Beyond Eden

K/S Fanfiction
Title:	Beyond Eden
Author(s):	A.T. Bush
Date(s):	1990
Length:
Genre:	slash
Fandom:	Star Trek: The Original Series
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Beyond Eden is a Kirk/Spock Star Trek: TOS story by A.T. Bush.

It was published in the print zine Way of the Warrior #3.

Summary

"Kirk keeps trying to corner Spock after an almost-kiss but circumstances keep getting in the way."

Reactions and Reviews

Although The Way to Eden was one of the episodes which I least liked, I was surprised to find I actually quite enjoyed this story, mainly because it starts after that episode is over and does go some way to providing an explanation for Spock's rather odd behaviour during that time. At the beginning of this story, Kirk and Spock are preparing for a mission to infiltrate the main base of the group of criminals of which the hippies on the Enterprise were just a small part.

They have both become aware of how they feel about each other, but have not, so far, told each other this. In fact, a lovely scene towards the beginning of this tale has Kirk and Spock just about to surrender to their feelings when they are alone together in the briefing room just before a meeting is due to start, when they both realise where they are and draw back from each other. After the operation is over, they return to the ship, where Kirk is hoping to find time to tell Spock how he really feels about him. At the same time, Kirk is hurt by Spock's seeming romantic interest in other people, including Droxine (from The Cloud Minders) and Zarabeth in All Our Tomorrows. He has several discussions with McCoy during which they try to analyse how Spock may be feeling and what he is trying to accomplish - is he trying to make Kirk jealous or just playing the field? I particularly liked how McCoy is described in this story, he is warm and supportive, asking Kirk the right questions and acting as a sounding board so Kirk can work out how he feels for himself, especially when he tells Kirk to just go ahead and tell Spock how he feels, because he at least is certain that Kirk's feelings are reciprocated, although Kirk himself is not so sure and rather puzzled by the way Spock has been behaving - from which is not really clear whether or not Spock does in fact share Kirk's feelings. It is not until they are involved in transporting some diplomats to a conference that things come to a head and Kirk is unable to restrain his jealousy when he finds Spock spending all his free time with the very attractive son and daughter of the diplomat in question. It is only then that they are able to have an honest conversation and overcome all the misunderstandings between them. One thing I particularly enjoyed in this story is the fact that while most other authors seem to regard the incident with Janice Lester as being at the end of the five year mission, this author does not think this is the case, as this story clearly takes place just after that episode and yet the Enterprise is still very much on active duty at that time which makes a refreshing change. It was also quite refreshing to find an author who has written a follow-up to a different story than the usual ones!