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perenians · 7 months

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DAY TWO - FRIENDSHIP

they're shittalking batman ♠️♥️♣️

#kyle rayner #wally west #connor hawke #three of a kind #my art #dctober 2023

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randomfoggytiger · 8 months

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All IVF Roads Lead Away from The Unnatural and to Millennium

After spending too much time batting back and forth various IVF theories (post here for the hall-of-fame-ers), I'd settled on early Season Six because of the factored-in procedure requirements.

And then a discussion with @welsharcher and @agent-troi made me reevaluate everything... and I realized, with dawning horror, that the facts concluded upon not only upended what I believed about Per Manum's time crunch but also pushed back Mulder and Scully's dating timeline from The Unnatural to Millennium.

What Canon Presents as Facts

Per Manum was a patch-on episode; and there are a few restrictions it imposes on the flashbacks with Mulder and Scully.

The IVF arc must take place after the episode Emily because that is when Scully learns her infertility was caused by medical experiments robbing her of her ova.

In Per Manum, Scully is awkward about asking Mulder for her request.

When the IVF fails, both are not stingy with their hugs-- never have been-- but Scully stops herself from fully kissing Mulder, instead placing it tentatively on his cheek.

The greater implications of points #2 and #3

Point 2: Scully's awkwardness in these flashbacks is absent from her behavior all through S7, especially after Millennium. From then on out, she flirts and pulls Mulder's tie (Rush), makes cracks about going home and making all things right with the world (The Goldberg Variation), shares a personal, traumatic story from her childhood and is unfazed that Mulder collects her and her things to go (Orison), takes it for granted that Mulder would want her to spend the night and advocate for him (Sein und Zeit), is openly jealous of his attention (Rush, First Person Shooter), keeps him guessing (Theef), denies CSM's pop psychology but not his claims about her love (En Ami), and pouts openly while calling Mulder (Chimera.) (See post here for flirty gifs (collected from @settle-down-frohike.)

Point 3: Scully's miss-kiss is how we know this precedes Amor Fati: then, she passionately and unhesitatingly gives Mulder's bandaged head a kiss after his dream recitation; but in Per Manum, though both are tender and grieving, there is still a hesitancy in her behavior. That hesitancy is born from Scully's insecurity in Mulder's life post The Beginning, after her hallway forehead blessing was replaced by his frustration at her refusal to believe. She and Mulder were in sync in S6, and she knew he loved her... but where was she in the order of importance? Still under the Truth? (It's a question she is still asking in S8's Essence.) Amor Fati was the turning point in their relationship: Mulder finally showed his partner that any better life, any better ending paled in comparison to the chaotic and brutal and beautiful one they shared together.

The Requirements for IVF (specifically the FET Timeline)

There would have had to have been a lot of downtime for Mulder and Scully to attempt IVF and continue a pregnancy.

Flying while pregnant, in the 90s and now, is not unsafe; but frequent flyers are heavily discouraged from taking as many trips because of possible health concerns (blood pressure, early risks, radiation, etc.) with mother and fetus-- particularly in the first and third trimester-- and even more so if the mother has a preexisting condition or previously challenging medical concern. Not only that, but the demands required for the IVF process would have put a further strain on travel.

Scully's ova were collected and stored (and recovered) frozen, meaning she would have had to use the FET method for her IVF cycles. Frozen Embryo Transfer takes up to 32 days from start to finish (starting the count from Day 3 of a woman's period up to the day she takes a pregnancy test); and Scully would likely have had to use the medicated FET method rather than the natural one, which is not a difference in timeline so much as convenience. Not only does the medicated FET method require additional supplementation, but the changes from estrogen and progesterone to embryo transfer-- in other words, forward progress-- hinge on how successfully the lining of the uterus thickens: if it's slow, the process drags on longer; if it's unsuccessful, the process starts from scratch. And despite all these measures, the "success rate of an untested frozen embryo transfer can go as low as 20-30%, decreasing with increasing maternal age." Hence, its failure.

