Date: 24 Jan 2015 01:04 Title: Epilogue
Great story. And now I know for sure that I am NOT the only one who appreciates Spock's ass!
Author's Response:
LoL...no, you're definitely not the only one! I'm glad you liked the story--thank you for reviewing!
Date: 31 Dec 2014 20:08 Title: Epilogue
Poor Christine. But I'm so glad he left her that handwritten note.
Author's Response:
Thank you! I was glad he did, too.
Date: 31 Dec 2014 20:06 Title: Chapter 2
That was powerful. I like the fact that you kept things on a platonic level. Considering Spock and the situation at hand, that is much more believable than the alternative.
Christine is right. Kirk deserves to lose him.
Author's Response:
Well, I had envisioned a "comforting him with her body" scenario...but Spock was just too wounded for that to happen. And Christine is a loyal officer, but I'm sure she'd take Spock's side in this conflict. Part of that unconditional love she has to offer. Thank you for your thoughts and insights!
Date: 31 Dec 2014 17:14 Title: Chapter 1
This is so beautifully written, and I can't imagine what is going to transpire between those two. Or can I...?
Author's Response:
Thank you for saying that! I can tell you what I WISH would have transpired, but these two stubborn characters never do what I tell them!Thank you so much for reading and reviewing!
Date: 31 Dec 2014 07:26 Title: Epilogue
Somehow, I don't think even the rigors of Kolinahr will be able to completely erase the memory of that gift. He may not realize it yet, but she has already put his feet on the path to his future...the one that will be the right and true choice for him.
Author's Response:
I hadn't really though of it until you pointed it out just now, but maybe she has planted a seed that "this simple feeling" can ultimately be trusted. That's what he has to get to in TMP, and what he's lost for the moment in Six Degrees. Thank you for seeing that!
Date: 31 Dec 2014 07:20 Title: Chapter 2
I had truly forgotten how stunningly beautiful this is. I think you have captured the true essence of Christine Chapel here, for we did indeed see that compassionate side of her that reached out to crewmen in need in several episodes.
Spock's world is crumbling before his very eyes and to his mind, there is no one left to help him cope; no bond of friendship left to see him through this. This is where he is wrong. Yes, Christine is in love with him. But here, all we see is the pure, unadulterated love. A love untainted by sexual desire; a love very similar to the love Spock has for Jim and McCoy. With this story, you have so subtly, but artfully displayed that parallel.
There are many layers to love. Unfortunately for Spock, up till now, he has only seen it in black and white. It will take the painful experience of three years at Gol, and his ultimate failure at achieving Kolinahr, which will allow him to not only see but experience this emotion in its full kaleidoscope of colors. That's what I take away from this piece, what I see in the nuances and between the lines. This is truly a magnificent piece, and a perfect complement to Six Degrees. Thank you again for this beautiful, thoughtful gift.
Date: 31 Dec 2014 06:19 Title: Chapter 1
Re-reading this again now that you've re-posted it, and once again, I'm astounded by how well you were able to capture the tortured Spock I envisioned in Six Degrees, bringing out all of those thoughts and emotions I only hinted at in my piece.
And I love your Chapel. This is the woman I always envisioned - intelligent, savvy, compassionate and yet cool and calculating at the same time. While the Big Three are such an emotional mess, leave it to her to take the reins, much like she did in Call of Duty, and become the voice of reason. And she's right, Spock doesn't realize or understand that he needs her help - desperately - to survive this life-altering, shattering choice he has made, but he does, and a week or two from now, when the acute pain of his decision has lessened infinitesimally, he'll come to realize just how important her gift was.
And yet, part of me thinks he does understand that need, even if he won't admit it to himself in this moment. In the past, he would have skillfully extricated himself from any situation with her in which he was not comfortable. The fact that he doesn't simply send her away here speaks to not only his mental and emotional exhaustion, but his need to have someone keep him on an even keel; to help him navigate through this decision and bring it to its inevitable - and only, to his mind - conclusion - the only conclusion that will keep the people he has come to love from harm.
This is beautifully drawn and extremely well-written. I'm honored that you have chosen to give me this gift - it adds so much to my story, for it tugs the emotional strings I left unplucked, but so desperately needed to be heard. Enjoying this even more this time around.
Author's Response:
Thank you so much for your thoughts and insights, both in this review and in your original story. I had originally hoped that Christine might in fact comfort Spock with her body, but you gave us such a wounded warrior that I knew he needed something else. The beauty of Christine's character, as I see her, is that she's not in the Trio, not swallowed by the intensity of emotion that drive those three men in the depths of their bond. Yet she knows almost everything that goes on between them--she's always there observing in her quiet and reserved way. I see her completely unselfish love for Spock as a balm right now--not something that will keep him from what must be done, but something that can ease the pain just long enough for him to accomplish it. And you're right, I think, when you say that Spock must feel that need, too, or he would simply have sent her away as he had done before. But he can't ask for someone to love him, especially now that he thinks that love is what got them into this mess in the first place. And she doesn't make him.
Anyway, thank you for this review, and for taking the time to read the story again. And thank you for all you went through to tell the original story in the first place--I consider that the real gift!