Mulder and Scully's almost moment (during their couple "rehearsal") is squashed when Diana pops in. Scully realizes she needs to establish some distance for the case.

@lotsoforangesoutside/@lotzzoforangezoutside‘s (Ao3)

The Fox Mulder Show

""Did you think we’d be celebrating your birthday in San Diego this year?”

She shook her head. “No, and I don’t want to.”

“Is Bill in town?”

“Nope, I don’t think so, but I can call Mom and find out.""

“We can go see Tara and Matthew, and light a candle for Emily?” She nodded in his arms and he kissed her cheek. “We’ll do the birthday thing when the case is over?”

Mulder and Scully are dating; and Mulder is HIGHLY suspicious of Skinner's motives by assigning them this case. Scully suggests they play into the stereotypes.

@nnyyssssaa/dksfwm’s (Alt. Ao3) Episode: Arcadia (Ao3)

""This… isn’t new. Just unfamiliar enough to make them apprehensive. Not uncomfortable. But their senses are heightened, both fully aware, of what they’re doing. She’s not welcoming him with open arms, but she’s not going to push him away, either. Maybe it’s the exhaustion. The fact that he looks so soft, inviting, with his towel-dried spiked hair, gray cotton T-shirt, flannel pajama bottoms. It’s making any argument against incredibly difficult, near impossible.

Two can play at this game, apparently. Round 2, Fox Mulder.""

Scully softens from her mild score keeping when Mulder gifts her a pair of Samantha's earrings. He hadn't forgotten; and she's touched.

 @cock-holliday/biggyyeehaw's Fictober 2022 - Chapter 6 (Ao3)

""I wanted to give it to you earlier, but things got a little…busy,” he laughed with a quirk of his brow.

Mulder handed Scully a folded up piece of paper.

It wasn’t what Scully expected. She assumed by now he meant for her birthday, though he had given no indication all day that he had remembered. In all honesty she forgot a bit too. Today had been busy. Now that he was bringing it up, a piece of paper seemed comical.""

Scully is suspicious of Mulder's spa gift; and realizes he thought she'd wanted to be far, far away from him. She assures that she just needed space, not permanent distance.

Penny Sycamore’s Nightmare on Autumn Terrace

""Maybe it was the geography, this was their first time back to San Diego since...well, since. It wouldn't have been his first choice for a field assignment (or his seventeenth, for that matter), but this was their first chance back at the X-Files, and they couldn't afford to be picky. He had thought, or at least hoped, that Scully understood that. Or was it the fact that he had ignored her birthday? No, she should be used to that by now. He would make it up to her eventually, but San Diego just didn't seem like the right time or place for a celebration.

Maybe she just didn't want to be seen in public with him, and if he were honest with himself, he could hardly blame her. It wasn't that long ago he was playing kissy-face with Diana. And although he and Scully had pretty much gotten past all that, the thought of any kind of display of affection, whether simulated or genuine might be more than Scully was ready for. ""

Mulder wonders why Scully has been distant the whole case. In a late-night confession, she opens up about post Monday nightmares, earning his respect for her courage (and thanks that she hadn't despised him for not bringing up her birthday.)

thenonexisting's life is just a game

""As seriously as she had tried to take it, Mulder seemed to be like a kid in a candy shop, finding any excuse to poke her buttons in front of the neighbours, touching and cuddling and whispering at every opportunity. The way he was going, it would only be a matter of time before the other couples at the Falls sussed then out. 

His behaviour was illogical. Foiling their undercover op would not bode well with the Bureau, least not support their reclamation of the x-files, but it was as if he did not care. It frustrated her to no end. Did he not want them back after all? Did Diana’s disappearance make him want distance from pursuing the Truth? Could he no longer be the Believer to her Skeptic so long as his former confidante was MIA?

No, she would not veer back down that path.""

 Mulder and Scully are pushing the boundaries of their relationship; but can't quite iron out their ability to communicate their wants and needs from each other in the wake of One Son... especially because both don't know what those are.

