Story 238: "Telephones" by cucumberspy

[wendelah1]

This is probably one of those stories that got recced everywhere back in the day. It's so good I wish I'd written it. Cucumberspy has a lovely, spare style, plus an ear for dialogue and an eye for detail. Season nine, AU, thank God.

There are warnings on the author's header. Heed them.

Summary: She thinks there's nothing anyone can take from her now.

Read Telephones.

SPOILERS IN THE COMMENT THREADS.

Comments

[tri-sbr.livejournal.com]

I agree that Scully is planning to kill herself. But, I'm not sure by the end that she will end up following through. Mulder's reaction to her confession is absolutely in character, I thought. As he begins to understand what she is saying, he pulls away from her, but almost immediately reaches back out to her like he is never letting go.

He doesn't touch her and she waits to be unmoored. Soon, she thinks. Inside, the telephone squalls.

She strikes him once on the sternum and starts to crumble. His hand stutters against her shoulder and she backs down, mumbles, "I have to go," but he snares her. "I have to," she says.

"No. Scully," he says then, his voice stretched and hoarse as he begins to understand. His embrace is hollow, first, then fierce enough to choke. "Scully, Scully," he whispers.

I feel like you can see the burden of the pain shifting, not that that makes it easier. So sad.

[wendelah1]

I definitely think Mulder will try to stop her from killing herself. But I don't think she'd ever truly come back from a loss like that, especially since she'd hold herself responsible for his death as long as she lived. I'm not one who ordinarily believes suicide is the only option but in this case, since we know in The X-Files universe there is an afterlife, perhaps she would be better off, though that would leave Mulder to grieve on alone.

[tri-sbr.livejournal.com]

I agree. I don't think either one of them is ever getting over William or what Scully had to go through.

[wendelah1]

This one is much, much worse but that's pretty much how I feel about the canon "resolution" to the William arc, too.

[infinitlight.livejournal.com]

Yeah, I agree, I think it's left unresolved whether she will follow through. I actually really like that it's left ambiguous whether this is a hopeful ending or not.

[wendelah1]

The fic is a great example of how to tell a story without over-telling it. There is just enough revealed to get the story across but it's never overdone or overwrought. What's not said is just as important as what's on the page.

Damn. This is good. Where did this writer go, I wonder? Her email address bounced right back.

[infinitlight.livejournal.com]

Where did this writer go, I wonder?

The author's notes on another of their stories, "Most Frail Gestures", say they were on scullyfic. Old scullyficcers might know where they've gone. (I mean "old" in terms of the list being old, not the members ;) I'm surprised at how many former XF writers have been turning up on AO3, writing in other fandoms. The listed pseudonym feature was a good idea.

[tri-sbr.livejournal.com]

As an aside, "Most Frail Gestures" (thank you for pointing to it, I had not read it before) is a lovely story as well. I feel like I go down a rabbit hole where I get led from one fic to another to another - it's a good thing, but there are so many and I am so far behind!

[infinitlight.livejournal.com]

I really liked that story too. I hadn't read anything by this author before.