The 13th Sign

Fanfiction
Title:	The 13th Sign
Author(s):	prufrock's love
Date(s):	2003
Length:
Genre(s):
Fandom(s):	X-Files
Relationship(s):
External Links:	part 1; part 2
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The 13th Sign is an X-Files Mulder/Scully story by prufrock's love.

It has a sequel called 7 Days in May.

Reactions and Reviews

2009

I assumed I'd already posted this here but apparently not. Certainly I've recced it everywhere else. It's long and kind of angsty. Okay, it's very angsty. On the Prufrock Reader Torture Scale, with zero being angst-free (though there is no angst-free prufrock story as far as I know) and 10 being "Negative Utopia" or maybe "The Wasteland," this rates at least a seven. It is not season eight fic nor is it season nine, but William is there and so is Mulder so I am classifying it as season nine, AU.

You might wonder why I like this story as much as I do, given that I dislike babyfic and haven't seen most of season nine. But prufrock's love writes a lovely Mulder, as he negotiates his way through fatherhood under the worst possible circumstances. There's a good chunk of her version of Mulder/Scully romance, an x-file, and a little some mytharc thrown in for good measure.

My only complaint about this story was the ending, which left a couple of Big Things unresolved. In 2011, to my delight, prufrock's love returned and posted a terrific sequel, "7 Days in May."

Okay, it's very angsty. On the Prufrock Reader Torture Scale, with zero being angst-free (there is no angst-free prufrock story as far as I know, at least none that I would recommend) and ten being "Negative Utopia" or maybe "The Wasteland," this rates at least a seven. It is neither season eight fic nor is it season nine, but William is there and so is Mulder so I am classifying it as season nine, AU, PG-13. I have no idea why I like this story as much as I do, given that I hate babyfic and season nine, but prufrock writes a lovely, believable Mulder, negotiating his way through fatherhood under the worst possible circumstances, plus there's some mytharc thrown in for good measure.

I've loved all the stories by prufrock's love that I've read, but this one is my favorite because, just like you said up there, her Mulder is just so damn REAL. She shows us the kind of reactions that I'd expected from him after his 'resurrection', his doubts about his role in William's life, and also explores a lot of issues that were never explained in canon. I absolutely adore the scenes in the Mystic Pizza Hut too, and the banter, and the Mulder/William relationship, and the Scully angst, and... well, I didn't want to spoil people too much with this comment, but this story is just too good! I've read the whole thing 4 times already, and I always end up loving it a bit more ♥ Now let me go start my 5th ;)

Heh, I've only read the story once, but I'll agree with you here. (Though I should add I think I've only read a couple of prufrock's other stories, and I'm a bit leery about reading more, though I'm not entirely sure why... I hear mixed things, I guess. I need to really want to read something if it's long, given how little fic-reading time I have these days.)

That said, I remember Mulder in this story as being heartbreaking, extremely relatable, recognizable (albeit, if this makes sense, clearly written by prufrock; some authors have a particular voice through a character), and the story itself made me take a pretty harsh look at S8. Not so much in terms of overall writing quality, but in terms of Mulder's character, his actions (and inaction), in ways that I'd never considered them before. Tough to read, but very interesting. Ultimately, it does something that will almost always win a fic over for me: it reminds me why I love Mulder so damn much. In this case, I think it does so most clearly by highlighting his balance of extreme cynicism and extreme hope, in spite of all circumstances and ridiculous odds.

AU seasons can either be entirely delightful and refreshing to read, or incredibly frustrating and alienating. It's going to sound like I don't like this story to say so (and I do, very much), but I somehow feel like this one kind of falls smack in the middle of those two tones.

In this story, she captures Mulder's voice as well as anyone who has ever written in this fandom. I don't see this story as an AU in the same way that her historicals are, just because the characters are so clearly (to me) our Mulder and Scully.

I would love this story more if it weren't so sad.

Reading The 13th Sign actually makes me happy in a weird way because the writing is so good. I get this little frizz of excitement whenever I read something so well-crafted. It is sad but it feels real and congruent with the series and the characters in a way that most fic isn't. Plus the structure is beautiful! That makes me very happy.

I guess I'll reread this giant--my mantra is read twice, talk once--but I will go on record as saying that I have a big Prufrock's Love problem. It's the angst thing, I suppose. Yet every damn time I read her I remember how extremely good she is, and that prejudice is an ugly thing.

Yes, well, I finally finished The 13th Sign and I consider it a fine piece of work, one of my favorites of PL's, and really possessing as happy an ending as we're ever going to get from her. (It's obviously a valedictory story.)