@mldrgrl’s (Ao3) This House is Protected by Neighborhood Watch

""Mulder, I can count on one finger the times you’ve acknowledged my birthday.”

“I didn’t say I acknowledged it, I said I remembered it.”

“Good night, Mulder.”

“1994, we were grounded because of that wild goose chase Deep Throat sent us on,” he said, following her out of the kitchen to the staircase. “I convinced you to go to the Air & Space Museum with me on lunch and you didn’t want to go because you said it was going to snow. I bet you ten bucks we’d be back before the snow started. I bought you a pretzel from the hot dog vender on the corner because you refused to eat a hot dog. There were snowflakes in your hair when we got back, but you wouldn’t take my money.""

Mulder spends each night in Arcadia slowly lowering Scully's walls, revealing more about himself and learning more about her.

@dreamingofscully's (Ao3, WBM) xvii. the star

""The sky turned orange and pink and purple as the sun set over the ocean. Screams of children, the mechanical whirr of rides, and the endless jingle of the concessions surrounded them on all sides. All of that disappeared as he sat next to her, except for the feeling that things were finally getting back to normal. The dizziness from the rollercoaster, from not knowing where things were going between them, fading with the sun.

“Hey Scully, I know I’m a couple days late, but… happy birthday.” He watched her profile, the lights from the midway bouncing off her skin in the dim light. Azure and pink and white, a mesmerizing kaleidoscope. Her eyes shone, facing away from him.

“I thought you forgot,” she said, her voice so quiet he had to lean forward to hear.

“Never, Scully.""

Mulder takes Scully to Sea World after the case as a post-birthday celebration. His consideration allows her to relax slowly back into their yin-yang dynamic.

Defnotmeyo’s (WBM, Alt. WBM) Range Day

""I’m sorry.” Mulder really hasn’t thought further ahead than that, and he bites his lip and looks away.

“What for?”

He shrugs a shoulder and they stay like that, the silence heavy and awkward, for minutes. He can hear his watch tick. Can hear her breathe. Can hear his heart beat.

She moves around so he’s staring back at her, forcing him to make eye contact. “You’re not the target, Mulder. You never have been. Not with me.”

“Maybe I wanna be the target,” he mutters. “Maybe I should be.""

Mulder reflects on his behavior after the case, spurred on by a visit to a random smalltown church. He finds Scully and apologizes for stomping over her feelings. Scully assures him he was never a target.

Surajtare's Fragments in Time

""She made sure to send him to the living room at night, even though they already shared a bed, and quite professionally, in Kansas. But this was different. She didn't trust him here, or herself, for that matter. She hid her face behind a green witch's mask and her body in a bathrobe, as self-defense. They had been through too much, have gotten too close lately, to be really comfortable with this mission. But she was enjoying herself. She had to admit at least that.""

Scully and Mulder work through their S6 relationship, which includes a pit stop in Arcadia.

Anne Haynes's (Gossamer) 12 Tales of Christmas

""I lay my head back against the car seat and close my eyes. "Honestly, I don't know why I would rather be with you than anyone else, Mulder. I only know that I do. That it's non-negotiable."

He is silent in reply. The quiet stretches out like something tangible between us. After a moment, I open my eyes and look at him.

I see him blink--once, twice. A single tear slides down his cheek and splashes against the front of his sweater, leaving a faint dark spot. He ignores it. No other tears join the one that fell.

But my heart shatters anyway.""

Mulder is hamming up the suffering saint act to his gf Scully; but he sobers when they run into the still-interested detective from Emily's case. Scully is shocked he gives her leeway; and her loyalty and love shock and awe him.

Enjoy!

[randomfoggytiger]

X-Files Collector’s Edition: Flying for Christmas

It’s Christmas time~~

In the airports~~~~~!

Whether Mulder and Scully are only taking flights to her family’s celebration, a Christmas getaway, or nowhere (since they’re stranded and outta luck), these fics tap into a few things we barely see in canon: airports and holidays. 

