Story 226: "we are the half-destroyed instruments that once held to a course" by Aphrodite_mine

[lyryk.livejournal.com]

Thanks to infinitlight for nominating this one!

Written for rarewomen 2013, we are the half-destroyed instruments that once held to a course, 2450 words, is an AU in which Fox was abducted as a child and Samantha joined the FBI. It's gen-fic with some implied femslash.

Author's summary: A call from Agent Reyes brings partners Mulder and Scully down South where they chase monsters, and other things.

An extract:

“Agent Scully, I’m sure you’re familiar by now with Sam’s complete inability to keep up communication unrelated to the Great Quest.” The words are sarcastic, but Agent Reyes speaks with a note of admiration. “Hell, I thought I’d have to be abducted in order to see you again, Sam,” she adds, murmuring under her breath, then looks up, knowing -- she has to know -- that she’s broken the single, inflexible rule of Mulder’s existence.

Instead of exploding, or walking out, Mulder just laughs. “That probably would have helped,” she says, tipping back in her chair, crossing her legs at the ankles. She has to be thinking about Fox, but for the first time since they were thrown together seven years ago, Scully can’t see a trace of it in Mulder’s eyes.

As infinitlight says, this is a story about small moments. The story's premise is very well-orchestrated, using our knowledge of the characters to shape our awareness of them in different yet familiar roles. The fic lives up to the implications of the title, progressing at a slow, poetic gait and taking time and care to establish the characters.

Read "we are the half-destroyed instruments that once held to a course". If you like the story, do remember to let the author know. And don't forget to nominate your favourite fics!

Comments

[wendelah1]

I agree. This story should be expanded. It feels like a beginning to a longer fic rather than a vignette. I think the vignette form works fine within canon, where the reader can fill in the missing details. But when you get into AU territory, I think a longer form works better.

She ends the story too abruptly. I'm sorry, but that's not an ending. Nothing is resolved. The monster isn't found. The meaning of Scully's dream isn't explored, even though there is a hint that Monica would like to hear it, Scully never gets a chance to explain it, and Scully wading into a swamp doesn't do it for me. There are some good metaphors floating about but they need the weight of a finished plot arc to make them fully resonant.

I love the potential of the fic: the interaction of the three women is fascinating. Who are Sam and Monica to one another? What is Sam to Scully? Clearly not just a partner. But it's all too vague and unresolved for my taste.