Story 198: "five things that never happened to dana scully" by threeguesses

[amyhit.livejournal.com]

The next fic was nominated by lightlack and enthusiastically seconded by myself. It’s written by threeguesses, who is one of my favorite writers to come out of the pre/post IWTB era. Her writing in this fandom was not prolific, but her stories have always stood out (at least for me) for their powerful concepts, enthralling emotional currents, and the deceptive simplicity of threeguesses’ writing. Undoubtedly you know how "five things" fics work, in which case you also know the title of this week’s fic tells you just about everything that can be revealed about it without spoiling the sense of discovery that comes with each new segment.


five things that never happened to dana scully

The author is still around and writing up a storm (though sadly not in this fandom), and I’m sure she would appreciate feedback. There’s lots to say about this fic, so please do let us know what you think. And, as always, the nomination post is open for new suggestions.

Comments

[estella-c.livejournal.com]

I agree with all of the above. That is, I do think that Scully is good and empathetic with children--I don't see how we can ignore canon given the way numerous incidents were played--but I don't think she would choose to conceive a child. Not given her time and spirit-consuming job and the knowledge of multiple dangers she and Mulder had uncovered. Plus, you know, planetary warfare on the event horizon. (Or do I misunderstand event horizon? After lizard brain, anything is possible.)

I know that the desire to bear a child is often irrational, but Scully isn't irrational.

[wendelah1]

That is, I do think that Scully is good and empathetic with children--I don't see how we can ignore canon given the way numerous incidents were played-

I agree 100%.

-but I don't think she would choose to conceive a child. Not given her time and spirit-consuming job and the knowledge of multiple dangers she and Mulder had uncovered. Plus, you know, planetary warfare on the event horizon.

I have heard this argument before. We have had this argument before. People with time and spirit-consuming jobs, and worse, all over the world have desired and chosen to have children throughout history, under less than ideal circumstances, including people in law enforcement, people in the CIA, soldiers during wartime, and people during the Great Depression, to name just a few. Just because someone is rational by nature doesn't mean they make every important life decision by pulling out their calculators. And anyone who throws away a promising career in favor of following Spooky Mulder all over hither and yon isn't incapable of making irrational decisions. She even quits the FBI to stay with him rather than be transferred to Salt Lake City. I can list other irrational decisions she's made in her life; having an affair with Daniel Waterston would be the first on my list, but there are others. Procreation isn't something women can put off forever. We don't even know precisely when they tried it since there are no time stamps on that episode. There is no evidence that Scully believed that interplanetary warfare was on the horizon when she decided it was now or never for the invitro.

I know that the desire to bear a child is often irrational, but Scully isn't irrational.

She's a woman, not a computer. Sometimes even rational people decide to follow their hearts, rather than their heads.

[estella-c.livejournal.com]

I guess we have had this argument before, and it's obviously won't be resolved. The passion to bear a child is not one I've experienced, which is not to say that it does not most powerfully exist. The world we know is full of dreadfully dangerous places full of children getting hurt. (Many, of course, are conceived under some form of social duress or accidentally.)

Scully is a privileged individual: she has access to birth control and more information about the way the world works than the average career woman. Yet she insists on a child of her own, despite her physical incapacity. She spends a lot of money, risks enemy attacks, and humiliates herself and her audience hideously in that scene where she essentially says to Mulder, "Hold the elevator. I want some of your sperm."

Then, after CC and Co. realized that a precious little baby would fuck up their plot trajectory, Scully puts this emotionally and financially expensive child up for adoption. To (perhaps) preserve the life she had insisted on creating.

I realize I'm blaming Scully for all the stupidity of the show's writers and producers. But I do not think she made a good decision. If she were my friend I'd hug and support her and offer to babysit, but I would think she was not firing on all cylinders.

As for amyhit's comment about ignoring canon: sure. There are parts of canon I don't only ignore but wish I could forget. Still, I don't see any need to deny Scully's tenderness with children. Motherhood is not an inborn skill, as W says; awkwardness and mistakes are part of the role. (Though I do believe that it helps, as Scully does, to have a good mother of your own.)

[amyhit.livejournal.com]

I don't see how we can ignore canon given the way numerous incidents were played

We all ignore large amounts of XF canon, as it suits us. Almost all of us can agree that CC often didn't know what he was doing, and often seemed not to have the best understanding of his own characters. What you're saying is that you don't see how we can ignore this bit of canon, because you have no inclination to do so. But in the grand scheme of things, this is a relatively small and easy bit of canon to ignore.

I know that the desire to bear a child is often irrational, but Scully isn't irrational.

I agree completely. She also isn't selfish or foolhardy, which she would have to be if she planned to have a child in the midst of an oncoming planetary war.