The only times The X-Files had enough downtime to meet these stringent requirements were twice, and both in S6: the grounding under Kersh's disciplinary thumb and the unaccounted-for months between The Unnatural (April) and Biogenesis (September.)

The Clincher: A Purposefully Placed Family Planning Book

While the mind melding events of Biogenesis-Amor Fati are unfolding, Scully scours the office before jet-setting off to Africa. In the background is a clear glimpse of a blue family planning book amidst Mulder's various piles that he uses to feather the nest (grabbed from @dreamingofscully's post here~.)

Chris Carter, Frank Spotnitz, the writing team, and the actors knew David Duchovny was leaving the show after the finale of S7; and they planned for the miracle baby early on in the season. (For any lingering doubts about William's paternity, see here for Frank's own words on the subject.) Because of that, the gang split up and left some clues: not just the family planning book mentioned above, but also David and Gillian's decision to act as if Mulder and Scully were dating off-screen post Millennium and the writers request to incorporate William's conception into All Things. Because of those decisions, fertile (heh) ground was sown for anyone willing to look back and fill in the gaps... which they did in Per Manum; and which I do now.

The family planning book serves as the definitive timeline marker for Scully and Mulder's IVF journey. If they had attempted IVF early S6, then the book would have shown up with Mulder's things when he "feathered the nest" post One Son. If he and Scully had attempted IVF after Millennium or any time S7, it would have made an appearance then. But it doesn't: it only appears on the end of season six after Mulder and Scully have grown closer, when an IVF success or failure makes him clarify that it won't "come between us." When there is more that is between them but not technically enough for them to do this journey as a couple (yet.)

It also bookends the conclusion of the IVF arc: by joining Mulder's stash, the book has become another totem of his life in the vein of Samantha's picture, the cloth hearts, and Karin Berquist's "I Want to Believe" poster (and even Queequeg's collar and Scully's keychain.) It'll be packed away out of sight once he gets the cleaning bug or Scully asks him to; but, until then, it haunts the basement with the ghost of its lost potential.

Why IVF, Why Now, Why The Unnatural?

As mentioned above, there is a pocket of downtime post The Unnatural's April and Biogenesis-Amor Fati's September (thank you to @dreamingofscully for pointing that out in this post), with only one legitimate case in-between.

(With that in mind, The Lone Gunmen's ask of Scully is doubly stupid since they asked her to fly out to Las Vegas in Mulder's name sometime during her IVF process and triply stupid because Scully-- who likely went against medical precautions-- was drugged.)

But why did Scully seek a second opinion after The Unnatural?

Because Mulder's baseball date and uplifted banter reawakened that dream in her: "What you may find as you're concentrating on hitting that little ball, the rest of the world just fades away. All your nagging concerns, the ticking of your biological clock, how you probably couldn't afford that nice new coat on a g-woman's salary, how you threw away a promising career in medicine to hunt aliens with a... crackpot, albeit brilliant, partner." Because Mulder signaled that he was noticing her, her new suede coat, her ticking biological clock... and that those were important to him.

So, Scully went in for another checkup, to seek hope for both of them.

The Timeline: A Culmination

The Unnatural-- Mulder, for the first time in their partnership, turns away from the heart of the mystery to gaze at the mystery of his heart; and Scully is giggly and hopeful (having pressed hints about "a normal life" over and over since early S6.) For the first time he mentions something between them that is personal beyond near kisses and love confessions: he brings up her habits, her coats, and her fertility, showing her that he sees her. And after that night, Scully gets another checkup with her doctor and kicks off Per Manum.

Per Manum, the elevator-- Scully runs into Mulder after her appointment, depressed and down with more negative results. Seeing how devastated this fresh reminder is (despite the episode's very clunky reiteration of her infertility-- which both she and Mulder already know about and know each other knows about), he admits to having her ova on ice. Scully is both hurt he'd kept this information from her for over two years and desperately hopeful-- again-- that there is another last chance.

