Ghosts

The North-West passage #1

by Torch

Krycek returns from Russia and seeks Mulder's help in investigating a case. Mulder, Scully and Krycek form an uneasy alliance, but nothing is as it seems in the small town of Leyden Creek.

Mulder/Krycek pre-slash

Chapters: 4

96,800 words.

Art by Jo B

Genres: Paranormal, Fan Fiction

Online Fiction - Complete

First published January 1, 1997

Reviews

[Juushika · Rating 3 out of 5]

Departing canon at 4.9 "Terma," Krycek comes back to America and to blackmail Mulder into visiting the small town of Leyden Creek--but to his surprise, Mulder and Scully are already being sent there to investigate fatal car crashes purportedly caused by ghosts. This is a rocky but not wholly unsuccessful story. It hops disorientatingly between Mulder's third person point of view and Kyrcek's overwrought first person narrative--one that almost suits the character's atmosphere of gothic tragedy, but trespasses too often into the absurd. It succeeds and fails on its basis as a Krycek character study: at best, it highlights the conflict between Krycek's actions and his implied desire for acceptance; at worst, it humanizes him too much, overlooking what makes him a successful antagonist. As much casefile as romance, the plot is a believable but unremarkable addition to The X-Files mythos; a focus on acts of daily sustenance give it an intensely personal atmosphere, but this is in conflict with Leyden's unconvincing residents. The romance, meanwhile, indulges more angst than sex; it's a slow, conflicted burn. I don't recommend Ghosts outright--it's compelling but melodramatic, tightly written but still an amateur effort--but I will eventually move on to its sequel.