Between the Dark and the Daylight

K/S Fanfiction
Title:	Between the Dark and the Daylight
Author(s):	Tere Ann Roderick
Date(s):	1985
Length:
Genre:	slash
Fandom:	Star Trek: The Original Series
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Between the Dark and the Daylight is a K/S story by Tere Ann Roderick.

It was first published in the print zine Act 5 #1.

Reactions and Reviews

This story connects with the Deadly Years. It has Kirk and Spock considering their experiences after the aging process. Spock sees that Jim will age and die way before he does. Kirk keeps having nightmares about being old, and Spock keeps snowing up when needed to soothe and calm Kirk. It is a first time discovery story (I love them), and I greatly enjoyed seeing the love come out more and more as the story proceeded. Spock enters one of Jim's nightmares and helps bring him out of it.

This story is a continuation of the Deadly Years. Kirk. McCoy and Scott are all dreaming—unpleasant dreams for the most part—but Kirk's dreaming has an extra dimension. He tells McCoy that he is dreaming of Spock as his lover and although that state of affairs seems right to him, it also scares him. McCoy tells Kirk that his problem is guilt about the way that he treated the Vulcan during the Gamma Hydra affair and that the only way to solve it is to talk with Spock. Kirk agrees and arranges to meet with Spock.

During their discussion Kirk admits to his fear of growing old and senile, that he hated Spock because his Vulcan physiology had given an edge whilst they were aging so rapidly, how guilty he felt about the things he had said to Spock and how scared he was that he might lose the Vulcan. Spock tells him that he will stay with Kirk as long as Kirk wishes him to do so. They go on to discuss Kirk's dreams but eventually Spock gets up to leave and Kirk, realising that he cannot let him go asks him to stay. There's a nice little touch where Kirk says, "Grow old along with me" and Spock replies, "I cannot grow old with you. I am sorry." They go to bed together, just to sleep for Kirk realises that Spock is scared of the change to come. During the night Kirk dreams again, waking Spock who melds with him. Once he discovers what is troubling his soon-to-be-lover he sets about calming Kirk's fears. They make love in Kirk's dream and then again when they wake up.

I like this story although it does meander a little. I'm not sure that I can see Kirk being quite so terrified of growing old but this author describes it well and it works in this story. A small point but one that I really like is that although they bond it is not a death bond. I have never felt comfortable with the idea of a 'death bond'—highly illogical even if it is a romantic idea.