Per Manum, the clinic-- Doctor Parenti tells Scully there is a "good chance" that she can get pregnant if they get started right away. She's barreling onward, not thinking two steps ahead of her (noted here in some deleted lines-- thanks to @dunhamhairograpy) except for the fact that she has to ask Mulder for his participation.

Per Manum, "The answer is yes"-- "I don't want this to come between us" is pivotal. Yes, it could refer to their recent peace over Mulder's noncommunication; but that seems to have been swept aside by both of them in their heady anticipation. So, it has to refer to their personal relationship, one which just blossomed beyond loving partners into partners focused more on each other than the Truth. Mulder can't let go completely until his Closure; but he'll explore living a variation of normal with Scully post The Unnatural's moral lesson and Amor Fati's revelation and Millennium's permanent shift.

Three of a Kind-- Scully hops on the rare plane to join "Mulder" in Las Vegas, being pulled into The Lone Gunmen shenanigans and ending up getting drugged, flirting up a storm, and planning her revenge. Luckily, it seems Scully isn't too worried about what happened, meaning she was either between rounds or hadn't begun her first (or only?) cycle yet.

Field Trip-- A more personal episode for Mulder and Scully: he is unusually hurt and angered by her normal level of skepticism, which hurts her in turn as he's devalued herself as well as her abilities for the work. The two of them dance around these feelings until they fall right into hallucinogenic mushrooms. (An interesting note: @iconicscullyoutfits noticed here that Scully does not drink at Mulder's wake, slotting in perfectly both with her denial of this reality and her on-going carefulness with the IVF tries.)

Per Manum, "It was my last chance"-- Regardless if it's their first and only or last of many tries, Scully is unflinchingly scooped up by Mulder, though diffidently shy about crossing too many lines herself in grief (shying away from her impulsive smooch to instead hesitatingly place a kiss on her partner's cheek.) "Never give up on a miracle", Mulder intones; and holds onto the family planning book for a while more.

Biogenesis-- Mulder may have the book in his office; but Scully has lost hope, asking him "Look, after all you've done, after all you've uncovered... I mean, you've won. What more could you possibly hope to do or to find?" Her question is more in-character with another fruitless endeavor behind them, a wish to see this journey, too, to its end; and this informs her arc in this three parter: rebuilding herself and her identity in Africa, at the military base, in her apartment, and outside his.

Amor Fati-- Mulder dreams "another life, another world" where Scully can live safer and freer from him while he gets a built-in idyllic life, wife, and children: "Don't give up on a miracle" echoing around in his head. (An interesting note: @cecilysass's post here about the meaning behind Mulder's Temptation is amazing.)

But that miracle is a false illusion; and Scully saves him from himself ("You were my constant, my touchstone") just as he saves her from her self-distrust ("And you are mine.") It's now that Scully brands Mulder's forehead as her own just as she had in Fight the Future: diffidence gone, courage and confirmation found.

From Brain Surgery to New Years Celebrations

Mulder would have been too weak for much while recovering from invasive brain surgery, as evidenced by his and Scully's (mostly) hands-off approach in the next episode Hungry.

However, Mulder joined Scully in California for Christmas-- on a case, of course-- and got himself from one mess to another. They avoided death, saved the world from the Apocalypse, and, most importantly, patched a family back together. There might never be a child to welcome them home from a dangerous case; but they have each other.

And Mulder seals that realization as the ball drops.

And that concludes the IVF arc~!

Thank you for reading~

Enjoy!

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agent-troi · 6 months

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Fictober prompt #5: "You're the smartest person I know."

Fandom: The X-Files

Rating: Teen and Up Audiences

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Security Questions

Chapter 11: Three of a Kind

Scully sighed, rubbing her forehead with the hand that wasn’t holding her cell phone. “The Gunmen. They– oh, I don’t believe this. I don’t fucking believe this. They’ve got some nerve–”

“Scully, wait. What did they do?”

“They called me– it must have been them, but they synthesized your voice so I thought it was you. They had you say they found something big in Las Vegas, and I needed to get there right away.”