Loose chronological order below! 

Main Series 

@cock-holliday /biggyyeehaw’s Thirty Five Hundred Miles And A Lifetime To Go - Chapter 2 

“”In the year that they’ve known one another, Scully has only seen Mulder react poorly to bugs. She questioned him on it, teased him, but he was adamant that he simply did not like them and wasn’t actually afraid. Afraid or not, he would not enjoy being handed a bug. With the abundance of options out here, it was the perfect bad gift.””

S2 Mulder starts a prank gift war to distract Scully from her sadness at being case-bound for Christmas. He even gets his hands on tickets for her, knowing he’ll bear the loneliness as long as she’s happy with her family. 

@baronessblixen​‘s (Ao3) Ficmas Day 21: “I hate the holiday season” 

““The airport is bathed in festive colors with red and green shimmering everywhere. The harsh lights have been replaced with softer ones, a harsh contrast to the cold winter air outside. Everyone around them is either tired, sad or angry. Sometimes it’s all three. Mulder just watches and observes with half a smile on his lips. That’s until Scully returns, flinging herself into the seat next to him.

“I hate the holiday season,” she says and puts a small plastic bag on her lap.””

S5 Mulder and Scully are stuck in the airport. He tries to keep her mood up, assuring her the plane will get them home in time for Christmas. Scully invites him to her mom’s to celebrate. They’re together no matter how it shakes out. 

Jen’s (mulderscreek)

Christmas Eve & Airports

““Scully watched the mother drag her son away and sighed. She _hated_ airports on Christmas. This was the last place she should be. she couldn't help thinking as she gripped her bag and walked toward the check-in station.

Meanwhile, Mulder was thinking the opposite. The busy airport was a welcome change of pace compared to his usual Christmas Eve. The Christmas Eve where his mother would call, and they would discover that once again they had nothing to say to each other. Then he would fall into a fitful sleep while watching all the "happy" Christmas programs on TV.”” 

Mulder is developing a sneeze and cough; but is happy to be spending Christmas on the go with Scully. She, meanwhile, is determined to get them back in time for her family celebration. 

Christmas & Mrs. Scully’s House 

““Scully sighed and smiled. "You'll have to wait a few days. Mulder has strep, so unless you want to catch it I wouldn't go visit him if I were you." In truth, Scully was glad to postpone the meeting of her brother and Mulder; not because she was afraid they would hate each other, but because of the "ideas" she was afraid Charlie might give Mulder. After her discussion with Charlie she was a little afraid of his "ideas" herself. "I don't mind a little strep," Charlie said, but Dana stopped him again. "And he's sleeping. If you wake him, Charlie Scully, _you_ can pay the consequences.””

Mulder gets his much-needed nap-- but also a full Scully household and strep throat. Maggie babies him while her kids talk about life; and he gets to slough off a nightmare with Scully’s cutthroat Monopoly skills. 

Jennifer Brady’s Secret Santa 

““Why would I leave him now, after all this time? Doesn't he realize that I'm in this for the long haul? 

Sigh. I suppose not. Well, here's the plan: Mulder's about to get a crash course in Dana Scully. 

Whether he knows it or not.””

S6 Scully has decided to embody “carpe diem” this Christmas: fabricating an investigation into Santa at a snowy resort to get alone time with Mulder. As she works up the courage to take their relationship to the next level (with perfect, snarky inner-monologues), Mulder is enjoying this new side to her. Also, there’s a hilarious call with Maggie. 

@msrafterdark‘s (Ao3) 

Miracle at Charlotte Douglas International Airport 

““He walks slowly away from the American Airlines help desk, his arms falling limply at his sides, his heart sinking into his chest. He doesn’t want to go back. He doesn’t want to tell her, it’s going to kill him to see her face fall, and he has no choice but to disappoint her.

