Responsibility by Sleeps With Coyotes (NC-17)

[isagel.livejournal.com]

Fandom: THE X-FILES
Pairing: Mulder/Krycek
Author on LJ: ciceqi
Author Website: Blood, Love & Rhetoric
Why this must be read:

"When you have the merchandise in question, take care of it as you see fit," Krycek's employer tells him, sending him off on a mission. And like the professional he is, he does what he's told. The merchandise, however, turns out to be Samantha, Agent Mulder's long lost sister - not one of the many clones, but the real thing: a battered young woman who's seen too little of life and far too much of living hell, and who reminds Alex uncomfortably of the man he shouldn't love. Suddenly he finds himself having to decide what her future should be, what fate for her would best serve not only the brother obsessed with finding her, but also the cause of humanity's survival. It's not a responsibility he wants, but it's one he's forced to deal with.

I was never happy with how the Samantha storyline was handled on the show, which is why it's a delight to read fic like this, where it's used to beautiful effect. And I greatly admire the way Sleeps With Coyotes manages to make Krycek's interaction with Samantha thoroughly adorable, without making him anything less than the lethal man he is. In short, this is a deeply fascinating read.

Responsibility