“That’s all they told you?”

“Yeah… they were acting sketchy when I first got there, but before I could ask them anything, shit started going down and I had an autopsy to do and then… well, it’s an interesting story. I’ll tell you all about it when I get back.”

Mulder’s tone shifted from perplexed to anxious. “Are you hurt? Were you in any danger?”

“No– well– I’m okay now. There’s nothing for you to worry about, all right?”

His response was predictably irate. “I’m gonna kick their asses.”

“Not if I kick them first.”

Mulder chuckled. “Pretty brave of them to risk pissing you off, actually.”

“Mulder, are you implying something about my temper?”

“Not at all. I just know from personal experience that it’s a good idea to stay on your good side.”

Scully rolled her eyes and reached for the remote to shut off the television so she could hear him better, the mugshot of Timothy Landau winking out of existence. “I mostly just feel stupid for even falling for it. This is literally the exact situation, only in reverse, that prompted us to come up with those security questions in the first place, remember?”

“Vividly. Why didn’t you ask any of them?”

“It was two-thirty in the morning– actually, it was 2:34 A.M., as your voice so precisely informed me. I was still half asleep, for God’s sake. I wasn’t exactly at my sharpest.”

Mulder responded with fond amusement. “Scully, even at your most sleep-deprived, you’re still the smartest person I know.”

She snorted. “That says more about everyone else you know than it does about me.”

Read the full chapter on Ao3

Tagging @today-in-fic, @fictober-event, @xffictober2023

#fictober23 #xffictober23 #today in fic #x files fanfic #msr fanfic #ao3 fanfic #x files #three of a kind #fox mulder #dana scully #mulder x scully #msr

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xfilesfanficexchange · 10 months

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The Best in Vegas

Author: @dsmulder4u For: IStanYouStan5676 Three of a Kind (S6/E20) what if Scully had called Mulder from Vegas while under the influence of the mystery drug (perhaps after Frohike finds her at the bar and before Suzanne counteracts it)? Then Mulder shows up after everything has wrapped up and gives the Gunmen hell for fooling Scully. From there, Mulder convinces Scully to have one night together in Vegas to make up for his friend's tricking her. Ao3 Link

#XFFlickedSwitch2023 13/27

#XFFlickedSwitch2023 #mulder #scully #msr #x files #fanfic #x files fanfic #three of a kind

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x-files-scripts · 1 year

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The X-Files - “Three of a Kind”

Written by Vince Gilligan & John Shiban

March 10, 1999 (GOLD)

Cut line:

“A Scully we’ve never seen before...”

Cut lines: Byers gives Susanne her new name...

#the x files #x files #scripts #txf #season 6 #txf s6 #txf bts #three of a kind #script #vince gilligan #john shiban #Lone Gunmen #morris fletcher #gillian anderson #michael mckean #scully #screenwriting #tvwriting

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klcthebookworm · 2 months

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WIP Wednesday

Hannah decides on a course of action once she, Chuck, Milly, and Meryl were sent to the Command Room for safety.

Chuck had heard what Doc said about Vash being their only hope and scowled at his sister stroking the computer keyboard. “We need to help Vash and you’re drooling over new tech!”

“I’m not drooling! I’m looking—” Her face brightened. “Found it. Pass me the bike’s data cord.”

Chuck pulled the end of it free from the crankcase and Hannah plugged it into the keyboard’s port she had found. “How is this gonna help Vash?”

“Can’t decide on a battle plan without data.” She sat in the keyboard’s chair. “Helmet please.” Chuck passed that to her, and she turned on her faceshield after she put it on. “Okay, time to see the data in formats I know. Power levels.”

Chuck turned on his faceshield. “Show me too.” Colored bars labeled 1 - 4 appeared on his faceshield but he didn’t know what they meant. They all were almost the same height.

“And usage?” Hannah asked. “Label the systems.”

The bars shifted from vertical to horizontal labeled with words he couldn’t read yet. He recognized “cold” on the second longest line.

