Ever Warm

K/S Fanfiction
Title:	Ever Warm
Author(s):	Deanna Gray
Date(s):	1999
Length:
Genre:	slash
Fandom:	Star Trek: The Original Series
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Ever Warm is a Kirk/Spock story by Deanna Gray.

It was published in the print zine Within the Mirror #13.

This story was nominated for a 1999 STIFfie Award.

Summary

"Kirk and Spock are pulled ever more into the struggle between the Empire and the rebellion led by Khan and Sarek."

Reactions and Reviews

Generally most Mirror stories engage my interest only tepidly, however Ever Warm grabbed me from the first page and simply wouldn't let go. This is the best story this author has written, and given my preferences for Classic Trek K/S in our own universe, I sure do wish it had been about our own Kirk and Spock. Nevertheless, I was riveted, tantalized and vastly entertained by this author and the world she created. After the first fifteen pages or so of this very long novella, I realized that it was going to require a real adjustment of my K/S and Trek preconceptions. Everything in this novella is turned on its head! I found that initially annoying, as I kept having to remind myself that folks I expected to be "good" might be bad and vice versa, but after a while I just had to step back and admire the deft writing and the incredible imagination displayed. Where in the world does this author get her ideas? If there's a service, I want to sign up for the same one! A wonderful, fully realized and complex plot is matched by sophisticated characterizations and, most of all, a genuine sense of the love that binds Spock to Kirk, and eventually, Kirk to Spock, even if that love is flavored by the treacherous world in which they live. Actually, that's what makes this story work, and why I like it so much, the fact that the Mirror universe was quite logically extended throughout the work. There weren't any false steps that introduced softness of any sort. This is a wonderful writing achievement. There were a few things I didn't care for too much, such as the fact that just about everybody in the story was having sex with everybody else—too much of a good thing. For me it got a little bit silly. And I thought there were too many short, intervening scenes involving characters other than Kirk and Spock, and providing admittedly needed plot points. Two or three or even four of these type of scenes in a work of this length are fine, but after a while the style became predictable and too staccato. But none of that obscures the fact that I got up early one morning to make sure that I had the time to finish this story, I liked it enough to actually forego sleep! One other thing. There were a few scenes, especially towards the end, that I thought would have worked better if extended a bit, and this would have brought the story to the length of a stand-alone novel. I really wish that Ever Warm had been published as a stand-alone novel, it deserves the audience. A Mirror story recommended by a non-Mirror lover!

EVER WARM is a 139 page novella in WITHIN THE MIRROR 13. It's almost entirely the zine, and I have to say that I really don't like the story, and thus I would have to say this is my most unfavorite WTM zine of them all. WTM is probably my favorite all time series. I normally adore them.

I am sure someone else in the past has reviewed this story for KSP, and I only wish I kept KSPs, but I don't because of space considerations. I am assuming that some people have read this story and loved it. Perhaps someone who has liked the story might want to do a favorable review to balance this one?

I think this story is more suitable for SCATTERED STARS than WITHIN THE MIRROR even though the story is an alternate universe mirror universe. When I'm reading a SS, I don't expect anything to even remotely be like anything we see in the series. So weird scenarios don't bother me in it. When I'm reading a WTM, I am basically just expecting nastier versions of the two guys I love and frankly sometimes the nastier versions are really, really wonderful to read about. That's why I like the zine series.

My main objection to this story is that the writer has taken characters that we know about and changed them so radically that they are unrecognizable. I really could not accept this story's interpretations of Khan, McCoy, Sarek, Saavik, Amanda (especially her!), Carol Marcus and David Marcus. Also, the plot had several things in it that I found unbelievable. I, for one example, don't see a Kirk working for the Empire and also tolerating Spock being involved in the rebellion against the Empire. Basically, I guess I just couldn't accept the characters as presented and some of the plot line as well. In this story almost everyone is screwing somebody else both literally and figuratively— except for Kirk and Spock. This is an empire of sex addicts which is in stark contrast with the fact that the only two people not screwing each other seem to be Kirk and Spock, the very ones we want to see doing it. (Well, that's an exaggeration, but not by much.) Everything was just too weird or different for me to accept.

Having said all that, I'll have to say that this story is a true original and that I've never read anything like it before, and I've read a ton of K/S stories. The plot is complicated so the writer spent a lot of time working it out. The writing is smooth and good. I have no complaints about the writing style. The long K/S scene at the end is very hot and quite well written. I enjoyed the K/S sex scene a lot. It almost, but not quite, made up for everything that I didn't like about the novella.