I do think it's excessively long, and the Mulder voice--though as Wendy says extremely well-done--palls through its de facto egocentrism. There's a tendency in fanfic (also in other genre fiction but *particularly* in fanfic) to indulge the repeated expression of the inner life. Our canon is visual in nature; we hear the dialogue but we have to imagine the feelings, and our ficcers are more than eager to imagine them for us. It bothers me a bit, as I'm sure I've tediously said before. Prufrock's Love imagines Mulder with wit as well as pathos, and for that I'm grateful.

One thing surprised me. We assume that Scully's amnesia, with no actual hope of recovery, is tragic. I guess it is. But with my season one comfort-habit I actually reacted to it with pleasure. What a miracle for Mulder to start over with an innocent, unsuspicious, undamaged Scully. I exaggerate, of course; she's been robbed of a hunk of life and has to relive some tough losses. But she's presented with a baby to love and a fascinating man who's already in love with her. How bad can it be? Call me shallow. And it's a gift for Mulder; he no longer has to cope with a woman who is so afraid of "manipulating" him that she won't tell him what to do. (That bothered me. She should have told him to help her take care of his kid. Call me reactionary.)

I'm glad you enjoyed the story. Or, maybe "enjoy" is not the right word? I don't agree with your assessment of the length or the characterizations but then I have a higher tolerance for angst, like long novels and think Mulder is egocentric to the extreme in canon. I do think Prufrock loves Mulder a bit more than I do. In any case, Scully always seems to get the worst of it in Prufrock's stories, just as she does on the show. I think Prufrock agrees with you, that for Mulder, having Scully returned having been essentially purged of the memories of what was done to her is a gift. Maybe she thinks Scully is better off, too. It is disturbing to me that she would think that, or think that this ending is a happy one. Despite how queasy this outcome makes me, I love this fic and love Mulder more in this story, despite his flaws, than in any other story that I can remember. Given what a Scullyist I am, I consider that a real achievement.

2014

I assumed I'd already posted this here but apparently not. Certainly I've recced it everywhere else. It's long and kind of angsty. Okay, it's very angsty. On the Prufrock Reader Torture Scale, with zero being angst-free (though there is no angst-free prufrock story as far as I know) and 10 being "Negative Utopia" or maybe "The Wasteland," this rates at least a seven. It is not season eight fic nor is it season nine, but William is there and so is Mulder so I am classifying it as season nine, AU.

You might wonder why I like this story as much as I do, given that I dislike babyfic and haven't seen most of season nine. But prufrock's love writes a lovely Mulder, as he negotiates his way through fatherhood under the worst possible circumstances. There's a good chunk of her version of Mulder/Scully romance, an x-file, and a little some mytharc thrown in for good measure.

My only complaint about this story was the ending, which left a couple of Big Things unresolved. In 2011, to my delight, prufrock's love returned and posted a terrific sequel, "7 Days in May," which you can read at Gossamer, along with the revised version of "The 13th Sign."

2016

PL may be one of the most well-known writers in the fandom. We’ve certainly made no secret of the fact that we absolutely adore everything they’ve ever written, and we bonded over SN 1572 when we first started talking. We needed each other to get through it.

You may want to buddy up for today’s fic, too, guys. Not gonna lie, it’s an angst fest. In the best possible way. It hurts so good. Like a razor blade dipped in honey. Like the pain you feel when you get a massage after a good workout, that makes you grit your teeth as you simultaneously relax.

The premise here is that soon after William is born in Existence, Scully is recruited back to the FBI for one final fieldwork assignment before she starts a cush new gig teaching. Mulder is, adorably, a new dad who has no idea what he’s doing, and is hoping that he and Scully can make things work while he figures out how the hell to be a father. Then, something happens that irrevocably alters what might have been.

We’re not gonna blow smoke, this fic will rip your heart out and shit on it at least a couple of times as you’re reading it. But good goddammmmmnnnnnn it’s just so perfect you can’t help but squint your eyes through your tears, clutch your hand to your heart, and keep reading because PL is just. That. Good. And, you’ll never look at Pizza Hut the same way ever again.

The last novel in the AU cycle (as I envision it) is “The 13th Sign.” On the Prufrock Reader Torture Scale, with zero being angst-free (there is no angst-free prufrock story as far as I know, at least none that I would recommend) and ten being “Negative Utopia” or maybe “The Wasteland,” this rates at least a seven. It is neither season eight fic nor is it season nine, but William is there and so is Mulder so I am classifying it as season nine, AU, PG-13.

Sometimes I question why I love this fic as much as I do, given my feelings about babyfic and season nine. It is also unabashedly a romance, and you know how I feel about romance. The truth is—I don’t know. Maybe it’s because prufrock’s love writes such a lovely, believable Mulder, negotiating his way through fatherhood under the worst possible circumstances. It doesn’t hurt that there’s some mytharc thrown in for good measure.

Of all of her fic, “The 13th Sign,” is my favorite. I also love the sequel, “7 Days in May.”