He trudges back to where Scully is sitting with their luggage, watching his return with a hopeful expression. They are stuck in Charlotte Douglas International Airport on Christmas Eve, and—true to form—it is all his fault. How typical.:”

Scully is unable to catch a Christmas flight home. Mulder tries to pick her up with her favorite snacks; but really saves the day when he is able to finagle her a flight home. She insists he come along. 

Continued with-- 

Christmas Eve Call 

““4:37 AM

A slight crease in her forehead took form when her bleary brain recalled the date alongside the time. It was Christmas Eve night—well, Christmas morning to be precise—and for the last several years, Mulder had always called her anywhere between three and three-thirty in the morning, without fail. Often it was to wish her a Merry Christmas. Sometimes it was because he couldn’t sleep (at least, even less so than normally). Once it had been because he had been lonely.

So it was odd to Scully that he hadn’t called yet.”  

Scully wakes in confusion until she remembers that Mulder is here, not back in DC. He wakes briefly to wonder why everything seems to be working out for them, and is satisfied with her wisdom.  

Day 6 (Ao3) 

““They’ll be departing in about three hours for the airport. Scully won’t admit it, but she’s bad about leaving.

She’s loved being here with him like this, where their jobs and pasts and Real Worlds are far away, She’s not an escapist by any means, but she’s relished a week bathed in Mulder’s warmth and company, delighting in the locals, eating hearty food, enjoying the snow, being made love to every night…she’s addicted to this simplicity. She loves their work, loves her life back in DC, she just wishes she could have both.””

Scully is sad to leave her and Mulder’s Christmas getaway; but he reassures that this a beginning, not an end.  

greycoupon’s (Ao3) Joy To The World - Chapter 1 

““Of course I’d love to spend Christmas with your family. Even Bill. Especially Bill.“ Mulder added honestly meaning it. Mostly. He would happily put up with the man’s glares and pointed comments, if it meant he got to spend the holiday with the Scully family.

So here he was with Scully in San Diego two days before Christmas.””

Bill is there to pick up Mulder and Scully from the airport-- proudly wearing an ugly Christmas sweater while keeping his distain for Mulder in check. Mulder is floored and actually reconsiders ol’ Billy-boy briefly.  

AUs

@ghostbustermelanieking/skuls‘s Unnamed 

““She holds Matthew on her lap while he watches his cartoons, and Mulder sits beside them, pats her knee absently with one hand, tickles Matthew’s bare foot until he giggles, and Scully wants to cry. She bounces Matthew up and down on her knee absently, reads him a story at her mother’s request, and sees Mulder looking at her with a tremendous amount of affection in his eyes.””

Scully brings Mulder with her to California, unable to bear leaving him behind in the wake of their IVF success. Her family is polite and delighted; Matthew, Emily, and their own baby are interwoven beautifully; and Mulder gets to sleep on a living room pull-out while the two slowly sink their toes into the new fuzzies of impending parenthood and a brand-spanking-new relationship. 

This, THIS is an all-time favorite of mine. Me summed up, if you will. Wonderful. 

jeri’s (Gossamer) Vulpecula (Gossamer 1/ 2/)

““Sir, I wish I knew why I'm calling you. I...well, I've left for the day, and I intended to go straight home, but right now I'm heading for Dulles, and I don't know why."

He's silent for a moment. "Okay, Scully. Let me do some checking, and I'll call you back if I find anything worthwhile." Without saying goodbye, he hangs up.

I continue driving.””

S8 Scully has surprisingly positive turns in her life, despite Mulder’s absence:  Bill comes around; Jose Chung checks in; Phoebe helps with Gibson Praise’s protection; and she even finds Mulder randomly a year later by following a gut feeling to the airport. Even the CSM did good for once (by restoring her fertility via her chip.) She pulls Mulder out of his dark contemplations, they get married, and enjoy the harried stability that domestic bliss brings (which is helpful, because Krycek is now Mulder’s cousin, and their second child decides a church fire is the perfect time to be born. They’ll take whatever stability they can grasp.)

Enjoy!