“Any other power sources? Batteries?” Hannah asked.

The bike answered by typing on the faceshields. “No.”

“Shit,” Hannah whispered.

“What does this mean?” Chuck asked.

“This whole ship is only running on plant power. The biggest draw is for propulsion, staying up here, followed by the cold storage. The wrenchheads are targeting the plant bulbs and if Vash and Preacher Man can’t stop them—”

“Splat on the ground?”

“Yeah. And it is really irresponsible for them to run like this without any reserves.”

Chuck looked down at the bike’s gas tank. “Is it my fault we’re gonna crash?”

“What?”

“Mom says Dad and the uncles can’t fly spaceships.”

Hannah put her hand on his back. “That’s not because they’re mice; it’s because their skills on wheels do not transfer to flying. The ones at fault are the wrenchheads trying to hurt the plant angels. You got that?”

“Yeah.” He said softly. Hannah patted his back before pulling her hand back. He looked over at her. “So how can we help Vash stop the wrenchheads?”

“Vash put us on civilian protection duty.”

“Boring. Should we shove them into lifeboats?”

The bike took away the graph to type, “Life pod capacity does not meet the mobile population.”

“I was afraid of that. So nobody can get off this bus….” Hannah’s voice trailed off and she had on her thinking face. Then she switched to Martian. “{Bike, find the landing program and input current situation variables into the calculation of safest landing outcome.}”

“Calculation made. Landing possible 75 miles for New Oregon. Human input is required.”

That was a lot of words Chuck didn’t know but Hannah didn’t stop to explain them as she continued in Martian to the bike. “{From this terminal?}”

“Yes.”

“{Firewall landing program and this terminal and then boot up.}”

Chuck looked back at the crowd, but they were all focused on what Mr. Wolfwood was yelling at more puppets and not equipment turning on. That was sneaky good. But he needed to remind Hannah of something. “{They didn’t want to go down, Hannah.}”

“{Tough. Vash doesn’t want them to die and I don’t want to crash. They are outvoted.}”

Chuck wasn’t sure if that was how voting worked, but he didn’t want to crash either. The keyboard turned on along with the smaller screen attached to it. Hannah focused on the tech and Chuck turned sideways on the motorcycle’s seat to watch her back, just like if they had to take over some of Karbunkle’s tech back in Chicago.

“{Bike, keep the power going to cold storage and propulsion. We do not need them waking up in the middle of all this going on.}”

“Yes.”

Chuck turned back to watch Hannah type on the keyboard and stare intently at the screen. “{I hope you didn’t get Dad’s ability to crash spaceships,}” Chuck told her in Martian.

“{He never taught me how to drive a spaceship, so we should be good!}” She hunched over the keyboard in her concentrating posture.

Chuck snapped his mouth shut and turned back to the crowd so he could warn Hannah if they got mad. They were all still concentrating on the screen Doc had showing the wrenchheads and Vash and Mr. Wolfwood without any visuals. Didn’t they have cameras anywhere? Limburger always installed cameras when he had to rebuild his Tower.

“What is that?” Doc asked with rapid typing. “What? How are we moving? This room?”

The crowd of ship citizens mostly asked what Doc was talking about, but Meryl-ma’am and Milly-ma’am both whirled around. Meryl-ma’am’s eyes widened when she saw the lit keyboard and she stepped toward them. “Hannah.”

Chuck shook his head. “Don’t distract the driver.”

The crowd split as Doc twisted in his seat so he had a clear view of Chuck and Hannah. “What are you doing, child?”

“Shooting the hostage,” Hannah said.

“We’re doing the Speed battle plan!” They never had a chance to do that one. Chuck thrust both his arms up. “Aoooow!”

