fanfic | stxi | leave no soul behind - epilogue

[whochick]

Title: Leave No Soul Behind Epilogue, 8,466 words of 240,000+
Fandom: Star Trek XI, TOS references.
Characters: Kirk/Spock, ensemble, OCs.
Rating & Warnings: Strong R - slash, language, adult themes.
Spoilers: For the 2009 movie mostly.
Disclaimer: Fanfiction and fanfiction only, folks.
Betas: the_arc5 - I'm in lesbians with you.

Thank you(s): Firstly, stripedpetunia

Comments

[issaro]

Absolutely wonderful. I got up early before work just to see how it all ended and it was worth every moment of lost sleep. It's going to be hard to let this go. You did a fabulous job with this - captivating, exciting, touching, heart rending. Very well done. Thank you for sticking with it, for getting them all home in one piece and giving them a bit of peace to go with the victory. But most of all, thank you for sharing this wonderful vision of their world.

[whochick]

Yay for missing sleep for fic! I've done that so often in the past ;)

It's been an absolute pleasure writing for you all. Thank you for the feedback.

[illariy]

Fuck yeah Ashe! And the ending? This is my face now :D :D :D

[whochick]

Awesome. Smiley face is smiley. I have a real tender place in my heart for Ashe. Glad you do, too.

All good things ...

[sandyk199]

For all that there’s the sweetness of the reunion, there are political repercussions, and let me get this straight; Jim helped save the Earth but Starfleet denied him access to one of their hospitals? Bureaucratic pettiness at is best, no wonder they weren’t able to cope with Nero!

The bonding between Jim and Spock is … I’m running out of descriptive words here. For all the times they’ve been bound by rules and regulations, or surrounded by the crew, it seems perfect that for such a momentous event in their lives it’s just the two of them:

Jim spares a thought for all the pomp and circumstance that would grace an event like this on Nu'ri Ah'rak, but one glance at the intensity on Spock's face confirms they don't need it.

All they need is each other.

The final warning from Spock that there would be no more barriers started to get me and then … yep. Tears.

Spock lays comforting hands on Jim's bruises. He bars the door to Jim's room and holds his hand in the emergency department. He whispers promises of something better when the

Re: All good things ...

[whochick]

Funny ... that bonding scene originally contained sex but I rewrote it in order to remove it. Somehow, I felt it needed to be a true meeting of minds and souls, rather than a physical release. I'm glad it resonated with you. I think every human being longs for that kind of acceptance and connection with another person. That could be what makes it such an interesting trope.

McCoy, let me count the ways. I adore him, it's simple :)

[sandyk199]

"Hey, don't harsh my man-crush!" Jim objects with a frown. "He'll be re-elected in no time, you just wait

[whochick]

Spock's journey to the centre seat was important to me, mostly because I knew I was pushing shit uphill to make that command team reversal believable to a fandom full of shippers. Somehow I had to make Spock Captain without disempowering Jim, and to have you think that it worked ... well, that's pretty damn awesome in my book :)

[sandyk199]

It was a given that the ships were going to show up, and it was particularly pleasing to see that Sulu was the first to call in. That’s wonderful in itself without Pike being the second to appear. What begins as a trickle becomes a deluge then, as it seems that Starfleet/F-Sec has been a decaying beast for quite some time. The near-destruction of Earth is the only proof people will ever need, as too how ineffective the system was. That seems enough to create a substantial change for the better, as it’s then mentioned that they get official pardons. Hah!

The little windows into their new relationship as it evolves during peacetime are especially telling:

As Spock approaches the car, he doesn’t question Jim’s smile, just responds with a small one of his own: a trademark quirk of the lips that seems to come more easily with every passing day. Jim feels his heart rate kick up a notch just as his stomach drops away a little, leaving him wondering whether their connection will ever seem commonplace. Spock is big on mental privacy,

[whochick]

Writing the whole birthday party section was a challenge because I knew I wanted to provide some closure but needed to avoid being proscriptive. I wanted readers to be able to imagine their future rather than having it set in stone.

Gary was an important moment for Jim, I felt. Perhaps even more so than the indirect truce with his mother. Family dramas are never quickly or easily resolved, but it's funny how childhood friendships remain so blessedly uncomplicated.

And yes, the thought of Spock outliving Kirk in any universe breaks my little shipper heart in two.