Story 237: "Sixty Degrees of Separation" by denynothing1

[wendelah1]

Finally. She posts.

Hey now. I've been busy. With what? Yuletide, xf_santa, reccing for The X-Files at crack_van (and updating the fandom overview). And now, I have a new community with tree to celebrate Dana Scully's 50th birthday: scully_fest. Go check it out.

So. I've been looking everywhere for this story. As it turned out, the author wrote under a different name back in the day, changed it at Gossamer, then changed it again--as one does--on LiveJournal. Fortunately, she archived it at AO3, where I ran into it accidentally looking for something else entirely.

Ahem. I am supposed to be telling you why you should read this. Well, it's a funny, character-driven fic set between "Triangle" and "Dreamland". Mulder and Scully deal with the fallout from his bedside confession of love. He's caught between two realities and two women: the woman from his fantasy world in 1939 and his partner, Dana Scully. Her character voices are perfect--wherever Mulder's imagination takes him.

Read Sixty Degrees of Separation. You can easily leave feedback for the author at AO3.

If you're interested, this Chronicle X Author's interview can also be found at Fialka's Candybox.

Comments

[estella-c.livejournal.com]

Who wrote this? I mean, what is the other name? Or aren't we allowed to know. Because I remember liking it and liking the writer back in the distant past. God, this fandom has taken up an enormous part of my adulthood.

It is clever and very Scullyesque (you must have loved it, W) and I'm a sucker for dream sequences. I liked the WWII bits, as a think Skinner is deserving of love. It did bother me slightly how very apologetic Mulder was in his Scully-love and how touchy Scully was, but I think relationship talk must be the hardest thing in the world to do. And quite frankly I don't think Mulder's "I love you" in bed was worth taking so seriously, as 1) he was drugged; 2) of course he loves Scully, and she knows it, but love can also be translated as "you're my best buddy; you've got my back; you always come through for me," etc. But fans got all excited and why not? Carter was such a sadistic tease. So I'm sure this filled a need and did it quite well. And it remains perky, inventive, and fun.

[wendelah1]

There is a big hint in the post. The link to her Author's interview at Chronicle X tells you her old X-Phile name.

I didn't see Mulder apologize even once to Scully in this story--for any of his stupid antics during that episode. His behavior toward her betrays his usual sense of entitlement. It's Mulder being Mulder all the way!

I do think Mulder loves Scully, but let's face it: he's exhausting. To work with, to be with--on any level. She's been staying overtime trying to resurrect his precious files from the ruins of the office fire and he can't even say thank you to her. He's still standing there giving her a hard time for not paying enough attention to him. For not doing it his way.

Sounds exactly like Mulder to me.

Then he has to talk her into heading to Dreamland with him. Because they're not in enough hot water already.

Back at his desk, while checking if Frohike had gotten any more information on the SS squadron assigned to board the Queen Anne, he was met with a message from his Area 51 contact. He sighed and considered whether he could get Scully to go with him.... He winced. Bad choice of words.

Run, Scully, run away now.

My favorite part of the story is where he remembers Scully's part of the phone conversation with him:

"How are you feeling, Mulder?"

"Can you describe the pain?"

"How many pills have you taken today?"

"You can take two more tonight. What have you eaten?"

"Ketchup is not a vegetable, Mulder."

"Turkey jerky? No, I can't say that I have. Are you sleepy at all?"

"I don't remember any lullabies."

"Umm -- reading yesterday's paper and watching television -- I caught the last part of Casablanca."

"I would have chosen... I don't know, Mulder. Who do you think I would have chosen?"

"OK, I guess I'd have to say she made the right choice in Casablanca -- and the wrong choice in Paris."

"Because saying... making commitments... a commitment... is a very serious thing. I... I think you should try to get some more sleep, Mulder."

Et cetera.

This is so perfect! A lesser writer would have given us Mulder's bits too but this is so much better. We can deduce his half from hers.

[infinitlight.livejournal.com]

I think relationship talk between these characters in particular must be incredibly hard. They're both very reserved in their expressions of emotion and it must be hard to get the balance right.