#trigun 98 #my fic #three of a kind #wip #wip wednesday #biker mice from mars

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dimepicture · 10 months

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#three of a kind #1936 #30s #bw #multi #still #evalyn knapp #match

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thebeautifulfantastic · 2 years

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kind of a cool and unexpected x-files parallel is in the two episodes that center around the lone gunmen so far: unusual suspects at the beginning of season 5, and three of a kind at the end of season 6. both of these episodes feature the gunmen interacting with Mulder and Scully, but not at the same time. it’s interesting how Mulder is known as their friend, a fellow believer in conspiracy theories, and unusual suspects tells the story of how that friendship came about, but in three of kind, they choose to call Scully for help — using their own questionable methods, i’ll admit. but the point is, i think by season 6, Scully has firmly become part of a very small group of people that the lone gunmen trust. she gets exasperated with their paranoia and she’ll kick their asses (and they know it), but Byers, Langly, and Frohike know Scully is in their lives to stay. it’s an unexpected friendship, but a friendship nonetheless. i think it’s quite sweet.

#it’s just… these guys don’t trust ANYONE #that’s why it feels significant #i need more fic of scully’s developing friendship with the gunmen over the years #i love how she calls them ‘the three stooges.’ and when drugged giggly scully called frohike ‘hickey’ alsksaksj #anyways #that was quite a silly and pointless but Fun episode #three of a kind #meta #meta finding tag #belle speaks #the x files #dana scully #the lone gunmen #txf liveblog #belle liveblogs

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lilydalexf · 2 years

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I'm looking for a fic set during/around "Three of a Kind" where Scully is drugged with Susan Modeski's serum and Mulder is there. Shenanigans then ensue. Thanks!

I'm not sure if you're looking for a specific fic or "Three of a Kind" fics in general. There are a lot of fics involving that episode and the general scenario you described. If you're looking for a specific fic, here are some on AO3 where Scully is drugged in Vegas and Mulder is there too for shenanigans:

Anoitic Effects by OnlyTheInevitable (@gaycrouton) During 'Three of a Kind' drugged Scully thinks she is a stripper dressed as an FBI agent. The Gunmen keep her from stripping by telling her the bachelor of honor hasn't arrived yet. Mulder then arrives, and they leave him to deal with a stripping Scully.

A Case of You by @nowwhateinstein Post-Episode for Three of a Kind: The Lone Gunmen make amends to Scully. Mulder eavesdrops on Scully singing Joni Mitchell.

Illicit Desires by OnlyTheInevitable (@gaycrouton) Mulder ends up coming along to Las Vegas during "Three of a Kind" and has to deal with the aftermath of a drugged and flirty Scully.

A Slightly Different Path by @atths--twice What if The Unnatural took a slightly different turn? What if Mulder showed up in Three of a Kind? What if …

What Happens in Vegas by @cultureisdarkbeer Tumblr Prompt: Mulder joins Scully in Las Vegas in the episode "Three of a Kind" and they both get shot up with anoetic histamine at the same time and end up getting married by an Elvis impersonator.

#fic mystery #xfiles fanfic #xf fanfic #three of a kind #anon #asks

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cock-holliday · 2 years

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Can’t believe every time Mulder and Scully get sucked into a Gunmen plot, they end up supremely drugged. Rip

#txf #the unusual suspects #three of a kind

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bakedbakermom · 6 months

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scully calling mulder to ask why he isn't at their HOTEL ROOM in VEGAS must have given the poor man whiplash and blue balls at the same time

#fox mulder #dana scully #txf #three of a kind #3 of a kind #3oak

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chavisory · 9 months

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I’m staying with a friend for a few days; we’re watching the X-Files with her youngest kid...

[As Byers kisses Suzanne Modeski in his domestic fantasy during the cold open to “Three of a Kind”]

Kid: SUDDENLY SEYMOUR!!!!....SOMEWHERE THAT’S GREEN!!!!

#i want to believe #the x-files #txf #byers #three of a kind

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xfilesfanficexchange · 10 months

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Third Time's The Charm

Author: LotsAndLotsOfPhiles For: @piecesofscully Scully wrestles with expressing her feelings after she and Mulder return from Antarctica, but little by little the truth comes out. Ao3 Link