A wonderfully unusual mirror story for those who don’t usually appreciate mirror stories. Ms. Gray has become one of my absolute favorite authors. Her style, her complex yet clear plots, her characterizations of Kirk and Spock are all done so well—not only in this story, but in almost everything I’ve read of hers. Especially her novel, To Catch a Unicorn.

And here’s a story with twists and turns and intrigue along with some terrific K/S. This is Admiral Kirk (unusual when set in the mirror universe) and Captain Spock during a planned rebellion against the empire. Spock convinces Kirk to take back command of the Enterprise. I loved the use of the established events and the various characters set in this universe. So everything and everyone is a little bit different, but still recognizable as things and people we know. Oh, and before I begin, I need to reveal some plot points, so read this later if you haven’t enjoyed this story yet. Saavik had been Spock’s lover and now wants Saavik to be with Kirk because he trusts her and he wants to protect Kirk. There’s lots of subplot, too—here with Saavik fighting her jealousy at what she knows are Spock’s true feelings for Kirk. But much more intrigue is afoot—by whom we don’t know except that it’s the sister of the emperor—revealed in a shocking scene where they have sex. Shades of Caligula! There’s assassination attempts and characters plotting and an undercurrent of the rebellion against the empire—all this set against the backdrop of Spock’s all-consuming love for Kirk—a love that he’s endured secretly for years, even going through pon farr using surrogates. Spock loves him despite what he believes that his love will never be returned. I absolutely loved the strange twist of character where Amanda is an evil woman who forced Sarek to bond with her. I also loved the relationship between Sarek and Khan—absolutely inspired. And then there’s Joachim who’s in love with Khan and is very jealous. In a neat scene when Saavik is with Kirk, he forces the truth from her that Spock set up their relationship. In a pivotal moment, Saavik tells Kirk how much Spock really cares for him. Finally, this turns a light on in Kirk’s head and he realizes Spock loves him. Lots going on—Saavik and Spock want Kirk to be part of the rebellion and McCoy is a pawn in a terrible game. But none of this upstages the wonderful K/S. Or the fantastic sex scene at the end which is definitely one of the hottest, ever. There’s so much to love in this story—things like the technique of Amanda’s and the emperor’s demise told through natural dialogue between Kirk and Spock. For that matter, I thought the writing overall was really well done in this story. Strong openings and closings of scenes, realistic dialogue, excellent characterizations and clear points of views.

A really wonderful story.

I would call this a novella; and it was very engaging reading. The plot is way too complicated to recount here, but it's a great story. There were lots of those moments as I read where I felt, "I wish I'd

thought of that." I love this author's fertile mind. I definitely appreciated a Mirror story with the older characters—this in ST2 times. We've not seen nearly enough of this (older Mirror), and I really liked it. All the little ST details "mirrored," such as having the Kobayashi Maru include assassination attempts, were imaginative. There were some things I'm not 100% about, but I think this is a great job of writing a mystery. I'm a major mystery aficionado, and I think they're quite a challenge to write (and I feel I wrote one that was not a success as a mystery). All this took some major juggling of ideas and weaving together of threads, and is quite an accomplishment...

[much snipped due to length]

Almost everyone is given a very rich history or back-story. There isn't anything scrimped on here. Here's a funny little thing, how Chekov is ultra- loyal to Kirk, not knowing that it had been the other Kirk who had spared him. Poor sap. You know how I feel about too-obvious italicized thoughts? Well, there's something that's "worse" than that: a character talking out loud, when it's an obvious device in order to tell us what he's thinking or feeling. There was some of that here; just one place I think. There's another thing I come across sometimes: when a story has too much bouncing around to and fro. This ship traveling to here while the other travels to there and then the other goes to the other place and back and forth and back and forth; it's tiring and hard to follow. Of course, this was helped by knowing the ST2 scenario, so it's okay, but still, it was a challenge of concentration to follow sometimes. Again, the mirror-twisting of events from ST2 was very creative indeed. How Genesis was used, etc. Also, who Khan was in the Mirror universe; quite interesting. Anyway, finally it starts to click in Kirk's head that Spock loves him, and so then we get a nice rich Mirror first-time love story, complete with painful things such as Kirk having to subject Spock to the agony booth. The complicated explanations I mentioned earlier; these were done well—it’s not like they were in dry exposition or anything. As all the culminating action was happening toward the end, that's when we find out who's who and what's what, and about the rebellion being successful. Though some stuff we learn about only in a brief afterward. One question: "the emperor" killed Amanda. Would this have been Drew? Or Khan? Or did I really miss something obvious?

I have to say I thought the "warm" thing weak as a title theme. It was quite nice, and the scenes where it came from and was followed up in were fine scenes, but the story was just much bigger than that. But there was plenty of dramatic and loving K/S in all of this, a creative play on ST2 events. And a soft, happy ending.